Hosea 4
New International Version - Hosea 4 << | >> 1234567891011121314 4:1 Hear the word of the Lord , you Israelites, because the Lord has a charge to bring against you who live in the land: 'There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgment of God in the land. 4:2 There is only cursing, lying and murder, stealing and adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed. 4:3 Because of this the land mourns, and all who live in it waste away; the beasts of the field and the birds of the air and the fish of the sea are dying. 4:4 'But let no man bring a charge, let no man accuse another, for your people are like those who bring charges against a priest. 4:5 You stumble day and night, and the prophets stumble with you. So I will destroy your mother- 4:6 my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. 'Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children. 4:7 The more the priests increased, the more they sinned against me; they exchanged their Glory for something disgraceful. 4:8 They feed on the sins of my people and relish their wickedness. 4:9 And it will be: Like people, like priests. I will punish both of them for their ways and repay them for their deeds. 4:10 'They will eat but not have enough; they will engage in prostitution but not increase, because they have deserted the Lord to give themselves 4:11 to prostitution, to old wine and new, which take away the understanding 4:12 of my people. They consult a wooden idol and are answered by a stick of wood. A spirit of prostitution leads them astray; they are unfaithful to their God. 4:13 They sacrifice on the mountaintops and burn offerings on the hills, under oak, poplar and terebinth, where the shade is pleasant. Therefore your daughters turn to prostitution and your daughters-in-law to adultery. 4:14 '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 and sacrifice with shrine prostitutes- a people without understanding will come to ruin! 4:15 'Though you commit adultery, O Israel, let not Judah become guilty. 'Do not go to Gilgal; do not go up to Beth Aven. And do not swear, 'As surely as the Lord lives!' 4:16 The Israelites are stubborn, like a stubborn heifer. How then can the Lord pasture them like lambs in a meadow? 4:17 Ephraim is joined to idols; leave him alone! 4:18 Even when their drinks are gone, they continue their prostitution; their rulers dearly love shameful ways. 4:19 A whirlwind will sweep them away, and their sacrifices will bring them shame.