Hosea 4

Berean Standard Bible

God’s Case against His People

1HearH8085 the wordH1697 of the LORDH3068, O childrenH1121 of IsraelH3478, forH3588 the LORDH3068 has a caseH7379 againstH5973 the peopleH3427 of the landH776 H3588:

“There is noH369 truthH571, noH369 loving devotionH2617,and noH369 knowledgeH1847 of GodH430 in the landH776!2CursingH422 and lyingH3584,murderH7523 and stealingH1589,and adulteryH5003 are rampantH6555;one act of bloodshedH1818 follows anotherH5060.3ThereforeH5921 H3651 the landH776 mournsH56,and allH3605 who dwellH3427 in it will waste awayH535with the beastsH2416 of the fieldH7704 and the birdsH5775 of the airH8064;evenH1571 the fishH1709 of the seaH3220 disappearH622.

4ButH389 let noH408 manH376 contendH7378;let noH408 manH376 offer reproofH3198;for your people are like thoseH5971who contend withH7378 a priestH3548.15You will stumbleH3782 by dayH3117,and the prophetH5030 H1571 will stumbleH3782 with youH5973 by nightH3915;so I will destroyH1820 your motherH517—6My peopleH5971 are destroyedH1820for lackH1097 of knowledgeH1847.BecauseH3588 youH859 have rejectedH3988 knowledgeH1847,I will also reject youH3988 as My priestsH3547.Since you have forgottenH7911 the lawH8451 of your GodH430,IH589 will alsoH1571 forgetH7911 your childrenH1121.

7The more they multipliedH7235 H3651,the more they sinnedH2398 against Me;they exchangedH4171 their GloryH3519 2for a thing of disgraceH7036.8They feed onH398 the sinsH2403 3 of My peopleH5971and setH5375 their heartsH5315 onH413 iniquityH5771.9And it shall beH1961like peopleH5971, like priestH3548.I will punishH6485 both of themH5921 for their waysH1870and repayH7725 them for their deedsH4611.10They will eatH398 but notH3808 be satisfiedH7646;they will be promiscuousH2181 but notH3808 multiplyH6555.ForH3588 they have abandonedH5800 the LORDH3068 to give themselvesH810411to promiscuityH2184, wineH3196, and new wineH8492,which take awayH3947 understandingH3820.

12My peopleH5971 consultH7592 their wooden idolsH6086,and their divining rodsH4731 informH5046 them.ForH3588 a spiritH7307 of prostitutionH2183 leads them astrayH8582and they have played the harlotH2181 againstH8478 their GodH430.13They sacrificeH2076 onH5921 the mountaintopsH7218 H2022and burn offeringsH6999 onH5921 the hillsH1389,underH8478 oakH437, poplarH3839, and terebinthH424,becauseH3588 their shadeH6738 is pleasantH2896.And soH5921 H3651 your daughtersH1323 turn to prostitutionH2181and your daughters-in-lawH3618 to adulteryH5003.14I will notH3808 punishH6485 H5921 your daughtersH1323whenH3588 they prostitute themselvesH2181,norH5921 your daughters-in-lawH3618whenH3588 they commit adulteryH5003.ForH3588 the men themselvesH1992 go offH6504 withH5973 prostitutesH2181and offer sacrificesH2076 withH5973 shrine prostitutesH6948.So a peopleH5971 withoutH3808 understandingH995will come to ruinH3832.

15ThoughH518 youH859 prostitute yourselfH2181, O IsraelH3478,may JudahH3063 avoidH408 such guiltH816!Do notH408 journeyH935 to GilgalH1537,do not go upH5927 to Beth-avenH1007 H408,4and do notH408 swear on oathH7650,‘As surely as the LORDH3068 livesH2416!’16ForH3588 IsraelH3478 is as obstinateH5637as a stubbornH5637 heiferH6510.Can the LORDH3068 nowH6258 shepherd themH7462like lambsH3532 in an open meadowH4800?17EphraimH669 5 is joinedH2266 to idolsH6091;leave him aloneH5117!18When their liquorH5435 is goneH5493,they turn to prostitutionH2181;their rulersH4043 H157 6 dearly loveH157 disgraceH7036.19The whirlwindH7307 has wrappedH6887 themH853 7 in its wingsH3671,and their sacrificesH2077 will bring them shameH954.

1. Hosea 4:4 Or for My case is against you, O priests ↩
2. Hosea 4:7 Or they exchanged their glorious God (Syriac); MT I will exchange their glory ↩
3. Hosea 4:8 Or the sin offerings ↩
4. Hosea 4:15 Beth-aven means house of wickedness. This is a derogatory term for Bethel, which means house of God; see 1 Kings 12:28–29. ↩
5. Hosea 4:17 That is, the northern kingdom of Israel ↩
6. Hosea 4:18 Hebrew her shields ↩
7. Hosea 4:19 Hebrew has wrapped her ↩