Israel’s Leaders Denounced

¹ And I said, “Listen, O heads of Jacob and leaders of the house of Israel! Is it not for you to know justice?

² Those of you who are haters of good and lovers of evil, who tear their skin from them and their flesh from their bones,

³ and who eat the flesh of my people, and strip their skin from them, and break their bones, and chop them like meat in the pot, and like flesh in the midst of a cooking pot.”

⁴ Then they will cry to Yahweh, but he will not answer them. He will hide his face from them at that time, when they have made their deeds evil.

⁵ Thus says Yahweh concerning the prophets who are leading my people astray, who are biting with their teeth and proclaim, “Peace,” but whoever puts nothing into their mouths they declare war against.

⁶ Therefore it will be as night to you, without vision, and darkness to you, without divination. And the sun will set on the prophets, and the day will grow dark over them.

⁷ Then the seers will be disgraced, and those practicing divination will be put to shame. All of them will cover their lips, for there is no reply from God.

⁸ But I, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of Yahweh, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his rebellion, and to Israel his sin.

⁹ Hear this, O rulers of the house of Jacob and leaders of the house of Israel, those detesting justice and perverting all that is right,

¹⁰ he who builds Zion with blood and Jerusalem with wickedness.

¹¹ Its rulers judge for a bribe; its priests teach for a price; its prophets practice divination for money. But they lean on Yahweh, saying, “Is not Yahweh in our midst? Disaster will not come upon us.”

¹² Therefore on account of you Zion will be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem will be a heap of rubble, and ⌞the temple mount⌟¹ as a high place in a forest.

1. Literally “the mountain of the house”