Font Size
Hosea 4
Expanded Bible
Hosea 4
Expanded Bible
The Lord’s Word Against Israel
4 ·People [L Sons; T Children] of Israel, ·listen to the Lord’s message [hear the word of the Lord].
The Lord has a ·charge [case; lawsuit; or dispute] to bring
against you who live in the land:
“·The people are not true, not loyal to God [L There is no truth/faithfulness, there is no mercy/lovingkindness],
nor do those who live in the land even know him [there is no knowledge of God in the land].
2 [L There is only] Cursing, lying, ·killing [murder], stealing and adultery are everywhere.
·One murder follows another [L They break out and blood touches blood].
3 Because of this the land ·dries up [or mourns],
and all its ·people [inhabitants] ·are dying [languish; waste away].
Even the ·wild animals [L beasts of the field] and the birds of the air
and the fish of the sea are ·dying [gathered; taken/swept away].
God’s Case Against the Priests
4 “·No one should [Let no one] ·accuse [bring a charge]
or ·blame [contend against] another person.
·Don’t blame the people, you priests,
when they quarrel with you [or For my case is against you, the priests].
5 You will ·be ruined [stumble] in the day,
and your prophets will ·be ruined [stumble] with you in the night.
I will also destroy your mother [C Israel].
6 My people ·will be [or are being] destroyed,
because they ·have no [lack] knowledge.
You have ·refused to learn [rejected knowledge; or failed to acknowledge me],
so I will ·refuse to let you be [reject you as] priests to me.
You have forgotten the ·teachings [law; C Hebrew: Torah] of your God,
so I will forget your children.
7 The more priests ·there are [increase],
the more they sin against me.
·I will take away their honor
and give them shame
[or They have exchanged the glory of God
for the shamefulness (of idols); Rom. 1:23].
8 Since the priests ·live off [L eat; feed on] the ·sin offerings [or sin] of the people,
they ·want the people to sin more and more [relish/long for their iniquity].
9 ·The priests are as wrong as the people [L And it will be: like people, like priest],
and I will punish them both for ·what they have done [their ways].
I will repay them for the ·wrong [L acts; deeds] they have done.
10 “They will eat
but not have enough;
they will ·have sexual relations with the prostitutes [or behave like prostitutes],
but they will not ·have children [or gain anything; L multiply; increase],
because they have ·left [deserted; abandoned] the Lord
to give themselves to 11 ·prostitution [immorality],
to old and new wine,
which take away ·their ability to understand [L the heart].
God’s Case Against the People
12 “My people ask wooden idols for ·advice [counsel];
they ask ·those sticks of wood [or divining rods/staffs] to advise them!
·Like prostitutes, they have chased after other gods [L A spirit/wind of prostitution leads/blows them astray]
·and have left [committing adultery against; being unfaithful to] their own God.
13 They make sacrifices on the tops of the mountains [C places of pagan worship].
They burn offerings on the hills,
under oaks, poplars, and ·other trees [terebinths],
because their shade is ·nice [pleasant].
So your daughters become prostitutes [C cultic prostitutes in pagan temples],
and your daughters-in-law are guilty of adultery.
14 “But I will not punish your daughters
for becoming prostitutes,
nor your daughters-in-law
for their sins of adultery.
I will not punish them,
because the men ·have sexual relations [go off] with prostitutes
and offer sacrifices with the ·temple [cult; shrine] prostitutes.
A ·foolish people [people without knowledge/discernment] will be ·ruined [destroyed].
15 “Israel, you ·act like a prostitute [or commit adultery],
but do not let Judah be guilty toward the Lord.
Don’t go to Gilgal [C a city where false worship was taking place]
or go up to Beth Aven [C “house of wickedness,” a derogatory name for Bethel, “house of God”].
Don’t ·make promises [swear],
saying, ‘As surely as the Lord lives…’
16 The people of Israel are stubborn
like a stubborn ·young cow [heifer].
