Woe to Those at Ease in Zion

1Woe to those who are at ease in Zion

And to those who feel secure in the mountain of Samaria,

The distinguished men of the first of the nations,

To whom the house of Israel comes.

2Pass on over to Calneh and look,

And go from there to Hamath the great,

Then go down to Gath of the Philistines.

Are [†]they better than these kingdoms,

Or are their borders greater than your borders?

3Do you put off the day of calamity,

And would you cause the seat of violence to approach?

4Those who lay down on beds of ivory

And sprawl on their couches

And eat lambs from the flock

And calves from the midst of the stall,

5Who improvise to the [†]sound of the harp,

And like David have [†]composed songs for themselves,

6Who drink wine from [†]sacrificial bowls

While they anoint themselves with the first pick of the oils,

Yet they have not grieved over the destruction of Joseph.

7Therefore, they will now go into exile among the first of the exiles,

And the sprawlers’ [†]banqueting will turn aside.

8Lord Yahweh has sworn by Himself, Yahweh God of hosts has declared:

“I abhor the lofty pride of Jacob

And hate his citadels;

Therefore I will deliver up the city as well as its fullness.”

9And it will be, if ten men are left in one house, they will die. 10Then one’s [†]uncle, or the one who [†]burns his bones, will lift him up to bring out his bones from the house, and he will say to the one who is in the innermost part of the house, “Is anyone else with you?” And that one will say, “No one.” Then he will [†]answer, “Keep quiet. For [†]the name of Yahweh is not to be mentioned.” 11For behold, Yahweh is going to command and will strike the great house to pieces and the small house to fragments.

12Do horses run on rocks?

Or does one plow [†]them with oxen?

Yet you have overturned justice into gall

And the fruit of righteousness into [†]wormwood,

13You who are glad in [†]Lo-debar

[†]And say, “Have we not by our own strength taken [†]Karnaim for ourselves?”

14“For behold, I am going to raise up a nation against you,

O house of Israel,” declares Yahweh God of hosts,

“And they will press down on you from [†]Lebo-hamath

To the brook of the Arabah.”