Hear 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.
02 By swearing, and lying, and killing, and
stealing, and committing adultery, they break
out, and blood toucheth blood.
03 Therefore 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.
04 Yet let no man strive, nor reprove another:
for thy people are as they that strive with the
priest.
05 Therefore shalt thou fall in the day, and the
prophet also shall fall with thee in the night,
and I will destroy thy mother.
06 My 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.
07 As they were increased, so they sinned against
me: therefore will I change their glory into
shame.
08 They eat up the sin of my people, and they set
their heart on their iniquity.
09 And there shall be, like people, like priest:
and I will punish them for their ways, and reward
them their doings.
10 For 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.
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11 Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the
heart.
12 My 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.
13 They 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.
14 I 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.
15 Though 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.
16 For Israel slideth back as a backsliding
heifer: now the Lord will feed them as a lamb in
a large place.
17 Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone.
18 Their drink is sour: they have committed
whoredom continually: her rulers with shame do
love, Give ye.
19 The wind hath bound her up in her wings, and
they shall be ashamed because of their
sacrifices.
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