הוֹשֵׁעַ

Hosea — Chapter 4

Read Hosea Chapter 4 in Biblical Hebrew alongside the King James Version (KJV) — 19 verses. Original Hebrew text with vowel points (nikud) and full English translation.

שִׁמְע֥וּ דְבַר־יְהוָ֖ה בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל כִּ֣י רִ֤יב לַֽיהוָה֙ עִם־יוֹשְׁבֵ֣י הָאָ֔רֶץ כִּ֠י אֵין־אֱמֶ֧ת וְֽאֵין־חֶ֛סֶד וְאֵֽין־דַּ֥עַת אֱלֹהִ֖ים בָּאָֽרֶץ׃

KJVHear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because {there is} no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.

Hear Yahweh’s word, you children of Israel; for Yahweh has a charge against the inhabitants of the land: “Indeed there is no truth, nor goodness, nor knowledge of God in the land.

אָלֹ֣ה וְכַחֵ֔שׁ וְרָצֹ֥חַ וְגָנֹ֖ב וְנָאֹ֑ף פָּרָ֕צוּ וְדָמִ֥ים בְּדָמִ֖ים נָגָֽעוּ׃

KJVBy swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood. {blood: Heb. bloods}

There is cursing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery; they break boundaries, and bloodshed causes bloodshed.

עַל־כֵּ֣ן ׀ תֶּאֱבַ֣ל הָאָ֗רֶץ וְאֻמְלַל֙ כָּל־יוֹשֵׁ֣ב בָּ֔הּ בְּחַיַּ֥ת הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה וּבְע֣וֹף הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם וְגַם־דְּגֵ֥י הַיָּ֖ם יֵאָסֵֽפוּ׃

KJVTherefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.

Therefore the land will mourn, and everyone who dwells therein will waste away. all living things in her, even the animals of the field and the birds of the sky; yes, the fish of the sea also die.

אַ֥ךְ אִ֛ישׁ אַל־יָרֵ֖ב וְאַל־יוֹכַ֣ח אִ֑ישׁ וְעַמְּךָ֖ כִּמְרִיבֵ֥י כֹהֵֽן׃

KJVYet let no man strive, nor reprove another: for thy people {are} as they that strive with the priest.

“Yet let no man bring a charge, neither let any man accuse; For your people are like those who bring charges against a priest.

וְכָשַׁלְתָּ֣ הַיּ֔וֹם וְכָשַׁ֧ל גַּם־נָבִ֛יא עִמְּךָ֖ לָ֑יְלָה וְדָמִ֖יתִי אִמֶּֽךָ׃

KJVTherefore shalt thou fall in the day, and the prophet also shall fall with thee in the night, and I will destroy thy mother. {destroy: Heb. cut off}

You will stumble in the day, and the prophet will also stumble with you in the night; and I will destroy your mother.

נִדְמ֥וּ עַמִּ֖י מִבְּלִ֣י הַדָּ֑עַת כִּֽי־אַתָּ֞ה הַדַּ֣עַת מָאַ֗סְתָּ וְאֶמְאָֽסְאךָ֙ מִכַּהֵ֣ן לִ֔י וַתִּשְׁכַּח֙ תּוֹרַ֣ת אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ אֶשְׁכַּ֥ח בָּנֶ֖יךָ גַּם־אָֽנִי׃

KJVMy people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. {destroyed: Heb. cut off}

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you, that you may be no priest to me. Because you have forgotten your God’s law, I will also forget your children.

כְּרֻבָּ֖ם כֵּ֣ן חָֽטְאוּ־לִ֑י כְּבוֹדָ֖ם בְּקָל֥וֹן אָמִֽיר׃

KJVAs they were increased, so they sinned against me: {therefore} will I change their glory into shame.

As they were multiplied, so they sinned against me. I will change their glory into shame.

חַטַּ֥את עַמִּ֖י יֹאכֵ֑לוּ וְאֶל־עֲוֺנָ֖ם יִשְׂא֥וּ נַפְשֽׁוֹ׃

KJVThey eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity. {set...: Heb. lift up their soul to}

They feed on the sin of my people, and set their heart on their iniquity.

וְהָיָ֥ה כָעָ֖ם כַּכֹּהֵ֑ן וּפָקַדְתִּ֤י עָלָיו֙ דְּרָכָ֔יו וּמַעֲלָלָ֖יו אָשִׁ֥יב לֽוֹ׃

KJVAnd there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings. {punish: Heb. visit upon} {reward: Heb. cause to return}

It will be, like people, like priest; and I will punish them for their ways, and will repay them for their deeds.

וְאָֽכְלוּ֙ וְלֹ֣א יִשְׂבָּ֔עוּ הִזְנ֖וּ וְלֹ֣א יִפְרֹ֑צוּ כִּֽי־אֶת־יְהוָ֥ה עָזְב֖וּ לִשְׁמֹֽר׃

KJVFor they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall commit whoredom, and shall not increase: because they have left off to take heed to the LORD.

They will eat, and not have enough. They will play the prostitute, and will not increase; because they have abandoned giving to Yahweh.

