Woe to the Oppressors

1Woe to those who devise wickedness

and work evil on their beds!

When the morning dawns, they perform it,

because it is in the power of their hand.

2They covet fields and seize them,

and houses, and take them away;

they oppress a man and his house,

a man and his inheritance.

3Therefore thus says the LORD:

behold, against this family I am devising disaster,2:3 The same Hebrew word can mean evil or disaster, depending on the context

from which you cannot remove your necks,

and you shall not walk haughtily,

for it will be a time of disaster.

4In that day they shall take up a taunt song against you

and moan bitterly,

and say, “We are utterly ruined;

he changes the portion of my people;

how he removes it from me!

To an apostate he allots our fields.”

5Therefore you will have none to cast the line by lot

in the assembly of the LORD.

6“Do not preach”—thus they preach—

“one should not preach of such things;

disgrace will not overtake us.”

7Should this be said, O house of Jacob?

Has the LORD grown impatient?2:7 Hebrew Has the spirit of the LORD grown short?

Are these his deeds?

Do not my words do good

to him who walks uprightly?

8But lately my people have risen up as an enemy;

you strip the rich robe from those who pass by trustingly

with no thought of war.2:8 Or returning from war

9The women of my people you drive out

from their delightful houses;

from their young children you take away

my splendour for ever.

10Arise and go,

for this is no place to rest,

because of uncleanness that destroys

with a grievous destruction.

11If a man should go about and utter wind and lies,

saying, “I will preach to you of wine and strong drink”,

he would be the preacher for this people!

12I will surely assemble all of you, O Jacob;

I will gather the remnant of Israel;

I will set them together

like sheep in a fold,

like a flock in its pasture,

a noisy multitude of men.

13He who opens the breach goes up before them;

they break through and pass the gate,

going out by it.

Their king passes on before them,

the LORD at their head.