4:1 Hear the Lord’s word, people of Israel; for the Lord has a dispute with the inhabitants of the land. There’s no faithful love or loyalty, and no knowledge of God in the land.
4:2 Swearing, lying, murder, together with stealing and adultery are common; bloody crime followed by bloody crime.
4:3 Therefore, the earth itself becomes sick, and all who live on it grow weak; together with the wild animals and the birds in the sky, even the fish of the sea are dying.
4:4 Yet let no one protest, and let no one complain. Listen, priest, I am angry with your people.
4:5 You will stumble by day; and at nighttime so will your prophet, and I will destroy your mother.
4:6 My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. Since you have rejected knowledge, so I will reject you from serving me as a priest. Since you have forgotten the Instruction of your God, so also I will forget your children.
4:7 The more they increased, the more they sinned against me; they exchanged their glory for shame.
4:8 They feed on the sin of my people; they set their hearts on evil things.
4:9 The priest will be just like the people; I will punish them for their ways, and judge them for their deeds.
4:10 They will eat but not be satisfied; they will have sex like prostitutes, but they will not have children, because they have rejected the Lord to devote themselves to
4:11 false religious practices. Wine and new wine destroy understanding.
4:12 My people take advice from a piece of wood, and their divining rod gives them predictions. A spirit of prostitution has led them astray; they have left God to follow other gods.
4:13 They offer sacrifices on mountaintops, and make entirely burned offerings on hills; they offer sacrifices under various green trees, because their shade is pleasant. Therefore, your daughters act like prostitutes, and your daughters-in-law commit adultery.
4:14 I will not punish your daughters because they act like prostitutes, nor your daughters-in-law because they commit adultery; for the men themselves visit prostitutes, and offer sacrifices with consecrated workers at temples; so now the people without sense must come to ruin.
4:15 Israel, even though you act like a prostitute, don’t let Judah become guilty. Don’t enter into Gilgal, or go up to Beth-aven, and don’t swear, “As the Lord lives.”
4:16 Like a stubborn cow Israel is stubborn. Now the Lord will tend them, as the Lord tends a lamb in a pasture.
4:17 Ephraim is associated with idols— let him alone!
4:18 Though they have stopped drinking, they continue to behave like prostitutes; indeed, they “love”; shame is their pride.
4:19 The wind has wrapped her in its wings; they will be ashamed of their sacrifices.
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