1
Hear the word of the LORD, O people of Israel! The LORD has brought charges against you, saying: “There is no faithfulness, no kindness, no knowledge of God in your land.
2
You make vows and break them; you kill and steal and commit adultery. There is violence everywhere— one murder after another.
3
That is why your land is in mourning, and everyone is wasting away. Even the wild animals, the birds of the sky, and the fish of the sea are disappearing.
4
“Don’t point your finger at someone else and try to pass the blame! My complaint, you priests, is with you.
5
So you will stumble in broad daylight, and your false prophets will fall with you in the night. And I will destroy Israel, your mother.
6
My people are being destroyed because they don’t know me. Since you priests refuse to know me, I refuse to recognize you as my priests. Since you have forgotten the laws of your God, I will forget to bless your children.
7
The more priests there are, the more they sin against me. They have exchanged the glory of God for the shame of idols.