5AFTER THEY WILL RETURN [THE] PEOPLE OF ISRAEL AND THEY WILL SEEK <OBJ.> YAHWEH GOD THEIR AND <OBJ.> DAVID KING THEIR AND THEY WILL BE IN DREAD TO YAHWEH AND TO GOODNESS HIS AT [THE] END OF THE DAYS 5Afterward, the people of Israel will return and seek the LORD their God and David their king. They will come trembling to the LORD and to His goodness in the last days.
1HEAR [THE] WORD OF YAHWEH O PEOPLE OF ISRAEL FOR A CASE AT LAW [BELONGS] TO YAHWEH WITH [THE] INHABITANTS OF THE LAND FOR THERE NOT [IS] FAITHFULNESS AND THERE NOT [IS] COVENANT LOYALTY AND THERE NOT [IS] KNOWLEDGE OF GOD IN THE LAND God’s Case against His People 1Hear the word of the LORD, O children of Israel, for the LORD has a case against the people of the land: There is no truth, no loving devotion, and no knowledge of God in the land!
2CURSING AND DECEIVING AND MURDERING AND STEALING AND COMMITTING ADULTERY PEOPLE HAVE BROKEN OUT AND BLOOD<S> <IN> BLOOD<S> THEY HAVE TOUCHED 2Cursing and lying, murder and stealing, and adultery are rampant; one act of bloodshed follows another.
3THERE- -FORE IT WILL DRY UP THE LAND AND HE WILL WITHER EVERY [ONE WHO] DWELLS IN IT AMONG [THE] ANIMAL[S] OF THE FIELD AND AMONG [THE] BIRD[S] OF THE HEAVENS AND ALSO [THE] FISH OF THE SEA THEY WILL BE REMOVED 3Therefore the land mourns, and all who dwell in it will waste away with the beasts of the field and the birds of the air; even the fish of the sea disappear.
4NEVERTHELESS ANYONE MAY NOT HE BRING A CASE AND MAY NOT HE REPROVE ANYONE AND PEOPLE YOUR [IS] LIKE [THOSE WHO] CONTEND <OF> A PRIEST 4But let no man contend; let no man offer reproof; for your people are like those who contend with a priest.*NoteCloseOr for My case is against you, O priests
5AND YOU WILL STUMBLE THE DAY AND HE WILL STUMBLE ALSO A PROPHET WITH YOU NIGHT AND I WILL DESTROY MOTHER YOUR 5You will stumble by day, and the prophet will stumble with you by night; so I will destroy your mother—
6THEY HAVE BEEN DESTROYED PEOPLE MY BECAUSE NOT <THE> KNOWLEDGE FOR YOU <THE> KNOWLEDGE YOU HAVE REJECTED AND I WILL REJECT YOU FROM SERVING AS A PRIEST <TO> ME AND YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN [THE] LAW OF GOD YOUR I WILL FORGET CHILDREN YOUR ALSO I 6My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you as My priests Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children.
7AS INCREASED THEY SO THEY SINNED TO ME GLORY THEIR FOR SHAME I WILL EXCHANGE 7The more they multiplied, the more they sinned against Me; they exchanged their Glory*NoteCloseOr they exchanged their glorious God (Syriac); MT I will exchange their glory for a thing of disgrace.
8[THE] SIN OF PEOPLE MY THEY EAT AND TO INIQUITY THEIR THEY LIFT UP DESIRE ITS 8They feed on the sins*NoteCloseOr the sin offerings of My people and set their hearts on iniquity.
9AND IT WILL BE AS THE PEOPLE AS THE PRIEST AND I WILL VISIT ON HIM WAYS HIS AND DEEDS HIS I WILL REPAY TO HIM 9And it shall be like people, like priest. I will punish both of them for their ways and repay them for their deeds.
