¹ Hear the word of the LORD, you children of Israel: for the LORD has 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 touches blood. ³ Therefore will the land mourn, and every one that dwells in it will languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yes, the fishes of the sea also will be taken away. ⁴ Yet let no man strive, nor reprove another: for your people are as those strive with the priest. ⁵ Therefore will you fall in the day, and the prophet also will fall with you in the night, and I will destroy your mother. ⁶ My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you, that you will be no priest to me: seeing you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your 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 will be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings. ¹⁰ For they will eat, and not have enough: they will commit whoredom, and will not increase: because they have left off to take care to the LORD. ¹¹ Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart. ¹² My people ask counsel at their chains, and their staff declares to them: for the spirit of whoredoms has caused them to go astray, and they have gone a whoring from under their God. ¹³ They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains, and burn incense on the hills, under oaks and poplars and elms, because the shadow of it is good: therefore your daughters will commit whoredom, and your spouses will 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 does not understand will fall. ¹⁵ though you, Israel, play the prostitute, yet let not Judah offend; and come not you to Gilgal, neither go you up to Bethaven, nor swear, The LORD lives. ¹⁶ For Israel slides 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 has bound her up in her wings, and they will be ashamed because of their sacrifices.