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Hosea 4:1-6:3
New International Version
Hosea 4:1-6:3
New International Version
The Charge Against Israel
4 Hear the word of the Lord, you Israelites,
because the Lord has a charge(A) to bring
against you who live in the land:(B)
“There is no faithfulness,(C) no love,
no acknowledgment(D) of God in the land.(E)
2 There is only cursing,[a] lying(F) and murder,(G)
stealing(H) and adultery;(I)
they break all bounds,
and bloodshed follows bloodshed.(J)
3 Because of this the land dries up,(K)
and all who live in it waste away;(L)
the beasts of the field, the birds in the sky
and the fish in the sea are swept away.(M)
4 “But let no one bring a charge,
let no one accuse another,
for your people are like those
who bring charges against a priest.(N)
5 You stumble(O) day and night,
and the prophets stumble with you.
So I will destroy your mother(P)—
6 my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.(Q)
“Because you have rejected knowledge,
I also reject you as my priests;
because you have ignored the law(R) of your God,
I also will ignore your children.
7 The more priests there were,
the more they sinned against me;
they exchanged their glorious God[b](S) for something disgraceful.(T)
8 They feed on the sins of my people
and relish their wickedness.(U)
9 And it will be: Like people, like priests.(V)
I will punish both of them for their ways
and repay them for their deeds.(W)
10 “They will eat but not have enough;(X)
they will engage in prostitution(Y) but not flourish,
because they have deserted(Z) the Lord
to give themselves 11 to prostitution;(AA)
old wine(AB) and new wine
take away their understanding.(AC)
12 My people consult a wooden idol,(AD)
and a diviner’s rod speaks to them.(AE)
A spirit of prostitution(AF) leads them astray;(AG)
they are unfaithful(AH) to their God.
13 They sacrifice on the mountaintops
and burn offerings on the hills,
under oak,(AI) poplar and terebinth,
where the shade is pleasant.(AJ)
Therefore your daughters turn to prostitution(AK)
and your daughters-in-law to adultery.(AL)
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(AM)
and sacrifice with shrine prostitutes(AN)—
a people without understanding(AO) will come to ruin!(AP)
15 “Though you, Israel, commit adultery,
do not let Judah become guilty.
“Do not go to Gilgal;(AQ)
do not go up to Beth Aven.[c](AR)
And do not swear, ‘As surely as the Lord lives!’(AS)
16 The Israelites are stubborn,(AT)
like a stubborn heifer.(AU)
How then can the Lord pasture them
like lambs(AV) 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(AW) will sweep them away,
and their sacrifices will bring them shame.(AX)
Judgment Against Israel
5 “Hear this, you priests!
Pay attention, you Israelites!
Listen, royal house!
This judgment(AY) is against you:
You have been a snare(AZ) at Mizpah,
a net(BA) spread out on Tabor.
2 The rebels are knee-deep in slaughter.(BB)
I will discipline all of them.(BC)
3 I know all about Ephraim;
Israel is not hidden(BD) from me.
Ephraim, you have now turned to prostitution;
Israel is corrupt.(BE)
4 “Their deeds do not permit them
to return(BF) to their God.
A spirit of prostitution(BG) is in their heart;
they do not acknowledge(BH) the Lord.
5 Israel’s arrogance testifies(BI) against them;
the Israelites, even Ephraim, stumble(BJ) in their sin;
Judah also stumbles with them.(BK)
6 When they go with their flocks and herds
to seek the Lord,(BL)
they will not find him;
he has withdrawn(BM) himself from them.
7 They are unfaithful(BN) to the Lord;
they give birth to illegitimate(BO) children.
When they celebrate their New Moon feasts,(BP)
he will devour[d](BQ) their fields.
8 “Sound the trumpet(BR) in Gibeah,(BS)
the horn in Ramah.(BT)
Raise the battle cry in Beth Aven[e];(BU)
lead on, Benjamin.
9 Ephraim will be laid waste(BV)
on the day of reckoning.(BW)
Among the tribes of Israel
I proclaim what is certain.(BX)
10 Judah’s leaders are like those
who move boundary stones.(BY)
I will pour out my wrath(BZ) on them
like a flood of water.
11 Ephraim is oppressed,
trampled in judgment,
intent on pursuing idols.[f](CA)
12 I am like a moth(CB) to Ephraim,
like rot(CC) to the people of Judah.
