New American Standard Bible 1995

Hosea 4

God’s Controversy with Israel

1Listenשִׁמְע֥וּshim.'UH8085to the wordדְבַר־de.var-H1697of the Lordיְהוָ֖הYah.wehH3068,O sonsבְּנֵ֣יbe.NeiH1121of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵ֑לYis.ra.'ElH3478,For the Lordלַֽיהוָה֙la.Yah.wehH3068has acaseרִ֤יבrivH7379againstעִם־'im-H5973the inhabitantsיוֹשְׁבֵ֣יyo.she.VeiH3427of the landהָאָ֔רֶץha.'A.retzH776,BecauseH3588thereH369isnoH369faithfulnessאֱמֶ֧ת'e.MetH571orkindnessחֶ֛סֶדChe.sedH2617Orknowledgeדַּ֥עַתDa.'atH1847of Godאֱלֹהִ֖ים'E.lo.HimH430in the landבָּאָֽרֶץ׃ba.'A.retzH776.

2There isswearingאָלֹ֣ה'a.LohH422,deceptionוְכַחֵ֔שׁve.kha.CheshH3584,murderוְרָצֹ֥חַve.ra.Tzo.achH7523,stealingוְגָנֹ֖בve.ga.NoH1589andadulteryוְנָאֹ֑ףve.na.'OfH5003.They employH6555violenceH6555, so thatbloodshedוְדָמִ֥יםve.da.MimH1818followsנָגָֽעוּ׃na.Ga.'uH5060bloodshedבְּדָמִ֖יםbe.da.MimH1818.

3Thereforeעַל־ כֵּ֣ן׀'al- kenH5921 H3651the landהָאָ֗רֶץha.'A.retzH776mournsתֶּאֱבַ֣לte.'e.ValH56,And everyoneכָּל־kol-H3605who livesיוֹשֵׁ֣בyo.ShevH3427in it languishesוְאֻמְלַל֙ve.'um.LalH535Along with the beastsH2421of the fieldהַשָּׂדֶ֖הha.sa.DehH7704and the birdsוּבְע֣וֹףu.ve.'ofH5775of the skyהַשָּׁמָ֑יִםha.sha.Ma.yimH8064,And alsoוְגַם־ve.gam-H1571the fishדְּגֵ֥יde.GeiH1709of the seaהַיָּ֖םhai.YamH3220disappearיֵאָסֵֽפוּ׃ye.'a.Se.fuH622.

4Yetאַ֥ךְ'akhH389let noאַל־'al-H408oneאִ֛ישׁ'ishH376findH7378faultH7378,and let noneוְאַל־ אִ֑ישׁve.'al- 'IshH408 H376offerH3198reproofH3198;For your peopleוְעַמְּךָ֖ve.'a.me.KhaH5971are like those whocontendH7378with the priestכֹהֵֽן׃kho.HenH3548.

5So you willstumbleוְכָשַׁלְתָּ֣ve.kha.shal.TaH3782by dayהַיּ֔וֹםhai.YomH3117,And the prophetנָבִ֛יאna.Vi'H5030alsoגַּם־gam-H1571will stumbleוְכָשַׁ֧לve.kha.ShalH3782with you by nightלָ֑יְלָהLa.ye.lahH3915;And I will destroyוְדָמִ֖יתִיve.da.Mi.tiH1820yourmotherאִמֶּֽךָ׃'i.Me.khaH517.

6My peopleעַמִּ֖י'a.MiH5971are destroyedנִדְמ֥וּnid.MuH1820for lackH369of knowledgeהַדָּ֑עַתha.Da.'atH1847.Becauseכִּֽי־ki-H3588you haverejectedמָאַ֗סְתָּma.'As.taH3988knowledgeהַדַּ֣עַתha.Da.'atH1847, I also willrejectוְאֶמְאָֽסְאךָ֙ve.'em.'a.se.KhaH3988you from being My priestמִכַּהֵ֣ןmi.ka.HenH3547. Since you haveforgottenוַתִּשְׁכַּח֙va.tish.KachH7911thelawתּוֹרַ֣תto.RatH8451of your Godאֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ'e.lo.Hei.khaH430,I alsoגַּם־gam-H1571will forgetאֶשְׁכַּ֥ח'esh.KachH7911your childrenבָּנֶ֖יךָba.Nei.khaH1121.

7The more theymultipliedH7231,the moreכֵּ֣ןkenH3651they sinnedחָֽטְאוּ־cha.te.'u-H2398against Me; I willchangeאָמִֽיר׃'a.MirH4171their gloryכְּבוֹדָ֖םke.vo.DamH3519into shameבְּקָל֥וֹןbe.ka.LonH7036.

8Theyfeedיֹאכֵ֑לוּyo.Khe.luH398on thesinחַטַּ֥אתcha.TatH2403of My peopleעַמִּ֖י'a.MiH5971Anddirectיִשְׂא֥וּyis.'UH5375their desireנַפְשֽׁוֹ׃naf.ShoH5315towardוְאֶל־ve.'el-H413their iniquityעֲוֹנָ֖ם'a.vo.NamH5771.

9And it will be, like peopleכָעָ֖םkha.'AmH5971,like priestכַּכֹּהֵ֑ןka.ko.HenH3548; So I willpunishוּפָקַדְתִּ֤יu.fa.kad.TiH6485them for their waysדְּרָכָ֔יוde.ra.KhavH1870And repayאָשִׁ֥יב'a.ShivH7725them for their deedsוּמַעֲלָלָ֖יוu.ma.'a.la.LavH4611.

