Woe to the Oppressors of God’s People

¹ Woe to those who plan wickedness and evil deeds upon their beds! In the light of the morning they did it, because they have power in their hands.

² They covet fields and seize them, and houses, and they take them away. They oppress a man and his house; a man and his inheritance.

³ Therefore, thus says Yahweh: Look! I am planning disaster against this family from which you will not be able to remove your necks. You will not walk proudly, for it is a time of disaster.

⁴ In that day they will raise a proverb against you, and will wail a bitter wailing, saying, “We are utterly ruined; he exchanges the portion of my people. How he removes it from me; he apportions our field to an apostate.”

⁵ Therefore you will have no one casting a line by lot in the assembly of Yahweh.

⁶ “Do not preach!” they are preaching. They should not preach to these; disgrace will not overtake us.

⁷ Should this be said, O house of Jacob? Is the patience¹ of Yahweh shortened? Are these his deeds? Are my words not pleasing to him who walks upright?

1. Or “spirit”

⁸ But ⌞recently⌟¹ my people have risen up as an enemy; from before the cloak you strip off the robe from those passing by in confidence, returning from war.

1. Literally “yesterday”

⁹ You have driven out the women of my people from the houses of their¹ pleasure. From their² children you have taken away my glory forever.

1. Hebrew “her”
2. Hebrew “her”

¹⁰ Arise and go, for this is no resting place, on account of uncleanness that destroys with painful destruction.

¹¹ If a man walks about in a spirit of deception and lies, saying “I will preach to you of wine and strong drink,” then he would be a preacher for this people!

¹² I will surely gather all of you, O Jacob; I will surely gather together the remainder of Israel. I will set them like sheep of Bozrah. Like a herd in the midst of their pasture they will be in tumult from people.

¹³ The one who breaks out before them goes up; they break through and pass the gate, going out through it. Their king passes before them, Yahweh at their head.