שִׁמְעוּ דְבַר־ה' בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כִּי רִיב לַה' עִם־יוֹשְׁבֵי הָאָרֶץ כִּי אֵין־אֱמֶת וְאֵין־חֶסֶד וְאֵין־דַּעַת אֱלֹהִים בָּאָרֶץ

Hear the word of the Lord, children of Israel, for the Lord has a quarrel with the inhabitants of the land, as there is no truth, no kindness, and no knowledge of God in the land. Not only are these three fundamental values lacking in the society of Israel, but they have been replaced by many widespread sins:

אָלֹה וְכַחֵשׁ וְרָצֹחַ וְגָנֹב וְנָאֹף פָּרָצוּ וְדָמִים בְּדָמִים נָגָעוּ

Cursing, both curses and profane oaths, lying, murder, theft, and adultery have broken out. These sins have become pervasive, and blood touches blood, due to all the murders.

עַל־כֵּן תֶּאֱבַל הָאָרֶץ וְאֻמְלַל כָּל־יוֹשֵׁב בָּהּ בְּחַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה וּבְעוֹף הַשָּׁמָיִם וְגַם־דְּגֵי הַיָּם יֵאָסֵפוּ

Therefore, the land mourns, and every inhabitant succumbs and is cut off; with the beast of the field and the bird of the heavens, the fish of the sea also perish. Death will be meted out to all of them.

אַךְ אִישׁ אַל־יָרֵב וְאַל־יוֹכַח אִישׁ וְעַמְּךָ כִּמְרִיבֵי כֹהֵן

Yet no man argues, and no man rebukes. People neither argue with nor rebuke each other. Everything is done without deliberation. And your people are like those who argue with the priest. When they do choose to quarrel, the ones they take issue with are the priests, their teachers.

וְכָשַׁלְתָּ הַיּוֹם וְכָשַׁל גַּם־נָבִיא עִמְּךָ לָיְלָה וְדָמִיתִי אִמֶּךָ

You stumble and err by day, and the prophet also stumbles with you by night, as prophets generally experienced dreams or visions at night; and I silence your mother, the assembly of Israel.

נִדְמוּ עַמִּי מִבְּלִי הַדָּעַת כִּי אַתָּה הַדַּעַת מָאַסְתָּ וְאֶמְאָסְךָ מִכַּהֵן לִי וַתִּשְׁכַּח תּוֹרַת אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶשְׁכַּח בָּנֶיךָ גַּם־אָנִי

My people is destroyed from lack of knowledge, for you, the priests, who were supposed to teach the people God’s Torah, have rejected knowledge, and so I reject you from serving as priests for Me. You have forgotten the law of your God; therefore, I too will forget your children.

כְּרֻבָּם כֵּן חָטְאוּ לִי כְּבוֹדָם בְּקָלוֹן אָמִיר

As they increased, their numbers proliferating, so they sinned against Me; their honor I will therefore exchange for shame.

חַטַּאת עַמִּי יֹאכֵלוּ ואֶל־עֲוֹנָם יִשְׂאוּ נַפְשׁוֹ

They, the priests, eat the sin offering of My people. Apparently, sin offerings were brought to the golden calves in Beit El and Dan, just as in Jerusalem. It can be presumed that the rituals there differed from those performed in the Temple, but the priests of the calves would not relinquish their share in the flesh of the sin offerings. Consequently, and to their iniquity they, those priests, direct his, Israel’s, soul. They wanted the people to sin more, as that would lead to an increase in their portion of meat.

וְהָיָה כָעָם כַּכֹּהֵן וּפָקַדְתִּי עָלָיו דְּרָכָיו וּמַעֲלָלָיו אָשִׁיב לוֹ

The people are like the priest; both are corrupt and sinful. I will reckon his ways upon him, each and every one of them, and I will repay him his exploits. Each will receive his due punishment.

וְאָכְלוּ וְלֹא יִשְׂבָּעוּ הִזְנוּ וְלֹא יִפְרֹצוּ כִּי־אֶת־ה' עָזְבוּ לִשְׁמֹר

They will eat but they will not be satisfied. No blessing will rest on their activities; they will not feel sated after their meals and will receive no satisfaction from their deeds, which will produce no positive results. They will engage in licentiousness, but they will not proliferate in number, because they have forsaken to heed the commandments of the Lord.

