Today is the 6th day of December. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian. It is fantastic to be here with you today as we gather around the global campfire and move forward together one step at a time, day by day.

So we began the Book of Hosea yesterday and we will certainly be continuing our journey through Hosea today and for the next couple of days.

And then when we get to the New Testament, we will be reading a letter in its entirety.

A whole book of the Bible today called Second John and we will talk about that when we get there. Let's dive into Hosea first. Today, Hosea chapters 4 and 5.

Here are the word of the Lord, O people of Israel. The Lord has brought charges against you saying,

there is no faithfulness, no kindness, no knowledge of God in your land. You make vows and break them. You kill and steal and commit adultery. There is violence everywhere, one murder after another.

That is why your land is in mourning and everyone is wasting away. Even the wild animals, the birds of the sky and the fish of the sea are disappearing.

Don't point your finger at someone else and try to pass the blame. My complaint, you priests, is with you.

So you will stumble in broad daylight and your false prophets will fall with you in the night and I will destroy Israel, your mother.

My people are being destroyed because they don't know me. Since you priests refuse to know me, I refuse to recognize you as my priests.

Since you have forgotten the laws of your God, I will forget to bless your children. The more priests there are, the more they sin against me.

They have exchanged the glory of God for the shame of idols. When the people bring their sin offerings, the priests get fed.

So the priests are glad when the people sin. And what the priests do, the people also do. So now I will punish both priests and people for their wicked deeds.

They will eat and still be hungry. They will play the prostitute and gain nothing from it, for they have deserted the Lord to worship other gods.

Why in has robbed my people of their understanding? They ask a piece of wood for advice. They think a stick can tell them the future.

Longing after idols has made them foolish, they have played the prostitute serving other gods and deserting their God.

They offer sacrifices to idols on the mountain tops. They go up into the hills to burn incense and the pleasant shade of oaks, poplars and terabins trees.

That is why your daughters turn to prostitution and your daughters-in-law commit adultery.

But why should I punish them for their prostitution and adultery? For your men are doing the same thing, sinning with horrors and shrine prostitutes.

How foolish people! You refuse to understand. So you will be destroyed.

Though you, Israel, are a prostitute, may Judah not be guilty of such things. Do not join the false worship at Gilgal or at Avin and do not take oath there in the Lord's name.

Israel is stubborn, like a stubborn heifer. So should the Lord feed her like a lamb and a lush pasture?

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