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13 You offer sacrifices
    on mountaintops and hills,
under oak trees, and wherever
    good shade is found.

Your own daughters
and daughters-in-law
    sell themselves for sex.
14 But I won't punish them.
    You men are to blame,
because you go to prostitutes
and offer sacrifices with them
    at pagan shrines.
Your own foolishness
    will lead to your ruin.
15 Israel, you are unfaithful,
    but don't lead Judah to sin.
Stop worshiping at Gilgal
    or at sinful Bethel.[a]
And quit making promises
in my name—the name
    of the living Lord.

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Footnotes

  1. 4.15 sinful Bethel: The Hebrew text has “Beth-Aven,” which means “house of sin” or “house of nothing,” referring to “Bethel,” which means “house of God.”

13 They sacrifice on the mountaintops
    and burn offerings on the hills,
under oak,(A) poplar and terebinth,
    where the shade is pleasant.(B)
Therefore your daughters turn to prostitution(C)
    and your daughters-in-law to adultery.(D)

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(E)
    and sacrifice with shrine prostitutes(F)
    a people without understanding(G) will come to ruin!(H)

15 “Though you, Israel, commit adultery,
    do not let Judah become guilty.

“Do not go to Gilgal;(I)
    do not go up to Beth Aven.[a](J)
    And do not swear, ‘As surely as the Lord lives!’(K)

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Footnotes

  1. Hosea 4:15 Beth Aven means house of wickedness (a derogatory name for Bethel, which means house of God).