Hosea 4

New International Version

The Charge Against Israel

4 Hear the word of the Lord, you Israelites,
    because the Lord has a charge^(A) to bring
    against you who live in the land:^(B)
“There is no faithfulness,^(C) no love,
    no acknowledgment^(D) of God in the land.^(E)
²There is only cursing,^[a] lying^(F) and murder,^(G)
    stealing^(H) and adultery;^(I)
they break all bounds,
    and bloodshed follows bloodshed.^(J)
³Because of this the land dries up,^(K)
    and all who live in it waste away;^(L)
the beasts of the field, the birds in the sky
    and the fish in the sea are swept away.^(M)

⁴“But let no one bring a charge,
    let no one accuse another,
for your people are like those
    who bring charges against a priest.^(N)
⁵You stumble^(O) day and night,
    and the prophets stumble with you.
So I will destroy your mother^(P)—
⁶    my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.^(Q)

“Because you have rejected knowledge,
    I also reject you as my priests;
because you have ignored the law^(R) of your God,
    I also will ignore your children.
⁷The more priests there were,
    the more they sinned against me;
    they exchanged their glorious God^[b]^(S) for something disgraceful.^(T)
⁸They feed on the sins of my people
    and relish their wickedness.^(U)
⁹And it will be: Like people, like priests.^(V)
    I will punish both of them for their ways
    and repay them for their deeds.^(W)

¹⁰“They will eat but not have enough;^(X)
    they will engage in prostitution^(Y) but not flourish,
because they have deserted^(Z) the Lord
    to give themselves ¹¹to prostitution;^(AA)
old wine^(AB) and new wine
    take away their understanding.^(AC)
¹²My people consult a wooden idol,^(AD)
    and a diviner’s rod speaks to them.^(AE)
A spirit of prostitution^(AF) leads them astray;^(AG)
    they are unfaithful^(AH) to their God.
¹³They sacrifice on the mountaintops
    and burn offerings on the hills,
under oak,^(AI) poplar and terebinth,
    where the shade is pleasant.^(AJ)
Therefore your daughters turn to prostitution^(AK)
    and your daughters-in-law to adultery.^(AL)

¹⁴“I will not punish your daughters
    when they turn to prostitution,
nor your daughters-in-law
    when they commit adultery,
because the men themselves consort with harlots^(AM)
    and sacrifice with shrine prostitutes^(AN)—
    a people without understanding^(AO) will come to ruin!^(AP)

¹⁵“Though you, Israel, commit adultery,
do not let Judah become guilty.

“Do not go to Gilgal;^(AQ)
    do not go up to Beth Aven.^[c]^(AR)
    And do not swear, ‘As surely as the Lord lives!’^(AS)
¹⁶The Israelites are stubborn,^(AT)
    like a stubborn heifer.^(AU)
How then can the Lord pasture them
    like lambs^(AV) in a meadow?
¹⁷Ephraim is joined to idols;
    leave him alone!
¹⁸Even when their drinks are gone,
    they continue their prostitution;
    their rulers dearly love shameful ways.
¹⁹A whirlwind^(AW) will sweep them away,
    and their sacrifices will bring them shame.^(AX)

Footnotes

Hosea 4:2 That is, to pronounce a curse on
Hosea 4:7 Syriac (see also an ancient Hebrew scribal tradition); Masoretic Text me; / I will exchange their glory
Hosea 4:15 Beth Aven means house of wickedness (a derogatory name for Bethel, which means house of God).

Hosea 5

New International Version

Judgment Against Israel

5 “Hear this, you priests!
    Pay attention, you Israelites!
Listen, royal house!
    This judgment^(A) is against you:
You have been a snare^(B) at Mizpah,
    a net^(C) spread out on Tabor.
²The rebels are knee-deep in slaughter.^(D)
    I will discipline all of them.^(E)
³I know all about Ephraim;
    Israel is not hidden^(F) from me.
Ephraim, you have now turned to prostitution;
    Israel is corrupt.^(G)

⁴“Their deeds do not permit them
    to return^(H) to their God.
A spirit of prostitution^(I) is in their heart;
    they do not acknowledge^(J) the Lord.
⁵Israel’s arrogance testifies^(K) against them;
    the Israelites, even Ephraim, stumble^(L) in their sin;
    Judah also stumbles with them.^(M)
⁶When they go with their flocks and herds
    to seek the Lord,^(N)
they will not find him;
    he has withdrawn^(O) himself from them.
⁷They are unfaithful^(P) to the Lord;
    they give birth to illegitimate^(Q) children.
When they celebrate their New Moon feasts,^(R)
    he will devour^[a]^(S) their fields.

⁸“Sound the trumpet^(T) in Gibeah,^(U)
    the horn in Ramah.^(V)
Raise the battle cry in Beth Aven^[b];^(W)
    lead on, Benjamin.
⁹Ephraim will be laid waste^(X)
    on the day of reckoning.^(Y)
Among the tribes of Israel
    I proclaim what is certain.^(Z)
¹⁰Judah’s leaders are like those
    who move boundary stones.^(AA)
I will pour out my wrath^(AB) on them
    like a flood of water.
¹¹Ephraim is oppressed,
    trampled in judgment,
    intent on pursuing idols.^[c]^(AC)
¹²I am like a moth^(AD) to Ephraim,
    like rot^(AE) to the people of Judah.

¹³“When Ephraim^(AF) saw his sickness,
    and Judah his sores,
then Ephraim turned to Assyria,^(AG)
    and sent to the great king for help.^(AH)
But he is not able to cure^(AI) you,
    not able to heal your sores.^(AJ)
¹⁴For I will be like a lion^(AK) to Ephraim,
    like a great lion to Judah.
I will tear them to pieces^(AL) and go away;
    I will carry them off, with no one to rescue them.^(AM)
¹⁵Then I will return to my lair^(AN)
    until they have borne their guilt^(AO)
    and seek my face^(AP)—
in their misery^(AQ)
    they will earnestly seek me.^(AR)”

Footnotes

Hosea 5:7 Or Now their New Moon feasts / will devour them and
Hosea 5:8 Beth Aven means house of wickedness (a derogatory name for Bethel, which means house of God).
Hosea 5:11 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.