Hosea

 1 Hear the word of the Lord, ye children of Israel: for the Lord hath a ^acontroversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no ^btruth, nor mercy, nor ^cknowledge of God in the land.

 2 By ^aswearing, and ^blying, and killing, and ^cstealing, and committing adultery, they ^dbreak out, and ^eblood toucheth blood.

 3 Therefore shall the ^aland 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 ^astrive, nor reprove another: for thy people are as they that strive with the priest.

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

 6 ¶My people are destroyed for lack of ^aknowledge: because thou hast ^brejected ^cknowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the ^dlaw 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 ^ashame.

 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 ^aWhoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart.

 12 ¶My people ask ^acounsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them: for the ^bspirit of ^cwhoredoms 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 ^aadultery.

 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 ^aharlot, yet let not Judah offend; and come not ye unto Gilgal, neither go ye up to ^bBeth-aven, 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 ^aidols: let him alone.

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

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