4. The Israelites will not give offerings of wine to the Lord;they will not give him sacrifices.Their sacrifices will be like food that is eaten at a funeral;it is unclean, and everyone who eats it becomes unclean.Their food will only satisfy their hunger;they cannot sacrifice it in the Temple.
5. What will you do then on the day of feastsand on the day of the Lord’s festival?
6. Even if the people are not destroyed,Egypt will capture them;Memphis will bury them.Weeds will grow over their silver treasures,and thorns will drive them out of their tents.
7. The time of punishment has come,the time to pay for sins.Let Israel know this:You think the prophet is a fool,and you say the spiritual person is crazy.You have sinned very much,and your hatred is great.
8. Is Israel a watchman?Are God’s people prophets?Everywhere Israel goes, traps are set for him.He is an enemy in God’s house.
9. The people of Israel have gone deep into sinas the people of Gibeah did.The Lord will remember the evil things they have done,and he will punish their sins.
10. “When I found Israel,it was like finding grapes in the desert.Your ancestors were likefinding the first figs on the fig tree.But when they came to Baal Peor,they began worshiping an idol,and they became as hateful as the thing they worshiped.
11. Israel’s glory will fly away like a bird;there will be no more pregnancy, no more births, no more getting pregnant.
12. But even if the Israelites bring up children,I will take them all away.How terrible it will be for themwhen I go away from them!