Hosea 4

God’s Case against Israel

1Hear the word of the Lord, # 4:1 Hs 5:1 people of Israel,

for the Lord has a case # 4:1 Hs 12:2; Mc 6:2

against the inhabitants of the land:

There is no truth, # 4:1 Is 59:4; Jr 7:28 no faithful love, # 4:1 Hs 6:6

and no knowledge of God # 4:1 Hs 5:4 in the land!

2Cursing, # 4:2 Hs 10:4 lying, # 4:2 Hs 7:3; 10:13; 11:12 murder, # 4:2 Hs 6:9 stealing, # 4:2 Hs 7:1

and adultery # 4:2 Hs 7:4 are rampant;

one act of bloodshed follows another. # 4:2 Hs 6:8; 12:14

3For this reason the land mourns, # 4:3 Is 24:4; 33:9

and everyone who lives in it languishes,

along with the wild animals # 4:3 Jr 4:25 and the birds of the sky;

even the fish of the sea disappear. # 4:3 Gn 1:20–25

4But let no one dispute; # 4:4 Ezk 3:26; Am 5:10,13 let no one argue,

for my case is against you priests. # 4:4 Text emended; MT reads argue, and your people are like those contending with a priest,# 4:4 Hb obscure,# 4:4 Dt 17:12–13

5You will stumble by day; # 4:5 Ezk 14:3; Hs 5:5

the prophet will also stumble with you by night.

And I will destroy your mother. # 4:5 Hs 2:2,5

6My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. # 4:6 Is 5:13

Because you have rejected knowledge, # 4:6 Mal 2:7–8

I will reject you # 4:6 Zch 11:8–9,15–17 from serving as my priest.

Since you have forgotten the law of your God, # 4:6 Hs 2:13; 8:14; 13:6

I will also forget your sons.

7The more they multiplied, # 4:7 Hs 10:1; 13:6

the more they sinned against me.

I # 4:7 Alt Hb tradition, Syr, Tg read They will change their # 4:7 Alt Hb tradition reads my honor into disgrace. # 4:7 Hab 2:16

8They feed on the sin # 4:8 Or sin offerings of my people; # 4:8 Hs 10:13

they have an appetite for their iniquity. # 4:8 Is 56:11; Mc 3:11

9The same judgment will happen

to both people and priests. # 4:9 Is 24:2; Jr 5:31

I will punish them for their ways # 4:9 Hs 8:13; 9:9

and repay them for their deeds.

10They will eat but not be satisfied; # 4:10 Lv 26:26; Is 65:13; Mc 6:14

they will be promiscuous # 4:10 Hs 7:4 but not multiply.

For they have abandoned their devotion to the Lord. # 4:10 Hs 9:17

11Promiscuity, # 4:11 Hs 5:4 wine, and new wine

take away one’s understanding. # 4:11 Is 5:12; 28:7

12My people consult their wooden idols, # 4:12 Is 44:19; Jr 2:27

and their divining rods inform them.

For a spirit of promiscuity leads them astray; # 4:12 Hs 5:4

they act promiscuously # 4:12 Hs 9:1

in disobedience to # 4:12 Lit promiscuously from under their God.

13They sacrifice on the mountaintops, # 4:13 Jr 3:6

and they burn offerings on the hills, # 4:13 Hs 2:13; 11:2

and under oaks, poplars, and terebinths, # 4:13 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 # 4:14 Hs 4:18; 7:4

and make sacrifices with cult prostitutes. # 4:14 Dt 23:17

People without discernment are doomed. # 4:14 Hs 5:4

Warnings for Israel and Judah

15Israel, if you act promiscuously,

don’t let Judah become guilty!

