Hosea 4
Legacy Standard Bible
Yahweh’s Contention with Israel
4 (A)Listen to the word of Yahweh, O sons of Israel,
For Yahweh has a (B)contention against the inhabitants of the land,
Because there is (C)no truth or [a]lovingkindness
Or (D)knowledge of God in the land.
2 There is (E)swearing of oaths, (F)deception, (G)murder, (H)stealing, and (I)adultery.
They break forth in violence so that (J)bloodshed [b]follows bloodshed.
3 Therefore the land (K)mourns,
And everyone who inhabits it languishes
Along with the beasts of the field and the birds of the sky,
And also the fish of the sea [c]disappear.
4 Yet let no man (L)contend, and let no man offer reproof;
Indeed, your people are like those who (M)contend with the 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.
Because you have (Q)rejected knowledge,
I also will (R)reject you from ministering as My priest.
Since you have (S)forgotten the (T)law of your God,
I Myself also will forget your children.
7 The more they (U)multiplied, the more they sinned against Me;
I will (V)change their glory into disgrace.
8 They (W)eat the [d]sin of My people
And (X)lift up [e]their soul toward their iniquity.
9 And it will be like people, (Y)like priest;
So I will (Z)punish them for their ways
And cause their deeds to return to them.
10 (AA)They will eat, but not be satisfied;
They will (AB)play the harlot, but not break forth in number,
Because they have [f](AC)forsaken Yahweh to keep harlotry.
11 Harlotry, (AD)wine, and new wine take away a heart of wisdom.
12 My people (AE)ask their wooden idol, and their diviner’s wand declares to them;
For a spirit of harlotry has led them astray,
And they have played the harlot, departing [g]from their God.
13 They offer sacrifices on the (AF)tops of the mountains
And [h](AG)burn incense on the hills,
(AH)Under oak, poplar, and terebinth
Because their shade is good.
Therefore your daughters play the harlot,
And your [i]brides commit adultery.
14 I will not punish your daughters when they play the harlot
Or your [j]brides when they commit adultery,
For the men themselves go apart with harlots
And offer sacrifices with (AI)cult prostitutes;
So the people without understanding are [k]ruined.
15 Though you, Israel, play the harlot,
Do not let Judah become guilty;
Also do not go to (AJ)Gilgal
Nor go up to Beth-aven
(AK)And swear the oath:
“As Yahweh lives!”
16 Since Israel is (AL)stubborn
Like a stubborn heifer,
[l]Can Yahweh now (AM)feed them
Like a lamb in a large field?
17 Ephraim is joined to (AN)idols;
(AO)Let him alone.
18 Their drink gone;
They play the harlot continually;
(AP)Their [m]rulers dearly love disgrace.
19 (AQ)The wind binds them up in its wings,
And they will be ashamed because of their sacrifices.
Footnotes
- Hosea 4:1 Or loyalty
- Hosea 4:2 Lit touches
- Hosea 4:3 Lit are gathered up
- Hosea 4:8 Or sin offering
- Hosea 4:8 Lit his
- Hosea 4:10 Or forsaken Yahweh to practice (v 11) harlotry; lit forsaken giving heed
- 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 4:14 Lit thrust down
- Hosea 4:16 Or Now Yahweh will pasture...field
- Hosea 4:18 Lit shields
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