God Accuses Israel

4 Hear the word of the Lord, O people of Israel;

for the Lord has an indictment against the inhabitants of the land.

There is no faithfulness or loyalty,

and no knowledge of God in the land.

2 Swearing, lying, and murder,

and stealing and adultery break out;

bloodshed follows bloodshed.

3 Therefore the land mourns,

and all who live in it languish;

together with the wild animals

and the birds of the air,

even the fish of the sea are perishing.

4 Yet let no one contend,

and let none accuse,

for with you is my contention, O priest.a

5 You shall stumble by day;

the prophet also shall stumble with you by night,

and I will destroy your mother.

6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge;

because you have rejected knowledge,

I reject you from being a priest to me.

And since you have forgotten the law of your God,

I also will forget your children.

7 The more they increased,

the more they sinned against me;

they changedb their glory into shame.

8 They feed on the sin of my people;

they are greedy for their iniquity.

9 And it shall be like people, like priest;

I will punish them for their ways,

and repay them for their deeds.

10 They shall eat, but not be satisfied;

they shall play the whore, but not multiply;

because they have forsaken the Lord

to devote themselves to 11 whoredom.