Hosea 4

¹Hear 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 mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.

²By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.

³Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.

⁴Yet let no man strive, nor reprove another: for thy people are as they that strive with the priest.

⁵Therefore shalt thou fall in the day, and the prophet also shall fall with thee in the night, and I will destroy thy mother.

⁶My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

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

⁸They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity.

⁹And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings.

¹⁰For they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall commit whoredom, and shall not increase: because they have left off to take heed to the Lord.

¹¹Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart.

¹²My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them: for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err, and they have gone a whoring from under their God.

¹³They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under oaks and poplars and elms, because the shadow thereof is good: therefore your daughters shall commit whoredom, and your spouses shall commit adultery.

¹⁴I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom, nor your spouses when they commit adultery: for themselves are separated with whores, and they sacrifice with harlots: therefore the people that doth not understand shall fall.

¹⁵Though thou, Israel, play the harlot, yet let not Judah offend; and come not ye unto Gilgal, neither go ye up to Beth–aven, nor swear, The Lord liveth.

¹⁶For Israel slideth back as a backsliding heifer: now the Lord will feed them as a lamb in a large place.

¹⁷Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone.

¹⁸Their drink is sour: they have committed whoredom continually: her rulers with shame do love, Give ye.

¹⁹The wind hath bound her up in her wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.

Hosea 4

¹Hear the word of Jehovah, ye children of Israel; for Jehovah hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land; for there is no truth, nor goodness, nor knowledge ofGod in the land.

²Swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, — they break out; and blood toucheth blood.

³For this shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowl of the heavens, yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.

⁴Yet let no man strive, and let no man reprove; for thy people are as they that strive with the priest.

⁵And thou shalt stumble by day; and the prophet also shall stumble with thee by night: and I will destroy thy mother.

⁶My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; for thou hast rejected knowledge, and I will reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me; seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thyGod, I also will forget thy children.

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

⁸They eat the sin of my people, and their soul longeth for their iniquity.

⁹And it shall be as the people so the priest; and I will visit their ways upon them, and recompense to them their doings;

¹⁰and they shall eat, and not have enough; they shall commit whoredom, and shall not increase: for they have left off taking heed to Jehovah.

¹¹Fornication, and wine, and new wine take away the heart.

¹²My people ask counsel of their stock, and their staff declareth unto them; for the spirit of whoredoms causeth [them] to err, and they have gone a whoring from under theirGod:

¹³they sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under oak and poplar and terebinth, because the shade thereof is good; therefore your daughters play the harlot and your daughters-in-law commit adultery.

¹⁴I will not punish your daughters when they play the harlot, nor your daughters-in-law for their committing adultery; for they themselves go aside with harlots, and they sacrifice with prostitutes: and the people that doth not understand shall come to ruin.

¹⁵Though thou, Israel, play the harlot, let not Judah trespass; and come ye not unto Gilgal, neither go up to Beth-aven, nor swear [As] Jehovah liveth!

¹⁶For Israel is refractory as an untractable heifer; now will Jehovah feed them as a lamb in a wide [pasture].

¹⁷— Ephraim is joined to idols: leave him alone.

¹⁸Their drink is sour; they give themselves up to whoredom; her great men passionately love [their] shame.

¹⁹The wind hath wrapped her up in its wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.