13 “When Ephraim(CD) saw his sickness,
and Judah his sores,
then Ephraim turned to Assyria,(CE)
and sent to the great king for help.(CF)
But he is not able to cure(CG) you,
not able to heal your sores.(CH)
14 For I will be like a lion(CI) to Ephraim,
like a great lion to Judah.
I will tear them to pieces(CJ) and go away;
I will carry them off, with no one to rescue them.(CK)
15 Then I will return to my lair(CL)
until they have borne their guilt(CM)
and seek my face(CN)—
in their misery(CO)
they will earnestly seek me.(CP)”
Israel Unrepentant
6 “Come, let us return(CQ) to the Lord.
He has torn us to pieces(CR)
but he will heal us;(CS)
he has injured us
but he will bind up our wounds.(CT)
2 After two days he will revive us;(CU)
on the third day(CV) he will restore(CW) us,
that we may live in his presence.
3 Let us acknowledge the Lord;
let us press on to acknowledge him.
As surely as the sun rises,
he will appear;
he will come to us like the winter rains,(CX)
like the spring rains that water the earth.(CY)”
Footnotes
- Hosea 4:2 That is, to pronounce a curse on
- Hosea 4:7 Syriac (see also an ancient Hebrew scribal tradition); Masoretic Text me; / I will exchange their glory
- Hosea 4:15 Beth Aven means house of wickedness (a derogatory name for Bethel, which means house of God).
- Hosea 5:7 Or Now their New Moon feasts / will devour them and
- Hosea 5:8 Beth Aven means house of wickedness (a derogatory name for Bethel, which means house of God).
- Hosea 5:11 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
Hosea 4:1-6:3
King James Version
Hosea 4:1-6:3
King James Version
4 Hear the word of the Lord, ye children of Israel: for the Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.
2 By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.
3 Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.
4 Yet let no man strive, nor reprove another: for thy people are as they that strive with the priest.
5 Therefore shalt thou fall in the day, and the prophet also shall fall with thee in the night, and I will destroy thy mother.
6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
7 As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame.
8 They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity.
9 And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings.
10 For they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall commit whoredom, and shall not increase: because they have left off to take heed to the Lord.
11 Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart.
12 My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them: for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err, and they have gone a whoring from under their God.
13 They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under oaks and poplars and elms, because the shadow thereof is good: therefore your daughters shall commit whoredom, and your spouses shall commit adultery.
14 I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom, nor your spouses when they commit adultery: for themselves are separated with whores, and they sacrifice with harlots: therefore the people that doth not understand shall fall.
15 Though thou, Israel, play the harlot, yet let not Judah offend; and come not ye unto Gilgal, neither go ye up to Bethaven, nor swear, The Lord liveth.
16 For Israel slideth back as a backsliding heifer: now the Lord will feed them as a lamb in a large place.
17 Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone.
18 Their drink is sour: they have committed whoredom continually: her rulers with shame do love, Give ye.
19 The wind hath bound her up in her wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.
5 Hear ye this, O priests; and hearken, ye house of Israel; and give ye ear, O house of the king; for judgment is toward you, because ye have been a snare on Mizpah, and a net spread upon Tabor.
2 And the revolters are profound to make slaughter, though I have been a rebuker of them all.
3 I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from me: for now, O Ephraim, thou committest whoredom, and Israel is defiled.
4 They will not frame their doings to turn unto their God: for the spirit of whoredoms is in the midst of them, and they have not known the Lord.
5 And the pride of Israel doth testify to his face: therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their iniquity: Judah also shall fall with them.
6 They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the Lord; but they shall not find him; he hath withdrawn himself from them.
7 They have dealt treacherously against the Lord: for they have begotten strange children: now shall a month devour them with their portions.
8 Blow ye the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah: cry aloud at Bethaven, after thee, O Benjamin.
9 Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke: among the tribes of Israel have I made known that which shall surely be.
10 The princes of Judah were like them that remove the bound: therefore I will pour out my wrath upon them like water.
11 Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgment, because he willingly walked after the commandment.
12 Therefore will I be unto Ephraim as a moth, and to the house of Judah as rottenness.
13 When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then went Ephraim to the Assyrian, and sent to king Jareb: yet could he not heal you, nor cure you of your wound.
14 For I will be unto Ephraim as a lion, and as a young lion to the house of Judah: I, even I, will tear and go away; I will take away, and none shall rescue him.
