My peopleare destroyedfor lackof knowledge.Becauseyou have rejectedknowledge,I also will rejectyou from being My priest.Since you have forgottenthe lawof your God,I alsowill forgetyour children.
"For manydaysIsraelwas withoutthe true Godand withouta teachingpriestand withoutlaw.
"But ifthey do not hear,they shall perishby the swordAnd they will diewithoutknowledge.
My zealhas consumedme, Becausemy adversarieshave forgottenYour words.
Lookupon my afflictionand rescueme, For I do not forgetYour law.
The cordsof the wickedhave encircledme, [But] I have not forgottenYour law.
For You savean afflictedpeople,But haughtyeyesYou abase.
The lipsof the righteousfeedmany,But foolsdiefor lackof understanding.
Alsoit is not goodfor a personto be withoutknowledge,And he who hurrieshis footstepserrs.
"An oxknowsits owner,And a donkeyits master'smanger,[But] Israeldoes not know,My peopledo not understand."
For you have forgottenthe Godof your salvationAnd have not rememberedthe rockof your refuge.Thereforeyou plantdelightfulplantsAnd setthem with vineslipsof a strange[god].
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 thesealsoreelwith wineand staggerfrom strongdrink:The priestand the prophetreelwith strongdrink,They are confusedby wine,they staggerfrom strongdrink;They reelwhile having visions,They totter[when rendering] judgment.
Then the bookwill be givento the one whois illiterate,saying,"Pleasereadthis."And he will say,"I cannotread."
O My people!Their oppressorsare children,And womenruleover them. O My people!Those who guideyou lead[you] astrayAnd confusethe directionof your paths.
"Gatheryourselves and come;Drawneartogether,you fugitivesof the nations;They havenoknowledge,Who carryabout their woodenidolAnd prayto a godwho cannotsave.
ThereforeMy peoplegointo exilefor their lackof knowledge;And their honorablemenare famished,And their multitudeis parchedwith thirst.
"The priestsdid not say,'Whereis the LORD?'And those who handlethe lawdid not knowMe; The rulersalso transgressedagainst Me, And the prophetsprophesiedby BaalAnd walkedafterthings that did not profit.
"For My peopleare foolish,They knowMe not; They are stupidchildrenAnd havenounderstanding.They are shrewdto doevil,But to dogoodthey do not know."
Nowhearthis,O foolishand senselesspeople,Who have eyesbut do not see;Who have earsbut do not hear.
"Moreover, they shall teachMy people[the] [difference] betweenthe holyand the profane,and cause them to discernbetweenthe uncleanand the clean.
As [they had] their pasture,they becamesatisfied,And beingsatisfied,their heartbecameproud;Thereforethey forgotMe.
"I will punishher for the daysof the BaalsWhenshe used to offersacrificesto them And adornherself with her earringsand jewelry,And followher lovers,so that she forgotMe," declaresthe LORD.
Listento the wordof the LORD,O sonsof Israel,For the LORDhas a caseagainstthe inhabitantsof the land,Becausethereis nofaithfulnessor kindnessOr knowledgeof Godin the land.
My peopleconsulttheir woodenidol, and their [diviner's] wandinformsthem; For a spiritof harlotryhas led[them] astray,And they have playedthe harlot,[departing] from their God.
I will not punishyour daughterswhenthey playthe harlotOr your brideswhenthey commitadultery,For [the men] themselvesgoapartwith harlotsAnd offersacrificeswith templeprostitutes;So the peoplewithoutunderstandingare ruined.
Their deedswill not allowthem To returnto their God.For a spiritof harlotryis withinthem, And they do not knowthe LORD.
For I delightin loyaltyratherthansacrifice,And in the knowledgeof Godratherthanburntofferings.
So Ephraimhas becomelike a sillydove,withoutsense;They callto Egypt,they goto Assyria.
Strangersdevourhis strength,Yet he does not know[it]; Grayhairsalsoare sprinkledon him, Yet he does not know[it].
[Put] the trumpetto your lips!Like an eagle[the enemy comes] againstthe houseof the LORD,Becausethey have transgressedMy covenantAnd rebelledagainstMy law.
Though I wrotefor him tenthousand[precepts] of My law,They are regardedas a strangething.
For Israelhas forgottenhis Makerand builtpalaces;And Judahhas multipliedfortifiedcities,But I will senda fireon its citiesthat it may consumeits palatialdwellings.
My Godwill castthem awayBecausethey have not listenedto Him; And they will be wanderersamong the nations.
Jessewas the fatherof Davidthe king.Davidwas the fatherof Solomonby Bathsheba who had been the wifeof Uriah.
"Let them alone;they are blindguidesof the blind.And ifa blind manguidesa blind man,bothwill fallinto a pit."
THISPEOPLEHONORSME WITH THEIR LIPS,BUT THEIR HEARTIS FARAWAYFROM ME.
Now the sonsof Eliwere worthlessmen;they did not knowthe LORD
