[1] Woe to those who devise wickedness and work evil upon their beds! When
the morning dawns, they perform it, because it is in the power of their
hand. [2] They covet fields, and seize them; and houses, and take them
away; they oppress a man and his house, a man and his inheritance. [3]
Therefore thus says the LORD: Behold, against this family I am devising
evil, from which you cannot remove your necks; and you shall not walk
haughtily, for it will be an evil time. [4] In that day they shall take up
a taunt song against you, and wail with bitter lamentation, and say, "We
are utterly ruined; he changes the portion of my people; how he removes it
from me! Among our captors he divides our fields." [5] Therefore you will
have none to cast the line by lot in the assembly of the LORD. [6] "Do not
preach"--thus they preach--"one should not preach of such things; disgrace
will not overtake us." [7] Should this be said, O house of Jacob? Is the
Spirit of the LORD impatient? Are these his doings? Do not my words do good
to him who walks uprightly? [8] But you rise against my people as an enemy;
you strip the robe from the peaceful, 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 for ever.
[10] Arise and go, for this is no place to rest; because of uncleanness
that destroys with a grievous destruction. [11] If a man should go about
and utter wind and lies, saying, "I will preach to you of wine and strong
drink," he would be the preacher for this people! [12] I will surely gather
all of you, O Jacob, I will gather the remnant of Israel; I will set them
together like sheep in a fold, like a flock in its pasture, a noisy
multitude of men. [13] He who opens the breach 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.
