Woe to the Oppressors of God’s People
- and evil deeds upon their beds!
- In the light of the morning they did it,
- because they have power in their hands.
- 2 They covet fields and seize them, and houses, and they take them away.
- They oppress a man and his house;
- a man and his inheritance.
3 Therefore, thus says Yahweh: Look! I am planning disaster against this family from which you will not be able to remove your necks. You will not walk proudly, for it is a time of disaster.
- 4 In that day they will raise a proverb against you, and will wail a bitter wailing, saying,
- “We are utterly ruined;
- he exchanges the portion of my people.
- How he removes it from me;
- he apportions our field to an apostate.”
- 5 Therefore you will have no one casting a line by lot in the assembly of Yahweh.
- 6 “Do not preach!” they are preaching. They should not preach to these;
- disgrace will not overtake us.
- 7 Should this be said, O house of Jacob? Is the patience[fn] of Yahweh shortened?
- Are these his deeds?
- Are my words not pleasing
- to him who walks upright?
- 8 But recently[fn] my people have risen up as an enemy; from before the cloak you strip off the robe
- from those passing by in confidence,
- returning from war.
- 9 You have driven out the women of my people from the houses of their[fn] pleasure.
- From their[fn] children you have taken away
- my glory forever.
- 10 Arise and go, for this is no resting place,
- on account of uncleanness that destroys
- with painful destruction.
- 11 If a man walks about in a spirit of deception and lies, saying “I will preach to you of wine and strong drink,”
- then he would be a preacher for this people!
- 12 I will surely gather all of you, O Jacob; I will surely gather together the remainder of Israel.
- I will set them like sheep of Bozrah.
- Like a herd in the midst of their pasture
- they will be in tumult from people.
- 13 The one who breaks out before them goes up; they break through and pass the gate,
- going out through it.
- Their king passes before them,