Parallel Verses

New American Standard Bible

My people consult their wooden idol, and their diviner’s wand informs them;
For a spirit of harlotry has led them astray,
And they have played the harlot, departing from their God.

King James Version

My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them: for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err, and they have gone a whoring from under their God.

Holman Bible

My people consult their wooden idols,
and their divining rods inform them.
For a spirit of promiscuity leads them astray;
they act promiscuously
in disobedience to their God.

International Standard Version

My people seek counsel from their piece of wood, and their diviner's rod speaks to them. For a spirit of prostitution causes them to go astray; in their immorality they desert their God.

A Conservative Version

My people ask counsel at their stock, and their staff declares to them, for the spirit of whoredom has caused them to err, and they have played the harlot, [departing] from under their God.

American Standard Version

My people ask counsel at their stock, and their staff declareth unto them; for the spirit of whoredom hath caused them to err, and they have played the harlot, departing from under their God.

Amplified


My people consult their [lifeless] wooden idol, and their [diviner’s] wand gives them oracles.
For a spirit of prostitution has led them astray [morally and spiritually],
And they have played the prostitute, withdrawing themselves from their God.

Bible in Basic English

My people get knowledge from their tree, and their rod gives them news; for a false spirit is the cause of their wandering, and they have been false to their God.

Darby Translation

My people ask counsel of their stock, and their staff declareth unto them; for the spirit of whoredoms causeth them to err, and they have gone a whoring from under their God:

Julia Smith Translation

My people will ask in their counsel, and with their rod they will announce to them: for the spirit of fornications caused to err, and they will commit fornication from under their God.

King James 2000

My people ask counsel of their idols of wood, and their staff advises unto them: for the spirit of harlotry has caused them to err, and they have played the harlot against their God.

Lexham Expanded Bible

My people, consult {their wooden idols}, and their divining rod gives them oracles; because a spirit of whoredom led [them] astray, and they played the whore from under their God.

Modern King James verseion

My people seek advice from their wooden idols, and their rod declares to them. For the spirit of harlotry has caused them to go astray, and they have gone lusting away from under their God.

Modern Spelling Tyndale-Coverdale

My people ask counsel at their stocks, their staff must tell them. For a whorish mind hath deceived them, so that they commit fornication against their God.

NET Bible

They consult their wooden idols, and their diviner's staff answers with an oracle. The wind of prostitution blows them astray; they commit spiritual adultery against their God.

New Heart English Bible

My people consult with their wooden idol, and answer to a stick of wood. Indeed the spirit of prostitution has led them astray, and they have been unfaithful to their God.

The Emphasized Bible

My people, of their Wood, do ask, - Let, their Staff, then tell them, - for, the spirit of unchastity, hath led them astray, and they have unchastely departed from under their God.

Webster

My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth to them: for the spirit of lewdness hath caused them to err, and they have gone astray from under their God.

World English Bible

My people consult with their wooden idol, and answer to a stick of wood. Indeed the spirit of prostitution has led them astray, and they have been unfaithful to their God.

Youngs Literal Translation

My people at its staff asketh and its rod declareth to it, For a spirit of whoredoms hath caused to err, And they go a-whoring from under their God.

Interlinear

English(KJV)
Strong's
Root Form
Definition
Usage
My people
עם 
`am 
Usage: 1867

ask
שׁאל שׁאל 
Sha'al 
Usage: 172

and their staff
מקּלה מקּל 
Maqqel 
Usage: 18

נגד 
Nagad 
Usage: 370

רוּח 
Ruwach 
Usage: 378

זנוּן 
Zanuwn 
Usage: 12

תּעה 
Ta`ah 
Usage: 50

References

Context Readings

God's Case Against The People

11 Prostitution, wine and new wine take away the understanding. 12 My people consult their wooden idol, and their diviner’s wand informs them;
For a spirit of harlotry has led them astray,
And they have played the harlot, departing from their God.
13 They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains! They burn incense upon the hills, under oaks and poplars (storax) and the strong tree, because it has good shade. Your daughters play the harlot, and your brides commit adultery.

Cross References

Jeremiah 2:27

You call wood your father. You call stone your mother. You turned your backs, not your faces, to me. But when you are in trouble, you ask me to come and rescue you.

Hosea 5:4

They will not consecrate their deeds to their God because the spirit of fornication is in them. They do not know Jehovah.

Habakkuk 2:19

Woe to anyone who says to an idol of wood or stone get up! You can learn nothing from idols covered with silver or gold? They cannot breathe or talk.

Leviticus 17:7

The people must stop sacrificing to goat idols (demons) and chasing after them as though they were prostitutes. This is a long lasting law for the people and for future generations.

Leviticus 20:5

I will condemn them and their families. I will exclude them from the people. I will exclude from the people everyone who chases after Molech as if he were a prostitute.

Numbers 15:39

When you look at the threads in the tassel, you will remember all Jehovah's commandments and obey them. Then you will not do whatever you want and go after whatever you see, as if you were chasing after prostitutes.

Deuteronomy 31:16

Jehovah said to Moses: You are about to lie down with your fathers in death. This people will arise and play the harlot with the strange gods of the land. They will plunge into the midst of it. They will forsake me and break my covenant that I made with them.

2 Chronicles 21:13

Instead, you have followed the ways of the kings of Israel. You, like Ahab's family, have caused Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to chase after foreign gods as if they were prostitutes. You have killed your brothers, your father's family. Your brothers were better than you.

Psalm 73:27

Those who are far from you will perish. You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to you.

Isaiah 44:18-20

They do not know or understand anything. Their eyes are plastered shut and cannot see. Their minds are closed and therefore they cannot understand.

Jeremiah 3:1-3

It is said: If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him and marries another man, her first husband should not go back to her again. The land would become completely polluted. You have behaved like a prostitute who has many lovers. Now you want to come back to me! Says Jehovah.

Jeremiah 10:8

They are very stupid and foolish. They teach vanity to a tree. Their idol is wood!

Ezekiel 16:1-63

The word of Jehovah came to me:

Ezekiel 21:21

The king of Babylon will stand where the roads branch off, at the fork in the road. Then he will look for omens. The king will stand at the branch of the roads where he will use divination. He will shake the arrows and ask the teraphim and look into the liver.

Ezekiel 23:1-49

Jehovah spoke his word to me again:

Hosea 9:1

O Israel, do not rejoice. Do not celebrate as pagan nations do. You have been unfaithful to your God. You have sold sex on every threshing floor.

Micah 2:11

If a man who is a constant liar tells a lie saying: 'I will prophesy to you about wine and of strong drink;' he would be the prophet of this people.

2 Thessalonians 2:9-11

The evil (lawless) one will come with the power of Satan and perform all kinds of false signs and wonders.

King James Version Public Domain

Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers.

International Standard Version Copyright © 1996-2008 by the ISV Foundation.

New American Standard Bible Copyright ©1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org

American Standard Version Public Domain

NET Bible copyright © 1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. NetBible

Basic English, produced by Mr C. K. Ogden of the Orthological Institute - public domain