Hosea 4:1-9 ▼

1 “Hear a word of YHWH, sons of Israel, || For a strife [is] to YHWH with inhabitants of the land, || For there is no truth, nor kindness, || Nor knowledge of God in the land;

2 Swearing, and lying, and murdering, || And stealing, and committing adultery—have increased, || And blood has touched against blood.

3 Therefore the land mourns, || And every dweller is weak in it, || With the beast of the field, || And with the bird of the heavens, || And the fishes of the sea—they are removed.

4 Only, let no one strive, nor reprove a man, || And your people [are] as those striving with a priest.

5 And you have stumbled in the day, || And a prophet has also stumbled with you in the night, || And I have cut off your mother.

6 My people have been cut off for lack of knowledge, || Because you have rejected knowledge, || I reject you from being priest to Me, || And you forget the Law of your God—I forget your sons, I also!

7 According to their abundance so they sinned against Me, || I change their glory into shame.

8 The sin of My people they eat, || And to their iniquity lift up their soul.

9 And it has been, like people, like priest, || And I have charged on it its ways, || And its habitual doings I return to it.