Judgment on Arrogance and Oppression

8 The Lord sent a word against Jacob,

and it fell on Israel;

9 and all the people knew it—

Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria—

but in pride and arrogance of heart they said:

10 “The bricks have fallen,

but we will build with dressed stones;

the sycamores have been cut down,

but we will put cedars in their place.”

11 So the Lord raised adversariesc against them,

and stirred up their enemies,

12 the Arameans on the east and the Philistines on the west,

and they devoured Israel with open mouth.

For all this his anger has not turned away;

his hand is stretched out still.

13 The people did not turn to him who struck them,

or seek the Lord of hosts.

14 So the Lord cut off from Israel head and tail,

palm branch and reed in one day—

15 elders and dignitaries are the head,

and prophets who teach lies are the tail;

16 for those who led this people led them astray,

and those who were led by them were left in confusion.

17 That is why the Lord did not have pity ond their young people,

or compassion on their orphans and widows;

for everyone was godless and an evildoer,

and every mouth spoke folly.

For all this his anger has not turned away;

his hand is stretched out still.

18 For wickedness burned like a fire,

consuming briers and thorns;

it kindled the thickets of the forest,

and they swirled upward in a column of smoke.

19 Through the wrath of the Lord of hosts

the land was burned,

and the people became like fuel for the fire;

no one spared another.

20 They gorged on the right, but still were hungry,

and they devoured on the left, but were not satisfied;

they devoured the flesh of their own kindred;e

21 Manasseh devoured Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh,

and together they were against Judah.

For all this his anger has not turned away;

his hand is stretched out still.