Hosea 4
1 Hear the word of Jehovah, you children of Israel; for Jehovah has a charge against the inhabitants of the land: "Indeed there is no truth, nor goodness, nor knowledge of God in the land.
Hear the word of the Lord, people of Israel, for the Lord has an accusation against the inhabitants of the land! “There is no faithfulness, no loyalty, and no knowledge of God in the land.
2 There is cursing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery; they break boundaries, and bloodshed causes bloodshed.
Instead there is only cursing, lying, murdering, stealing, and adultery. They commit violence, and bloodshed follows bloodshed.
3 Therefore the land mourns, and all those who dwell in it will waste away, along with the animals of the field and the crawling creatures of the earth and the birds of the sky, and even the fish of the sea will be taken away.
As a result the land dries up, and everyone who lives there is wasting away, along with the wild animals and the birds of the sky and the fish of the sea—they are all dying.
4 "Yet let no man bring a charge, neither let any man accuse; For your people are like those who bring charges against a priest.
But no one should accuse or blame anyone else. My quarrel is with you the priests—you are the ones responsible.
5 You will stumble in the day, and the prophet will also stumble with you in the night; and I will destroy your mother.
Consequently you will stumble in daylight, and the prophet will stumble together with you in the night, and I will destroy your mother.
6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you, that you may be no priest to me. Because you have forgotten your God's law, I will also forget your children.
My people are dying because they don't know me. Because you have refused to know me, I refuse to accept you as my priests. You have forgotten my teachings, so I will forget your children.
7 As they were multiplied, so they sinned against me. They have exchanged their glory into shame.
The more there were of them, the more they sinned against me, so I will change their glory into shame.
8 They feed on the sin of my people, and set their heart on their iniquity.
They feed on the sin of my people, greedy for their iniquity.
9 It will be, like people, like priest; and I will punish them for their ways, and will repay them for their deeds.
So it will be for the people like the priests: I will punish them for what they have done, repaying them for their actions.
10 They will eat, and not have enough. They will play the prostitute, and will not increase; because they have abandoned giving to Jehovah.
They will eat, but they will not be satisfied; they will engage in prostitution, but they will not prosper because they have given up on the Lord to go and prostitute themselves to other gods.
11 Prostitution, wine, and new wine take away understanding.
They destroy their minds with old wine and new wine.
12 My people consult with their wooden idol, and answer to a stick of wood. Indeed the spirit of prostitution has led them astray, and they have been unfaithful to their God.
My people consult their wooden idols and their divining rods give them answers, for a spirit of prostitution makes them go astray. Prostituting themselves, they have deserted their God.
13 They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains, and burn incense on the hills, under oaks and poplars and shady terebinths, because its shade is good. Therefore your daughters play the prostitute, and your brides commit adultery.
They offer sacrifices on the tops of mountains; they burn incense in the hills under the oak, poplar, and terebinth trees where the shade is pleasant. That's the reason why your daughters practice prostitution and your daughters-in-law commit adultery.
14 I will not punish your daughters when they play the prostitute, nor your brides when they commit adultery; because the men consort with prostitutes, and they sacrifice with the shrine prostitutes; so the people without understanding will come to ruin.
I will not punish your daughters when they practice prostitution, nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery, because you men visit whores and sacrifice with temple prostitutes. A people who lack understanding end up in disaster.
15 "Though you, Israel, play the prostitute, yet do not let Judah offend; and do not come to Gilgal, neither go up to Beth Aven, nor swear, 'As Jehovah lives.'
Though you, Israel, have become a prostitute, may Judah not offend in the same way and not enter Gilgal, nor go up to Beth-aven, nor swear saying, ‘the Lord lives.’
16 For Israel has behaved extremely stubbornly, like a stubborn heifer. Then how will Jehovah feed them like a lamb in a meadow.
For Israel is as stubborn as a stubborn cow. Should the Lord then take care of them like a lamb in a wide pasture?
17 Ephraim, joined to idols, has placed stumbling blocks against himself.
Ephraim is bewitched by idols, so leave him alone!
18 Their drink has become sour. They play the prostitute continually. Her rulers dearly love their shameful way.
Once the leaders finish drinking, they go off and find prostitutes to sleep with. They love their shameful acts more than honor.
19 The wind has wrapped her up in its wings; and they shall be disappointed because of their sacrifices.
A wind will carry them away; they will be ashamed of their pagan worship.
