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God Accuses Israel

“Hear this message from the Lord, people of Israel.
    Indeed, the Lord brings a charge
    against the people who live in the land—
for there is no truth and no gracious love
    or knowledge of God in the land.
Swearing, lying, murder, theft, and adultery are rampant,
    and blood mingles with blood.
Therefore the land will mourn,
    and all who live there will languish,
along with the wild animals of the field and the birds of the air.
    Even the fish in the sea will disappear.

“Let no one fight or bring charges against another,
    for my dispute is with you, priest.
So you will stumble during the day,
    the prophet also will stumble with you at night,
        and I will destroy your mother.[a]
My people are destroyed because they lack knowledge of me.[b]
    Because you rejected that knowledge,
        I will reject you as a priest for me.
Since you forget the Law of your God,
    I will also forget your children.

“The more they increased in number,[c]
    the more they sinned against me,
        so I will change their glory into shame.
They feed on the sin of my people;
    they purpose in their heart to transgress.
So it will be: like people, like priest.
    I will punish them for their lifestyles,
        rewarding them according to their behavior.
10 They will eat,
    but will not be satisfied.
They will engage in prostitution,
    but they won’t increase,
        because they have stopped listening to the Lord.

11 “Sexual immorality, wine, and fresh wine seduce the heart of my people.[d]
12 My people seek counsel from their piece of wood,
    and their diviner’s rod[e] speaks to them.
For a spirit of prostitution causes them to go astray;
    in their immorality they desert their God.
13 They offer sacrifices on the mountain tops,
    burning offerings on the hills,
under oaks, poplars, and terebinth[f] trees,
    since their shade is very good.
Therefore your daughters are prostitutes
    and your daughters-in-law commit adultery.
14 However, I’m not going to punish your daughters
    when they commit prostitution,
nor your daughters-in-law
    when they commit adultery,
because their men are themselves immoral—
    they offer sacrifices with prostitutes.
These people who aren’t discerning will stumble.

15 “Even though you prostitute yourself, Israel—
    let not Judah incur guilt—
don’t go to Gilgal,
    or visit Beth-aven,
        or swear an oath using the Lord’s name.[g]
16 For Israel is as obstinate as a stubborn mule![h]
    Nevertheless, will not the Lord feed them like a lamb in a broad pasture?
17 Ephraim has become entwined with idols;
    leave him alone!
18 While drinking to excess, they prostitute themselves.
    They’re in love with dishonor.
19 A wind storm will carry them away in its embrace,
    and their sacrifices will bring them shame.”

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 4:5 I.e. Israel
  2. Hosea 4:6 The Heb. lacks of me
  3. Hosea 4:7 The Heb. lacks in number
  4. Hosea 4:11 So LXX. The Heb. lacks of my people
  5. Hosea 4:12 Lit. their carved wood
  6. Hosea 4:13 Or great
  7. Hosea 4:15 Lit. oath, ‘…as the Lord lives’
  8. Hosea 4:16 Or cow

The Charge Against Israel

Hear the word of the Lord, you Israelites,
    because the Lord has a charge(A) to bring
    against you who live in the land:(B)
“There is no faithfulness,(C) no love,
    no acknowledgment(D) of God in the land.(E)
There is only cursing,[a] lying(F) and murder,(G)
    stealing(H) and adultery;(I)
they break all bounds,
    and bloodshed follows bloodshed.(J)
Because of this the land dries up,(K)
    and all who live in it waste away;(L)
the beasts of the field, the birds in the sky
    and the fish in the sea are swept away.(M)

“But let no one bring a charge,
    let no one accuse another,
for your people are like those
    who bring charges against a priest.(N)
You stumble(O) day and night,
    and the prophets stumble with you.
So I will destroy your mother(P)
    my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.(Q)

“Because you have rejected knowledge,
    I also reject you as my priests;
because you have ignored the law(R) of your God,
    I also will ignore your children.
The more priests there were,
    the more they sinned against me;
    they exchanged their glorious God[b](S) for something disgraceful.(T)
They feed on the sins of my people
    and relish their wickedness.(U)
And it will be: Like people, like priests.(V)
    I will punish both of them for their ways
    and repay them for their deeds.(W)

10 “They will eat but not have enough;(X)
    they will engage in prostitution(Y) but not flourish,
because they have deserted(Z) the Lord
    to give themselves 11 to prostitution;(AA)
old wine(AB) and new wine
    take away their understanding.(AC)
12 My people consult a wooden idol,(AD)
    and a diviner’s rod speaks to them.(AE)
A spirit of prostitution(AF) leads them astray;(AG)
    they are unfaithful(AH) to their God.
13 They sacrifice on the mountaintops
    and burn offerings on the hills,
under oak,(AI) poplar and terebinth,
    where the shade is pleasant.(AJ)
Therefore your daughters turn to prostitution(AK)
    and your daughters-in-law to adultery.(AL)

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(AM)
    and sacrifice with shrine prostitutes(AN)
    a people without understanding(AO) will come to ruin!(AP)

15 “Though you, Israel, commit adultery,
    do not let Judah become guilty.

“Do not go to Gilgal;(AQ)
    do not go up to Beth Aven.[c](AR)
    And do not swear, ‘As surely as the Lord lives!’(AS)
16 The Israelites are stubborn,(AT)
    like a stubborn heifer.(AU)
How then can the Lord pasture them
    like lambs(AV) in a meadow?
17 Ephraim is joined to idols;
    leave him alone!
18 Even when their drinks are gone,
    they continue their prostitution;
    their rulers dearly love shameful ways.
19 A whirlwind(AW) will sweep them away,
    and their sacrifices will bring them shame.(AX)

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 4:2 That is, to pronounce a curse on
  2. Hosea 4:7 Syriac (see also an ancient Hebrew scribal tradition); Masoretic Text me; / I will exchange their glory
  3. Hosea 4:15 Beth Aven means house of wickedness (a derogatory name for Bethel, which means house of God).