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.
³Therefore ^(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]
⁵You shall stumble by day;
    the prophet also shall stumble with you by night;
    and I will destroy ^(K)your mother.
⁶My 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 ¹¹whoredom, wine, and new wine,
    which ^(U)take away the understanding.
¹²My 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.
¹⁴I 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.

¹⁵Though 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.”
¹⁶Like 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.
¹⁸When 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

Psalm 107:10-22

English Standard Version

¹⁰^(A)Some sat in darkness and in ^(B)the shadow of death,
    prisoners in ^(C)affliction and in irons,
¹¹for they ^(D)had rebelled against the words of God,
    and ^(E)spurned the counsel of the Most High.
¹²So he bowed their hearts down with hard labor;
    they fell down, ^(F)with none to help.
¹³^(G)Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
    and he delivered them from their distress.
¹⁴He brought them out of ^(H)darkness and the shadow of death,
    and ^(I)burst their bonds apart.
¹⁵^(J)Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
    for his wondrous works to the children of man!
¹⁶For he ^(K)shatters the doors of bronze
    and cuts in two the bars of iron.

¹⁷Some were ^(L)fools through their sinful ways,
    and because of their iniquities suffered affliction;
¹⁸^(M)they loathed any kind of food,
    and they ^(N)drew near to ^(O)the gates of death.
¹⁹^(P)Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
    and he delivered them from their distress.
²⁰He ^(Q)sent out his word and ^(R)healed them,
    and ^(S)delivered them from their destruction.
²¹^(T)Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
    for his wondrous works to the children of man!
²²And let them ^(U)offer sacrifices of thanksgiving,
    and ^(V)tell of his deeds in ^(W)songs of joy!

Read full chapter

Galatians 4-6

English Standard Version

Sons and Heirs

4 I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave,^[a] though he is the owner of everything, ²but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. ³In the same way we also, when we were children, ^(A)were enslaved to the elementary principles^[b] of the world. ⁴But ^(B)when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, ^(C)born ^(D)of woman, born ^(E)under the law, ⁵^(F)to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive ^(G)adoption as sons. ⁶And because you are sons, God has sent ^(H)the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” ⁷So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then ^(I)an heir through God.

Paul's Concern for the Galatians

⁸Formerly, when you ^(J)did not know God, you ^(K)were enslaved to those that by nature ^(L)are not gods. ⁹But now that you have come to know God, or rather ^(M)to be known by God, ^(N)how can you turn back again to ^(O)the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? ¹⁰^(P)You observe days and months and seasons and years! ¹¹I am afraid ^(Q)I may have labored over you in vain.

¹²Brothers,^[c] ^(R)I entreat you, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. ^(S)You did me no wrong. ¹³You know it was ^(T)because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you ^(U)at first, ¹⁴and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me ^(V)as an angel of God, ^(W)as Christ Jesus. ¹⁵What then has become of your blessedness? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me. ¹⁶Have I then become your enemy by ^(X)telling you the truth?^[d] ¹⁷They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them. ¹⁸It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and ^(Y)not only when I am present with you, ¹⁹^(Z)my little children, ^(AA)for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ ^(AB)is formed in you! ²⁰I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.

Example of Hagar and Sarah

²¹Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? ²²For it is written that Abraham had two sons, ^(AC)one by a slave woman and ^(AD)one by a free woman. ²³But ^(AE)the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while ^(AF)the son of the free woman was born through promise. ²⁴Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two ^(AG)covenants. ^(AH)One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. ²⁵Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia;^[e] she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. ²⁶But ^(AI)the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. ²⁷For it is written,

^(AJ)“Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear;
break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor!
For the children of the desolate one will be more
than those of the one who has a husband.”

²⁸Now you,^[f] brothers, ^(AK)like Isaac, ^(AL)are children of promise. ²⁹But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh ^(AM)persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, ^(AN)so also it is now. ³⁰But what does the Scripture say? ^(AO)“Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.” ³¹So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but ^(AP)of the free woman.

Christ Has Set Us Free

5 For ^(AQ)freedom Christ has ^(AR)set us free; ^(AS)stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to ^(AT)a yoke of ^(AU)slavery.

