Their mother hasn’t been faithful to me. She who became pregnant with them has brought shame on herself. She said,‘ I will chase after my lovers. They give me my food and water. They provide me with wool and linen. They give me olive oil and wine.’

他们的母亲行了淫乱，怀他们的母做了可羞耻的事，因为她说：‘我要随从所爱的；我的饼、水、羊毛、麻、油、酒都是他们给的。’

他们的母亲行了淫乱，怀他们的做了可羞耻的事；因为她说：“我要跟随我所爱的，我的饼、水、羊毛、麻、油、酒，都是他们给的。”

他们的母亲行了淫乱，怀他们的做了可羞耻的事；因为她说：“我要跟随我所爱的，我的饼、水、羊毛、麻、油、酒，都是他们给的。”

他们的母亲淫乱放荡，厚颜无耻，她说，‘我要跟随我的情人，他们给我食物和水、羊毛和麻布、油和酒。’

因为他们的母亲卖了淫，怀他们的作了羞耻的事；因为她曾说：‘我要跟随我那些爱人。我的饼和水，羊毛和麻布，油和我所喝的，都是他们给的。’

他們的母親行了淫亂，懷他們的母做了可羞恥的事，因為她說：我要隨從所愛的；我的餅、水、羊毛、麻、油、酒都是他們給的。

他們的母親行了淫亂，懷他們的做了可羞恥的事；因為她說：「我要跟隨我所愛的，我的餅、水、羊毛、麻、油、酒，都是他們給的。」

他們的母親行了淫亂，懷他們的做了可羞恥的事；因為她說：「我要跟隨我所愛的，我的餅、水、羊毛、麻、油、酒，都是他們給的。」

他們的母親淫亂放蕩，厚顏無恥，她說，『我要跟隨我的情人，他們給我食物和水、羊毛和麻布、油和酒。』

因為他們的母親賣了淫，懷他們的作了羞恥的事；因為她曾說：‘我要跟隨我那些愛人。我的餅和水，羊毛和麻布，油和我所喝的，都是他們給的。’

他們的母親行了淫亂；懷了他們的、行了羞恥事；因為她說：「我要跟着我的愛人；我的餅、我的水、我的羊毛、我的麻、我的油、我喝的酒、都是他們給的。」

其母為妓、孕此子者、行可恥事、曰、我之情人予我餅水、羢麻油酒、我必從之、

此子之母狥欲、所作之事、言之甚醜、彼曰、我之所懽、予我飲食、贈我枲綿、饋我酒油、我必從之、

此子之母行淫、生之者作可恥之事、彼曰、愛我者、予我飲食、飲食原文作餅與水予我羊毛與麻、予我油酒、我必從之、

Their mother has been unfaithful and has conceived them in disgrace. She said,‘ I will go after my lovers, who give me my food and my water, my wool and my linen, my olive oil and my drink.’

For their mother has played the whore; she who conceived them has acted shamefully. For she said,‘ I will go after my lovers, who give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, my oil and my drink.’

Their mother is a shameless prostitute and became pregnant in a shameful way. She said,‘ I’ll run after other lovers and sell myself to them for food and water, for clothing of wool and linen, and for olive oil and drinks.’

Yes, their mother is promiscuous; she conceived them and acted shamefully. For she thought,“ I will follow my lovers, the men who give me my food and water, my wool and flax, my oil and drink.”

For their mother has committed prostitution; She who conceived them has acted shamefully. For she said,‘ I will go after my lovers, Who give me my bread and my water, My wool and my flax, my oil and my drink.’

For their mother has played the harlot; She who conceived them has behaved shamefully. For she said,‘ I will go after my lovers, Who give me my bread and my water, My wool and my linen, My oil and my drink.’

for their mother hath played the harlot; she that conceived them hath done shamefully; for she said, I will go after my lovers, that give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink.

