God’s Charge Against Israel

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.
By swearing and lying,
Killing and stealing and committing adultery,
They break all restraint,
With bloodshed [b]upon bloodshed.
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.

“Now let no man contend, or rebuke another;
For your people are like those (E)who contend with the priest.
Therefore you shall stumble (F)in the day;
The prophet also shall stumble with you in the night;
And I will destroy your mother.
(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.

“The more they increased,
The more they sinned against Me;
(I)I[c] will change [d]their glory into shame.
They eat up the sin of My people;
They set their [e]heart on their iniquity.
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.

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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

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