Hosea 4
1 Sones of Israel, here ye the word of the Lord, for whi doom is to the Lord with the dwelleris of erthe; for whi trewthe is not, and merci is not, and kunnyng of the Lord is not in erthe.
Listen to the word of the Lord, sons of Israel, for the Lord is judge of the inhabitants of the land. Yet there is no truth, and there is no mercy, and there is no knowledge of God, in the land.
2 Curs, and leesyng, and manquelling, and thefte, and auowtrie flowiden, and blood touchide blood.
Slander, and lying, and killing, and theft, and adultery have overflowed, and bloodshed has brought more bloodshed.
3 For this thing the erthe schal mourne, and ech that dwellith in that lond, schal be sijk, in the beeste of the feeld, and in the brid of the eir; but also the fischis of the see schulen be gaderid togidere.
Because of this, the land will mourn, and all who dwell in it will languish, with the beasts of the field and the birds of the air. And the fishes of the sea also will be gathered together.
4 Netheles ech man deme not, and a man be not repreuyd; for thi puple is as thei that ayen seien the prest.
So, truly, let each and every one not judge, and let no man be accused, for your people are just like those who speak against the priesthood.
5 And thou schalt falle to dai, and the profete also schal falle with thee; in the niyt Y made thi modir to be stille.
And you will be ruined on this day, and now the prophet will be ruined with you. In the night, I have made your mother to be silent.
6 My puple was stille, for it hadde not kunnyng; for thou hast putte awei kunnyng, Y schal putte thee awei, that thou vse not presthod to me; and for thou hast foryete the lawe of thi God, also Y schal foryete thi sones.
My people have become silent because they had no knowledge. Since you have rejected knowledge, I will drive you away; you do not perform the duties of the priesthood for me, and you have forgotten the law of your God, and so I will forget your sons.
7 Bi the multitude of hem, so thei synneden ayens me. Y schal chaunge the glorie of hem in to schenschipe.
According to the multitude of them, so have they sinned against me. I will change their glory into disgrace.
8 Thei schulen ete the synnes of my puple, and thei schulen reise the soulis of hem to the wickidnesse of hem.
They will devour the sins of my people, and they will lift up their souls towards their iniquity.
9 And it schal be, as the puple so the prest; and Y schal visite on hym the weies of hym, and Y schal yelde to him the thouytis of hym.
And, just as it is with the people, so will it be with the priest; and I will visit their ways upon them, and I will repay them for their intentions.
10 And thei schulen ete, and thei schulen not be fillid; thei diden fornicacioun, and ceessiden not, for thei forsoken the Lord in not kepynge.
And they will eat and not be satisfied. They have been committing fornication, and they did not cease. Since they have abandoned the Lord, they will not be safeguarded.
11 Fornycacioun, and wiyn, and drunkenesse doen awei the herte.
Fornication, and wine, and drunkenness, have taken away their heart.
12 My puple axide in his tre, and the staf therof telde to it; for the spirit of fornicacioun disseyuede hem, and thei diden fornicacioun fro her God.
My people have inquired of their stave, and their staff has announced to them. For the spirit of fornication has deceived them, and they have been fornicating before their God.
13 On the heedis of mounteyns thei maden sacrifice, and on the litil hillis thei brenten encense vndur an ook, and a popeler, and terebynte, for the schadewe therof was good. Therfor youre douytris schulen do fornicacioun, and youre wyues schulen be auoutressis.
They have offered sacrifice on the tops of the mountains and burnt incense on the hills, under the oak, and the poplar, and the terebinth tree, because its shadow was good; therefore, your daughters will commit fornication and your spouses will be adulteresses.
14 Y schal not visite on youre douytris, whanne thei don fornicacioun, and on youre wyues, whanne thei doon auowtrie; for thei lyuyden with hooris, and maden sacrifice with men turned in to wymmens condiciouns. And the puple that vndirstondith not, schal be betun.
I will not send afflictions on your daughters, when they will commit fornication, nor on your spouses, when they will commit adultery, because you yourselves have associated with harlots and have offered sacrifice with the effeminate, and because the people who do not understand will be defeated.
15 If thou, Israel, doist fornicacioun, nameli Juda trespasse not; and nyle ye entre in to Galgala, and stie ye not in to Bethauen, nether swere ye, The Lord lyueth.
If you commit fornication, Israel, at least let Judah not commit offenses; and do not be willing to enter into Gilgal, nor to ascend to Bethaven, and neither should you swear, “As the Lord lives.”
16 For as a wielde cow Israel bowide awei; now the Lord schal fede hem as a lomb in broodnesse.
For Israel has gone astray like a wanton heifer; so now the Lord will pasture them like a young lamb in a wide expanse.
17 Effraym is the partener of idols, leeue thou him;
Ephraim participates in idolatry, so send him away.
18 the feeste of hem is departid. Bi fornicacioun thei diden fornicacioun, the defenders therof louyden to brynge schenschipe.
Their feasting has been set aside; they have committed fornication after fornication. They love to bring disgrace to their protectors.
19 The spirit boond hym in hise wyngis, and thei schulen be schent of her sacrifices.
The wind has fastened them to its wings, and they will be confounded because of their sacrifices.
