I will not punishyour daughterswhenthey playthe harlotOr your brideswhenthey commitadultery,For [the men] themselvesgoapartwith harlotsAnd offersacrificeswith templeprostitutes;So the peoplewithoutunderstandingare ruined.
He also putawaythe malecultprostitutesfrom the landand removedallthe idolswhichhis fathershad made.
He also brokedownthe housesof the [male] cultprostituteswhich[were] in the houseof the LORD,wherethe womenwere weavinghangingsfor the Asherah.
Evilmendo not understandjustice,But those who seekthe LORDunderstandallthings.
Wherewill you be strickenagain,[As] you continuein [your] rebellion?The wholeheadis sickAnd the wholeheartis faint.
When its limbsare dry,they are brokenoff; Womencome[and] makea firewith them, For they are not a peopleof discernment,Thereforetheir Makerwill not havecompassionon them. And their Creatorwill not be graciousto them.
And the dogsare greedy,they are not satisfied.And they are shepherdswho havenounderstanding;They have allturnedto their own way,Eachoneto his unjustgain,to the lastone.
"Manywill be purged,purifiedand refined,but the wickedwill actwickedly;and noneof the wickedwill understand,but those who haveinsightwill understand.
Whoeveris wise,let him understandthesethings;[Whoever] is discerning,let him knowthem. For the waysof the LORDare right,And the righteouswill walkin them, But transgressorswill stumblein them.
Listento the wordof the LORD,O sonsof Israel,For the LORDhas a caseagainstthe inhabitantsof the land,Becausethereis nofaithfulnessor kindnessOr knowledgeof Godin the land.
Ephraimis joinedto idols;Lethim alone.
Their deedswill not allowthem To returnto their God.For a spiritof harlotryis withinthem, And they do not knowthe LORD.
"These who pantafterthe [very] dustof the earthon the headof the helplessAlso turnasidethe wayof the humble;And a manand his fatherresortto the same girlIn orderto profaneMy holyname.
"Therefore,thussaysthe LORD,Your wifewill becomea harlotin the city,your sonsand your daughterswill fallby the sword,your landwill be parceledup by a [measuring] lineand you yourselfwill dieupon uncleansoil.Moreover, Israelwill certainlygofrom its landinto exile.'"
So Israeljoinedthemselves to Baalof Peor,and the LORDwas angryagainst Israel.
"Whydo you not understandwhat I am saying?[It is] becauseyou cannothearMy word.
THERE IS NONEWHO UNDERSTANDS,THERE IS NONEWHO SEEKSFOR GOD;
Ordo you not knowthat the one who joinshimself to a prostituteis onebody[with her]? For He says,"THE TWOSHALL BECOMEONEFLESH."
beingdarkenedin their understanding,excludedfrom the lifeof Godbecauseof the ignorancethat is in them, becauseof the hardnessof their heart;
"Noneof the daughtersof Israelshall be a cultprostitute,norshall anyof the sonsof Israelbe a cultprostitute.
But ifyou are withoutdiscipline,of whichallhave becomepartakers,thenyou are illegitimate childrenand not sons.
