| 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. |
