Hosea 4

All 19 verses in the Clear Bible Translation. Tap a verse to compare the KJV and read what it means.

Read Hosea 4 in the Bible reader, with audio →

1. 1Listen to the word of the LORD, people of Israel! The LORD has a case against everyone living in this land. There is no faithfulness, no mercy, and no knowledge of God anywhere in the land.
2. 2Instead, there is cursing, lying, murder, stealing, and adultery. Violence has broken all boundaries, and one act of bloodshed follows another.
3. 3Because of this, the land itself will mourn. Everyone living in it will waste away, along with the wild animals, the birds of the sky, and even the fish of the sea — all of them will perish.
4. 4Yet let no one argue or rebuke another, for your people are like those who argue with the priest.
5. 5You will stumble in the daytime, and the prophet will stumble with you at night. I will destroy your mother.
6. 6My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you rejected knowledge, I will reject you from serving as my priest. Because you forgot the law of your God, I will forget your children.
7. 7The more they multiplied, the more they sinned against me. So I will turn their glory into shame.
8. 8The priests feed on the sin of my people and crave their wickedness.
9. 9It will be the same for the priest as for the people — I will punish them all for their behavior and pay them back for what they've done.
10. 10They will eat but never be satisfied. They will chase after prostitutes but never grow in number, because they have abandoned the LORD.
11. 11Prostitution, wine, and new wine take away the heart.
12. 12My people seek advice from their wooden idols, and their staff gives them answers. The spirit of prostitution has led them astray, and they have prostituted themselves from under their God.
13. 13They offer sacrifices on the mountaintops and burn incense on the hills, under oak trees, poplar trees, and elms, because the shade is pleasant. That is why your daughters turn to prostitution and your brides commit adultery.
14. 14I won't punish your daughters for their prostitution or your brides for their adultery — because the men themselves go off with prostitutes and offer sacrifices alongside shrine prostitutes. A people without understanding will be ruined.
15. 15Even though you, Israel, act like a prostitute, don't let Judah become guilty too. Don't go to Gilgal, don't go up to Beth Aven, and don't swear oaths saying, "As the LORD lives."
16. 16Israel pulls away like a young cow that keeps pulling back. Now the LORD will feed them like a lamb in a large place.
17. 17Ephraim is joined to idols; leave him alone.
18. 18Their drink is sour, and they continually commit prostitution. Her rulers shamefully love to say, “Give!”
19. 19A wind has swept them up in its wings, and they will be put to shame because of their sacrifices.