Hosea 4

1 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:

١ اِسْمَعُوا قَوْلَ ٱلرَّبِّ يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ: «إِنَّ لِلرَّبِّ مُحَاكَمَةً مَعَ سُكَّانِ ٱلْأَرْضِ، لِأَنَّهُ لَا أَمَانَةَ وَلَا إِحْسَانَ وَلَا مَعْرِفَةَ ٱللهِ فِي ٱلْأَرْضِ.

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

٢ لَعْنٌ وَكَذِبٌ وَقَتْلٌ وَسِرْقَةٌ وَفِسْقٌ. يَعْتَنِفُونَ، وَدِمَاءٌ تَلْحَقُ دِمَاءً.

3 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with the wild beast of the field and with the bird of the heavens, —moreover also, the fishes of the sea, shall be withdrawn.

٣ لِذَلِكَ تَنُوحُ ٱلْأَرْضُ وَيَذْبُلُ كُلُّ مَنْ يَسْكُنُ فِيهَا مَعَ حَيَوَانِ ٱلْبَرِّيَّةِ وَطُيُورِ ٱلسَّمَاءِ، وَأَسْمَاكِ ٱلْبَحْرِ أَيْضًا تَنْتَزِعُ.

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

٤ «وَلَكِنْ لَا يُحَاكِمْ أَحَدٌ وَلَا يُعَاتِبْ أَحَدٌ. وَشَعْبُكَ كَمَنْ يُخَاصِمُ كَاهِنًا.

5 So shouldst thou stumble in the daytime, and even the prophet stumble with thee, in the night, —and I should destroy thine own mother.

٥ فَتَتَعَثَّرُ فِي ٱلنَّهَارِ وَيَتَعَثَّرُ أَيْضًا ٱلنَّبِيُّ مَعَكَ فِي ٱللَّيْلِ، وَأَنَا أُخْرِبُ أُمَّكَ.

6 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.

٦ قَدْ هَلَكَ شَعْبِي مِنْ عَدَمِ ٱلْمَعْرِفَةِ. لِأَنَّكَ أَنْتَ رَفَضْتَ ٱلْمَعْرِفَةَ أَرْفُضُكَ أَنَا حَتَّى لَا تَكْهَنَ لِي. وَلِأَنَّكَ نَسِيتَ شَرِيعَةَ إِلَهِكَ أَنْسَى أَنَا أَيْضًا بَنِيكَ.

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

٧ عَلَى حَسْبَمَا كَثُرُوا، هَكَذَا أَخْطَأُوا إِلَيَّ، فَأُبْدِلُ كَرَامَتَهُمْ بِهَوَانٍ.

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

٨ يَأْكُلُونَ خَطِيَّةَ شَعْبِي وَإِلَى إِثْمِهِمْ يَحْمِلُونَ نُفُوسَهُمْ.

9 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;

٩ فَيَكُونُ كَمَا ٱلشَّعْبُ هَكَذَا ٱلْكَاهِنُ. وَأُعَاقِبُهُمْ عَلَى طُرُقِهِمْ وَأَرُدُّ أَعْمَالَهُمْ عَلَيْهِمْ.

10 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: —

١٠ فَيَأْكُلُونَ وَلَا يَشْبَعُونَ، وَيَزْنُونَ وَلَا يَكْثُرُونَ، لِأَنَّهُمْ قَدْ تَرَكُوا عِبَادَةَ ٱلرَّبِّ.

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

١١ «اَلزِّنَى وَٱلْخَمْرُ وَٱلسُّلَافَةُ تَخْلِبُ ٱلْقَلْبَ.

12 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.

١٢ شَعْبِي يَسْأَلُ خَشَبَهُ، وَعَصَاهُ تُخْبِرُهُ، لِأَنَّ رُوحَ ٱلزِّنَى قَدْ أَضَلَّهُمْ فَزَنَوْا مِنْ تَحْتِ إِلَهِهِمْ.

13 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.

١٣ يَذْبَحُونَ عَلَى رُؤُوسِ ٱلْجِبَالِ، وَيُبَخِّرُونَ عَلَى ٱلتِّلَالِ تَحْتَ ٱلْبَلُّوطِ وَٱللُّبْنَى وَٱلْبُطْمِ لِأَنَّ ظِلَّهَا حَسَنٌ! لِذَلِكَ تَزْنِي بَنَاتُكُمْ وَتَفْسِقُ كَنَّاتُكُمْ.

14 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.

١٤ لَا أُعَاقِبُ بَنَاتِكُمْ لِأَنَّهُنَّ يَزْنِينَ، وَلَا كَنَّاتِكُمْ لِأَنَّهُنَّ يَفْسِقْنَ. لِأَنَّهُمْ يَعْتَزِلُونَ مَعَ ٱلزَّانِيَاتِ وَيَذْبَحُونَ مَعَ ٱلنَّاذِرَاتِ ٱلزِّنَى. وَشَعْبٌ لَا يَعْقِلُ يُصْرَعُ.

15 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!

١٥ «إِنْ كُنْتَ أَنْتَ زَانِيًا يَا إِسْرَائِيلُ فَلَا يَأْثَمُ يَهُوذَا. وَلَا تَأْتُوا إِلَى ٱلْجِلْجَالِ وَلَا تَصْعَدُوا إِلَى بَيْتِ آوَنَ وَلَا تَحْلِفُوا: حَيٌّ هُوَ ٱلرَّبُّ.

16 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?

١٦ إِنَّهُ قَدْ جَمَحَ إِسْرَائِيلُ كَبَقَرَةٍ جَامِحَةٍ. اَلْآنَ يَرْعَاهُمُ ٱلرَّبُّ كَخَرُوفٍ فِي مَكَانٍ وَاسِعٍ.

17 Mated with idols, is Ephraim, let him alone.

١٧ أَفْرَايِمُ مُوثَقٌ بِٱلْأَصْنَامِ. ٱتْرُكُوهُ.

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

١٨ مَتَى ٱنْتَهَتْ مُنَادَمَتُهُمْ زَنَوْا زِنًى. أَحَبَّ مَجَانُّهَا، أَحَبُّوا ٱلْهَوَانَ.

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

١٩ قَدْ صَرَّتْهَا ٱلرِّيحُ فِي أَجْنِحَتِهَا، وَخَجِلُوا مِنْ ذَبَائِحِهِمْ.