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:

Hear the word of the LORD, you children of Israel: for the LORD has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.

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

By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood touches blood.

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with the wild beast of the field and with the bird of the heavens, —moreover also, the fishes of the sea, shall be withdrawn.

Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwells therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yes, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.

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

Yet let no man strive, nor reprove another: for your people are as they that strive with the priest.

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.

Therefore shall you fall in the day, and the prophet also shall fall with you in the night, and I will destroy your mother.

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.

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you, that you shall be no priest to me: seeing you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children.

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

As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame.

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

They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity.

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;

And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings.

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: —

For they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall commit prostitution, and shall not increase: because they have left off to take heed to the LORD.

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

Prostitution and wine and new wine take away the heart.

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.

My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declares to them: for the spirit of prostitutions has caused them to err, and they have gone a whoring from under their God.

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.

They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains, and burn incense on the hills, under oaks and poplars and elms, because the shadow thereof is good: therefore your daughters shall commit prostitution, and your spouses shall commit adultery.

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.

I will not punish your daughters when they commit prostitution, nor your spouses when they commit adultery: for themselves are separated with whores, and they sacrifice with harlots: therefore the people that does not understand shall fall.

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!

Though you, Israel, play the harlot, yet let not Judah offend; and come not you to Gilgal, neither go you up to Bethaven, nor swear, The LORD lives.

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?

For Israel slides back as a backsliding heifer: now the LORD will feed them as a lamb in a large place.

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

Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone.

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

Their drink is sour: they have committed prostitution continually: her rulers with shame do love, Give you.

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

The wind has bound her up in her wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.