The Idolatry of Israel

11 “Harlotry, wine, and new wine (A)enslave the heart.
12 My people ask counsel from their (B)wooden idols,
And their [a]staff informs them.
For (C)the spirit of harlotry has caused them to stray,
And they have played the harlot against their God.
13 (D)They offer sacrifices on the mountaintops,
And burn incense on the hills,
Under oaks, poplars, and terebinths,
Because their shade is good.
(E)Therefore your daughters commit harlotry,
And your brides commit adultery.

14 “I will not punish your daughters when they commit harlotry,
Nor your brides when they commit adultery;
For the men themselves go apart with harlots,
And offer sacrifices with a (F)ritual harlot.
Therefore people who do not understand will be trampled.

15 “Though you, Israel, play the harlot,
Let not Judah offend.
(G)Do not come up to Gilgal,
Nor go up to (H)Beth[b] Aven,
(I)Nor swear an oath, saying, ‘As the Lord lives’—

16 “For Israel (J)is stubborn
Like a stubborn calf;
Now the Lord will let them forage
Like a lamb in [c]open country.

17 “Ephraim is joined to idols,
(K)Let him alone.
18 Their drink [d]is rebellion,
They commit harlotry continually.
(L)Her [e]rulers [f]dearly love dishonor.
19 (M)The wind has wrapped her up in its wings,
And (N)they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.

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Footnotes

  1. Hosea 4:12 Diviner’s rod
  2. Hosea 4:15 Lit. House of Idolatry or Wickedness
  3. Hosea 4:16 Lit. a large place
  4. Hosea 4:18 Or has turned aside
  5. Hosea 4:18 Lit. shields
  6. Hosea 4:18 Heb. difficult; a Jewish tradition shamefully love, ‘Give!’

11 זְנ֛וּת וְיַ֥יִן וְתִיר֖וֹשׁ יִֽקַּֽח־לֵֽב׃

12 עַמִּי֙ בְּעֵצ֣וֹ יִשְׁאָ֔ל וּמַקְל֖וֹ יַגִּ֣יד ל֑וֹ כִּ֣י ר֤וּחַ זְנוּנִים֙ הִתְעָ֔ה וַיִּזְנ֖וּ מִתַּ֥חַת אֱלֹהֵיהֶֽם׃

13 עַל־רָאשֵׁ֨י הֶהָרִ֜ים יְזַבֵּ֗חוּ וְעַל־הַגְּבָעוֹת֙ יְקַטֵּ֔רוּ תַּ֣חַת אַלּ֧וֹן וְלִבְנֶ֛ה וְאֵלָ֖ה כִּ֣י ט֣וֹב צִלָּ֑הּ עַל־כֵּ֗ן תִּזְנֶ֙ינָה֙ בְּנ֣וֹתֵיכֶ֔ם וְכַלּוֹתֵיכֶ֖ם תְּנָאַֽפְנָה׃

14 לֹֽא־אֶפְק֨וֹד עַל־בְּנוֹתֵיכֶ֜ם כִּ֣י תִזְנֶ֗ינָה וְעַל־כַּלּֽוֹתֵיכֶם֙ כִּ֣י תְנָאַ֔פְנָה כִּי־הֵם֙ עִם־הַזֹּנ֣וֹת יְפָרֵ֔דוּ וְעִם־הַקְּדֵשׁ֖וֹת יְזַבֵּ֑חוּ וְעָ֥ם לֹֽא־יָבִ֖ין יִלָּבֵֽט׃

15 אִם־זֹנֶ֤ה אַתָּה֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אַל־יֶאְשַׁ֖ם יְהוּדָ֑ה וְאַל־תָּבֹ֣אוּ הַגִּלְגָּ֗ל וְאַֽל־תַּעֲלוּ֙ בֵּ֣ית אָ֔וֶן וְאַל־תִּשָּׁבְע֖וּ חַי־יְהוָֽה׃

16 כִּ֚י כְּפָרָ֣ה סֹֽרֵרָ֔ה סָרַ֖ר יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל עַתָּה֙ יִרְעֵ֣ם יְהוָ֔ה כְּכֶ֖בֶשׂ בַּמֶּרְחָֽב׃