10They will eatוְאָֽכְלוּ֙ve.'a.khe.LuH398,but not haveH7646enoughH7646; They willplayH2181the harlotH2181,but not increaseיִפְרֹ֑צוּyif.Ro.tzuH6555,Becauseכִּֽי־ki-H3588they havestoppedעָזְב֖וּ'a.ze.VuH5800givingH8104heedH8104to the Lordיְהוָ֥הYah.wehH3068.

11Harlotryזְנ֛וּתze.NutH2184,wineוְיַ֥יִןve.Ya.yinH3196and newוְתִיר֖וֹשׁve.ti.Ro.oshH8492wineH8492takeיִֽקַּֽח־yi.kach-H3947away theunderstandingלֵֽב׃LevH3820.

12My peopleעַמִּי֙'a.MiH5971consultיִשְׁאָ֔לyish.'AlH7592their woodenבְּעֵצ֣וֹbe.'e.TzoH6086idol, and their diviner’swandוּמַקְל֖וֹu.mak.LoH4731informsיַגִּ֣ידya.GidH5046them;For a spiritר֤וּחַRu.achH7307of harlotryזְנוּנִים֙ze.nu.NimH2183has ledH8582themastrayH8582,And they have playedH2181the harlotH2181, departingfrom their Godאֱלֹהֵיהֶֽם׃'e.lo.hei.HemH430.

13They offerH2076sacrificesיְזַבֵּ֗חוּye.za.Be.chuH2076on thetopsרָאשֵׁ֨יra.SheiH7218of the mountainsהֶהָרִ֜יםhe.ha.RimH2022AndburnH6999incenseH6999on the hillsהַגְּבָעוֹת֙ha.ge.va.'OtH1389,Underתַּ֣חַתTa.chatH8478oakאַלּ֧וֹן'a.LonH437,poplarוְלִבְנֶ֛הve.liv.NehH3839and terebinthוְאֵלָ֖הve.'e.LahH424,Becauseכִּ֣יkiH3588their shadeצִלָּ֑הּtzi.LahH6738is pleasantט֣וֹבTovH2896.Thereforeכֵּ֗ןKenH5921 H3651your daughtersבְּנ֣וֹתֵיכֶ֔םbe.No.tei.KhemH1323playH2181the harlotH2181And yourbridesוְכַלּוֹתֵיכֶ֖םve.kha.lo.tei.KhemH3618commitתְּנָאַֽפְנָה׃te.na.'Af.nahH5003adulteryH5003.

14I will not punishאֶפְק֨וֹד'ef.KodH6485your daughtersבְּנוֹתֵיכֶ֜םbe.no.tei.KhemH1323whenH3588they playH2181the harlotH2181Or yourbridesכַּלּֽוֹתֵיכֶם֙ka.lo.tei.KhemH3618whenH3588they commitתְנָאַ֔פְנָהte.na.'Af.nahH5003adulteryH5003, For the menthemselvesהֵם֙hemH1992goH6504apartH6504with harlotsH2181And offerH2076sacrificesיְזַבֵּ֑חוּye.za.Be.chuH2076withtempleH6945prostitutesH6945;So the peopleוְעָ֥םve.'AmH5971withoutH3808understandingיָבִ֖יןya.VinH995areruinedיִלָּבֵֽט׃yi.la.VetH3832.

15Thoughאִם־'im-H518you, Israelיִשְׂרָאֵ֔לYis.ra.'ElH3478,playH2181the harlotH2181,Do not let Judahיְהוּדָ֑הye.hu.DahH3063becomeיֶאְשַׁ֖םye'.ShamH816guiltyH816;Also do not goתָּבֹ֣אוּta.Vo.'uH935toGilgalהַגִּלְגָּ֗לha.gil.GalH1537,Or goתַּעֲלוּ֙ta.'a.LuH5927up to Beth-avenH1007And takeH7650the oathH7650: “As the Lordיְהוָֽה׃Yah.wehH3068livesחַי־chai-H2416!”

16Sinceכִּ֚יkiH3588Israelיִשְׂרָאֵ֑לYis.ra.'ElH3478isstubbornסֹֽרֵרָ֔הso.re.RahH5637Like a stubbornסָרַ֖רsa.RarH5637heiferH6499,Can the Lordיְהוָ֔הYah.wehH3068nowעַתָּה֙'a.TahH6258pastureיִרְעֵ֣םyir.'EmH7462themLike a lambכְּכֶ֖בֶשׂke.Khe.vesH3532in a largeH4800fieldH4800?

17Ephraimאֶפְרָ֖יִם'ef.Ra.yimH669is joinedחֲב֧וּרcha.VurH2266toidolsעֲצַבִּ֛ים'a.tza.BimH6091;LetH5117him aloneהַֽנַּֽח־ha.nach-H5117.

18Their liquorסָבְאָ֑םsa.ve.'AmH5435goneסָ֖רsarH5493,They playH2181the harlotH2181continuallyH2181; Theirrulersמָגִנֶּֽיהָ׃ma.gi.Nei.haH4043dearlyאָהֲב֥וּ'a.ha.VuH157loveהֵב֛וּhe.VuH157shameקָל֖וֹןka.LonH7036.

19The windר֛וּחַRu.achH7307wrapsצָרַ֥רtza.RarH6887them in its wingsבִּכְנָפֶ֑יהָbikh.na.Fei.haH3671,And they will be ashamedוְיֵבֹ֖שׁוּve.ye.Vo.shuH954becauseH4480of their sacrificesמִזִּבְחוֹתָֽם סmi.ziv.cho.TamH2077.

God’s Controversy with Israel

Commentaries on Hosea 4