1 HEAR the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.
2 By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.
3 Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.
4 Yet let no man strive, nor reprove another: for thy people are as they that strive with the priest.
5 Therefore shalt thou fall in the day, and the prophet also shall fall with thee in the night, and I will destroy thy mother.
6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
7 As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame.
8 They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity.
9 And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings.
10 For they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall commit whoredom, and shall not increase: because they have left off to take heed to the LORD.
11 Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart.
12 My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them: for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err, and they have gone a whoring from under their God.
13 They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under oaks and poplars and elms, because the shadow thereof is good: therefore your daughters shall commit whoredom, and your spouses shall commit adultery.
14 I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom, nor your spouses when they commit adultery: for themselves are separated with whores, and they sacrifice with harlots: therefore the people that doth not understand shall fall.
15 Though thou, Israel, play the harlot, yet let not Judah offend; and come not ye unto Gilgal, neither go ye up to Beth-aven, nor swear, The LORD liveth.
16 For Israel slideth back as a backsliding heifer: now the LORD will feed them as a lamb in a large place.
17 Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone.
18 Their drink is sour: they have committed whoredom continually: her rulers with shame do love, Give ye.
19 The wind hath bound her up in her wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.

1Heare the worde of the Lord, yee children of Israel: for the Lord hath a controuersie with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no trueth, nor mercie, nor knowledge of God in the land.

2By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adulterie, they breake out, and blood toucheth blood.

3Therefore shall the land mourne, and euery one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beastes of the field, and with the foules of heauen, yea the fishes of the Sea also shall be taken away.

4Yet let no man striue, nor reproue another: for this people are as they that striue with the priest.

5Therefore shalt thou fall in the day, and the prophet also shall fall with thee in the night, and I will destroy thy mother.

6 My people are destroyed for lacke of knowledge: because thou hast reiected knowledge, I will also reiect thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the lawe of thy God, I wil also forget thy children.

7As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therfore wil I change their glory into shame.

8They eate vp the sinne of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquitie.

9And there shall be like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their wayes, and reward them their doings.

10For they shall eate, and not haue enough: they shall commit whordome, and shall not increase, because they haue left off to take heed to the Lord.

11Whoredome, and wine, and newe wine take away the heart.

12 My people aske counsel at their stocks, and their staffe declareth vnto them: for the spirit of whordomes hath caused them to erre, and they haue gone a whoring from vnder their God.

13They sacrifice vpon the tops of the mountaines, and burne incense vpon the hilles vnder okes and poplars, and elmes, because the shadowe thereof is good: therefore your daughters shall commit whoredome, and your spouses shall commit adulterie.

14I will not punish your daughters when they commit whordome, nor your spouses when they commit adulterie: for themselues are separated with whores, and they sacrifice with harlots: therfore the people that doth not vnderstand, shall fall.

15 Though thou Israel play the harlot, yet let not Iudah offend, and come not ye vnto Gilgal, neither goe ye vp to Beth-auen, nor sweare, The Lord liueth:

16For Israel slideth backe, as a backe sliding heifer: now the Lord will feede them as a lambe in a large place.

17Ephraim is ioyned to idoles: let him alone.

18Their drinke is sowre: they haue committed whordome continually: her rulers with shame doe loue, Giue ye.

19The wind hath bound her vp in her wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.

I == Isa 1:18 3:13-14 ; Jer 4:22 ; 5:4 ; 25:31 ; Hos 12:2 ; Mic 6:2

 

 

III == Jer 4:28 ; 12:4 ; Amos 5:16 ; 8:8 ; Zeph 1:3

 

 

 

IV == Deut 17:12

 

 

V == Jer 6:4-5 ; 15:8

 

VI == Isa 5:13

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IX == Isa 24:2 ; Jer 5:31

 

X == Lev 26:26 ; Mic 6:14 ; Hag 1:6

 

XI == Isa 28:7 ; Eccl 7:7

XII == Isa 44:20 ; Jer 2:27 ; Hos 5:4 ; Hab 2:19

 

 

XIII == Isa 1:29 ; 57:5 , 7 ; Ezek 6:13 ; 20:28 ; Amos 7:17 ; Rom 1:28

 

XIV == Hos 4:1 , 6

 

 

 

 

XV == 1st Kings 12:29 ; Hos 9:15 ; 10:5 ; 12:11 ; Amos 4:4 ; 5:5 ; 8:14 ; Zeph 1:5

XVI == Jer 3:6 ; 7:24 ; 8:5 ; Zech 7:11

XVII == Matt 15:14

XVIII == Ps 47:9 ; Mic 3:11 ; 7:3

XIX == Isa 1:29 ; Jer 2:26 ; 4:11-12 ; 51:1

1 Hear the word of the LORD, O people of Israel, for the LORD has a grievance against the inhabitants of the land: There is no fidelity, no mercy, no knowledge of God in the land.

