Hosea 4The Charge against the Priests and the People1 “Hear a word of the Lord, O sons of Israel, because the Lord has a dispute with those who inhabit the land, because there is no truth or mercy or knowledge of God in the land. 2 A curse and a lie and murder and theft and adultery has been poured out upon the land, and bloodshed is mixed upon bloodshed. 3 On account of this, the land will lament and be diminished with all those that dwell in her, with the wild beasts of the field, and with the reptiles of the land, and with the birds of the heavens; even the fish of the sea will come to an end, 4 in order that nobody may either judge or reproach anybody. But my people will be like a priest who is opposed. 5 And he will be sick during the day, and a prophet will be sick with you. I have made your mother like night. 6 My people has become as if it possesses no knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, so I will reject you from being a priest to me. And you forgot the law of your God, so I will forget your children. 7 In accordance with their multitude, thus they sinned against me. I will turn their glory into dishonor. 8 They will eat the sins of my people, and they will take their souls by their injustices. 9 And just as the people will be, so also the priest, and I will avenge against him his ways, and I will repay him his counsels. 10 And they will eat and never be full; they prostituted themselves and did not prosper, because they neglected the Lord, to guard fornication. 11 The heart of my people received both wine and intoxicating drink. 12 They inquired with omens, and they would bring news to him with his rods. They were led astray by a spirit of fornication, and they have fornicated away from their God. 13 They would sacrifice upon the summits of the mountains, and make offerings upon the hills, under an oak and a white poplar and a shady tree, because it is good shelter. Because of this, your daughters will commit fornication, and your brides will commit adultery. 14 And I will not look upon your daughters when they prostitute themselves, and upon your brides when they commit adultery, because the men would mingle with the prostitutes, and make offerings with those who have been brought to an end, and the people who understand would entwine with a prostitute. 15 But you, O Israel, do not be ignorant, And you, O Judah, do not enter into Gilgal, and do not go up into the house of Beth-aven, and do not swear by the living Lord. 16 Because Israel used to be irritated like an irritated heifer. Now the Lord will tend them like a lamb in open space. 17 Ephraim, partaking in idols, set traps for himself. 18 He chose Canaanites; fornicating themselves, they were sexually immoral. They loved dishonor through its insolence. 19 You are a commotion of wind in its wings, and they will be put to shame by their altars.”