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Hosea chapter 4 in Hebrew and English

19 verses, about 2 minutes to read aloud. The Hebrew has its vowel points and the English stands under each verse.

The whole chapter is here, a verse to a line.

שִׁמְעוּ דְבַר־יְהוָה בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כִּי רִיב לַיהוָה עִם־יוֹשְׁבֵי הָאָרֶץ כִּי אֵין־אֱמֶת וְאֵין־חֶסֶד וְאֵין־דַּעַת אֱלֹהִים בָּאָֽרֶץ׃

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.

אָלֹה וְכַחֵשׁ וְרָצֹחַ וְגָנֹב וְנָאֹף פָּרָצוּ וְדָמִים בְּדָמִים נָגָֽעוּ׃

Swearing and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery! They break all bounds, and blood toucheth blood.

עַל־כֵּן תֶּאֱבַל הָאָרֶץ וְאֻמְלַל כָּל־יוֹשֵׁב בָּהּ בְּחַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה וּבְעוֹף הַשָּׁמָיִם וְגַם־דְּגֵי הַיָּם יֵאָסֵֽפוּ׃

Therefore doth the land mourn, And every one that dwelleth therein doth languish, With the beasts of the field, and the fowls of heaven; Yea, the fishes of the sea also are taken away.

אַךְ אִישׁ אַל־יָרֵב וְאַל־יוֹכַח אִישׁ וְעַמְּךָ כִּמְרִיבֵי כֹהֵֽן׃

Yet let no man strive, neither let any man reprove; For thy people are as they that strive with the priest.

וְכָשַׁלְתָּ הַיּוֹם וְכָשַׁל גַּם־נָבִיא עִמְּךָ לָיְלָה וְדָמִיתִי אִמֶּֽךָ׃

Therefore shalt thou stumble in the day, And the prophet also shall stumble with thee in the night; And I will destroy thy mother.

נִדְמוּ עַמִּי מִבְּלִי הַדָּעַת כִּי־אַתָּה הַדַּעַת מָאַסְתָּ וְאֶמְאָסְאךָ מִכַּהֵן לִי וַתִּשְׁכַּח תּוֹרַת אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶשְׁכַּח בָּנֶיךָ גַּם־אָֽנִי׃

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 also will forget thy children.

כְּרֻבָּם כֵּן חָטְאוּ־לִי כְּבוֹדָם בְּקָלוֹן אָמִֽיר׃

The more they were increased, the more they sinned against Me; I will change their glory into shame.

חַטַּאת עַמִּי יֹאכֵלוּ וְאֶל־עֲוֺנָם יִשְׂאוּ נַפְשֽׁוֹ׃

They feed on the sin of My people, And set their heart on their iniquity.

וְהָיָה כָעָם כַּכֹּהֵן וּפָקַדְתִּי עָלָיו דְּרָכָיו וּמַעֲלָלָיו אָשִׁיב לֽוֹ׃

And it is like people, like priest; And I will punish him for his ways, And will recompense him his doings.

וְאָכְלוּ וְלֹא יִשְׂבָּעוּ הִזְנוּ וְלֹא יִפְרֹצוּ כִּי־אֶת־יְהוָה עָזְבוּ לִשְׁמֹֽר׃

And they shall eat, and not have enough, They shall commit harlotry, and shall not increase; Because they have left off to take heed to the LORD.

זְנוּת וְיַיִן וְתִירוֹשׁ יִֽקַּֽח־לֵֽב׃

Harlotry, wine, and new wine take away the heart.

עַמִּי בְּעֵצוֹ יִשְׁאָל וּמַקְלוֹ יַגִּיד לוֹ כִּי רוּחַ זְנוּנִים הִתְעָה וַיִּזְנוּ מִתַּחַת אֱלֹהֵיהֶֽם׃

My people ask counsel at their stock, And their staff declareth unto them; For the spirit of harlotry hath caused them to err, And they have gone astray from under their God.

עַל־רָאשֵׁי הֶהָרִים יְזַבֵּחוּ וְעַל־הַגְּבָעוֹת יְקַטֵּרוּ תַּחַת אַלּוֹן וְלִבְנֶה וְאֵלָה כִּי טוֹב צִלָּהּ עַל־כֵּן תִּזְנֶינָה בְּנוֹתֵיכֶם וְכַלּוֹתֵיכֶם תְּנָאַֽפְנָה׃

They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, And offer upon the hills, Under oaks and poplars and terebinths, Because the shadow thereof is good; Therefore your daughters commit harlotry, And your daughters-in-law commit adultery. .

לֹא־אֶפְקוֹד עַל־בְּנוֹתֵיכֶם כִּי תִזְנֶינָה וְעַל־כַּלּוֹתֵיכֶם כִּי תְנָאַפְנָה כִּי־הֵם עִם־הַזֹּנוֹת יְפָרֵדוּ וְעִם־הַקְּדֵשׁוֹת יְזַבֵּחוּ וְעָם לֹא־יָבִין יִלָּבֵֽט׃

I will not punish your daughters when they commit harlotry, Nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery; For they themselves consort with lewd women, And they sacrifice with harlots; And the people that is without understanding is distraught.

אִם־זֹנֶה אַתָּה יִשְׂרָאֵל אַל־יֶאְשַׁם יְהוּדָה וְאַל־תָּבֹאוּ הַגִּלְגָּל וְאַל־תַּעֲלוּ בֵּית אָוֶן וְאַל־תִּשָּׁבְעוּ חַי־יְהוָֽה׃

Though thou, Israel, play the harlot, Yet let not Judah become guilty; And come not ye unto Gilgal, Neither go ye up to Beth-aven, Nor swear: ‘As the LORD liveth.’

כִּי כְּפָרָה סֹרֵרָה סָרַר יִשְׂרָאֵל עַתָּה יִרְעֵם יְהוָה כְּכֶבֶשׂ בַּמֶּרְחָֽב׃

For Israel is stubborn like a stubborn heifer; Now shall the LORD feed them as a lamb in a large place?

חֲבוּר עֲצַבִּים אֶפְרָיִם הַֽנַּֽח־לֽוֹ׃

Ephraim is joined to idols; Let him alone.

סָר סָבְאָם הַזְנֵה הִזְנוּ אָהֲבוּ הֵבוּ קָלוֹן מָגִנֶּֽיהָ׃

When their carouse is over, They take to harlotry; Her rulers deeply love dishonour.

צָרַר רוּחַ אוֹתָהּ בִּכְנָפֶיהָ וְיֵבֹשׁוּ מִזִּבְחוֹתָֽם

The wind hath bound her up in her skirts; And they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.

The Hebrew is the Leningrad Codex, free to view and copy, compared letter by letter with a second edition, Miqra according to the Masorah, under the CC BY-SA licence. The English is the Jewish Publication Society translation of 1917, in the public domain.

Where this chapter stands in the Tanakh.

  • Chapter 4 of the 14 chapters of Hosea
  • Hosea is one of the Twelve Minor Prophets
  • 19 verses, 223 words, about 2 minutes to read

Hosea has 14 chapters, and each one has its own page.

All of Hosea·All the books of the Tanakh·Psalms and prayers

Questions about this chapter

How many verses does Hosea chapter 4 have?

Hosea chapter 4 has 19 verses and 223 words.

How does Hosea chapter 4 begin?

The first verse begins in Hebrew with the words שמעו דבר־ה׳ בני ישראל.

Where does Hosea chapter 4 stand in the Tanakh?

It is chapter 4 of the 14 chapters of Hosea, which is one of the Twelve Minor Prophets.

How long does it take to read Hosea chapter 4?

About 2 minutes, at a steady pace.