1And I said, Hear, I pray you, O heads of Jacob, and ye princes of the house of Israel; Is it not for you to know judgment?2Who hate the good, and love the evil; who pluck off their skin from off them, and their flesh from off their bones;3Who also eat the flesh of my people, and flay their skin from off them; and they break their bones, and chop them in pieces, as for the pot, and as flesh within the caldron.4Then shall they cry unto the LORD, but he will not hear them: he will even hide his face from them at that time, as they have behaved themselves ill in their doings.5Thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that make my people err, that bite with their teeth, and cry, Peace; and he that putteth not into their mouths, they even prepare war against him.6Therefore night shall be unto you, that ye shall not have a vision; and it shall be dark unto you, that ye shall not divine; and the sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall be dark over them.7Then shall the seers be ashamed, and the diviners confounded: yea, they shall all cover their lips; for there is no answer of God.8But truly I am full of power by the spirit of the LORD, and of judgment, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin.9Hear this, I pray you, ye heads of the house of Jacob, and princes of the house of Israel, that abhor judgment, and pervert all equity.10They build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity.11The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the LORD, and say, Is not the LORD among us? none evil can come upon us.12Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest.
1And I said: Hear, you heads of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel! Is it not for you to know justice?— (Jer 5:5; Eze 22:6; Eze 22:27; Mic 1:2)2you who hate the good and love the evil, who tear the skin from off my people[1] and their flesh from off their bones, (Eze 34:3; Mic 3:9)3who eat the flesh of my people, and flay their skin from off them, and break their bones in pieces and chop them up like meat in a pot, like flesh in a cauldron. (Ps 14:4; Isa 3:15)4Then 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 made their deeds evil. (De 31:17; Pr 1:28; Isa 1:15)5Thus says the Lord concerning the prophets who lead my people astray, who cry “Peace” when they have something to eat, but declare war against him who puts nothing into their mouths. (Jer 6:14; Jer 23:13; Jer 23:32; Eze 13:10)6Therefore it shall be night to you, without vision, and darkness to you, without divination. The sun shall go down on the prophets, and the day shall be black over them; (Eze 12:24; Eze 13:23; Am 8:9)7the seers shall be disgraced, and the diviners put to shame; they shall all cover their lips, for there is no answer from God. (Le 13:45; Jer 37:19; Am 8:11; Zec 13:4)8But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the Lord, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin. (Isa 58:1; Jer 6:11; Eze 23:36; Mic 1:5)9Hear this, you heads of the house of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel, who detest justice and make crooked all that is straight, (Mic 1:2; Mic 3:2)10who build Zion with blood and Jerusalem with iniquity. (Jer 22:13; Eze 22:27; Hab 2:12)11Its heads give judgment for a bribe; its priests teach for a price; its prophets practice divination for money; yet they lean on the Lord and say, “Is not the Lord in the midst of us? No disaster shall come upon us.” (Isa 1:23; Isa 48:2; Jer 6:13; Jer 7:4; Jer 23:17; Eze 22:25; Am 5:14; Am 9:10; Mic 3:5; Mic 7:3)12Therefore because of you Zion shall be plowed as a field; Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins, and the mountain of the house a wooded height. (Jer 26:18; Mic 1:6; Mic 4:2; Lu 13:35)