Sinful Leaders and Rulers
3 And I said, “Hear now, leaders of Jacob and rulers of the people of Israel! Should you not know what is fair? 2 Yet you hate good and love sin. You tear off the skin from my people and the flesh from their bones. 3 You eat my people’s flesh, pull their skin off, break their bones, and cut them up like meat for the pot.” 4 Then they will cry to the Lord, but He will not answer them. He will hide His face from them at that time, because they have done sinful things.
5 This is what the Lord says about the men who speak in God’s name and lead my people the wrong way. When they have something to eat, they speak of peace. But they make holy war against him who does not feed them. 6 So night will come to you without a special dream. Darkness will come to you without any word about the future. The sun will go down on those who speak about special dreams, and the day will become dark over them. 7 Those who tell what is going to happen in the future will be ashamed. Those who learn about the future using their secret ways will be ashamed. They will all cover their mouths because there is no answer from God. 8 But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the Lord, with what is fair, and with strength. I am able to make known to Jacob his wrong-doing, and to Israel his sin. 9 Now listen to this, you leaders of Jacob and rulers of the people of Israel. You hate what is fair, and turn everything around that is right. 10 You built Zion with blood and Jerusalem with much wrong-doing. 11 Her leaders take pay in secret for doing wrong. Her religious leaders teach for a price. Her men who tell what is going to happen in the future do it for money. Yet they rest upon the Lord and say, “Is not the Lord among us? No trouble will come to us.” 12 So because of you Zion will be plowed as a field. Jerusalem will be laid waste. And the mountain of the Lord’s house will be covered with trees.