HOSEA 4

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The Lord Accuses Israel4:1

Hear the word of the Lord, O children of Israel,

for the Lord has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land.

There is no faithfulness or steadfast love,

and no knowledge of God in the land; 2

there is swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery;

they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed. 3

Therefore the land mourns,

and all who dwell in it languish,

and also the beasts of the field

and the birds of the heavens,

and even the fish of the sea are taken away.
4

Yet let no one contend,

and let none accuse,

for with you is my contention, O priest. 5

You shall stumble by day;

the prophet also shall stumble with you by night;

and I will destroy your mother. 6

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge;

because you have rejected knowledge,

I reject you from being a priest to me.

And since you have forgotten the law of your God,

I also will forget your children.
7

The more they increased,

the more they sinned against me;

I will change their glory into shame. 8

They feed on the sin of my people;

they are greedy for their iniquity. 9

And it shall be like people, like priest;

I will punish them for their ways

and repay them for their deeds. 10

They shall eat, but not be satisfied;

they shall play the whore, but not multiply,

because they have forsaken the Lord

to cherish 11 whoredom, wine, and new wine,

which take away the understanding. 12

My people inquire of a piece of wood,

and their walking staff gives them oracles.

For a spirit of whoredom has led them astray,

and they have left their God to play the whore. 13

They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains

and burn offerings on the hills,

under oak, poplar, and terebinth,

because their shade is good.

Therefore your daughters play the whore,

and your brides commit adultery. 14

I will not punish your daughters when they play the whore,

nor your brides when they commit adultery;

for the men themselves go aside with prostitutes

and sacrifice with cult prostitutes,

and a people without understanding shall come to ruin.
15

Though you play the whore, O Israel,

let not Judah become guilty.

Enter not into Gilgal,

nor go up to Beth-aven,

and swear not, “As the Lord lives.” 16

Like a stubborn heifer,

Israel is stubborn;

can the Lord now feed them

like a lamb in a broad pasture?
17

Ephraim is joined to idols;

leave him alone. 18

When their drink is gone, they give themselves to whoring;

their rulers dearly love shame. 19

A wind has wrapped them in its wings,

and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.

HOSEA 5

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Punishment Coming for Israel and Judah5:1

Hear this, O priests!

Pay attention, O house of Israel!

Give ear, O house of the king!

For the judgment is for you;

for you have been a snare at Mizpah

and a net spread upon Tabor. 2

And the revolters have gone deep into slaughter,

but I will discipline all of them.
3

I know Ephraim,

and Israel is not hidden from me;

for now, O Ephraim, you have played the whore;

Israel is defiled. 4

Their deeds do not permit them

to return to their God.

For the spirit of whoredom is within them,

and they know not the Lord.
5

The pride of Israel testifies to his face;

Israel and Ephraim shall stumble in his guilt;

Judah also shall stumble with them. 6

With their flocks and herds they shall go

to seek the Lord,

but they will not find him;

he has withdrawn from them. 7

They have dealt faithlessly with the Lord;

for they have borne alien children.

Now the new moon shall devour them with their fields.
8

Blow the horn in Gibeah,

the trumpet in Ramah.

Sound the alarm at Beth-aven;

we follow you, O Benjamin! 9

Ephraim shall become a desolation

in the day of punishment;

among the tribes of Israel

I make known what is sure. 10

The princes of Judah have become

like those who move the landmark;

upon them I will pour out

my wrath like water. 11

Ephraim is oppressed, crushed in judgment,

because he was determined to go after filth. 12

But I am like a moth to Ephraim,

and like dry rot to the house of Judah.
13

When Ephraim saw his sickness,

and Judah his wound,

then Ephraim went to Assyria,

and sent to the great king.

But he is not able to cure you

or heal your wound. 14

For I will be like a lion to Ephraim,

and like a young lion to the house of Judah.

I, even I, will tear and go away;

I will carry off, and no one shall rescue.
15

I will return again to my place,

until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face,

and in their distress earnestly seek me.

