Study Desk

^(C1)Listen to the word of the LORD, you sons of Israel, Because the LORD has a ^(C2)case against the inhabitants of the land, For there is ^(C3)no ^(F1)faithfulness, nor ^(F2)loyalty, Nor ^(C4)knowledge of God in the land.

There is ^(C1)oath-taking, ^(F1)(C2)denial, ^(C3)murder, ^(C4)stealing, and ^(C5)adultery. They employ violence, so that ^(C6)bloodshed ^(F2)follows bloodshed.

Therefore the land ^(C1)mourns, And everyone who lives in it languishes Along with the animals of the field and the birds of the sky, And even the fish of the sea ^(F1)disappear.

Yet let no one ^(F1)(C1)find fault, and let no one rebuke; For your people are like those who ^(C2)contend with a priest.

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

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

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

They ^(C1)feed on the ^(F1)sin of My people, And ^(C2)long for their wrongdoing.

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

^(C1)They will eat, but not have enough; They will ^(C2)play the prostitute, but not ^(F1)increase, Because they ^(C3)gave up devoting themselves to the LORD.

^(F1)Infidelity, ^(C1)wine, and new wine take away the ^(F2)understanding.