24 “Why does the Almighty not set times^(A) for judgment?^(B)
    Why must those who know him look in vain for such days?^(C)
2 There are those who move boundary stones;^(D)
    they pasture flocks they have stolen.^(E)
3 They drive away the orphan’s donkey
    and take the widow’s ox in pledge.^(F)
4 They thrust the needy^(G) from the path
    and force all the poor^(H) of the land into hiding.^(I)
5 Like wild donkeys^(J) in the desert,
    the poor go about their labor^(K) of foraging food;
    the wasteland^(L) provides food for their children.
⁶ They gather fodder^(M) in the fields
    and glean in the vineyards^(N) of the wicked.^(O)
7 Lacking clothes, they spend the night naked;
    they have nothing to cover themselves in the cold.^(P)
8 They are drenched^(Q) by mountain rains
    and hug^(R) the rocks for lack of shelter.^(S)
9 The fatherless^(T) child is snatched^(U) from the breast;
    the infant of the poor is seized^(V) for a debt.^(W)
10 Lacking clothes, they go about naked;^(X)
    they carry the sheaves,^(Y) but still go hungry.
¹¹ They crush olives among the terraces^[a];
    they tread the winepresses,^(Z) yet suffer thirst.^(AA)
12 The groans of the dying rise from the city,
    and the souls of the wounded cry out for help.^(AB)
    But God charges no one with wrongdoing.^(AC)

¹³ “There are those who rebel against the light,^(AD)
    who do not know its ways
    or stay in its paths.^(AE)
14 When daylight is gone, the murderer rises up,
    kills^(AF) the poor and needy,^(AG)
    and in the night steals forth like a thief.^(AH)
15 The eye of the adulterer^(AI) watches for dusk;^(AJ)
    he thinks, ‘No eye will see me,’^(AK)
    and he keeps his face concealed.
¹⁶ In the dark, thieves break into houses,^(AL)
    but by day they shut themselves in;
    they want nothing to do with the light.^(AM)
17 For all of them, midnight is their morning;
    they make friends with the terrors^(AN) of darkness.^(AO)

¹⁸ “Yet they are foam^(AP) on the surface of the water;^(AQ)
    their portion of the land is cursed,^(AR)
    so that no one goes to the vineyards.^(AS)
19 As heat and drought snatch away the melted snow,^(AT)
    so the grave^(AU) snatches away those who have sinned.
²⁰ The womb forgets them,
    the worm^(AV) feasts on them;^(AW)
the wicked are no longer remembered^(AX)
    but are broken like a tree.^(AY)
21 They prey on the barren and childless woman,
    and to the widow they show no kindness.^(AZ)
22 But God drags away the mighty by his power;^(BA)
    though they become established,^(BB) they have no assurance of life.^(BC)
23 He may let them rest in a feeling of security,^(BD)
    but his eyes^(BE) are on their ways.^(BF)
24 For a little while they are exalted, and then they are gone;^(BG)
    they are brought low and gathered up like all others;^(BH)
    they are cut off like heads of grain.^(BI)

²⁵ “If this is not so, who can prove me false
    and reduce my words to nothing?”^(BJ)

⁴ “But let no one bring a charge,
    let no one accuse another,
for your people are like those
    who bring charges against a priest.^(N)
5 You stumble^(O) day and night,
    and the prophets stumble with you.
So I will destroy your mother^(P)—
⁶     my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.^(Q)

“Because you have rejected knowledge,
    I also reject you as my priests;
because you have ignored the law^(R) of your God,
    I also will ignore your children.
⁷ The more priests there were,
    the more they sinned against me;
    they exchanged their glorious God^[b](S) for something disgraceful.^(T)
8 They feed on the sins of my people
    and relish their wickedness.^(U)
9 And it will be: Like people, like priests.^(V)
    I will punish both of them for their ways
    and repay them for their deeds.^(W)

¹⁰ “They will eat but not have enough;^(X)
    they will engage in prostitution^(Y) but not flourish,
because they have deserted^(Z) the Lord
    to give themselves ¹¹ to prostitution;^(AA)
old wine^(AB) and new wine
    take away their understanding.^(AC)
12 My people consult a wooden idol,^(AD)
    and a diviner’s rod speaks to them.^(AE)
A spirit of prostitution^(AF) leads them astray;^(AG)
    they are unfaithful^(AH) to their God.
¹³ They sacrifice on the mountaintops
    and burn offerings on the hills,
under oak,^(AI) poplar and terebinth,
    where the shade is pleasant.^(AJ)
Therefore your daughters turn to prostitution^(AK)
    and your daughters-in-law to adultery.^(AL)

¹⁴ “I will not punish your daughters
    when they turn to prostitution,
nor your daughters-in-law
    when they commit adultery,
because the men themselves consort with harlots^(AM)
    and sacrifice with shrine prostitutes^(AN)—
    a people without understanding^(AO) will come to ruin!^(AP)

¹⁵ “Though you, Israel, commit adultery,
    do not let Judah become guilty.