זְנוּת וְיַיִן וְתִירוֹשׁ יִקַּח־לֵב

Licentiousness, wine, and new wine will have captured the heart. Their hearts are attracted solely to drunkenness and decadence.

עַמִּי בְּעֵצוֹ יִשְׁאָל וּמַקְלוֹ יַגִּיד לוֹ כִּי רוּחַ זְנוּנִים הִתְעָה וַיִּזְנוּ מִתַּחַת אֱלֹהֵיהֶם

When the people demean the prophets, they disregard the priests as well. My people consult their wood for answers as though it could actually say something, and their staff relates a message to them in their imagination; they decide which path to follow based on how the staff falls on the ground when they drop it, as the spirit of licentiousness has led them astray, and they have behaved licentiously from beneath their God.

עַל־רָאשֵׁי הֶהָרִים יְזַבֵּחוּ וְעַל־הַגְּבָעוֹת יְקַטֵּרוּ תַּחַת אַלּוֹן וְלִבְנֶה וְאֵלָה כִּי־טוֹב צִלָּהּ עַל־כֵּן תִּזְנֶינָה בְּנוֹתֵיכֶם וְכַלּוֹתֵיכֶם תְּנָאַפְנָה

On the mountaintops they slaughter offerings to idols, and on the hills they burn incense, under oak, snowbell, and terebinth, as their shade is good. They worship idols under trees that have been set aside for their rituals. Their propensity for betrayal can be found not only in their relationship with God but also on the personal, familial level: Therefore, your daughters engage in licentiousness, and your daughters-in-law commit adultery.

לֹא־אֶפְקוֹד עַל־בְּנוֹתֵיכֶם כִּי תִזְנֶינָה וְעַל־כַּלּוֹתֵיכֶם כִּי תְנָאַפְנָה כִּי הֵם עִם־הַזֹּנוֹת יְפָרֵדוּ וְעִם־הַקְּדֵשׁוֹת יְזַבֵּחוּ וְעָם לֹא־יָבִין יִלָּבֵט

I will not reckon with your daughters separately at this stage when they engage in licentiousness, and with your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery, as they, the men, including the fathers of these women, are secluded with licentious women, and with prostitutes designated for idolatrous ritual they slaughter. A people that does not understand the proper path will stray, wander, and be trapped.

אִם־זֹנֶה אַתָּה יִשְׂרָאֵל אַל־יֶאְשַׁם יְהוּדָה וְאַל־תָּבֹאוּ הַגִּלְגָּל וְאַל־תַּעֲלוּ בֵּית אָוֶן וְאַל־תִּשָּׁבְעוּ חַי־ה'

If you engage in licentiousness, Israel, at least let Judah not become guilty; the evil should not spread to the land of Judah as well. And you, the inhabitants of Judah, do not come to the Gilgal, do not go up to Beit Aven, “House of Iniquity,” a derogatory name for Beit El, which means “House of God,” and do not take an oath while you worship idols, saying: As the Lord lives.

כִּי כְּפָרָה סֹרֵרָה סָרַר יִשְׂרָאֵל עַתָּה יִרְעֵם ה' כְּכֶבֶשׂ בַּמֶּרְחָב

For like an unruly, rebellious, and wild cow, Israel has been unruly; now, since they are disobedient, the Lord will shepherd them like a wandering, solitary sheep in a wide space.

חֲבוּר עֲצַבִּים אֶפְרָיִם הַנַּח־לוֹ

Ephraim, another name for the Kingdom of Israel, is strongly attached to idols; leave him, as there is no remedy for him.

סָר סָבְאָם הַזְנֵה הִזְנוּ אָהֲבוּ הֵבוּ קָלוֹן מָגִנֶּיהָ

Even when their drunkenness has dissipated, they have engaged in licentiousness; their protectors surely have loved debasement, despicable and shameful matters.

צָרַר רוּחַ אוֹתָהּ בִּכְנָפֶיהָ וְיֵבֹשׁוּ מִזִּבְחוֹתָם

The wind bound it in its wings. It has gathered and lifted the Kingdom of Israel, so that nothing will be left of it. And then they will be shamed by their offerings, which they offered to no effect.