| New American Standard Bible 1995 | New Living Translation |
| 1Listen to the word of the LORD, O sons of Israel, For the LORD has a case against the inhabitants of the land, Because there is no faithfulness or kindness Or knowledge of God in the land. | 1Hear the word of the LORD, O people of Israel! The LORD has brought charges against you, saying: “There is no faithfulness, no kindness, no knowledge of God in your land. |
| 2There is swearing, deception, murder, stealing and adultery. They employ violence, so that bloodshed follows bloodshed. | 2You make vows and break them; you kill and steal and commit adultery. There is violence everywhere— one murder after another. |
| 3Therefore the land mourns, And everyone who lives in it languishes Along with the beasts of the field and the birds of the sky, And also the fish of the sea disappear. | 3That is why your land is in mourning, and everyone is wasting away. Even the wild animals, the birds of the sky, and the fish of the sea are disappearing. |
| 4Yet let no one find fault, and let none offer reproof; For your people are like those who contend with the priest. | 4“Don’t point your finger at someone else and try to pass the blame! My complaint, you priests, is with you. |
| 5So you will stumble by day, And the prophet also will stumble with you by night; And I will destroy your mother. | 5So you will stumble in broad daylight, and your false prophets will fall with you in the night. And I will destroy Israel, your mother. |
| 6My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children. | 6My people are being destroyed because they don’t know me. Since you priests refuse to know me, I refuse to recognize you as my priests. Since you have forgotten the laws of your God, I will forget to bless your children. |
| 7The more they multiplied, the more they sinned against Me; I will change their glory into shame. | 7The more priests there are, the more they sin against me. They have exchanged the glory of God for the shame of idols. |
| 8They feed on the sin of My people And direct their desire toward their iniquity. | 8“When the people bring their sin offerings, the priests get fed. So the priests are glad when the people sin! |
| 9And it will be, like people, like priest; So I will punish them for their ways And repay them for their deeds. | 9‘And what the priests do, the people also do.’ So now I will punish both priests and people for their wicked deeds. |
| 10They will eat, but not have enough; They will play the harlot, but not increase, Because they have stopped giving heed to the LORD. | 10They will eat and still be hungry. They will play the prostitute and gain nothing from it, for they have deserted the LORD |
| 11Harlotry, wine and new wine take away the understanding. | 11to worship other gods. “Wine has robbed my people of their understanding. |
| 12My people consult their wooden idol, and their diviner's wand informs them; For a spirit of harlotry has led them astray, And they have played the harlot, departing from their God. | 12They ask a piece of wood for advice! They think a stick can tell them the future! Longing after idols has made them foolish. They have played the prostitute, serving other gods and deserting their God. |
| 13They offer sacrifices on the tops of the mountains And burn incense on the hills, Under oak, poplar and terebinth, Because their shade is pleasant. Therefore your daughters play the harlot And your brides commit adultery. | 13They offer sacrifices to idols on the mountaintops. They go up into the hills to burn incense in the pleasant shade of oaks, poplars, and terebinth trees. “That is why your daughters turn to prostitution, and your daughters-in-law commit adultery. |
| 14I will not punish your daughters when they play the harlot Or your brides when they commit adultery, For the men themselves go apart with harlots And offer sacrifices with temple prostitutes; So the people without understanding are ruined. | 14But why should I punish them for their prostitution and adultery? For your men are doing the same thing, sinning with whores and shrine prostitutes. O foolish people! You refuse to understand, so you will be destroyed. |
| 15Though you, Israel, play the harlot, Do not let Judah become guilty; Also do not go to Gilgal, Or go up to Beth-aven And take the oath: "As the LORD lives!" | 15“Though you, Israel, are a prostitute, may Judah not be guilty of such things. Do not join the false worship at Gilgal or Beth-aven, and do not take oaths there in the LORD’s name. |
| 16Since Israel is stubborn Like a stubborn heifer, Can the LORD now pasture them Like a lamb in a large field? | 16Israel is stubborn, like a stubborn heifer. So should the LORD feed her like a lamb in a lush pasture? |
| 17Ephraim is joined to idols; Let him alone. | 17Leave Israel alone, because she is married to idolatry. |
| 18Their liquor gone, They play the harlot continually; Their rulers dearly love shame. | 18When the rulers of Israel finish their drinking, off they go to find some prostitutes. They love shame more than honor. |
| 19The wind wraps them in its wings, And they will be ashamed because of their sacrifices. | 19So a mighty wind will sweep them away. Their sacrifices to idols will bring them shame. |
| New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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