Social Evils Denounced
2 Woe to those who devise wickedness
and evil deeds[a] on their beds!
When the morning dawns, they perform it,
because it is in their power.(A)
2 They covet fields and seize them,
houses and take them away;
they oppress householder and house,
people and their inheritance.(B)
3 Therefore thus says the Lord:
Now, I am devising against this family an evil
from which you cannot remove your necks,
and you shall not walk arrogantly,
for it will be an evil time.(C)
4 On that day they shall take up a taunt song against you
and wail with bitter lamentation
and say, “We are utterly ruined;
the Lord[b] alters the inheritance of my people;
how he removes it from me!
Among our captors[c] he parcels out our fields.”(D)
5 Therefore you will have no one in the Lord’s assembly
to allot you a piece of land.(E)
6 “Do not preach”—thus they preach—
“one should not preach of such things;
disgrace will not overtake us.”(F)
7 Should this be said, O house of Jacob?
Is the Lord’s patience exhausted?
Are these his doings?
Do not my words do good
to one who walks uprightly?
8 But you rise up against my people[d] as an enemy;
you strip the robe from the peaceful,[e]
from those who pass by trustingly
with no thought of war.
9 The women of my people you drive out
from their pleasant houses;
from their young children you take away
my glory forever.
10 Arise and go,
for this is no place to rest,
because of uncleanness that destroys
with a violent destruction.(G)
11 If someone were to go about uttering empty falsehoods,
saying, “I will preach to you of wine and strong drink,”
such a one would be the preacher for this people!(H)
A Promise for the Remnant of Israel
12 I will surely gather all of you, O Jacob;
I will gather the survivors of Israel;
I will set them together
like sheep in a fold,
like a flock in its pasture;
it will resound with people.(I)
13 The one who breaks out will go up before them;
they will break through and pass the gate,
going out by it.
Their king will pass on before them,
the Lord at their head.(J)
Footnotes
- 2.1Cn: Heb work evil
- 2.4Heb he
- 2.4Cn: Heb the rebellious
- 2.8Cn: Heb But yesterday my people rose
- 2.8Cn: Heb from before a garment
Cross references
- 2.1 : Prov 3.27; Isa 32.7; Hos 7.6, 7; Nah 1.11
- 2.2 : 1 Kings 21.1–15; Isa 5.8; Am 8.4
- 2.3 : Deut 28.48; Isa 2.11, 12; Jer 18.11; Am 3.1, 2; 5.13
- 2.4 : Isa 24.3; Jer 4.13; 6.12; 8.10; Mic 1.8; Hab 2.6
- 2.5 : Josh 18.4, 10
- 2.6 : Isa 30.10; Am 2.12; 7.16; Mic 3.6; 6.16
- 2.10 : Lev 18.25, 28, 29; Deut 12.9; Ps 106.38
- 2.11 : Isa 28.7; 30.10, 11; Jer 5.13, 31
- 2.12 : Jer 23.3; Mic 4.6, 7; 5.7, 8; 7.18
- 2.13 : Isa 52.12; Hos 3.5