Hosea Chapter 4
King James Version (KJV)
Other Translations
asv (asv) - eBible.org engASV USFM
1
Thou art my God.
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And Jehovah said unto me, Go again, love a woman beloved of
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her friend, and an adulteress, even as Jehovah loveth the children of Israel, though they turn unto other gods, and love cakes of raisins.
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So I bought her to me for fifteen
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pieces of silver, and a homer of barley, and a half-homer of barley;
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and I said unto her, Thou shalt abide for me many days; thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not be any man’s wife: so will I also be toward thee.
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For the children of Israel shall abide many days without king, and without prince, and without sacrifice, and without pillar, and without ephod or teraphim:
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afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek Jehovah their God, and David their king, and shall come with fear unto Jehovah and to his goodness in the latter days.
9
Hear the word of Jehovah, ye children of Israel; for Jehovah hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor goodness, nor knowledge of God in the land.
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There is nought but swearing and breaking faith, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery; they break out, and blood toucheth blood.
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Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.
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Yet let no man strive, neither let any man reprove; for thy people are as they that strive with the priest.
13
And thou shalt stumble in the day, and the prophet also shall stumble with thee in the night; and I will destroy thy mother.
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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 also will forget thy children.
15
As they were multiplied, so they sinned against me: I will change their glory into shame.
16
They feed on the sin of my people, and set their heart on their iniquity.
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And it shall be, like people, like priest; and I will punish them for their ways, and will requite them their doings.
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And they shall eat, and not have enough; they shall play the harlot, and shall not increase; because they have left off taking heed to Jehovah.
19
Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the understanding.
darby (darby) - eBible.org Darby 1890 plaintext
1
Hear the word of Jehovah, ye children of Israel; for Jehovah hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land; for there is no truth, nor goodness, nor knowledge ofGod in the land.
2
Swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, — they break out; and blood toucheth blood.
3
For this shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowl of the heavens, yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.
4
Yet let no man strive, and let no man reprove; for thy people are as they that strive with the priest.
5
And thou shalt stumble by day; and the prophet also shall stumble with thee by night: and I will destroy thy mother.
6
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; for thou hast rejected knowledge, and I will reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me; seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thyGod, I also will forget thy children.
7
As they were multiplied, so they sinned against me: I will change their glory into shame.
8
They eat the sin of my people, and their soul longeth for their iniquity.
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And it shall be as the people so the priest; and I will visit their ways upon them, and recompense to them their doings;
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and they shall eat, and not have enough; they shall commit whoredom, and shall not increase: for they have left off taking heed to Jehovah.
11
Fornication, and wine, and new wine take away the heart.
12
My people ask counsel of their stock, and their staff declareth unto them; for the spirit of whoredoms causeth [them] to err, and they have gone a whoring from under theirGod:
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they sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under oak and poplar and terebinth, because the shade thereof is good; therefore your daughters play the harlot and your daughters-in-law commit adultery.
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I will not punish your daughters when they play the harlot, nor your daughters-in-law for their committing adultery; for they themselves go aside with harlots, and they sacrifice with prostitutes: and the people that doth not understand shall come to ruin.
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Though thou, Israel, play the harlot, let not Judah trespass; and come ye not unto Gilgal, neither go up to Beth-aven, nor swear [As] Jehovah liveth!
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For Israel is refractory as an untractable heifer; now will Jehovah feed them as a lamb in a wide [pasture].
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— Ephraim is joined to idols: leave him alone.
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Their drink is sour; they give themselves up to whoredom; her great men passionately love [their] shame.
19
The wind hath wrapped her up in its wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.
lxxbrent (lxxbrent) - Septuagint (Brenton 1851) eBible USFM
1
Hear the word of the Lord, ye children of Israel: for the Lord [has] a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.
2
Cursing, and lying, and murder, and theft, and adultery abound in the land, and they mingle blood with blood.
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Therefore shall the land mourn, and shall be diminished with all that dwell in it, with the wild beasts of the field, and the reptiles of the earth, and with the birds of the sky, and the fish of the sea shall fail:
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that neither any one may plead, nor any one reprove [another]: but my people are as a priest spoken against.
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Therefore they shall fall by day, and the prophet with thee shall fall: I have compared thy mother unto night.
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My people are like as if they had no knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt not minister as priest to me: and [as] thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I also will forget thy children.
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According to their multitude, so they sinned against me: I will turn their glory into shame.
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They will devour the sins of my people, and will set their hearts on their iniquities.
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And the priest shall be as the people: and I will avenge on them their ways, and I will recompense to them their counsels.
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And they shall eat, and shall not be satisfied: they have gone a-whoring, and shall by no means prosper: because they have left off to take heed to the Lord.
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The heart of my people has gladly engaged in fornication and wine and strong drink.
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They asked counsel by [means of] signs, and they reported answer to them by their staves: they have gone astray in a spirit of whoredom, and gone grievously a-whoring from their God.
