The Charge Against Israel
1Hear 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.
2There is only cursing,4:2 That is, to pronounce a curse on lying and murder,
stealing and adultery;
they break all bounds,
and bloodshed follows bloodshed.
3Because of this the land dries up,
and all who live in it waste away;
the beasts of the field, the birds in the sky
and the fish in the sea are swept away.
4“But let no one bring a charge,
let no one accuse another,
for your people are like those
who bring charges against a priest.
5You stumble day and night,
and the prophets stumble with you.
So I will destroy your mother—
6my 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.
7The more priests there were,
the more they sinned against me;
they exchanged their glorious God4:7 Syriac (see also an ancient Hebrew scribal tradition); Masoretic Text me; / I will exchange their glory for something disgraceful.
8They feed on the sins of my people
and relish their wickedness.
9And it will be: Like people, like priests.
I will punish both of them for their ways
and repay them for their deeds.
10“They will eat but not have enough;
they will engage in prostitution but not flourish,
because they have deserted the Lord
to give themselves 11to prostitution;
old wine and new wine
take away their understanding.
12My people consult a wooden idol,
and a diviner’s rod speaks to them.
A spirit of prostitution leads them astray;
they are unfaithful to their God.
13They 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.
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!
15“Though you, Israel, commit adultery,
do not let Judah become guilty.
“Do not go to Gilgal;
do not go up to Beth Aven.4:15 Beth Aven means house of wickedness (a derogatory name for Bethel, which means house of God).
And do not swear, ‘As surely as the Lord lives!’
16The Israelites are stubborn,
like a stubborn heifer.
How then can the Lord pasture them
like lambs in a meadow?
17Ephraim is joined to idols;
leave him alone!
18Even when their drinks are gone,
they continue their prostitution;
their rulers dearly love shameful ways.
19A whirlwind will sweep them away,
and their sacrifices will bring them shame.
Shtaka Dhidi Ya Israeli
14:1 Mit 10:21; 24:2; Mik 6:2; Isa 1:3; Ay 10:2; Yer 2:9; 7:28; 51:5; Hos 2:20Sikieni neno la Bwana, enyi Waisraeli,
kwa sababu Bwana analo shtaka
dhidi yenu ninyi mnaoishi katika nchi:
“Hakuna uaminifu, hakuna upendo,
hakuna kumjua Mungu katika nchi.
24:2 Isa 59:3; Hos 5:2; 6:2; 7:1; 11:12; Eze 22:2-9; 1Fal 21:16Kuna kulaani tu, uongo na uuaji,
wizi na uzinzi,
bila kuwa na mipaka,
nao umwagaji damu mmoja
baada ya mwingine.
34:3 Yer 4:25, 28; 9:10; Amo 8:8; Isa 15:6; 33:9; Sef 1:3Kwa sababu hii nchi huomboleza,
wote waishio ndani mwake wanadhoofika,
wanyama wa kondeni, ndege wa angani
na samaki wa baharini wanakufa.
44:4 Kum 17:12; Eze 3:26“Lakini mtu awaye yote na asilete shtaka,
mtu yeyote na asimlaumu mwenzake,
kwa maana watu wako ni kama wale
waletao mashtaka dhidi ya kuhani.
54:5 Eze 7:19; 14:7; Hos 2:2Unajikwaa usiku na mchana,
nao manabii hujikwaa pamoja nawe.
Kwa hiyo nitamwangamiza mama yako:
64:6 Mit 10:21; Hos 2:13; 8:1-12; Mal 2:7-8watu wangu wanaangamizwa
kwa kukosa maarifa,
“Kwa kuwa wewe umeyakataa maarifa,
mimi nami nitakukataa wewe
usiwe kuhani kwangu mimi;
kwa kuwa umeacha kuijali sheria ya Mungu wako
mimi nami sitawajali watoto wako.
74:7 Hab 2:16; Hos 9:11; 13:6Kadiri makuhani walivyoongezeka,
ndivyo walivyozidi kutenda dhambi dhidi yangu,
walibadilisha utukufu wao kwa kitu cha aibu.
84:8 Isa 56:11; Mik 3:11; Hos 14:1Hujilisha dhambi za watu wangu
na kupendezwa na uovu wao.
94:9 Isa 24:2; Yer 5:31; Hos 8:13; 10:10; 12:2Hata itakuwa: Kama walivyo watu,
ndivyo walivyo makuhani.
Nitawaadhibu wote wawili kwa ajili ya njia zao
na kuwalipa kwa matendo yao.
104:10 Mik 6:14; Isa 55:2; Hos 7:14; 9:17; Eze 22:9; Law 26:26“Watakula lakini hawatashiba;
watajiingiza katika ukahaba
lakini hawataongezeka,
kwa sababu wamemwacha Bwana
na kujiingiza wenyewe
114:11 Isa 28:7; Hos 5:4; Mit 20:1; Law 10:9; 1Sam 25:36katika ukahaba,
divai ya zamani na divai mpya,
ambavyo huondoa ufahamu
124:12 Yer 2:27; Ufu 17:2; Hab 2:19; Isa 44:20; Hes 15:39; Za 73:27wa watu wangu.
Hutaka shauri kutoka kwa sanamu ya mti
nao hujibiwa na fimbo ya mti.
Roho ya ukahaba imewapotosha,
hawana uaminifu kwa Mungu wao.
134:13 Isa 1:28; Hos 2:13; 10:9; Yer 2:20; Amo 7:17; Rum 1:28Wanatoa dhabihu juu ya vilele vya milima
na sadaka za kuteketezwa juu ya vilima,
chini ya mialoni, milibua na miela,
ambako kuna vivuli vizuri.
Kwa hiyo binti zenu wamegeukia ukahaba
na wake za wana wenu uzinzi.
144:14 Mwa 38:21; Hos 9:10; Mit 10:21“Sitawaadhibu binti zenu wakati
wanapogeukia ukahaba,
wala wake za wana wenu
wanapofanya uzinzi,
kwa sababu wanaume wenyewe huandamana na malaya
na kutambikia pamoja na makahaba
wa mahali pa kuabudia miungu:
watu wasiokuwa na ufahamu
wataangamia!
154:15 Hos 9:15; 12:11; Amo 4:4; Yos 7:2“Ingawa umefanya uzinzi, ee Israeli,
Yuda naye asije akawa na hatia.
“Usiende Gilgali,
usipande kwenda Beth-Aveni4:15 Beth-Aveni maana yake Nyumba ya Ubatili (au Uovu), jina lingine la Betheli kwa dhihaka.
Wala usiape,
‘Hakika kama Bwana aishivyo!’
164:16 Isa 5:17; 7:25; Kut 32:9; Yer 31:18Waisraeli ni wakaidi,
kama mtamba wa ngʼombe ambaye ni mkaidi.
Ni jinsi gani basi Bwana anaweza kuwachunga
kama wana-kondoo
katika shamba la majani?
174:17 Mt 15:14Efraimu amejiunga na sanamu,
ondokana naye!
184:18 Mik 3:11; 7:3Hata wakati wamemaliza vileo vyao
wanaendelea na ukahaba wao,
watawala wao hupenda sana
njia za aibu.
194:19 Hos 12:11; 13:15; Isa 1:29Kisulisuli kitawafagilia mbali
na dhabihu zao zitawaletea aibu.
