1. The Lord has an accusation to bring against the people who live in this land. Listen, Israel, to what he says: “There is no faithfulness or love in the land, and the people do not acknowledge me as God.
2. They make promises and break them; they lie, murder, steal, and commit adultery. Crimes increase, and there is one murder after another.
3. And so the land will dry up, and everything that lives on it will die. All the animals and birds, and even the fish, will die.”
4. The Lord says, “Let no one accuse the people or reprimand them — my complaint is against you priests.
5. Night and day you blunder on, and the prophets do no better than you. I am going to destroy Israel, your mother.
6. My people are doomed because they do not acknowledge me. You priests have refused to acknowledge me and have rejected my teaching, and so I reject you and will not acknowledge your sons as my priests.