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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"><title>Hosea 4 CEV</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/hosea/4.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="../topmenuchap/hosea/4-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="//biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">CEV</a> > Hosea 4</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../hosea/3.htm" title="Hosea 3">◄</a> Hosea 4 <a href="../hosea/5.htm" title="Hosea 5">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading">Contemporary English Version</div><div class="chap"><h3 class="s1">Israel Is Unfaithful</h3><p class="q1"><span class="v28_4_1"><span class="reftext" id="Hos.4.1" class="v28_4_1">1</span>Israel, listen</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v28_4_1">as the <span class="nd">Lord</span> accuses</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v28_4_1">everyone in the land!</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v28_4_1">No one is faithful or loyal</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v28_4_1">or truly cares about God.</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v28_4_2"><span class="reftext" id="Hos.4.2" class="v28_4_2">2</span>Cursing, dishonesty, murder,</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v28_4_2">robbery, unfaithfulness—</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v28_4_2">these happen all the time.</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v28_4_2">Violence is everywhere.</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v28_4_3"><span class="reftext" id="Hos.4.3" class="v28_4_3">3</span>And so your land is a desert.</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v28_4_3">Every living creature is dying—</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v28_4_3">people and wild animals,</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v28_4_3">birds and fish.</span></p><h3 class="s1">The <span class="nd">Lord</span> Warns the Priests</h3><p class="q1"><span class="v28_4_4"><span class="reftext" id="Hos.4.4" class="v28_4_4">4</span>Don't accuse just anyone!</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v28_4_4">Not everyone is at fault.</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v28_4_4">My case is against you,</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v28_4_4">the priests.<a href="#fn" id="link_Hos.4.4!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> </span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v28_4_5"><span class="reftext" id="Hos.4.5" class="v28_4_5">5</span>You and the prophets</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v28_4_5">will stumble day and night;</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v28_4_5">I'll silence your mothers.</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v28_4_6"><span class="reftext" id="Hos.4.6" class="v28_4_6">6</span>You priests have rejected me,</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v28_4_6">and my people are destroyed</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v28_4_6">by refusing to obey.</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v28_4_6">Now I'll reject you and forget</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v28_4_6">your children, because you</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v28_4_6">have forgotten my Law.</span></p><p class="b"></p><p class="q1"><span class="v28_4_7"><span class="reftext" id="Hos.4.7" class="v28_4_7">7</span>By adding more of you priests,</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v28_4_7">you multiply the number</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v28_4_7">of people who sin.</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v28_4_7">Now I'll change your pride</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v28_4_7">into shame.</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v28_4_8"><span class="reftext" id="Hos.4.8" class="v28_4_8">8</span>You encourage others to sin,</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v28_4_8">so you can stuff yourselves</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v28_4_8">on their sin offerings.</span></p><p class="b"></p><p class="q1"><span class="v28_4_9"><span class="reftext" id="Hos.4.9" class="v28_4_9">9</span>That's why I will punish</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v28_4_9">the people for their deeds,</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v28_4_9">just as I will punish</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v28_4_9">you priests.</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v28_4_10"><span class="reftext" id="Hos.4.10" class="v28_4_10">10</span>Their food won't satisfy,</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v28_4_10">and having sex at pagan shrines</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v28_4_10">won't produce children.</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v28_4_10">My people have rebelled</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v28_4_11"><span class="reftext" id="Hos.4.11" class="v28_4_11">11</span>and have been unfaithful</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v28_4_11">to me, their <span class="nd">Lord</span>.</span></p><h3 class="s1">God Condemns Israel's Idolatry</h3><p class="q1"><span class="v28_4_11">My people, you are foolish</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v28_4_11">because of too much pleasure</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v28_4_11">and too much wine.</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v28_4_12"><span class="reftext" id="Hos.4.12" class="v28_4_12">12</span>You expect wooden idols</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v28_4_12">and other objects of wood</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v28_4_12">to give you advice.</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v28_4_12">Lusting for sex at pagan shrines</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v28_4_12">has made you unfaithful</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v28_4_12">to me, your God.</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v28_4_13"><span class="reftext" id="Hos.4.13" class="v28_4_13">13</span>You offer sacrifices</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v28_4_13">on mountaintops and hills,</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v28_4_13">under oak trees, and wherever</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v28_4_13">good shade is found.</span></p><p class="b"></p><p class="q1"><span class="v28_4_13">Your own daughters</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v28_4_13">and daughters-in-law</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v28_4_13">sell themselves for sex.</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v28_4_14"><span class="reftext" id="Hos.4.14" class="v28_4_14">14</span>But I won't punish them.</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v28_4_14">You men are to blame,</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v28_4_14">because you go to prostitutes</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v28_4_14">and offer sacrifices with them</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v28_4_14">at pagan shrines.</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v28_4_14">Your own foolishness</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v28_4_14">will lead to your ruin.</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v28_4_15"><span class="reftext" id="Hos.4.15" class="v28_4_15">15</span>Israel, you are unfaithful,</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v28_4_15">but don't lead Judah to sin.</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v28_4_15">Stop worshiping at Gilgal</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v28_4_15">or at sinful Bethel.<a href="#fn" id="link_Hos.4.15!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> </span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v28_4_15">And quit making promises</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v28_4_15">in my name—the name</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v28_4_15">of the living <span class="nd">Lord</span>.</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v28_4_16"><span class="reftext" id="Hos.4.16" class="v28_4_16">16</span>You are nothing more</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v28_4_16">than a stubborn cow—</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v28_4_16">so stubborn that I, the <span class="nd">Lord</span>,</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v28_4_16">cannot feed you like lambs</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v28_4_16">in an open pasture.</span></p><p class="b"></p><p class="q1"><span class="v28_4_17"><span class="reftext" id="Hos.4.17" class="v28_4_17">17</span>You people of Israel<a href="#fn" id="link_Hos.4.17!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> </span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v28_4_17">are charmed by<a href="#fn" id="link_Hos.4.17!f.2" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> idols.</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v28_4_17">Leave those people alone!</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v28_4_18"><span class="reftext" id="Hos.4.18" class="v28_4_18">18</span>You get drunk, then sleep</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v28_4_18">with prostitutes;</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v28_4_18">you would rather be vulgar</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v28_4_18">than lead a decent life.<a href="#fn" id="link_Hos.4.18!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> </span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v28_4_19"><span class="reftext" id="Hos.4.19" class="v28_4_19">19</span>And so you will be swept away<a href="#fn" id="link_Hos.4.19!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> </span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v28_4_19">in a whirlwind</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v28_4_19">for sacrificing to idols.</span></p> <a name="fn"></a><br /><br /><br /><b>Footnotes:<br /><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">4.4 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">priests: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 4. Hosea may have had in mind only one priest, possibly the chief priest.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">4.15 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">sinful Bethel: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">The Hebrew text has “Beth-Aven,” which means “house of sin” or “house of nothing,” referring to “Bethel,” which means “house of God.”</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">4.17 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">Israel: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">The Hebrew text has “Ephraim,” the leading tribe of the northern kingdom of Israel, which sometimes stands for the whole kingdom.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">4.17 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">charmed by: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Or “joined to.”</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">4.18 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">life: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 18.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">4.19 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">And so … swept away: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Or “And so you will be ashamed.”</char></note></div></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div align="center"><p><span style="font-size:11pt;">Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt;">© 2006 American Bible Society. 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