Hosea 4

God’s Controversy with Israel

11Listen to the word of the Lord, you sons of Israel, Because the Lord has a 2case against the inhabitants of the land, For there is 3no 4faithfulness, nor 5loyalty, Nor 6knowledge of God in the land.2There is 7oath-taking, 89denial, 10murder, 11stealing, and 12adultery. They employ violence, so that 13bloodshed 14follows bloodshed.3Therefore the land 15mourns, And everyone who lives in it languishes Along with the animals of the field and the birds of the sky, And even the fish of the sea 16disappear.

4Yet let no one 1718find fault, and let no one rebuke; For your people are like those who 19contend with a priest.5So you will 20stumble by day, And the prophet also will stumble with you by night; And I will destroy your 21mother.622My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Since you have 23rejected knowledge, I also will 24reject you from being My priest. Since you have 25forgotten the 26Law of your God, I also will forget your children.

7The more they 27multiplied, the more they sinned against Me; I will 28change their glory into shame.8They 29feed on the 30sin of My people, And 31long for their wrongdoing.9And it will be, like people, 32like priest; So I will 33punish them for their ways And repay them for their deeds.1034They will eat, but not have enough; They will 35play the prostitute, but not 36increase, Because they 37gave up devoting themselves to the Lord.

1138Infidelity, 39wine, and new wine take away the 40understanding.12My people 41consult their wooden idol, and their diviner’s wand informs them; For a spirit of infidelity has led them astray, And they have been unfaithful, departing 42from their God.13They offer sacrifices on the 43tops of the mountains And 4445burn incense on the hills, 46Under oak, poplar, and terebinth, Because their shade is pleasant. Therefore your daughters play the prostitute, And your 47brides commit adultery.14I will not punish your daughters when they play the prostitute, Or your 48brides when they commit adultery, Because the men themselves slip away with the prostitutes And offer sacrifices with 49temple prostitutes; So the people without understanding are ruined.

15Though you, Israel, play the prostitute, Judah must not become guilty; Also you are not to go to 50Gilgal, Nor go up to Beth-aven 51And take the oath: “As the Lord lives!”16Since Israel is 52stubborn Like a stubborn cow, 53Will the Lord now 54pasture them Like a lamb in a large field?17Ephraim is allied with 55idols; 56Leave him alone.18Their liquor is gone, They prostitute themselves continually; 5758Their 59rulers dearly love shame.1960The wind wraps them in its wings, And they will be 61put to shame because of their sacrifices.