| English Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1Hear the word of the LORD, O children of Israel, for the LORD has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land. There is no faithfulness or steadfast love, and no knowledge of God in the land; | 1Hear the word of the LORD, you Israelites! For the LORD has a covenant lawsuit against the people of Israel. For there is neither faithfulness nor loyalty in the land, nor do they acknowledge God. |
| 2there is swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed. | 2There is only cursing, lying, murder, stealing, and adultery. They resort to violence and bloodshed. |
| 3Therefore the land mourns, and all who dwell in it languish, and also the beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens, and even the fish of the sea are taken away. | 3Therefore the land will mourn, and all its inhabitants will perish. The wild animals, the birds of the sky, and even the fish in the sea will perish. |
| 4Yet let no one contend, and let none accuse, for with you is my contention, O priest. | 4Do not let anyone accuse or contend against anyone else: for my case is against you priests! |
| 5You shall stumble by day; the prophet also shall stumble with you by night; and I will destroy your mother. | 5You stumble day and night, and the false prophets stumble with you; You have destroyed your own people! |
| 6My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children. | 6You have destroyed my people by failing to acknowledge me! Because you refuse to acknowledge me, I will reject you as my priests. Because you reject the law of your God, I will reject your descendants. |
| 7The more they increased, the more they sinned against me; I will change their glory into shame. | 7The more the priests increased in numbers, the more they rebelled against me. They have turned their glorious calling into a shameful disgrace! |
| 8They feed on the sin of my people; they are greedy for their iniquity. | 8They feed on the sin offerings of my people; their appetites long for their iniquity! |
| 9And it shall be like people, like priest; I will punish them for their ways and repay them for their deeds. | 9I will deal with the people and priests together: I will punish them both for their ways, and I will repay them for their deeds. |
| 10They shall eat, but not be satisfied; they shall play the whore, but not multiply, because they have forsaken the LORD to cherish | 10They will eat, but not be satisfied; they will engage in prostitution, but not increase in numbers; because they have abandoned the LORD by pursuing other gods. |
| 11whoredom, wine, and new wine, which take away the understanding. | 11Old and new wine take away the understanding of my people. |
| 12My people inquire of a piece of wood, and their walking staff gives them oracles. For a spirit of whoredom has led them astray, and they have left their God to play the whore. | 12They consult their wooden idols, and their diviner's staff answers with an oracle. The wind of prostitution blows them astray; they commit spiritual adultery against their God. |
| 13They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains and burn offerings on the hills, under oak, poplar, and terebinth, because their shade is good. Therefore your daughters play the whore, and your brides commit adultery. | 13They sacrifice on the mountaintops, and burn offerings on the hills; they sacrifice under oak, poplar, and terebinth, because their shade is so pleasant. As a result, your daughters have become cult prostitutes, and your daughters-in-law commit adultery! |
| 14I will not punish your daughters when they play the whore, nor your brides when they commit adultery; for the men themselves go aside with prostitutes and sacrifice with cult prostitutes, and a people without understanding shall come to ruin. | 14I will not punish your daughters when they commit prostitution, nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery. For the men consort with harlots, they sacrifice with temple prostitutes. It is true: "A people that lacks understanding will come to ruin!" |
| 15Though you play the whore, O Israel, let not Judah become guilty. Enter not into Gilgal, nor go up to Beth-aven, and swear not, “As the LORD lives.” | 15Although you, O Israel, commit adultery, do not let Judah become guilty! Do not journey to Gilgal! Do not go up to Beth Aven! Do not swear, "As surely as the LORD lives!" |
| 16Like a stubborn heifer, Israel is stubborn; can the LORD now feed them like a lamb in a broad pasture? | 16Israel has rebelled like a stubborn heifer! Soon the LORD will put them out to pasture like a lamb in a broad field! |
| 17Ephraim is joined to idols; leave him alone. | 17Ephraim has attached himself to idols; Do not go near him! |
| 18When their drink is gone, they give themselves to whoring; their rulers dearly love shame. | 18They consume their alcohol, then engage in cult prostitution; they dearly love their shameful behavior. |
| 19A wind has wrapped them in its wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices. | 19A whirlwind has wrapped them in its wings; they will be brought to shame because of their idolatrous worship. |
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