Hosea 4

1 Hear the LORD’s word, you children of Israel, for the LORD has a charge against the inhabitants of the land: “Indeed there is no truth, nor goodness, nor knowledge of God in the land.

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 kindness, nor knowledge of God in the land.

2 There is cursing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery; they break boundaries, and bloodshed causes bloodshed.

There is false swearing, and lying, and murdering, and stealing, and committing adultery: they break the bounds, and blood toucheth on blood.

3 Therefore the land will mourn, and everyone who dwells in it will waste away, with all living things in her, even the animals of the field and the birds of the sky; yes, the fish of the sea also die.

Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of the heaven; yea, also the fishes of the sea shall perish.

4 “Yet let no man bring a charge, neither let any man accuse; for your people are like those who bring charges against a priest.

Yet let no man strive, let no man reprove another: and thy people are contentious equally with the priest.

5 You will stumble in the day, and the prophet will also stumble with you in the night; and I will destroy your mother.

Therefore shalt thou stumble in the daytime, and the prophet also shall stumble with thee in the night; and I will destroy thy mother.

6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you, that you may be no priest to me. Because you have forgotten your God’s Torah, I will also forget your children.

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because thou hast rejected knowledge, so will I also reject thee, that thou shalt not be a priest to me; and as thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, so will I myself also forget thy children.

7 As they were multiplied, so they sinned against me. I will change their glory into shame.

The more they increased, the more did they sin against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame.

8 They feed on the sin of my people, and set their heart on their iniquity.

The sin-offering of my people do they eat, and for their iniquity doth the soul of each one of them long.

9 It will be like people, like priest; and I will punish them for their ways, and will repay them for their deeds.

Therefore shall the same befall both people and priest: and I will punish every one of them for his ways, and recompense every one for his doings.

10 They will eat, and not have enough. They will play the prostitute, and will not increase; because they have abandoned listening to the LORD.

And they will eat, and shall not be satisfied; they will commit lewdness, and they shall not increase; because the Lord have they forsaken [not] keeping [his law].

11 Prostitution, wine, and new wine take away understanding.

Lewdness and wine and new wine take away the heart.

12 My people consult with their wooden idol, and answer to a stick of wood. Indeed the spirit of prostitution has led them astray, and they have been unfaithful to their God.

My people ask counsel of their stick of wood, and their staff shall tell them [the future]: for the spirit of lewdness hath caused them to err, and they are gone astray unfaithful to their God.

13 They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains, and burn incense on the hills, under oaks, poplars, and terebinths, because its shade is good. Therefore your daughters play the prostitute, and your brides commit adultery.

Upon the tops of the mountains do they sacrifice, and upon the hills burn they incense, under oaks and poplars and terebinths, because their shadow is good: therefore will your daughters play the harlot, and your daughter-in-law will commit adultery.

14 I will not punish your daughters when they play the prostitute, nor your brides when they commit adultery; because the men consort with prostitutes, and they sacrifice with the shrine prostitutes; so the people without understanding will come to ruin.

I cannot inflict punishment on your daughters when they play the harlot, nor on your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery; for they themselves associate with lewd women, and with harlots do they sacrifice: and so doth the people that doth not understand stumble.

15 “Though you, Israel, play the prostitute, yet don’t let Judah offend; and don’t come to Gilgal, neither go up to Beth Aven, nor swear, ‘As the LORD lives.’

Yet though thou play the harlot, O Israel, let not Judah offend: and come not ye unto Gilgal, nor go ye up to Beth-aven, nor swear, As the Lord liveth.

16 For Israel has behaved extremely stubbornly, like a stubborn heifer. Then how will the LORD feed them like a lamb in a meadow?

For like an untamable cow is Israel disobedient: now would the Lord have fed them as a sheep in a wide pasture.

17 Ephraim is joined to idols. Leave him alone!

Ephraim is bound to idols: let him alone.

18 Their drink has become sour. They play the prostitute continually. Her rulers dearly love their shameful way.

Their drinking bout will come to an end: while they are so often guilty of lewdness, their rulers love, prepare themselves but shame.

19 The wind has wrapped her up in its wings; and they shall be disappointed because of their sacrifices.

The wind seizeth fast on them with its wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.