| New King James Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, | 1The word of the LORD came to me: |
| 2“Go and cry in the hearing of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD: “I remember you, The kindness of your youth, The love of your betrothal, When you went after Me in the wilderness, In a land not sown. | 2"Go and announce directly to Jerusalem that this is what the LORD says: I remember the loyalty of your youth, your love as a bride-- how you followed Me in the wilderness, in a land not sown. |
| 3Israel was holiness to the LORD, The firstfruits of His increase. All that devour him will offend; Disaster will come upon them,” says the LORD.’ ” | 3Israel was holy to the LORD, the firstfruits of His harvest. All who ate of it found themselves guilty; disaster came on them." This is the LORD's declaration. |
| 4Hear the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob and all the families of the house of Israel. | 4Hear the word of the LORD, house of Jacob and all families of the house of Israel. |
| 5Thus says the LORD: “What injustice have your fathers found in Me, That they have gone far from Me, Have followed idols, And have become idolaters? | 5This is what the LORD says: What fault did your fathers find in Me that they went so far from Me, followed worthless idols, and became worthless themselves? |
| 6Neither did they say, ‘Where is the LORD, Who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, Who led us through the wilderness, Through a land of deserts and pits, Through a land of drought and the shadow of death, Through a land that no one crossed And where no one dwelt?’ | 6They stopped asking, "Where is the LORD who brought us from the land of Egypt, who led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and ravines, through a land of drought and darkness, a land no one traveled through and where no one lived?" |
| 7I brought you into a bountiful country, To eat its fruit and its goodness. But when you entered, you defiled My land And made My heritage an abomination. | 7I brought you to a fertile land to eat its fruit and bounty, but after you entered, you defiled My land; you made My inheritance detestable. |
| 8The priests did not say, ‘Where is the LORD?’ And those who handle the law did not know Me; The rulers also transgressed against Me; The prophets prophesied by Baal, And walked after things that do not profit. | 8The priests quit asking, "Where is the LORD?" The experts in the law no longer knew Me, and the rulers rebelled against Me. The prophets prophesied by Baal and followed useless idols. |
| 9“Therefore I will yet bring charges against you,” says the LORD, “And against your children’s children I will bring charges. | 9Therefore, I will bring a case against you again. This is the LORD's declaration. I will bring a case against your children's children. |
| 10For pass beyond the coasts of Cyprus and see, Send to Kedar and consider diligently, And see if there has been such a thing. | 10Cross over to Cyprus and take a look. Send someone to Kedar and consider carefully; see if there has ever been anything like this: |
| 11Has a nation changed its gods, Which are not gods? But My people have changed their Glory For what does not profit. | 11Has a nation ever exchanged its gods? (But they were not gods!) Yet My people have exchanged their Glory for useless idols. |
| 12Be astonished, O heavens, at this, And be horribly afraid; Be very desolate,” says the LORD. | 12Be horrified at this, heavens; be shocked and utterly appalled. This is the LORD's declaration. |
| 13“For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water. | 13For My people have committed a double evil: They have abandoned Me, the fountain of living water, and dug cisterns for themselves, cracked cisterns that cannot hold water. |
| 14“Is Israel a servant? Is he a homeborn slave? Why is he plundered? | 14Is Israel a slave? Was he born into slavery? Why else has he become a prey? |
| 15The young lions roared at him, and growled; They made his land waste; His cities are burned, without inhabitant. | 15The young lions have roared at him; they have roared loudly. They have laid waste his land. His cities are in ruins, without inhabitants. |
| 16Also the people of Noph and Tahpanhes Have broken the crown of your head. | 16The men of Memphis and Tahpanhes have also broken your skull. |
| 17Have you not brought this on yourself, In that you have forsaken the LORD your God When He led you in the way? | 17Have you not brought this on yourself by abandoning the LORD your God while He was leading you along the way? |
| 18And now why take the road to Egypt, To drink the waters of Sihor? Or why take the road to Assyria, To drink the waters of the River? | 18Now what will you gain by traveling along the way to Egypt to drink the waters of the Nile? What will you gain by traveling along the way to Assyria to drink the waters of the Euphrates? |
| 19Your own wickedness will correct you, And your backslidings will rebuke you. Know therefore and see that it is an evil and bitter thing That you have forsaken the LORD your God, And the fear of Me is not in you,” Says the Lord GOD of hosts. | 19Your own evil will discipline you; your own apostasies will reprimand you. Think it over and see how evil and bitter it is for you to abandon the LORD your God and to have no fear of Me. This is the declaration of the Lord GOD of Hosts. |
