Books

Hosea 4

Holman Christian Standard Bible, 2009 (HCSB)

Switch Version:

¹ Hear the word of the LORD, ⓐ people of Israel, for the LORD has a case ⓑ against the inhabitants of the land: There is no truth, ⓒ no faithful love, ⓓ and no knowledge of God ⓔ in the land!

² Cursing, ⓕ lying, ⓖ murder, ⓗ stealing, ⓘ and adultery ⓙ are rampant; one act of bloodshed follows another. ⓚ

³ For this reason the land mourns, ⓛ and everyone who lives in it languishes, along with the wild animals ⓜ and the birds of the sky; even the fish of the sea disappear. ⓝ

⁴ But let no one dispute; ⓞ let no one argue, for My case is against you priests. [1] [2] ⓟ

⁵ You will stumble by day; ⓠ the prophet will also 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 will reject you ⓤ from serving as My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, ⓥ I will also forget your sons.

⁷ The more they multiplied, ⓦ the more they sinned against Me. I [3] will change their honor [4] into disgrace. ⓧ

⁸ They feed on the sin [5] of My people; ⓨ they have an appetite for their transgressions. ⓩ

⁹ The same judgment will happen to both people and priests. ⓐ I will punish them for their ways ⓑ and repay them for their deeds.

¹⁰ They will eat but not be satisfied; ⓒ they will be promiscuous ⓓ but not multiply. For they have abandoned their devotion to the LORD. ⓔ

¹¹ Promiscuity, ⓕ wine, and new wine take away one’s understanding. ⓖ

¹² My people consult their wooden idols, ⓗ and their divining rods inform them. For a spirit of promiscuity leads them astray; ⓘ they act promiscuously ⓙ in disobedience to [6] their God.

¹³ They sacrifice on the mountaintops, ⓚ and they burn offerings on the hills, ⓛ and under oaks, poplars, and terebinths, ⓜ because their shade is pleasant. And so your daughters act promiscuously and your daughters-in-law commit adultery.

¹⁴ I will not punish your daughters when they act promiscuously or your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery, for the men themselves go off with prostitutes ⓝ and make sacrifices with cult prostitutes. ⓞ People without discernment are doomed. ⓟ

¹⁵ Israel, if you act promiscuously, don’t let Judah become guilty! Do not go to Gilgal ⓠ or make a pilgrimage to Beth-aven, [7] ⓡ and do not swear an oath: As the LORD lives! ⓢ

¹⁶ For Israel is as obstinate as a stubborn cow. ⓣ Can the LORD now shepherd them like a lamb in an open meadow? ⓤ

¹⁷ Ephraim is attached to idols; ⓥ leave him alone! ⓦ

¹⁸ When their drinking is over, they turn to promiscuity. Israel’s leaders [8] fervently love disgrace. [9]

¹⁹ A wind with its wings will carry them off, [10] ⓧ and they will be ashamed of their sacrifices.

#	HCSB
1	Hear the word of the LORD, ⓐ people of Israel, for the LORD has a case ⓑ against the inhabitants of the land: There is no truth, ⓒ no faithful love, ⓓ and no knowledge of God ⓔ in the land!
2	Cursing, ⓕ lying, ⓖ murder, ⓗ stealing, ⓘ and adultery ⓙ are rampant; one act of bloodshed follows another. ⓚ
3	For this reason the land mourns, ⓛ and everyone who lives in it languishes, along with the wild animals ⓜ and the birds of the sky; even the fish of the sea disappear. ⓝ
4	But let no one dispute; ⓞ let no one argue, for My case is against you priests. [1] [2] ⓟ
5	You will stumble by day; ⓠ the prophet will also 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 will reject you ⓤ from serving as My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, ⓥ I will also forget your sons.
7	The more they multiplied, ⓦ the more they sinned against Me. I [3] will change their honor [4] into disgrace. ⓧ
8	They feed on the sin [5] of My people; ⓨ they have an appetite for their transgressions. ⓩ
9	The same judgment will happen to both people and priests. ⓐ I will punish them for their ways ⓑ and repay them for their deeds.
10	They will eat but not be satisfied; ⓒ they will be promiscuous ⓓ but not multiply. For they have abandoned their devotion to the LORD. ⓔ
11	Promiscuity, ⓕ wine, and new wine take away one’s understanding. ⓖ
12	My people consult their wooden idols, ⓗ and their divining rods inform them. For a spirit of promiscuity leads them astray; ⓘ they act promiscuously ⓙ in disobedience to [6] their God.
13	They sacrifice on the mountaintops, ⓚ and they burn offerings on the hills, ⓛ and under oaks, poplars, and terebinths, ⓜ because their shade is pleasant. And so your daughters act promiscuously and your daughters-in-law commit adultery.
14	I will not punish your daughters when they act promiscuously or your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery, for the men themselves go off with prostitutes ⓝ and make sacrifices with cult prostitutes. ⓞ People without discernment are doomed. ⓟ
15	Israel, if you act promiscuously, don’t let Judah become guilty! Do not go to Gilgal ⓠ or make a pilgrimage to Beth-aven, [7] ⓡ and do not swear an oath: As the LORD lives! ⓢ
16	For Israel is as obstinate as a stubborn cow. ⓣ Can the LORD now shepherd them like a lamb in an open meadow? ⓤ
17	Ephraim is attached to idols; ⓥ leave him alone! ⓦ
18	When their drinking is over, they turn to promiscuity. Israel’s leaders [8] fervently love disgrace. [9]
19	A wind with its wings will carry them off, [10] ⓧ and they will be ashamed of their sacrifices.

Footnotes & Cross-References

Cross-References

^{Hosea 4:2 [15]} That is, to pronounce a curse on

^{Hosea 4:7 [16]} Syriac (see also an ancient Hebrew scribal tradition); Masoretic Text me; / I will exchange their glory

^{Hosea 4:15 [17]} Beth Aven means house of wickedness (a derogatory name for Bethel, which means house of God).

Previous Chapter

Next Chapter

Holy Bible

Hosea 4

Cross-References

Select Commentary