1 H ear the word of the Lord, you children of Israel, for the Lord has a controversy (a pleading contention) with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no faithfulness, love, pity and mercy, or knowledge of God in the land.

Hear the word of the Lord, ye children of Israel: for the Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.

2 T here is nothing but swearing and breaking faith and killing and stealing and committing adultery; they break out, one bloodshed following close on another.

By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.

3 T herefore shall the land mourn, and all who dwell in it shall languish, together with the wild beasts of the open country and the birds of the heavens; yes, the fishes of the sea also shall be collected and taken away.

Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.

4 Y et let no man strive, neither let any man reprove, for with you is My contention, O priest.

Yet let no man strive, nor reprove another: for thy people are as they that strive with the priest.

5 A nd you shall stumble in the daytime, and the prophet also shall stumble with you in the night; and I will destroy your mother.

Therefore shalt thou fall in the day, and the prophet also shall fall with thee in the night, and I will destroy thy mother.

6 M y people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you that you shall be no priest to Me; seeing you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children.

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

7 T he more they increased and multiplied, the more they sinned against Me; I will change their glory into shame.

As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame.

8 T hey feed on the sin of My people and set their heart on their iniquity.

They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity.

9 A nd it shall be: Like people, like priest; I will punish them for their ways and repay them for their doings.

And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings.

10 F or they shall eat and not have enough; they shall play the harlot and beget no increase, because they have forsaken the Lord for harlotry;

For they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall commit whoredom, and shall not increase: because they have left off to take heed to the Lord.

11 H arlotry and wine and new wine take away the heart and the mind and the spiritual understanding.

Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart.

12 M y people ask counsel of their wood, and their staff gives them oracles and instructs them. For the spirit of harlotry has led them astray and they have played the harlot, withdrawing themselves from subjection to their God.

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.

13 T hey sacrifice on the tops of the mountains, and they burn incense upon the hills and under oaks, poplars, and terebinths, because there the shade is good. Therefore your daughters play the harlot and your sons’ wives commit adultery.

They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under oaks and poplars and elms, because the shadow thereof is good: therefore your daughters shall commit whoredom, and your spouses shall commit adultery.

14 I will not punish your daughters when they play the harlot nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery, for themselves go aside in order to be alone with women who prostitute themselves for gain, and they sacrifice at the altar with dedicated harlots. Therefore the people without understanding shall stumble and fall and come to ruin.

I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom, nor your spouses when they commit adultery: for themselves are separated with whores, and they sacrifice with harlots: therefore the people that doth not understand shall fall.

15 T hough you, Israel, play the harlot and worship idols, let not Judah offend and become guilty; come not to Gilgal, neither go up to Beth-aven, nor swear, As the Lord lives.

Though thou, Israel, play the harlot, yet let not Judah offend; and come not ye unto Gilgal, neither go ye up to Bethaven, nor swear, The Lord liveth.

16 F or Israel has behaved stubbornly, like a stubborn heifer. How then should he expect to be fed and treated by the Lord like a lamb in a large pasture?

For Israel slideth back as a backsliding heifer: now the Lord will feed them as a lamb in a large place.

17 E phraim is joined to idols, let him alone.

Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone.

18 T heir drinking carousal over, they go habitually to play the harlot; rulers love shame more than her glory.

Their drink is sour: they have committed whoredom continually: her rulers with shame do love, Give ye.

19 T he resistless wind has bound up in its wings or skirts, and they and their altars shall be put to shame because of their sacrifices.

The wind hath bound her up in her wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.