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