Hosea 4
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, (F)[c]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.
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 4
Revised Standard Version
God Accuses Israel
4 Hear the word of the Lord, O people of Israel;
for the Lord has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land.
There is no faithfulness or kindness,
and no knowledge of God in the land;
2 there is swearing, lying, killing, stealing, and committing adultery;
they break all bounds and murder follows murder.
3 Therefore the land mourns,
and all who dwell in it languish,
and also the beasts of the field,
and the birds of the air;
and even the fish of the sea are taken away.
4 Yet let no one contend,
and let none accuse,
for with you is my contention, O priest.[a]
5 You shall stumble by day,
the prophet also shall stumble with you by night;
and I will destroy your mother.
6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge;
because you have rejected knowledge,
I reject you from being a priest to me.
And since 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 will change their glory into shame.
8 They feed on the sin of my people;
they are greedy for their iniquity.
9 And it shall be like people, like priest;
I will punish them for their ways,
and requite them for their deeds.
10 They shall eat, but not be satisfied;
they shall play the harlot, but not multiply;
because they have forsaken the Lord
to cherish harlotry.
The Idolatry of Israel
11 Wine and new wine
take away the understanding.
12 My people inquire of a thing of wood,
and their staff gives them oracles.
For a spirit of harlotry has led them astray,
and they have left their God to play the harlot.
13 They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains,
and make offerings upon the hills,
under oak, poplar, and terebinth,
because their shade is good.
Therefore your daughters play the harlot,
and your brides commit adultery.
14 I will not punish your daughters when they play the harlot,
nor your brides when they commit adultery;
for the men themselves go aside with harlots,
and sacrifice with cult prostitutes,
and a people without understanding shall come to ruin.
15 Though you play the harlot, O Israel,
let not Judah become guilty.
Enter not into Gilgal,
nor go up to Beth-a′ven,
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 E′phraim is joined to idols,
let him alone.
18 A band[b] of drunkards, they give themselves to harlotry;
they love shame more than their glory.[c]
19 A wind has wrapped them[d] in its wings,
and they shall be ashamed because of their altars.[e]
Footnotes
- Hosea 4:4 Cn: Heb uncertain
- Hosea 4:18 Cn: Heb uncertain
- Hosea 4:18 Cn Compare Gk: Heb of this line uncertain
- Hosea 4:19 Heb her
- Hosea 4:19 Gk Syr: Heb sacrifices
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Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.