About three months later, someone told Judah, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar sinned like a prostitute, [232] and now she is pregnant.”
Hosea 4:18 - Easy To Read Version “Ephraim has joined their drunkenness. Let them continue to be prostitutes. Let them be with their lovers. Tuilleadh leaganachaKing James Version (Oxford) 1769 Their drink is sour: they have committed whoredom continually: her rulers with shame do love, Give ye. Amplified Bible - Classic Edition Their drinking carousal over, they go habitually to play the harlot; [Ephraim's] rulers [continue to] love shame more than her glory [which is the Lord, Israel's God]. American Standard Version (1901) Their drink is become sour; they play the harlot continually; her rulers dearly love shame. Common English Bible Though they have stopped drinking, they continue to behave like prostitutes; indeed, they “love”; shame is their pride. Catholic Public Domain Version Their feasting has been set aside; they have committed fornication after fornication. They love to bring disgrace to their protectors. Douay-Rheims version of The Bible - 1752 version Their banquet is separated, they have gone astray by fornication: they that should have protected them have loved to bring shame upon them. |
About three months later, someone told Judah, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar sinned like a prostitute, [232] and now she is pregnant.”
The leaders of the nations meet together\par with the people of the God of Abraham.\par All of the leaders of all the nations\par belong to God.\par God is over them all!\par
“If a person tries to pay you to agree with him when he is wrong, don’t accept that payment. A payment like that can blind judges so that they can’t see the truth. And a payment like that can make good people tell lies.
Judah, I planted you like a special vine.\par All of you were like good seed.\par How did you turn into a different vine that grows bad fruit?\par
\{God said,\} “But you began to trust in your beauty. You used the good name you had and became unfaithful to me. You acted like a prostitute {\cf2\super [121]} with every man that passed by. You gave yourself to them all!
They will eat, but they will not be satisfied! They will do sexual sins, but they will not have babies. {\cf2\super [36]} Why? Because they left the Lord and became like prostitutes. {\cf2\super [37]}
The people swear, lie, kill, and steal. They do the sin of adultery, {\cf2\super [31]} and they have their babies. The people murder again and again. {\cf2\super [32]}
At the time I found Israel, they were like fresh grapes in the desert. They were like the first figs on a fig tree at the beginning of the season. But then they came to Baal-Peor. {\cf2\super [92]} And they changed—and I had to cut them off \{(destroy them) like rotten fruit. {\cf2\super [93]} They became like the terrible things \{(false gods) that they loved.
Why? Because I know about your many sins.\par You have done some really bad things:\par You hurt people that do right.\par You accept money to do wrong.\par You keep justice from the poor people in court.\par
The judges in Jerusalem accept bribes\par to help them decide who wins in court.\par The priests in Jerusalem must be paid\par before they will teach the people.\par People must pay the prophets\par before they will look into the future.\par And then those leaders expect the Lord\par to help them. They say,\par “The Lord lives here with us.\par So nothing bad will happen to us.”\par
People are good at doing bad things\par with both hands.\par Officials ask for bribes.\par Judges take money\par to change their decisions in court.\par “Important leaders” \{don’t make\par good and fair decisions\}.\par They do whatever they want to do.\par
You must always be fair. You must not favor some people over other people. You must not take money to change your mind in judgment. Money blinds the eyes of wise people and changes what a good person will say.
But Samuel’s sons did not live the same way he did. Joel and Abijah accepted bribes. They took money secretly and changed their decisions in court. They cheated people in court.