Hosea

Hear the word of GOD,O people of Israel!For GOD has a caseAgainst the inhabitants of this land,Because there is no honesty and no goodnessAnd no devotion to God in the land.

[False] swearing, dishonesty, and murder,And theft and adultery are rife;Crime follows upon crime!

For that, the earth is withered:Everything that dwells on it languishes—Beasts of the field and birds of the sky—Even the fish of the sea perish.

“Let no one rebuke; let no one protest!”For this, your people has a grievance against [you], O priest!aFor this, your people has a grievance against [you], O priest! For failing to reprove; but meaning of Heb. uncertain.

So you shall stumble by day,And by night a prophetba prophet Emendation yields “your children”; cf. v. 6 end. shall stumble as well,And I will destroy your kindred.ckindred Lit. “mother.”

My people is destroyed for the lack of devotion!Because you have rejected devotion,I reject you as My priest;Because you have spurned the teaching of your God,I, in turn, will spurn your children.

The more they increased, the more they sinned against Me:I will change their dignity to dishonor.

They feed on My people’s purgation offerings,And so they desire its iniquity.

Therefore, the people shall fare like the priests:I will punish it for its conduct,I will requite it for its deeds.

Truly, they shall eat, but not be sated;They shall swill,dswill For this meaning of hiznah cf. v. 18. but not be satisfied,Because they have forsaken GOD To practiceepractice Cf. 12.7.

lechery.WinefWine Emendation yields “New grain”; cf. 7.14; 9.1–2. and new wine destroyThe mind of

My people:It consults its stick,gstick I.e., its phallus, meaning “its lust.” Its rodhrod I.e., its phallus, meaning “its lust.” directs it!A lecherous impulse has made them go wrong,And they have strayedistrayed See note at 1.2. from submission to their God.

They sacrifice on the mountaintopsAnd offer on the hills,Under oaks, poplars, and terebinthsWhose shade is so pleasant.That is why theirjtheir Heb. “your,” here and through v. 14. daughters fornicateAnd their daughters-in-law commit adultery!

I will not punish their daughters for fornicatingNor their daughters-in-law for committing adultery;For they themselves turn asidekturn aside Meaning of Heb. uncertain. with whoresAnd sacrifice with female consecrated workers,lfemale consecrated workers Or “female retainers”; meaning of Heb. qedeshot uncertain. And a people that is without sensemwithout sense Cf. vv. 11–12. must stumble.

If you are a lecher, Israel—Let not Judah incur guilt—Do not come to Gilgal,nDo not come to Gilgal One who participates in the debaucheries of the open-air shrines is not fit to visit a temple building. Do not make pilgrimages to Beth-aven,oBeth-aven Lit. “House of Delusion,” substituted for Bethel (cf. Amos 4.4). And do not swear by GOD!pdo not swear by GOD I.e., you are not fit to profess this religion; see Jer. 12.16.

Ah, Israel has balkedLike a stubborn cow;Therefore, GOD will graze himOn the range, like a sheep.qgraze him / On the range, like a sheep Instead of giving them fodder in return for their work; cf. Isa. 30.23–24.

rMeaning of vv. 17–19 uncertain in part. Ephraim is addicted to images—Let him be.

They drink to excess—Their liquor turns against them.They “love” beyond measure—Disgrace is the “gift”

That the wind is bringing;sis bringing Lit. “has bound up in the corners of its garment”; see note at Mal. 3.20. They shall garner shame from their sacrifices.