| King James Bible | New International Version |
| 1Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land. | 1Hear the word of the LORD, you Israelites, because the LORD has a charge to bring against you who live in the land: "There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgment of God in the land. |
| 2By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood. | 2There is only cursing, lying and murder, stealing and adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed. |
| 3Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away. | 3Because of this the land dries up, and all who live in it waste away; the beasts of the field, the birds in the sky and the fish in the sea are swept away. |
| 4Yet let no man strive, nor reprove another: for thy people are as they that strive with the priest. | 4"But let no one bring a charge, let no one accuse another, for your people are like those who bring charges against a priest. |
| 5Therefore shalt thou fall in the day, and the prophet also shall fall with thee in the night, and I will destroy thy mother. | 5You stumble day and night, and the prophets stumble with you. So I will destroy your mother-- |
| 6My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. | 6my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. "Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children. |
| 7As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame. | 7The more priests there were, the more they sinned against me; they exchanged their glorious God for something disgraceful. |
| 8They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity. | 8They feed on the sins of my people and relish their wickedness. |
| 9And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings. | 9And it will be: Like people, like priests. I will punish both of them for their ways and repay them for their deeds. |
| 10For they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall commit whoredom, and shall not increase: because they have left off to take heed to the LORD. | 10"They will eat but not have enough; they will engage in prostitution but not flourish, because they have deserted the LORD to give themselves |
| 11Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart. | 11to prostitution; old wine and new wine take away their understanding. |
| 12My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them: for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err, and they have gone a whoring from under their God. | 12My people consult a wooden idol, and a diviner's rod speaks to them. A spirit of prostitution leads them astray; they are unfaithful to their God. |
| 13They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under oaks and poplars and elms, because the shadow thereof is good: therefore your daughters shall commit whoredom, and your spouses shall commit adultery. | 13They sacrifice on the mountaintops and burn offerings on the hills, under oak, poplar and terebinth, where the shade is pleasant. Therefore your daughters turn to prostitution and your daughters-in-law to adultery. |
| 14I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom, nor your spouses when they commit adultery: for themselves are separated with whores, and they sacrifice with harlots: therefore the people that doth not understand shall fall. | 14"I will not punish your daughters when they turn to prostitution, nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery, because the men themselves consort with harlots and sacrifice with shrine prostitutes-- a people without understanding will come to ruin! |
| 15Though thou, Israel, play the harlot, yet let not Judah offend; and come not ye unto Gilgal, neither go ye up to Bethaven, nor swear, The LORD liveth. | 15"Though you, Israel, commit adultery, do not let Judah become guilty. "Do not go to Gilgal; do not go up to Beth Aven. And do not swear, 'As surely as the LORD lives!' |
| 16For Israel slideth back as a backsliding heifer: now the LORD will feed them as a lamb in a large place. | 16The Israelites are stubborn, like a stubborn heifer. How then can the LORD pasture them like lambs in a meadow? |
| 17Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone. | 17Ephraim is joined to idols; leave him alone! |
| 18Their drink is sour: they have committed whoredom continually: her rulers with shame do love, Give ye. | 18Even when their drinks are gone, they continue their prostitution; their rulers dearly love shameful ways. |
| 19The wind hath bound her up in her wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices. | 19A whirlwind will sweep them away, and their sacrifices will bring them shame. |
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