²Look: I, Paul, say to you that ^(AV)if you accept circumcision, ^(AW)Christ will be of no advantage to you. ³I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that ^(AX)he is obligated to keep the whole law. ⁴You are ^(AY)severed from Christ, ^(AZ)you who would be justified^[g] by the law; ^(BA)you have fallen away from grace. ⁵For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly ^(BB)wait for the hope of righteousness. ⁶For in Christ Jesus ^(BC)neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but ^(BD)only faith working through love.

⁷^(BE)You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying ^(BF)the truth? ⁸This persuasion is not from ^(BG)him who calls you. ⁹^(BH)A little leaven leavens the whole lump. ¹⁰^(BI)I have confidence in the Lord that you will ^(BJ)take no other view, and ^(BK)the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. ¹¹But if I, brothers,^[h] still preach^[i] circumcision, ^(BL)why am I still being persecuted? In that case ^(BM)the offense of the cross has been removed. ¹²I wish ^(BN)those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!

¹³For you were called to freedom, brothers. ^(BO)Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love ^(BP)serve one another. ¹⁴For ^(BQ)the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ^(BR)“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁵But if you ^(BS)bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

Keep in Step with the Spirit

¹⁶But I say, ^(BT)walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify ^(BU)the desires of the flesh. ¹⁷For ^(BV)the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, ^(BW)to keep you from doing the things you want to do. ¹⁸But if you are ^(BX)led by the Spirit, ^(BY)you are not under the law. ¹⁹Now ^(BZ)the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, ²⁰idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, ^(CA)divisions, ²¹envy,^[j] drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that ^(CB)those who do^[k] such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. ²²But ^(CC)the fruit of the Spirit is ^(CD)love, joy, peace, patience, ^(CE)kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³^(CF)gentleness, ^(CG)self-control; ^(CH)against such things there is no law. ²⁴And those who belong to Christ Jesus ^(CI)have crucified the flesh with its ^(CJ)passions and desires.

²⁵If we live by the Spirit, ^(CK)let us also keep in step with the Spirit. ²⁶^(CL)Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Bear One Another's Burdens

6 Brothers,^[l] ^(CM)if anyone is caught in any transgression, ^(CN)you who are spiritual should restore him in ^(CO)a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. ²^(CP)Bear one another's burdens, and ^(CQ)so fulfill ^(CR)the law of Christ. ³For ^(CS)if anyone thinks he is something, ^(CT)when he is nothing, he deceives himself. ⁴But let each one ^(CU)test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. ⁵For ^(CV)each will have to bear his own load.

⁶^(CW)Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. ⁷^(CX)Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for ^(CY)whatever one sows, that will he also reap. ⁸For ^(CZ)the one who sows to his own flesh ^(DA)will from the flesh reap corruption, but ^(DB)the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. ⁹And ^(DC)let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, ^(DD)if we do not give up. ¹⁰So then, ^(DE)as we have opportunity, let us ^(DF)do good to everyone, and especially to those who are ^(DG)of the household of faith.

Final Warning and Benediction

¹¹See with what large letters I am writing to you ^(DH)with my own hand. ¹²^(DI)It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh ^(DJ)who would force you to be circumcised, and only ^(DK)in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. ¹³For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. ¹⁴But far be it from me to boast ^(DL)except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which^[m] the world ^(DM)has been crucified to me, and I to the world. ¹⁵For ^(DN)neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but ^(DO)a new creation. ¹⁶And as for all who walk by this rule, ^(DP)peace and mercy be upon them, and upon ^(DQ)the Israel of God.

¹⁷From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.

¹⁸^(DR)The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be ^(DS)with your spirit, brothers. Amen.

Footnotes

Galatians 4:1 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface; also verse 7
Galatians 4:3 Or elemental spirits; also verse 9
Galatians 4:12 Or Brothers and sisters; also verses 28, 31
Galatians 4:16 Or by dealing truthfully with you
Galatians 4:25 Some manuscripts For Sinai is a mountain in Arabia
Galatians 4:28 Some manuscripts we
Galatians 5:4 Or counted righteous
Galatians 5:11 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 13
Galatians 5:11 Greek proclaim
Galatians 5:21 Some manuscripts add murder
Galatians 5:21 Or make a practice of doing
Galatians 6:1 Or Brothers and sisters; also verse 18
Galatians 6:14 Or through whom