Hosea 4
New King James Version
God’s Charge Against Israel
4 Hear the word of the Lord,
You children of Israel,
For the Lord brings a (A)charge[a] against the inhabitants of the land:
“There is no truth or mercy
Or (B)knowledge of God in the land.
2 By swearing and lying,
Killing and stealing and committing adultery,
They break all restraint,
With bloodshed [b]upon bloodshed.
3 Therefore (C)the land will mourn;
And (D)everyone who dwells there will waste away
With the beasts of the field
And the birds of the air;
Even the fish of the sea will be taken away.
4 “Now let no man contend, or rebuke another;
For your people are like those (E)who contend with the priest.
5 Therefore you shall stumble (F)in the day;
The prophet also shall stumble with you in the night;
And I will destroy your mother.
6 (G)My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.
Because you have rejected knowledge,
I also will reject you from being priest for Me;
(H)Because you have forgotten the law of your God,
I also will forget your children.
7 “The more they increased,
The more they sinned against Me;
(I)I[c] will change [d]their glory into shame.
8 They eat up the sin of My people;
They set their [e]heart on their iniquity.
9 And it shall be: (J)like people, like priest.
So I will punish them for their ways,
And [f]reward them for their deeds.
10 For (K)they shall eat, but not have enough;
They shall commit harlotry, but not increase;
Because they have ceased obeying the Lord.
The Idolatry of Israel
11 “Harlotry, wine, and new wine (L)enslave the heart.
12 My people ask counsel from their (M)wooden idols,
And their [g]staff informs them.
For (N)the spirit of harlotry has caused them to stray,
And they have played the harlot against their God.
13 (O)They offer sacrifices on the mountaintops,
And burn incense on the hills,
Under oaks, poplars, and terebinths,
Because their shade is good.
(P)Therefore your daughters commit harlotry,
And your brides commit adultery.
14 “I will not punish your daughters when they commit harlotry,
Nor your brides when they commit adultery;
For the men themselves go apart with harlots,
And offer sacrifices with a (Q)ritual harlot.
Therefore people who do not understand will be trampled.
15 “Though you, Israel, play the harlot,
Let not Judah offend.
(R)Do not come up to Gilgal,
Nor go up to (S)Beth[h] Aven,
(T)Nor swear an oath, saying, ‘As the Lord lives’—
16 “For Israel (U)is stubborn
Like a stubborn calf;
Now the Lord will let them forage
Like a lamb in [i]open country.
17 “Ephraim is joined to idols,
(V)Let him alone.
18 Their drink [j]is rebellion,
They commit harlotry continually.
(W)Her [k]rulers [l]dearly love dishonor.
19 (X)The wind has wrapped her up in its wings,
And (Y)they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.
Footnotes
- Hosea 4:1 A legal complaint
- Hosea 4:2 Lit. touching
- Hosea 4:7 So with MT, LXX, Vg.; scribal tradition, Syr., Tg. They will change
- Hosea 4:7 So with MT, LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg.; scribal tradition My glory
- Hosea 4:8 Desires
- Hosea 4:9 repay
- Hosea 4:12 Diviner’s rod
- Hosea 4:15 Lit. House of Idolatry or Wickedness
- Hosea 4:16 Lit. a large place
- Hosea 4:18 Or has turned aside
- Hosea 4:18 Lit. shields
- Hosea 4:18 Heb. difficult; a Jewish tradition shamefully love, ‘Give!’
Oseas 4
La Biblia de las Américas
Controversia de Dios con Israel
4 Escuchad la palabra del Señor, hijos de Israel(A),
porque el Señor tiene querella contra los habitantes de la tierra(B),
pues no hay fidelidad[a](C), ni misericordia[b],
ni conocimiento de Dios en la tierra(D).
2 Solo hay perjurio(E), mentira(F), asesinato(G), robo(H) y adulterio(I).
Emplean la violencia, y homicidios tras homicidios se suceden[c](J).
3 Por eso la tierra está de luto,
y languidece todo morador en ella
junto con las bestias del campo y las aves del cielo;
aun los peces del mar desaparecen[d](K).
4 Pero que nadie contienda ni nadie reprenda(L);
porque tu pueblo es como los que contienden con el sacerdote(M).
5 Tropezarás de día(N),
y tropezará también el profeta contigo de noche,
y destruiré a tu madre(O).
6 Mi pueblo es destruido por falta de conocimiento(P).
Por cuanto tú has rechazado el conocimiento(Q),
yo también te rechazaré para que no seas[e] mi sacerdote(R);
como has olvidado la ley de tu Dios(S),
yo también me olvidaré de tus hijos.
7 Cuanto más se multiplicaron, más pecaron contra mí(T);
cambiaré, pues, su gloria en afrenta(U).
8 Del pecado[f] de mi pueblo se alimentan(V),
y hacia su iniquidad dirigen sus deseos[g](W).
9 Como el pueblo, así será el sacerdote(X);
los castigaré por su proceder[h](Y),
y les pagaré[i] según sus obras.
10 Comerán, pero no se saciarán(Z);
se prostituirán(AA), pero no se multiplicarán,
porque han dejado de hacer caso al Señor(AB).