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They have sacrificed on the tops of the mountains, and on the hills they have sacrificed under the oak and poplar, and under the shady tree, because the shade was good: therefore your daughters shall go a-whoring, and your daughters-in-law shall commit adultery.
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And I will not visit upon your daughters when they shall commit fornication, nor your daughters-in-law when they shall commit adultery: for they themselves mingled themselves with harlots, and sacrificed with polluted ones, and the people that understood not entangled itself with a harlot.
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But thou, Israel, be not ignorant, and go ye not, [men of] Juda, to Galgala; and go not up to the house of On, and swear not by the living Lord.
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For Israel was maddened like a mad heifer: now the Lord will feed them as a lamb in a wide place.
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Ephraim, joined with idols, has laid stumbling-blocks in his own way.
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He has chosen the Chananites: they have grievously gone a-whoring: they have loved dishonour through her insolence.
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Thou art a blast of wind in her wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their altars.
vul1914 (vul1914) - Vulgate 1914 UTF-8 (sacredbible.org)
1
Audite verbum Domini filii Israel, quia iudicium Domino cum habitatoribus terræ: non est enim veritas, et non est misericordia, et non est scientia Dei in terra.
2
Maledictum, et mendacium, et homicidium, et furtum, et adulterium inundaverunt, et sanguis sanguinem tetigit.
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Propter hoc lugebit terra, et infirmabitur omnis, qui habitat in ea, in bestia agri, et in volucre cæli: sed et pisces maris congregabuntur.
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Verumtamen unusquisque non iudicet: et non arguatur vir: populus enim tuus sicut hi, qui contradicunt sacerdoti.
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Et corrues hodie, et corruet etiam propheta tecum: nocte tacere feci matrem tuam.
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Conticuit populus meus, eo quod non habuerit scientiam: quia tu scientiam repulisti, repellam te, ne sacerdotio fungaris mihi: et oblita es legis Dei tui, obliviscar filiorum tuorum et ego.
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Secundum multitudinem eorum sic peccaverunt mihi: gloriam eorum in ignominiam commutabo.
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Peccata populi mei comedent, et ad iniquitatem eorum sublevabunt animas eorum.
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Et erit sicut populus, sic sacerdos: et visitabo super eum vias eius, et cogitationes eius reddam ei.
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Et comedent, et non saturabuntur: fornicati sunt, et non cessaverunt: quoniam Dominum dereliquerunt in non custodiendo.
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Fornicatio, et vinum, et ebrietas auferunt cor.
12
Populus meus in ligno suo interrogavit, et baculus eius annunciavit ei: spiritus enim fornicationum decepit eos, et fornicati sunt a Deo suo.
13
Super capita montium sacrificabant, et super colles ascendebant thymiama: subtus quercum, et populum, et terebinthum, quia bona erat umbra eius: ideo fornicabuntur filiæ vestræ, et sponsæ vestræ adulteræ erunt.
14
Non visitabo super filias vestras cum fuerint fornicatæ, et super sponsas vestras cum adulteraverint: quoniam ipsi cum meretricibus conversabantur, et cum effeminatis sacrificabant, et populus non intelligens vapulabit.
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Si fornicaris tu Israel, non delinquat saltem Iuda: et nolite ingredi in Galgala, et ne ascenderitis in Bethaven, neque iuraveritis: Vivit Dominus.
16
Quoniam sicut vacca lasciviens declinavit Israel: nunc pascet eos Dominus, quasi agnum in latitudine.
17
Particeps idolorum Ephraim, dimitte eum.
18
Separatum est convivium eorum, fornicatione fornicati sunt: dilexerunt afferre ignominiam protectores eius.
19
Ligavit eum spiritus in alis suis, et confundentur a sacrificiis suis.
web (web) - WorldEnglish.Bible — CC0 modern update of ASV
1
Hear the LORD’s word, you children of Israel, for the LORD has a charge against the inhabitants of the land: “Indeed there is no truth, nor goodness, nor knowledge of God in the land.
2
There is cursing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery; they break boundaries, and bloodshed causes bloodshed.
3
Therefore the land will mourn, and everyone who dwells in it will waste away, with all living things in her, even the animals of the field and the birds of the sky; yes, the fish of the sea also die.
4
“Yet let no man bring a charge, neither let any man accuse; for your people are like those who bring charges against a priest.
5
You will stumble in the day, and the prophet will also stumble with you in the night; and I will destroy your mother.
6
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you, that you may be no priest to me. Because you have forgotten your God’s law, I will also forget your children.
7
As they were multiplied, so they sinned against me. I will change their glory into shame.
8
They feed on the sin of my people, and set their heart on their iniquity.
9
It will be like people, like priest; and I will punish them for their ways, and will repay them for their deeds.
10
They will eat, and not have enough. They will play the prostitute, and will not increase; because they have abandoned listening to the LORD.
11
Prostitution, wine, and new wine take away understanding.
12
My people consult with their wooden idol, and answer to a stick of wood. Indeed the spirit of prostitution has led them astray, and they have been unfaithful to their God.
