Hosea 4
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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.1Hear the word of the LORD, O people of Israel! The LORD has brought charges against you, saying: “There is no faithfulness, no kindness, no knowledge of God in your land.
2There is only cursing, lying and murder, stealing and adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed.2You make vows and break them; you kill and steal and commit adultery. There is violence everywhere— one murder after another.
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.3That is why your land is in mourning, and everyone is wasting away. Even the wild animals, the birds of the sky, and the fish of the sea are disappearing.
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.4“Don’t point your finger at someone else and try to pass the blame! My complaint, you priests, is with you.
5You stumble day and night, and the prophets stumble with you. So I will destroy your mother--5So you will stumble in broad daylight, and your false prophets will fall with you in the night. And I will destroy Israel, 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.6My people are being destroyed because they don’t know me. Since you priests refuse to know me, I refuse to recognize you as my priests. Since you have forgotten the laws of your God, I will forget to bless your children.
7The more priests there were, the more they sinned against me; they exchanged their glorious God for something disgraceful.7The more priests there are, the more they sin against me. They have exchanged the glory of God for the shame of idols.
8They feed on the sins of my people and relish their wickedness.8“When the people bring their sin offerings, the priests get fed. So the priests are glad when the people sin!
9And it will be: Like people, like priests. I will punish both of them for their ways and repay them for their deeds.9‘And what the priests do, the people also do.’ So now I will punish both priests and people for their wicked 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 themselves10They will eat and still be hungry. They will play the prostitute and gain nothing from it, for they have deserted the LORD
11to prostitution; old wine and new wine take away their understanding.11to worship other gods. “Wine has robbed my people of 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.12They ask a piece of wood for advice! They think a stick can tell them the future! Longing after idols has made them foolish. They have played the prostitute, serving other gods and deserting 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.13They offer sacrifices to idols on the mountaintops. They go up into the hills to burn incense in the pleasant shade of oaks, poplars, and terebinth trees. “That is why your daughters turn to prostitution, and your daughters-in-law commit 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!14But why should I punish them for their prostitution and adultery? For your men are doing the same thing, sinning with whores and shrine prostitutes. O foolish people! You refuse to understand, so you will be destroyed.
15"Though you, Israel, commit adultery, do not let Judah become guilty. "Do not go to Gilgal; do not go up to Beth Aven. And do not swear, 'As surely as the LORD lives!'15“Though you, Israel, are a prostitute, may Judah not be guilty of such things. Do not join the false worship at Gilgal or Beth-aven, and do not take oaths there in the LORD’s name.
16The Israelites are stubborn, like a stubborn heifer. How then can the LORD pasture them like lambs in a meadow?16Israel is stubborn, like a stubborn heifer. So should the LORD feed her like a lamb in a lush pasture?
17Ephraim is joined to idols; leave him alone!17Leave Israel alone, because she is married to idolatry.
18Even when their drinks are gone, they continue their prostitution; their rulers dearly love shameful ways.18When the rulers of Israel finish their drinking, off they go to find some prostitutes. They love shame more than honor.
19A whirlwind will sweep them away, and their sacrifices will bring them shame.19So a mighty wind will sweep them away. Their sacrifices to idols will bring them shame.
New International Version (NIV)

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Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Hosea 3
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