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Hosea 4 (CEV)

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¹ Israel, listen as the LORD accuses everyone in the land! No one is faithful or loyal or truly cares about God. ² Cursing, dishonesty, murder, robbery, unfaithfulness-- these happen all the time. Violence is everywhere. ³ And so your land is a desert. Every living creature is dying-- people and wild animals, birds and fish. ⁴ Don't accuse just anyone! Not everyone is at fault. My case is against you, the priests. ⁵ You and the prophets will stumble day and night; I'll silence your mothers. ⁶ You priests have rejected me, and my people are destroyed by refusing to obey. Now I'll reject you and forget your children, because you have forgotten my Law. ⁷ By adding more of you priests, you multiply the number of people who sin. Now I'll change your pride into shame. ⁸ You encourage others to sin, so you can stuff yourselves on their sin offerings. ⁹ That's why I will punish the people for their deeds, just as I will punish you priests. ¹⁰ Their food won't satisfy, and having sex at pagan shrines won't produce children. My people have rebelled ¹¹ and have been unfaithful to me, their LORD. My people, you are foolish because of too much pleasure and too much wine. ¹² You expect wooden idols and other objects of wood to give you advice. Lusting for sex at pagan shrines has made you unfaithful to me, your God. ¹³ You offer sacrifices on mountaintops and hills, under oak trees, and wherever good shade is found. Your own daughters and daughters-in-law sell themselves for sex. ¹⁴ But I won't punish them. You men are to blame, because you go to prostitutes and offer sacrifices with them at pagan shrines. Your own foolishness will lead to your ruin. ¹⁵ Israel, you are unfaithful, but don't lead Judah to sin. Stop worshiping at Gilgal or at sinful Bethel. And quit making promises in my name-- the name of the living LORD. ¹⁶ You are nothing more than a stubborn cow-- so stubborn that I, the LORD, cannot feed you like lambs in an open pasture. ¹⁷ You people of Israel are charmed by idols. Leave them alone! ¹⁸ You get drunk, then sleep with prostitutes; you would rather be vulgar than lead a decent life. ¹⁹ And so you will be swept away in a whirlwind for sacrificing to idols.