Hosea 4
American Standard-ASV1901 (ASV)
1 Ref Hear the word of Jehovah, ye children of Israel; for Jehovah hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor goodness, nor knowledge of God in the land.
2 Ref There is nought but swearing and breaking faith, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery; they break out, and blood toucheth blood.
3 Ref Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.
4 Ref Yet let no man strive, neither let any man reprove; for thy people are as they that strive with the priest.
5 Ref And thou shalt stumble in the day, and the prophet also shall stumble with thee in the night; and I will destroy thy mother.
6 Ref My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I also will forget thy children.
7 Ref As they were multiplied, so they sinned against me: I will change their glory into shame.
8 Ref They feed on the sin of my people, and set their heart on their iniquity.
9 Ref And it shall be, like people, like priest; and I will punish them for their ways, and will requite them their doings.
10 Ref And they shall eat, and not have enough; they shall play the harlot, and shall not increase; because they have left off taking heed to Jehovah.
11 Ref Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the understanding.
12 Ref My people ask counsel at their stock, and their staff declareth unto them; for the spirit of whoredom hath caused them to err, and they have played the harlot, `departing' from under their God.
13 Ref They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under oaks and poplars and terebinths, because the shadow thereof is good: therefore your daughters play the harlot, and your brides commit adultery.
14 Ref I will not punish your daughters when they play the harlot, nor your brides when they commit adultery; for `the men' themselves go apart with harlots, and they sacrifice with the prostitutes; and the people that doth not understand shall be overthrown.
15 Ref Though thou, Israel, play the harlot, yet let not Judah offend; and come not ye unto Gilgal, neither go ye up to Beth-aven, nor swear, As Jehovah liveth.
16 Ref For Israel hath behaved himself stubbornly, like a stubborn heifer: now will Jehovah feed them as a lamb in a large place.
17 Ref Ephraim is joined to idols; let him alone.
18 Ref Their drink is become sour; they play the harlot continually; her rulers dearly love shame.
19 Ref The wind hath wrapped her up in its wings; and they shall be put to shame because of their sacrifices.
Young's Literal Translation (YLT)
1 Ref `Hear a word of Jehovah, sons of Israel, For a strife `is' to Jehovah with inhabitants of the land, For there is no truth, nor kindness, Nor knowledge of God, in the land,
2 Ref Swearing, and lying, and murdering, And stealing, and committing adultery -- have increased, And blood against blood hath touched.
3 Ref Therefore mourn doth the land, And weak is every dweller in it, With the beast of the field, And with the fowl of the heavens, And the fishes of the sea -- they are removed.
4 Ref Only, let no one strive, nor reprove a man, And thy people `are' as those striving with a priest.
5 Ref And thou hast stumbled in the day, And stumbled hath also a prophet with thee in the night, And I have cut off thy mother.
6 Ref Cut off have been My people for lack of knowledge, Because thou knowledge hast rejected, I reject thee from being priest to Me, And thou forgettest the law of thy God, I forget thy sons, I also!
7 Ref According to their abundance so they sinned against Me, Their honour into shame I change.
8 Ref The sin of My people they do eat, And unto their iniquity lift up their soul.
9 Ref And it hath been, like people, like priest, And I have charged on it its ways, And its habitual doings I return to it.
10 Ref And they have eaten, and are not satisfied, They have gone a-whoring, and increase not, For they have left off taking heed to Jehovah.
11 Ref Whoredom, and wine, and new wine, take the heart,
12 Ref My people at its staff asketh and its rod declareth to it, For a spirit of whoredoms hath caused to err, And they go a-whoring from under their God.
13 Ref On tops of the mountains they do sacrifice, And on the hills they make perfume, Under oak, and poplar, and terebinth, For good `is' its shade.
14 Ref Therefore commit whoredom do your daughters, And your spouses commit adultery, I do not see after your daughters when they commit whoredom, And after your spouses when they commit adultery, For they with the harlots are separated, And with the whores they do sacrifice, A people that doth not understand kicketh.
15 Ref Though a harlot thou `art', O Israel, Let not Judah become guilty, And come not ye in to Gilgal, nor go up to Beth-Aven, Nor swear ye, Jehovah liveth.
16 Ref For as a refractory heifer hath Israel turned aside, Now doth Jehovah feed them as a lamb in a large place.
17 Ref Joined to idols `is' Ephraim, let him alone.
18 Ref Sour `is' their drink, They have gone diligently a-whoring, Her protectors have loved shame thoroughly.
19 Ref Distressed her hath wind with its wings, And they are ashamed of their sacrifices!
World English Bible (WEB)
1 Ref Hear the word of Yahweh, you children of Israel; For Yahweh has a charge against the inhabitants of the land: "Indeed there is no truth, Nor goodness, Nor knowledge of God in the land.
2 Ref There is cursing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery; They break boundaries, and bloodshed causes bloodshed.
3 Ref Therefore the land will mourn, And everyone who dwells therein will waste away. All living things in her, Even the animals of the field and the birds of the sky; Yes, the fish of the sea also die.
4 Ref "Yet let no man bring a charge, neither let any man accuse; For your people are like those who bring charges against a priest.
5 Ref You will stumble in the day, And the prophet will also stumble with you in the night; And I will destroy your mother.
6 Ref My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you, That you may be no priest to me. Because you have your God's law, I will also forget your children.
7 Ref As they were multiplied, so they sinned against me. I will change their glory into shame.
8 Ref They feed on the sin of my people, And set their heart on their iniquity.
9 Ref It will be, like people, like priest; And I will punish them for their ways, And will repay them for their deeds.
10 Ref They will eat, and not have enough. They will play the prostitute, and will not increase; Because they have abandoned giving to Yahweh.
11 Ref Prostitution, wine, and new wine take away understanding.
12 Ref My people consult with their wooded idol, And answer to a stick of wood. Indeed the spirit of prostitution has led them astray, And they have been unfaithful to their God.
13 Ref They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains, And burn incense on the hills, under oaks and poplars and terebinths, Because its shade is good. Therefore your daughters play the prostitute, And your brides commit adultery.
14 Ref I will not punish your daughters when they play the prostitute, Nor your brides when they commit adultery; Because the men consort with prostitutes, And they sacrifice with the shrine prostitutes; And the people that does not understand will come to ruin.
15 Ref "Though you, Israel, play the prostitute, Yet don't let Judah offend; And don't come to Gilgal, Neither go up to Beth Aven, Nor swear, 'As Yahweh lives.'
16 Ref For Israel has behaved extremely stubbornly, like a stubborn heifer. Then how will Yahweh feed them like a lamb in a meadow.
17 Ref Ephraim is joined to idols. Leave him alone!
18 Ref Their drink has become sour. They play the prostitute continually. Her rulers dearly love their shameful way.
19 Ref The wind has wrapped her up in its wings; And they shall be disappointed because of their sacrifices.