Then the <sc>Lordsc> said to me, &#8220;Under the circumstances, wayward Israel could even be considered less guilty than unfaithful Judah.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">They have committed treason<n id="1" /> against the <sc>Lordsc>,p> <p class="poetry">because they bore illegitimate children.p> <p class="poetry">Soon<n id="2" /> the new moon festival will devour them and their fields.p>

If she does not please<n id="1" /> her master, who has designated her<n id="2" /> for himself, then he must let her be redeemed.<n id="3" /> He has no right<n id="4" /> to sell her to a foreign nation, because he has dealt deceitfully<n id="5" /> with her.

God sent a spirit to stir up hostility<n id="1" /> between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem. He made the leaders of Shechem disloyal<n id="2" /> to Abimelech.

<p class="bodytext">Now it was reported to Saul, &#8220;Look, the army is sinning against the <sc>Lordsc> by eating even the blood.&#8221; He said, &#8220;All of you have broken the covenant!<n id="1" /> Roll a large stone over here to me.&#8221;

<p class="poetry">You, O <sc>Lordsc> God, the invincible warrior,<n id="1" /> the God of Israel,p> <p class="poetry">rouse yourself and punish<n id="2" /> all the nations!p> <p class="poetry">Have no mercy on any treacherous evildoers! (Selah)p>

<p class="poetry"><v id="(9:1)" /> I wish I had a lodging place in the desertp> <p class="poetry">where I could spend some time like a weary traveler.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Then I would desert my peoplep> <p class="poetry">and walk away from themp> <p class="poetry">because they are all unfaithful to God,p> <p class="poetry">a congregation<n id="2" /> of people that has been disloyal to him.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry"><sc>Lordsc>, you have always been fairp> <p class="poetry">whenever I have complained to you.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">However, I would like to speak with you about the disposition of justice.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Why are wicked people successful?<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">Why do all dishonest people have such easy lives?p>

<p class="lamhebrew">&#1489; (<i>Beti>)p> <p class="poetry">She weeps bitterly at night;p> <p class="poetry">tears stream down her cheeks.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">She has no one to comfort herp> <p class="poetry">among all her lovers.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">All her friends have betrayed her;p> <p class="poetry">they have become her enemies.p>

<p class="poetry">You are too just<n id="1" /> to tolerate<n id="2" /> evil;p> <p class="poetry">you are unable to condone<n id="3" /> wrongdoing.p> <p class="poetry">So why do you put up with such treacherous people?<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">Why do you say nothing when the wicked devour<n id="5" /> those more righteous than they are?<n id="6" />p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">Do we not all have one father?<n id="1" /> Did not one God create us? Why do we betray one another, in this way making light of the covenant of our ancestors?

Judah has become disloyal, and unspeakable sins have been committed in Israel and Jerusalem.<n id="1" /> For Judah has profaned<n id="2" /> the holy things that the <sc>Lordsc> loves and has turned to a foreign god!<n id="3" />

No one who has even a small portion of the Spirit in him does this.<n id="1" /> What did our ancestor<n id="2" /> do when seeking a child from God? Be attentive, then, to your own spirit, for one should not be disloyal to the wife he took in his youth.<n id="3" />

&#8220;I hate divorce,&#8221;<n id="1" /> says the <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel, &#8220;and the one who is guilty of violence,&#8221;<n id="2" /> says the <sc>Lordsc> who rules over all. &#8220;Pay attention to your conscience, and do not be unfaithful.&#8221;p>

<p class="poetry">You did not hear,p> <p class="poetry">you do not know,p> <p class="poetry">you were not told beforehand.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">For I know that you are very deceitful;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">you were labeled<n id="3" /> a rebel from birth.p>

She also saw<n id="1" /> that I gave wayward Israel her divorce papers and sent her away because of her adulterous worship of other gods.<n id="2" /> Even after her unfaithful sister Judah had seen this,<n id="3" /> she still was not afraid, and she too went and gave herself like a prostitute to other gods.<n id="4" />

<p class="poetry">As a matter of fact,<n id="1" /> even your own brothersp> <p class="poetry">and the members of your own family have betrayed you too.p> <p class="poetry">Even they have plotted to do away with you.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">So do not trust them even when they say kind things<n id="3" /> to you.p>

<p class="poetry">Indeed, wine will betray the proud, restless man!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">His appetite<n id="2" /> is as big as Sheol&#8217;s;<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">like death, he is never satisfied.p> <p class="poetry">He gathers<n id="4" /> all the nations;p> <p class="poetry">he seizes<n id="5" /> all peoples.p>

Yet you ask, &#8220;Why?&#8221; The <sc>Lordsc> is testifying against you on behalf of the wife you married when you were young,<n id="1" /> to whom you have become unfaithful even though she is your companion and wife by law.<n id="2" />