Hosea 4

1 Hear 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.

Hear the Lord’s message, Israelites, for the Lord has brought charges against the inhabitants of the land, for there is no fidelity, nor true love, nor knowledge of God in the land,

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

but cursing, lying, and murder, stealing, committing adultery, and deeds of violence, and acts of bloodshed quickly follow each other.

3 Therefore 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.

Therefore the land mourns, all its inhabitants languish, the wild animals and the birds of the skies, even the fish of the sea are dying.

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

Yet let no one bring charges, let none accuse, for your people are like those, who bring charges against a priest.

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

You stumble by day, and the prophet stumbles with you by night, and I will destroy your mother.

6 My 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.

My people are being destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge I reject you from being priest to me. Since you have forgotten the teaching of your God, I also will forget your children.

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

The more priests there are, the more they sin against me. I will change their dignity to dishonor.

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

They feed on the sin offerings of my people, so they hunger after their guilt.

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

Thus it comes to be, like people, like priest: I will visit upon each punishment for their ways, and their deeds I will repay them.

10 And 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 his law.

They will eat and not be satisfied, they will sleep around but stay childless, because they have abandoned the Lord to give themselves to

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

prostitution. Old and new wine take away the understanding.

12 My 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.

My own people ask counsel of a piece of wood! A stick gives them advice! For a spirit of prostitution has led them astray, they commit adultery against their God.

13 They 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.

On the heights of the mountains they sacrifice, and on the hills they burn incense under oaks and poplars and terebinths, for their shade is so pleasant. Therefore your daughters become cult prostitutes, and your daughters-in-law commit adultery.

14 I will not visit upon your daughters when they shell 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.

I will not punish your daughters for committing prostitution, nor your daughters-in-law for adultery. Your men visit prostitutes, sacrifice with cult prostitutes. So a people without understanding come to ruin!

15 If 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.

Though you commit adultery, Israel, let not Judah become guilty. Do not go to Gilgal, do not go up to Beth-aven, nor swear an oath, “As the Lord lives.”

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

Like a willful heifer, Israel is stubborn. Can the Lord now feed them as he would a lamb in a broad pasture?

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

Ephraim is wedded to idols. Leave them alone!

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

When their drinking is over they sleep with the cult prostitutes, their rulers love shameful ways.

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

A windstorm will wrap them in its wings and they will be ashamed of their sacrifices.