Thussaysthe LORD,"Whereis the certificateof divorceBy whichI have sentyour motheraway?Orto whomof My creditorsdid I sellyou? Behold,you were soldfor your iniquities,And for your transgressionsyour motherwas sentaway.
Surelythere was noone like Ahabwhosoldhimself to doevilin the sightof the LORD,becauseJezebelhis wifeincitedhim.
Then they made their sonsand their daughterspassthrough the fire,and practiceddivinationand enchantments,and soldthemselves to doevilin the sightof the LORD,provokingHim.
Now a certainwomanof the wivesof the sonsof the prophetscriedout to Elisha,"Your servantmy husbandis dead,and you knowthat your servantfearedthe LORD;and the creditorhas cometo takemy twochildrento be his slaves."
"Nowour fleshis like the fleshof our brothers,our childrenlike their children.Yet behold,we are forcingour sonsand our daughtersto be slaves,and someof our daughtersare forcedinto bondage[already], and we are helplessbecause our fieldsand vineyardsbelong to others."
for we have been sold,I and my people,to be destroyed,to be killedand to be annihilated.Now ifwe had only been soldas slaves,men and women,I would have remainedsilent,for the troublewould not be commensuratewith the annoyanceto the king."
You sellYour peoplecheaply,And have not profitedby their sale.
"Ifa mansellshis daughteras a femaleslave,she is not to gofreeas the maleslavesdo.
But transgressorsand sinnerswill be crushedtogether,And those who forsakethe LORDwill cometo an end.
You contendedwith them by banishingthem, by drivingthem away.With His fiercewindHe has expelled[them] on the dayof the eastwind.
"Your firstforefathersinned,And your spokesmenhave transgressedagainst Me.
"Rememberthis,and be assured;Recallit to mind,you transgressors.
For thussaysthe LORD,"You were soldfor nothingand you will be redeemedwithoutmoney."
"For the LORDhas calledyou, Like a wifeforsakenand grievedin spirit,Even like a wifeof [one's] youthwhenshe is rejected,"Saysyour God.
"For a briefmomentI forsookyou, But with greatcompassionI will gatheryou.
"Cryloudly,do not holdback;Raiseyour voicelike a trumpet,And declareto My peopletheir transgressionAnd to the houseof Jacobtheir sins.
For allof us have becomelike one who is unclean,And allour righteousdeedsare like a filthygarment;And allof us witherlike a leaf,And our iniquities,like the wind,takeus away.
[God] says,"Ifa husbanddivorceshis wifeAnd she goesfrom him And belongsto anotherman,Will he stillreturnto her? Will not that landbe completelypolluted?But you are a harlot[with] manylovers;Yet you turnto Me," declaresthe LORD.
"And I sawthat for allthe adulteriesof faithlessIsrael,I had senther awayand givenher a writof divorce,yet her treacheroussisterJudahdid not fear;but she wentand was a harlotalso.
"Your waysand your deedsHave broughtthesethingsto you. Thisis your evil.Howbitter!Howit has touchedyour heart!"
So you will stumbleby day,And the prophetalsowill stumblewith you by night;And I will destroyyour mother.
Ifa countrymanof yours becomesso poorwith regardto you that he sellshimself to you, you shall not subjecthim to a slave'sservice.
"But since he did not have[the means] to repay,his lordcommandedhim to be sold,alongwith his wifeand childrenand allthat he had,and repayment to be made.
"Howcould onechasea thousand,And twoputtenthousandto flight,Unlesstheir Rockhad soldthem, And the LORDhad giventhem up?
