Hosea 4:4-19

“But let no one accuse or blame others, for my contention is with you, the priests. So, you priests will stumble on the road to ruin in broad daylight, and the prophet will stumble with you in the dark. I will destroy Israel, who gave you birth. My people are destroyed because they do not know who I am. Since you have refused to let them know who I am, I will refuse you as my priests. Since you have ignored the teaching of your God, I will ignore your children.” YAHWEH “The more you priests increase in number, the more of your sins against me I have counted. You have exchanged me, your glorious God, for something shameful. The priests lead my people into sin so they can eat more of their sin offerings. They want the people to sin more and more. The people get the priests they deserve! I will punish them both for their conduct; their evil deeds will cling to them. They will eat but never be satisfied; they will have sex but will remain infertile since they are unfaithful to me, YAHWEH, and are devoted to other gods instead. Here is what robs their ability to understand: giving themselves to prostitution and to old and new wine.” “My people seek revelation from a block of wood and ask a stick what they should do. They have left me and are led astray by their spiritual adultery. They have deserted their God to offer sacrifice on the mountains. They burn incense on the hills, under oaks, and every tall sacred tree, worshiping false gods in their pleasant shade. This is why your daughters became cultic prostitutes and your daughters-in-law commit adultery. I will not punish your daughters for their prostitution nor your daughters-in-law for their adultery because it is you men who are wandering off with whores and offering sacrifice with cultic prostitutes. So the saying is true: ‘A people without understanding will come to ruin.’ ” “Although you, Israel, are unfaithful to me, there is no need for Judah to sin by following your example. Do not go for worship at Gilgal or go up to the wicked Bethel. Do not swear oaths any longer, saying, ‘As surely as YAHWEH lives,’ for Israel is as stubborn as a mule. So do they really think that I, YAHWEH, am going to pasture them like an obedient lamb in a broad meadow? Ephraim is under the spell of idols—leave him alone! Their drunken orgy over, the people delight in their prostitution, preferring shame to honor. They will be swept away on the wings of the wind, and their pagan sacrifices will bring them nothing but disgrace.”