Rulers and Prophets Condemned

1And I saide, heare I pray you O heads of Iacob, & ye princes of the house of Israel, shoulde not ye know iudgement?

2But they hate the good, and loue the euill, they plucke of their skinnes from them, and their fleshe from their bones.

3And they eate also the fleshe of my people, & flay of their skinne from them: and they breake their bones, and chop them in peeces as for the pot, and as fleshe within the cauldron.

4Then shall they crye vnto the Lorde, but he wyll not heare them: he wyll euen hide his face from them at that time, because they haue done wickedly in their workes.

5Thus saith the Lorde concerning the prophetes that deceaue my people and bite them with their teeth, and crye peace: but if a man put not into their mouthes, they prepare warre against him.

6Therfore night shalbe vnto you for a vision, and darkenesse shalbe vnto you for a diuination: and the sunne shall go downe ouer the prophetes, and the day shalbe darke ouer them.

7Then shall the sears be ashamed, and the soothsayers confounded: yea, they shal al couer their lippes, for they haue none aunswere of God.

8Yet notwithstanding, I am full of power by the spirite of the Lorde, and of iudgement, and of strength, to declare vnto Iacob his transgression, and to Israel his sinne.

9Heare this I pray you ye heades of the house of Iacob, and princes of the house of Israel: they abhorre iudgement, and peruert all equitie.

10They builde vp Sion with blood, and Hierusalem with iniquitie.

11(The heades therof iudge for rewards, and the priestes thereof teache for hyre, and the prophetes thereof prophecie for money: yet wyll they leane vpon the Lord, and say, Is not the Lord among vs? no euill can come vpon vs.)

12Therefore shall Sion for your sake be plowed as a fielde, & Hierusalem shalbe an heape, and the mountaine of the house as the hie places of the forest.