Hosea 4

1 Hear the word of Yahweh, ye sons of Israel, —that, a controversy, hath Yahweh with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no faithfulness, nor lovingkindness, nor knowledge of God, in the land:

Hear 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.

2 Cursing and lying, and killing and stealing, and committing adultery, have broken forth, and, blood-shedding, unto blood-shedding, doth extend.

There is nought but swearing and breaking faith, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery; they break out, and blood toucheth blood.

3 For this cause, shall the land mourn, and everyone who dwelleth therein shall languish, with the wild beast of the field and with the bird of the heavens, —moreover also, the fishes of the sea, shall be withdrawn.

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

4 Howbeit let, no man, contend, nor let him rebuke another, —since, thy people, are as they who contend against a priest:

Yet let no man strive, neither let any man reprove; for thy people are as they that strive with the priest.

5 So shouldst thou stumble in the daytime, and even the prophet stumble with thee, in the night, —and I should destroy thine own mother.

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

6 My people, are destroyed, for lack of knowledge, —Because, thou, hast rejected knowledge, therefore will I reject thee from ministering as priest unto me, and, because thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I also, will forget thy children.

My 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 also will forget thy children.

7 As they were magnified, so, they sinned against me, —My glory—for what was contemptible, did they exchange.

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

8 The sin of my people, they do eat, —and. unto their iniquity, lift they up every man his desire.

They feed on the sin of my people, and set their heart on their iniquity.

9 So doth it come to be—like people, like priest, —therefore will I visit upon him his ways, and, his doings, will I bring back to him;

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

10 And they shall eat, and not be satisfied, they have encouraged unchastity, yet have not been making increase, —for unto, Yahweh, have they left off giving heed: —

And 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.

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

Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the understanding.

12 My people, of their Wood, do ask, —Let, their Staff, then tell them, —for, the spirit of unchastity, hath led them astray, and they have unchastely departed from under their God.

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

13 On the headlands of the mountains, they sacrifice, and, on the hills, burn they incense, under oak and poplar and terebinth, because, pleasant, is the shade thereof: For this cause, do your daughters, become unchaste, and, your brides, commit adultery.

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

14 I do not bring punishment upon your daughters when they become unchaste, nor upon your brides, when they commit adultery, for, the men themselves, with unchaste women, do seclude themselves, and, with the common women of the shrine, do offer sacrifice, —and, a people who will not discern, must be ruined.

I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom, nor your brides when they commit adultery; for they themselves go apart with whores, and they sacrifice with the harlots: and the people that doth not understand shall be overthrown.

15 Though unchaste art thou, O Israel, let not Judah, become guilty, neither let them enter Gilgal, nor go up to Beth-aven, and [then] swear, By the life of Yahweh!

Though 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, As the LORD liveth.

16 For, as a heifer that is stubborn, hath Israel, been stubborn, —Now, can Yahweh, turn them out to pasture, like a young ram in a wide place?

For Israel hath behaved himself stubbornly, like a stubborn heifer: now will the LORD feed them as a lamb in a large place.

17 Mated with idols, is Ephraim, let him alone.

Ephraim is joined to idols; let him alone.

18 Their drinking-bout, having passed, —they became, unchaste, they loved wildly, a contempt, became her great men.

Their drink is become sour: they commit whoredom continually; her rulers dearly love shame.

19 The wind hath bound her up in its wings, —that they may be ashamed, because of their sacrifices.

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