| 1 | 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.
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| 2 | By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery,
they break out, and blood toucheth blood.
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| 3 | Therefore shall the land 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.
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| 4 | Yet let no man strive, nor reprove another: for thy people are as they
that strive with the priest.
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| 5 | Therefore shalt thou fall in the day, and the prophet also shall fall with
thee in the night, and I will destroy thy mother.
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| 6 | 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 will also forget thy children.
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| 7 | As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I
change their glory into shame.
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| 8 | They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their
iniquity.
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| 9 | And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for
their ways, and reward them their doings.
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| 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.
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| 11 | Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart.
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| 12 | My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto
them: for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err, and they have gone
a whoring from under their God.
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| 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
adultery.
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| 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.
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| 15 | Though thou, Israel, play the harlot, yet let not Judah offend; and come
not ye unto Gilgal, neither go ye up to Bethaven, nor swear, The Lord liveth.
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| 16 | For Israel slideth back as a backsliding heifer: now the Lord will feed
them as a lamb in a large place.
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| 17 | Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone.
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| 18 | Their drink is sour: they have committed whoredom continually: her rulers
with shame do love, Give ye.
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| 19 | The wind hath bound her up in her wings, and they shall be ashamed because
of their sacrifices.
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Chapter 3
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Hosea
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Contents
Chapter 5
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