Hosea 4
1 'Hear a word of Jehovah, sons of Israel, For a strife [is] to Jehovah with inhabitants of the land, For there is no truth, nor kindness, Nor knowledge of God, in the land,
Hear the Lord’s message, Israelites, for the Lord has brought charges against the inhabitants of the land, for there is no fidelity, nor true love, nor knowledge of God in the land,
2 Swearing, and lying, and murdering, And stealing, and committing adultery — have increased, And blood against blood hath touched.
but cursing, lying, and murder, stealing, committing adultery, and deeds of violence, and acts of bloodshed quickly follow each other.
3 Therefore mourn doth the land, And weak is every dweller in it, With the beast of the field, And with the fowl of the heavens, And the fishes of the sea — they are removed.
Therefore the land mourns, all its inhabitants languish, the wild animals and the birds of the skies, even the fish of the sea are dying.
4 Only, let no one strive, nor reprove a man, And thy people [are] as those striving with a priest.
Yet let no one bring charges, let none accuse, for your people are like those, who bring charges against a priest.
5 And thou hast stumbled in the day, And stumbled hath also a prophet with thee in the night, And I have cut off thy mother.
You stumble by day, and the prophet stumbles with you by night, and I will destroy your mother.
6 Cut off have been My people for lack of knowledge, Because thou knowledge hast rejected, I reject thee from being priest to Me, And thou forgettest the law of thy God, I forget thy sons, I also!
My people are being destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge I reject you from being priest to me. Since you have forgotten the teaching of your God, I also will forget your children.
7 According to their abundance so they sinned against Me, Their honour into shame I change.
The more priests there are, the more they sin against me. I will change their dignity to dishonour.
8 The sin of My people they do eat, And unto their iniquity lift up their soul.
They feed on the sin offerings of my people, so they hunger after their guilt.
9 And it hath been, like people, like priest, And I have charged on it its ways, And its habitual doings I return to it.
Thus it comes to be, like people, like priest: I will visit upon each punishment for their ways, and their deeds I will repay them.
10 And they have eaten, and are not satisfied, They have gone a-whoring, and increase not, For they have left off taking heed to Jehovah.
They will eat and not be satisfied, they will sleep around but stay childless, because they have abandoned the Lord to give themselves to
11 Whoredom, and wine, and new wine, take the heart,
prostitution. Old and new wine take away the understanding.
12 My people at its staff asketh and its rod declareth to it, For a spirit of whoredoms hath caused to err, And they go a-whoring from under their God.
My own people ask counsel of a piece of wood! A stick gives them advice! For a spirit of prostitution has led them astray, they commit adultery against their God.
13 On tops of the mountains they do sacrifice, And on the hills they make perfume, Under oak, and poplar, and terebinth, For good [is] its shade.
On the heights of the mountains they sacrifice, and on the hills they burn incense under oaks and poplars and terebinths, for their shade is so pleasant. Therefore your daughters become cult prostitutes, and your daughters-in-law commit adultery.
14 Therefore commit whoredom do your daughters, And your spouses commit adultery, I do not see after your daughters when they commit whoredom, And after your spouses when they commit adultery, For they with the harlots are separated, And with the whores they do sacrifice, A people that doth not understand kicketh.
I will not punish your daughters for committing prostitution, nor your daughters-in-law for adultery. Your men visit prostitutes, sacrifice with cult prostitutes. So a people without understanding come to ruin!
15 Though a harlot thou [art], O Israel, Let not Judah become guilty, And come not ye in to Gilgal, nor go up to Beth-Aven, Nor swear ye, Jehovah liveth.
Though you commit adultery, Israel, let not Judah become guilty. Do not go to Gilgal, do not go up to Beth-aven, nor swear an oath, ‘As the Lord lives.’
16 For as a refractory heifer hath Israel turned aside, Now doth Jehovah feed them as a lamb in a large place.
Like a wilful heifer, Israel is stubborn. Can the Lord now feed them as he would a lamb in a broad pasture?
17 Joined to idols [is] Ephraim, let him alone.
Ephraim is wedded to idols. Leave them alone!
18 Sour [is] their drink, They have gone diligently a-whoring, Her protectors have loved shame thoroughly.
When their drinking is over they sleep with the cult prostitutes, their rulers love shameful ways.
19 Distressed her hath wind with its wings, And they are ashamed of their sacrifices!
A windstorm will wrap them in its wings and they will be ashamed of their sacrifices.
