Hosea 4

The Charge Against Israel

1 Hear the word of the Lord, you Israelites,
because the Lord has a charge to bring
against you who live in the land:
“There is no faithfulness, no love,
no acknowledgment of God in the land.

2 There is only cursing, lying and murder,
stealing and adultery;
they break all bounds,
and bloodshed follows bloodshed.

3 Because of this the land mourns,
and all who live in it waste away;
the beasts of the field and the birds of the air
and the fish of the sea are dying.

4 “But let no man bring a charge,
let no man accuse another,
for your people are like those
who bring charges against a priest.

5 You stumble day and night,
and the prophets stumble with you.
So I will destroy your mother—

6 my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.

“Because you have rejected knowledge,
I also reject you as my priests;
because you have ignored the law of your God,
I also will ignore your children.

7 The more the priests increased,
the more they sinned against me;
they exchanged their Glory for something disgraceful.

8 They feed on the sins of my people
and relish their wickedness.

9 And it will be: Like people, like priests.
I will punish both of them for their ways
and repay them for their deeds.

10 “They will eat but not have enough;
they will engage in prostitution but not increase,
because they have deserted the Lord
to give themselves

11 to prostitution,
to old wine and new,
which take away the understanding

12 of my people.
They consult a wooden idol
and are answered by a stick of wood.
A spirit of prostitution leads them astray;
they are unfaithful to their God.

13 They sacrifice on the mountaintops
and burn offerings on the hills,
under oak, poplar and terebinth,
where the shade is pleasant.
Therefore your daughters turn to prostitution
and your daughters-in-law to adultery.

14 “I will not punish your daughters
when they turn to prostitution,
nor your daughters-in-law
when they commit adultery,
because the men themselves consort with harlots
and sacrifice with shrine prostitutes—
a people without understanding will come to ruin!

15 “Though you commit adultery, O Israel,
let not Judah become guilty.

“Do not go to Gilgal;
do not go up to Beth Aven.
And do not swear, ‘As surely as the Lord lives!’

16 The Israelites are stubborn,
like a stubborn heifer.
How then can the Lord pasture them
like lambs in a meadow?

17 Ephraim is joined to idols;
leave him alone!

18 Even when their drinks are gone,
they continue their prostitution;
their rulers dearly love shameful ways.

19 A whirlwind will sweep them away,
and their sacrifices will bring them shame.

HOSEA 4

Israel Is Unfaithful

1 Israel, listen
as the [Lord] accuses
everyone in the land!
No one is faithful or loyal
or truly cares about God.

2 Cursing, dishonesty, murder,
robbery, unfaithfulness—
these happen all the time.
Violence is everywhere.

3 And so your land is a desert.
Every living creature is dying—
people and wild animals,
birds and fish.

The [Lord] Warns the Priests

4 Don't accuse just anyone!
Not everyone is at fault.
My case is against you,
the priests.t

5 You and the prophets
will stumble day and night;
I'll silence your mothers.

6 You priests have rejected me,
and my people are destroyed
by refusing to obey.
Now I'll reject you and forget
your children, because you
have forgotten my Law.

7 By adding more of you priests,
you multiply the number
of people who sin.
Now I'll change your pride
into shame.

8 You encourage others to sin,
so you can stuff yourselves
on their sin offerings.

9 That's why I will punish
the people for their deeds,
just as I will punish
you priests.

10 Their food won't satisfy,
and having sex at pagan shrines
won't produce children.
My people have rebelled

11 and have been unfaithful
to me, their [Lord].

God Condemns Israel's Idolatry

12 You expect wooden idols
and other objects of wood
to give you advice.
Lusting for sex at pagan shrines
has made you unfaithful
to me, your God.

13 You offer sacrifices
on mountaintops and hills,
under oak trees, and wherever
good shade is found.
Your own daughters
and daughters-in-law
sell themselves for sex.

14 But I won't punish them.
You men are to blame,
because you go to prostitutes
and offer sacrifices with them
at pagan shrines.
Your own foolishness
will lead to your ruin.

15 Israel, you are unfaithful,
but don't lead Judah to sin.
Stop worshiping at Gilgal
or at sinful Bethel.t
And quit making promises
in my name— the name
of the living [Lord].

16 You are nothing more
than a stubborn cow—
so stubborn that I, the [Lord],
cannot feed you like lambs
in an open pasture.

17 You people of Israelt
are charmed byt idols.
Leave those people alone!

18 You get drunk, then sleep
with prostitutes;
you would rather be vulgar
than lead a decent life.t

19 And so you will be swept awayt
in a whirlwind
for sacrificing to idols.