The Lord Brings Charges Against Israel
1People of Israel, listen to the Lord’s message.
He is bringing charges
against you who live in Israel.
He says, “There is no faithfulness
or love in the land.
No one recognizes me as God.
2People curse one another.
They tell lies and commit murder.
They steal and commit adultery.
They break all my laws.
They keep spilling the blood of other people.
3That is why the land is drying up.
All those who live in it
are getting weaker and weaker.
The wild animals and the birds in the sky are dying.
So are the fish in the ocean.
4“But you priests should not blame the people.
You should not find fault with one another.
After all, your people
could also bring charges against you.
5You trip and fall day and night.
And the prophets fall down along with you.
So I will destroy your nation.
She is the one who gave birth to you.
6My people are destroyed
because they do not know me.
“You priests have refused to obey me.
So I will refuse to accept you as my priests.
You have not paid any attention to my law.
So I will not let your children be my priests.
7The more priests there were,
the more they sinned against me.
They have traded their glorious God for that shameful god named Baal.
8They live off the sins of my people.
And they want them to keep on sinning.
9So here is what I will do.
I will punish people and priests alike.
I will judge them because of their sinful lives.
I will pay them back
for the evil things they have done.
10“My people will eat.
But they will not have enough.
They will have sex with prostitutes.
But they will not have any children.
That’s because they have deserted me.
They have sex 11with prostitutes.
They drink old wine and fresh wine.
Their drinking has destroyed their ability to understand.
12My people ask a wooden statue of a god for advice.
They get answers from a stick of wood.
They are as unfaithful as prostitutes.
They are not faithful to their God.
13They offer sacrifices on the mountaintops.
They burn offerings on the hills.
They worship under oak, poplar and terebinth trees.
The trees provide plenty of shade.
So your daughters become prostitutes.
And your daughters-in-law commit adultery.
14“I will not punish your daughters
when they become prostitutes.
I will not judge your daughters-in-law
when they commit adultery.
After all, the men themselves have sex with sinful women.
They offer sacrifices where temple prostitutes earn their living.
People who can’t understand will be destroyed!
15“Israel, you are not faithful to me.
But I do not want Judah to become guilty too.
“My people, do not go to Gilgal to offer sacrifices.
Do not go up to Bethel to worship other gods.
When you make a promise, do not say,
‘You can be sure that the Lord is alive.’
16The people of Israel are stubborn.
They are as stubborn as a young cow.
So how can I take care of them
like lambs in a meadow?
17The people of Ephraim have joined themselves to other gods.
And nothing can be done to help them.
18They continue to be unfaithful to me
even when their drinks are gone.
And their rulers love to do shameful things.
19A windstorm will blow all of them away.
And their sacrifices will bring shame on them.
耶和华指控以色列
1以色列人啊，
你们要留心听耶和华的话。
祂指控住在这片土地上的居民，说：
“这片土地上的人不忠不信，
毫无良善，不认识上帝。
2他们咒诅、撒谎、凶杀、偷窃、通奸，
为所欲为，血案累累。
3所以，这片土地要哀鸣，
所有的居民都要消亡，
田间的野兽、空中的飞鸟、
水里的鱼类也要灭绝。”
4耶和华说：
“谁都不要指控别人，
谁都不要责备别人，
因为我要指控的是你们祭司。
5你们白天黑夜都要跌倒，
先知也要跟你们一起跌倒，
所以我要毁灭你们的母亲以色列。
6我的子民因不认识我而遭毁灭。
因为你们拒绝认识我，
我也要拒绝让你们做我的祭司；
因为你们忘记我的律法，
我也要忘记你们的儿女。
7你们祭司越增多，
所犯的罪也越多，
所以我要使你们的尊荣变为羞耻。
8你们祭司借我子民的赎罪祭自肥，
满心希望他们犯罪。
9将来，我的子民如何，
你们祭司也如何。
我要照你们的所作所为惩罚你们、报应你们，
10使你们吃却不得饱足，
行淫却不得后代4:10 “行淫却不得后代”此处的意思是指责以色列人祭拜迦南人掌管生育的神明。他们以为这样能带来更多后代。。
因为你们背弃耶和华，
11沉溺酒色，丧失心志。
12“我的子民祈求木头，
随从木杖的指引。
淫乱的心使他们走入歧途，
他们不忠不贞，背弃他们的上帝。
13他们在山顶和高岗上的橡树、
杨树和栗树下献祭烧香，
因为树荫怡人。
“所以，你们的女儿卖淫，
你们的儿媳通奸。
14但我不会因此而惩罚她们，
因为你们也与娼妓苟合，
与庙妓一起献祭。
无知的民族必走向灭亡。
15“虽然以色列如同妓女，对我不忠，
但不要使犹大犯罪。
不要到吉甲去，
不要到伯·亚文4:15 “伯·亚文”意思是“罪恶之家”，在此指伯特利。“伯特利”意思是“上帝之家”，但当时已变成祭拜偶像之地。去，
不要凭永活的耶和华起誓。
16以色列桀骜不驯，
如同桀骜不驯的母牛。
耶和华怎能牧养他们，
如同在草场上牧养羊羔呢？
17以法莲4:17 “以法莲”为北国以色列最大的支派，圣经中有时用来代指北国以色列。本卷书中下同。与偶像为伍，
任由他吧！
18他们酒足兴尽之后，
便不住地行淫；
他们的首领恋慕羞耻之事。
19风要把他们卷走，
他们必因所献的祭而蒙羞。
