Israel’s Leaders Denounced

• “Listen, O heads of Jacob
  • and leaders of the house of Israel!
  • Is it not for you to know justice?
  • 2 Those of you who are haters of good and lovers of evil,
• who tear their skin from them
  • and their flesh from their bones,
  • 3 and who eat the flesh of my people, and strip their skin from them,
• and break their bones,
  • and chop them like meat in the pot,
  • and like flesh in the midst of a cooking pot.”
  • 4 Then they will cry to Yahweh, but he will not answer them.
• He will hide his face from them at that time,
  • when they have made their deeds evil.
  • 5 Thus says Yahweh concerning the prophets who are leading my people astray,
• who are biting with their teeth
  • and proclaim, “Peace,”
• but whoever puts nothing into their mouths
  • they declare war against.
  • 6 Therefore it will be as night to you, without vision, and darkness to you, without divination.
• And the sun will set on the prophets,
  • and the day will grow dark over them.
  • 7 Then the seers will be disgraced, and those practicing divination will be put to shame.
• All of them will cover their lips,
  • for there is no reply from God.
  • 8 But I, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of Yahweh,
• and with justice and might,
  • to declare to Jacob his rebellion,
  • and to Israel his sin.
  • 9 Hear this, O rulers of the house of Jacob and leaders of the house of Israel,
• those detesting justice
  • and perverting all that is right,
  • 10 he who builds Zion with blood and Jerusalem with wickedness.
  • 11 Its rulers judge for a bribe; its priests teach for a price;
  • its prophets practice divination for money.
• But they lean on Yahweh, saying,
  • “ Is not Yahweh in our midst?
  • Disaster will not come upon us.”
  • 12 Therefore on account of you Zion will be plowed as a field,
• and Jerusalem will be a heap of rubble,
  • and the temple mount[fn] as a high place in a forest.