PROVERBS 28

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28:1

The wicked flee when no one pursues,

but the righteous are bold as a lion. 2

When a land transgresses, it has many rulers,

but with a man of understanding and knowledge,

its stability will long continue. 3

A poor man who oppresses the poor

is a beating rain that leaves no food. 4

Those who forsake the law praise the wicked,

but those who keep the law strive against them. 5

Evil men do not understand justice,

but those who seek the Lord understand it completely. 6

Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity

than a rich man who is crooked in his ways. 7

The one who keeps the law is a son with understanding,

but a companion of gluttons shames his father. 8

Whoever multiplies his wealth by interest and profit

gathers it for him who is generous to the poor. 9

If one turns away his ear from hearing the law,

even his prayer is an abomination. 10

Whoever misleads the upright into an evil way

will fall into his own pit,

but the blameless will have a goodly inheritance. 11

A rich man is wise in his own eyes,

but a poor man who has understanding will find him out. 12

When the righteous triumph, there is great glory,

but when the wicked rise, people hide themselves. 13

Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper,

but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy. 14

Blessed is the one who fears the Lord always,

but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity. 15

Like a roaring lion or a charging bear

is a wicked ruler over a poor people. 16

A ruler who lacks understanding is a cruel oppressor,

but he who hates unjust gain will prolong his days. 17

If one is burdened with the blood of another,

he will be a fugitive until death;

let no one help him. 18

Whoever walks in integrity will be delivered,

but he who is crooked in his ways will suddenly fall. 19

Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread,

but he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty. 20

A faithful man will abound with blessings,

but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished. 21

To show partiality is not good,

but for a piece of bread a man will do wrong. 22

A stingy man hastens after wealth

and does not know that poverty will come upon him. 23

Whoever rebukes a man will afterward find more favor

than he who flatters with his tongue. 24

Whoever robs his father or his mother

and says, “That is no transgression,”

is a companion to a man who destroys. 25

A greedy man stirs up strife,

but the one who trusts in the Lord will be enriched. 26

Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool,

but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered. 27

Whoever gives to the poor will not want,

but he who hides his eyes will get many a curse. 28

When the wicked rise, people hide themselves,

but when they perish, the righteous increase.

PSALM 141

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Give Ear to My VoiceA Psalm of David.
141:1

O Lord, I call upon you; hasten to me!

Give ear to my voice when I call to you! 2

Let my prayer be counted as incense before you,

and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!
3

Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth;

keep watch over the door of my lips! 4

Do not let my heart incline to any evil,

to busy myself with wicked deeds

in company with men who work iniquity,

and let me not eat of their delicacies!
5

Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness;

let him rebuke me—it is oil for my head;

let my head not refuse it.

Yet my prayer is continually against their evil deeds. 6

When their judges are thrown over the cliff,

then they shall hear my words, for they are pleasant. 7

As when one plows and breaks up the earth,

so shall our bones be scattered at the mouth of Sheol.
8

But my eyes are toward you, O God, my Lord;

in you I seek refuge; leave me not defenseless! 9

Keep me from the trap that they have laid for me

and from the snares of evildoers! 10

Let the wicked fall into their own nets,

while I pass by safely.

PSALM 142

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You Are My RefugeA Maskil of David, when he was in the cave. A Prayer.
142:1

With my voice I cry out to the Lord;

with my voice I plead for mercy to the Lord. 2

I pour out my complaint before him;

I tell my trouble before him.
3

When my spirit faints within me,

you know my way!

In the path where I walk

they have hidden a trap for me. 4

Look to the right and see:

there is none who takes notice of me;

no refuge remains to me;

no one cares for my soul.
5

I cry to you, O Lord;

I say, “You are my refuge,

my portion in the land of the living.” 6

Attend to my cry,

for I am brought very low!

Deliver me from my persecutors,

for they are too strong for me! 7

Bring me out of prison,

that I may give thanks to your name!

The righteous will surround me,

for you will deal bountifully with me.