Hosea 4

1 Hear the word of YHWH, you children of Israel; for YHWH 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 Yahweh, ye sons of Israel, —that, a controversy, hath Yahweh with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no faithfulness, nor lovingkindness, nor knowledge of God, in the land:

2 There is cursing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery; they break boundaries, and bloodshed causes bloodshed.

Cursing and lying, and killing and stealing, and committing adultery, have broken forth, and, blood-shedding, unto blood-shedding, doth extend.

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.

For this cause, shall the land mourn, and everyone who dwelleth therein shall languish, with the wild beast of the field and with the bird of the heavens, —moreover also, the fishes of the sea, shall be withdrawn.

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.

Howbeit let, no man, contend, nor let him rebuke another, —since, thy people, are as they who contend against a priest:

5 You will stumble in the day, and the prophet will also stumble with you in the night; and I will destroy your mother.

So shouldst thou stumble in the daytime, and even the prophet stumble with thee, in the night, —and I should destroy thine own 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 destroyed, for lack of knowledge, —Because, thou, hast rejected knowledge, therefore will I reject thee from ministering as priest unto me, and, because thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I also, will forget thy children.

7 As they were multiplied, so they sinned against me. They have exchanged their glory into shame.

As they were magnified, so, they sinned against me, —My glory—for what was contemptible, did they exchange.

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

The sin of my people, they do eat, —and. unto their iniquity, lift they up every man his desire.

9 It will be, like people, like priest; and I will punish them for their ways, and will repay them for their deeds.

So doth it come to be—like people, like priest, —therefore will I visit upon him his ways, and, his doings, will I bring back to him;

10 They will eat, and not have enough. They will play the prostitute, and will not increase; because they have abandoned giving to YHWH.

And they shall eat, and not be satisfied, they have encouraged unchastity, yet have not been making increase, —for unto, Yahweh, have they left off giving heed: —

11 Prostitution, wine, and new wine take away understanding.

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

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, of their Wood, do ask, —Let, their Staff, then tell them, —for, the spirit of unchastity, hath led them astray, and they have unchastely departed from under 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.

On the headlands of the mountains, they sacrifice, and, on the hills, burn they incense, under oak and poplar and terebinth, because, pleasant, is the shade thereof: For this cause, do your daughters, become unchaste, and, your brides, 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 do not bring punishment upon your daughters when they become unchaste, nor upon your brides, when they commit adultery, for, the men themselves, with unchaste women, do seclude themselves, and, with the common women of the shrine, do offer sacrifice, —and, a people who will not discern, must be ruined.

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 YHWH lives.'

Though unchaste art thou, O Israel, let not Judah, become guilty, neither let them enter Gilgal, nor go up to Beth-aven, and [then] swear, By the life of Yahweh!

16 For Israel has behaved extremely stubbornly, like a stubborn heifer. Then how will YHWH feed them like a lamb in a meadow.

For, as a heifer that is stubborn, hath Israel, been stubborn, —Now, can Yahweh, turn them out to pasture, like a young ram in a wide place?

17 Ephraim, joined to idols, has placed stumbling blocks against himself.

Mated with idols, is Ephraim, let him alone.

18 Their drink has become sour. They play the prostitute continually. Her rulers dearly love their shameful way.

Their drinking-bout, having passed, —they became, unchaste, they loved wildly, a contempt, became her great men.

19 The wind has wrapped her up in its wings; and they shall be disappointed because of their sacrifices.

The wind hath bound her up in its wings, —that they may be ashamed, because of their sacrifices.