Pride Precedes Captivity

15 Hear and give ear:

Do not be proud,

For the Lord has spoken.

16 kGive glory to the Lord your God

Before He causes ldarkness,

And before your feet stumble

On the dark mountains,

And while you are mlooking for light,

He turns it into nthe shadow of death

And makes it dense darkness.

17 But if you will not hear it,

My soul will oweep in secret for your pride;

My eyes will weep bitterly

And run down with tears,

Because the Lord’s flock has been taken captive.

18 Say to pthe king and to the queen mother,

“Humble yourselves;

Sit down,

For your rule shall collapse, the crown of your glory.”

19 The cities of the South shall be shut up,

And no one shall open them;

Judah shall be carried away captive, all of it;

It shall be wholly carried away captive.

20 Lift up your eyes and see

Those who come from the qnorth.

Where is the flock that was given to you,

Your beautiful sheep?

21 What will you say when He punishes you?

For you have taught them

To be chieftains, to be head over you.

Will not rpangs seize you,

Like a woman in 9labor?

22 And if you say in your heart,

s“Why have these things come upon me?”

For the greatness of your iniquity

tYour skirts have been uncovered,

Your heels 1made bare.

23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots?

Then may you also do good who are accustomed to do evil.

24 “Therefore I will uscatter them vlike stubble

That passes away by the wind of the wilderness.

25 wThis is your lot,

The portion of your measures from Me,” says the Lord,

“Because you have forgotten Me

And trusted in xfalsehood.

26 Therefore yI will uncover your skirts over your face,

That your shame may appear.

27 I have seen your adulteries

And your lustful zneighings,

The lewdness of your harlotry,

Your abominations aon the hills in the fields.

Woe to you, O Jerusalem!

Will you still not be made clean?”