1People of Israel, listen to the LORD’s message. He is bringing charges against you who live in Israel. He says, ‘There is no faithfulness or love in the land. No one recognises me as God.2People curse one another. They tell lies and commit murder. They steal and commit adultery. They break all my laws. They keep spilling the blood of other people.3That is why the land is drying up. All those who live in it are getting weaker and weaker. The wild animals and the birds in the sky are dying. So are the fish in the ocean.4‘But you priests should not blame the people. You should not find fault with one another. After all, your people could also bring charges against you.5You trip and fall day and night. And the prophets fall down along with you. So I will destroy your nation. She is the one who gave birth to you.6My people are destroyed because they do not know me. ‘You priests have refused to obey me. So I will refuse to accept you as my priests. You have not paid any attention to my law. So I will not let your children be my priests.7The more priests there were, the more they sinned against me. They have traded their glorious God for that shameful god named Baal.8They live off the sins of my people. And they want them to keep on sinning.9So here is what I will do. I will punish people and priests alike. I will judge them because of their sinful lives. I will pay them back for the evil things they have done.10‘My people will eat. But they will not have enough. They will have sex with prostitutes. But they will not have any children. That’s because they have deserted me. They have sex11with prostitutes. They drink old wine and fresh wine. Their drinking has destroyed their ability to understand.12My people ask a wooden statue of a god for advice. They get answers from a stick of wood. They are as unfaithful as prostitutes. They are not faithful to their God.13They offer sacrifices on the mountaintops. They burn offerings on the hills. They worship under oak, poplar and terebinth trees. The trees provide plenty of shade. So your daughters become prostitutes. And your daughters-in-law commit adultery.14‘I will not punish your daughters when they become prostitutes. I will not judge your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery. After all, the men themselves have sex with sinful women. They offer sacrifices where temple prostitutes earn their living. People who can’t understand will be destroyed!15‘Israel, you are not faithful to me. But I do not want Judah to become guilty too. ‘My people, do not go to Gilgal to offer sacrifices. Do not go up to Bethel to worship other gods. When you make a promise, do not say, “You can be sure that the LORD is alive.”16The people of Israel are stubborn. They are as stubborn as a young cow. So how can I take care of them like lambs in a meadow?17The people of Ephraim have joined themselves to other gods. And nothing can be done to help them.18They continue to be unfaithful to me even when their drinks are gone. And their rulers love to do shameful things.19A violent storm will blow all of them away. And their sacrifices will bring shame on them.
Hosea 4
English Standard Version
The Lord Accuses Israel
1Hear the word of the Lord, O children of Israel, for the Lord has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land. There is no faithfulness or steadfast love, and no knowledge of God in the land; (Isa 3:13; Jer 4:22; Jer 5:4; Jer 25:31; Ho 4:6; Ho 4:14; Ho 5:1; Mic 6:2)2there is swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed. (Ho 6:9; Ho 7:1; Ho 12:14; Mic 3:10; Mic 7:2)3Therefore the land mourns, and all who dwell in it languish, and also the beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens, and even the fish of the sea are taken away. (Isa 24:4; Jer 4:28; Eze 38:20; Joe 1:10; Joe 1:18; Zep 1:3)4Yet let no one contend, and let none accuse, for with you is my contention, O priest.[1] (De 17:12; Ho 4:17)5You shall stumble by day; the prophet also shall stumble with you by night; and I will destroy your mother. (Ho 2:2)6My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children. (Ex 19:6; Pr 1:29; Isa 5:13; Jer 23:39; Ho 4:1)7The more they increased, the more they sinned against me; I will change their glory into shame. (1Sa 2:30; Ho 13:6; Mal 2:9)8They feed on the sin[2] of my people; they are greedy for their iniquity. (Le 6:25; Le 10:17)9And it shall be like people, like priest; I will punish them for their ways and repay them for their deeds. (Isa 24:2)10They shall eat, but not be satisfied; they shall play the whore, but not multiply, because they have forsaken the Lord to cherish (Le 26:26; Mic 6:14; Hag 1:6)11whoredom, wine, and new wine, which take away the understanding. (1Ki 11:4; Pr 20:1)12My people inquire of a piece of wood, and their walking staff gives them oracles. For a spirit of whoredom has led them astray, and they have left their God to play the whore. (Jud 18:5; Ho 2:2; Ho 5:4)13They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains and burn offerings on the hills, under oak, poplar, and terebinth, because their shade is good. Therefore your daughters play the whore, and your brides commit adultery. (Isa 1:29; Eze 6:13)14I will not punish your daughters when they play the whore, nor your brides when they commit adultery; for the men themselves go aside with prostitutes and sacrifice with cult prostitutes, and a people without understanding shall come to ruin. (De 23:17; Ho 4:1; Ho 4:6; Ho 9:10)15Though you play the whore, O Israel, let not Judah become guilty. Enter not into Gilgal, nor go up to Beth-aven, and swear not, “As the Lord lives.” (1Ki 12:29; Ho 5:8; Ho 6:4; Ho 9:15; Ho 10:5; Ho 10:8; Ho 12:11; Am 1:5; Am 4:4; Am 5:5)16Like a stubborn heifer, Israel is stubborn; can the Lord now feed them like a lamb in a broad pasture?17Ephraim is joined to idols; leave him alone. (Ho 4:12; Ho 5:3; Mt 15:14)18When their drink is gone, they give themselves to whoring; their rulers[3] dearly love shame. (Ho 9:10)19A wind has wrapped them[4] in its wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices. (Isa 1:29; Jer 4:11; Jer 51:1; Ho 13:15; Zec 5:9)