1 H ear Yahweh’s word, you children of Israel; for Yahweh has a charge against the inhabitants of the land: “Indeed there is no truth, nor goodness, nor knowledge of God in the land.

¶ 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 T here is cursing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery; they break boundaries, and bloodshed causes bloodshed.

By swearing and lying and murdering and stealing and committing adultery, they prevailed, and blood touches blood.

3 T herefore the land will mourn, and everyone who dwells therein will waste away. all living things in her, even the animals of the field and the birds of the sky; yes, the fish of the sea also die.

Therefore 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 “ Yet let no man bring a charge, neither let any man accuse; For your people are like those who bring charges against a priest.

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

5 Y ou will stumble in the day, and the prophet will also stumble with you in the night; and I will destroy your mother.

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

6 M y people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you, that you may be no priest to me. Because you have forgotten your God’s law, I will also forget your children.

¶ 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 s they were multiplied, so they sinned against me. I will change their glory into shame.

According to their greatness, so did they sin against me; therefore I will change their honour 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 in their iniquity they raise up their soul.

9 I t will be, like people, like priest; and I will punish them for their ways, and will repay them for their deeds.

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

10 T hey will eat, and not have enough. They will play the prostitute, and will not increase; because they have abandoned giving to Yahweh.

For 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 P rostitution, wine, and new wine take away understanding.

Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart.

12 M y people consult with their wooden idol, and answer to a stick of wood. Indeed the spirit of prostitution has led them astray, and they have been unfaithful to their God.

¶ 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 on the tops of the mountains, and burn incense on the hills, under oaks and poplars and terebinths, because its shade is good. Therefore your daughters play the prostitute, and your brides commit adultery.

They 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 punish your daughters when they play the prostitute, nor your brides when they commit adultery; because the men consort with prostitutes, and they sacrifice with the shrine prostitutes; so the people without understanding will come to ruin.

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 “ Though you, Israel, play the prostitute, yet don’t let Judah offend; and don’t come to Gilgal, neither go up to Beth Aven, nor swear, ‘As Yahweh lives.’

Though 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 behaved extremely stubbornly, like a stubborn heifer. Then how will Yahweh feed them like a lamb in a meadow.

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

17 E phraim is joined to idols. Leave him alone!

Ephraim is given over to idols; leave him.

18 T heir drink has become sour. They play the prostitute continually. Her rulers dearly love their shameful way.

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

19 T he wind has wrapped her up in its wings; and they shall be disappointed because of their sacrifices.

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