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
    and sacrifice with shrine-prostitutes –
    a people without understanding will come to ruin!

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

‘Do not go to Gilgal;
    do not go up to Beth Aven.[a]
    And do not swear, “As surely as the Lord lives!”
16 The Israelites are stubborn,
    like a stubborn heifer.
How then can the Lord pasture them
    like lambs in a meadow?

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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).

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(A)
    and sacrifice with shrine prostitutes(B)
    a people without understanding(C) will come to ruin!(D)

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

“Do not go to Gilgal;(E)
    do not go up to Beth Aven.[a](F)
    And do not swear, ‘As surely as the Lord lives!’(G)
16 The Israelites are stubborn,(H)
    like a stubborn heifer.(I)
How then can the Lord pasture them
    like lambs(J) in a meadow?

Read full chapter

Footnotes

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