Oséias 4

¹ Hear the word of Yahweh, you{+} sons of Israel; for Yahweh has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor goodness, nor knowledge of God in the land.

² Swearing, lying, killing, stealing, and committing adultery are rampant; and blood is everywhere.

³ Therefore the land will mourn, and everyone who dwells in it will languish, with the beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens; yes, the fish of the sea also will be taken away.

⁴ Yet let no man strive, neither let any man reprove; for your people are as those who strive with the priest.

⁵ And you will stumble in the day, and the prophet also will stumble with you in the night; and I will destroy your mother.

⁶ My people are destroyed for lack of the knowledge [of God]: because you have rejected the knowledge [of God], I will also reject you, that you will be no priest to me: seeing you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your sons.

⁷ As they were multiplied, so they sinned against me: I will change their glory into shame.

⁸ They feed on the sin of my people, and set their heart on their iniquity.

⁹ And it will be, like people, like priest; and I will punish them for their ways, and will requite them their doings.

¹⁰ And they will eat, and not have enough; they will cause prostitution, and will not increase; because they have left off taking heed to Yahweh.

¹¹ Prostitution and wine and new wine take away the understanding.

¹² My people ask counsel at their stock, and their staff declares to them; for the spirit of prostitution has caused them to err, and they have prostituted, [departing] from under their God.

¹³ They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains, and burn incense on the hills, under oaks and poplars and terebinths, because their shadow is good: therefore your{+} daughters commit prostitution, and your{+} brides commit adultery.

¹⁴ I will not punish your{+} daughters when they commit prostitution, nor your{+} brides when they commit adultery; for [the men] themselves go apart with prostitutes, and they sacrifice with prostitutes; and the people that does not understand will be overthrown.

¹⁵ Though you, Israel, are prostituting, yet don't let Judah offend; and don't come{+} to Gilgal, neither go{+} up to Beth-aven, nor swear, As Yahweh lives.

¹⁶ For Israel has behaved himself stubbornly, like a stubborn heifer: now Yahweh will feed them as a lamb in a large place.

¹⁷ Ephraim is joined to idols; let him alone.

¹⁸ Their drink has become sour; they prostitute continually; her rulers dearly love shame.

¹⁹ The wind has wrapped her up in its wings; and they will be put to shame because of their altars.