| New King James Version | NET Bible |
| 1Hear the word of the LORD, You children of Israel, For the LORD brings a charge against the inhabitants of the land: “There is no truth or mercy Or 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. |
| 2By swearing and lying, Killing and stealing and committing adultery, They break all restraint, With bloodshed upon bloodshed. | 2There is only cursing, lying, murder, stealing, and adultery. They resort to violence and 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. | 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. |
| 4“Now let no man contend, or rebuke another; For your people are like those who contend with the priest. | 4Do not let anyone accuse or contend against anyone else: for my case is against you priests! |
| 5Therefore you shall stumble in the day; The prophet also shall stumble with you in the 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 also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because 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. |
| 7“The 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 eat up the sin of My people; They set their heart on 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. So I will punish them for their ways, And reward 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. |
| 10For they shall eat, but not have enough; They shall commit harlotry, but not increase; Because they have ceased obeying the LORD. | 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. |
| 11“Harlotry, wine, and new wine enslave the heart. | 11Old and new wine take away the understanding of my people. |
| 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. | 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 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. | 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! |
| 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. | 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!" |
| 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’— | 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!" |
| 16“For Israel is stubborn Like a stubborn calf; Now the LORD will let them forage Like a lamb in open country. | 16Israel has rebelled like a stubborn heifer! Soon the LORD will put them out to pasture like a lamb in a broad field! |
| 17“Ephraim is joined to idols, Let him alone. | 17Ephraim has attached himself to idols; Do not go near him! |
| 18Their drink is rebellion, They commit harlotry continually. Her rulers dearly love dishonor. | 18They consume their alcohol, then engage in cult prostitution; they dearly love their shameful behavior. |
| 19The wind has wrapped her up 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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