זְנ֛וּת וְיַ֥יִן וְתִיר֖וֹשׁ יִֽקַּֽח־לֵֽב׃

KJVWhoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart.

Prostitution, wine, and new wine take away understanding.

עַמִּי֙ בְּעֵצ֣וֹ יִשְׁאָ֔ל וּמַקְל֖וֹ יַגִּ֣יד ל֑וֹ כִּ֣י ר֤וּחַ זְנוּנִים֙ הִתְעָ֔ה וַיִּזְנ֖וּ מִתַּ֥חַת אֱלֹהֵיהֶֽם׃

KJVMy people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them: for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused {them} to err, and they have gone a whoring from under their God.

My people consult with their wooden idol, and answer to a stick of wood. Indeed the spirit of prostitution has led them astray, and they have been unfaithful to their God.

עַל־רָאשֵׁ֨י הֶהָרִ֜ים יְזַבֵּ֗חוּ וְעַל־הַגְּבָעוֹת֙ יְקַטֵּ֔רוּ תַּ֣חַת אַלּ֧וֹן וְלִבְנֶ֛ה וְאֵלָ֖ה כִּ֣י ט֣וֹב צִלָּ֑הּ עַל־כֵּ֗ן תִּזְנֶ֙ינָה֙ בְּנ֣וֹתֵיכֶ֔ם וְכַלּוֹתֵיכֶ֖ם תְּנָאַֽפְנָה׃

KJVThey sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under oaks and poplars and elms, because the shadow thereof {is} good: therefore your daughters shall commit whoredom, and your spouses shall commit adultery.

They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains, and burn incense on the hills, under oaks and poplars and terebinths, because its shade is good. Therefore your daughters play the prostitute, and your brides commit adultery.

לֹֽא־אֶפְק֨וֹד עַל־בְּנוֹתֵיכֶ֜ם כִּ֣י תִזְנֶ֗ינָה וְעַל־כַּלּֽוֹתֵיכֶם֙ כִּ֣י תְנָאַ֔פְנָה כִּי־הֵם֙ עִם־הַזֹּנ֣וֹת יְפָרֵ֔דוּ וְעִם־הַקְּדֵשׁ֖וֹת יְזַבֵּ֑חוּ וְעָ֥ם לֹֽא־יָבִ֖ין יִלָּבֵֽט׃

KJVI will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom, nor your spouses when they commit adultery: for themselves are separated with whores, and they sacrifice with harlots: therefore the people {that} doth not understand shall fall. {I will not: or, Shall I not} {fall: or, be punished}

I will not punish your daughters when they play the prostitute, nor your brides when they commit adultery; because the men consort with prostitutes, and they sacrifice with the shrine prostitutes; so the people without understanding will come to ruin.

אִם־זֹנֶ֤ה אַתָּה֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אַל־יֶאְשַׁ֖ם יְהוּדָ֑ה וְאַל־תָּבֹ֣אוּ הַגִּלְגָּ֗ל וְאַֽל־תַּעֲלוּ֙ בֵּ֣ית אָ֔וֶן וְאַל־תִּשָּׁבְע֖וּ חַי־יְהוָֽה׃

KJVThough thou, Israel, play the harlot, {yet} let not Judah offend; and come not ye unto Gilgal, neither go ye up to Bethaven, nor swear, The LORD liveth.

“Though you, Israel, play the prostitute, yet don’t let Judah offend; and don’t come to Gilgal, neither go up to Beth Aven, nor swear, ‘As Yahweh lives.’

כִּ֚י כְּפָרָ֣ה סֹֽרֵרָ֔ה סָרַ֖ר יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל עַתָּה֙ יִרְעֵ֣ם יְהוָ֔ה כְּכֶ֖בֶשׂ בַּמֶּרְחָֽב׃

KJVFor Israel slideth back as a backsliding heifer: now the LORD will feed them as a lamb in a large place.

For Israel has behaved extremely stubbornly, like a stubborn heifer. Then how will Yahweh feed them like a lamb in a meadow.

חֲב֧וּר עֲצַבִּ֛ים אֶפְרָ֖יִם הַֽנַּֽח־לֽוֹ׃

KJVEphraim {is} joined to idols: let him alone.

Ephraim is joined to idols. Leave him alone!

סָ֖ר סָבְאָ֑ם הַזְנֵ֣ה הִזְנ֔וּ אָהֲב֥וּ הֵב֛וּ קָל֖וֹן מָגִנֶּֽיהָ׃

KJVTheir drink is sour: they have committed whoredom continually: her rulers {with} shame do love, Give ye. {sour: Heb. gone} {rulers: Heb. shields}

Their drink has become sour. They play the prostitute continually. Her rulers dearly love their shameful way.

צָרַ֥ר ר֛וּחַ אוֹתָ֖הּ בִּכְנָפֶ֑יהָ וְיֵבֹ֖שׁוּ מִזִּבְחוֹתָֽם

KJVThe wind hath bound her up in her wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.

The wind has wrapped her up in its wings; and they shall be disappointed because of their sacrifices.