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11     harlotry;
wine and new wine
    take away understanding.

The Idolatry of Israel

12 My people seek counsel from their wood,
    and their staff informs them.
For the spirit of harlotry has led them astray,
    and they have played the whore in defiance of their God.
13 They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains,
    and burn incense upon the hills
under oak, poplar, and elm
    because their shade is good.
Therefore your daughters play the whore,
    and your daughters-in-law commit adultery.

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11 “Sexual sins, strong drink, and new wine ruin a person’s ability to think straight. 12 My people are asking pieces of wood for advice. They think those sticks will answer them! They have chased after those false gods like prostitutes and have left their own God. 13 They make sacrifices on the tops of the mountains and burn incense on the hills under oak trees, poplar trees, and elm trees.[a] The shade under those trees looks nice. So your daughters lie under those trees like prostitutes, and your daughters-in-law commit sexual sins.

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Footnotes

  1. Hosea 4:13 under … trees Trees and groves were an important part of worshiping false gods.