< 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.
שִׁמְעוּ דְבַר־יְהֹוָה בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כִּי רִיב לַֽיהֹוָה עִם־יוֹשְׁבֵי הָאָרֶץ כִּי אֵין־אֱמֶת וְֽאֵין־חֶסֶד וְאֵֽין־דַּעַת אֱלֹהִים בָּאָֽרֶץ׃
2 There is cursing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery; they break boundaries, and bloodshed causes bloodshed.
אָלֹה וְכַחֵשׁ וְרָצֹחַ וְגָנֹב וְנָאֹף פָּרָצוּ וְדָמִים בְּדָמִים נָגָֽעוּ׃
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.
עַל־כֵּן ׀ תֶּאֱבַל הָאָרֶץ וְאֻמְלַל כׇּל־יוֹשֵׁב בָּהּ בְּחַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה וּבְעוֹף הַשָּׁמָיִם וְגַם־דְּגֵי הַיָּם יֵאָסֵֽפוּ׃
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.
אַךְ אִישׁ אַל־יָרֵב וְאַל־יוֹכַח אִישׁ וְעַמְּךָ כִּמְרִיבֵי כֹהֵֽן׃
5 You will stumble in the day, and the prophet will also stumble with you in the night; and I will destroy your mother.
וְכָשַׁלְתָּ הַיּוֹם וְכָשַׁל גַּם־נָבִיא עִמְּךָ לָיְלָה וְדָמִיתִי אִמֶּֽךָ׃
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.
נִדְמוּ עַמִּי מִבְּלִי הַדָּעַת כִּי־אַתָּה הַדַּעַת מָאַסְתָּ (ואמאסאך) [וְאֶמְאָֽסְךָ] מִכַּהֵן לִי וַתִּשְׁכַּח תּוֹרַת אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶשְׁכַּח בָּנֶיךָ גַּם־אָֽנִי׃
7 As they were multiplied, so they sinned against me. They have exchanged their glory into shame.
כְּרֻבָּם כֵּן חָטְאוּ־לִי כְּבוֹדָם בְּקָלוֹן אָמִֽיר׃
8 They feed on the sin of my people, and set their heart on their iniquity.
חַטַּאת עַמִּי יֹאכֵלוּ וְאֶל־עֲוֺנָם יִשְׂאוּ נַפְשֽׁוֹ׃
9 It will be, like people, like priest; and I will punish them for their ways, and will repay them for their deeds.
וְהָיָה כָעָם כַּכֹּהֵן וּפָקַדְתִּי עָלָיו דְּרָכָיו וּמַעֲלָלָיו אָשִׁיב לֽוֹ׃
10 They will eat, and not have enough. They will play the prostitute, and will not increase; because they have abandoned giving to Jehovah.
וְאָֽכְלוּ וְלֹא יִשְׂבָּעוּ הִזְנוּ וְלֹא יִפְרֹצוּ כִּֽי־אֶת־יְהֹוָה עָזְבוּ לִשְׁמֹֽר׃
11 Prostitution, wine, and new wine take away understanding.
זְנוּת וְיַיִן וְתִירוֹשׁ יִֽקַּֽח־לֵֽב׃
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.
עַמִּי בְּעֵצוֹ יִשְׁאָל וּמַקְלוֹ יַגִּיד לוֹ כִּי רוּחַ זְנוּנִים הִתְעָה וַיִּזְנוּ מִתַּחַת אֱלֹהֵיהֶֽם׃
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.
עַל־רָאשֵׁי הֶהָרִים יְזַבֵּחוּ וְעַל־הַגְּבָעוֹת יְקַטֵּרוּ תַּחַת אַלּוֹן וְלִבְנֶה וְאֵלָה כִּי טוֹב צִלָּהּ עַל־כֵּן תִּזְנֶינָה בְּנוֹתֵיכֶם וְכַלּוֹתֵיכֶם תְּנָאַֽפְנָה׃
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.
לֹא־אֶפְקוֹד עַל־בְּנוֹתֵיכֶם כִּי תִזְנֶינָה וְעַל־כַּלּֽוֹתֵיכֶם כִּי תְנָאַפְנָה כִּי־הֵם עִם־הַזֹּנוֹת יְפָרֵדוּ וְעִם־הַקְּדֵשׁוֹת יְזַבֵּחוּ וְעָם לֹֽא־יָבִין יִלָּבֵֽט׃
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.'
אִם־זֹנֶה אַתָּה יִשְׂרָאֵל אַל־יֶאְשַׁם יְהוּדָה וְאַל־תָּבֹאוּ הַגִּלְגָּל וְאַֽל־תַּעֲלוּ בֵּית אָוֶן וְאַל־תִּשָּׁבְעוּ חַי־יְהֹוָֽה׃
16 For Israel has behaved extremely stubbornly, like a stubborn heifer. Then how will Jehovah feed them like a lamb in a meadow.
כִּי כְּפָרָה סֹרֵרָה סָרַר יִשְׂרָאֵל עַתָּה יִרְעֵם יְהֹוָה כְּכֶבֶשׂ בַּמֶּרְחָֽב׃
17 Ephraim, joined to idols, has placed stumbling blocks against himself.
חֲבוּר עֲצַבִּים אֶפְרָיִם הַֽנַּֽח־לֽוֹ׃
18 Their drink has become sour. They play the prostitute continually. Her rulers dearly love their shameful way.
סָר סׇבְאָם הַזְנֵה הִזְנוּ אָהֲבוּ הֵבוּ קָלוֹן מָגִנֶּֽיהָ׃
19 The wind has wrapped her up in its wings; and they shall be disappointed because of their sacrifices.
צָרַר רוּחַ אוֹתָהּ בִּכְנָפֶיהָ וְיֵבֹשׁוּ מִזִּבְחוֹתָֽם׃

< Hosea 4 >