Hosea 4

God’s Case against Israel

4Hear the word of the Lord, ^speople of Israel,

for the Lord has a case ^t

against the inhabitants of the land:

There is no truth, ^uno faithful love, ^v

and no knowledge of God ^win the land!

²Cursing, ^xlying, ^ymurder, ^zstealing, ^a

and adultery ^bare rampant;

one act of bloodshed follows another. ^c

³For this reason the land mourns, ^d

and everyone who lives in it languishes,

along with the wild animals ^eand the birds of the sky;

even the fish of the sea disappear. ^f

⁴But let no one dispute; ^glet no one argue,

for My case is against you priests. ^hij

⁵You will stumble by day; ^k

the prophet will also stumble with you by night.

And I will destroy your mother. ^l

⁶My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. ^m

Because you have rejected knowledge, ⁿ

I will reject you ^ofrom serving as My priest.

Since you have forgotten the law of your God, ^p

I will also forget your sons.

⁷The more they multiplied, ^q

the more they sinned against Me.

I ^rwill change their honor ^sinto disgrace. ^t

⁸They feed on the sin ^uof My people; ^v

they have an appetite for their transgressions. ^w

⁹The same judgment will happen

to both people and priests. ^x

I will punish them for their ways ^y

and repay them for their deeds.

¹⁰They will eat but not be satisfied; ^z

they will be promiscuous ^abut not multiply.

For they have abandoned their devotion to the Lord. ^b

¹¹Promiscuity, ^cwine, and new wine

take away one’s understanding. ^d

¹²My people consult their wooden idols, ^e

and their divining rods inform them.

For a spirit of promiscuity leads them astray; ^f

they act promiscuously ^g

in disobedience to ^htheir God.

¹³They sacrifice on the mountaintops, ⁱ

and they burn offerings on the hills, ^j

and under oaks, poplars, and terebinths, ^k

because their shade is pleasant.

And so your daughters act promiscuously

and your daughters-in-law commit adultery.

¹⁴I will not punish your daughters

when they act promiscuously

or your daughters-in-law

when they commit adultery,

for the men themselves go off with prostitutes ^l

and make sacrifices with cult prostitutes. ^m

People without discernment are doomed. ⁿ

Warnings for Israel and Judah

¹⁵Israel, if you act promiscuously,

don’t let Judah become guilty!

Do not go to Gilgal ^o

or make a pilgrimage to Beth-aven, ^pq

and do not swear an oath: As the Lord lives! ^r

¹⁶For Israel is as obstinate as a stubborn cow. ^s

Can the Lord now shepherd them

like a lamb in an open meadow? ^t

¹⁷Ephraim is attached to idols; ^u

leave him alone! ^v

¹⁸When their drinking is over,

they turn to promiscuity.

Israel’s leaders ^wfervently love disgrace. ^x

¹⁹A wind with its wings will carry them off, ^yz

and they will be ashamed of their sacrifices.