The Lord judges the inhabitants of the land for their lack of truth, mercy, and knowledge of God, as they have given in to slander, lying, killing, theft, and adultery. The land will mourn and all its inhabitants will suffer as a result of their sins. The priests have also failed in their duties, forgetting the law of God and leading the people astray, and they will be punished for their actions. The people's idolatry and immorality will ultimately lead to their downfall.
1 Listen to the word of the Lord, sons of Israel, for the Lord is judge of the inhabitants of the land. Yet there is no truth, and there is no mercy, and there is no knowledge of God, in the land 2 Slander, and lying, and killing, and theft, and adultery have overflowed, and bloodshed has brought more bloodshed 3 Because of this, the land will mourn, and all who dwell in it will languish, with the beasts of the field and the birds of the air. And the fishes of the sea also will be gathered together 4 So, truly, let each and every one not judge, and let no man be accused, for your people are just like those who speak against the priesthood 5 And you will be ruined on this day, and now the prophet will be ruined with you. In the night, I have made your mother to be silent 6 My people have become silent because they had no knowledge. Since you have rejected knowledge, I will drive you away; you do not perform the duties of the priesthood for me, and you have forgotten the law of your God, and so I will forget your sons 7 According to the multitude of them, so have they sinned against me. I will change their glory into disgrace 8 They will devour the sins of my people, and they will lift up their souls towards their iniquity 9 And, just as it is with the people, so will it be with the priest; and I will visit their ways upon them, and I will repay them for their intentions 10 And they will eat and not be satisfied. They have been committing fornication, and they did not cease. Since they have abandoned the Lord, they will not be safeguarded 11 Fornication, and wine, and drunkenness, have taken away their heart 12 My people have inquired of their stave, and their staff has announced to them. For the spirit of fornication has deceived them, and they have been fornicating before their God 13 They have offered sacrifice on the tops of the mountains and burnt incense on the hills, under the oak, and the poplar, and the terebinth tree, because its shadow was good; therefore, your daughters will commit fornication and your spouses will be adulteresses 14 I will not send afflictions on your daughters, when they will commit fornication, nor on your spouses, when they will commit adultery, because you yourselves have associated with harlots and have offered sacrifice with the effeminate, and because the people who do not understand will be defeated 15 If you commit fornication, Israel, at least let Judah not commit offenses; and do not be willing to enter into Gilgal, nor to ascend to Bethaven, and neither should you swear, "As the Lord lives. 16 For Israel has gone astray like a wanton heifer; so now the Lord will pasture them like a young lamb in a wide expanse 17 Ephraim participates in idolatry, so send him away 18 Their feasting has been set aside; they have committed fornication after fornication. They love to bring disgrace to their protectors 19 The wind has fastened them to its wings, and they will be confounded because of their sacrifices