American Standard Version

Hosea 4

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¹Hear the word of Jehovah, ye children of Israel; for Jehovah hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor goodness, nor knowledge of God in the land. ²There is nought but swearing and breaking faith, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery; they break out, and blood toucheth blood. ³Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away. ⁴Yet let no man strive, neither let any man reprove; for thy people are as they that strive with the priest. ⁵And thou shalt stumble in the day, and the prophet also shall stumble with thee in the night; and I will destroy thy mother. ⁶My 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 also will forget thy children. ⁷As they were multiplied, so they sinned against me: I will change their glory into shame. ⁸They feed on the sin of my people, and set their heart on their iniquity. ⁹And it shall be, like people, like priest; and I will punish them for their ways, and will requite them their doings. ¹⁰And they shall eat, and not have enough; they shall play the harlot, and shall not increase; because they have left off taking heed to Jehovah. ¹¹Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the understanding. ¹²My people ask counsel at their stock, and their staff declareth unto them; for the spirit of whoredom hath caused them to err, and they have played the harlot, departing from under their God. ¹³They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under oaks and poplars and terebinths, because the shadow thereof is good: therefore your daughters play the harlot, and your brides commit adultery. ¹⁴I will not punish your daughters when they play the harlot, nor your brides when they commit adultery; for the men themselves go apart with harlots, and they sacrifice with the prostitutes; and the people that doth not understand shall be overthrown. ¹⁵Though 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, As Jehovah liveth. ¹⁶For Israel hath behaved himself stubbornly, like a stubborn heifer: now will Jehovah feed them as a lamb in a large place. ¹⁷Ephraim is joined to idols; let him alone. ¹⁸Their drink is become sour; they play the harlot continually; her rulers dearly love shame. ¹⁹The wind hath wrapped her up in its wings; and they shall be put to shame because of their sacrifices.