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

^{2 Ref} Swearing, and lying, and murdering, And stealing, and committing adultery -- have increased, And blood against blood hath touched.

^{3 Ref} Therefore 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.

^{4 Ref} Only, let no one strive, nor reprove a man, And thy people `are' as those striving with a priest.

^{5 Ref} And thou hast stumbled in the day, And stumbled hath also a prophet with thee in the night, And I have cut off thy mother.

^{6 Ref} Cut 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!

^{7 Ref} According to their abundance so they sinned against Me, Their honour into shame I change.

^{8 Ref} The sin of My people they do eat, And unto their iniquity lift up their soul.

^{9 Ref} And it hath been, like people, like priest, And I have charged on it its ways, And its habitual doings I return to it.

^{10 Ref} And they have eaten, and are not satisfied, They have gone a-whoring, and increase not, For they have left off taking heed to Jehovah.

^{11 Ref} Whoredom, and wine, and new wine, take the heart,

^{12 Ref} My 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.

^{13 Ref} On tops of the mountains they do sacrifice, And on the hills they make perfume, Under oak, and poplar, and terebinth, For good `is' its shade.

^{14 Ref} Therefore 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.

^{15 Ref} Though a harlot thou `art', 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.

^{16 Ref} For as a refractory heifer hath Israel turned aside, Now doth Jehovah feed them as a lamb in a large place.

^{17 Ref} Joined to idols `is' Ephraim, let him alone.

^{18 Ref} Sour `is' their drink, They have gone diligently a-whoring, Her protectors have loved shame thoroughly.

^{19 Ref} Distressed her hath wind with its wings, And they are ashamed of their sacrifices!

^{1 Ref} Hear the word of Yahweh, 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.

^{2 Ref} There is cursing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery; They break boundaries, and bloodshed causes bloodshed.

^{3 Ref} Therefore 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.

^{4 Ref} "Yet let no man bring a charge, neither let any man accuse; For your people are like those who bring charges against a priest.

^{5 Ref} You will stumble in the day, And the prophet will also stumble with you in the night; And I will destroy your mother.

^{6 Ref} My 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 your God's law, I will also forget your children.

^{7 Ref} As they were multiplied, so they sinned against me. I will change their glory into shame.

^{8 Ref} They feed on the sin of my people, And set their heart on their iniquity.

^{9 Ref} It will be, like people, like priest; And I will punish them for their ways, And will repay them for their deeds.

^{10 Ref} They will eat, and not have enough. They will play the prostitute, and will not increase; Because they have abandoned giving to Yahweh.

^{11 Ref} Prostitution, wine, and new wine take away understanding.

^{12 Ref} My people consult with their wooded 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.

^{13 Ref} They 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.

^{14 Ref} 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; And the people that does not understand will come to ruin.

^{15 Ref} "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.'

^{16 Ref} For Israel has behaved extremely stubbornly, like a stubborn heifer. Then how will Yahweh feed them like a lamb in a meadow.

^{17 Ref} Ephraim is joined to idols. Leave him alone!

^{18 Ref} Their drink has become sour. They play the prostitute continually. Her rulers dearly love their shameful way.

^{19 Ref} The wind has wrapped her up in its wings; And they shall be disappointed because of their sacrifices.

^{1 Ref} Give ear to the word of the Lord, O children of Israel; for the Lord has a cause against the people of this land, because there is no good faith in it, and no mercy and no knowledge of God in the land.

^{2 Ref} There is cursing and broken faith, violent death and attacks on property, men are untrue in married life, houses are broken into, and there is blood touching blood.

^{3 Ref} Because of this the land will be dry, and everyone living in it will be wasted away, with the beasts of the field and the birds of heaven; even the fishes of the sea will be taken away.

^{4 Ref} Let no man go to law or make protests, for your people are like those who go to law with a priest.

^{5 Ref} You will not be able to keep on your feet by day, and by night the prophet will be falling down with you, and I will give your mother to destruction.

^{6 Ref} Destruction has overtaken my people because they have no knowledge; because you have given up knowledge, I will give you up, so that you will be no priest to me, because you have not kept in mind the law of your God, I will not keep your children in my memory.

^{7 Ref} Even while they were increasing in number they were sinning against me; I will let their glory be changed into shame.

^{8 Ref} The sin of my people is like food to them; and their desire is for their wrongdoing.

^{9 Ref} And the priest will be like the people; I will give them punishment for their evil ways, and the reward of their acts.

^{10 Ref} They will have food, but they will not be full; they will be false to me, but they will not be increased, because they no longer give thought to the Lord.

^{11 Ref} Loose ways and new wine take away wisdom.

^{12 Ref} My people get knowledge from their tree, and their rod gives them news; for a false spirit is the cause of their wandering, and they have been false to their God.

^{13 Ref} They make offerings on the tops of mountains, burning perfumes in high places, under trees of every sort, because their shade is good: and so your daughters are given up to loose ways and your brides are false to their husbands.

^{14 Ref} I will not give punishment to your daughters or your brides for their evil behaviour; for they make themselves separate with loose women, and make offerings with those who are used for sex purposes in the worship of the gods: the people who have no wisdom will be sent away.

^{15 Ref} Do not you, O Israel, come into error; do not you, O Judah, come to Gilgal, or go up to Beth-aven, or take an oath, By the living Lord.

^{16 Ref} For Israel is uncontrolled, like a cow which may not be controlled; now will the Lord give them food like a lamb in a wide place.

^{17 Ref} Ephraim is joined to false gods; let him be.

^{18 Ref} Their drink has become bitter; they are completely false; her rulers take pleasure in shame.

^{19 Ref} They are folded in the skirts of the wind; they will be shamed because of their offerings.