1 ` Hear a word of Jehovah, sons of Israel, For a strife to Jehovah with inhabitants of the land, For there is no truth, nor kindness, Nor knowledge of God, in the land,

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 S wearing, and lying, and murdering, And stealing, and committing adultery -- have increased, And blood against blood hath touched.

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

3 T herefore mourn doth the land, And weak is every dweller in it, With the beast of the field, And with the fowl of the heavens, And the fishes of the sea -- they are removed.

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 O nly, let no one strive, nor reprove a man, And thy people as those striving with a priest.

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

5 A nd thou hast stumbled in the day, And stumbled hath also a prophet with thee in the night, And I have 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 C ut off have been My people for lack of knowledge, Because thou knowledge hast rejected, I reject thee from being priest to Me, And thou forgettest the law of thy God, I forget thy sons, I also!

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 abundance so they sinned against Me, Their honour into shame I change.

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

8 T he sin of My people they do eat, And unto their iniquity lift up their soul.

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

9 A nd it hath been, like people, like priest, And I have charged on it its ways, And its habitual doings I return to it.

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

10 A nd they have eaten, and are not satisfied, They have gone a-whoring, and increase not, For they have left off taking heed to Jehovah.

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 the heart,

Harlotry, wine and new wine take away the understanding.

12 M y people at its staff asketh and its rod declareth to it, For a spirit of whoredoms hath caused to err, And they go a-whoring from under their God.

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 O n tops of the mountains they do sacrifice, And on the hills they make perfume, Under oak, and poplar, and terebinth, For good its shade.

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 T herefore commit whoredom do your daughters, And your spouses commit adultery, I do not see after your daughters when they commit whoredom, And after your spouses when they commit adultery, For they with the harlots are separated, And with the whores they do sacrifice, A people that doth not understand kicketh.

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 a harlot thou, O Israel, Let not Judah become guilty, And come not ye in to Gilgal, nor go up to Beth-Aven, Nor swear ye, Jehovah liveth.

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 as a refractory heifer hath Israel turned aside, Now doth Jehovah feed them as a lamb 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 J oined to idols Ephraim, let him alone.

Ephraim is joined to idols; Let him alone.

18 S our their drink, They have gone diligently a-whoring, Her protectors have loved shame thoroughly.

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

19 D istressed her hath wind with its wings, And they are ashamed of their sacrifices!

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