Woe to the Oppressors

1Woe to them that devise iniquity and work evil upon their beds! When the morning is light they practise it, because it is in the power of their hand.

2And they covet fields, and take them by violence; and houses, and take them away; and they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage.

3Therefore thus saith Jehovah: Behold, against this family do I devise an evil, from which ye shall not remove your necks; neither shall ye walk haughtily: for it is an evil time.

4In that day shall they take up a proverb concerning you, and lament with a doleful lamentation, [and] say, We are utterly spoiled: he hath changed the portion of my people: how hath he removed it from me! He hath distributed our fields to the rebellious.

5Therefore thou shalt have none that shall cast the measuring line upon a lot, in the congregation of Jehovah.

The False Prophets

6Prophesy ye not, they prophesy. If they do not prophesy to these, the ignominy will not depart.

7O thou [that art] named the house of Jacob, Is Jehovah impatient? are these his doings? Do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly?

8But of late my people is risen up as an enemy: ye strip off the mantle with the garment from them that pass by securely, that are averse from war.

9The women of my people do ye cast out from their pleasant houses; from their young children do ye take away my magnificence for ever.

10Arise ye, and depart; for this is not the resting-place, because of defilement that bringeth destruction, even a grievous destruction.

11If a man walking in wind and falsehood do lie, [saying,] I will prophesy unto thee of wine and of strong drink, he shall be the prophet of this people.

The Remnant of Israel

12I will surely assemble, O Jacob, the whole of thee; I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together as sheep of Bozrah, as a flock in the midst of their pasture: they shall make great noise by reason of [the multitude of] men.

13One that breaketh through is gone up before them: they have broken forth, and have passed on to the gate, and are gone out by it; and their king passeth on before them, and Jehovah at the head of them.