Yes, their mother is promiscuous; she conceived them and acted shamefully. For she thought,“ I will go after my lovers, the men who give me my food and water, my wool and flax, my oil and drink.”

For their mother hath played the harlot: she that conceived them hath done shamefully: for she said, I will go after my lovers, that give[ me] my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink.

For their mother has committed adultery; she who conceived them has acted shamefully. For she said,“ I will seek out my lovers; they are the ones who give me my bread and my water, my wool, my flax, my olive oil, and my wine.

For their mother has played the prostitute. She who conceived them has done shamefully; for she said,‘ I will go after my lovers, who give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, my oil and my drink.’

We will certainly do everything we said we would. We’ll burn incense to the female god called the Queen of Heaven. We’ll pour out drink offerings to her. We’ll do just as we and our people of long ago have done. Our kings and our officials also did it. All of us did it in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem. At that time we had plenty of food. We were well off. We didn’t suffer any harm.But then we stopped burning incense to the Queen of Heaven. We stopped pouring out drink offerings to her. And ever since that time we haven’t had anything. Instead, we’ve been dying of war and hunger.”

See how the faithful city of Jerusalem has become like a prostitute! Once it was full of people who treated others fairly. Those who did what was right used to live in it. But now murderers live there!

The Lord said to me,“ Go. Show your love to your wife again. She is loved by another man. And she has committed adultery. But I want you to love her just as I love the people of Israel. They turn to other gods. And they love to offer raisin cakes to Baal and eat them. In spite of that, I love my people.”

She wouldn’t admit that I was the one who gave her everything she had. I provided her with grain, olive oil and fresh wine. I gave her plenty of silver and gold. But she used it to make statues of Baal.

I will destroy her vines and her fig trees. She said they were her pay from her lovers. I’ll make them like clumps of bushes and weeds. Wild animals will eat them up.Israel burned incense to the gods that were named Baal. I will punish her for all the times she did that. She decorated herself with rings and jewelry. Then she went after her lovers. But she forgot all about me,” declares the Lord.

“ Tell your mother she is wrong. Tell her she is wrong. She isn’t acting like a wife to me anymore. She no longer treats me as her husband. Tell her to stop looking and acting like a prostitute. Tell her not to let her lovers lie on her breasts anymore.

Judah, you have as many gods as you have towns. And in Jerusalem you have set up as many altars as there are streets. You are burning incense to that shameful god named Baal.’

They have gone up to Assyria for help. They are like a wild donkey that wanders around by itself. Ephraim’s people have sold themselves to their Assyrian lovers.

The rulers of the Philistines gathered together. They were going to offer a great sacrifice to their god Dagon. They were going to celebrate. They said,“ Our god has handed our enemy Samson over to us.”

“‘ “But you trusted in your beauty. You used your fame to become a prostitute. You offered your body freely to anyone who passed by. In fact, you gave yourself to anyone who wanted you.You used some of your clothes to make high places colorful. That is where people worshiped other gods. You were a prostitute there. You went to your lover and he took your beauty.

As soon as she saw the pictures, she longed for the men. So she sent messengers to them in Babylon.Then the Babylonians came to her. They went to bed with her. They had sex with her. They made her impure when they had sex with her. After they did it, she became sick of them. So she turned away from them.

