Hosea 4

1 Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because [there is] no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.

Hear the word of the Lord, people of Israel, for the Lord has an accusation against the inhabitants of the land! “There is no faithfulness, no loyalty, and no knowledge of God in the land.

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

Instead there is only cursing, lying, murdering, stealing, and adultery. They commit violence, and bloodshed follows bloodshed.

3 Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth in it 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.

As a result the land dries up, and everyone who lives there is wasting away, along with the wild animals and the birds of the sky and the fish of the sea—they are all dying.

4 Yet let no man contend, nor reprove another: for thy people [are] as they that contend with the priest.

But no one should accuse or blame anyone else. My quarrel is with you the priests—you are the ones responsible.

5 Therefore shalt thou fall in the day, and the prophet also shall fall with thee in the night, and I will destroy thy mother.

Consequently you will stumble in daylight, and the prophet will stumble together 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, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

My people are dying because they don't know me. Because you have refused to know me, I refuse to accept you as my priests. You have forgotten my teachings, so I will forget your children.

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

The more there were of them, the more they sinned against me, so I will change their glory into shame.

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

They feed on the sin of my people, greedy for their iniquity.

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

So it will be for the people like the priests: I will punish them for what they have done, repaying them for their actions.

10 For they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall be guilty of lewdness, and shall not increase: because they have ceased to take heed to the LORD.

They will eat, but they will not be satisfied; they will engage in prostitution, but they will not prosper because they have given up on the Lord to go and prostitute themselves to other gods.

11 Lewdness and wine and new wine take away the heart.

They destroy their minds with old wine and new wine.

12 My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth to them: for the spirit of lewdness hath caused [them] to err, and they have gone astray from under their God.

My people consult their wooden idols and their divining rods give them answers, for a spirit of prostitution makes them go astray. Prostituting themselves, they have deserted their God.

13 They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under oaks and poplars and elms, because the shade of them is agreeable: therefore your daughters shall be guilty of lewdness, and your spouses shall commit adultery.

They offer sacrifices on the tops of mountains; they burn incense in the hills under the oak, poplar, and terebinth trees where the shade is pleasant. That's the reason why your daughters practice prostitution and your daughters-in-law commit adultery.

14 I will not punish your daughters when they are guilty of lewdness, nor your spouses when they commit adultery: for they themselves are separated with prostitutes, and they sacrifice with harlots: therefore the people [that] doth not understand shall fall.

I will not punish your daughters when they practice prostitution, nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery, because you men visit whores and sacrifice with temple prostitutes. A people who lack understanding end up in disaster.

15 Though thou, Israel, playest the harlot, [yet] let not Judah offend; and come not ye to Gilgal, neither go ye up to Beth-aven, nor swear, The LORD liveth.

Though you, Israel, have become a prostitute, may Judah not offend in the same way and not enter Gilgal, nor go up to Beth-aven, nor swear saying, ‘the Lord lives.’

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

For Israel is as stubborn as a stubborn cow. Should the Lord then take care of them like a lamb in a wide pasture?

17 Ephraim [is] joined to idols: let him alone.

Ephraim is bewitched by idols, so leave him alone!

18 Their drink is sour: they have been guilty of lewd deeds continually: her rulers [with] shame do love, Give ye.

Once the leaders finish drinking, they go off and find prostitutes to sleep with. They love their shameful acts more than honor.

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

A wind will carry them away; they will be ashamed of their pagan worship.