שִׁמְע֥וּ דְבַר־יְהֹוָ֖ה בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל כִּ֣י רִ֤יב לַֽיהֹוָה֙ עִם־יוֹשְׁבֵ֣י הָאָ֔רֶץ כִּ֠י אֵין־אֱמֶ֧ת וְֽאֵין־חֶ֛סֶד וְאֵֽין־דַּ֥עַת אֱלֹהִ֖ים בָּאָֽרֶץ׃ Hear the word of the LORD,
O people of Israel!
For the LORD has a case
Against the inhabitants of this land,
Because there is no honesty and no goodness
And no obedience to God in the land.
אָלֹ֣ה וְכַחֵ֔שׁ וְרָצֹ֥חַ וְגָנֹ֖ב וְנָאֹ֑ף פָּרָ֕צוּ וְדָמִ֥ים בְּדָמִ֖ים נָגָֽעוּ׃ [False] swearing, dishonesty, and murder,
And theft and adultery are rife;
Crime follows upon crime!
עַל־כֵּ֣ן ׀ תֶּאֱבַ֣ל הָאָ֗רֶץ וְאֻמְלַל֙ כׇּל־יוֹשֵׁ֣ב בָּ֔הּ בְּחַיַּ֥ת הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה וּבְע֣וֹף הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם וְגַם־דְּגֵ֥י הַיָּ֖ם יֵאָסֵֽפוּ׃ For that, the earth is withered:
Everything that dwells on it languishes—
Beasts of the field and birds of the sky—
Even the fish of the sea perish.
אַ֥ךְ אִ֛ישׁ אַל־יָרֵ֖ב וְאַל־יוֹכַ֣ח אִ֑ישׁ וְעַמְּךָ֖ כִּמְרִיבֵ֥י כֹהֵֽן׃ “Let no man rebuke, let no man protest!”
aFor failing to reprove; but meaning of Heb. uncertain.For this your people has a grievance against [you],
O priest!-a
וְכָשַׁלְתָּ֣ הַיּ֔וֹם וְכָשַׁ֧ל גַּם־נָבִ֛יא עִמְּךָ֖ לָ֑יְלָה וְדָמִ֖יתִי אִמֶּֽךָ׃ So you shall stumble by day,
And by night bEmendation yields “your children”; cf. v. 6 end.a prophet-b shall stumble as well,
And I will destroy your kindred.cLit. “mother.”
נִדְמ֥וּ עַמִּ֖י מִבְּלִ֣י הַדָּ֑עַת כִּי־אַתָּ֞ה הַדַּ֣עַת מָאַ֗סְתָּ (ואמאסאך) [וְאֶמְאָֽסְךָ֙] מִכַּהֵ֣ן לִ֔י וַתִּשְׁכַּח֙ תּוֹרַ֣ת אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ אֶשְׁכַּ֥ח בָּנֶ֖יךָ גַּם־אָֽנִי׃ My people is destroyed because of [your] disobedience!
Because you have rejected obedience,
I reject you as My priest;
Because you have spurned the teaching of your God,
I, in turn, will spurn your children.
כְּרֻבָּ֖ם כֵּ֣ן חָטְאוּ־לִ֑י כְּבוֹדָ֖ם בְּקָל֥וֹן אָמִֽיר׃ The more they increased, the more they sinned against Me:
I will change their dignity to dishonor.
חַטַּ֥את עַמִּ֖י יֹאכֵ֑לוּ וְאֶל־עֲוֺנָ֖ם יִשְׂא֥וּ נַפְשֽׁוֹ׃ They feed on My people’s sin offerings,
And so they desire its iniquity.
וְהָיָ֥ה כָעָ֖ם כַּכֹּהֵ֑ן וּפָקַדְתִּ֤י עָלָיו֙ דְּרָכָ֔יו וּמַעֲלָלָ֖יו אָשִׁ֥יב לֽוֹ׃ Therefore, the people shall fare like the priests:
I will punish it for its conduct,
I will requite it for its deeds.
וְאָֽכְלוּ֙ וְלֹ֣א יִשְׂבָּ֔עוּ הִזְנ֖וּ וְלֹ֣א יִפְרֹ֑צוּ כִּֽי־אֶת־יְהֹוָ֥ה עָזְב֖וּ לִשְׁמֹֽר׃ Truly, they shall eat, but not be sated;
They shall swill,dFor this meaning of hiznah cf. v. 18. but not be satisfied,
Because they have forsaken the LORD
To practiceeCf. 12.7.
זְנ֛וּת וְיַ֥יִן וְתִיר֖וֹשׁ יִֽקַּֽח־לֵֽב׃ lechery.
