Hosea 4:12-19

English Standard Version

¹²My people ^(A)inquire of a piece of wood,
    and their walking staff gives them oracles.
For ^(B)a spirit of whoredom has led them astray,
    and they have left their God to play the whore.
¹³^(C)They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains
    and burn offerings on the hills,
^(D)under oak, poplar, and terebinth,
    because their shade is good.
Therefore your daughters play the whore,
    and your brides commit adultery.
¹⁴I will not punish your daughters when they play the whore,
    nor your brides when they commit adultery;
for ^(E)the men themselves go aside with prostitutes
    and sacrifice with ^(F)cult prostitutes,
and a people ^(G)without understanding shall come to ruin.

¹⁵Though you play the whore, O ^(H)Israel,
    let not ^(I)Judah become guilty.
^(J)Enter not into ^(K)Gilgal,
    nor go up to ^(L)Beth-aven,
    and swear not, “As the Lord lives.”
¹⁶Like a stubborn heifer,
    Israel is stubborn;
can the Lord now feed them
    like a lamb in a broad pasture?

¹⁷^(M)Ephraim is joined to idols;
    ^(N)leave him alone.
¹⁸When their drink is gone, they give themselves to whoring;
    ^(O)their rulers^[a] dearly love shame.
¹⁹^(P)A wind has wrapped them^[b] in its wings,
    and they shall ^(Q)be ashamed because of their sacrifices.