Hosea 4:1-6
Expanded Bible
The Lord’s Word Against Israel
4 ·People [L Sons; T Children] of Israel, ·listen to the Lord’s message [hear the word of the Lord].
The Lord has a ·charge [case; lawsuit; or dispute] to bring
against you who live in the land:
“·The people are not true, not loyal to God [L There is no truth/faithfulness, there is no mercy/lovingkindness],
nor do those who live in the land even know him [there is no knowledge of God in the land].
2 [L There is only] Cursing, lying, ·killing [murder], stealing and adultery are everywhere.
·One murder follows another [L They break out and blood touches blood].
3 Because of this the land ·dries up [or mourns],
and all its ·people [inhabitants] ·are dying [languish; waste away].
Even the ·wild animals [L beasts of the field] and the birds of the air
and the fish of the sea are ·dying [gathered; taken/swept away].
God’s Case Against the Priests
4 “·No one should [Let no one] ·accuse [bring a charge]
or ·blame [contend against] another person.
·Don’t blame the people, you priests,
when they quarrel with you [or For my case is against you, the priests].
5 You will ·be ruined [stumble] in the day,
and your prophets will ·be ruined [stumble] with you in the night.
I will also destroy your mother [C Israel].
6 My people ·will be [or are being] destroyed,
because they ·have no [lack] knowledge.
You have ·refused to learn [rejected knowledge; or failed to acknowledge me],
so I will ·refuse to let you be [reject you as] priests to me.
You have forgotten the ·teachings [law; C Hebrew: Torah] of your God,
so I will forget your children.
Hosea 6
Expanded Bible
The People Are Not Faithful
6 “Come, let’s ·go back [return] to the Lord.
He has ·hurt us [torn us to pieces], but he will heal us.
He has wounded us, but he will ·bandage [bind up] our wounds.
2 ·In [After] two days he will ·put new life in [revive; restore] us;
on the third day he will raise us up [C in a short time]
so that we may live in his presence 3 and know him.
Let’s ·try [press on] to ·learn about [know] the Lord;
he will come to us as surely as the dawn comes.
He will come to us ·like rain [or as sure as the winter rains come],
like the ·spring [latter] rain that waters the ·ground [earth].”
4 The Lord says, “·Israel [L Ephraim; 4:17], what should I do with you?
Judah, what should I do with you?
Your faithfulness is like a morning mist,
like the dew that goes away early in the day.
5 I have ·warned you [L cut you into pieces; hewn you] by my prophets
that I will kill you with ·my words [L the words of my mouth].
My ·justice [judgment] comes out like ·bright light [or the morning dawn].
6 I ·want [desire; delight in] ·faithful love [mercy; lovingkindness]
·more than I want animal sacrifices [L and not sacrifice].
I want ·people to know me [the knowledge of God]
more than I want burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17].
7 But they ·have broken [transgressed] the ·agreement [covenant] as ·Adam did [or human beings did; or they did at Adamah; Josh. 3:16];
they have ·been unfaithful to [dealt treacherously with] me.
8 Gilead is a city of ·people who do evil [sinners; evildoers];
·their footprints are bloody [tracked with bloody footprints].
9 The ·priests [L company of priests] are like robbers ·waiting [lying in ambush] to attack people;
they murder people on the road to Shechem [C a city of refuge for someone who committed involuntary manslaughter; Josh. 20:7; 21:21; 1 Chr. 6:67]
and do wicked things.
10 I have seen horrible things in ·Israel [or the temple of Israel; L the house of Israel].
Look at ·Israel’s [L Ephraim’s; 4:17] prostitution;
Israel has become ·unclean [defiled].
11 “Judah, I have ·set [appointed] a harvest time for you
when I will ·make the lives of my people good again [restore the fortunes of my people; or return my people from captivity].
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