Hosea 4 | New International Reader’s Version English Standard Version

Hosea 4 | New International Reader’s Version

The Lord brings charges against Israel

1 People of Israel, listen to the LORD’s message. He is bringing charges against you who live in Israel. He says, ‘There is no faithfulness or love in the land. No one recognises me as God. 2 People curse one another. They tell lies and commit murder. They steal and commit adultery. They break all my laws. They keep spilling the blood of other people. 3 That is why the land is drying up. All those who live in it are getting weaker and weaker. The wild animals and the birds in the sky are dying. So are the fish in the ocean. 4 ‘But you priests should not blame the people. You should not find fault with one another. After all, your people could also bring charges against you. 5 You trip and fall day and night. And the prophets fall down along with you. So I will destroy your nation. She is the one who gave birth to you. 6 My people are destroyed because they do not know me. ‘You priests have refused to obey me. So I will refuse to accept you as my priests. You have not paid any attention to my law. So I will not let your children be my priests. 7 The more priests there were, the more they sinned against me. They have traded their glorious God for that shameful god named Baal. 8 They live off the sins of my people. And they want them to keep on sinning. 9 So here is what I will do. I will punish people and priests alike. I will judge them because of their sinful lives. I will pay them back for the evil things they have done. 10 ‘My people will eat. But they will not have enough. They will have sex with prostitutes. But they will not have any children. That’s because they have deserted me. They have sex 11 with prostitutes. They drink old wine and fresh wine. Their drinking has destroyed their ability to understand. 12 My people ask a wooden statue of a god for advice. They get answers from a stick of wood. They are as unfaithful as prostitutes. They are not faithful to their God. 13 They offer sacrifices on the mountaintops. They burn offerings on the hills. They worship under oak, poplar and terebinth trees. The trees provide plenty of shade. So your daughters become prostitutes. And your daughters-in-law commit adultery. 14 ‘I will not punish your daughters when they become prostitutes. I will not judge your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery. After all, the men themselves have sex with sinful women. They offer sacrifices where temple prostitutes earn their living. People who can’t understand will be destroyed! 15 ‘Israel, you are not faithful to me. But I do not want Judah to become guilty too. ‘My people, do not go to Gilgal to offer sacrifices. Do not go up to Bethel to worship other gods. When you make a promise, do not say, “You can be sure that the LORD is alive.” 16 The people of Israel are stubborn. They are as stubborn as a young cow. So how can I take care of them like lambs in a meadow? 17 The people of Ephraim have joined themselves to other gods. And nothing can be done to help them. 18 They continue to be unfaithful to me even when their drinks are gone. And their rulers love to do shameful things. 19 A violent storm will blow all of them away. And their sacrifices will bring shame on them.

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English Standard Version

The Lord Accuses Israel

1 Hear 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; 2 there is swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed. 3 Therefore 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. 4 Yet let no one contend, and let none accuse, for with you is my contention, O priest.* 5 You shall stumble by day; the prophet also shall stumble with you by night; and I will destroy your mother. 6 My 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. 7 The more they increased, the more they sinned against me; I will change their glory into shame. 8 They feed on the sin* of my people; they are greedy for their iniquity. 9 And it shall be like people, like priest; I will punish them for their ways and repay them for their deeds. 10 They shall eat, but not be satisfied; they shall play the whore, but not multiply, because they have forsaken the Lord to cherish 11 whoredom, wine, and new wine, which take away the understanding. 12 My 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. 13 They 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. 14 I 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. 15 Though 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.” 16 Like a stubborn heifer, Israel is stubborn; can the Lord now feed them like a lamb in a broad pasture? 17 Ephraim is joined to idols; leave him alone. 18 When their drink is gone, they give themselves to whoring; their rulers* dearly love shame. 19 A wind has wrapped them* in its wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.