OPPRESSORS JUDGED

2 Woe to those who dream up wickedness

and prepare evil plansap on their beds!

At morning lightaq they accomplish it

because the power is in their hands.a

2 They covet fieldsb and seize them;c

they also take houses.

They deprive a man of his home,d

a person of his inheritance.e

3 Therefore, the Lord says:

I am now planningf a disaster

against this nation;g

you cannot free your necks from it.h

Then you will not walk so proudlyi

because it will be an evil time.j

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

and lament mournfully,l saying,

“We are totally ruined!m

He measures out the allotted land of my people.

How he removes it from me!

He allots our fieldsn to traitors.”

5 Therefore, there will be no one

in the assembly of the Lord

to divide the land by casting lots.A,o

GOD’S WORD REJECTED

6 “Quit your preaching,”p theyB preach.

“They should not preach these things;q

shame will not overtake us.”C,r

7 House of Jacob, should it be asked,

“Is the Spirit of the Lord impatient?s

Are these the things he does?”

Don’t my words bring goodt

to the one who walks uprightly?u

8 But recently my people have risen up

like an enemy:v

You strip off the splendid robew

from those who are passing through confidently,x

like those returning from war.

9 You forcey the women of my people

out of their comfortable homes,

and you take my blessingD,z

from their children forever.

10 Get up and leave,

for this is not your place of restaa

because defilementab brings destruction—

a grievous destruction!ac

11 If a man comes

and utters empty lies—ad

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

he would be just the preacher for this people!af

THE REMNANT REGATHERED

12 I will indeed gatherag all of you, Jacob;

I will collect the remnant of Israel.ah

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.ai

13 One 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.