Hosea 4

¹Listen 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.

²Slander, and lying, and killing, and theft, and adultery have overflowed, and bloodshed has brought more bloodshed.

³Because 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.

⁴So, 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.

⁵And 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.

⁶My 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.

⁷According to the multitude of them, so have they sinned against me. I will change their glory into disgrace.

⁸They will devour the sins of my people, and they will lift up their souls towards their iniquity.

⁹And, 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.

¹⁰And 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.

¹¹Fornication, and wine, and drunkenness, have taken away their heart.

¹²My 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.

¹³They 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.

¹⁴I 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.

¹⁵If 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.”

¹⁶For Israel has gone astray like a wanton heifer; so now the Lord will pasture them like a young lamb in a wide expanse.

¹⁷Ephraim participates in idolatry, so send him away.

¹⁸Their feasting has been set aside; they have committed fornication after fornication. They love to bring disgrace to their protectors.

¹⁹The wind has fastened them to its wings, and they will be confounded because of their sacrifices.

Hosea 4

¹Hear the word of the Lord, ye children of Israel, for the Lord shall enter into judgment with the inhabitants of the land: for there is no truth, and there is no mercy, and there is no knowledge of God in the land.

²Cursing, and lying, and killing, and theft, and adultery, have overflowed, and blood hath touched blood.

³Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth in it shall languish with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of the air: yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be gathered together.

⁴But yet let not any man judge: and let not a man be rebuked: for thy people are as they that contradict the priest.

⁵And thou shalt fall today, and the prophet also shall fall with thee: in the night I have made thy mother to be silent.

⁶My people have been silent, because they had no knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will reject thee, that thou shalt not do the office of priesthood to me: and thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I also will forget thy children.

⁷According to the multitude of them, so have they sinned against me: I will change their glory into shame.

⁸They shall eat the sins of my people, and shall lift up their souls to their iniquity.

⁹And there shall be like people like priest: and I will visit their ways upon them, and I will repay them their devices.

¹⁰And they shall eat and shall not be filled: they have committed fornication, and have not ceased: because they have forsaken the Lord in not observing the law.

¹¹Fornication, and wine, and drunkenness, take away the understanding.

¹²My people have consulted their stocks, and their staff hath declared unto them: for the spirit of fornication hath deceived them, and they have committed fornication against their God.

¹³They offered sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burnt incense upon the hills: under the oak, and the poplar, and the turpentine tree, because the shadow thereof was good: therefore shall your daughters commit fornication, and your spouses shall be adulteresses.

¹⁴I will not visit upon your daughters, when they shall commit fornication, and upon your spouses when they shall commit adultery: because themselves conversed with harlots, and offered sacrifice with the effeminate, and the people that doth not understand shall be beaten.

¹⁵If thou play the harlot, O Israel, at least let not Juda offend: and go ye not into Galgal, and come not up into Bethaven, and do not swear: The Lord liveth.

¹⁶For Israel hath gone astray like a wanton heifer now will the Lord feed them, as a lamb in a spacious place.

¹⁷Ephraim is a partaker with idols, let him alone.

¹⁸Their banquet is separated, they have gone astray by fornication: they that should have protected them have loved to bring shame upon them.

¹⁹The wind hath bound them up in its wings, and they shall be confounded because of their sacrifices.