Hosea 4

NEW JERUSALEM	KING JAMES BIBLE
1 Israelites, hear what Yahweh says, for Yahweh indicts the citizens of the country: there is no loyalty, nofaithful love, no knowledge of God in the country,	1 Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.
2 only perjury and lying, murder, theft, adultery and violence, bloodshed after bloodshed.	2 By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.
3 This is why the country is in mourning and al its citizens pining away, the wild animals also and birds ofthe sky, even the fish in the sea wil disappear.	3 Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.
4 But let no one denounce, no one rebuke; it is you, priest, that I denounce.	4 Yet let no man strive, nor reprove another: for thy people are as they that strive with the priest.
5 Priest, you wil stumble in broad daylight, and the prophet will stumble with you in the dark, and I wilmake your mother perish.	5 Therefore shalt thou fall in the day, and the prophet also shall fall with thee in the night, and I will destroy thy mother.
6 My people perish for want of knowledge. Since you yourself have rejected knowledge, so I shall rejectyou from my priesthood; since you have forgotten the teaching of your God, I in my turn shal forget yourchildren.	6 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 will also forget thy children.
7 The more of them there have been, the more they have sinned against me; they have bartered theirGlory for Shame.	7 As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame.
8 They feed on the sin of my people, they are greedy for their iniquity.	8 They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity.
9 But as with the people, so with the priest, I shal punish them for their conduct, I shal pay them back fortheir deeds.	9 And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings.
10 They will eat but never be satisfied, they wil play the whore but not grow more prolific, since they havedeserted Yahweh to give themselves up	10 For they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall commit whoredom, and shall not increase: because they have left off to take heed to the LORD.
11 to whoring. Old wine and new wine addle my people's wits,	11 Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart.
12 they consult their block of wood, and their stick explains what they should do. For an urge to gowhoring has led them astray and whoring they go and desert their God;	12 My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them: for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err, and they have gone a whoring from under their God.
13 they offer sacrifice on the mountain tops, they burn incense on the hil s, under oak and poplar andterebinth, for pleasant is their shade. So, although your daughters play the whore and your daughters-in-lawcommit adultery,	13 They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under oaks and poplars and elms, because the shadow thereof is good: therefore your daughters shall commit whoredom, and your spouses shall commit adultery.
14 I shal not punish your daughters for playing the whore nor your daughters-in-law for committingadultery, when the men themselves are wandering off with whores and offering sacrifice with sacred prostitutes,for a people with no understanding is doomed.	14 I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom, nor your spouses when they commit adultery: for themselves are separated with whores, and they sacrifice with harlots: therefore the people that doth not understand shall fall.
15 Though you, Israel, play the whore, there is no need for Judah to sin too. Do not go to Gilgal, do notgo up to Beth-Aven, do not swear oaths 'by Yahweh's life',	15 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, The LORD liveth.
16 for Israel is as stubborn as a stubborn heifer; so is Yahweh likely to pasture him like a lamb in a broadmeadow?	16 For Israel slideth back as a backsliding heifer: now the LORD will feed them as a lamb in a large place.
17 Ephraim has made a pact with idols- let him alone!	17 Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone.
18 Their drunken orgy over, they do nothing but play the whore, preferring Shame to their Pride;	18 Their drink is sour: they have committed whoredom continually: her rulers with shame do love, Give ye.
19 the wind with its wings wil carry them off and their sacrifices wil bring them nothing but disgrace.	19 The wind hath bound her up in her wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.