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 —
that sort of disgrace will never happen to us.”
7 Do Ya’akov’s (Jacob’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, Ya’akov (Jacob).
≈ I’ll definitely assemble the remnant of Yisrael (Israel).
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.
