God’s Controversy with Israel

1 aListen to the word of the Lord, O sons of Israel,

For the Lord has a bcase against the inhabitants of the land,

Because there is cno 1faithfulness or 2kindness

Or dknowledge of God in the land.

2 There is aswearing, bdeception, cmurder, dstealing and eadultery.

They employ violence, so that fbloodshed 1follows bloodshed.

3 Therefore the land amourns,

And everyone who lives in it languishes

Along with the beasts of the field and the birds of the sky,

And also the fish of the sea 1disappear.

4 Yet let no one 1afind fault, and let none offer reproof;

For your people are like those who bcontend with the priest.

5 So you will astumble by day,

And the prophet also will stumble with you by night;

And I will destroy your bmother.

6 aMy people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.

Because you have brejected knowledge,

I also will creject you from being My priest.

Since you have dforgotten the elaw of your God,

I also will forget your children.

7 The more they amultiplied, the more they sinned against Me;

I will bchange their glory into shame.

8 They afeed on the 1sin of My people

And bdirect their desire toward their iniquity.

9 And it will be, like people, alike priest;

So I will bpunish them for their ways

And repay them for their deeds.

10 aThey will eat, but not have enough;

They will bplay the harlot, but not increase,

Because they have 1cstopped giving heed to the Lord.