Oppressors Judged

1Woe to those who dream up wickedness

and prepare evil plansa on their beds!

At morning lightb they accomplish it

because the power is in their hands.c

2They covet fieldsa and seize them;b

they also take houses.

They deprive a man of his home,c

a person of his inheritance.d

3Therefore, the Lord says:

I am now planninga a disaster

against this nation;b

you cannot free your necks from it.c

Then you will not walk so proudlyd

because it will be an evil time.e

4In that day one will take upa a taunt against you

and lament mournfully,b saying,

“We are totally ruined!c

He measures out the allotted land of my people.

How he removes it from me!

He allots our fieldsd to traitors.”

5Therefore, there will be no one

in the assembly of the Lord

to divide the land by casting lots.a a

God’s Word Rejected

6“Quit your preaching,”a theyA preach.

“They should not preach these things;b

shame will not overtake us.”B c

7House of Jacob, should it be asked,

“Is the Spirit of the Lord impatient?a

Are these the things he does? ”

Don’t my words bring goodb

to the one who walks uprightly?c

8But recently my people have risen up

like an enemy:a

You strip off the splendid robeb

from those who are passing through confidently,c

like those returning from war.

9You forcea the women of my people

out of their comfortable homes,

and you take my blessinga b

from their children forever.

10Get up and leave,

for this is not your place of resta

because defilementb brings destruction —

a grievous destruction!c

11If a man comes

and utters empty liesa —

“I will preach to you about wine and beer”b —

he would be just the preacher for this people!c

The Remnant Regathered

12I will indeed gathera all of you, Jacob;

I will collect the remnant of Israel.b

I will bring them together like sheep in a pen,

like a flock in the middle of its pasture.

It will be noisy with people.c

13One who breaks open the way

will advance before them;

they will break out, pass through the city gate,

and leave by it.

Their King will pass through before them,

the Lord as their leader.