2 False swearing, lying, murder, stealing and adultery! in their lawlessness, bloodshed follows bloodshed.

3 Therefore the land mourns, and everything that dwells in it languishes: The beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and even the fish of the sea perish.

4 But let no one protest, let no one complain; with you is my grievance, O priests!

5 You shall stumble in the day, and the prophets shall stumble with you at night; I will destroy your mother.

6 My people perish for want of knowledge! Since you have rejected knowledge, I will reject you from my priesthood; Since you have ignored the law of your God, I will also ignore your sons.

7 One and all they sin against me, exchanging their glory for shame.

8 They feed on the sin of my people, and are greedy for their guilt.

9 The priests shall fare no better than the people: 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 harlot but not increase, Because they have abandoned the LORD

11 to practice harlotry. Old wine and new deprive my people of understanding.

12 They consult their piece of wood, and their wand makes pronouncements for them, For the spirit of harlotry has led them astray; they commit harlotry, forsaking their God.

13 On the mountaintops they offer sacrifice and on the hills they burn incense, Beneath oak and poplar and terebinth, because of their pleasant shade. That is why your daughters play the harlot, and your daughters-in-law are adulteresses.

14 Am I then to punish your daughters for their harlotry, your daughters-in-law for their adultery? You yourselves consort with harlots, and with prostitutes you offer sacrifice! So must a people without understanding come to ruin.

15 Though you play the harlot, O Israel, let not Judah become guilty! Come not to Gilgal, nor up to Beth-aven, to swear, "As the Lord lives!"

16 For Israel is as stubborn as a heifer; will the LORD now give them broad pastures as though they were lambs?

17 Ephraim is an associate of idols, let him alone!

18 When their carousing is over, they give themselves to harlotry; in their arrogance they love shame.

19 The wind has bound them up in its pinions; they shall have only shame from their altars.

EPHRAIM IS JOINED TO IDOLS

v 1 - 3 Their horrible crimes is Idolarty, Israel, the Northern Kingdom, is indicted for breach of covenant. Lying, killing, stealing and adultery are common. Swearing here is not profanity, but using God’s name to bring down a curse on another. Not the legal curse of Num. 5:19-23. Because of this, drought would cover the land and some die.

 

 

4-10 Priest feed on the sins of the people People are forbidden to bring formal opposition to God’s charges, and their prophets were guilty right along with them. Their lack of knowledge was because the priests failed to tell them God’s laws, and mothers failed to instruct their children. As the number of priests increased, so did their shameful acts. In greed for their portion, they had people increase their hypocritical offerings.

v 9-11. They would face the same fate as the people because they had forsaken the Lord and promoted cultish immoral practices.

 

11-14 Married women entertain other men, the younger women are harlots, the men go with prostitutes People were seeking answers from idols and had so far lost knowledge that they engaged in cult prostitution, which was supposed to promote human and agricultural fertility. Women weren’t singled out for punishment because men did too.

 

 

15 Judah had not sin or sunk as deep into Idolatry as Israel had and is why it was spared for about another 100 years after Israel was destroyed. Judah is warned not to go to the cult sites at Gilgal or Bethel (house of God) which name was changed to Beth Aven (house of wickedness). They were also warned not to worship idols, yet swear in God’s name.

 

v 16. Israel’s refusal to repent was like a stubborn heifer refusing to be led or bear the yoke. So God will still care for them, but instead of the close area of Israel, they will be scattered in Syria, later the world.

 

v 17. The Northern Kingdom was to be left to her doom for her idolatry.

 

v 18. Israel’s rulers joined the people in immorality and shamefulness.

 

v 19. Ephraim, like chaff of Ps. 1:4, was soon to be swept away for their abominable sacrifices.