1. People of Israel, listen to the Lord’s message.The Lord says he has thisagainst you who live in this country:“The people are not true, not loyal to God.They do not even know him.
2. They curse. They lie. They kill. They steal.They are guilty of adultery.They break all my laws.One murder follows another.
3. Because of this the land dries up,and all its people are dying off.Even the wild animals are dying.Even the birds of the air and the fish of the sea are dying.
4. “No one should accuseor blame another person.Don’t blame the people, you priests,when they quarrel with you.
5. You will be ruined one of these days.And your prophets will be ruined with you one of these nights.I will also destroy your mother, the nation of Israel.
6. My people will be destroyedbecause they have no knowledge.You priests have refused to learn.So I will refuse to let you be priests to me.You have forgotten the teachings of your God.So I will reject your children.
7. The more priests there are,the more they sin against me.I will take away their honorand give them nothing but shame.
8. The priests live off the sin offerings of the people.So they want the people to sin more and more.
9. The priests are as wrong as the people.I will punish them both for what they have done.I will repay them for the wrong they have done.