Hosea 4:1-6:11

Hosea 4

1

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.

2

By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.

3

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.

4

Yet let no man strive, nor reprove another: for thy people are as they that strive with the priest.

5

Therefore shalt thou fall in the day, and the prophet also shall fall with thee in the night, and I will destroy thy mother.

6

My 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

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

8

They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity.

9

And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings.

10

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.

11

Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart.

12

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.

13

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.

14

I 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.

15

Though thou, Israel, play the harlot, yet let not Judah offend; and come not ye unto Gilgal, neither go ye up to Bethaven, nor swear, The LORD liveth.

16

For Israel slideth back as a backsliding heifer: now the LORD will feed them as a lamb in a large place.

17

Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone.

18

Their drink is sour: they have committed whoredom continually: her rulers with shame do love, Give ye.

19

The wind hath bound her up in her wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.

Hosea 5

1

Hear ye this, O priests; and hearken, ye house of Israel; and give ye ear, O house of the king; for judgment is toward you, because ye have been a snare on Mizpah, and a net spread upon Tabor.

2

And the revolters are profound to make slaughter, though I have been a rebuker of them all.

3

I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from me: for now, O Ephraim, thou committest whoredom, and Israel is defiled.

4

They will not frame their doings to turn unto their God: for the spirit of whoredoms is in the midst of them, and they have not known the LORD.

5

And the pride of Israel doth testify to his face: therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their iniquity: Judah also shall fall with them.

6

They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the LORD; but they shall not find him; he hath withdrawn himself from them.

7

They have dealt treacherously against the LORD: for they have begotten strange children: now shall a month devour them with their portions.

8

Blow ye the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah: cry aloud at Bethaven, after thee, O Benjamin.

9

Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke: among the tribes of Israel have I made known that which shall surely be.

10

The princes of Judah were like them that remove the bound: therefore I will pour out my wrath upon them like water.

11

Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgment, because he willingly walked after the commandment.

12

Therefore will I be unto Ephraim as a moth, and to the house of Judah as rottenness.

13

When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then went Ephraim to the Assyrian, and sent to king Jareb: yet could he not heal you, nor cure you of your wound.

14

For I will be unto Ephraim as a lion, and as a young lion to the house of Judah: I, even I, will tear and go away; I will take away, and none shall rescue him.

15

I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early.

Hosea 6

1

Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.

2

After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.

3

Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.

4

O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away.

5

Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgments are as the light that goeth forth.

6

For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

7

But they like men have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against me.

8

Gilead is a city of them that work iniquity, and is polluted with blood.

9

And as troops of robbers wait for a man, so the company of priests murder in the way by consent: for they commit lewdness.

10

I have seen an horrible thing in the house of Israel: there is the whoredom of Ephraim, Israel is defiled.

11

Also, O Judah, he hath set an harvest for thee, when I returned the captivity of my people.