Hosea 4
4
Destroyed For Lack of Knowledge
1Hear the word of Adonai, Bnei-Yisrael! For Adonai has a dispute with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, no covenant loyalty, and no knowledge of God in the land.
2Curse, deceive, murder, steal, commit adultery! They practice violence, and bloodshed follows bloodshed.
3Therefore the land will mourn, and everyone dwelling in it will languish along with the beasts of the field and the flying creatures of the sky— even the fish of the sea will be removed.
4Yet let no one dispute and let no one argue. Your people are like a kohen who makes quarrels.
5So you will stumble by day. Also a prophet will stumble with you by night, when I destroy your mother.
6My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Since you rejected knowledge, I will also reject you from being My kohen. Since you forgot the Torah of your God, just so I will forget your children.
7The more they multiplied, the more they sinned against Me. I will change their glory into disgrace.
8They feed on the sin of My people and relish their iniquity.
9But it will be like people, like kohen. So I will punish them for their ways, and repay them for their deeds.
10They have eaten but will not be satisfied. They have fornicated but will not increase. For they stopped giving heed to Adonai.
11Prostitution and wine—even new wine— it takes away understanding.
12My people consult their wooden idol and their divining rod informs them. For a spirit of prostitution leads them astray and they have been a prostitute— out from under their God.
13They sacrifice on the mountaintops and on the high places they burn incense under oak poplar, and terebinth— for its shade is good. Therefore your daughters are prostitutes and your daughters-in-law commit adultery.
14Will I not punish your daughters for prostitution or your daughters-in-law for adultery? For they consort with prostitutes, and they sacrifice with cult prostitutes. A people without understanding will be thrust down.
15Though you, Israel, are a prostitute, let Judah not become guilty. But do not come to Gilgal or go up to Beth-aven, and do not swear: ‘As Adonai lives!’
16For Israel is stubborn like a stubborn cow. Now Adonai will pasture them like a lamb in the open field.
17Ephraim is joined to idols; let him alone!
18Their liquor has come to an end. They surely have practiced prostitution. Her rulers have deeply loved disgrace.
19A wind will wrap her up in its wings. They will be ashamed of their sacrifices.
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Hosea 4: TLV
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Copyright © 2014 - Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society
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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