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Hosea / Israel's Corruption and Priestly Failure
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Israel's Corruption and Priestly Failure

Hosea 4:1-19

4
Chapter 4
1 Hear the word of the LORD, you sons of Israel, for the LORD has a dispute with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth or steadfast love or knowledge of God in the land. 2 Cursing and dealing falsely and deliberate murder and stealing and adultery—they have broken through, and blood touching blood they have touched. 3 Therefore the land will mourn, and everyone dwelling in it will languish, the wild animals of the field and the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea will also be gathered up. 4 But let no one strive or rebuke, like priestly striving. 5 You shall stumble today, and a prophet shall stumble with you in the night, and I will darken your mother. 6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being priest to me. And because you have forgotten the Torah of your God, I will forget your sons, even I. 7 As their glory, so they have sinned against me; their glory I will exchange for shame. 8 They eat the sin offering of my people, and their soul lifts toward their iniquity. 9 And it will be: like people, like priest. I will visit his ways upon him, and his deeds I will return to him. 10 And they will eat but not be satisfied; they have prostituted themselves but not broken through, for they have abandoned the LORD to guard it. 11 Prostitution, wine, and new wine take away the heart. 12 My people ask counsel at his tree, and his staff declares to him, for a spirit of prostitutions has caused them to go astray, and they have prostituted themselves from under their gods. 13 On the heads of the mountains they sacrifice, and on the hills they burn incense under oak and white poplar and terebinth because its shade is good. Therefore your daughters will prostitute, and your daughters-in-law will commit adultery. 14 I will not visit upon your daughters when they prostitute and upon your brides when they commit adultery, for they separate with the prostitutes and sacrifice with the sacred women and so become entangled with those who do not understand. 15 If you prostitute yourself, Israel, let not Judah be guilty, and do not come to Gilgal, do not go up to the house of Iniquity, and do not swear, "As the living LORD lives." 16 For a young cow has rebelled; Israel has rebelled. Now the LORD will evil-them like a lamb in open space. 17 Ephraim is joined to idols; leave him alone. 18 Their drink has turned aside; they have whored prostitution; they have loved it; give shame to their shields. 19 He bound her wind in her wings, and they were ashamed because of their altars.