11 La prostitución, el[j] vino y el mosto quitan el juicio[k](AC).
12 Mi pueblo consulta a su ídolo de madera(AD), y su vara les informa;
porque un espíritu de prostitución los ha descarriado,
y se han prostituido, apartándose de[l] su Dios.
13 Ofrecen sacrificios sobre las cumbres de los montes(AE)
y queman incienso[m] sobre las colinas(AF),
debajo de las encinas, los álamos y los terebintos(AG),
porque su sombra es agradable.
Por tanto, vuestras hijas se prostituyen,
y vuestras nueras cometen adulterio.
14 No castigaré a vuestras hijas cuando se prostituyan
ni a vuestras nueras cuando cometan adulterio,
porque los hombres mismos[n] se retiran con rameras
y ofrecen sacrificios con las rameras(AH) del culto pagano[o];
así se pierde[p] el pueblo sin entendimiento.
15 Aunque tú, Israel, te prostituyas,
que no se haga culpable Judá;
tampoco vayáis a Gilgal(AI),
ni subáis a Bet-avén,
ni juréis:
¡Vive el Señor(AJ)!
16 Puesto que Israel es terco(AK)
como novilla indómita,
¿los pastoreará ahora el Señor
como a un cordero en campo espacioso[q](AL)?
17 Efraín se ha unido a los ídolos(AM);
déjalo(AN).
18 Acabada su bebida,
se entregaron a la prostitución;
sus príncipes[r] aman mucho la ignominia(AO).
19 El viento los envuelve en sus alas,
y se avergonzarán de sus sacrificios(AP).
Footnotes
- Oseas 4:1 O, verdad
- Oseas 4:1 O, lealtad
- Oseas 4:2 Lit., se tocan
- Oseas 4:3 Lit., son recogidos
- Oseas 4:6 Lit., de ser
- Oseas 4:8 O, De la ofrenda por el pecado
- Oseas 4:8 O, su alma
- Oseas 4:9 Lit., sus caminos
- Oseas 4:9 O, devolveré
- Oseas 4:11 O, porque han dejado al Señor para practicar la prostitución. El
- Oseas 4:11 Lit., corazón
- Oseas 4:12 Lit., de debajo de
- Oseas 4:13 U, ofrecen sacrificios
- Oseas 4:14 Lit., porque ellos
- Oseas 4:14 I.e., como parte del rito pagano
- Oseas 4:14 Lit., es derribado
- Oseas 4:16 O, ahora el Señor los pastoreará...espacioso.
- Oseas 4:18 Lit., escudos
Hosea 4
English Standard Version
The Lord Accuses Israel
4 (A)Hear the word of the Lord, O children of Israel,
for (B)the Lord has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land.
There is no faithfulness or steadfast love,
and (C)no knowledge of God in the land;
2 (D)there is swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery;
they break all bounds, and (E)bloodshed follows bloodshed.
3 Therefore (F)the land mourns,
and all who dwell in it languish,
(G)and also the beasts of the field
and the birds of the heavens,
(H)and even the fish of the sea are taken away.
4 (I)Yet let no one contend,
and let none accuse,
for with you is (J)my contention, O priest.[a]
5 You shall stumble by day;
the prophet also shall stumble with you by night;
and I will destroy (K)your mother.
6 My people are destroyed (L)for lack of knowledge;
(M)because you have rejected knowledge,
I reject you (N)from being a priest to me.
And since you have forgotten the law of your God,
(O)I also will forget your children.
7 (P)The more they increased,
the more they sinned against me;
(Q)I will change their glory into shame.
8 (R)They feed on the sin[b] of my people;
they are greedy for their iniquity.
9 (S)And it shall be like people, like priest;
I will punish them for their ways
and repay them for their deeds.
10 (T)They shall eat, but not be satisfied;
they shall play the whore, but not multiply,
because they have forsaken the Lord
to cherish 11 whoredom, wine, and new wine,
which (U)take away the understanding.
12 My people (V)inquire of a piece of wood,
and their walking staff gives them oracles.
For (W)a spirit of whoredom has led them astray,
and they have left their God to play the whore.
13 (X)They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains
and burn offerings on the hills,
(Y)under oak, poplar, and terebinth,
because their shade is good.
Therefore your daughters play the whore,
and your brides commit adultery.
14 I will not punish your daughters when they play the whore,
nor your brides when they commit adultery;
for (Z)the men themselves go aside with prostitutes
and sacrifice with (AA)cult prostitutes,
and a people (AB)without understanding shall come to ruin.
15 Though you play the whore, O (AC)Israel,
let not (AD)Judah become guilty.
(AE)Enter not into (AF)Gilgal,
nor go up to (AG)Beth-aven,
and swear not, “As the Lord lives.”
16 Like a stubborn heifer,
Israel is stubborn;
can the Lord now feed them
like a lamb in a broad pasture?
17 (AH)Ephraim is joined to idols;
(AI)leave him alone.
18 When their drink is gone, they give themselves to whoring;
(AJ)their rulers[c] dearly love shame.
19 (AK)A wind has wrapped them[d] in its wings,
and they shall (AL)be ashamed because of their sacrifices.
Footnotes
- Hosea 4:4 Or for your people are like those who contend with the priest
- Hosea 4:8 Or sin offering
- Hosea 4:18 Hebrew shields
- Hosea 4:19 Hebrew her
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
