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
Hosea 4
International Standard Version
God Accuses Israel
4 “Hear this message from the Lord, people of Israel.
Indeed, the Lord brings a charge
against the people who live in the land—
for there is no truth and no gracious love
or knowledge of God in the land.
2 Swearing, lying, murder, theft, and adultery are rampant,
and blood mingles with blood.
3 Therefore the land will mourn,
and all who live there will languish,
along with the wild animals of the field and the birds of the air.
Even the fish in the sea will disappear.
4 “Let no one fight or bring charges against another,
for my dispute is with you, priest.
5 So you will stumble during the day,
the prophet also will stumble with you at night,
and I will destroy your mother.[a]
6 My people are destroyed because they lack knowledge of me.[b]
Because you rejected that knowledge,
I will reject you as a priest for me.
Since you forget the Law of your God,
I will also forget your children.
7 “The more they increased in number,[c]
the more they sinned against me,
so I will change their glory into shame.
8 They feed on the sin of my people;
they purpose in their heart to transgress.
9 So it will be: like people, like priest.
I will punish them for their lifestyles,
rewarding them according to their behavior.
10 They will eat,
but will not be satisfied.
They will engage in prostitution,
but they won’t increase,
because they have stopped listening to the Lord.
11 “Sexual immorality, wine, and fresh wine seduce the heart of my people.[d]
12 My people seek counsel from their piece of wood,
and their diviner’s rod[e] speaks to them.
For a spirit of prostitution causes them to go astray;
in their immorality they desert their God.
13 They offer sacrifices on the mountain tops,
burning offerings on the hills,
under oaks, poplars, and terebinth[f] trees,
since their shade is very good.
Therefore your daughters are prostitutes
and your daughters-in-law commit adultery.
14 However, I’m not going to punish your daughters
when they commit prostitution,
nor your daughters-in-law
when they commit adultery,
because their men are themselves immoral—
they offer sacrifices with prostitutes.
These people who aren’t discerning will stumble.
15 “Even though you prostitute yourself, Israel—
let not Judah incur guilt—
don’t go to Gilgal,
or visit Beth-aven,
or swear an oath using the Lord’s name.[g]
16 For Israel is as obstinate as a stubborn mule![h]
Nevertheless, will not the Lord feed them like a lamb in a broad pasture?
17 Ephraim has become entwined with idols;
leave him alone!
18 While drinking to excess, they prostitute themselves.
They’re in love with dishonor.
19 A wind storm will carry them away in its embrace,
and their sacrifices will bring them shame.”
Footnotes
- Hosea 4:5 I.e. Israel
- Hosea 4:6 The Heb. lacks of me
- Hosea 4:7 The Heb. lacks in number
- Hosea 4:11 So LXX. The Heb. lacks of my people
- Hosea 4:12 Lit. their carved wood
- Hosea 4:13 Or great
- Hosea 4:15 Lit. oath, ‘…as the Lord lives’
- Hosea 4:16 Or cow
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