God’s Judgment Intensifies

8 The sovereign master decreed judgment on Jacob,

and it fell on Israel.

9 All the people were aware of it,

the people of Ephraim and those living in Samaria.

Yet with pride and an arrogant attitude, they said,

10 “The bricks have fallen,

but we will rebuild with chiseled stone;

the sycamore fig trees have been cut down,

but we will replace them with cedars.”

11 Then the Lord provoked their adversaries to attack them,

he stirred up their enemies –

12 Syria from the east,

and the Philistines from the west,

they gobbled up Israelite territory.

Despite all this, his anger does not subside,

and his hand is ready to strike again.

13 The people did not return to the one who struck them,

they did not seek reconciliation with the Lord who commands armies.

14 So the Lord cut off Israel’s head and tail,

both the shoots and stalk in one day.

15 The leaders and the highly respected people are the head,

the prophets who teach lies are the tail.

16 The leaders of this nation were misleading people,

and the people being led were destroyed.

17 So the sovereign master was not pleased with their young men,

he took no pity on their orphans and widows;

for the whole nation was godless and did wicked things,

every mouth was speaking disgraceful words.

Despite all this, his anger does not subside,

and his hand is ready to strike again.

18 For evil burned like a fire,

it consumed thorns and briers;

it burned up the thickets of the forest,

and they went up in smoke.

19 Because of the anger of the Lord who commands armies, the land was scorched,

and the people became fuel for the fire.

People had no compassion on one another.

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

they ate on the left, but were not satisfied.

People even ate the flesh of their own arm!

21 Manasseh fought against Ephraim,

and Ephraim against Manasseh;

together they fought against Judah.

Despite all this, his anger does not subside,

and his hand is ready to strike again.

10 Those who enact unjust policies are as good as dead,

those who are always instituting unfair regulations,

2 to keep the poor from getting fair treatment,

and to deprive the oppressed among my people of justice,

so they can steal what widows own,

and loot what belongs to orphans.

3 What will you do on judgment day,

when destruction arrives from a distant place?

To whom will you run for help?

Where will you leave your wealth?

4 You will have no place to go, except to kneel with the prisoners,

or to fall among those who have been killed.

Despite all this, his anger does not subside,

and his hand is ready to strike again.