Hosea 4-6

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)
²There is only cursing,^[a] lying^(F) and murder,^(G)
    stealing^(H) and adultery;^(I)
they break all bounds,
    and bloodshed follows bloodshed.^(J)
³Because 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)
⁵You 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.
⁷The more priests there were,
    the more they sinned against me;
    they exchanged their glorious God^[b]^(S) for something disgraceful.^(T)
⁸They feed on the sins of my people
    and relish their wickedness.^(U)
⁹And 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 ¹¹to prostitution;^(AA)
old wine^(AB) and new wine
    take away their understanding.^(AC)
¹²My 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.
¹³They 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)
¹⁶The Israelites are stubborn,^(AT)
    like a stubborn heifer.^(AU)
How then can the Lord pasture them
    like lambs^(AV) in a meadow?
¹⁷Ephraim is joined to idols;
    leave him alone!
¹⁸Even when their drinks are gone,
    they continue their prostitution;
    their rulers dearly love shameful ways.
¹⁹A 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.
²The rebels are knee-deep in slaughter.^(BB)
    I will discipline all of them.^(BC)
³I 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.
⁵Israel’s arrogance testifies^(BI) against them;
    the Israelites, even Ephraim, stumble^(BJ) in their sin;
    Judah also stumbles with them.^(BK)
⁶When they go with their flocks and herds
    to seek the Lord,^(BL)
they will not find him;
    he has withdrawn^(BM) himself from them.
⁷They 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.
⁹Ephraim will be laid waste^(BV)
    on the day of reckoning.^(BW)
Among the tribes of Israel
    I proclaim what is certain.^(BX)
¹⁰Judah’s leaders are like those
    who move boundary stones.^(BY)
I will pour out my wrath^(BZ) on them
    like a flood of water.
¹¹Ephraim is oppressed,
    trampled in judgment,
    intent on pursuing idols.^[f]^(CA)
¹²I 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)
¹⁴For 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)
¹⁵Then 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)”

Israel Unrepentant

6 “Come, let us return^(CQ) to the Lord.
He has torn us to pieces^(CR)
    but he will heal us;^(CS)
he has injured us
    but he will bind up our wounds.^(CT)
²After two days he will revive us;^(CU)
    on the third day^(CV) he will restore^(CW) us,
    that we may live in his presence.
³Let us acknowledge the Lord;
    let us press on to acknowledge him.
As surely as the sun rises,
    he will appear;
he will come to us like the winter rains,^(CX)
    like the spring rains that water the earth.^(CY)”

⁴“What can I do with you, Ephraim?^(CZ)
    What can I do with you, Judah?
Your love is like the morning mist,
    like the early dew that disappears.^(DA)
⁵Therefore I cut you in pieces with my prophets,
    I killed you with the words of my mouth^(DB)—
    then my judgments go forth like the sun.^[g]^(DC)
⁶For I desire mercy, not sacrifice,^(DD)
    and acknowledgment^(DE) of God rather than burnt offerings.^(DF)
⁷As at Adam,^[h] they have broken the covenant;^(DG)
    they were unfaithful^(DH) to me there.
⁸Gilead is a city of evildoers,^(DI)
    stained with footprints of blood.
⁹As marauders lie in ambush for a victim,^(DJ)
    so do bands of priests;
they murder^(DK) on the road to Shechem,
    carrying out their wicked schemes.^(DL)
¹⁰I have seen a horrible^(DM) thing in Israel:
    There Ephraim is given to prostitution,
    Israel is defiled.^(DN)

¹¹“Also for you, Judah,
a harvest^(DO) is appointed.

“Whenever I would restore the fortunes^(DP) of my people,

Notas al pie

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

Luke 1:39-80

New International Version

Mary Visits Elizabeth

³⁹At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea,^(A) ⁴⁰where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.^(B) ⁴²In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women,^(C) and blessed is the child you will bear! ⁴³But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord^(D) should come to me? ⁴⁴As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. ⁴⁵Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

Mary’s Song^(E)

⁴⁶And Mary said:

“My soul glorifies the Lord^(F)
⁴⁷    and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,^(G)
⁴⁸for he has been mindful
    of the humble state of his servant.^(H)
From now on all generations will call me blessed,^(I)
⁴⁹    for the Mighty One has done great things^(J) for me—
    holy is his name.^(K)
⁵⁰His mercy extends to those who fear him,
    from generation to generation.^(L)
⁵¹He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;^(M)
    he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.^(N)
⁵²He has brought down rulers from their thrones
    but has lifted up the humble.^(O)
⁵³He has filled the hungry with good things^(P)
    but has sent the rich away empty.
⁵⁴He has helped his servant Israel,
    remembering to be merciful^(Q)
⁵⁵to Abraham and his descendants^(R) forever,
    just as he promised our ancestors.”

⁵⁶Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.

The Birth of John the Baptist

⁵⁷When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. ⁵⁸Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy.

⁵⁹On the eighth day they came to circumcise^(S) the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, ⁶⁰but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.”^(T)

⁶¹They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.”

⁶²Then they made signs^(U) to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. ⁶³He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.”^(V) ⁶⁴Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak,^(W) praising God. ⁶⁵All the neighbors were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea^(X) people were talking about all these things. ⁶⁶Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, “What then is this child going to be?” For the Lord’s hand was with him.^(Y)

Zechariah’s Song

⁶⁷His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit^(Z) and prophesied:^(AA)

⁶⁸“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,^(AB)
    because he has come to his people and redeemed them.^(AC)
⁶⁹He has raised up a horn^[a]^(AD) of salvation for us
    in the house of his servant David^(AE)
⁷⁰(as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),^(AF)
⁷¹salvation from our enemies
    and from the hand of all who hate us—
⁷²to show mercy to our ancestors^(AG)
    and to remember his holy covenant,^(AH)
⁷³    the oath he swore to our father Abraham:^(AI)
⁷⁴to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,
    and to enable us to serve him^(AJ) without fear^(AK)
⁷⁵    in holiness and righteousness^(AL) before him all our days.

⁷⁶And you, my child, will be called a prophet^(AM) of the Most High;^(AN)
    for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,^(AO)
⁷⁷to give his people the knowledge of salvation
    through the forgiveness of their sins,^(AP)
⁷⁸because of the tender mercy of our God,
    by which the rising sun^(AQ) will come to us from heaven
⁷⁹to shine on those living in darkness
    and in the shadow of death,^(AR)
to guide our feet into the path of peace.”^(AS)