10AND THEY WILL EAT AND NOT THEY WILL BE SATISFIED THEY WILL PROSTITUTE THEMSELVES AND NOT THEY WILL INCREASE FOR <OBJ.> YAHWEH THEY HAVE FORSAKEN TO KEEP 10They will eat but not be satisfied; they will be promiscuous but not multiply. For they have abandoned the LORD to give themselves
11PROSTITUTION AND WINE AND NEW WINE IT TAKES AWAY [THE] HEART 11to promiscuity, wine, and new wine, which take away understanding.
12PEOPLE MY BY WOOD HIS HE ENQUIRES AND STICK HIS IT TELLS TO HIM FOR A SPIRIT OF PROSTITUTION<S> IT HAS MISLED AND THEY HAVE PROSTITUTED THEMSELVES FROM UNDER GOD THEIR 12My people consult their wooden idols, and their divining rods inform them. For a spirit of prostitution leads them astray and they have played the harlot against their God.
13ON [THE] TOPS OF THE MOUNTAINS THEY SACRIFICE AND ON THE HILLS THEY MAKE SMOKE UNDER OAK AND POPLAR AND TEREBINTH FOR [IS] GOOD SHADE ITS THERE- -FORE THEY PROSTITUTE THEMSELVES DAUGHTERS YOUR AND BRIDES YOUR THEY COMMIT ADULTERY 13They sacrifice on the mountaintops and burn offerings on the hills, under oak, poplar, and terebinth, because their shade is pleasant. And so your daughters turn to prostitution and your daughters-in-law to adultery.
14NOT I WILL VISIT [JUDGMENT] ON DAUGHTERS YOUR IF THEY PROSTITUTE THEMSELVES AND ON BRIDES YOUR IF THEY COMMIT ADULTERY FOR THEY [MASC] WITH THE PROSTITUTES THEY GO APART AND WITH THE CULT PROSTITUTES THEY SACRIFICE AND A PEOPLE [WHICH] NOT IT UNDERSTANDS IT WILL BE RUINED 14I will not punish your daughters when they prostitute themselves, nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery. For the men themselves go off with prostitutes and offer sacrifices with shrine prostitutes. So a people without understanding will come to ruin.
15THOUGH [ARE] PROSTITUTING YOURSELF YOU O ISRAEL MAY NOT IT BECOME GUILTY JUDAH AND MAY NOT YOU GO <THE> GILGAL AND MAY NOT YOU GO UP BETH AVEN AND MAY NOT YOU SWEAR [BY] [THE] LIFE OF YAHWEH 15Though you prostitute yourself, O Israel, may Judah avoid such guilt! Do not journey to Gilgal, do not go up to Beth-aven,*NoteCloseBeth-aven means house of wickedness. This is a derogatory term for Bethel, which means house of God; see 1 Kings 12:28–29. and do not swear on oath, ‘As surely as the LORD lives!’
16FOR LIKE A HEIFER STUBBORN IT IS STUBBORN ISRAEL NOW HE WILL PASTURE THEM YAHWEH LIKE A LAMB IN <THE> ROOMY PLACE 16For Israel is as obstinate as a stubborn heifer. Can the LORD now shepherd them like lambs in an open meadow?
17[IS] JOINED OF IDOLS EPHRAIM LEAVE ALONE <TO> HIM 17Ephraim*NoteCloseThat is, the northern kingdom of Israel is joined to idols; leave him alone
18IT HAS COME TO AN END DRINK THEIR CERTAINLY <TO PROSTITUTE THEMSELVES> THEY HAVE PROSTITUTED THEMSELVES THEY HAVE LOVED LOVE SHAME SHIELDS ITS 18When their liquor is gone, they turn to prostitution; their rulers*NoteCloseHebrew her shields dearly love disgrace.
19IT HAS WRAPPED A WIND <OBJ.> IT IN WINGS ITS SO THEY MAY BE ASHAMED FROM SACRIFICES THEIR 19The whirlwind has wrapped them*NoteCloseHebrew has wrapped her in its wings, and their sacrifices will bring them shame. [’’]