King James Version › Hosea › 4

Hosea

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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.