The Lord Abhors the Pride of Israel

8 The Sovereign Lord has sworn by himselfs—the Lord God Almighty declares:

“I abhort the pride of Jacobu

and detest his fortresses;v

I will deliver upw the city

and everything in it.x”

9 If teny people are left in one house, they too will die. 10 And if the relative who comes to carry the bodies out of the house to burn thema z asks anyone who might be hiding there, “Is anyone else with you?” and he says, “No,” then he will go on to say, “Hush!a We must not mention the name of the Lord.”

11 For the Lord has given the command,

and he will smashb the great housec into pieces

and the small house into bits.d

12 Do horses run on the rocky crags?

Does one plow the seab with oxen?

But you have turned justice into poisone

and the fruit of righteousnessf into bitternessg—

13 you who rejoice in the conquest of Lo Debarc

and say, “Did we not take Karnaimd by our own strength?h”

14 For the Lord God Almighty declares,

“I will stir up a nationi against you, Israel,

that will oppress you all the way

from Lebo Hamathj to the valley of the Arabah.k”