Parallel
Hosea 4
King James Version (1769 Blayney revision, with Apocrypha) · Berean Standard Bible
Hear 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.
Hear the word of the LORD, O children of Israel, for the LORD has a case against the people of the land: “There is no truth, no loving devotion, and no knowledge of God in the land!
By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood (note: Heb. bloods) toucheth blood.
Cursing and lying, murder and stealing, and adultery are rampant; one act of bloodshed follows another.
Therefore 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.
Therefore the land mourns, and all who dwell in it will waste away with the beasts of the field and the birds of the air; even the fish of the sea disappear.
Yet let no man strive, nor reprove another: for thy people are as they that strive with the priest.
But let no man contend; let no man offer reproof; for your people are like those who contend with a priest (note: Or for My case is against you, O priests).
Therefore shalt thou fall in the day, and the prophet also shall fall with thee in the night, and I will destroy (note: Heb. cut off) thy mother.
You will stumble by day, and the prophet will stumble with you by night; so I will destroy your mother—
My people are destroyed (note: Heb. cut off) 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.
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you as My priests. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children.
As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame.
The more they multiplied, the more they sinned against Me; they exchanged their Glory (note: Or they exchanged their glorious God (Syriac); MT I will exchange their glory) for a thing of disgrace.
They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity (note: Heb. lift up their soul to their iniquity).
They feed on the sins (note: Or the sin offerings) of My people and set their hearts on iniquity.
And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish (note: Heb. visit upon) them for their ways, and reward (note: Heb. cause to return) them their doings.
And it shall be like people, like priest. I will punish both of them for their ways and repay them for their deeds.
For 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.
They will eat but not be satisfied; they will be promiscuous but not multiply. For they have abandoned the LORD to give themselves
Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart.
to promiscuity, wine, and new wine, which take away understanding.
My 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.
My people consult their wooden idols, and their divining rods inform them. For a spirit of prostitution leads them astray and they have played the harlot against their God.
They 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.
They sacrifice on the mountaintops and burn offerings on the hills, under oak, poplar, and terebinth, because their shade is pleasant. And so your daughters turn to prostitution and your daughters-in-law to adultery.
I will not (note: Or, shall I not? etc.) 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 (note: Or, be punished).
I will not punish your daughters when they prostitute themselves, nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery. For the men themselves go off with prostitutes and offer sacrifices with shrine prostitutes. So a people without understanding will come to ruin.
Though 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.
Though you prostitute yourself, O Israel, may Judah avoid such guilt! Do not journey to Gilgal, do not go up to Beth-aven (note: Beth-aven means house of wickedness. This is a derogatory term for Bethel, which means house of God; see 1 Kings 12:28–29.), and do not swear on oath, ‘As surely as the LORD lives!’
For Israel slideth back as a backsliding heifer: now the Lord will feed them as a lamb in a large place.
For Israel is as obstinate as a stubborn heifer. Can the LORD now shepherd them like lambs in an open meadow?
Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone.
Ephraim (note: That is, the northern kingdom of Israel) is joined to idols; leave him alone!
Their drink is sour (note: Heb. is gone): they have committed whoredom continually: her rulers (note: Heb. shields) with shame do love, Give ye.
When their liquor is gone, they turn to prostitution; their rulers (note: Hebrew her shields) dearly love disgrace.
The wind hath bound her up in her wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.
The whirlwind has wrapped them (note: Hebrew has wrapped her) in its wings, and their sacrifices will bring them shame.