Hosea 4

Modern

Literal

God’s Case against His People

¹Hear the word of the LORD,

O children of Israel,

for the LORD has a case

against the people of the land:

“There is no truth, no loving devotion,

and no knowledge of God in the land!

¹Hear the word of YHWH, O sons of Israel, for a case is unto YHWH against those dwelling in the land: “For there is no truth, and there is no loving devotion, and there is no knowledge of God in the land.

²Cursing and lying,

murder and stealing,

and adultery are rampant;

one act of bloodshed follows another.

²Cursing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break all restraint, and bloodshed touches upon bloodshed.

³Therefore the land mourns,

and all who dwell in it will waste away

with the beasts of the field and the birds of the air;

even the fish of the sea disappear.

³Upon thus mourns the land, and languish all dwelling in it; with the beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens, and even the fish of the sea, they are gathered up.

⁴But let no man contend;

let no man offer reproof;

for your people are like those

who contend with a priest.^a

⁴Only let no man contend and no man rebuke, for your people are like those who contend with a priest.

⁵You will stumble by day,

and the prophet will stumble with you by night;

so I will destroy your mother—

⁵And you will stumble by day, and will stumble also the prophet with you by night, and I will destroy your mother.

⁶My people are destroyed

for lack of knowledge.

Because you have rejected knowledge,

I will also reject you as My priests.

Since you have forgotten the law of your God,

I will also forget your children.

⁶My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge, because you have rejected knowledge, and I will reject you from being priest unto Me; and you have forgotten the law of your God; I will forget your children also.

⁷The more they multiplied,

the more they sinned against Me;

they exchanged their Glory^a

for a thing of disgrace.

⁷According to their becoming numerous, so they sinned against Me; their Glory they exchanged for shame.

⁸They feed on the sins^a of My people

and set their hearts on iniquity.

⁸The sin of My people they eat up, and toward their iniquity they lift up their soul.

⁹And it shall be

like people, like priest.

I will punish both of them for their ways

and repay them for their deeds.

⁹And it will be like people, like priest; and I will visit punishment on them for their ways, and their deeds I will repay to them.

¹⁰They will eat but not be satisfied;

they will be promiscuous but not multiply.

For they have abandoned the LORD to give themselves

¹⁰For they will eat, and they will not be satisfied; they will prostitute themselves and not increase, because they have abandoned to give heed to YHWH.

¹¹to promiscuity, wine, and new wine,

which take away understanding.

¹¹Prostitution and wine and new wine take the heart.

¹²My people consult their wooden idols,

and their divining rods inform them.

For a spirit of prostitution leads them astray

and they have played the harlot against their God.

¹²My people consult with a piece of wood, and their staff declares it to them; for the spirit of prostitution has led them astray, and they have prostituted themselves from under their God.

¹³They sacrifice on the mountaintops

and burn offerings on the hills,

under oak, poplar, and terebinth,

because their shade is pleasant.

And so your daughters turn to prostitution

and your daughters-in-law to adultery.

¹³On the tops of the mountains they sacrifice, and on the hills they burn incense, under oak and poplar and terebinth, because its shade is good. In this way your daughters prostitute themselves, and your brides commit adultery.

¹⁴I will not punish your daughters

when they prostitute themselves,

nor your daughters-in-law

when they commit adultery.

For the men themselves go off with prostitutes

and offer sacrifices with shrine prostitutes.

So a people without understanding

will come to ruin.

¹⁴I will not visit punishment on your daughters when they prostitute themselves, or on your brides when they commit adultery; for they themselves go off with the prostitutes, and offer sacrifices with shrine prostitutes, and a people without understanding will be thrown down.

¹⁵Though you prostitute yourself, O Israel,

may Judah avoid such guilt!

Do not journey to Gilgal,

do not go up to Beth-aven,^a

and do not swear on oath,

‘As surely as the LORD lives!’

¹⁵Though you prostitute yourself, O Israel, do not let Judah become guilty; and do not come to Gilgal, and do not go up to Beth-Aven, and do not swear an oath, ‘As YHWH lives.’

¹⁶For Israel is as obstinate

as a stubborn heifer.

Can the LORD now shepherd them

like lambs in an open meadow?

¹⁶For being stubborn like a heifer, Israel is stubborn; now will YHWH let them graze like a lamb in a broad pasture?

¹⁷Ephraim^a is joined to idols;

leave him alone!

¹⁷Ephraim is joined to idols; leave him alone!

¹⁸When their liquor is gone,

they turn to prostitution;

their rulers^a dearly love disgrace.

¹⁸Has turned aside their liquor, they engage in flagrant prostitution; her rulers dearly love love dishonor.

¹⁹The whirlwind has wrapped them^a in its wings,

and their sacrifices will bring them shame.

¹⁹The wind has constrained her in its wings, and they will be ashamed of their sacrifices.