Hosea 4:1–6

GOD’S CASE AGAINST ISRAEL

4 Hear the word of the Lord,h people of Israel,

for the Lord has a casei

against the inhabitants of the land:

There is no truth,j no faithful love,k

and no knowledge of Godl in the land!

2 Cursing,m lying,n murder,o stealing,p

and adulteryq are rampant;

one act of bloodshed follows another.r

3 For this reason the land mourns,s

and everyone who lives in it languishes,

along with the wild animalst and the birds of the sky;

even the fish of the sea disappear.u

4 But let no one dispute;v let no one argue,

for my case is against you priests.A,B,w

5 You will stumble by day;x

the prophet will also stumble with you by night.

And I will destroy your mother.y

6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.z

Because you have rejected knowledge,aa

I will reject youab from serving as my priest.

Since you have forgotten the law of your God,ac

I will also forget your sons.