I foundIsraellike grapesin the wilderness;I sawyour forefathersas the earliestfruiton the figtreein its first[season]. [But] they cameto Baal-peorand devotedthemselves to shame,And they becameas detestableas that whichthey loved.
It cameabout, as though it had been a trivialthingfor him to walkin the sinsof Jeroboamthe sonof Nebat,that he marriedJezebelthe daughterof Ethbaalkingof the Sidonians,and wentto serveBaaland worshipedhim.
and therethey burnedincenseon allthe highplacesas the nations[did] whichthe LORDhad carriedawayto exilebeforethem; and they didevilthingsprovokingthe LORD.
Those who makethem will becomelikethem, Everyonewhotrustsin them.
"So I gavethem overto the stubbornnessof their heart,To walkin their own devices.
"Whatis thiscomingup from the wildernessLike columnsof smoke,Perfumedwith myrrhand frankincense,With allscentedpowdersof the merchant?
And the fadingflowerof its gloriousbeauty,Whichis at the headof the fertilevalley,Will be like the first-ripefigpriorto summer,Whichone sees,[And] as soonas it is in his hand,He swallowsit.
"For your godsare as manyas your cities,O Judah;and as manyas the streetsof Jerusalemare the altarsyou have setup to the shamefulthing,altarsto burnincenseto Baal.
Onebaskethad verygoodfigs,like first-ripefigs,and the otherbaskethad verybadfigswhichcould not be eatendueto rottenness.
"But the shamefulthinghas consumedthe laborof our fatherssinceour youth,their flocksand their herds,their sonsand their daughters.
"Let us liedownin our shame,and let our humiliationcoverus; for we have sinnedagainst the LORDour God,we and our fathers,from our youtheven to thisday.And we have not obeyedthe voiceof the LORDour God."
Thussaysthe LORD,"The peoplewhosurvivedthe swordFoundgracein the wilderness--Israel,when it wentto findits rest."
The prophetsprophesyfalsely,And the priestsruleon their [own] authority;And My peopleloveit so!But whatwill you doat the endof it?
"But they rebelledagainst Me and were not willingto listento Me; they did not castawaythe detestablethingsof their eyes,nordid they forsakethe idolsof Egypt.Then I resolvedto pourout My wrathon them, to accomplishMy angeragainst them in the midstof the landof Egypt.
WhenIsrael[was] a youthI lovedhim, And out of EgyptI calledMy son.
I caredfor you in the wilderness,In the landof drought.
"Then I will giveher her vineyardsfrom there,And the valleyof Achoras a doorof hope.And she will singthereas in the daysof her youth,As in the daywhen she cameup from the landof Egypt.
I will not punishyour daughterswhenthey playthe harlotOr your brideswhenthey commitadultery,For [the men] themselvesgoapartwith harlotsAnd offersacrificeswith templeprostitutes;So the peoplewithoutunderstandingare ruined.
Their liquorgone,They playthe harlotcontinually;Their rulersdearlyloveshame.
"Offera thankofferingalso from that whichis leavened,And proclaimfreewillofferings,makethem known.For soyou love[to do], you sonsof Israel,"Declaresthe LordGOD.
Woeis me! For I amLike the fruitpickers,like the grapegatherers.Thereis not a clusterof grapes to eat,[Or] a first-ripefig[which] I crave.
"It shall be a tasselfor you to lookat and rememberallthe commandmentsof the LORD,so as to dothem and not followafteryour own heartand your own eyes,afterwhichyou playedthe harlot,
"The firstripefruitsof allthat is in their land,whichthey bringto the LORD,shall be yours; everyoneof your householdwho is cleanmay eatit.
Thereforewhatbenefitwere you thenderivingfrom the things of whichyou are nowashamed?For the outcomeof those thingsis death.
"He foundhim in a desertland,And in the howlingwasteof a wilderness;He encircledhim, He caredfor him, He guardedhim as the pupilof His eye.
"They sacrificedto demonswho were not God,To godswhom they have not known,New[gods] who camelately,Whom your fathersdid not dread.
"Your eyeshave seenwhatthe LORDhas donein the case of Baal-peor,for allthe menwhofollowedBaal-peor,the LORDyour Godhas destroyedthem from amongyou.
Therefore on that dayhe namedhim Jerubbaal,that is to say,"Let Baalcontendagainst him," becausehe had torndownhis altar.
