| 章 |
| 4:1 |
Hear the word of the LORD, you Israelites, because the LORD has a charge to bring against you who live in the land: "There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgment of God in the land.
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| 4:2 |
There is only cursing, lying and murder, stealing and adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed.
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| 4:3 |
Because of this the land mourns, and all who live in it waste away; the beasts of the field and the birds of the air and the fish of the sea are dying.
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| 4:4 |
"But let no man bring a charge, let no man accuse another, for your people are like those who bring charges against a priest.
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| 4:5 |
You stumble day and night, and the prophets stumble with you. So I will destroy your mother--
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| 4:6 |
my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. "Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children.
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| 4:7 |
The more the priests increased, the more they sinned against me; they exchanged their Glory for something disgraceful.
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| 4:8 |
They feed on the sins of my people and relish their wickedness.
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| 4:9 |
And it will be: Like people, like priests. I will punish both of them for their ways and repay them for their deeds.
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| 4:10 |
"They will eat but not have enough; they will engage in prostitution but not increase, because they have deserted the LORD to give themselves
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| 4:11 |
to prostitution, to old wine and new, which take away the understanding
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| 4:12 |
of my people. They consult a wooden idol and are answered by a stick of wood. A spirit of prostitution leads them astray; they are unfaithful to their God.
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| 4:13 |
They sacrifice on the mountaintops and burn offerings on the hills, under oak, poplar and terebinth, where the shade is pleasant. Therefore your daughters turn to prostitution and your daughters-in-law to adultery.
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| 4:14 |
"I will not punish your daughters when they turn to prostitution, nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery, because the men themselves consort with harlots and sacrifice with shrine prostitutes-- a people without understanding will come to ruin!
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| 4:15 |
"Though you commit adultery, O Israel, let not Judah become guilty. "Do not go to Gilgal; do not go up to Beth Aven. And do not swear, `As surely as the LORD lives!
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| 4:16 |
'The Israelites are stubborn, like a stubborn heifer. How then can the LORD pasture them like lambs in a meadow?
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| 4:17 |
Ephraim is joined to idols; leave him alone!
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| 4:18 |
Even when their drinks are gone, they continue their prostitution; their rulers dearly love shameful ways.
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| 4:19 |
A whirlwind will sweep them away, and their sacrifices will bring them shame.
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