5:7a

They have been unfaithful to the LORD: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as unfaithful means to deal treacherously with someone. Here it is a figure of speech (metaphor) in which the people’s unfaithfulness to the LORD is compared to unfaithfulness in a marriage. The people are unfaithful in the sense that they have broken their vow that they will worship only the LORD in order to worship Baal instead.

Here are some other ways to translate this line:

They have betrayed Yahweh (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
They have dealt treacherously against the Lord (New American Standard Bible)

5:7b

they have borne illegitimate children: This is a metaphor. The children are illegitimate in the sense that they do not belong to the LORD, the figurative husband of their mother. Instead, they worship Baal/idols like their mother did.

Here are some ways to translate this metaphor:

• Keep the metaphor of illegitimate children. For example:

for they have borne illegitimate children (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
for their children are bastards (Revised English Bible)

• Change the metaphor to a simile. Consider making the similarity of the children to bastards explicit. For example:

Their children are ⌊like ⌋ bastards. ⌊They do not belong to him. ⌋

• Translate the meaning without using a figure of speech. For example:

their children do not belong to him (Good News Translation)

If you use the third option, consider adding a footnote that gives the figure of speech. If you use one of the first two options, consider using a footnote that explains the meaning of the figure of speech. For example:

In this verse, the people of Israel are compared to a wife whose husband is the LORD. The wife has been unfaithful. She has worshiped idols rather than the LORD. The children of the Israelites are called illegitimate children, because they also worship idols like their parents do.

5:7c

Now the New Moon will devour them along with their land: This sentence describes the LORD’s judgment against the people of Israel. It indicates that he will cause the people and their fields to be destroyed as a result of the sinful way that they celebrate the New Moon festivals. See the examples at the end of this note for some ways to translate this sentence.

Now: The word Now indicates that the judgment will start at that time or very soon. For example:

Soon the new moon festival… (NET Bible)

This judgment is the result of the people’s unfaithfulness in 5:7a–b. Some versions make explicit that this is the result. For example:

So now (Good News Translation)

the New Moon: This probably refers here, as in 2:11b, to the monthly religious celebrations that the people held on the first day of each month. At these festivals they offered sacrifices to the LORD, as they were originally commanded in Numbers 10:10, Numbers 28:11–15, and other passages.

It is implied from the context that the people angered the LORD by the way they celebrated these festivals. They may have done so hypocritically, as external rituals, while they continued to live wicked lives (see Isaiah 1:13–14). They may also have adopted Canaanite rituals as part of the festival.

In some languages, it may be necessary to make some of this implied information explicit. For example:

the ⌊wicked/hypocritical way ⌋ that they ⌊celebrate ⌋ the New Moon festivals

will devour them: In Hebrew, the word devour is literally “eat.” In this context, it is used figuratively to mean “destroy.” The destruction can be caused by drought, famine, disease, or human enemies. Here it probably refers to enemy armies that will destroy the people and their fields. Try not to specify exactly how the people will be destroyed. For example:

will cause them to be destroyed
-or-
will bring destruction upon them

along with their land: In Hebrew, this phrase refers to either land or fields. In this context, the meaning is similar. Both land and fields refer to places where grain is grown and where animals are raised.

Here are some other ways to translate 5:7c:

Therefore, you and your crops will soon be destroyed. This will happen because of your new moon rituals.
-or-
So now, as a result of ⌊the wrong/false way that they worship me ⌋ ⌊when it is time for ⌋ the new moon, ⌊I will bring ⌋ destruction on them and their lands.

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