4:1 Hear 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.
4:2 There is only cursing, lying and murder, stealing and adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed.
4:3 Because of this the land mourns, and all who live in it waste away; the beasts of the field and the birds of the air and the fish of the sea are dying.
4:4 “But let no man bring a charge, let no man accuse another, for your people are like those who bring charges against a priest.
4:5 You stumble day and night, and the prophets stumble with you. So I will destroy your mother–
4:6 my 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.
4:7 The more the priests increased, the more they sinned against me; they exchanged their Glory for something disgraceful.
4:8 They feed on the sins of my people and relish their wickedness.
4:9 And it will be: Like people, like priests. I will punish both of them for their ways and repay them for their deeds.
4:10 “They will eat but not have enough; they will engage in prostitution but not increase, because they have deserted the LORD to give themselves
4:11 to prostitution, to old wine and new, which take away the understanding
4:12 of my people. They consult a wooden idol and are answered by a stick of wood. A spirit of prostitution leads them astray; they are unfaithful to their God.
4:13 They 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.
4:14 “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!
4:15 “Though you commit adultery, O Israel, let not 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!’
4:16 The Israelites are stubborn, like a stubborn heifer. How then can the LORD pasture them like lambs in a meadow?
4:17 Ephraim is joined to idols; leave him alone!
4:18 Even when their drinks are gone, they continue their prostitution; their rulers dearly love shameful ways.
4:19 A whirlwind will sweep them away, and their sacrifices will bring them shame.
4:1 Hear the word of Jehovah, / O children of Israel; / For Jehovah has a controversy / With the inhabitants of the land. / For there is no faithfulness or kindness / And no knowledge of God in the land.
4:2 Rather there are swearing and deceiving and murder / And stealing and adultery; / They are violent, / And bloodshed follows bloodshed.
4:3 Because of this the land mourns, / And all the inhabitants languish within it, / With the beasts of the field / And with the birds of heaven; / Indeed, even the fish of the sea will be taken away.
4:4 Yet let no man contend, / And let no man reprove; / For your people are like those who contend with the priest.
4:5 And you will stumble in the day, / And the prophet also will stumble / With you in the night; / And I will destroy your mother.
4:6 My people are destroyed / Because of a lack of that knowledge. / For you have rejected that knowledge, / And I will reject you, so that you will not be a priest to Me; / Since you have forgotten the law of your God, / I also will forget your children.
4:7 The more they were multiplied, the more they sinned against Me; / I will change their glory into shame.
4:8 They feed on the sin of My people, / And their soul desires their iniquity.
4:9 And it will be that as it is with the people, so it will be with the priest; / Thus I will visit their ways upon them, / And I will recompense their doings to them.
4:10 And they will eat but will not be filled; / And they will commit fornication but will not increase; / For they have ceased giving heed to Jehovah.
4:11 Fornication and wine / And new wine take away their heart.
4:12 My people inquire at their wooden post, / And their rod informs them of things; / For a spirit of harlotries makes them err, / And they have gone about as harlots away from their God.
4:13 Upon the tops of the mountains they offer sacrifices, / And upon the hills they burn incense, / Under oak, poplar, and terebinth, / Because its shade is good. / Therefore your daughters go about as harlots, / And your brides commit adultery.
4:14 I will not punish your daughters when they go about as harlots / Nor your brides when they commit adultery; / For the men themselves go off with harlots, / And they offer sacrifices with the prostitutes; / And the people who have no understanding will be cast down.
4:15 Though you, Israel, go about as a harlot, / Let not Judah trespass; / And do not come to Gilgal, / Nor go up to Beth-aven, / Nor swear, As Jehovah lives.
4:16 For Israel is stubborn, / Like a stubborn heifer; / Will Jehovah now pasture them / Like a lamb in a spacious place?
4:17 Ephraim is joined to idols; / Leave him alone.
4:18 Their liquor has ended; / They have given themselves up to harlotry; / Their rulers dearly love shame.
4:19 The wind has wrapped her up in its wings, / And they will be ashamed because of their sacrifices.