13
They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains, and burn incense on the hills, under oaks, poplars, and terebinths, because its shade is good. Therefore your daughters play the prostitute, and your brides commit adultery.
14
I will not punish your daughters when they play the prostitute, nor your brides when they commit adultery; because the men consort with prostitutes, and they sacrifice with the shrine prostitutes; so the people without understanding will come to ruin.
15
“Though you, Israel, play the prostitute, yet don’t let Judah offend; and don’t come to Gilgal, neither go up to Beth Aven, nor swear, ‘As the LORD lives.’
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For Israel has behaved extremely stubbornly, like a stubborn heifer. Then how will the LORD feed them like a lamb in a meadow?
17
Ephraim is joined to idols. Leave him alone!
18
Their drink has become sour. They play the prostitute continually. Her rulers dearly love their shameful way.
19
The wind has wrapped her up in its wings; and they shall be disappointed because of their sacrifices.
ylt (ylt) - Bible.com YLT98 plain UTF-8
1
`Hear a word of Jehovah, sons of Israel, For a strife <FI>is<Fi> to Jehovah with inhabitants of the land, For there is no truth, nor kindness, Nor knowledge of God, in the land,
2
Swearing, and lying, and murdering, And stealing, and committing adultery--have increased, And blood against blood hath touched.
3
Therefore mourn doth the land, And weak is every dweller in it, With the beast of the field, And with the fowl of the heavens, And the fishes of the sea--they are removed.
4
Only, let no one strive, nor reprove a man, And thy people <FI>are<Fi> as those striving with a priest.
5
And thou hast stumbled in the day, And stumbled hath also a prophet with thee in the night, And I have cut off thy mother.
6
Cut off have been My people for lack of knowledge, Because thou knowledge hast rejected, I reject thee from being priest to Me, And thou forgettest the law of thy God, I forget thy sons, I also!
7
According to their abundance so they sinned against Me, Their honour into shame I change.
8
The sin of My people they do eat, And unto their iniquity lift up their soul.
9
And it hath been, like people, like priest, And I have charged on it its ways, And its habitual doings I return to it.
10
And they have eaten, and are not satisfied, They have gone a-whoring, and increase not, For they have left off taking heed to Jehovah.
11
Whoredom, and wine, and new wine, take the heart,
12
My people at its staff asketh and its rod declareth to it, For a spirit of whoredoms hath caused to err, And they go a-whoring from under their God.
13
On tops of the mountains they do sacrifice, And on the hills they make perfume, Under oak, and poplar, and terebinth, For good <FI>is<Fi> its shade.
14
Therefore commit whoredom do your daughters, And your spouses commit adultery, I do not see after your daughters when they commit whoredom, And after your spouses when they commit adultery, For they with the harlots are separated, And with the whores they do sacrifice, A people that doth not understand kicketh.
15
Though a harlot thou <FI>art<Fi> , O Israel, Let not Judah become guilty, And come not ye in to Gilgal, nor go up to Beth-Aven, Nor swear ye, Jehovah liveth.
16
For as a refractory heifer hath Israel turned aside, Now doth Jehovah feed them as a lamb in a large place.
17
Joined to idols <FI>is<Fi> Ephraim, let him alone.
18
Sour <FI>is<Fi> their drink, They have gone diligently a-whoring, Her protectors have loved shame thoroughly.
19
Distressed her hath wind with its wings, And they are ashamed of their sacrifices!
Explanations by Age Level
Explain Like I'm 5
A long, long time ago, there was nothing at all - no earth, no sky, no animals, no people. It was all dark and empty. But God was there! God is so powerful that He can make anything just by speaking. So God said "Let there be light!" and BOOM! There was light everywhere! God saw that the light was beautiful and good. He called the light "day" and the darkness "night." This was the very first day when God started making our wonderful world!
Explain Like I'm 10
Before anything existed - no planets, stars, or life - God decided to create the universe. The earth started out as a dark, empty place covered with water. But God's Spirit was there, ready to bring order and beauty to everything. When God spoke and said "Let there be light," light immediately appeared because God's words have incredible power. God looked at the light and was pleased with what He had made. He organized time by separating light (day) from darkness (night), creating the first 24-hour period. This shows us that God is organized and purposeful in everything He does.
Explain Like I'm 15
Genesis 1:1-5 establishes fundamental theological truths about God and creation. The Hebrew word "bara" (created) indicates creation from nothing (ex nihilo), demonstrating God's absolute sovereignty and power. The phrase "without form and void" (tohu wa-bohu) describes a state of chaos that God transforms into order. The Spirit of God "hovering" or "brooding" over the waters suggests active, caring involvement in creation. The creation of light before the sun (created on day 4) indicates that God Himself is the ultimate source of light and energy. The establishment of day and night creates the framework of time, showing that God operates within orderly patterns while transcending them. This passage refutes both atheistic materialism and pantheism, establishing that God is both transcendent (separate from creation) and immanent (actively involved in it).