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Hosea 4

Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

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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 [4] honor into disgrace. ⓒ

⁸ They feed on the sin [5] of my people; ⓓ they have an appetite for their iniquity. ⓔ

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.

#	CSB
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 [4] honor into disgrace. ⓒ
8	They feed on the sin [5] of my people; ⓓ they have an appetite for their iniquity. ⓔ
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.

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