Read New International Version, 2011 Hosea 4 Bible Online

Hosea 4 - New International Version, 2011 bible

Hosea 4

¹Hear the word of the LORD, you Israelites, because the LORD has a charge to bring against you who live in the land: “There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgment of God in the land.

²There is only cursing, [15] lying and murder, stealing and adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed.

³Because of this the land dries up, and all who live in it waste away; the beasts of the field, the birds in the sky and the fish in the sea are swept away.

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.

⁵You stumble day and night, and the prophets stumble with you. So I will destroy your mother —

⁶my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. “Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law 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 [16] for something disgraceful.

⁸They feed on the sins of my people and relish their wickedness.

⁹And it will be: Like people, like priests. I will punish both of them for their ways and repay them for their deeds.

¹⁰“They will eat but not have enough; they will engage in prostitution but not flourish, because they have deserted the LORD to give themselves

¹¹to prostitution; old wine and new wine take away their understanding.

¹²My people consult a wooden idol, and a diviner’s rod speaks to them. A spirit of prostitution leads them astray; they are unfaithful to their God.

¹³They sacrifice on the mountaintops and burn offerings on the hills, under oak, poplar and terebinth, where the shade is pleasant. Therefore your daughters turn to prostitution and your daughters-in-law to adultery.

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 and sacrifice with shrine prostitutes — a people without understanding will come to ruin!

¹⁵“Though you, Israel, commit adultery, do not let Judah become guilty. “Do not go to Gilgal; do not go up to Beth Aven. [17] And do not swear, ‘As surely as the LORD lives!’

¹⁶The Israelites are stubborn, like a stubborn heifer. How then can the LORD pasture them like lambs 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 will sweep them away, and their sacrifices will bring them shame.