Hosea, 4

1. Israelites, hear what Yahweh says, for Yahweh indicts the citizens of the country: there is no loyalty, no faithful love, no knowledge of God in the country,

1. Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because [there is] no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.

2. only perjury and lying, murder, theft, adultery and violence, bloodshed after bloodshed.

2. By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.

3. This is why the country is in mourning and all its citizens pining away, the wild animals also and birds of the sky, even the fish in the sea will disappear.

3. Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.

4. But let no one denounce, no one rebuke; it is you, priest, that I denounce.

4. Yet let no man strive, nor reprove another: for thy people [are] as they that strive with the priest.

5. Priest, you will stumble in broad daylight, and the prophet will stumble with you in the dark, and I will make your mother perish.

5. Therefore shalt thou fall in the day, and the prophet also shall fall with thee in the night, and I will destroy thy mother.

6. My people perish for want of knowledge. Since you yourself have rejected knowledge, so I shall reject you from my priesthood; since you have forgotten the teaching of your God, I in my turn shall forget your children.

6. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

7. The more of them there have been, the more they have sinned against me; they have bartered their Glory for Shame.

7. As they were increased, so they sinned against me: [therefore] will I change their glory into shame.

8. They feed on the sin of my people, they are greedy for their iniquity.

8. They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity.

9. But as with the people, so with the priest, I shall punish them for their conduct, I shall pay them back for their deeds.

9. And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings.

10. They will eat but never be satisfied, they will play the whore but not grow more prolific, since they have deserted Yahweh to give themselves up

10. For they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall commit whoredom, and shall not increase: because they have left off to take heed to the LORD.

11. to whoring. Old wine and new wine addle my people's wits,

11. Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart.

12. they consult their block of wood, and their stick explains what they should do. For an urge to go whoring has led them astray and whoring they go and desert their God;

12. My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them: for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused [them] to err, and they have gone a whoring from under their God.

13. they offer sacrifice on the mountain tops, they burn incense on the hills, under oak and poplar and terebinth, for pleasant is their shade. So, although your daughters play the whore and your daughters-in-law commit adultery,

13. They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under oaks and poplars and elms, because the shadow thereof [is] good: therefore your daughters shall commit whoredom, and your spouses shall commit adultery.

14. I shall not punish your daughters for playing the whore nor your daughters-in-law for committing adultery, when the men themselves are wandering off with whores and offering sacrifice with sacred prostitutes, for a people with no understanding is doomed.

14. I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom, nor your spouses when they commit adultery: for themselves are separated with whores, and they sacrifice with harlots: therefore the people [that] doth not understand shall fall.

15. Though you, Israel, play the whore, there is no need for Judah to sin too. Do not go to Gilgal, do not go up to Beth-Aven, do not swear oaths 'by Yahweh's life',

15. Though thou, Israel, play the harlot, [yet] let not Judah offend; and come not ye unto Gilgal, neither go ye up to Bethaven, nor swear, The LORD liveth.

16. for Israel is as stubborn as a stubborn heifer; so is Yahweh likely to pasture him like a lamb in a broad meadow?

16. For Israel slideth back as a backsliding heifer: now the LORD will feed them as a lamb in a large place.

17. Ephraim has made a pact with idols- let him alone!

17. Ephraim [is] joined to idols: let him alone.

18. Their drunken orgy over, they do nothing but play the whore, preferring Shame to their Pride;

18. Their drink is sour: they have committed whoredom continually: her rulers [with] shame do love, Give ye.

19. the wind with its wings will carry them off and their sacrifices will bring them nothing but disgrace.

19. The wind hath bound her up in her wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.