The Lord Punishes Israel

6The Lord says,

“The people of Israel have sinned again and again.

So I will punish them.

They sell into slavery those who do what is right.

They trade needy people

for a mere pair of sandals.

7 They grind the heads of the poor

into the dust of the ground.

They refuse to be fair to those who are crushed.

A father and his son have sex with the same girl.

They treat my name as if it were not holy.

8 They lie down beside every altar

on clothes they had taken

until the owner paid back what was owed.

In the house of their God

they drink wine that was taken as fines.

9 “I destroyed the Amorites to make room

for my people in the land.

The Amorites were as tall as cedar trees.

They were as strong as oak trees.

But I cut off their fruit above the ground

and their roots below it.

10 “People of Israel, I brought you up out of Egypt.

I led you in the desert for 40 years.

I gave you the land of the Amorites.

11 I raised up prophets from among your children.

I also set some of your young people apart to me as Nazirites.

Isn’t that true, people of Israel?”

announces the Lord.

12 “But you made the Nazirites drink wine.

You commanded the prophets not to prophesy.

13 “A cart that is loaded with grain

crushes anything it runs over.

In the same way, I will crush you.

14 Your fastest runners will not escape.

The strongest people will not get away.

Even soldiers will not be able

to save their own lives.

15 Men who are armed with bows will lose the battle.

Soldiers who are quick on their feet will not escape.

Horsemen will not be able

to save their own lives.

16 Even your bravest soldiers

will run away naked on that day,”

announces the Lord.