Rulers and Prophets Condemned

1Then I said:

“Hear now, O leaders of Jacob (he grasps the heel),

you⁺ rulers of the house of Israel (he wrestles with God).

Should you⁺ not know justice?

2You⁺ hate good and love evil.

You⁺ tear the skin from my people

and strip the flesh from their bones.

3You eat the flesh of my people

after stripping off their skin

and breaking their bones.

You chop them up like flesh for the cooking pot,

like meat in a cauldron.”

4Then they will cry out to the LORD {YHWH},

but He will not answer them.

At that time He will hide His face from them

because of the evil they have done.

5This is what the LORD {YHWH} says:

“As for the prophets

who lead My people astray,

who proclaim peace

while they chew with their teeth,

but declare war against one

who puts nothing in their mouths:

6Therefore night will come over you⁺ without visions,

and darkness without divination.

The sun will set on these prophets,

and the daylight will turn black over them.

7Then the seers will be ashamed

and the diviners will be disgraced.

They will all cover their mouths

because there is no answer from God {Elohim}.”

8As for me, however, I am filled with power

by the Spirit of the LORD {Ruach YHWH},

with justice and courage,

to declare to Jacob (he grasps the heel) his transgression

and to Israel (he wrestles with God) his sin.

9Now hear this, O leaders of the house of Jacob (he grasps the heel)

and rulers of the house of Israel (he wrestles with God),

who despise justice

and pervert all that is right,

10who build Zion with bloodshed

and Jerusalem (city of peace) with iniquity.

11Her leaders judge for a bribe,

her priests teach for a price,

and her prophets practice divination for money.

Yet they lean upon the LORD {YHWH}, saying,

“Is not the LORD among us?

No disaster can come upon us.”

12Therefore, because of you⁺,

Zion will be plowed like a field,

Jerusalem (city of peace) will become a heap of rubble,

and the temple mount a wooded ridge.