“ Suppose a man divorces his wife. What if she then marries another man? Should her first husband return to her again? If he does, won’t the land become completely‘ unclean’? People of Israel, you have lived like a prostitute. You have loved many other gods. So do you think you can return to me now?” announces the Lord.“ Look up at the bare hilltops. Is there any place where you have not worshiped other gods? You have been unfaithful to me like a wife committing adultery. By the side of the road you sat waiting for lovers. You sat there like someone who wanders in the desert. You have made the land impure. You are like a sinful prostitute.So I have held back the showers. I have kept the spring rains from falling. But you still have the bold face of a prostitute. You refuse to blush with shame.You have just now called out to me. You said,‘ My Father, you have been my friend ever since I was young.Will you always be angry with me? Will your anger continue forever?’ This is how you talk. But you do all the evil things you can.”During the time Josiah was king, the Lord spoke to me. He said,“ Have you seen what the people of Israel have done? They have not been faithful to me. They have committed adultery with other gods. They worshiped them on every high hill and under every green tree.I thought that after they had done all this, they would return to me. But they did not. Their sister nation Judah saw them doing this. And they were not faithful to me either.I gave Israel their letter of divorce. I sent them away because they were unfaithful to me so many times. But I saw that their sister nation Judah did not have any respect for me. They were not faithful to me either. They also went out and committed adultery with other gods.Israel was not faithful to me, but that did not bother them at all. They made the land‘ unclean.’ They worshiped gods that were made out of stone and wood.

The Lord says,“ When I first found Israel, it was like finding grapes in the desert. When I saw your people of long ago, it was like seeing the early fruit on a fig tree. But then they went to Baal Peor. There they gave themselves to that shameful god named Baal. They became as evil as the god they loved.

My people ask a wooden statue of a god for advice. They get answers from a stick of wood. They are as unfaithful as prostitutes. They are not faithful to their God.They offer sacrifices on the mountaintops. They burn offerings on the hills. They worship under oak, poplar and terebinth trees. The trees provide plenty of shade. So your daughters become prostitutes. And your daughters- in- law commit adultery.“ I will not punish your daughters when they become prostitutes. I will not judge your daughters- in- law when they commit adultery. After all, the men themselves have sex with sinful women. They offer sacrifices where temple prostitutes earn their living. People who can’t understand will be destroyed!“ Israel, you are not faithful to me. But I do not want Judah to become guilty too.“ My people, do not go to Gilgal to offer sacrifices. Do not go up to Bethel to worship other gods. When you make a promise, do not say,‘ You can be sure that the Lord is alive.’

“ Long ago you broke off the yoke I put on you. You tore off the ropes I tied you up with. You said,‘ I won’t serve you!’ In fact, on every high hill you lay down like a prostitute. You worshiped other gods under every green tree.

One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came to me. He said,“ Come. I will show you how the great prostitute will be punished. She is the one who sits by many waters.The kings of the earth took part in her evil ways. The people living on earth were drunk with the wine of her terrible sins.”Then in a vision the angel carried me away to a desert. There the Holy Spirit showed me a woman sitting on a bright red beast. It was covered with names that say evil things about God. It had seven heads and ten horns.The woman was dressed in purple and bright red. She was gleaming with gold, jewels and pearls. In her hand she held a golden cup filled with things that God hates. It was filled with her terrible, dirty sins.The name written on her forehead was a mystery. Here is what it said. the great city of babylon the mother of prostitutes the mother of everything on earth that god hates

I prayed,“ I’m filled with shame and dishonor, my God. I can hardly look to you and pray. That’s because our sins are piled up above our heads. Our guilt reaches all the way to the heavens.We are filled with it. It has been like that ever since the days of our people who lived long ago. Kings of other countries have killed many of us and our kings and priests with their swords. They’ve forced others to leave their own land. They’ve taken them away as prisoners. They’ve robbed others. They’ve made still others feel ashamed and dishonored. All these things have happened to us because we’ve committed so many sins. And that’s how things still are to this day.

“ Oholah was unfaithful to me even while she still belonged to me. She longed for her Assyrian lovers. They included soldierswho wore blue uniforms. They also included governors and commanders. All of them were young and handsome. They rode horses.She gave herself as a prostitute to all Assyria’s finest warriors. She made herself impure with the statues of the gods of everyone she longed for.She started being a prostitute in Egypt. And she never stopped. When she was young, men had sex with her. They kissed her virgin breasts. They used up all their sinful desires on her.“ So I handed her over to her Assyrian lovers. She longed for them.They stripped her naked. They took away her sons and daughters. And they killed her with their swords. Other women laughed when that happened. I was the one who had punished her.“ Her sister Oholibah saw it. But her evil desire for sexual sin was worse than her sister’s.

