Hosea 4

1 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.

Hear the word of Yahweh, you people of Israel. Yahweh has a lawsuit against the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truthfulness or covenantal faithfulness, no knowledge of God in the land.

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

There is cursing, lying, killing, stealing and adultery. The people have broken all bounds, and bloodshed comes after bloodshed.

3 Therefore 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.

So the land is drying up, and everyone living in it is wasting away; the beasts in the fields and the birds in the sky, even the fish in the sea, are being taken away.

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

But do not allow anyone to bring a lawsuit; do not let anyone accuse anyone else. For it is you, the priests, whom I am accusing.

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

You priests will stumble during the day; the prophets will also stumble with you by night, and I will destroy your mother.

6 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 will also forget thy children.

My people are being destroyed because of the lack of knowledge. Because you priests have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you as priests to me. Because you have forgotten my law, although I am your God, I also will forget your children.

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

The more the priests multiplied, the more they sinned against me. They exchanged their honor for shame.

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

They feed on the sin of my people; they are greedy for more of their wickedness.

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

It will be the same for the people as for the priests: I will punish them all for their practices; I will repay them for their deeds.

10 For 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.

They will eat but not have enough; they will commit prostitution but not increase, because they have gone far away from Yahweh.

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

They love sexual promiscuity, wine, and new wine, which have taken away their understanding.

12 My 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.

My people consult their wooden idols, and their walking sticks give them prophecies. For a mind of promiscuity has misled them, and they have acted as prostitutes instead of being faithful to their God.

13 They 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.

They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains and burn incense on the hills, under oaks, poplars and terebinths, because the shade is good. So your daughters commit sexual immorality, and your daughters-in-law commit adultery.

14 I 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.

I will not punish your daughters when they choose to commit sexual immorality, nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery. For the men also give themselves to the prostitutes, and they offer sacrifices so they can commit immoral acts with sacred prostitutes. So this people who does not understand will be thrown down.

15 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, The LORD liveth.

Though you, Israel, have committed adultery, may Judah not become guilty. Do not go to Gilgal, you people; do not go up to Beth Aven, and do not swear, saying, “As Yahweh lives.”

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

For Israel has behaved stubbornly, like a stubborn heifer. How can Yahweh bring them to pasture like lambs in a meadow?

17 Ephraim [is] joined to idols: let him alone.

Ephraim united himself with idols; leave him alone.

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

Even when their strong drink is gone, they continue to commit adultery; her rulers dearly love their shame.

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

The wind will wrap her up in its wings; and they will be ashamed because of their sacrifices.