---
title: Hosea 4
slug: kjv/hosea-4
createdAt: 2024-08-25T02:44:16.327Z
---

**1 **Hear 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.

**2 **By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.

**3 **Therefore 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.

**4 **Yet let no man strive, nor reprove another: for thy people *are* as they that strive with the priest.

**5 **Therefore shalt thou fall in the day, and the prophet also shall fall with thee in the night, and I will destroy thy mother.

**6 **My 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.

**7 **As they were increased, so they sinned against me: *therefore* will I change their glory into shame.

**8 **They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity.

**9 **And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings.

**10 **For 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.

**11 **Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart.

**12 **My 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.

**13 **They 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.

**14 **I 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.

**15 **Though 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.

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

**17 **Ephraim *is* joined to idols: let him alone.

**18 **Their drink is sour: they have committed whoredom continually: her rulers *with* shame do love, Give ye.

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