Hosea Chapter 4 (NIV)
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The Charge Against IsraelHear the word of the Lord, you Israelites,because the Lord has a charge to bringagainst you who live in the land:“There is no faithfulness, no love,no acknowledgment of God in the land.
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There is only cursing, lying and murder,stealing and adultery;they break all bounds,and bloodshed follows bloodshed.
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Because of this the land mourns,and all who live in it waste away;the beasts of the field and the birds of the airand the fish of the sea are dying.
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“But let no man bring a charge,let no man accuse another,for your people are like thosewho bring charges against a priest.
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You stumble day and night,and the prophets stumble with you.So I will destroy your mother—
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my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.“Because you have rejected knowledge,I also reject you as my priests;because you have ignored the law of your God,I also will ignore your children.
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The more the priests increased,the more they sinned against me;they exchanged their Glory for something disgraceful.
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They feed on the sins of my peopleand relish their wickedness.
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And it will be: Like people, like priests.I will punish both of them for their waysand repay them for their deeds.
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“They will eat but not have enough;they will engage in prostitution but not increase,because they have deserted the Lordto give themselves
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to prostitution,to old wine and new,which take away the understanding
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of my people.They consult a wooden idoland are answered by a stick of wood.A spirit of prostitution leads them astray;they are unfaithful to their God.
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They sacrifice on the mountaintopsand burn offerings on the hills,under oak, poplar and terebinth,where the shade is pleasant.Therefore your daughters turn to prostitutionand your daughters-in-law to adultery.
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“I will not punish your daughterswhen they turn to prostitution,nor your daughters-in-lawwhen they commit adultery,because the men themselves consort with harlotsand sacrifice with shrine prostitutes—a people without understanding will come to ruin!
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“Though you commit adultery, O Israel,let not Judah become guilty.“Do not go to Gilgal;do not go up to Beth Aven.And do not swear, ‘As surely as the Lord lives!’
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The Israelites are stubborn,like a stubborn heifer.How then can the Lord pasture themlike lambs in a meadow?
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Ephraim is joined to idols;leave him alone!
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Even when their drinks are gone,they continue their prostitution;their rulers dearly love shameful ways.
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A whirlwind will sweep them away,and their sacrifices will bring them shame.
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