| 20“For of old I have broken your yoke and burst your bonds; And you said, ‘I will not transgress,’ When on every high hill and under every green tree You lay down, playing the harlot. | 20For long ago I broke your yoke; I tore off your chains. You insisted, "I will not serve!" On every high hill and under every green tree you lie down like a prostitute. |
| 21Yet I had planted you a noble vine, a seed of highest quality. How then have you turned before Me Into the degenerate plant of an alien vine? | 21I planted you, a choice vine from the very best seed. How then could you turn into a degenerate, foreign vine? |
| 22For though you wash yourself with lye, and use much soap, Yet your iniquity is marked before Me,” says the Lord GOD. | 22Even if you wash with lye and use a great amount of soap, the stain of your sin is still in front of Me. This is the Lord GOD's declaration. |
| 23“How can you say, ‘I am not polluted, I have not gone after the Baals’? See your way in the valley; Know what you have done: You are a swift dromedary breaking loose in her ways, | 23How can you protest, "I am not defiled; I have not followed the Baals"? Look at your behavior in the valley; acknowledge what you have done. You are a swift young camel twisting and turning on her way, |
| 24A wild donkey used to the wilderness, That sniffs at the wind in her desire; In her time of mating, who can turn her away? All those who seek her will not weary themselves; In her month they will find her. | 24a wild donkey at home in the wilderness. She sniffs the wind in the heat of her desire. Who can control her passion? All who look for her will not become tired; they will find her in her mating season. |
| 25Withhold your foot from being unshod, and your throat from thirst. But you said, ‘There is no hope. No! For I have loved aliens, and after them I will go.’ | 25Keep your feet from going bare and your throat from thirst. But you say, "It's hopeless; I love strangers, and I will continue to follow them." |
| 26“As the thief is ashamed when he is found out, So is the house of Israel ashamed; They and their kings and their princes, and their priests and their prophets, | 26Like the shame of a thief when he is caught, so the house of Israel has been put to shame. They, their kings, their officials, their priests, and their prophets |
| 27Saying to a tree, ‘You are my father,’ And to a stone, ‘You gave birth to me.’ For they have turned their back to Me, and not their face. But in the time of their trouble They will say, ‘Arise and save us.’ | 27say to a tree, "You are my father," and to a stone, "You gave birth to me." For they have turned their back to Me and not their face, yet in their time of disaster they beg, "Rise up and save us!" |
| 28But where are your gods that you have made for yourselves? Let them arise, If they can save you in the time of your trouble; For according to the number of your cities Are your gods, O Judah. | 28But where are your gods you made for yourself? Let them rise up and save you in your time of disaster if they can, for your gods are as numerous as your cities, Judah. |
| 29“Why will you plead with Me? You all have transgressed against Me,” says the LORD. | 29Why do you bring a case against Me? All of you have rebelled against Me. This is the LORD's declaration. |
| 30“In vain I have chastened your children; They received no correction. Your sword has devoured your prophets Like a destroying lion. | 30I have struck down your children in vain; they would not accept discipline. Your own sword has devoured your prophets like a ravaging lion. |
| 31“O generation, see the word of the LORD! Have I been a wilderness to Israel, Or a land of darkness? Why do My people say, ‘We are lords; We will come no more to You’? | 31Evil generation, pay attention to the word of the LORD! Have I been a wilderness to Israel or a land of dense darkness? Why do My people claim, "We will go where we want; we will no longer come to You"? |
| 32Can a virgin forget her ornaments, Or a bride her attire? Yet My people have forgotten Me days without number. | 32Can a young woman forget her jewelry or a bride her wedding sash? Yet My people have forgotten Me for countless days. |
| 33“Why do you beautify your way to seek love? Therefore you have also taught The wicked women your ways. | 33How skillfully you pursue love; you also teach evil women your ways. |
| 34Also on your skirts is found The blood of the lives of the poor innocents. I have not found it by secret search, But plainly on all these things. | 34Moreover, your skirts are stained with the blood of the innocent poor. You did not catch them breaking and entering. But in spite of all these things |
| 35Yet you say, ‘Because I am innocent, Surely His anger shall turn from me.’ Behold, I will plead My case against you, Because you say, ‘I have not sinned.’ | 35you claim, "I am innocent. His anger is sure to turn away from me." But I will certainly judge you because you have said, "I have not sinned." |
| 36Why do you gad about so much to change your way? Also you shall be ashamed of Egypt as you were ashamed of Assyria. | 36How unstable you are, constantly changing your ways! You will be put to shame by Egypt just as you were put to shame by Assyria. |
| 37Indeed you will go forth from him With your hands on your head; For the LORD has rejected your trusted allies, And you will not prosper by them. | 37Moreover, you will be led out from here with your hands on your head since the LORD has rejected those you trust; you will not succeed even with their help. |
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