1. Hear the word of the Lord, you Israelites, because the Lord has a charge to bring against you who live in the land: “There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgment of God in the land.
2. There is only cursing, lying and murder, stealing and adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed.
3. Because of this the land dries up, and all who live in it waste away; the beasts of the field, the birds in the sky and the fish in the sea are swept away.
4. “But let no one bring a charge, let no one accuse another, for your people are like those who bring charges against a priest.
5. You stumble day and night, and the prophets stumble with you. So I will destroy your mother—
6. my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. “Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children.