Revised Literal Translation

Hosea 4

1Hearשִׁמְע֥וּshim.'UH8085the wordדְבַר־de.var-H1697of Yhwhיְהוָ֖הYah.wehH3068,ye childrenבְּנֵ֣יbe.NeiH1121of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵ֑לYis.ra.'ElH3478:for Yhwhלַֽיהוָה֙la.Yah.wehH3068hath a controversyרִ֤יבrivH7379with the inhabitantsיוֹשְׁבֵ֣יyo.she.VeiH3427of the landהָאָ֔רֶץha.'A.retzH776, because there isno truthאֱמֶ֧ת'e.MetH571,nor mercyחֶ֛סֶדChe.sedH2617,nor knowledgeדַּ֥עַתDa.'atH1847of Godאֱלֹהִ֖ים'E.lo.HimH430in the landבָּאָֽרֶץ׃ba.'A.retzH776.

2By swearingאָלֹ֣ה'a.LohH422,and lyingוְכַחֵ֔שׁve.kha.CheshH3584,and killingוְרָצֹ֥חַve.ra.Tzo.achH7523,and stealingוְגָנֹ֖בve.ga.NoH1589,and committing adulteryוְנָאֹ֑ףve.na.'OfH5003,they break outפָּרָ֕צוּpa.Ra.tzuH6555,and bloodוְדָמִ֥יםve.da.MimH1818touchethנָגָֽעוּ׃na.Ga.'uH5060bloodבְּדָמִ֖יםbe.da.MimH1818.

3Therefore shall the landהָאָ֗רֶץha.'A.retzH776mournתֶּאֱבַ֣לte.'e.ValH56,and every one that dwellethיוֹשֵׁ֣בyo.ShevH3427therein shall languishוְאֻמְלַל֙ve.'um.LalH535,with the beastsבְּחַיַּ֥תbe.chai.YatH2416of the fieldהַשָּׂדֶ֖הha.sa.DehH7704,and with the fowlsוּבְע֣וֹףu.ve.'ofH5775of heavenהַשָּׁמָ֑יִםha.sha.Ma.yimH8064;yea, the fishesדְּגֵ֥יde.GeiH1709of the seaהַיָּ֖םhai.YamH3220also shall be taken awayיֵאָסֵֽפוּ׃ye.'a.Se.fuH622.

4Yet let no manאִ֛ישׁ'ishH376striveיָרֵ֖בya.RevH7378,nor reproveיוֹכַ֣חyo.KhachH3198anotherאִ֑ישׁ'IshH376:for thy peopleוְעַמְּךָ֖ve.'a.me.KhaH5971areas they that striveכִּמְרִיבֵ֥יkim.ri.VeiH7378with the priestכֹהֵֽן׃kho.HenH3548.

5Therefore shalt thou fallוְכָשַׁלְתָּ֣ve.kha.shal.TaH3782in the dayהַיּ֔וֹםhai.YomH3117,and the prophetנָבִ֛יאna.Vi'H5030also shall fallוְכָשַׁ֧לve.kha.ShalH3782with thee in the nightלָ֑יְלָהLa.ye.lahH3915,and I will destroyוְדָמִ֖יתִיve.da.Mi.tiH1820thy motherאִמֶּֽךָ׃'i.Me.khaH517.

6My peopleעַמִּ֖י'a.MiH5971are destroyedנִדְמ֥וּnid.MuH1820for lack of knowledgeהַדָּ֑עַתha.Da.'atH1847:because thou hast rejectedמָאַ֗סְתָּma.'As.taH3988knowledgeהַדַּ֣עַתha.Da.'atH1847,I will also rejectוְאֶמְאָֽסְאךָ֙ve.'em.'a.se.KhaH3988thee, that thou shalt be no priestמִכַּהֵ֣ןmi.ka.HenH3547to me: seeing thou hast forgottenוַתִּשְׁכַּח֙va.tish.KachH7911the lawתּוֹרַ֣תto.RatH8451of thy Godאֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ'e.lo.Hei.khaH430,I will also forgetאֶשְׁכַּ֥ח'esh.KachH7911thy childrenבָּנֶ֖יךָba.Nei.khaH1121.

7As they were increasedH7230,so they sinnedחָֽטְאוּ־cha.te.'u-H2398against me: thereforewill I changeאָמִֽיר׃'a.MirH4171their gloryכְּבוֹדָ֖םke.vo.DamH3519into shameבְּקָל֥וֹןbe.ka.LonH7036.

8They eat upיֹאכֵ֑לוּyo.Khe.luH398the sinחַטַּ֥אתcha.TatH2403of my peopleעַמִּ֖י'a.MiH5971,and they setיִשְׂא֥וּyis.'UH5375their heartנַפְשֽׁוֹ׃naf.ShoH5315on their iniquityעֲוֹנָ֖ם'a.vo.NamH5771.

9And there shall be, like peopleכָעָ֖םkha.'AmH5971,like priestכַּכֹּהֵ֑ןka.ko.HenH3548:and I will punishוּפָקַדְתִּ֤יu.fa.kad.TiH6485them for their waysדְּרָכָ֔יוde.ra.KhavH1870,and rewardאָשִׁ֥יב'a.ShivH7725them their doingsוּמַעֲלָלָ֖יוu.ma.'a.la.LavH4611.

10For they shall eatוְאָֽכְלוּ֙ve.'a.khe.LuH398,and not have enoughיִשְׂבָּ֔עוּyis.Ba.'uH7646:they shall commit whoredomהִזְנ֖וּhiz.NuH2181,and shall not increaseיִפְרֹ֑צוּyif.Ro.tzuH6555:because they have left offעָזְב֖וּ'a.ze.VuH5800to take heedלִשְׁמֹֽר׃lish.MorH8104to Yhwhיְהוָ֥הYah.wehH3068.

