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[1]HEAR the word of the LORD, O children of Israel; for the LORD has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no justice or mercy or knowledge of God in the land;
[2]But cursing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery; they have increased and they mix blood with blood.
[3]Therefore the land shall mourn, and all its inhabitants shall languish, even the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air; and the fish of the sea also shall perish.
[4]Because none judges nor reproves another, for your people is engaged in controversy like a priest.
[5]Therefore you shall stumble in the day, and the prophet of your people also shall stumble in the night, and yet your mother keeps silence
[6]My people are silent for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you from the priesthood; seeing you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children.
[7]According to the multitude of them, so they have sinned against me; they changed their honor into shame.
[8]They devoured my people unmercifully, and they have engulfed themselves in their iniquity.
[9]The priest has become common like the people; and I will punish them for their ways and reward them for their deeds.
[10]For they shall eat and not be satisfied; they shall commit whoredom, and shall not increase, because they have forsaken the LORD.
[11]And they love whoredom, and wine and drunkenness take away their heart
[12]My people ask counsel of their own imagination, and their staff declares to them the directions; for the spirit of whoredom has caused them to go astray, so they have turned from their God.
[13]They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains and burn incense upon the hills, under oaks and poplars and terebinth, because their shadow is good; therefore your daughters shall commit whoredom and your brides shall commit adultery.
[14]I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom nor your brides when they commit adultery; for they themselves are mingled with whores, and they sacrifice with shameless harlots; therefore a people that does not understand embraces the harlot.
[15]As for you, O Israel, you shall not condemn Judah; nor shall you go to Gilgal, neither come up to Beth-aon; nor shall you say, The LORD lives.
[16]For as a heifer that slides back from the yoke, so Israel balks; now the LORD will feed them like lambs in a wide pasture.
[17]Ephraim is joined to idols; let him alone.
[18]They all commit whoredom, and they love shame and idolatry.
[19]Let the wind rend asunder their robes; let them be ashamed of their altars
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