Hos 4 | NASB2020 | STEP | Listen to the word of the Lord , you sons of Israel , Because the Lord has a case against the inhabitants of the land , For there is no faithfulness , nor loyalty , Nor knowledge of God in the land .

Hosea 4

God’s Controversy with Israel

1 ^aListen to the word of the Lord, you sons of Israel,
Because the Lord has a ^bcase against the inhabitants of the land,
For there is ^cno ^{▼▼Or truth}faithfulness, nor ^{▼▼Or kindness}loyalty,
Nor ^fknowledge of God in the land.
2 There is ^goath-taking, ^{▼▼I.e., of truth
,} ⁱdenial, ^jmurder, ^kstealing, and ^ladultery.
They employ violence, so that ^mbloodshed ^{▼▼Lit touches}follows bloodshed.
3 Therefore the land ^omourns,
And everyone who lives in it languishes
Along with the animals of the field and the birds of the sky,
And even the fish of the sea ^{▼▼Lit are taken away}disappear.

4 Yet let no one ^{▼▼Lit contend
,} ^rfind fault, and let no one rebuke;
For your people are like those who ^scontend with a priest.
5 So you will ^tstumble by day,
And the prophet also will stumble with you by night;
And I will destroy your ^umother.
6 ^vMy people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.
Since you have ^wrejected knowledge,
I also will ^xreject you from being My priest.
Since you have ^yforgotten the ^zLaw of your God,
I also will forget your children.

7 The more they ^aamultiplied, the more they sinned against Me;
I will ^abchange their glory into shame.
8 They ^acfeed on the ^{▼▼Or sin offering}sin of My people,
And ^aelong for their wrongdoing.
9 And it will be, like people, ^aflike priest;
So I will ^agpunish them for their ways
And repay them for their deeds.
10 ^ahThey will eat, but not have enough;
They will ^aiplay the prostitute, but not ^{▼▼I.e., either in population or wealth}increase,
Because they ^akgave up devoting themselves to the Lord.

11 ^{▼▼Or Prostitution}Infidelity, ^amwine, and new wine take away the ^{▼▼Lit heart}understanding.
12 My people ^aoconsult their wooden idol, and their diviner’s wand informs them;
For a spirit of infidelity has led them astray,
And they have been unfaithful, departing ^{▼▼Lit from under}from their God.
13 They offer sacrifices on the ^aqtops of the mountains
And ^{▼▼Or offer sacrifices
,} ^asburn incense on the hills,
^atUnder oak, poplar, and terebinth,
Because their shade is pleasant.
Therefore your daughters play the prostitute,
And your ^{▼▼Or daughters-in-law}brides commit adultery.
14 I will not punish your daughters when they play the prostitute,
Or your ^{▼▼Or daughters-in-law}brides when they commit adultery,
Because the men themselves slip away with the prostitutes
And offer sacrifices with ^awtemple prostitutes;
So the people without understanding are ruined.

15 Though you, Israel, play the prostitute,
Judah must not become guilty;
Also you are not to go to ^axGilgal,
Nor go up to Beth-aven
^ayAnd take the oath:
“As the Lord lives!”
16 Since Israel is ^azstubborn
Like a stubborn cow,
^{▼▼Or The Lord will now pasture...field.}Will the Lord now ^bbpasture them
Like a lamb in a large field?
17 Ephraim is allied with ^bcidols;
^bdLeave him alone.
18 Their liquor is gone,
They prostitute themselves continually;
^{▼▼Another reading is They dearly love the shame of gifts
,} ^bfTheir ^{▼▼Lit shields}rulers dearly love shame.
19 ^bhThe wind wraps them in its wings,
And they will be ^{▼▼Or ashamed}put to shame because of their sacrifices.