Hosea 4

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Hear the word of the LORD, O people of Israel, for the LORD has a grievance against the inhabitants of the land: There is no fidelity, no mercy, no knowledge of God in the land.	1 Listen to the word of the Lord, sons of Israel, for the Lord is judge of the inhabitants of the land. Yet there is no truth, and there is no mercy, and there is no knowledge of God, in the land.
2 False swearing, lying, murder, stealing and adultery! in their lawlessness, bloodshed follows bloodshed.	2 Slander, and lying, and killing, and theft, and adultery have overflowed, and bloodshed has brought more bloodshed.
3 Therefore the land mourns, and everything that dwells in it languishes: The beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and even the fish of the sea perish.	3 Because of this, the land will mourn, and all who dwell in it will languish, with the beasts of the field and the birds of the air. And the fishes of the sea also will be gathered together.
4 But let no one protest, let no one complain; with you is my grievance, O priests!	4 So, truly, let each and every one not judge, and let no man be accused, for your people are just like those who speak against the priesthood.
5 You shall stumble in the day, and the prophets shall stumble with you at night; I will destroy your mother.	5 And you will be ruined on this day, and now the prophet will be ruined with you. In the night, I have made your mother to be silent.
6 My people perish for want of knowledge! Since you have rejected knowledge, I will reject you from my priesthood; Since you have ignored the law of your God, I will also ignore your sons.	6 My people have become silent because they had no knowledge. Since you have rejected knowledge, I will drive you away; you do not perform the duties of the priesthood for me, and you have forgotten the law of your God, and so I will forget your sons.
7 One and all they sin against me, exchanging their glory for shame.	7 According to the multitude of them, so have they sinned against me. I will change their glory into disgrace.
8 They feed on the sin of my people, and are greedy for their guilt.	8 They will devour the sins of my people, and they will lift up their souls towards their iniquity.
9 The priests shall fare no better than the people: I will punish them for their ways, and repay them for their deeds.	9 And, just as it is with the people, so will it be with the priest; and I will visit their ways upon them, and I will repay them for their intentions.
10 They shall eat but not be satisfied, they shall play the harlot but not increase, Because they have abandoned the LORD	10 And they will eat and not be satisfied. They have been committing fornication, and they did not cease. Since they have abandoned the Lord, they will not be safeguarded.
11 to practice harlotry. Old wine and new deprive my people of understanding.	11 Fornication, and wine, and drunkenness, have taken away their heart.
12 They consult their piece of wood, and their wand makes pronouncements for them, For the spirit of harlotry has led them astray; they commit harlotry, forsaking their God.	12 My people have inquired of their stave, and their staff has announced to them. For the spirit of fornication has deceived them, and they have been fornicating before their God.
13 On the mountaintops they offer sacrifice and on the hills they burn incense, Beneath oak and poplar and terebinth, because of their pleasant shade. That is why your daughters play the harlot, and your daughters-in-law are adulteresses.	13 They have offered sacrifice on the tops of the mountains and burnt incense on the hills, under the oak, and the poplar, and the terebinth tree, because its shadow was good; therefore, your daughters will commit fornication and your spouses will be adulteresses.
14 Am I then to punish your daughters for their harlotry, your daughters-in-law for their adultery? You yourselves consort with harlots, and with prostitutes you offer sacrifice! So must a people without understanding come to ruin.	14 I will not send afflictions on your daughters, when they will commit fornication, nor on your spouses, when they will commit adultery, because you yourselves have associated with harlots and have offered sacrifice with the effeminate, and because the people who do not understand will be defeated.
15 Though you play the harlot, O Israel, let not Judah become guilty! Come not to Gilgal, nor up to Beth-aven, to swear, "As the Lord lives!"	15 If you commit fornication, Israel, at least let Judah not commit offenses; and do not be willing to enter into Gilgal, nor to ascend to Bethaven, and neither should you swear, “As the Lord lives.”
16 For Israel is as stubborn as a heifer; will the LORD now give them broad pastures as though they were lambs?	16 For Israel has gone astray like a wanton heifer; so now the Lord will pasture them like a young lamb in a wide expanse.
17 Ephraim is an associate of idols, let him alone!	17 Ephraim participates in idolatry, so send him away.
18 When their carousing is over, they give themselves to harlotry; in their arrogance they love shame.	18 Their feasting has been set aside; they have committed fornication after fornication. They love to bring disgrace to their protectors.
19 The wind has bound them up in its pinions; they shall have only shame from their altars.	19 The wind has fastened them to its wings, and they will be confounded because of their sacrifices.