1. People of Israel, listen to the Lord’s message.The Lord has thisagainst you who live in the land:“The people are not true, not loyal to God,nor do those who live in the land even know him.
2. Cursing, lying, killing, stealing and adultery are everywhere.One murder follows another.
3. Because of this the land dries up,and all its people are dying.Even the wild animals and the birds of the airand the fish of the sea are dying.
4. “No one should accuseor blame another person.Don’t blame the people, you priests,when they quarrel with you.
5. You will be ruined in the day,and your prophets will be ruined with you in the night.I will also destroy your mother.
6. My people will be destroyed,because they have no knowledge.You have refused to learn,so I will refuse to let you be priests to me.You have forgotten the teachings of your God,so I will forget your children.
7. The more priests there are,the more they sin against me.I will take away their honorand give them shame.
8. Since the priests live off the sin offerings of the people,they want the people to sin more and more.
9. The priests are as wrong as the people,and I will punish them both for what they have done.I will repay them for the wrong they have done.
10. “They will eatbut not have enough;they will have sexual relations with the prostitutes,but they will not have children,because they have left the Lordto give themselves to