2 Woe to those who plan to do wicked things—

to those who do evil on their beds.

They do it in the morning light

because they make use of their power.

2 They see fields that they’d like and seize them,

≈ and houses and they just take them.

They’ll oppress a man and his household—

≈ even taking property handed down in the family.

3 Therefore Yahweh says,

“Listen, I’m planning to bring disaster against this clan,

which you won’t be able to avoid.

You won’t walk so proudly,

because it’ll be a terrible time for you all.

4 In that day someone will sing a song against you all.

≈ and mourn with a song of wailing,

and say, ‘We’re completely ruined.

Yahweh changes my people’s territory.

How can he remove the land from me?

He divides our fields up to give to traitors.’ ”

5 Therefore, there’ll be no one in Yahweh’s assembly

who’ll have authority to measure you out any more land.

6 “Don’t tell us that,”

≈ they tell us!

“They shouldn’t preach those things—

that sort of disgrace will never happen to us.”

7 Do Yakob’s descendants really ask,

“Is the Yahweh’s spirit impatient?

≈ Are these his actions?”

Don’t my words do good to anyone who obeys them?

8 Lately my people have risen up against me like an enemy.

You strip the rich robe off those who are innocently going past,

like a soldier on the battlefield might have done to his enemy.

9 You’ve driven our widows out of their pleasant houses.

≈ You’ve forever deprived their young children of what I’d blessed them with.

10 Get ready and leave because this isn’t a place for resting.

≈ It’s about to be completely destroyed because of its disobedience.

11 If someone comes to you full of talk and lies and says,

“I’ll prophesy to you about enjoying wine and strong drink,”

he’d be considered to be a prophet for this people.

12 I will certainly gather all of you, Yakob.

≈ I’ll definitely assemble the remnant of Yisrael.

I’ll bring them together like sheep in a pen—

≈ like a flock in the middle of their pasture.

Noisy because there’ll be so many people.

13 Someone will go in front of them to break open the way.

≈ They’ll force open the gate and go out.

Their king will pass on ahead of them.

≈ Yahweh will be at their head.

6 They’ll shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword—

≈ that country founded by Nimrod in its entrances.

He’ll rescue us from the Assyrians,

when they come into our land,

≈ when they march inside our borders.[ref]

7 The remnant of Yakob will end up among many peoples,

like dew from Yahweh,

≈ like showers on the grass,

that don’t need help from any person,

≈ and they don’t rely on human intervention.

8 The remnant of Yakob will be among the nations,

≈ among many peoples,

like a lion among the animals of the forest,

≈ like a young lion among the flocks of sheep.

As he passes through them,

he’ll trample over them and tear them to pieces,

and there’ll be no one to save them.

9 You’ll use your power against your enemies,

and they’ll be destroyed.

10 Yahweh declares: “At that time,

I’ll wipe out your horses

≈ and demolish your chariots.

11 I’ll destroy the cities in your country

≈ and tear down all your fortresses.

12 I’ll destroy the witchcraft that you practise,

≈ and you’ll no longer have any diviners.

13 I’ll destroy your carved statues,

≈ and the engraved stone pillars from among you.

You’ll no longer worship the workmanship of your hands.

14 I’ll topple your Asherah poles where you worship,

≈ and I’ll destroy your cities.

15 In my anger, I’ll execute vengeance

on the nations that haven’t obeyed.

6 What should I bring to Yahweh,

≈ as I bow down to the high God?

Should I come to him with burnt offerings,

≈ with year-old calves?

7 Will Yahweh be pleased with thousands of rams,

≈ or with ten thousand rivers of oil?

Should I sacrifice my oldest child to pay for my disobedience—

≈ my biological offspring to pay for my own sin?

8 He has told humanity what is good,

≈ and what Yahweh requires from you:

Act justly,

love kindness,

and walk humbly with your god.

9 Yahweh is making a proclamation to the city—

even now wisdom is calling out to you:

“Pay attention to the rod of punishment,

and to the one who has put it in place.

10 There’s dishonest wealth in wicked people’s houses,

along with hated false weights and measures.

11 Should I consider people to be innocent if they use fraudulent scales

or a bag of deceptive weights?

12 The city’s rich men are full of violence,

the inhabitants have spoken lies,

and you can’t believe a word that they say.

13 Therefore I’ll strike you with a terrible blow,

and I’ll make you into a desolate country because of your sins.

14 You’ll eat but not be satisfied—your emptiness will remain inside you.

≈ You’ll store goods away but not be able to save them, and what you do save I will be taken by force.

15 You’ll sow, but not harvest.

≈ You’ll tread the olives, but not anoint yourselves with their oil.

≈ You’ll press grapes, but not drink the wine.

16 As a city, you’ve kept the regulations made by King Omri,

≈ and behaved similarly to Ahab’s evil descendants.

You walk by their advice, so I’ll make you into a ruin.

People will hiss at your inhabitants,

and my people will mock you.”[ref]

7 I’m miserable because I’ve become like the gathering of left-over fruit,

and like the grapes that have already been gleaned.

There’s no grape clusters to eat,

and none of the ripe early figs that I really felt like.

2 The faithful people have disappeared from the land.

There is no godly person among all mankind.

They all lie in wait to shed blood—

each one hunts his own fellow countryman with a net.

3 They’re very good at doing harm:

the leader asks for money,

≈ the judge is ready for bribes,

and the powerful man is telling others what he wants to obtain,

and so they scheme together.

4 The best of them is like a thorn-bush.

≈ The most upright is worse than a prickly hedge.

It’s the day foretold by your watchmen—

the day of your punishment.

Now is the time of their confusion.

5 Don’t trust any neighbour.

≈ Put no confidence in any friend.

Be careful about what you say

even to the woman who lies in your arms,

6 because sons dishonour their fathers,

≈ daughters rise up against their mothers,

≈ and daughters-in-law against their mothers-in-law.

A person’s enemies are the people in their own household.[ref]

7 But as for me, I’ll look out for Yahweh.

≈ I’ll wait for the god who saves me.

My god will hear me.

8 Don’t be happy about what happened to me, my enemy.

After I fall, I’ll get up and stand again.

When I sit in darkness, Yahweh will be a light for me.

9 Because I sinned against Yahweh, I’ll endure his rage

until he pleads my cause on my behalf, and executes judgement for me.

≈ He’ll bring me to the light, and I’ll see him rescue me in his justice.

10 Then my enemy will see it,

and shame will cover the one who said to me,

“Where is Yahweh your god?”

My eyes will look at her;

she’ll be trampled down like the mud in the streets.

11 The time will come for rebuilding your walls.

On that day your boundaries will be greatly expanded.

12 On that day your people will come to you,

from Assyria and the cities in Egypt (Heb. Mitsrayim),

≈ from Egypt to the Euphrates River,

from sea to sea,

≈ and from mountain to mountain.

13 But the land will be desolate

because of the people who are living there,

because of the fruit of their actions.