17 חֲב֧וּר עֲצַבִּ֛ים אֶפְרָ֖יִם הַֽנַּֽח־לֽוֹ׃

18 סָ֖ר סָבְאָ֑ם הַזְנֵ֣ה הִזְנ֔וּ אָהֲב֥וּ הֵב֛וּ קָל֖וֹן מָגִנֶּֽיהָ׃

19 צָרַ֥ר ר֛וּחַ אוֹתָ֖הּ בִּכְנָפֶ֑יהָ וְיֵבֹ֖שׁוּ מִזִּבְחוֹתָֽם׃ ס

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11 Whoredom, and wine, and new wine, take the heart,

12 My people at its staff asketh and its rod declareth to it, For a spirit of whoredoms hath caused to err, And they go a-whoring from under their God.

13 On tops of the mountains they do sacrifice, And on the hills they make perfume, Under oak, and poplar, and terebinth, For good [is] its shade.

14 Therefore commit whoredom do your daughters, And your spouses commit adultery, I do not see after your daughters when they commit whoredom, And after your spouses when they commit adultery, For they with the harlots are separated, And with the whores they do sacrifice, A people that doth not understand kicketh.

15 Though a harlot thou [art], O Israel, Let not Judah become guilty, And come not ye in to Gilgal, nor go up to Beth-Aven, Nor swear ye, Jehovah liveth.

16 For as a refractory heifer hath Israel turned aside, Now doth Jehovah feed them as a lamb in a large place.

17 Joined to idols [is] Ephraim, let him alone.

18 Sour [is] their drink, They have gone diligently a-whoring, Her protectors have loved shame thoroughly.

19 Distressed her hath wind with its wings, And they are ashamed of their sacrifices!

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11 [a]Infidelity, (A)wine, and new wine take away the [b]understanding.
12 My people (B)consult their wooden idol, and their diviner’s wand informs them;
For a spirit of infidelity has led them astray,
And they have been unfaithful, departing [c]from their God.
13 They offer sacrifices on the (C)tops of the mountains
And [d](D)burn incense on the hills,
(E)Under oak, poplar, and terebinth,
Because their shade is pleasant.
Therefore your daughters play the prostitute,
And your [e]brides commit adultery.
14 I will not punish your daughters when they play the prostitute,
Or your [f]brides when they commit adultery,
Because the men themselves slip away with the prostitutes
And offer sacrifices with (F)temple prostitutes;
So the people without understanding are ruined.

15 Though you, Israel, play the prostitute,
Judah must not become guilty;
Also you are not to go to (G)Gilgal,
Nor go up to Beth-aven
(H)And take the oath:
“As the Lord lives!”
16 Since Israel is (I)stubborn
Like a stubborn cow,
[g]Will the Lord now (J)pasture them
Like a lamb in a large field?
17 Ephraim is allied with (K)idols;
(L)Leave him alone.
18 Their liquor is gone,
They prostitute themselves continually;
[h](M)Their [i]rulers dearly love shame.
19 (N)The wind wraps them in its wings,
And they will be [j]put to shame because of their sacrifices.

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Footnotes

  1. Hosea 4:11 Or Prostitution
  2. Hosea 4:11 Lit heart
  3. Hosea 4:12 Lit from under
  4. Hosea 4:13 Or offer sacrifices
  5. Hosea 4:13 Or daughters-in-law
  6. Hosea 4:14 Or daughters-in-law
  7. Hosea 4:16 Or The Lord will now pasture...field.
  8. Hosea 4:18 Another reading is They dearly love the shame of gifts
  9. Hosea 4:18 Lit shields
  10. Hosea 4:19 Or ashamed

     11 to prostitution;(A)
old wine(B) and new wine
    take away their understanding.(C)
12 My people consult a wooden idol,(D)
    and a diviner’s rod speaks to them.(E)
A spirit of prostitution(F) leads them astray;(G)
    they are unfaithful(H) to their God.
13 They sacrifice on the mountaintops
    and burn offerings on the hills,
under oak,(I) poplar and terebinth,
    where the shade is pleasant.(J)
Therefore your daughters turn to prostitution(K)
    and your daughters-in-law to adultery.(L)

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(M)
    and sacrifice with shrine prostitutes(N)
    a people without understanding(O) will come to ruin!(P)

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

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

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Footnotes

  1. Hosea 4:15 Beth Aven means house of wickedness (a derogatory name for Bethel, which means house of God).