¹ Sons of Israel, hear the word of Jehovah, for Jehovah has a quarrel with the inhabitants of the land; for there is no truth, and no mercy, and no knowledge of God in the land.

² Swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and the committing of adultery increase. And blood touches against blood.

³ On account of this the land shall mourn, and every one living in it shall droop, with the beasts of the field and the birds of the heaven; yes, also the fish of the sea shall be removed.

⁴ Yet let not a man strive with nor reprove a man. For your people are as a priest striven with.

⁵ And you shall stumble in the day, and the prophet also shall stumble with you at night, and I will cut off your mother.

⁶ My people are cut off for lack of knowledge. Because you rejected the knowledge, I also rejected you from being priest to Me. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I will forget your sons, even I.

⁷ As they were increased, so they sinned against Me. I will change their glory into shame.

⁸ They eat up the sin of My people, and they lift their vitality to their iniquity.

⁹ And it will be, Like people, like priest. And I will visit their ways on them and repay them for their deeds.

¹⁰ For they shall eat and not have enough. They shall fornicate and not increase, because they have ceased heeding Jehovah.

¹¹ Fornication and wine, and new wine, take away the heart.

¹² My people seek advice by their wooden idols , and their rod declares to them. For the spirit of harlotry has led them astray, and they fornicated from under their God.

¹³ They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains and burn incense on the hills, under oak and poplar and terebinth, because its shade is good. On account of this, your daughters shall prostitute, and your brides shall commit adultery.

¹⁴ I will not punish your daughters when they fornicate, nor your brides when they commit adultery. For the men themselves go aside with harlots, and they sacrifice with temple prostitutes. The people who do not understand are thrust down.

¹⁵ Israel, though you fornicate, do not let Judah become guilty. And do not come to Gilgal, nor go up to Beth-aven, nor swear, As Jehovah lives.

¹⁶ For Israel rebels, like a rebellious heifer. Now Jehovah will feed them as a lamb in a roomy place.

¹⁷ Ephraim is joined to idols. Let him alone.

¹⁸ Their drink is sour. They are continually fornicating. Her shields dearly love shame.

¹⁹ The wind binds her up in her wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.