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.

Listen to the word of the Lord, O sons of Israel, For the Lord has a case against the inhabitants of the land, Because there is no faithfulness or kindness Or knowledge of God in the land.

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

There is swearing, deception, murder, stealing and adultery. They employ violence, so that bloodshed follows bloodshed.

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.

Therefore the land mourns, And everyone who lives in it languishes Along with the beasts of the field and the birds of the sky, And also the fish of the sea disappear.

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

Yet let no one find fault, and let none offer reproof; For your people are like those who contend with 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.

So you will stumble by day, And the prophet also will stumble with you by night; And I will destroy your 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.

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.

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

The more they multiplied, the more they sinned against Me; I will change their glory into shame.

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

They feed on the sin of My people And direct their desire toward their iniquity.

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.

And it will be, like people, like priest; So I will punish them for their ways And repay them for their deeds.

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.

They will eat, but not have enough; They will play the harlot, but not increase, Because they have stopped giving heed to the Lord.

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

Harlotry, wine and new wine take away the understanding.

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.

My people consult their wooden idol, and their diviner’s wand informs them; For a spirit of harlotry has led them astray, And they have played the harlot, departing from their God.

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.

They offer sacrifices on the tops of the mountains And burn incense on the hills, Under oak, poplar and terebinth, Because their shade is pleasant. Therefore your daughters play the harlot And your brides 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.

I will not punish your daughters when they play the harlot Or your brides when they commit adultery, For the men themselves go apart with harlots And offer sacrifices with temple prostitutes; So the people without understanding are ruined.

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,

Though you, Israel, play the harlot, Do not let Judah become guilty; Also do not go to Gilgal, Or go up to Beth-aven And take the oath: “As 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?

Since Israel is stubborn Like a stubborn heifer, Can the Lord now pasture them Like a lamb in a large field?

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

Ephraim is joined to idols; Let him alone.

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

Their liquor gone, They play the harlot continually; Their rulers dearly love shame.

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

The wind wraps them in its wings, And they will be ashamed because of their sacrifices.