1. People of Israel, listen to the Lord’S message. The Lord has something to say against those who live in this land: “The people in this land are not honest or loyal. They don’t really know God.
2. They are always cursing, lying, killing, stealing, and committing adultery. They murder one person after another.
3. So the country is like someone crying for the dead, and all of its people are weak. Even the animals of the field, the birds of the sky, and the fish in the sea are dying.
4. No one should argue or blame another person. Priests, my argument is with you!
5. You priests will fall in the daytime. And at night the prophet will also fall with you. I will also destroy your mother.
6. “My people are destroyed because they have no knowledge. You priests have refused to learn, so I will refuse to let you be priests for me. You have forgotten the law of your God, so I will forget your children.
7. They became proud. They sinned more and more against me, so I will change their honor to shame.
8. “The priests fed on the people’s sins. They wanted more and more of their sin offerings.
9. So the priests are no different from the people. I will punish them for the things they did. I will pay them back for the wrong things they did.
10. They will eat, but they will not be satisfied. They will commit sexual sins, but they will not have babies. This is because they left the Lord and became like prostitutes.