15 I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early.
6 Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.
2 After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.
3 Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.
Hosea 4:1-6:3
English Standard Version
Hosea 4:1-6:3
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.
Punishment Coming for Israel and Judah
5 (AM)Hear this, O priests!
Pay attention, O house of Israel!
Give ear, O house of the king!
For the judgment is for you;
for (AN)you have been a snare at Mizpah
and a net spread upon (AO)Tabor.
2 And (AP)the revolters (AQ)have gone deep into slaughter,
but (AR)I will discipline all of them.
3 (AS)I know Ephraim,
and Israel is not hidden from me;
for now, O Ephraim, you have played the whore;
Israel is defiled.
4 (AT)Their deeds do not permit them
to return to their God.
For (AU)the spirit of whoredom is within them,
and they know not the Lord.
5 (AV)The pride of Israel testifies to his face;[e]
Israel and (AW)Ephraim shall stumble in his guilt;
(AX)Judah also shall stumble with them.
6 (AY)With their flocks and herds they shall go
to seek the Lord,
(AZ)but they will not find him;
(BA)he has withdrawn from them.
7 (BB)They have dealt faithlessly with the Lord;
for they have borne alien children.
Now the new moon shall devour them with their fields.
8 (BC)Blow the horn in (BD)Gibeah,
the trumpet in (BE)Ramah.
Sound the alarm at (BF)Beth-aven;
we follow you,[f] O Benjamin!
9 Ephraim shall become a desolation
in the day of punishment;
among the tribes of Israel
I make known what is sure.
10 The princes of Judah have become
like (BG)those who move the landmark;
upon them I will pour out
my wrath like water.
11 Ephraim is (BH)oppressed, crushed in judgment,
because he was determined to go after filth.[g]
12 But I am (BI)like a moth to Ephraim,
and (BJ)like dry rot to the house of Judah.
13 When Ephraim saw his sickness,
and Judah (BK)his wound,
then Ephraim went (BL)to Assyria,
and sent to the great king.[h]
(BM)But he is not able to cure you
or heal (BN)your wound.
14 For I will be (BO)like a lion to (BP)Ephraim,
and like a young lion to the house of (BQ)Judah.
(BR)I, even I, will tear and go away;
I will carry off, and no one shall rescue.
15 (BS)I will return again to my place,
until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face,
and (BT)in their distress earnestly seek me.
Israel and Judah Are Unrepentant
6 “Come, let us (BU)return to the Lord;
for (BV)he has torn us, that he may heal us;
he has struck us down, and (BW)he will bind us up.
2 After two days (BX)he will revive us;
on the third day he will raise us up,
that we may live before him.
3 (BY)Let us know; (BZ)let us press on to know the Lord;
(CA)his going out is sure as the dawn;
he will come to us (CB)as the showers,
(CC)as the spring rains that water the earth.”
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
- Hosea 5:5 Or in his presence
- Hosea 5:8 Or after you
- Hosea 5:11 Or to follow human precepts
- Hosea 5:13 Or to King Jareb
Hosea 4:1-6:3
New King James Version
Hosea 4:1-6:3
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.
Impending Judgment on Israel and Judah
5 “Hear this, O priests!
Take heed, O house of Israel!
Give ear, O house of the king!
For [m]yours is the judgment,
Because (Z)you have been a snare to Mizpah
And a net spread on Tabor.
2 The revolters are (AA)deeply involved in slaughter,
Though I rebuke them all.
3 (AB)I know Ephraim,
And Israel is not hidden from Me;
For now, O Ephraim, (AC)you commit harlotry;
Israel is defiled.
4 “They[n] do not direct their deeds
Toward turning to their God,
For (AD)the spirit of harlotry is in their midst,
And they do not know the Lord.
5 The (AE)pride of Israel testifies to his face;
Therefore Israel and Ephraim stumble in their iniquity;
Judah also stumbles with them.
6 “With their flocks and herds
(AF)They shall go to seek the Lord,
But they will not find Him;
He has withdrawn Himself from them.
7 They have (AG)dealt treacherously with the Lord,
For they have begotten [o]pagan children.
Now a New Moon shall devour them and their heritage.
8 “Blow(AH) the ram’s horn in Gibeah,
The trumpet in Ramah!
(AI)Cry aloud at (AJ)Beth Aven,
‘Look behind you, O Benjamin!’
9 Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke;
Among the tribes of Israel I make known what is sure.
