Hosea 5:4

5:4 Their wicked deeds do not allow them to return to their God;

because a spirit of idolatry ¹  controls their heart, ² 

and they do not acknowledge the Lord.

Hosea 5:14

The Lion Will Carry Israel Off Into Exile

5:14 I will be like a lion to Ephraim,

like a young lion to the house of Judah.

I myself will tear them to pieces,

then I will carry them off, and no one will be able to rescue them!

[5:4]  ¹ tn Heb “a spirit of harlotries”; NIV “a spirit of prostitution”; TEV “Idolatry has a powerful hold on them.” However, CEV takes this literally: “your constant craving for sex keeps you from knowing me.”

[5:4]  ² tn Heb “is in their heart” (so NIV); NASB, NRSV “is within them.”