Hosea 4

1 “Hear a word of YHWH, sons of Israel, For a strife [is] to YHWH with inhabitants of the land, For there is no truth, nor kindness, Nor knowledge of God in the land;

Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel! for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.

2 Swearing, and lying, and murdering, And stealing, and committing adultery—have increased, And blood has touched against blood.

Swearing and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery! they break all bounds, and blood toucheth blood.

3 Therefore the land mourns, And every dweller is weak in it, With the beast of the field, And with the bird of the heavens, And the fishes of the sea—they are removed.

Therefore doth the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein doth languish, with the beasts of the field, and the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also are taken away.

4 Only, let no one strive, nor reprove a man, And your people [are] as those striving with a priest.

Yet let no man strive, neither let any man reprove; for thy people are as they that strive with the priest.

5 And you have stumbled in the day, And a prophet has also stumbled with you in the night, And I have cut off your mother.

Therefore shalt thou stumble in the day, and the prophet also shall stumble with thee in the night; and I will destroy thy mother.

6 My people have been cut off for lack of knowledge, Because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being priest to Me, And you forget the Law of your God—I forget your sons, I also!

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to Me; seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I also will forget thy children.

7 According to their abundance so they sinned against Me, I change their glory into shame.

The more they were increased, the more they sinned against Me; I will change their glory into shame.

8 The sin of My people they eat, And to their iniquity lift up their soul.

They feed on the sin of My people, and set their heart on their iniquity.

9 And it has been, like people, like priest, And I have charged on it its ways, And its habitual doings I return to it.

And it is like people, like priest; and I will punish him for his ways, and will recompense him his doings.

10 And they have eaten, and are not satisfied, They have gone whoring, and do not increase, For they have left off taking heed to YHWH.

And they shall eat, and not have enough, they shall commit harlotry, and shall not increase; because they have left off to take heed to the LORD.

11 Whoredom, and wine, and new wine, take the heart,

Harlotry, wine, and new wine take away the heart.

12 My people at its staff asks and its rod declares to it, For a spirit of whoredoms has caused to err, And they go whoring from under their God.

My people ask counsel at their stock, and their staff declareth unto them; for the spirit of harlotry hath caused them to err, and they have gone astray from under their God.

13 On tops of the mountains they sacrifice, And on the hills they make incense, Under oak, and poplar, and terebinth, For good [is] its shade.

They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and offer upon the hills, under oaks and poplars and terebinths, because the shadow thereof is good; therefore your daughters commit harlotry, and your daughters-in-law commit adultery.

14 Therefore your daughters commit whoredom, And your spouses commit adultery, I do not see after your daughters when they commit whoredom, And after your spouses when they commit adultery, For they with the harlots are separated, And with the whores they sacrifice, A people that does not understand kicks.

I will not punish your daughters when they commit harlotry, nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery; for they themselves consort with lewd women, and they sacrifice with harlots; and the people that is without understanding is distraught.

15 Though you [are] a harlot, O Israel, Do not let Judah become guilty, And do not come to Gilgal, nor go up to Beth-Aven, Nor swear, YHWH lives.

Though thou, Israel, play the harlot, yet let not Judah become guilty; and come not ye unto Gilgal, neither go ye up to Beth-aven, nor swear: 'As the LORD liveth.'

16 For Israel has turned aside as a stubborn heifer, Now YHWH feeds them as a lamb in a large place.

For Israel is stubborn like a stubborn heifer; now shall the LORD feed them as a lamb in a large place?

17 Ephraim is joined to idols, leave him alone.

Ephraim is joined to idols; let him alone.

18 Sour [is] their drink, They have gone whoring diligently, Her protectors have thoroughly loved shame.

When their carouse is over, they take to harlotry; her rulers deeply love dishonour.

19 Wind has distressed her with its wings, And they are ashamed of their sacrifices!”

The wind hath bound her up in her skirts; and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.