Woe to Evildoers

2 Woe to those who devise iniquity,And work out evil on their beds!At morning light they practice it,Because it is in the power of their hand.² They covet fields and take them by violence,Also houses, and seize them.So they oppress a man and his house,A man and his inheritance.

³ Therefore thus says the Lord:

“Behold, against this family I am devising disaster,From which you cannot remove your necks;Nor shall you walk haughtily,For this is an evil time.⁴ In that day one shall take up a proverb against you,And lament with a bitter lamentation, saying:‘We are utterly destroyed!He has changed the heritage of my people;How He has removed it from me!To a turncoat He has divided our fields.’”

⁵ Therefore you will have no one to determine boundaries^[a] by lotIn the assembly of the Lord.

Lying Prophets

⁶ “Do not prattle,” you say to those who prophesy.So they shall not prophesy to you;^[b]They shall not return insult for insult.^[c]7 You who are named the house of Jacob:“Is the Spirit of the Lord restricted?Are these His doings?Do not My words do goodTo him who walks uprightly?

⁸ “Lately My people have risen up as an enemy—You pull off the robe with the garmentFrom those who trust you, as they pass by,Like men returned from war.⁹ The women of My people you cast outFrom their pleasant houses;From their childrenYou have taken away My glory forever.

¹⁰ “Arise and depart,For this is not your rest;Because it is defiled, it shall destroy,Yes, with utter destruction.¹¹ If a man should walk in a false spiritAnd speak a lie, saying,‘I will prophesy to you of wine and drink,’Even he would be the prattler of this people.

Israel Restored

¹² “I will surely assemble all of you, O Jacob,I will surely gather the remnant of Israel;I will put them together like sheep of the fold,^[d]Like a flock in the midst of their pasture;They shall make a loud noise because of so many people.¹³ The one who breaks open will come up before them;They will break out,Pass through the gate,And go out by it;Their king will pass before them,With the Lord at their head.”