Hosea, Chapter 4

1. Hear the word of the LORD, you children of Israel: for the LORD has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.    2. By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they burst out, and bloodshed follows bloodshed.    3. Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one who dwells therein shall grow feeble, with the beasts of the field, and with the birds of heaven; yea, the fish of the sea also shall be taken away.    4. Yet let no man dispute, nor reprove another: for your people are like those who dispute with the priest.    5. Therefore shall you fall in the day, and the prophet also shall fall with you in the night, and I will destroy your mother.    6. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you, so that you shall be no priest to me: seeing that you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children.    7. As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame.    8. They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity.    9. And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them for their doings.    10. For they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall commit whoredom, and shall not increase: because they have left off taking heed to the LORD.    11. Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart.    12. My people ask counsel at their tree trunks, and their staff speaks to them: for the spirit of whoredoms has caused them to err, and they have gone a whoring from being under their God's care.    13. They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under oaks and poplars and elms, because the shadow of them is good: therefore your daughters shall commit whoredom, and your spouses shall commit adultery.    14. I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom, nor your spouses when they commit adultery: for they themselves go away with whores, and they sacrifice with harlots: therefore the people who do not understand shall fall.    15. Though you, Israel, play the harlot, yet let not Judah offend; and do not come to Gilgal, neither go up to Beth-aven, nor swear, The LORD lives.    16. For Israel slides back like a backsliding heifer: now the LORD will feed them like a lamb in a large place.    17. Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone.    18. Their drink is sour: they have committed whoredom continually: her rulers love with shame, saying Give ye.    19. The wind has bound her up in her wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.