10 “The princes of Judah are like those who (AK)remove a landmark;
I will pour out My wrath on them like water.
11 Ephraim is (AL)oppressed and broken in judgment,
Because he willingly walked by (AM)human precept.
12 Therefore I will be to Ephraim like a moth,
And to the house of Judah (AN)like rottenness.
13 “When Ephraim saw his sickness,
And Judah saw his (AO)wound,
Then Ephraim went (AP)to Assyria
And sent to King Jareb;
Yet he cannot cure you,
Nor heal you of your wound.
14 For (AQ)I will be like a lion to Ephraim,
And like a young lion to the house of Judah.
(AR)I, even I, will tear them and go away;
I will take them away, and no one shall rescue.
15 I will return again to My place
Till they [p]acknowledge their offense.
Then they will seek My face;
In their affliction they will earnestly seek Me.”
A Call to Repentance
6 Come,(AS) and let us return to the Lord;
For (AT)He has torn, but (AU)He will heal us;
He has stricken, but He will [q]bind us up.
2 (AV)After two days He will revive us;
On the third day He will raise us up,
That we may live in His sight.
3 (AW)Let us know,
Let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord.
His going forth is established (AX)as the morning;
(AY)He will come to us (AZ)like the rain,
Like the latter and former rain to the earth.
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!’
- Hosea 5:1 Or to you
- Hosea 5:4 Or Their deeds will not allow them to turn
- Hosea 5:7 Lit. strange
- Hosea 5:15 Lit. become guilty or bear punishment
- Hosea 6:1 Bandage
Hosea 4:1-6:3
New American Standard Bible
Hosea 4:1-6:3
New American Standard Bible
God’s Controversy with Israel
4 (A)Listen to the word of the Lord, you sons of Israel,
Because the Lord has a (B)case against the inhabitants of the land,
For there is (C)no [a]faithfulness, nor [b]loyalty,
Nor (D)knowledge of God in the land.
2 There is (E)oath-taking, [c](F)denial, (G)murder, (H)stealing, and (I)adultery.
They employ violence, so that (J)bloodshed [d]follows bloodshed.
3 Therefore the land (K)mourns,
And everyone who lives in it languishes
Along with the animals of the field and the birds of the sky,
And even the fish of the sea [e]disappear.
4 Yet let no one [f](L)find fault, and let no one rebuke;
For your people are like those who (M)contend with a priest.
5 So you will (N)stumble by day,
And the prophet also will stumble with you by night;
And I will destroy your (O)mother.
6 (P)My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.
Since you have (Q)rejected knowledge,
I also will (R)reject you from being My priest.
Since you have (S)forgotten the (T)Law of your God,
I also will forget your children.
7 The more they (U)multiplied, the more they sinned against Me;
I will (V)change their glory into shame.
8 They (W)feed on the [g]sin of My people,
And (X)long for their wrongdoing.
9 And it will be, like people, (Y)like priest;
So I will (Z)punish them for their ways
And repay them for their deeds.
10 (AA)They will eat, but not have enough;
They will (AB)play the prostitute, but not [h]increase,
Because they (AC)gave up devoting themselves to the Lord.
11 [i]Infidelity, (AD)wine, and new wine take away the [j]understanding.
12 My people (AE)consult their wooden idol, and their diviner’s wand informs them;
For a spirit of infidelity has led them astray,
And they have been unfaithful, departing [k]from their God.
13 They offer sacrifices on the (AF)tops of the mountains
And [l](AG)burn incense on the hills,
(AH)Under oak, poplar, and terebinth,
Because their shade is pleasant.
Therefore your daughters play the prostitute,
And your [m]brides commit adultery.
14 I will not punish your daughters when they play the prostitute,
Or your [n]brides when they commit adultery,
Because the men themselves slip away with the prostitutes
And offer sacrifices with (AI)temple prostitutes;
So the people without understanding are ruined.
15 Though you, Israel, play the prostitute,
Judah must not become guilty;
Also you are not to go to (AJ)Gilgal,
Nor go up to Beth-aven
(AK)And take the oath:
“As the Lord lives!”
16 Since Israel is (AL)stubborn
Like a stubborn cow,
[o]Will the Lord now (AM)pasture them
Like a lamb in a large field?
17 Ephraim is allied with (AN)idols;
(AO)Leave him alone.
