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.

Oíd palabra de Jehová, hijos de Israel, porque Jehová tiene pleito con los moradores de la tierra; porque no hay verdad, ni misericordia, ni conocimiento de Dios en la tierra.

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.

Perjuran, mienten, matan, hurtan, adulteran y oprimen, y se suceden homicidios tras homicidios.

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.

Por lo cual se enlutará la tierra, y se extenuará todo morador de ella, con las bestias del campo y las aves del cielo; y aun los peces del mar morirán.

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

Que nadie entre en pleito ni reprenda a nadie, porque tu pueblo es como los que ponen pleito al sacerdote.

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.

Tropezarás en pleno día, y tropezará también contigo el profeta de noche; y a tu madre destruiré.

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.

Mi pueblo fue destruido porque le faltó conocimiento. Por cuanto desechaste el conocimiento, yo te echaré del sacerdocio; y porque olvidaste la ley de tu Dios, también yo me olvidaré de tus hijos.

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

Conforme a su multitud, pecaron contra mí; también yo cambiaré su honra en afrenta.

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

Del pecado de mi pueblo comen, y hacia su maldad dirigen su avidez.

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

Y será el pueblo como el sacerdote; le castigaré por su conducta, y le pagaré conforme a sus obras.

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;

Comerán, pero no se saciarán; fornicarán, mas no se multiplicarán, porque se obstinaron en alejarse de Jehová.

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

Fornicación, vino y mosto quitan el juicio.

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.

Mi pueblo pregunta a su ídolo de madera, y el leño le responde; porque un espíritu de fornicaciones lo ha descarriado, y dejaron a su Dios para fornicar.

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.

Sobre las cimas de los montes sacrificaron, e incensaron sobre los collados, debajo de las encinas, álamos y terebintos que tienen grata sombra; por eso, vuestras hijas fornicarán, y adulterarán vuestras nueras.

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.

No castigaré a vuestras hijas cuando forniquen, ni a vuestras nueras cuando adulteren; porque ellos mismos se van con rameras, y sacrifican con malas mujeres; y el pueblo, por no entender, perecerá.

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.

Si fornicas tú, Israel, que al menos no peque Judá; y no entréis en Gilgal, ni subáis a Bet-aven, ni juréis: Vive Jehová.

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?

Porque se ha encabritado Israel como novilla indómita, ¿los apacentará ahora Jehová como a corderos en lugar espacioso?

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

Efraín está ligado a los ídolos; déjalo.

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

Cuando se les pasa la embriaguez, se dan a la fornicación; cambian la gloria por la ignominia.

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.

El viento los envolverá en sus alas, y serán avergonzados de sus sacrificios.