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Yahweh's Contention with Israel

^1 (C1)Listen to the word of Yahweh, O sons of Israel,
For Yahweh has a ^(C2)contention against the inhabitants of the land,
Because there is ^(C3)no truth or ^(F1)lovingkindness
Or ^(C4)knowledge of God in the land.

² There is ^(C1)swearing of oaths, ^(C2)deception, ^(C3)murder, ^(C4)stealing, and ^(C5)adultery.
They break forth in violence so that ^(C6)bloodshed ^(F1)follows bloodshed.

³ Therefore the land ^(C1)mourns,
And everyone who inhabits it languishes
Along with the beasts of the field and the birds of the sky,
And also the fish of the sea ^(F1)disappear.

⁴ Yet let no man ^(C1)contend, and let no man offer reproof;
Indeed, your people are like those who ^(C2)contend with the priest.

⁵ So you will ^(C1)stumble by day,
And the prophet also will stumble with you by night;
And I will destroy your ^(C2)mother.

^6 (C1)My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.
Because you have ^(C2)rejected knowledge,
I also will ^(C3)reject you from ministering as My priest.
Since you have ^(C4)forgotten the ^(C5)law of your God,
I Myself also will forget your children.

⁷ The more they ^(C1)multiplied, the more they sinned against Me;
I will ^(C2)change their glory into disgrace.

⁸ They ^(C1)eat the ^(F1)sin of My people
And ^(C2)lift up ^(F2)their soul toward their iniquity.

⁹ And it will be like people, ^(C1)like priest;
So I will ^(C2)punish them for their ways
And cause their deeds to return to them.

^10 (C1)They will eat, but not be satisfied;
They will ^(C2)play the harlot, but not break forth in number,
Because they have ^(F1)(C3)forsaken Yahweh to keep harlotry.

¹¹ Harlotry, ^(C1)wine, and new wine take away a heart of wisdom.

¹² My people ^(C1)ask their wooden idol, and their diviner's wand declares to them;
For a spirit of harlotry has led them astray,
And they have played the harlot, departing ^(F1)from their God.

¹³ They offer sacrifices on the ^(C1)tops of the mountains
And ^(F1)(C2)burn incense on the hills,
^(C3)Under oak, poplar, and terebinth
Because their shade is good.
Therefore your daughters play the harlot,
And your ^(F2)brides commit adultery.

¹⁴ I will not punish your daughters when they play the harlot
Or your ^(F1)brides when they commit adultery,
For the men themselves go apart with harlots
And offer sacrifices with ^(C1)cult prostitutes;
So the people without understanding are ^(F2)ruined.

¹⁵ Though you, Israel, play the harlot,
Do not let Judah become guilty;
Also do not go to ^(C1)Gilgal
Nor go up to Beth-aven
^(C2)And swear the oath:
"As Yahweh lives!"

¹⁶ Since Israel is ^(C1)stubborn
Like a stubborn heifer,
^(F1)Can Yahweh now ^(C2)feed them
Like a lamb in a large field?

¹⁷ Ephraim is joined to ^(C1)idols;
^(C2)Let him alone.

¹⁸ Their drink gone;
They play the harlot continually;
^(C1)Their ^(F1)rulers dearly love disgrace.

^19 (C1)The wind binds them up in its wings,
And they will be ashamed because of their sacrifices.