1“Hear a word of YHWH, sons of Israel, || For a strife [is] to YHWH with inhabitants of the land, || For there is no truth, nor kindness, || Nor knowledge of God in the land;
2Swearing, and lying, and murdering, || And stealing, and committing adultery—have increased, || And blood has touched against blood.
3Therefore the land mourns, || And every dweller is weak in it, || With the beast of the field, || And with the bird of the heavens, || And the fishes of the sea—they are removed.
4Only, let no one strive, nor reprove a man, || And your people [are] as those striving with a priest.
5And you have stumbled in the day, || And a prophet has also stumbled with you in the night, || And I have cut off your mother.
6My people have been cut off for lack of knowledge, || Because you have rejected knowledge, || I reject you from being priest to Me, || And you forget the Law of your God—I forget your sons, I also!
7According to their abundance so they sinned against Me, || I change their glory into shame.
8The sin of My people they eat, || And to their iniquity lift up their soul.
9And it has been, like people, like priest, || And I have charged on it its ways, || And its habitual doings I return to it.
10And they have eaten, and are not satisfied, || They have gone whoring, and do not increase, || For they have left off taking heed to YHWH.
11Whoredom, and wine, and new wine, take the heart,
12My people at its staff asks and its rod declares to it, || For a spirit of whoredoms has caused to err, || And they go whoring from under their God.
13On tops of the mountains they sacrifice, || And on the hills they make incense, || Under oak, and poplar, and terebinth, || For good [is] its shade.
14Therefore your daughters commit whoredom, || And your spouses commit adultery, || I do not see after your daughters when they commit whoredom, || And after your spouses when they commit adultery, || For they with the harlots are separated, || And with the whores they sacrifice, || A people that does not understand kicks.
15Though you [are] a harlot, O Israel, || Do not let Judah become guilty, || And do not come to Gilgal, nor go up to Beth-Aven, || Nor swear, YHWH lives.
16For Israel has turned aside as a stubborn heifer, || Now YHWH feeds them as a lamb in a large place.