| 1 | Hear the word of Yahweh, you children of Israel; for Yahweh has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor goodness, nor knowledge of God in the land. |
| 2 | There is nothing but swearing and breaking faith, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery; they break out, and blood touches blood. |
| 3 | Therefore shall the land mourn, and everyone who dwells therein shall languish, with the animals of the field and the birds of the sky; yes, the fish of the sea also shall be taken away. |
| 4 | Yet let no man strive, neither let any man reprove; for your people are as those who strive with the priest. |
| 5 | You shall stumble in the day, and the prophet also shall stumble 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 shall be no priest to me: seeing you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children. |
| 7 | As they were multiplied, so they sinned against me: I will change their glory into shame. |
| 8 | They feed on the sin of my people, and set their heart on their iniquity. |
| 9 | It shall be, like people, like priest; and I will punish them for their ways, and will requite them their doings. |
| 10 | They shall eat, and not have enough; they shall play the prostitute, and shall not increase; because they have left off taking heed to Yahweh. |
| 11 | Prostitution and wine and new wine take away the understanding. |
| 12 | My people ask counsel at their stock, and their staff declares to them; for the spirit of prostitution has caused them to err, and they have played the prostitute, [departing] from under their God. |
| 13 | They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains, and burn incense on the hills, under oaks and poplars and terebinths, because the shadow of it is good: therefore your daughters play the prostitute, and your brides commit adultery. |
| 14 | I will not punish your daughters when they play the prostitute, nor your brides when they commit adultery; for [the men] themselves go apart with prostitutes, and they sacrifice with the prostitutes; and the people that does not understand shall be overthrown. |
| 15 | Though you, Israel, play the prostitute, yet don't let Judah offend; and don't you come to Gilgal, neither go up to Beth-aven, nor swear, As Yahweh lives. |
| 16 | For Israel has behaved himself stubbornly, like a stubborn heifer: now will Yahweh feed them as a lamb in a large place. |
| 17 | Ephraim is joined to idols; let him alone. |
| 18 | Their drink is become sour; they play the prostitute continually; her rulers dearly love shame. |
| 19 | The wind has wrapped her up in its wings; and they shall be put to shame because of their sacrifices. |