18 Their liquor is gone,
They prostitute themselves continually;
[p](AP)Their [q]rulers dearly love shame.
19 (AQ)The wind wraps them in its wings,
And they will be [r]put to shame because of their sacrifices.
The People’s Apostasy Rebuked
5 Hear this, you priests!
Pay attention, house of Israel!
Listen, you of the house of the king!
For the judgment applies to you,
Because you have been a (AR)trap at Mizpah,
And a net spread out on Tabor.
2 And the (AS)rebels have (AT)gone deep in [s]depravity,
But I will discipline all of them.
3 I (AU)know Ephraim, and Israel is not hidden from Me;
Because now, Ephraim, you have been unfaithful,
Israel has defiled itself.
4 Their deeds will not allow them
To return to their God.
For a (AV)spirit of [t]infidelity is within them,
And they (AW)do not know the Lord.
5 Moreover, the (AX)pride of Israel testifies against him,
And Israel and Ephraim stumble in their wrongdoing;
(AY)Judah also has stumbled with them.
6 They will (AZ)go with their flocks and herds
To seek the Lord, but they will (BA)not find Him;
He has (BB)withdrawn from them.
7 They have (BC)dealt treacherously with the Lord,
For they have given birth to [u](BD)illegitimate children.
Now the (BE)new moon will devour them with their [v]land.
8 (BF)Blow the horn in (BG)Gibeah,
And the trumpet in Ramah.
Sound an alarm at Beth-aven:
“(BH)Behind you, Benjamin!”
9 Ephraim will become a (BI)desolation in the (BJ)day of rebuke;
Among the tribes of Israel I (BK)make known what is trustworthy.
10 The leaders of Judah have become like those who (BL)displace a boundary marker;
On them I will (BM)pour out My anger (BN)like water.
11 Ephraim is (BO)oppressed, broken by judgment,
(BP)Because he was determined to follow [w]man’s command.
12 Therefore I am like a (BQ)moth to Ephraim,
And like rottenness to the house of Judah.
13 When Ephraim saw his sickness,
And Judah his [x]sore,
Ephraim then went to (BR)Assyria
And sent word to [y](BS)King Jareb.
But he is (BT)unable to heal you,
Or to cure you of your [z]sore.
14 For I will be (BU)like a lion to Ephraim
And like a young lion to the house of Judah.
(BV)I, yes I, will tear to pieces and go away,
I will carry away, and there will be (BW)no one to rescue.
15 I will go away and return to My place
Until they [aa](BX)acknowledge their guilt and seek My face;
In their distress they will (BY)search for Me.
The Response to God’s Rebuke
6 “(BZ)Come, let’s return to the Lord.
For (CA)He has torn us, but (CB)He will heal us;
He has [ab]wounded us, but He will (CC)bandage us.
2 He will (CD)revive us after two days;
He will (CE)raise us up on the third day,
That we may live before Him.
3 So let’s (CF)learn, let’s press on to know the Lord.
His (CG)appearance is as sure as the dawn;
And He will come to us like the (CH)rain,
As the spring rain waters the earth.”
Footnotes
- Hosea 4:1 Or truth
- Hosea 4:1 Or kindness
- Hosea 4:2 I.e., of truth
- Hosea 4:2 Lit touches
- Hosea 4:3 Lit are taken away
- Hosea 4:4 Lit contend
- Hosea 4:8 Or sin offering
- Hosea 4:10 I.e., either in population or wealth
- Hosea 4:11 Or Prostitution
- Hosea 4:11 Lit heart
- Hosea 4:12 Lit from under
- Hosea 4:13 Or offer sacrifices
- Hosea 4:13 Or daughters-in-law
- Hosea 4:14 Or daughters-in-law
- Hosea 4:16 Or The Lord will now pasture...field.
- Hosea 4:18 Another reading is They dearly love the shame of gifts
- Hosea 4:18 Lit shields
- Hosea 4:19 Or ashamed
- Hosea 5:2 Or slaughter
- Hosea 5:4 Or prostitution
- Hosea 5:7 Lit strange
- Hosea 5:7 Lit portions
- Hosea 5:11 Or with some ancient versions, nothingness
- Hosea 5:13 Or ulcer
- Hosea 5:13 Or another reading is the great king; or the contentious king
- Hosea 5:13 Or ulcer
- Hosea 5:15 Or suffer their punishment
- Hosea 6:1 Lit struck
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) 
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.