11Whoredomזְנ֛וּתze.NutH2184and wineוְיַ֥יִןve.Ya.yinH3196and new wineוְתִיר֖וֹשׁve.ti.Ro.oshH8492take awayיִֽקַּֽח־yi.kach-H3947the heartלֵֽב׃LevH3820.

12My peopleעַמִּי֙'a.MiH5971askיִשְׁאָ֔לyish.'AlH7592counsel at their stocksבְּעֵצ֣וֹbe.'e.TzoH6086,and their staffוּמַקְל֖וֹu.mak.LoH4731declarethיַגִּ֣ידya.GidH5046unto them: for the spiritר֤וּחַRu.achH7307of whoredomsזְנוּנִים֙ze.nu.NimH2183hath caused themto errהִתְעָ֔הhit.'AhH8582,and they have gone a whoringוַיִּזְנ֖וּvai.yiz.NuH2181from under their Godאֱלֹהֵיהֶֽם׃'e.lo.hei.HemH430.

13They sacrificeיְזַבֵּ֗חוּye.za.Be.chuH2076upon the topsרָאשֵׁ֨יra.SheiH7218of the mountainsהֶהָרִ֜יםhe.ha.RimH2022,and burn incenseיְקַטֵּ֔רוּye.ka.Te.ruH6999upon the hillsהַגְּבָעוֹת֙ha.ge.va.'OtH1389,under oaksאַלּ֧וֹן'a.LonH437and poplarsוְלִבְנֶ֛הve.liv.NehH3839and elmsוְאֵלָ֖הve.'e.LahH424,because the shadowצִלָּ֑הּtzi.LahH6738thereof isgoodט֣וֹבTovH2896:therefore your daughtersבְּנ֣וֹתֵיכֶ֔םbe.No.tei.KhemH1323shall commit whoredomתִּזְנֶ֙ינָה֙tiz.Nei.nahH2181,and your spousesוְכַלּוֹתֵיכֶ֖םve.kha.lo.tei.KhemH3618shall commit adulteryתְּנָאַֽפְנָה׃te.na.'Af.nahH5003.

14I will not punishאֶפְק֨וֹד'ef.KodH6485your daughtersבְּנוֹתֵיכֶ֜םbe.no.tei.KhemH1323when they commit whoredomתִזְנֶ֗ינָהtiz.Nei.nahH2181,nor your spousesכַּלּֽוֹתֵיכֶם֙ka.lo.tei.KhemH3618when they commit adulteryתְנָאַ֔פְנָהte.na.'Af.nahH5003:for themselves are separatedיְפָרֵ֔דוּye.fa.Re.duH6504with whoresהַזֹּנ֣וֹתha.zo.NotH2181,and they sacrificeיְזַבֵּ֑חוּye.za.Be.chuH2076with harlotsהַקְּדֵשׁ֖וֹתha.ke.de.ShotH6948:therefore the peopleוְעָ֥םve.'AmH5971thatdoth not understandיָבִ֖יןya.VinH995shall fallיִלָּבֵֽט׃yi.la.VetH3832.

15Though thou, Israelיִשְׂרָאֵ֔לYis.ra.'ElH3478,play the harlotזֹנֶ֤הzo.NehH2181, yetlet not Judahיְהוּדָ֑הye.hu.DahH3063offendיֶאְשַׁ֖םye'.ShamH816;and comeתָּבֹ֣אוּta.Vo.'uH935not ye unto Gilgalהַגִּלְגָּ֗לha.gil.GalH1537,neither go ye upתַּעֲלוּ֙ta.'a.LuH5927to Beth–avenH1007,nor swearתִּשָּׁבְע֖וּti.sha.ve.'UH7650,Yhwhיְהוָֽה׃Yah.wehH3068livethחַי־chai-H2416.

16For Israelיִשְׂרָאֵ֑לYis.ra.'ElH3478slideth backסֹֽרֵרָ֔הso.re.RahH5637as a backslidingסָרַ֖רsa.RarH5637heiferכְּפָרָ֣הke.fa.RahH6510:Now Yhwhיְהוָ֔הYah.wehH3068will feedיִרְעֵ֣םyir.'EmH7462them as a lambכְּכֶ֖בֶשׂke.Khe.vesH3532in a large placeבַּמֶּרְחָֽב׃ba.mer.ChavH4800.

17Ephraimאֶפְרָ֖יִם'ef.Ra.yimH669isjoinedחֲב֧וּרcha.VurH2266to idolsעֲצַבִּ֛ים'a.tza.BimH6091:let him aloneH3240.

18Their drinkסָבְאָ֑םsa.ve.'AmH5435is sourסָ֖רsarH5493:they have committed whoredomהַזְנֵ֣הhaz.NehH2181continuallyהִזְנ֔וּhiz.NuH2181:her rulersמָגִנֶּֽיהָ׃ma.gi.Nei.haH4043withshameקָל֖וֹןka.LonH7036do loveH157,GiveH3051ye.

19The windר֛וּחַRu.achH7307hath bound her upצָרַ֥רtza.RarH6887in her wingsבִּכְנָפֶ֑יהָbikh.na.Fei.haH3671,and they shall be ashamedוְיֵבֹ֖שׁוּve.ye.Vo.shuH954because of their sacrificesמִזִּבְחוֹתָֽם סmi.ziv.cho.TamH2077.

Commentaries on Hosea 4