1 HEAR the word of the LORD, O children of Israel; for the LORD has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no justice or mercy or knowledge of God in the land;

2 But cursing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery; they have increased and they mix blood with blood.

3 Therefore the land shall mourn, and all its inhabitants shall languish, even the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air; and the fish of the sea also shall perish.

4 Because none judges nor reproves another, for your people is engaged in controversy like a priest.

5 Therefore you shall stumble in the day, and the prophet of your people also shall stumble in the night, and yet your mother keeps silence.

6 My people are silent for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you from the priesthood; seeing you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children.

7 According to the multitude of them, so they have sinned against me; they changed their honor into shame.

8 They devoured my people unmercifully, and they have engulfed themselves in their iniquity.

9 The priest has become common like the people; and I will punish them for their ways and reward them for their deeds.

10 For they shall eat and not be satisfied; they shall commit whoredom, and shall not increase, because they have forsaken the LORD.

11 And they love whoredom, and wine and drunkenness take away their heart.

12 My people ask counsel of their own imagination, and their staff declares to them the directions; for the spirit of whoredom has caused them to go astray, so they have turned from their God.

13 They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains and burn incense upon the hills, under oaks and poplars and terebinth, because their shadow is good; therefore your daughters shall commit whoredom and your brides shall commit adultery.

14 I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom nor your brides when they commit adultery; for they themselves are mingled with whores, and they sacrifice with shameless harlots; therefore a people that does not understand embraces the harlot.

15 As for you, O Israel, you shall not condemn Judah; nor shall you go to Gilgal, neither come up to Beth-aon; nor shall you say, The LORD lives.

16 For as a heifer that slides back from the yoke, so Israel balks; now the LORD will feed them like lambs in a wide pasture.

17 Ephraim is joined to idols; let him alone.

18 They all commit whoredom, and they love shame and idolatry.

19 Let the wind rend asunder their robes; let them be ashamed of their altars.