| Chapter 4 |
| 1 | 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. |
| 2 |
By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and
committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood. |
| 3 |
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. |
|
4 | Yet let no man strive,
nor reprove another: for thy people are as they that strive with the
priest. |
| 5 |
Therefore shalt thou fall in the day, and the prophet also
shall fall with thee in the night, and I will destroy thy mother. |
| 6 |
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.
|
| 7 | As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I
change their glory into shame. |
|
8 | They eat up the sin of my people, and
they set their heart on their iniquity. |
|
9 | 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. |
| 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. |
