1 Woe to those who devise iniquity
and work evil on their beds!
When the morning is light, they practice it,
because it is in the power of their hand.
2 They covet fields and seize them,
and houses, then take them away.
They oppress a man and his house,
even a man and his heritage.
3 Therefore Yahweh says:
"Behold, I am planning against these people a disaster,
from which you will not remove your necks,
neither will you walk haughtily,
for it is an evil time.
4 In that day they will take up a parable against you,
and lament with a doleful lamentation, saying,
‘We are utterly ruined!
My people’s possession is divided up.
Indeed he takes it from me and assigns our fields to traitors!’"
5 Therefore you will have no one who divides the land by lot in Yahweh’s assembly.
6 "Don’t prophesy!"—they prophesy—
"Don’t prophesy about these things.
Disgrace won’t overtake us."
7 Shall it be said, O house of Jacob,
"Is Yahweh’s Spirit angry?
Are these his doings?
Don’t my words do good to him who walks blamelessly?"
8 But lately my people have risen up as an enemy.
You strip the robe and clothing from those who pass by without a care, returning from battle.
9 You drive the women of my people out from their pleasant houses;
from their young children you take away my blessing forever.
10 Arise, and depart!
For this is not your resting place,
because of uncleanness that destroys,
even with a grievous destruction.
11 If a man walking in a spirit of falsehood lies, saying,
"I will prophesy to you of wine and of strong drink,"
he would be the prophet of this people.
12 I will surely assemble all of you, Jacob.
I will surely gather the remnant of Israel.
I will put them together as the sheep of Bozrah,
as a flock in the middle of their pasture.
They will swarm with people.
13 He who breaks open the way goes up before them.
They break through the gate, and go out.
Their king passes on before them,
with Yahweh at their head.
1 Woe unto those that devise iniquity and fabricate evil upon their beds! when the morning is light, they put it into effect because they have power in their hands.
2 And they coveted fields and stole them, and houses and took [them] away; so they oppressed the man and his house, even the man and his heritage.
3 Therefore thus hath the LORD said; Behold, I devise an evil against this family, from which ye shall not remove your necks; neither shall ye walk haughtily; for the time shall be evil.
4 In that time shall [one] take up a saying against you and lament with a doleful lamentation [and] say, We have been utterly destroyed; he has changed the portion of my people; how has he taken our fields! He has given and [divided our fields unto others].
5 Therefore thou shalt have no one to cast a cord by lot in the congregation of the LORD.
6 Do not prophesy, [they say to] those that prophesy: Do not prophesy unto them [that] they are to understand shame.
7 O [thou that] calls thyself the house of Jacob, is the spirit of the LORD shortened? [are] these his doings? do not my words do good to him that walks uprightly?
8 He who yesterday [was] my people is risen up as an enemy; ye pull off the robe with the garment from those that pass by as those who return from war.
9 Ye have cast the women of my people out from their pleasant houses; from their children ye have taken away my continual praise.
10 Arise and depart, for this [is] not [your] rest because it is polluted; it has become corrupted and with a great corruption.
11 If there is one walking in the spirit of falsehood, he shall lie, [saying], I will prophesy unto thee of wine and of strong drink; he shall even be the prophet of this people.
12 I will surely assemble, O Jacob, all of thee; I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together as the sheep of Bozrah as [the] flock in the midst of their fold; they shall make great noise by reason of [the multitude of] men.
13 [The] breaker shall go up before them; they shall break through and pass through the gate and go out by it; and their king shall pass before them, the LORD at the head of them.: