Hosea 4:14-16

Good News Translation

¹⁴Yet I will not punish them for this, because you yourselves go off with temple prostitutes,^[a] and together with them you offer pagan sacrifices. As the proverb says, ‘A people without sense will be ruined.’

¹⁵“Even though you people of Israel are unfaithful to me, may Judah not be guilty of the same thing. Don't worship at Gilgal or Bethaven,^[b] or make promises there in the name of the living Lord. ¹⁶The people of Israel are as stubborn as mules. How can I feed them like lambs in a meadow?

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Footnotes

Hosea 4:14 These women were found in Canaanite temples, where fertility gods were worshiped. It was believed that intercourse with these prostitutes assured fertile fields and herds.
Hosea 4:15 This name means “house of evil” or “house of idolatry” and in this passage refers to the city of Bethel, a name which means “house of God.” See also 10.8.