Hoseas 4
1 Hør Herrens ord, I Israels barn! For Herren har sak med dem som bor i landet, fordi det ingen sannhet og ingen kjærlighet og ingen gudskunnskap finnes i landet.
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!
2 De sverger og lyver, myrder og stjeler og driver hor. De farer frem med vold, og mord følger på mord.
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.
3 Derfor skal landet visne, og alt det som bor der, skal vansmekte, både markens dyr og himmelens fugler, endog havets fisker skal utryddes.
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.
4 Allikevel må ingen gå i rette med nogen annen eller refse ham; for ditt folk er lik dem som tretter med en prest.
But no one should accuse someone else and say it is his fault. It is you priests whom I am accusing.
5 Du skal omkomme om dagen, og profeten skal omkomme med dig om natten, og jeg vil tilintetgjøre din mor.
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.
6 Mitt folk går til grunne fordi det ikke har kunnskap; fordi du har forkastet kunnskapen, forkaster jeg dig, så du ikke skal tjene mig som prest; du glemte din Guds lov, derfor vil også jeg glemme dine barn.
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.
7 Jo flere de blev, dess mere syndet de mot mig; deres ære vil jeg skifte om til skam.
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.
8 Av mitt folks synd lever de, og efter deres misgjerning higer de.
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].
9 Derfor skal det gå med presten som med folket, og jeg vil hjemsøke ham for hans ferd og gi ham like for hans gjerninger.
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.
10 De skal ete og ikke bli mette, de skal drive utukt og ikke utbrede sig; for de har holdt op å akte på Herren.
[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,
11 Hor og vin og most tar forstanden bort.
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.”
12 Mitt folk spør sitt trestykke til råds, og dets kjepp gir det svar; for utuktens ånd har forvillet dem, så de driver hor og ikke vil stå under sin Gud.
“[You] my people request wooden idols [to tell you what you should do]! Like prostitutes who have left/abandoned their husbands,
13 På fjelltoppene ofrer de, og på haugene brenner de røkelse under eker og popler og terebinter, fordi skyggen der er god; derfor driver eders døtre hor, og eders sønnekoner gjør sig skyldige i ekteskapsbrudd.
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.
14 Jeg vil ikke hjemsøke eders døtre for deres hor, eller eders sønnekoner for deres ekteskapsbrudd; for mennene går selv avsides med horkvinnene og ofrer med skjøgene. Således går det uforstandige folk til grunne.
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.
15 Om enn du, Israel, driver hor, så må ikke Juda gjøre sig skyldig i sådant! Gå ikke til Gilgal og dra ikke op til Bet-Aven og sverg ikke: Så sant Herren lever!
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].’
16 For Israel er som en ustyrlig ku; men nu skal Herren la dem beite som lam på den vide mark.
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.
17 Efra'im er bundet til avgudsbilleder; la ham fare!
The people of Israel have chosen to worship idols [MET], [so] allow them [to do what they want to do].
18 Deres rus er forbi; utukt har deres skjold drevet, høit har de elsket det som skammelig er.
When their rulers finish drinking [their wine], they go to find prostitutes; they love their disgraceful behavior.
19 Et stormvær griper dem med sine vinger, og de skal bli til skamme med sine offer.
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].”
