Hosea 4
1 You Israeli people, listen to this message from Yahweh! He is accusing you people who live in this country, [saying] “The people are not faithfully [doing what pleases me], they are not kind [to others], and they do not [even] know me!
[後編：以色列的罪惡和懲罰]四：以色列子民，請聽上主的話! 因為上主譴責此地的居民：因為此地沒有誠實，沒有仁愛，沒有人認識天主；
2 Everywhere in this land they curse [others], they murder [others], they steal, and they commit adultery. They act violently toward others and commit one murder after another.
只有詛咒、謊言、殺戳、偷竊、姦淫、強暴和纍纍的血案。
3 It is because of their doing those things that there is no rain [MTY], the land has become dry, the people are mourning, and the people are dying [from hunger]. Even the wild animals and the birds and the fish in the sea are dying.
因此，此地必要荒廢；凡住在這地上的，甚至田間的野獸和天空的飛鳥都要絕跡，連海中的魚類也要消滅。
4 But no one should accuse someone else and say it is his fault. It is you priests whom I am accusing.
但是沒有人爭辯，也沒有人譴責! 司祭啊，我要與你爭辯!
5 So I will punish [MTY] you priests, night and day, and I will punish the prophets with you. I am going to destroy [Israel, the nation that is like] [MET] a mother to you.
你白天黑夜跌倒，先知也同你一齊跌倒，你竟然使你的人民喪亡。
6 It is because my people do not know [about me] that they will be destroyed. And their not knowing about me is because you priests have refused [to teach them about me]; so I will no longer allow you to be my priests. You have forgotten the things that I taught you, so I will forget [to bless] your children.
我的百姓因缺乏知識而滅亡；因為你拋棄了知識，我也要拋棄你，不讓你充當我的司祭；你既然忘卻了你的天主的法律，我也要忘記你的子孫。
7 As there are more and more priests, they have sinned against me more and more. So I will no longer allow them to be honored; instead, I will cause them to be disgraced.
司祭越增多，也越得罪我，竟以羞辱作為他們的光榮。
8 The priests get food from [the offerings that the] people [bring in order to be forgiven for having sinned], [so] the priests want the people to sin more and more [in order that the people will bring them more and more offerings].
他們賴我百姓的罪惡自肥，一心渴望他們的過犯。
9 The priests [are as sinful] as the [other] people, and I will punish [all of] them for what they have done; I will pay them back for the [evil] things that they have done.
由此百姓和司祭，一律看待：我將按他的行徑懲治他，對他的行為予以報復，
10 [The priests] will eat, but they will still be hungry; they will have sex with prostitutes, but they will not have any children, because they have abandoned [me], Yahweh,
好使他們吃，卻吃不飽，行淫而不能繁殖；因為他們捨棄了上主，縱慾，
11 and they are devoting themselves to sleeping with prostitutes, and to [drinking] old wine and new wine, which results in their not being able to think clearly.”
行淫：老酒新酒叫人失去良知。
12 “[You] my people request wooden idols [to tell you what you should do]! Like prostitutes who have left/abandoned their husbands,
我的人民求教於木偶，讓木杖啟示他；因為淫心迷往了他們，使他們行淫，遠開了他們的天主。
13 you have abandoned [me] your God, and you are chasing after [other gods] on the tops of hills and mountains; you burn incense under oak [trees], poplar [trees], and other trees where there is nice/pleasing shade. So your daughters have become prostitutes, and your daughters-in-law have committed adultery.
在山頂上獻祭，在丘陵上、在橡樹、楊樹和篤耨香下焚香，在濃蔭下多麼愉快；因此你們的女兒行淫，你的兒媳犯姦。
14 But it is not [only] your daughters [whom I will punish] for having become prostitutes, and it is not [only] your daughters-in-law whom I will punish for committing adultery, because the men also are having sex with prostitutes, and they offer sacrifices with the prostitutes [who search for men at the] shrines [of the idols]. [They are all] foolish people, and they will [all] be ruined.
但我卻不因你們的女兒行了淫，而懲罰她們，也不因你們的兒息媳犯了姦，而處罰她們；因為她們同蕩婦走往偏僻之處，又同廟妓一同獻祭：但無知的百姓卻因此而墮落!
15 You Israeli [people] have abandoned me like [MET] those who commit adultery have abandoned their spouses. But do not cause [the people of] Judah to sin [also]. Do not go to Gilgal or go up to Beth-Aven [towns] [to worship idols there]. Do not make solemn promises [there, saying ‘Just as surely] as Yahweh lives, [I will do what I am promising].’
以色列，如果你行了淫，但願猶大不要陷於罪惡! 你們不要到基耳加耳去，不要上貝特阿文，也不要起誓願 2上主永在! 」
16 You [people of Israel] are as stubborn as [SIM] a young cow. So there is no way [RHQ] that [I], Yahweh, will [provide food for them] [like a shepherd provides food for his] lambs [by leading them] to a nice meadow.
的確，以色列倔強，有如一頭倔強的母牛，那麼上主那能牧放他們，有如在廣闊的草場牧放羔羊﹖
17 The people of Israel have chosen to worship idols [MET], [so] allow them [to do what they want to do].
厄弗辣因與偶像結了不解之緣：任憑他們吧!
18 When their rulers finish drinking [their wine], they go to find prostitutes; they love their disgraceful behavior.
他們與醉客為伍，任意荒淫，喜愛羞恥勝於上主的光榮。
19 But they will disappear [as though] [MET] they were blown away by a whirlwind. They will become [very] ashamed because of their offering sacrifices [to idols].”
暴風要伸展羽翼將他們捲去，他們必因自己的祭壇蒙受恥辱。
