4. Hear a word of Jehovah, O house of Jacob, And all ye families of the house of Israel.
5. Thus said Jehovah: What--have your fathers found in Me perversity, That they have gone far off from Me, And go after the vanity, and become vain,
6. And have not said, Where [is] Jehovah, Who bringeth us up out of the land of Egypt, Who leadeth us in a wilderness, In a land of deserts and pits, In a dry land, and of death-shade, In a land--none hath passed through it, Nor dwelt hath man there?'
7. Yea, I bring you in to a land of fruitful fields, To eat its fruit and its goodness, And ye come in and defile My land, And Mine inheritance have made an abomination.
8. The priests have not said, `Where [is] Jehovah?' And those handling the law have not known Me. And the shepherds transgressed against Me, And the prophets have prophesied by Baal, And after those who profit not have gone.
9. Therefore, yet I plead with you, An affirmation of Jehovah, And with your sons' sons I plead.
10. For, pass to the isles of Chittim, and see, And to Kedar send, and consider well, And see if there hath been like this:
11. Hath a nation changed gods? (And they [are] no gods!) And My people hath changed its honour For that which doth not profit.
12. Be astonished, ye heavens, at this, Yea, be frightened, be greatly wasted, An affirmation of Jehovah.
13. For two evils hath My people done, Me they have forsaken, a fountain of living waters, To hew out for themselves wells--broken wells, That contain not the waters.
14. A servant [is] Israel? Is he a child of the house? Wherefore hath he been for a prey?
15. Against him roar do young lions, They have given forth their voice, And make his land become a desolation, His cities have been burnt without inhabitant.
16. Also sons of Noph and Tahapanes Consume thee--the crown of the head!
17. Dost thou not do this to thyself? [By] thy forsaking Jehovah thy God, At the time He is leading thee in the way?
18. And now, what--to thee in the way of Egypt, To drink the waters of Sihor? And what--to thee in the way of Asshur, To drink the waters of the River?
19. Instruct thee doth thy wickedness, And thy backslidings reprove thee, Know and see that an evil and a bitter thing [Is] thy forsaking Jehovah thy God, And My fear not being on thee, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah of Hosts.
20. For from of old thou hast broken thy yoke, Drawn away thy bands, and sayest, `I do not serve,' For, on every high height, and under every green tree, Thou art wandering--a harlot.