| New King James Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Hear the word of the LORD, You children of Israel, For the LORD brings a charge against the inhabitants of the land: “There is no truth or mercy Or knowledge of God in the land. | 1Hear the word of the LORD, people of Israel, for the LORD has a case against the inhabitants of the land: There is no truth, no faithful love, and no knowledge of God in the land! |
| 2By swearing and lying, Killing and stealing and committing adultery, They break all restraint, With bloodshed upon bloodshed. | 2Cursing, lying, murder, stealing, and adultery are rampant; one act of bloodshed follows another. |
| 3Therefore the land will mourn; And everyone who dwells there will waste away With the beasts of the field And the birds of the air; Even the fish of the sea will be taken away. | 3For this reason the land mourns, and everyone who lives in it languishes, along with the wild animals and the birds of the sky; even the fish of the sea disappear. |
| 4“Now let no man contend, or rebuke another; For your people are like those who contend with the priest. | 4But let no one dispute; let no one argue, for My case is against you priests. |
| 5Therefore you shall stumble in the day; The prophet also shall stumble with you in the night; And I will destroy your mother. | 5You will stumble by day; the prophet will also stumble with you by night. And I will destroy your mother. |
| 6My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children. | 6My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will reject you from serving as My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your sons. |
| 7“The more they increased, The more they sinned against Me; I will change their glory into shame. | 7The more they multiplied, the more they sinned against Me. I will change their honor into disgrace. |
| 8They eat up the sin of My people; They set their heart on their iniquity. | 8They feed on the sin of My people; they have an appetite for their transgressions. |
| 9And it shall be: like people, like priest. So I will punish them for their ways, And reward them for their deeds. | 9The same judgment will happen to both people and priests. I will punish them for their ways and repay them for their deeds. |
| 10For they shall eat, but not have enough; They shall commit harlotry, but not increase; Because they have ceased obeying the LORD. | 10They will eat but not be satisfied; they will be promiscuous but not multiply. For they have abandoned their devotion to the LORD. |
| 11“Harlotry, wine, and new wine enslave the heart. | 11Promiscuity, wine, and new wine take away one's understanding. |
| 12My people ask counsel from their wooden idols, And their staff informs them. For the spirit of harlotry has caused them to stray, And they have played the harlot against their God. | 12My people consult their wooden idols, and their divining rods inform them. For a spirit of promiscuity leads them astray; they act promiscuously in disobedience to their God. |
| 13They offer sacrifices on the mountaintops, And burn incense on the hills, Under oaks, poplars, and terebinths, Because their shade is good. Therefore your daughters commit harlotry, And your brides commit adultery. | 13They sacrifice on the mountaintops, and they burn offerings on the hills, and under oaks, poplars, and terebinths, because their shade is pleasant. And so your daughters act promiscuously and your daughters-in-law commit adultery. |
| 14“I will not punish your daughters when they commit harlotry, Nor your brides when they commit adultery; For the men themselves go apart with harlots, And offer sacrifices with a ritual harlot. Therefore people who do not understand will be trampled. | 14I will not punish your daughters when they act promiscuously or your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery, for the men themselves go off with prostitutes and make sacrifices with cult prostitutes. People without discernment are doomed. |
| 15“Though you, Israel, play the harlot, Let not Judah offend. Do not come up to Gilgal, Nor go up to Beth Aven, Nor swear an oath, saying, ‘As the LORD lives’— | 15Israel, if you act promiscuously, don't let Judah become guilty! Do not go to Gilgal or make a pilgrimage to Beth-aven, and do not swear an oath: As the LORD lives! |
| 16“For Israel is stubborn Like a stubborn calf; Now the LORD will let them forage Like a lamb in open country. | 16For Israel is as obstinate as a stubborn cow. Can the LORD now shepherd them like a lamb in an open meadow? |
| 17“Ephraim is joined to idols, Let him alone. | 17Ephraim is attached to idols; leave him alone! |
| 18Their drink is rebellion, They commit harlotry continually. Her rulers dearly love dishonor. | 18When their drinking is over, they turn to promiscuity. Israel's leaders fervently love disgrace. |
| 19The wind has wrapped her up in its wings, And they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices. | 19A wind with its wings will carry them off, and they will be ashamed of their sacrifices. |
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