God’s Case against His People

1Hear the word of YHWH,

O sons of Israel,

for a case is unto YHWH

against those dwelling in the land:

“For there is no truth, and there is no loving devotion,

and there is no knowledge of God in the land.

2Cursing, and lying,

and killing, and stealing,

and committing adultery, they break all restraint,

and bloodshed touches upon bloodshed.

3Upon thus mourns the land,

and languish all dwelling in it;

with the beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens,

and even the fish of the sea, they are gathered up.

4Only let no man contend

and no man rebuke,

for your people are

like those who contend with a priest.†

5And you will stumble by day,

and will stumble also the prophet with you by night,

and I will destroy your mother.

6My people are destroyed

for lack of knowledge,

because you have rejected knowledge,

and I will reject you from being priest unto Me;

and you have forgotten the law of your God;

I will forget your children also.

7According to their becoming numerous,

so they sinned against Me;

their Glory they exchanged†

for shame.

8The sin† of My people they eat up,

and toward their iniquity they lift up their soul.

9And it will be

like people, like priest;

and I will visit punishment on them for their ways,

and their deeds I will repay to them.

10For they will eat, and they will not be satisfied;

they will prostitute themselves and not increase,

because they have abandoned to give heed to YHWH.

11Prostitution and wine and new wine

take the heart.

12My people consult with a piece of wood,

and their staff declares it to them;

for the spirit of prostitution has led them astray,

and they have prostituted themselves from under their God.

13On the tops of the mountains they sacrifice,

and on the hills they burn incense,

under oak and poplar and terebinth,

because its shade is good.

In this way your⁺ daughters prostitute themselves,

and your⁺ brides commit adultery.

14I will not visit punishment on your⁺ daughters

when they prostitute themselves,

or on your⁺ brides

when they commit adultery;

for they themselves go off with the prostitutes,

and offer sacrifices with shrine prostitutes,

and a people without understanding

will be thrown down.

15Though you prostitute yourself, O Israel,

do not let Judah become guilty;

and do not come to Gilgal,

and do not go up to Beth-Aven,†

and do not swear an oath,

‘As YHWH lives.’

16For being stubborn like a heifer,

Israel is stubborn;

now will YHWH let them graze

like a lamb in a broad pasture?

17Ephraim† is joined to idols;

leave him alone!

18Has turned aside their liquor,

they engage in flagrant prostitution;

her rulers† dearly love love dishonor.

19The wind has constrained her† in its wings,

and they will be ashamed of their sacrifices.