Hosea - Chapter 4 | New International Version

  • 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.
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