Hosea 4

¹Hear the word of the Lord, O children of Israel , for the Lord has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land . There is no faithfulness or steadfast love , and no knowledge of God in the land ;

²there is swearing , lying , murder , stealing , and committing adultery ; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed .

³Therefore the land mourns , and all who dwell in it languish , and also the beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens , and even the fish of the sea are taken away.

⁴Yet let no one contend , and let none accuse , for with you is my contention , O priest .

⁵You shall stumble by day ; the prophet also shall stumble with you by night ; and I will destroy your mother .

⁶My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge ; because you have rejected knowledge , I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God , I also will forget your children .

⁷The more they increased , the more they sinned against me; I will change their glory into shame .

⁸They feed on the sin of my people ; they are greedy for their iniquity .

⁹And it shall be like people , like priest ; I will punish them for their ways and repay them for their deeds .

¹⁰They shall eat , but not be satisfied ; they shall play the whore , but not multiply , because they have forsaken the Lord to cherish

¹¹whoredom , wine , and new wine , which take away the understanding .

¹²My people inquire of a piece of wood , and their walking staff gives them oracles . For a spirit of whoredom has led them astray , and they have left their God to play the whore .

¹³They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains and burn offerings on the hills , under oak , poplar , and terebinth , because their shade is good . Therefore your daughters play the whore , and your brides commit adultery .

¹⁴I will not punish your daughters when they play the whore , nor your brides when they commit adultery ; for the men themselves go aside with prostitutes and sacrifice with cult prostitutes , and a people without understanding shall come to ruin .

¹⁵Though you play the whore , O Israel , let not Judah become guilty . Enter not into Gilgal , nor go up to Beth-aven , and swear not, As the Lord lives .

¹⁶Like a stubborn heifer , Israel is stubborn ; can the Lord now feed them like a lamb in a broad pasture ?

¹⁷Ephraim is joined to idols ; leave him alone .

¹⁸When their drink is gone , they give themselves to whoring ; their rulers dearly love shame .

¹⁹A wind has wrapped them in its wings , and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices .