Hosea

Chapter 4

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¹Hear the word of the Lord, ye children of Israel: for the Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.²By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.³Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.⁴Yet let no man strive, nor reprove another: for thy people are as they that strive with the priest.⁵Therefore shalt thou fall in the day, and the prophet also shall fall with thee in the night, and I will destroy thy mother.⁶My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.7 sermons⁷As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame.⁸They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity.⁹And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings.¹⁰For they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall commit whoredom, and shall not increase: because they have left off to take heed to the Lord.¹¹Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart.¹²My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them: for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err, and they have gone a whoring from under their God.¹³They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under oaks and poplars and elms, because the shadow thereof is good: therefore your daughters shall commit whoredom, and your spouses shall commit adultery.¹⁴I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom, nor your spouses when they commit adultery: for themselves are separated with whores, and they sacrifice with harlots: therefore the people that doth not understand shall fall.¹⁵Though thou, Israel, play the harlot, yet let not Judah offend; and come not ye unto Gilgal, neither go ye up to Beth–aven, nor swear, The Lord liveth.¹⁶For Israel slideth back as a backsliding heifer: now the Lord will feed them as a lamb in a large place.¹⁷Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone.¹⁸Their drink is sour: they have committed whoredom continually: her rulers with shame do love, Give ye.¹⁹The wind hath bound her up in her wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.