WinefEmendation yields “New grain”; cf. 7.14; 9.1–2. and new wine destroy
The mind of
עַמִּי֙ בְּעֵצ֣וֹ יִשְׁאָ֔ל וּמַקְל֖וֹ יַגִּ֣יד ל֑וֹ כִּ֣י ר֤וּחַ זְנוּנִים֙ הִתְעָ֔ה וַיִּזְנ֖וּ מִתַּ֥חַת אֱלֹהֵיהֶֽם׃ My people:
It consults its stick,gI.e., its phallus, meaning “its lust.”
Its rodgI.e., its phallus, meaning “its lust.” directs it!
A lecherous impulse has made them go wrong,
And they have strayedhSee note b at 1.2. from submission to their God.
עַל־רָאשֵׁ֨י הֶהָרִ֜ים יְזַבֵּ֗חוּ וְעַל־הַגְּבָעוֹת֙ יְקַטֵּ֔רוּ תַּ֣חַת אַלּ֧וֹן וְלִבְנֶ֛ה וְאֵלָ֖ה כִּ֣י ט֣וֹב צִלָּ֑הּ עַל־כֵּ֗ן תִּזְנֶ֙ינָה֙ בְּנ֣וֹתֵיכֶ֔ם וְכַלּוֹתֵיכֶ֖ם תְּנָאַֽפְנָה׃ They sacrifice on the mountaintops
And offer on the hills,
Under oaks, poplars, and terebinths
Whose shade is so pleasant.
That is why theiriHeb. “your,” here and through v. 14. daughters fornicate
And their daughters-in-law commit adultery!
לֹא־אֶפְק֨וֹד עַל־בְּנוֹתֵיכֶ֜ם כִּ֣י תִזְנֶ֗ינָה וְעַל־כַּלּֽוֹתֵיכֶם֙ כִּ֣י תְנָאַ֔פְנָה כִּי־הֵם֙ עִם־הַזֹּנ֣וֹת יְפָרֵ֔דוּ וְעִם־הַקְּדֵשׁ֖וֹת יְזַבֵּ֑חוּ וְעָ֥ם לֹֽא־יָבִ֖ין יִלָּבֵֽט׃ I will not punish their daughters for fornicating
Nor their daughters-in-law for committing adultery;
For they themselves jMeaning of Heb. uncertain.turn aside-j with whores
And sacrifice with prostitutes,
And a people that is without sensekCf. vv. 11–12. must stumble.
אִם־זֹנֶ֤ה אַתָּה֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אַל־יֶאְשַׁ֖ם יְהוּדָ֑ה וְאַל־תָּבֹ֣אוּ הַגִּלְגָּ֗ל וְאַֽל־תַּעֲלוּ֙ בֵּ֣ית אָ֔וֶן וְאַל־תִּשָּׁבְע֖וּ חַי־יְהֹוָֽה׃ If you are a lecher, Israel—
Let not Judah incur guilt—
Do not come to Gilgal,lOne who participates in the debaucheries of the open-air shrines is not fit to visit a temple building.
Do not make pilgrimages to Beth-aven,mLit. “House of Delusion,” substituted for Bethel (cf. Amos 4.4).
And do not swear by the LORD!nI.e., you are not fit to profess His religion; see Jer. 12.16.
כִּ֚י כְּפָרָ֣ה סֹרֵרָ֔ה סָרַ֖ר יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל עַתָּה֙ יִרְעֵ֣ם יְהֹוָ֔ה כְּכֶ֖בֶשׂ בַּמֶּרְחָֽב׃ Ah, Israel has balked
Like a stubborn cow;
Therefore,
The LORD will graze him
On the range, like a sheep.oInstead of giving them fodder in return for their work; cf. Isa. 30.23–24.
חֲב֧וּר עֲצַבִּ֛ים אֶפְרָ֖יִם הַֽנַּֽח־לֽוֹ׃ pMeaning of vv. 17–19 uncertain in part.Ephraim is addicted to images—
Let him be.
סָ֖ר סׇבְאָ֑ם הַזְנֵ֣ה הִזְנ֔וּ אָהֲב֥וּ הֵב֛וּ קָל֖וֹן מָגִנֶּֽיהָ׃ They drink to excess—
Their liquor turns against them.
They “love” beyond measure—
Disgrace is the “gift”
צָרַ֥ר ר֛וּחַ אוֹתָ֖הּ בִּכְנָפֶ֑יהָ וְיֵבֹ֖שׁוּ מִזִּבְחוֹתָֽם׃ {פ}
Which the wind qLit. “has bound up in the corners of its garment”; see note at Mal. 3.20.is bringing;-q
They shall garner shame from their sacrifices.