Do not go to Gilgal # 4:15 Hs 9:15; 12:1

or make a pilgrimage to Beth-aven, # 4:15 = House of Wickedness,# 4:15 1Kg 12:28–29; Hs 5:8; 10:5,8

and do not swear an oath: As the Lord lives! # 4:15 Jr 5:2; 44:26

16For Israel is as obstinate as a stubborn cow. # 4:16 Ps 78:8

Can the Lord now shepherd them

like a lamb in an open meadow? # 4:16 Is 5:17; 7:25

17Ephraim is attached to idols; # 4:17 Hs 13:2

leave him alone! # 4:17 Ps 81:12; Hs 4:4

18When their drinking is over,

they turn to promiscuity.

Israel’s leaders # 4:18 Lit Her shields; Ps 47:9; 89:18 fervently love disgrace. # 4:18 Hb obscure

19A wind with its wings will carry them off, # 4:19 Lit wind will bind it in its wings,# 4:19 Hs 12:1; 13:5

and they will be ashamed of their sacrifices.

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Hosea 4: CSB

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Hoshea 4

1Hear the Devar Hashem, ye Bnei Yisroel:

for Hashem hath a controversy with the yoshvei ha'aretz,

because there is no emes, nor chesed,

nor da'as Elohim in ha'aretz.#4:1 See 11:7-9; 1K 1:18-19

2By aloh (false swearing, perjury), and kachash (lying), and ratzo'ach (murder),

and ganov (stealing), and na'of (committing adultery) they break away,

and damim b'damim they follow (bloodshed follows bloodshed).

3Therefore shall ha'aretz mourn,

and every one that dwelleth therein shall waste away languishing,

with the wild beasts of the sadeh, and with the fowls of Shomayim;

yea, the dagim of the yam also shall disappear.

4Yet let no ish bring a point of contention,

nor reprove another;

for thy people are as they

that strive with the kohen.

5Therefore shalt thou stumble and fall in the yom,

and the navi also shall stumble and fall with thee in the lailah,

and I will destroy thy em.

6Ami are destroyed for lack of da'as (knowledge);

because thou hast rejected da'as,

I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no kohen to Me;

seeing thou hast forgotten the torat Eloheicha,

I will also forget thy banim.

7The more they increased, the more they sinned against Me;

therefore will I change their kavod into kalon (ignominy, shame).

8They#4:8 i.e., the kohanim feed on the chattat (sin) of Ami,

and they relish their avon (iniquity).

9And there shall be, like Am (People), like kohen;

and I will visit them with punishment for their ways,

and repay them for their doings.

10For they shall eat, and not have enough;

they shall commit whoredom, and shall not increase;

because they have abandoned being shomer to heed Hashem.

11Zenut (prostitution, whoredom) and yayin and tirosh

take away the lev (understanding).

12Ami (My people) consult a piece of wood,

and their staff declareth unto them;

for the ruach zenunim hath caused them to err,

and they have played the zonah, forsaking Eloheihem.

13They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains,

and burn incense upon the hills,

under oak and poplar and terebinth,

because the shade thereof is tov;

therefore your daughters shall commit whoredom,

and your daughters-in-law shall commit ni'uf (adultery).

14I will not visit punishment upon your daughters when they commit whoredom,

nor your daughters-in-law when they commit ni'uf (adultery);

because the men consort with zonot,

and they sacrifice with kedeshot (temple prostitutes);

thus the Am without binah (understanding) shall come to ruin.

15Though thou, Yisroel, play the zonah,

yet let not Yehudah become guilty;

and come not ye unto Gilgal,

neither go ye up to Beit-Aven (House of Iniquity),#4:15 pejorative name for Bethel

nor swear, Chai Hashem (As the L-rd lives).

16For Yisroel slideth back#4:16 i.e., is stubborn, rebellious, unmanageable

like a backsliding parah (stubborn, rebellious cow);

can Hashem now feed them

like a lamb in a wide field?

17Ephrayim#4:17 i.e., the Northern Kingdom, Israel is joined to atzabim (idols);

leave him alone.

18When their drink is sour,#4:18 i.e., when intoxicated

they have committed whoredom;

her mogenim (shields, rulers) deeply love kalon (ignominy, shame).

19The wind hath bound her up in her wings,

and their zevakhot (sacrifices) shall bring them bushah (shame).

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