هُوشَع 4

١ 1 اِسْمَعُوا قَوْلَ ٱلرَّبِّ يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ: «إِنَّ لِلرَّبِّ مُحَاكَمَةً مَعَ سُكَّانِ ٱلْأَرْضِ، لِأَنَّهُ لَا أَمَانَةَ وَلَا إِحْسَانَ وَلَا مَعْرِفَةَ ٱللهِ فِي ٱلْأَرْضِ.

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!

٢ 2 لَعْنٌ وَكَذِبٌ وَقَتْلٌ وَسِرْقَةٌ وَفِسْقٌ. يَعْتَنِفُونَ، وَدِمَاءٌ تَلْحَقُ دِمَاءً.

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.

٣ 3 لِذَلِكَ تَنُوحُ ٱلْأَرْضُ وَيَذْبُلُ كُلُّ مَنْ يَسْكُنُ فِيهَا مَعَ حَيَوَانِ ٱلْبَرِّيَّةِ وَطُيُورِ ٱلسَّمَاءِ، وَأَسْمَاكِ ٱلْبَحْرِ أَيْضًا تَنْتَزِعُ.

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.

٤ 4 «وَلَكِنْ لَا يُحَاكِمْ أَحَدٌ وَلَا يُعَاتِبْ أَحَدٌ. وَشَعْبُكَ كَمَنْ يُخَاصِمُ كَاهِنًا.

But no one should accuse someone else and say it is his fault. It is you priests whom I am accusing.

٥ 5 فَتَتَعَثَّرُ فِي ٱلنَّهَارِ وَيَتَعَثَّرُ أَيْضًا ٱلنَّبِيُّ مَعَكَ فِي ٱللَّيْلِ، وَأَنَا أُخْرِبُ أُمَّكَ.

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.

٦ 6 قَدْ هَلَكَ شَعْبِي مِنْ عَدَمِ ٱلْمَعْرِفَةِ. لِأَنَّكَ أَنْتَ رَفَضْتَ ٱلْمَعْرِفَةَ أَرْفُضُكَ أَنَا حَتَّى لَا تَكْهَنَ لِي. وَلِأَنَّكَ نَسِيتَ شَرِيعَةَ إِلَهِكَ أَنْسَى أَنَا أَيْضًا بَنِيكَ.

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.

٧ 7 عَلَى حَسْبَمَا كَثُرُوا، هَكَذَا أَخْطَأُوا إِلَيَّ، فَأُبْدِلُ كَرَامَتَهُمْ بِهَوَانٍ.

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.

٨ 8 يَأْكُلُونَ خَطِيَّةَ شَعْبِي وَإِلَى إِثْمِهِمْ يَحْمِلُونَ نُفُوسَهُمْ.

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].

٩ 9 فَيَكُونُ كَمَا ٱلشَّعْبُ هَكَذَا ٱلْكَاهِنُ. وَأُعَاقِبُهُمْ عَلَى طُرُقِهِمْ وَأَرُدُّ أَعْمَالَهُمْ عَلَيْهِمْ.

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.

١٠ 10 فَيَأْكُلُونَ وَلَا يَشْبَعُونَ، وَيَزْنُونَ وَلَا يَكْثُرُونَ، لِأَنَّهُمْ قَدْ تَرَكُوا عِبَادَةَ ٱلرَّبِّ.

[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,

١١ 11 «اَلزِّنَى وَٱلْخَمْرُ وَٱلسُّلَافَةُ تَخْلِبُ ٱلْقَلْبَ.

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.”

١٢ 12 شَعْبِي يَسْأَلُ خَشَبَهُ، وَعَصَاهُ تُخْبِرُهُ، لِأَنَّ رُوحَ ٱلزِّنَى قَدْ أَضَلَّهُمْ فَزَنَوْا مِنْ تَحْتِ إِلَهِهِمْ.

“[You] my people request wooden idols [to tell you what you should do]! Like prostitutes who have left/abandoned their husbands,

١٣ 13 يَذْبَحُونَ عَلَى رُؤُوسِ ٱلْجِبَالِ، وَيُبَخِّرُونَ عَلَى ٱلتِّلَالِ تَحْتَ ٱلْبَلُّوطِ وَٱللُّبْنَى وَٱلْبُطْمِ لِأَنَّ ظِلَّهَا حَسَنٌ! لِذَلِكَ تَزْنِي بَنَاتُكُمْ وَتَفْسِقُ كَنَّاتُكُمْ.

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.

١٤ 14 لَا أُعَاقِبُ بَنَاتِكُمْ لِأَنَّهُنَّ يَزْنِينَ، وَلَا كَنَّاتِكُمْ لِأَنَّهُنَّ يَفْسِقْنَ. لِأَنَّهُمْ يَعْتَزِلُونَ مَعَ ٱلزَّانِيَاتِ وَيَذْبَحُونَ مَعَ ٱلنَّاذِرَاتِ ٱلزِّنَى. وَشَعْبٌ لَا يَعْقِلُ يُصْرَعُ.

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.

١٥ 15 «إِنْ كُنْتَ أَنْتَ زَانِيًا يَا إِسْرَائِيلُ فَلَا يَأْثَمُ يَهُوذَا. وَلَا تَأْتُوا إِلَى ٱلْجِلْجَالِ وَلَا تَصْعَدُوا إِلَى بَيْتِ آوَنَ وَلَا تَحْلِفُوا: حَيٌّ هُوَ ٱلرَّبُّ.

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].’

١٦ 16 إِنَّهُ قَدْ جَمَحَ إِسْرَائِيلُ كَبَقَرَةٍ جَامِحَةٍ. اَلْآنَ يَرْعَاهُمُ ٱلرَّبُّ كَخَرُوفٍ فِي مَكَانٍ وَاسِعٍ.

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.

١٧ 17 أَفْرَايِمُ مُوثَقٌ بِٱلْأَصْنَامِ. ٱتْرُكُوهُ.

The people of Israel have chosen to worship idols [MET], [so] allow them [to do what they want to do].

١٨ 18 مَتَى ٱنْتَهَتْ مُنَادَمَتُهُمْ زَنَوْا زِنًى. أَحَبَّ مَجَانُّهَا، أَحَبُّوا ٱلْهَوَانَ.

When their rulers finish drinking [their wine], they go to find prostitutes; they love their disgraceful behavior.

١٩ 19 قَدْ صَرَّتْهَا ٱلرِّيحُ فِي أَجْنِحَتِهَا، وَخَجِلُوا مِنْ ذَبَائِحِهِمْ.

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].”