Then said the LORD to me, Go yet, love a woman beloved by her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the LORD toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods, and love flagons of wine. [1] 2 So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and for an homer of barley, and an half homer of barley: [2] 3 And I said to her, Thou shalt abide for me many days; thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not be for another man: so will I also be for thee. 4 For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim: [3] 5 Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall fear the LORD and his goodness in the latter days.
CHAP. 4.
Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.
2 By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood. [4]
3 Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth in it shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.
4 Yet let no man contend, nor reprove another: for thy people are as they that contend with the priest.
5 Therefore shalt thou fall in the day, and the prophet also shall fall with thee in the night, and I will destroy thy mother. [5]
6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. [6]
7 As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame.
8 They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity. [7]
9 And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings. [8] [9]
10 For they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall commit harlotry, and shall not increase: because they have stopped taking heed to to the LORD.
11 Harlotry and wine and new wine take away the heart.
12 My people ask counsel at their idols, and their staff declareth to them: for the spirit of harlotry hath caused them to err, and they have played the harlot departing from under their God.
13 They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under oaks and poplars and elms, because their shadow is pleasant: therefore your daughters shall commit harlotry, and your spouses shall commit adultery.
14 I will not punish your daughters when they commit harlotry, nor your spouses when they commit adultery: for they themselves are separated with harlots, and they sacrifice with harlots: therefore the people that doth not understand shall fall. [10] [11]
15 Though thou, Israel, playest the harlot, yet let not Judah offend; and come not ye to Gilgal, neither go ye up to Bethaven, nor swear, The LORD liveth.
16 For Israel slideth back as a backsliding heifer: now the LORD will feed them as a lamb in a large place.
17 Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone.
18 Their drink is sour: they have committed harlotry continually: her rulers with love shame more than glory. [12] [13]
19 The wind hath bound her up in her wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.
CHAP. 5.
Hear ye this, O priests; and hearken, ye house of Israel; and give ye ear, O house of the king; for judgment is toward you, because ye have been a snare on Mizpah, and a net spread upon Tabor.
2 And the revolters are gone deeply into slaughter, though I have been a rebuker of them all. [14] [15]
3 I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from me: for now, O Ephraim, thou committest harlotry, and Israel is defiled.
4 They will not frame their doings to turn to their God: for the spirit of harlotry is in the midst of them, and they have not known the LORD. [16] [17]
5 And the pride of Israel doth testify to his face: therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their iniquity; Judah also shall fall with them.
6 They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the LORD; but they shall not find him ; he hath withdrawn himself from them.
7 They have dealt treacherously against the LORD: for they have begotten strange children: now shall a month devour them with their portions.
8 Blow ye the horn in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah: cry aloud at Bethaven, after thee, O Benjamin.
9 Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke: among the tribes of Israel
- ↑ of wine: Heb. of grapes
- ↑ half...: Heb. lethech
- ↑ image: Heb. a standing, or, statue, or, pillar
- ↑ blood: Heb. bloods
- ↑ destroy: Heb. cut off
- ↑ destroyed: Heb. cut off
- ↑ set...: Heb. lift up their soul to
- ↑ punish: Heb. visit upon
- ↑ reward: Heb. cause to return
- ↑ I will not: or, Shall I not
- ↑ fall: or, be punished
- ↑ sour: Heb. gone
- ↑ rulers: Heb. shields
- ↑ though: or, and
- ↑ a rebuker: Heb. a correction
- ↑ They will...: or, Their doings will not suffer them
- ↑ frame: Heb. give
