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Hosea 4-5
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.”

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 4:1 A legal complaint
  2. Hosea 4:2 Lit. touching
  3. Hosea 4:7 So with MT, LXX, Vg.; scribal tradition, Syr., Tg. They will change
  4. Hosea 4:7 So with MT, LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg.; scribal tradition My glory
  5. Hosea 4:8 Desires
  6. Hosea 4:9 repay
  7. Hosea 4:12 Diviner’s rod
  8. Hosea 4:15 Lit. House of Idolatry or Wickedness
  9. Hosea 4:16 Lit. a large place
  10. Hosea 4:18 Or has turned aside
  11. Hosea 4:18 Lit. shields
  12. Hosea 4:18 Heb. difficult; a Jewish tradition shamefully love, ‘Give!’
  13. Hosea 5:1 Or to you
  14. Hosea 5:4 Or Their deeds will not allow them to turn
  15. Hosea 5:7 Lit. strange
  16. Hosea 5:15 Lit. become guilty or bear punishment
Listen to Hosea 4-5
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Hosea 4-5
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)”

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 4:2 That is, to pronounce a curse on
  2. Hosea 4:7 Syriac (see also an ancient Hebrew scribal tradition); Masoretic Text me; / I will exchange their glory
  3. Hosea 4:15 Beth Aven means house of wickedness (a derogatory name for Bethel, which means house of God).
  4. Hosea 5:7 Or Now their New Moon feasts / will devour them and
  5. Hosea 5:8 Beth Aven means house of wickedness (a derogatory name for Bethel, which means house of God).
  6. Hosea 5:11 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
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Hosea 3
Hosea 6
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