1 ¶ Hear the word of the LORD, ye sons of Israel; for the LORD contends with the inhabitants of the land because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the earth.

2 B y swearing and lying and murdering and stealing and committing adultery, they prevailed, and blood touches blood.

3 T herefore the earth shall mourn, and every one that dwells therein shall be cut off, with the beasts of the field and the fowls of heaven; and even the fishes of the sea shall be caught.

4 C ertainly man does not contend with nor reprehend man; for thy people are as those that resist the priest.

5 T herefore thou shalt fall in the day, and the prophet shall also fall with thee by night, and I will cut off thy mother.

6 ¶ My people were cut off because they lacked wisdom; because thou hast rejected wisdom, I will cast thee out of the priesthood; seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy sons.

7 A ccording to their greatness, so did they sin against me; therefore I will change their honour into shame.

8 T hey eat up the sin of my people, and in their iniquity they raise up their soul.

9 T he people shall become like the priest; and I will visit his ways upon him, and they shall reward him according to his doings.

10 F or they shall eat and not be satisfied; they shall commit whoredom and shall not increase because they have quit showing hospitality unto the LORD.

11 W horedom and wine and new wine take away the heart.

12 ¶ My people ask counsel of their wooden idol, and their stick declares unto them; for the spirit of whoredoms has caused them to err, and they have gone a whoring under their gods.

13 T hey sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains and burn incense upon the hills, under oaks and poplars and elms, that had good shade; therefore your daughters shall commit whoredom, and your daughters-in-law shall commit adultery.

14 I will not visit upon your daughters when they commit whoredom, nor upon your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery: for they offer with whores, and they sacrifice with cult prostitutes; therefore the people without understanding shall fall.

15 T hough thou, Israel, play the harlot, yet let not Judah be guilty; and do not come unto Gilgal, neither go up to Bethaven, nor swear, The LORD lives,

16 f or Israel has turned away as a wild heifer; shall the LORD now feed them as rams in a large place?

17 E phraim is given over to idols; leave him.

18 T heir drink has become corrupted; they have committed whoredom continually; her princes love gifts, shamefully.

19 T he wind has bound her up in her wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.