Hosea 4:1-19
4 Listen to Jehovah’s word, sons of Israel, because Jehovah has a case against the inhabitants of the country, because there is no loyalty and no friendship and no knowledge of God in the country;
2 swearing and lying, and murdering and stealing, and adultery; they live by violence, and bloodshed treads on the heels of bloodshed.
3 On this account the country is to mourn and all who live in it to be forlorn, beasts of the field and birds of the air and all, and the very fishes of the sea are to draw out of the way.
4 * Only let not any man fight the case, let not any man reprimand—your people are the sort that fight a case with a priest.
5 And you shall stumble today, and a prophet too with you shall stumble in the night; and I will cut off your mother.
6 My people is cut off because of not knowing. Because you have rejected knowledge I have rejected you from being priest to me; you have forgotten your God’s instructions, I on my part will forget your sons.
7 The more there were of them the more they sinned against me—I will substitute contempt for your honors.
8 They eat my people’s sin and fix their appetite on its guilt.
9 And the priest will be the same as the people, and I will punish him for his courses and send retribution for his practices.
10 And they shall eat and not feel full, live licentiously and not be prolific, because they have left Jehovah,
11 faithfully keeping up unchastity and wine and grape-juice that take away the brain.
12 My people puts questions to its bit of wood, and its staff informs it, because a spirit of prostitution has misled them and they have gone from under Jehovah into prostitution.
13 They sacrifice on the mountaintops and make burnings on the hilltops, under oak and storax and terebinth, because their shade is good. Therefore your daughters prostitute themselves and your daughters-in-law take to adultery.
14 * I will not punish your daughters because they prostitute themselves nor your daughters-in-law because they take to adultery, for those men themselves go apart with loose women and sacrifice with religious prostitutes; and an unintelligent class lets itself be hustled down.
15 * If you, Israel, are unchaste, let Judah not incur guilt. And do not go into the Gilgal nor up to Beth-Aven, nor swear “By Jehovah.”
16 * For Israel has been balking like a balky cow—now Jehovah is to pasture them like a sheep in the open!
17 Ephraim is partner with idols; let him alone.
18 * Their drink passes off, they take to lechery; her shields do love contempt.
19 A wind has bundled her up in its wings, and they shall be ashamed of their altars.
Footnotes
^ 4:4-5 Susp.
^ 4:14 (last words) Unc.
^ 4:15 Conj. swear at Beer-Shebaʽ “By Jehovah”
^ 4:16-19 Susp.
^ 4:18 (Their drink passes off) Unc.
