Oséias 4

The Lord Accuses Israel

1 *See ch. 5:1Hear the word of the Lord, O children of Israel,

for *Isa. 3:13,14;Jer. 25:31;Mic. 6:2the Lord has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land.

There is no faithfulness or steadfast love,

and *[ver. 6, 14; Jer. 4:22;5:4]no knowledge of God in the land;

2 *[ch. 7:1] there is swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery;

they break all bounds, and *[ch. 6:9;12:14;Mic. 3:10;7:2]bloodshed follows bloodshed.

3 Therefore *Isa. 24:4;Jer. 4:28;Joel 1:10the land mourns,

and all who dwell in it languish,

*[Joel 1:18;Zeph. 1:3] and also the beasts of the field

and the birds of the heavens,

*[Ezek. 38:20]and even the fish of the sea are taken away.

4 *[ver. 17] Yet let no one contend,

and let none accuse,

for with you is *[Deut. 17:12]my contention, O priest.*4:4 Or for your people are like those who contend with the priest

5 You shall stumble by day;

the prophet also shall stumble with you by night;

and I will destroy *ch. 2:2your mother.

6 My people are destroyed *[ver. 1; Isa. 5:13] for lack of knowledge;

*[Prov. 1:29] because you have rejected knowledge,

I reject you *[Ex. 19:6] from being a priest to me.

And since you have forgotten the law of your God,

*[Jer. 23:39]I also will forget your children.

7 *[ch. 13:6] The more they increased,

the more they sinned against me;

*1 Sam. 2:30;Mal. 2:9I will change their glory into shame.

8 *[Lev. 6:25,26;10:17]They feed on the sin*4:8 Or sin offering of my people;

they are greedy for their iniquity.

9 *Isa. 24:2And it shall be like people, like priest;

I will punish them for their ways

and repay them for their deeds.

10 *Lev. 26:26;Mic. 6:14;Hag. 1:6They shall eat, but not be satisfied;

they shall play the whore, but not multiply,

because they have forsaken the Lord

to cherish 11 whoredom, wine, and new wine,

which *[1 Kgs. 11:4;Prov. 20:1]take away the understanding.

12 My people *[Judg. 18:5] inquire of a piece of wood,

and their walking staff gives them oracles.

For *ch. 5:4;[ch. 2:2]a spirit of whoredom has led them astray,

and they have left their God to play the whore.

13 *Ezek. 6:13They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains

and burn offerings on the hills,

*[Isa. 1:29]under oak, poplar, and terebinth,

because their shade is good.

Therefore your daughters play the whore,

and your brides commit adultery.

14 I will not punish your daughters when they play the whore,

nor your brides when they commit adultery;

for *[ch. 9:10] the men themselves go aside with prostitutes

and sacrifice with *Deut. 23:17cult prostitutes,

and a people *[ver. 1, 6]without understanding shall come to ruin.

15 Though you play the whore, O *See ch. 6:4Israel,

let not *See ch. 6:4Judah become guilty.

*Amos 4:4,5;5:5Enter not into *ch. 9:15;12:11Gilgal,

nor go up to *ch. 5:8;10:5;[ch. 10:8;1 Kgs. 12:29;Amos 1:5]Beth-aven,

and swear not, "As the Lord lives."

16 Like a stubborn heifer,

Israel is stubborn;

can the Lord now feed them

like a lamb in a broad pasture?

17 *[ver. 12; ch. 5:3] Ephraim is joined to idols;

*[Matt. 15:14]leave him alone.

18 When their drink is gone, they give themselves to whoring;

*[ch. 9:10]their rulers*4:18 Hebrew shields dearly love shame.

19 *ch. 13:15;Jer. 4:11;51:1;[Zech. 5:9] A wind has wrapped them*4:19 Hebrew her in its wings,

and they shall *[Isa. 1:29]be ashamed because of their sacrifices.