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!
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 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.
Cursing and lying, and killing and stealing, and committing adultery, have broken forth, and, blood-shedding, unto blood-shedding, doth extend.
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.
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with the wild beast of the field and with the bird of the heavens, —moreover also, the fishes of the sea, shall be withdrawn.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 But no one should accuse someone else and say it is his fault. It is you priests whom I am accusing.
Howbeit let, no man, contend, nor let him rebuke another, —since, thy people, are as they who contend against a priest:
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.
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 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.
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 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.
As they were magnified, so, they sinned against me, —My glory—for what was contemptible, did they exchange.
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].
The sin of my people, they do eat, —and. unto their iniquity, lift they up every man his desire.
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.
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 [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,
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 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.”
Unchastity, and wine, and new wine, take away the heart.
12 “[You] my people request wooden idols [to tell you what you should do]! Like prostitutes who have left/abandoned their husbands,
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 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.
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 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.
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 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].’
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 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.
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 The people of Israel have chosen to worship idols [MET], [so] allow them [to do what they want to do].
Mated with idols, is Ephraim, let him alone.
18 When their rulers finish drinking [their wine], they go to find prostitutes; they love their disgraceful behavior.
Their drinking-bout, having passed, —they became, unchaste, they loved wildly, a contempt, became her great men.
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].”
The wind hath bound her up in its wings, —that they may be ashamed, because of their sacrifices.
