Hosea 4
4
The Lord’s Word Against Israel
1People of Israel, listen to the Lord’s message.
The Lord has this
against you who live in the land:
“The people are not true, not loyal to God,
nor do those who live in the land even know him.
2Cursing, lying, killing, stealing and adultery are everywhere.
One murder follows another.
3Because of this the land dries up,
and all its people are dying.
Even the wild animals and the birds of the air
and the fish of the sea are dying.
God’s Case Against the Priests
4“No one should accuse
or blame another person.
Don’t blame the people, you priests,
when they quarrel with you.
5You will be ruined in the day,
and your prophets will be ruined with you in the night.
I will also destroy your mother.
6My people will be destroyed,
because they have no knowledge.
You have refused to learn,
so I will refuse to let you be priests to me.
You have forgotten the teachings of your God,
so I will forget your children.
7The more priests there are,
the more they sin against me.
I will take away their honor
and give them shame.
8Since the priests live off the sin offerings of the people,
they want the people to sin more and more.
9The priests are as wrong as the people,
and I will punish them both for what they have done.
I will repay them for the wrong they have done.
10“They will eat
but not have enough;
they will have sexual relations with the prostitutes,
but they will not have children,
because they have left the Lord
to give themselves to 11prostitution,
to old and new wine,
which take away their ability to understand.
God’s Case Against the People
12“My people ask wooden idols for advice;
they ask those sticks of wood to advise them!
Like prostitutes, they have chased after other gods
and have left their own God.
13They make sacrifices on the tops of the mountains.
They burn offerings on the hills,
under oaks, poplars, and other trees,
because their shade is nice.
So your daughters become prostitutes,
and your daughters-in-law are guilty of adultery.
14“But I will not punish your daughters
for becoming prostitutes,
nor your daughters-in-law
for their sins of adultery.
I will not punish them,
because the men have sexual relations with prostitutes
and offer sacrifices with the temple prostitutes.
A foolish people will be ruined.
15“Israel, you act like a prostitute,
but do not be guilty toward the Lord.
Don’t go to Gilgal
or go up to Beth Aven.
Don’t make promises,
saying, ‘As surely as the Lord lives …’
16The people of Israel are stubborn
like a stubborn young cow.
Now the Lord will feed them
like lambs in the open country.
17The Israelites have chosen to worship idols,
so leave them alone.
18When they finish their drinking,
they completely give themselves to being prostitutes;
they love these disgraceful ways.
19They will be swept away as if by a whirlwind,
and their sacrifices will bring them only shame.
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Hosea 4: NCV
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The Holy Bible, New Century Version, Copyright © 2005 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Hosea 4
4
God’s Case against Israel
1Hear the word of the Lord, # Hs 5:1 people of Israel,
for the Lord has a case # Hs 12:2; Mc 6:2
against the inhabitants of the land:
There is no truth, # Is 59:4; Jr 7:28 no faithful love, # Hs 6:6
and no knowledge of God # Hs 5:4 in the land!
2Cursing, # Hs 10:4 lying, # Hs 7:3; 10:13; 11:12 murder, # Hs 6:9 stealing, # Hs 7:1
and adultery # Hs 7:4 are rampant;
one act of bloodshed follows another. # Hs 6:8; 12:14
3For this reason the land mourns, # Is 24:4; 33:9
and everyone who lives in it languishes,
along with the wild animals # Jr 4:25 and the birds of the sky;
even the fish of the sea disappear. # Gn 1:20-25
4But let no one dispute; # Ezk 3:26; Am 5:10,13 let no one argue,
for My case is against you priests. # Text emended; MT reads argue, and your people are like those contending with a priest # Hb obscure # Dt 17:12-13
5You will stumble by day; # Ezk 14:3; Hs 5:5
the prophet will also stumble with you by night.
And I will destroy your mother. # Hs 2:2,5
6My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. # Is 5:13
Because you have rejected knowledge, # Mal 2:7-8
I will reject you # Zch 11:8-9,15-17 from serving as My priest.
Since you have forgotten the law of your God, # Hs 2:13; 8:14; 13:6
I will also forget your sons.
7The more they multiplied, # Hs 10:1; 13:6
the more they sinned against Me.
I # Alt Hb tradition, Syr, Tg read They will change their honor # Ancient Jewish tradition reads My honor into disgrace. # Hab 2:16
8They feed on the sin # Or sin offerings of My people; # Hs 10:13
they have an appetite for their transgressions. # Is 56:11; Mc 3:11
9The same judgment will happen
to both people and priests. # Is 24:2; Jr 5:31
I will punish them for their ways # Hs 8:13; 9:9
and repay them for their deeds.
10They will eat but not be satisfied; # Lv 26:26; Is 65:13; Mc 6:14
they will be promiscuous # Hs 7:4 but not multiply.
For they have abandoned their devotion to the Lord. # Hs 9:17
11Promiscuity, # Hs 5:4 wine, and new wine
take away one’s understanding. # Is 5:12; 28:7
12My people consult their wooden idols, # Is 44:19; Jr 2:27
and their divining rods inform them.
For a spirit of promiscuity leads them astray; # Hs 5:4
they act promiscuously # Hs 9:1
in disobedience to # Lit promiscuously from under their God.
13They sacrifice on the mountaintops, # Jr 3:6
and they burn offerings on the hills, # Hs 2:13; 11:2
and under oaks, poplars, and terebinths, # Jr 2:20
because their shade is pleasant.
And so your daughters act promiscuously
and your daughters-in-law commit adultery.
14I will not punish your daughters
when they act promiscuously
or your daughters-in-law
when they commit adultery,
for the men themselves go off with prostitutes # Hs 4:18; 7:4
and make sacrifices with cult prostitutes. # Dt 23:17
People without discernment are doomed. # Hs 5:4
Warnings for Israel and Judah
15Israel, if you act promiscuously,
don’t let Judah become guilty!
Do not go to Gilgal # Hs 9:15; 12:1
or make a pilgrimage to Beth-aven, # = House of Wickedness # 1Kg 12:28-29; Hs 5:8; 10:5,8
and do not swear an oath: As the Lord lives! # Jr 5:2; 44:26
16For Israel is as obstinate as a stubborn cow. # Ps 78:8
Can the Lord now shepherd them
like a lamb in an open meadow? # Is 5:17; 7:25
17Ephraim is attached to idols; # Hs 13:2
leave him alone! # Ps 81:12; Hs 4:4
18When their drinking is over,
they turn to promiscuity.
Israel’s leaders # Lit Her shields ; Ps 47:9; 89:18 fervently love disgrace. # Hb obscure
19A wind with its wings will carry them off, # Lit wind will bind it in its wings # Hs 12:1; 13:5
and they will be ashamed of their sacrifices.
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