Read Scripturead-freewith Bible Gateway Plus—trusted Study Bibles and commentaries beside every verse. Try it FREE for 7 days.
Log In/Sign Up

#
Hosea 4
New International Version

### The Charge Against Israel

4 Hear the word of theLord, you Israelites,
because theLordhas 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)theLord
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 theLordlives!’(AS)
16 The Israelites are stubborn,(AT)
like a stubborn heifer.(AU)
How then can theLordpasture 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

1. Hosea 4:2 That is, to pronounce a curse on
2. Hosea 4:7 Syriac (see also an ancient Hebrew scribal tradition); Masoretic Textme; / I will exchange their glory
3. Hosea 4:15 Beth Avenmeanshouse of wickedness(a derogatory name for Bethel, which meanshouse of God).

#### Cross references

1. Hosea 4:1:S Job 10:2; S Jer 2:9
2. Hosea 4:1:Joel 1:2, 14
3. Hosea 4:1:S Pr 24:2
4. Hosea 4:1:S Pr 10:21; S Isa 1:3; Jer 7:28; S Hos 2:20
5. Hosea 4:1:S Jer 51:5
6. Hosea 4:2:Isa 59:3; Hos 7:3; 10:4; 11:12
7. Hosea 4:2:Hos 5:2; 6:9
8. Hosea 4:2:Hos 7:1
9. Hosea 4:2:S Jer 9:2
10. Hosea 4:2:S 2Ki 21:16; S Isa 1:15; S Eze 22:2, 9; Hos 5:2; 10:13
11. Hosea 4:3:S Jer 4:28
12. Hosea 4:3:S Isa 15:6; S 33:9
13. Hosea 4:3:S Jer 4:25; S 9:10; S Eze 38:20; Zep 1:3
14. Hosea 4:4:Dt 17:12; S Eze 3:26
15. Hosea 4:5:S Eze 7:19; S 14:7
16. Hosea 4:5:S Hos 2:2
17. Hosea 4:6:S Pr 10:21; S Isa 1:3; S Hos 2:13; Mal 2:7-8
18. Hosea 4:6:Hos 8:1, 12
19. Hosea 4:7:Hab 2:16
20. Hosea 4:7:Hos 9:11; 10:1, 6; 13:6
21. Hosea 4:8:S Isa 56:11; Hos 14:1; Mic 3:11
22. Hosea 4:9:S Isa 24:2
23. Hosea 4:9:Jer 5:31; Hos 8:13; 9:9, 15; 10:10; 12:2
24. Hosea 4:10:S Lev 26:26; S Isa 55:2; Mic 6:14
25. Hosea 4:10:S Eze 22:9
26. Hosea 4:10:Hos 7:14; 9:17
27. Hosea 4:11:ver 14; Hos 5:4
28. Hosea 4:11:S Lev 10:9; S 1Sa 25:36
29. Hosea 4:11:S Pr 20:1
30. Hosea 4:12:Jer 2:27
31. Hosea 4:12:Hab 2:19
32. Hosea 4:12:S Nu 15:39
33. Hosea 4:12:S Isa 44:20
34. Hosea 4:12:S Ps 73:27
35. Hosea 4:13:S Isa 1:29
36. Hosea 4:13:S Jer 3:6; Hos 10:8; 11:2
37. Hosea 4:13:Jer 2:20; Am 7:17
38. Hosea 4:13:Hos 2:13
39. Hosea 4:14:S ver 11
40. Hosea 4:14:S Ge 38:21; Hos 9:10
41. Hosea 4:14:S Pr 10:21
42. Hosea 4:14:ver 19
43. Hosea 4:15:Hos 9:15; 12:11; Am 4:4; 5:5
44. Hosea 4:15:S Jos 7:2; S Hos 5:8
45. Hosea 4:15:S Jer 4:2
46. Hosea 4:16:S Ex 32:9
47. Hosea 4:16:S Jer 31:18
48. Hosea 4:16:Isa 5:17; 7:25
49. Hosea 4:19:Hos 12:1; 13:15
50. Hosea 4:19:ver 13-14; Isa 1:29

New International Version(NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 byBiblica, Inc.®Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.

### More on the NIV

- Unleash God's Word!

#### Bible Gateway Recommends

NIV, The Story, Hardcover, Comfort Print: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People
Retail: $19.98
Our Price: $7.50
Save: $12.48 (62%)
Buy Now
NIV, Artisan Collection Bible, Gilded Edges, Red Letter Edition, Comfort Print
Retail: $59.99
Our Price: $41.99
Save: $18.00 (30%)
Buy Now
NIV, The Woman's Study Bible, Full-Color, Red Letter: Receiving God's Truth for Balance, Hope, and Transformation
Retail: $49.99
Our Price: $34.99
Save: $15.00 (30%)
Buy Now
NIV, Radiant Virtues Bible: A Beautiful Word Collection, Red Letter Edition, Comfort Print: Explore the virtues of faith, hope, and love
Retail: $69.98
Our Price: $48.99
Save: $20.99 (30%)
Buy Now
NIV, Lucado Encouraging Word Bible, Comfort Print: Holy Bible, New International Version
Retail: $59.99
Our Price: $41.99
Save: $18.00 (30%)
Buy Now
NIV Application Bible, Red Letter, Comfort Print: Bringing the Ancient Message of the Bible into Your World
Retail: $54.99
Our Price: $35.00
Save: $19.99 (36%)
Buy Now
View more titles