10 (A)They will eat, but not have enough;
They will (B)play the prostitute, but not [a]increase,
Because they (C)gave up devoting themselves to the Lord.

11 [b]Infidelity, (D)wine, and new wine take away the [c]understanding.
12 My people (E)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 [d]from their God.
13 They offer sacrifices on the (F)tops of the mountains
And [e](G)burn incense on the hills,
(H)Under oak, poplar, and terebinth,
Because their shade is pleasant.
Therefore your daughters play the prostitute,
And your [f]brides commit adultery.
14 I will not punish your daughters when they play the prostitute,
Or your [g]brides when they commit adultery,
Because the men themselves slip away with the prostitutes
And offer sacrifices with (I)temple prostitutes;
So the people without understanding are ruined.

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Footnotes

  1. Hosea 4:10 I.e., either in population or wealth
  2. Hosea 4:11 Or Prostitution
  3. Hosea 4:11 Lit heart
  4. Hosea 4:12 Lit from under
  5. Hosea 4:13 Or offer sacrifices
  6. Hosea 4:13 Or daughters-in-law
  7. Hosea 4:14 Or daughters-in-law

10 They will eat and not be satisfied;
    they will play the whore and not multiply,
because they have forsaken Yahweh to devote themselves to
11     whoredom.[a]
Wine and new wine take away the understanding.[b]
12     My people,
consult their wooden idols,[c]
    and their divining rod gives them oracles;
because a spirit of whoredom led them astray,
    and they played the whore from under their God.[d]
13 On the tops of the mountains they sacrifice,
    and on the hills they make offerings,
under oak, poplar, and terebinth,
    because their[e] shade is good.
Therefore your daughters play the whore,
    and all your daughters-in-law[f] commit adultery.
14 I will not punish your daughters[g] when they play the whore,
    or your daughters-in-law[h] when they commit adultery;
because they go aside with whores,
    and they sacrifice with temple prostitutes,
        a people that does not understand comes to ruin.

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Footnotes

  1. Hosea 4:11 Literally “to watch over whoredom”
  2. Hosea 4:11 Literally “take away heart”
  3. Hosea 4:12 Literally “their wood”
  4. Hosea 4:12 That is, “they played the whore forsaking their God”; See Ezek 23:5
  5. Hosea 4:13 Hebrew “its”
  6. Hosea 4:13 Or “brides”
  7. Hosea 4:14 Literally “I will not visit sins upon your daughters”
  8. Hosea 4:14 Or “brides”