Tanach · Prophets

Hosea 4/הושע ד׳

אשִׁמְע֥וּ דְבַר־יְהֹוָ֖ה בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל כִּ֣י רִ֤יב לַֽיהֹוָה֙ עִם־יוֹשְׁבֵ֣י הָאָ֔רֶץ כִּ֠י אֵין־אֱמֶ֧ת וְֽאֵין־חֶ֛סֶד וְאֵֽין־דַּ֥עַת אֱלֹהִ֖ים בָּאָֽרֶץ׃

1Hear the word of GOD,O people of Israel!For GOD has a caseAgainst the inhabitants of this land,Because there is no honesty and no goodnessAnd no devotion to God in the land.

באָלֹ֣ה וְכַחֵ֔שׁ וְרָצֹ֥חַ וְגָנֹ֖ב וְנָאֹ֑ף פָּרָ֕צוּ וְדָמִ֥ים בְּדָמִ֖ים נָגָֽעוּ׃

2[False] swearing, dishonesty, and murder,And theft and adultery are rife;Crime follows upon crime!

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

3For that, the earth is withered:Everything that dwells on it languishes—Beasts of the field and birds of the sky—Even the fish of the sea perish.

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

4“Let no one rebuke; let no one protest!”For this, your people has a grievance against [you], O priest!^a

הוְכָשַׁלְתָּ֣ הַיּ֔וֹם וְכָשַׁ֧ל גַּם־נָבִ֛יא עִמְּךָ֖ לָ֑יְלָה וְדָמִ֖יתִי אִמֶּֽךָ׃

5So you shall stumble by day,And by night a prophet^b shall stumble as well,And I will destroy your kindred.^c

ונִדְמ֥וּ עַמִּ֖י מִבְּלִ֣י הַדָּ֑עַת כִּי־אַתָּ֞ה הַדַּ֣עַת מָאַ֗סְתָּ (ואמאסאך) [וְאֶמְאָֽסְךָ֙] מִכַּהֵ֣ן לִ֔י וַתִּשְׁכַּח֙ תּוֹרַ֣ת אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ אֶשְׁכַּ֥ח בָּנֶ֖יךָ גַּם־אָֽנִי׃

6My people is destroyed for the lack of devotion!Because you have rejected devotion,I reject you as My priest;Because you have spurned the teaching of your God,I, in turn, will spurn your children.

זכְּרֻבָּ֖ם כֵּ֣ן חָטְאוּ־לִ֑י כְּבוֹדָ֖ם בְּקָל֥וֹן אָמִֽיר׃

7The more they increased, the more they sinned against Me:I will change their dignity to dishonor.

חחַטַּ֥את עַמִּ֖י יֹאכֵ֑לוּ וְאֶל־עֲוֺנָ֖ם יִשְׂא֥וּ נַפְשֽׁוֹ׃

8They feed on My people’s purgation offerings,And so they desire its iniquity.

טוְהָיָ֥ה כָעָ֖ם כַּכֹּהֵ֑ן וּפָקַדְתִּ֤י עָלָיו֙ דְּרָכָ֔יו וּמַעֲלָלָ֖יו אָשִׁ֥יב לֽוֹ׃

9Therefore, the people shall fare like the priests:I will punish it for its conduct,I will requite it for its deeds.

יוְאָֽכְלוּ֙ וְלֹ֣א יִשְׂבָּ֔עוּ הִזְנ֖וּ וְלֹ֣א יִפְרֹ֑צוּ כִּֽי־אֶת־יְהֹוָ֥ה עָזְב֖וּ לִשְׁמֹֽר׃

10Truly, they shall eat, but not be sated;They shall swill,^d cf. v. 18. but not be satisfied,Because they have forsaken GOD To practice^e

יאזְנ֛וּת וְיַ֥יִן וְתִיר֖וֹשׁ יִֽקַּֽח־לֵֽב׃

11lechery.Wine^f and new wine destroyThe mind of

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

12My people:It consults its stick,^g Its rod^h directs it!A lecherous impulse has made them go wrong,And they have strayedⁱ from submission to their God.

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

13They sacrifice on the mountaintopsAnd offer on the hills,Under oaks, poplars, and terebinthsWhose shade is so pleasant.That is why their^j daughters fornicateAnd their daughters-in-law commit adultery!

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

14I will not punish their daughters for fornicatingNor their daughters-in-law for committing adultery;For they themselves turn aside^k with whoresAnd sacrifice with female consecrated workers,^l uncertain. And a people that is without sense^m must stumble.

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

15If you are a lecher, Israel—Let not Judah incur guilt—Do not come to Gilgal,ⁿ Do not make pilgrimages to Beth-aven,^o And do not swear by GOD!^p

טזכִּ֚י כְּפָרָ֣ה סֹרֵרָ֔ה סָרַ֖ר יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל עַתָּה֙ יִרְעֵ֣ם יְהֹוָ֔ה כְּכֶ֖בֶשׂ בַּמֶּרְחָֽב׃

16Ah, Israel has balkedLike a stubborn cow;Therefore, GOD will graze himOn the range, like a sheep.^q

יזחֲב֧וּר עֲצַבִּ֛ים אֶפְרָ֖יִם הַֽנַּֽח־לֽוֹ׃

17^r Ephraim is addicted to images—Let him be.

יחסָ֖ר סׇבְאָ֑ם הַזְנֵ֣ה הִזְנ֔וּ אָהֲב֥וּ הֵב֛וּ קָל֖וֹן מָגִנֶּֽיהָ׃

18They drink to excess—Their liquor turns against them.They “love” beyond measure—Disgrace is the “gift”

יטצָרַ֥ר ר֛וּחַ אוֹתָ֖הּ בִּכְנָפֶ֑יהָ וְיֵבֹ֖שׁוּ מִזִּבְחוֹתָֽם׃

19That the wind is bringing;^s They shall garner shame from their sacrifices.