4:1 Hear the word of Yahweh, you children of Israel; for Yahweh has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor goodness, nor knowledge of God in the land.

4:2 There is nothing but swearing and breaking faith, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery; they break out, and blood touches blood.

4:3 Therefore shall the land mourn, and everyone who dwells therein shall languish, with the animals of the field and the birds of the sky; yes, the fish of the sea also shall be taken away.

4:4 Yet let no man strive, neither let any man reprove; for your people are as those who strive with the priest.

4:5 You shall stumble in the day, and the prophet also shall stumble with you in the night; and I will destroy your mother.

4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you, that you shall be no priest to me: seeing you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.

4:7 As they were multiplied, so they sinned against me: I will change their glory into shame.

4:8 They feed on the sin of my people, and set their heart on their iniquity.

4:9 It shall be, like people, like priest; and I will punish them for their ways, and will requite them their doings.

4:10 They shall eat, and not have enough; they shall play the prostitute, and shall not increase; because they have left off taking heed to Yahweh.

4:11 Prostitution and wine and new wine take away the understanding.

4:12 My people ask counsel at their stock, and their staff declares to them; for the spirit of prostitution has caused them to err, and they have played the prostitute, [departing] from under their God.

4:13 They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains, and burn incense on the hills, under oaks and poplars and terebinths, because the shadow of it is good: therefore your daughters play the prostitute, and your brides commit adultery.

4:14 I will not punish your daughters when they play the prostitute, nor your brides when they commit adultery; for [the men] themselves go apart with prostitutes, and they sacrifice with the prostitutes; and the people that does not understand shall be overthrown.

4:15 Though you, Israel, play the prostitute, yet don`t let Judah offend; and don`t you come to Gilgal, neither go up to Beth-aven, nor swear, As Yahweh lives.

4:16 For Israel has behaved himself stubbornly, like a stubborn heifer: now will Yahweh feed them as a lamb in a large place.

4:17 Ephraim is joined to idols; let him alone.

4:18 Their drink is become sour; they play the prostitute continually; her rulers dearly love shame.