“Do not go to Gilgal;^(AQ)
    do not go up to Beth Aven.^[c](AR)
    And do not swear, ‘As surely as the Lord lives!’^(AS)
16 The Israelites are stubborn,^(AT)
    like a stubborn heifer.^(AU)
How then can the Lord pasture them
    like lambs^(AV) in a meadow?
¹⁷ Ephraim is joined to idols;
    leave him alone!
¹⁸ Even when their drinks are gone,
    they continue their prostitution;
    their rulers dearly love shameful ways.
¹⁹ A whirlwind^(AW) will sweep them away,
    and their sacrifices will bring them shame.^(AX)

⁴ “Their deeds do not permit them
    to return^(BF) to their God.
A spirit of prostitution^(BG) is in their heart;
    they do not acknowledge^(BH) the Lord.
⁵ Israel’s arrogance testifies^(BI) against them;
    the Israelites, even Ephraim, stumble^(BJ) in their sin;
    Judah also stumbles with them.^(BK)
6 When they go with their flocks and herds
    to seek the Lord,^(BL)
they will not find him;
    he has withdrawn^(BM) himself from them.
⁷ They are unfaithful^(BN) to the Lord;
    they give birth to illegitimate^(BO) children.
When they celebrate their New Moon feasts,^(BP)
    he will devour^[d](BQ) their fields.

⁸ “Sound the trumpet^(BR) in Gibeah,^(BS)
    the horn in Ramah.^(BT)
Raise the battle cry in Beth Aven^[e];^(BU)
    lead on, Benjamin.
⁹ Ephraim will be laid waste^(BV)
    on the day of reckoning.^(BW)
Among the tribes of Israel
    I proclaim what is certain.^(BX)
10 Judah’s leaders are like those
    who move boundary stones.^(BY)
I will pour out my wrath^(BZ) on them
    like a flood of water.
¹¹ Ephraim is oppressed,
    trampled in judgment,
    intent on pursuing idols.^[f](CA)
12 I am like a moth^(CB) to Ephraim,
    like rot^(CC) to the people of Judah.

¹³ “When Ephraim^(CD) saw his sickness,
    and Judah his sores,
then Ephraim turned to Assyria,^(CE)
    and sent to the great king for help.^(CF)
But he is not able to cure^(CG) you,
    not able to heal your sores.^(CH)
14 For I will be like a lion^(CI) to Ephraim,
    like a great lion to Judah.
I will tear them to pieces^(CJ) and go away;
    I will carry them off, with no one to rescue them.^(CK)
15 Then I will return to my lair^(CL)
    until they have borne their guilt^(CM)
    and seek my face^(CN)—
in their misery^(CO)
    they will earnestly seek me.^(CP)”

⁴ “What can I do with you, Ephraim?^(CZ)
    What can I do with you, Judah?
Your love is like the morning mist,
    like the early dew that disappears.^(DA)
5 Therefore I cut you in pieces with my prophets,
    I killed you with the words of my mouth^(DB)—
    then my judgments go forth like the sun.^[g](DC)
6 For I desire mercy, not sacrifice,^(DD)
    and acknowledgment^(DE) of God rather than burnt offerings.^(DF)
7 As at Adam,^[h] they have broken the covenant;^(DG)
    they were unfaithful^(DH) to me there.
⁸ Gilead is a city of evildoers,^(DI)
    stained with footprints of blood.
⁹ As marauders lie in ambush for a victim,^(DJ)
    so do bands of priests;
they murder^(DK) on the road to Shechem,
    carrying out their wicked schemes.^(DL)
10 I have seen a horrible^(DM) thing in Israel:
    There Ephraim is given to prostitution,
    Israel is defiled.^(DN)

¹¹ “Also for you, Judah,
    a harvest^(DO) is appointed.

“Whenever I would restore the fortunes^(DP) of my people,