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, O people of Israel; for the LORD has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land. There is no faithfulness or kindness, and no knowledge of God in the land;

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

2. there is swearing, lying, killing, stealing, and committing adultery; they break all bounds and murder follows murder.

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 the land mourns, and all who dwell in it languish, and also the beasts of the field, and the birds of the air; and even the fish of the sea are taken away.

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

4. Yet let no one contend, and let none accuse, for with you is my contention, O 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. You shall stumble by day, the prophet also shall stumble with you by night; and I will destroy your 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 you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.

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

7. The more they increased, the more they sinned against me; I will change their glory into shame.

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

8. They feed on the sin of my people; they are greedy for 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 it shall be like people, like priest; I will punish them for their ways, and requite them for their deeds.

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. They shall eat, but not be satisfied; they shall play the harlot, but not multiply; because they have forsaken the LORD to cherish harlotry.

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

11. Wine and new wine take away the understanding.

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 inquire of a thing of wood, and their staff gives them oracles. For a spirit of harlotry has led them astray, and they have left their God to play the harlot.

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 on the tops of the mountains, and make offerings upon the hills, under oak, poplar, and terebinth, because their shade is good. Therefore your daughters play the harlot, and your brides 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 play the harlot, nor your brides when they commit adultery; for the men themselves go aside with harlots, and sacrifice with cult prostitutes, and a people without understanding shall come to ruin.

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 you play the harlot, O Israel, let not Judah become guilty. Enter not into Gilgal, nor go up to Beth-a'ven, and swear not, "As the LORD lives."

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. Like a stubborn heifer, Israel is stubborn; can the LORD now feed them like a lamb in a broad pasture?

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

17. E'phraim 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. A band of drunkards, they give themselves to harlotry; they love shame more than their glory.

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

19. A wind has wrapped them in its wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their altars.