“ They even sent messengers to bring men from far away. When the men arrived, Oholibah took a bath. She put makeup on her eyes. She put her jewelry on.She sat down on a beautiful couch. A table was in front of it. There she put the incense and olive oil that belonged to me.“ The noise of a carefree crowd was all around her. Men who drink too much were brought from the desert. Other men were brought along with them. They put bracelets on the wrists of the two sisters. They put beautiful crowns on their heads.Then I spoke about Oholibah. She was worn out by adultery. I said,‘ Let them use her as a prostitute. After all, that is what she is.’So they slept with her. In fact, they slept with both of these impure women, Oholah and Oholibah. They slept with them just as men sleep with prostitutes.

You have made your bed on a very high hill. You went up there to offer your sacrifices.You have set up statues to remind you of your gods. You have put them behind your doors and doorposts. You deserted me. You invited other lovers into your bed. You climbed into it and welcomed them. You made a deal with them. And you looked with desire at their naked bodies.

We have sinned and done what is wrong. We have been evil. We have refused to obey you. We have turned away from your commands and laws.We haven’t listened to your servants the prophets. They spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our people of long ago. They also brought your message to all our people in the land.“ Lord, you always do what is right. But we are covered with shame today. We are the people of Judah and Jerusalem. All of us are Israelites, no matter where we live. We are now living in many countries. You scattered us among the nations because we weren’t faithful to you.Lord, we are covered with shame. So are our kings and princes, and our people of long ago. We have sinned against you.

Do not run after other gods until your sandals are worn out and your throat is dry. But you said,‘ It’s no use! I love those gods. I must go after them.’“ A thief is dishonored when he is caught. And you people of Israel are filled with shame. Your kings and officials are dishonored. So are your priests and your prophets.You say to a piece of wood,‘ You are my father.’ You say to a stone,‘ You are my mother.’ You have turned your backs to me. You refuse to look at me. But when you are in trouble, you say,‘ Come and save us!’

The Lord says to the people in Jerusalem,“ Do you think I divorced your people who lived before you? Is that why I sent them away? If it is, show me the letter of divorce. I did not sell you into slavery to pay someone I owe. You were sold because you sinned against me. Your people were sent away because of their lawless acts.

You trip and fall day and night. And the prophets fall down along with you. So I will destroy your nation. She is the one who gave birth to you.

‘ But here is what I have against you. You put up with that woman Jezebel. She calls herself a prophet. With her teaching, she has led my servants into sexual sin. She has tricked them into eating food offered to statues of gods.I’ve given her time to turn away from her sinful ways. But she doesn’t want to.She lay down to commit her sin so I will make her lie down in suffering. Those who commit adultery with her will suffer greatly too. Their only way out is to turn away from what she taught them to do.I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I search hearts and minds. I will pay each of you back for what you have done.

You also committed shameful acts with the people of Assyria. Nothing ever seemed to satisfy you. You could never get enough.Then you offered yourself to the people of Babylon. But that did not satisfy you either. There are many traders in the land of Babylon.“‘ “I am filled with great anger against you,” announces the Lord and King.“ Just look at all the things you are doing! You are acting like a prostitute who has no shame at all.Your people built up mounds at every street corner. You put little places of worship on them in every market. But you did not really act like a prostitute. That’s because you refused to let your lovers pay you anything.“‘ “You unfaithful wife! You would rather be with strangers than with your own husband!Every prostitute receives gifts. Instead, you give gifts to all your lovers. You offer them money to come to you from everywhere. You want them to sleep with you. You are not faithful to me.As a prostitute, you are the opposite of others. No one runs after you to sleep with you. You are exactly the opposite. You pay them. They do not pay you.” ’ ”