King James Version

Hosea 4:12

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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Hebrew

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עַמִּי֙amipeopleעַםnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “people”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5971a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flockfolk, men, nation, people.בְּעֵצ֣וֹbeetsvoin treeעֵץpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “in tree”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6086a tree (from its firmness); hence, wood (plural sticks)[phrase] carpenter, gallows, helve, [phrase] pine, plank, staff, stalk, stick, stock, timber, tree, wood.יִשְׁאָ֔לyishaldemandשָׁאַלverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “demand”, an unfinished actionH7592to inquire; by implication, to request; by extension, to demandask (counsel, on), beg, borrow, lay to charge, consult, demand, desire, [idiom] earnestly, enquire, [phrase] greet, obtain leave, lend, pray, request, require, [phrase] salute, [idiom] straitly, [idiom] surely, wish.וּמַקְל֖וֹumaqlvoand staffמַקֵּלconjunction, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and staff”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH4731a shoot, i.e. stick (with leaves on, or for walking, striking, guiding, divining)rod, (hand-)staff.יַגִּ֣ידyagidbewrayנָגַדverb, hiphil, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “bewray”, an unfinished actionH5046properly, to front, i.e. stand boldly out opposite; by implication (causatively), to manifest; figuratively, to announce (always by word of mouth to one present); specifically, to expose, predict, explain, praisebewray, [idiom] certainly, certify, declare(-ing), denounce, expound, [idiom] fully, messenger, plainly, profess, rehearse, report, shew (forth), speak, [idiom] surely, tell, utter.ל֑וֹlvotoל֑וֹpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “to”toכִּ֣יkiassuredכִּיconjunction — “assured”H3588(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexedand, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + til…ר֤וּחַruchaangerרוּחַnoun, common, both genders, singular, construct — “anger”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH7307wind; by resemblance breath, i.e. a sensible (or even violent) exhalation; figuratively, life, anger, unsubstantiality; by extension, a region of the sky; by resemblance spirit, but only of a rational being (including its expression and functions)air, anger, blast, breath, [idiom] cool, courage, mind, [idiom] quarter, [idiom] side, spirit(-ual), tempest, [idiom] vain, (whirl-) wind(-y).זְנוּנִים֙zenunimwhoredomזָנוּןnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “whoredom”, the ordinary formH2183adultery; figuratively, idolatrywhoredom.הִתְעָ֔הhitahdeceiveתָּעָהverb, hiphil, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “deceive”, a completed actionH8582to vacillate, i.e. reel or stray (literally or figuratively); also causative of both(cause to) go astray, deceive, dissemble, (cause to, make to) err, pant, seduce, (make to) stagger, (cause to) wander, be out of the way.וַיִּזְנ֖וּvayiznvand commit fornicationזָנָהconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and commit fornication”, the next action in the storyH2181to commit adultery (usually of the female, and less often of simple fornication, rarely of involuntary ravishment); figuratively, to commit idolatry (the Jewish people being regarded as the spouse of Jehovah)(cause to) commit fornication, [idiom] continually, [idiom] great, (be an, play the) harlot, (cause to be, play the) whore, (commit, fall to) whoredom, (cause to) go a-whoring, whorish.מִתַּ֥חַתmitachatfrom withתַּחַתpreposition, preposition — “from with”H8478the bottom (as depressed); only adverbially, below (often with prepositional prefix underneath), in lieu of, etc.as, beneath, [idiom] flat, in(-stead), (same) place (where...is), room, for...sake, stead of, under, [idiom] unto, [idiom] when...was mine, whereas, (where-) fore, with.אֱלֹהֵיהֶֽםeloheyhemGodאֱלֹהִיםnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “God”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH430gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlativeangels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

My people ask counsel at their stock, and their staff declareth unto them; for the spirit of harlotry hath caused them to err, and they have gone astray from under their God.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

My people ask counsel at their stock, and their staff declareth unto them; for the spirit of whoredom hath caused them to err, and they have played the harlot, departing from under their God.

Young’s Literal Translation

My people at its staff asketh and its rod declareth to it, For a spirit of whoredoms hath caused to err, And they go a-whoring from under their God.

World English Bible

My people consult with their wooden idol, and answer to a stick of wood. Indeed the spirit of prostitution has led them astray, and they have been unfaithful to their God.

Darby Translation

My people ask counsel of their stock, and their staff declareth unto them; for the spirit of whoredoms causeth [them] to err, and they have gone a whoring from under their God:

Douay-Rheims

My people have consulted their stocks, and their staff hath declared unto them: for the spirit of fornication hath deceived them, and they have committed fornication against their God.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

My people ask counsel at their stock, and their staff declareth unto them; for the spirit of harlotry hath caused them to err, and they have gone astray from under their God.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

They asked counsel by means of signs, and they reported answer to them by their staves: they have gone astray in a spirit of whoredom, and gone grievously a-whoring from their God.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

ἐν συμβόλοις ἐπηρώτων, καὶ ἐν ῥάβδοις αὐτοῦ ἀπήγγελλον αὐτῷ· πνεύματι πορνείας ἐπλανήθησαν, καὶ ἐξεπόρνευσαν ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ αὐτῶν.