| New King James Version | New International Version |
| 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, 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, Killing and stealing and committing adultery, They break all restraint, With bloodshed upon bloodshed. | 2There is only cursing, lying and murder, stealing and adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows 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. | 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. |
| 4“Now let no man contend, or rebuke another; For your people are like those who contend 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 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 prophets stumble with you. So I will destroy your mother-- |
| 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. | 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. |
| 7“The more they increased, The more they sinned against Me; I will 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; They set their heart on their iniquity. | 8They feed on the sins of my people and relish their wickedness. |
| 9And it shall be: like people, like priest. So I will punish them for their ways, And reward them for their deeds. | 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, but not have enough; They shall commit harlotry, but not increase; Because they have ceased obeying 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 |
| 11“Harlotry, wine, and new wine enslave the heart. | 11to prostitution; old wine and new wine take away their understanding. |
| 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. | 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 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, under oak, poplar and terebinth, where the shade is pleasant. Therefore your daughters turn to prostitution and your daughters-in-law to 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. | 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! |
| 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’— | 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!' |
| 16“For Israel is stubborn Like a stubborn calf; Now the LORD will let them forage Like a lamb in open country. | 16The Israelites are stubborn, like a stubborn heifer. How then can the LORD pasture them like lambs in a meadow? |
| 17“Ephraim is joined to idols, Let him alone. | 17Ephraim is joined to idols; leave him alone! |
| 18Their drink is rebellion, They commit harlotry continually. Her rulers dearly love dishonor. | 18Even when their drinks are gone, they continue their prostitution; their rulers dearly love shameful ways. |
| 19The wind has wrapped her up in its wings, And they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices. | 19A whirlwind will sweep them away, and their sacrifices will bring them shame. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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