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 Lord’s message, Israelites, for the Lord has brought charges against the inhabitants of the land, for there is no fidelity, nor true love, 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.
but cursing, lying, and murder, stealing, committing adultery, and deeds of violence, and acts of bloodshed quickly follow each other.
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 the land mourns, all its inhabitants languish, the wild animals and the birds of the skies, even the fish of the sea are dying.
4 Only, let no one strive, nor reprove a man, And your people [are] as those striving with a priest.
Yet let no one bring charges, let none accuse, for your people are like those, who bring charges against a 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.
You stumble by day, and the prophet stumbles with you by night, and I will destroy your 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 being destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge I reject you from being priest to me. Since you have forgotten the teaching of your God, I also will forget your children.
7 According to their abundance so they sinned against Me, I change their glory into shame.
The more priests there are, the more they sin against me. I will change their dignity to dishonor.
8 The sin of My people they eat, And to their iniquity lift up their soul.
They feed on the sin offerings of my people, so they hunger after their guilt.
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.
Thus it comes to be, like people, like priest: I will visit upon each punishment for their ways, and their deeds I will repay them.
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.
They will eat and not be satisfied, they will sleep around but stay childless, because they have abandoned the Lord to give themselves to
11 Whoredom, and wine, and new wine, take the heart,
prostitution. Old and new wine take away the understanding.
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 own people ask counsel of a piece of wood! A stick gives them advice! For a spirit of prostitution has led them astray, they commit adultery against 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.
On the heights of the mountains they sacrifice, and on the hills they burn incense under oaks and poplars and terebinths, for their shade is so pleasant. Therefore your daughters become cult prostitutes, 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 for committing prostitution, nor your daughters-in-law for adultery. Your men visit prostitutes, sacrifice with cult prostitutes. So a people without understanding come to ruin!
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 you commit adultery, Israel, let not Judah become guilty. Do not go to Gilgal, do not go up to Beth-aven, nor swear an oath, “As the Lord lives.”
16 For Israel has turned aside as a stubborn heifer, Now YHWH feeds them as a lamb in a large place.
Like a willful heifer, Israel is stubborn. Can the Lord now feed them as he would a lamb in a broad pasture?
17 Ephraim is joined to idols, leave him alone.
Ephraim is wedded to idols. Leave them alone!
18 Sour [is] their drink, They have gone whoring diligently, Her protectors have thoroughly loved shame.
When their drinking is over they sleep with the cult prostitutes, their rulers love shameful ways.
19 Wind has distressed her with its wings, And they are ashamed of their sacrifices!”
A windstorm will wrap them in its wings and they will be ashamed of their sacrifices.
