Hosea 4

Matthew(i) 1 Heare the word of the lorde o ye children of Israel. For the lord must punish them, that dwel in the land. And why? There is no faithfulnes, there is no mercy there is no knoweledge of God in the lande: 2 but swearing, lyinge, manslaughter, theft, & aduoutry haue gotten the ouerhande, & one bloudgilthinesse foloweth another. 3 Therfore shall the land be in a miserable case, & al they that dwel therin, shall mourne: the beastes in the felde, the foules in the ayr, & the fishes in the sea shal dye. 4 Yet is there none, the wyl chasten nor reproue another. The priestes which shoulde refourme other men, are become like the people. 5 Therfore stomblest thou in the day tyme & the prophet wt the in the night. I wil bringe thy mother to silence, & why? 6 my people perish, because they haue no knowledge. Seing then that thou hast refused vnderstanding, therfore wil I refuse the also: so that thou shalt no more be my preste. And for so muche as thou hast forgotten the lawe of thy God, I wil also forget thy children. 7 The more they increased in the multitude, the more they sinned against me, therfore will I chaunge their honoure into shame. 8 They eat vp the synnes of my people, and corage them in their wyckednesse. 9 Thus the prest is become lyke the people. Wherefore I wil punysh them for their wicked wayes & rewarde them accordinge to their owne ymagynacions. 10 They shall eate and not haue ynoughe: They haue vsed whordome, therfore shall they not prospere, and why? they haue forsaken the Lorde, and not regarded hym. 11 Whordome, wine and drockennesse take the herte away. 12 My people aske councell at their stockes, their staffes must tell them. For an whoryshe minde hath disceyued them, so that they committe fornycacyon agaynst their God. 13 They make sacrifices vpon the hye mountaynes, and burne their incense vpon the hylles, yea, amonge the okes, groues & bushes, for there are good shadowes Therfore your doughters are become harlottes, and youre spouses haue broken their wedlocke, 14 I wyll not punishe youre doughters for beynge defyled, & youre brydes that became whores: seinge the fathers them selues haue medled wt harlottes & offered wt vnthriftes: but the people that will not vnderstand, must be punished. 15 Though thou Israel art disposed to play the harlot, yet shouldest not thou haue offended, O Iuda: thou shouldest not haue runne to Galgala, nor haue gone vp to Bethauen, nor haue sworne, the Lord lyueth. 16 For Israel is gone backe like a wanton cow The Lord therfore shall make her fede, as the lambe that goeth astray. 17 And where as Ephraim is become partaker of Idols, wel, let him go. 18 Their dronckennes hath put them backe, and brought them to whordome. Their rulers loue rewardes, bring (say they) to their owne shame. 19 A wind shal take hold of their fethers & they shalbe confounded in their offeringes.