4
God’s Charge Against Israel
1Hear the word of the Lord,
You children of Israel,
For the Lordbrings a ⚓charge against the inhabitants of the land:
“There is no truth or mercy
Or ⚓knowledge of God in the land.
2By swearing and lying,
Killing and stealing and committing adultery,
They break all restraint,
With bloodshed upon bloodshed.
3Therefore ⚓the land will mourn;
And ⚓everyone who dwells there will waste away
With the beasts of the field
And the birds of the air;
Even the fish of the sea will be taken away.
4“Now let no man contend, or rebuke another;
For your people are like those ⚓who contend with the priest.
5Therefore you shall stumble ⚓in the day;
The prophet also shall stumble with you in the night;
And I will destroy your mother.
6⚓My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.
Because you have rejected knowledge,
I also will reject you from being priest for Me;
⚓Because you have forgotten the law of your God,
I also will forget your children.
7“The more they increased,
The more they sinned against Me;
⚓I will change their glory into shame.
8They eat up the sin of My people;
They set their heart on their iniquity.
9And it shall be: ⚓like people, like priest.
So I will punish them for their ways,
And reward them for their deeds.
10For ⚓they shall eat, but not have enough;
They shall commit harlotry, but not increase;
Because they have ceased obeying the Lord.
The Idolatry of Israel
11“Harlotry, wine, and new wine ⚓enslave the heart.
12My people ask counsel from their ⚓wooden idols,
And their staff informs them.
For ⚓the spirit of harlotry has caused them to stray,
And they have played the harlot against their God.
13⚓They offer sacrifices on the mountaintops,
And burn incense on the hills,
Under oaks, poplars, and terebinths,
Because their shade is good.
⚓Therefore your daughters commit harlotry,
And your brides commit adultery.
14“I will not punish your daughters when they commit harlotry,
Nor your brides when they commit adultery;
For the men themselves go apart with harlots,
And offer sacrifices with a ⚓ritual harlot.
Therefore people who do not understand will be trampled.
15“Though you, Israel, play the harlot,
Let not Judah offend.
⚓Do not come up to Gilgal,
Nor go up to ⚓Beth Aven,
⚓Nor swear an oath, saying, ‘As the Lord lives’—
16“For Israel ⚓is stubborn
Like a stubborn calf;
Now the Lord will let them forage
Like a lamb in open country.
17“Ephraim is joined to idols,
⚓Let him alone.
18Their drink is rebellion,
They commit harlotry continually.
⚓Her rulers dearly love dishonor.
19⚓The wind has wrapped her up in its wings,
And ⚓they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.