Hosea 4

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.

1Listen to the LORD's message, people of Israel. The LORD has a case against everyone living in the land. There is no truth here. There is no kindness. Nobody knows God.

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

2People curse and lie. They kill and steal. Husbands and wives are unfaithful. One killing follows another.

3Therefore 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.

3So the land is sad, and everyone in it grows weak. The wild animals and the birds in the sky grow weak too. Even the fish in the sea disappear.

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

4But no one should argue, and no one should blame someone else. Your people even argue with the priest, the man who serves God at the altar.

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

5You will stumble in the daytime. The prophet will stumble with you at night. A prophet is someone who tells people what God says. And I will destroy your mother.

Note"Your mother" is a picture of the nation of Israel itself, spoken of as the mother of the people.

6My 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.

6My people are ruined because they do not know me. You said no to knowing me, so I say no to you. You will not be my priests. You forgot the teaching of your God, so I will forget your children.

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

7The more of them there were, the more they sinned against me. So I will turn their honor into shame.

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

8The priests live off the people's sin offerings. Their hearts are set on the people doing wrong.

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

9It will be the same for both: the people and the priest. I will punish them for the way they live. I will pay them back for what they do.

10For 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.

10They will eat, but they will still be hungry. They will sleep around, but their families will not grow. They stopped paying attention to the LORD.

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

11Sleeping around, and wine, and new wine take away a person's good sense.

12My 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.

12My people ask a wooden idol what to do. An idol is a statue people treat as a god. They let a stick tell them what will happen. A spirit of unfaithfulness has led them the wrong way. They have left their God to chase other gods.

NoteThe KJV says "stocks" and "staff." "Stocks" means idols made of wood. The "staff" is a stick people used to try to tell the future.

13They 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.

13They kill animals as gifts on the mountaintops. They burn sweet-smelling smoke on the hills. They do it under oak and poplar and elm trees, because the shade feels good. So your daughters sell their bodies, and your sons' wives are unfaithful.

NoteThe KJV word "spouses" here means daughters-in-law, that is, the wives of their sons.

14I 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.

14I will not punish your daughters for selling their bodies. I will not punish your sons' wives for being unfaithful. The men themselves go off with prostitutes. They offer sacrifices with the women at the idol shrines. A people who do not understand will fall.

15Though 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.

15Israel, you act like a woman who sells herself. But Judah, do not join in and become guilty too. Do not go to Gilgal. Do not go up to Beth-aven. Do not make promises saying, "As surely as the LORD lives."

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

16Israel is stubborn, like a young cow that will not move. Now the LORD will let them graze like a lamb in a wide open field.

17Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone.

17Ephraim has tied himself to idols. Leave him alone.

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

18Their drink is gone. Still they keep selling themselves. Their leaders love shameful gifts.

NoteThis verse is hard to read in the original Hebrew. The last part means the leaders love things that bring them shame, such as gifts given to buy their favor.

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

19The wind has wrapped them up in its wings. They will be ashamed of the sacrifices they made.