·Now the Lord will [or Should the Lord now…?] feed them
like lambs in ·the open country [a broad meadow].
17 ·The Israelites [L Ephraim; C the leading tribe of the northern kingdom of Israel] ·have chosen to worship [L is joined to] idols,
so leave ·them [L him] alone.
18 When they finish their drinking,
they ·completely [or constantly] ·give themselves to being prostitutes [engage in prostitution; or go off with prostitutes];
·they [or their rulers; L their shields] love these ·disgraceful [shameful] ways.
19 They will be ·swept away as if by [wrapped up in] a whirlwind,
and their sacrifices will bring them only shame.
Hosea 4
New International Version
Hosea 4
New International Version
The Charge Against Israel
4 Hear the word of the Lord, you Israelites,
because the Lord has a charge(A) to bring
against you who live in the land:(B)
“There is no faithfulness,(C) no love,
no acknowledgment(D) of God in the land.(E)
2 There is only cursing,[a] lying(F) and murder,(G)
stealing(H) and adultery;(I)
they break all bounds,
and bloodshed follows bloodshed.(J)
3 Because of this the land dries up,(K)
and all who live in it waste away;(L)
the beasts of the field, the birds in the sky
and the fish in the sea are swept away.(M)
4 “But let no one bring a charge,
let no one accuse another,
for your people are like those
who bring charges against a priest.(N)
5 You stumble(O) day and night,
and the prophets stumble with you.
So I will destroy your mother(P)—
6 my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.(Q)
“Because you have rejected knowledge,
I also reject you as my priests;
because you have ignored the law(R) of your God,
I also will ignore your children.
7 The more priests there were,
the more they sinned against me;
they exchanged their glorious God[b](S) for something disgraceful.(T)
8 They feed on the sins of my people
and relish their wickedness.(U)
9 And it will be: Like people, like priests.(V)
I will punish both of them for their ways
and repay them for their deeds.(W)
10 “They will eat but not have enough;(X)
they will engage in prostitution(Y) but not flourish,
because they have deserted(Z) the Lord
to give themselves 11 to prostitution;(AA)
old wine(AB) and new wine
take away their understanding.(AC)
12 My people consult a wooden idol,(AD)
and a diviner’s rod speaks to them.(AE)
A spirit of prostitution(AF) leads them astray;(AG)
they are unfaithful(AH) to their God.
13 They sacrifice on the mountaintops
and burn offerings on the hills,
under oak,(AI) poplar and terebinth,
where the shade is pleasant.(AJ)
Therefore your daughters turn to prostitution(AK)
and your daughters-in-law to adultery.(AL)
14 “I will not punish your daughters
when they turn to prostitution,
nor your daughters-in-law
when they commit adultery,
because the men themselves consort with harlots(AM)
and sacrifice with shrine prostitutes(AN)—
a people without understanding(AO) will come to ruin!(AP)
15 “Though you, Israel, commit adultery,
do not let Judah become guilty.
“Do not go to Gilgal;(AQ)
do not go up to Beth Aven.[c](AR)
And do not swear, ‘As surely as the Lord lives!’(AS)
16 The Israelites are stubborn,(AT)
like a stubborn heifer.(AU)
How then can the Lord pasture them
like lambs(AV) in a meadow?
17 Ephraim is joined to idols;
leave him alone!
18 Even when their drinks are gone,
they continue their prostitution;
their rulers dearly love shameful ways.
19 A whirlwind(AW) will sweep them away,
and their sacrifices will bring them shame.(AX)
Footnotes
- Hosea 4:2 That is, to pronounce a curse on
- Hosea 4:7 Syriac (see also an ancient Hebrew scribal tradition); Masoretic Text me; / I will exchange their glory
- Hosea 4:15 Beth Aven means house of wickedness (a derogatory name for Bethel, which means house of God).
Expanded Bible (EXB)
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.