Hosea 4:1–5:15

Hear the word of Jehovah, ye children of Israel; for Jehovah hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor goodness, nor knowledge of God in the land. 2There is nought but swearing and breaking faith, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery; they break out, and blood toucheth blood. 3Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away. 4Yet let no man strive, neither let any man reprove; for thy people are as they that strive with the priest. 5And thou shalt stumble in the day, and the prophet also shall stumble with thee in the night; and I will destroy thy mother.

6My 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. 7As they were multiplied, so they sinned against me: I will change their glory into shame. 8They feed on the sin of my people, and set their heart on their iniquity. 9And it shall be, like people, like priest; and I will punish them for their ways, and will requite them their doings. 10And they shall eat, and not have enough; they shall play the harlot, and shall not increase; because they have left off taking heed to Jehovah.

11Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the understanding. 12My 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 played the harlot, departing from under their God. 13They 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 play the harlot, and your brides commit adultery. 14I will not punish your daughters when they play the harlot, nor your brides when they commit adultery; for the men themselves go apart with harlots, and they sacrifice with the prostitutes; and the people that doth not understand shall be overthrown.

15Though 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 Jehovah liveth. 16For Israel hath behaved himself stubbornly, like a stubborn heifer: now will Jehovah feed them as a lamb in a large place. 17Ephraim is joined to idols; let him alone. 18Their drink is become sour; they play the harlot continually; her rulers dearly love shame. 19The wind hath wrapped her up in its wings; and they shall be put to shame because of their sacrifices.

5 Hear this, O ye priests, and hearken, O house of Israel, and give ear, O house of the king; for unto you pertaineth the judgment; for ye have been a snare at Mizpah, and a net spread upon Tabor. 2And the revolters are gone deep in making slaughter; but I am a rebuker of them all. 3I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from me; for now, O Ephraim, thou hast played the harlot, Israel is defiled. 4Their doings will not suffer them to turn unto their God; for the spirit of whoredom is within them, and they know not Jehovah. 5And the pride of Israel doth testify to his face: therefore Israel and Ephraim shall stumble in their iniquity; Judah also shall stumble with them. 6They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek Jehovah; but they shall not find him: he hath withdrawn himself from them. 7They have dealt treacherously against Jehovah; for they have borne strange children: now shall the new moon devour them with their fields.

8Blow ye the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah: sound an alarm at Beth-aven; behind thee, O Benjamin. 9Ephraim shall become a desolation in the day of rebuke: among the tribes of Israel have I made known that which shall surely be. 10The princes of Judah are like them that remove the landmark: I will pour out my wrath upon them like water. 11Ephraim is oppressed, he is crushed in judgment; because he was content to walk after man’s command. 12Therefore am I unto Ephraim as a moth, and to the house of Judah as rottenness. 13When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then went Ephraim to Assyria, and sent to king Jareb: but he is not able to heal you, neither will he cure you of your wound. 14For I will be unto Ephraim as a lion, and as a young lion to the house of Judah: I, even I, will tear and go away; I will carry off, and there shall be none to deliver. 15I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me earnestly.