Punishment for Those Who Abuse Their Power
1 Doomed! You're doomed!
At night you lie in bed,
making evil plans.
And when morning comes,
you do what you've planned
because you have the power.
2 You grab any field or house
that you want;
you cheat families
out of homes and land.
3 But here is what the Lord says:
“I am planning trouble for you.
Your necks will be caught
in a noose,
and you will be disgraced
in this time of disaster.”
4 When that happens,
this sorrowful song
will be sung about you:
“Ruined! Completely ruined!
The Lord has taken our land
and given it to traitors.”
5 And so you will never again
own property
among the Lord's people.
6 “Enough of your preaching!”
That's what you tell me.
“We won't be disgraced,
so stop preaching!”
7 Descendants of Jacob,
is it right for you to claim
that the Lord did what he did
because he was angry?
Doesn't he always bless
those who do right?
8 My people, you have turned against
one another!
You have even stolen
clothes right off the backs
of innocent neighbors
who pass by in peace.
9 You take over lovely homes
that belong to the women
of my nation.
Then you cheat their children
out of the inheritance
that comes from the Lord.
10 Get out of here, you crooks!
You'll find no rest here.
You're not fit to belong
to the Lord's people,
and you will be destroyed.
11 The only prophet you want
is a liar who will say,
“Drink and get drunk!”
A Promise of Hope
12 I, the Lord, promise
to bring together
the people of Israel
who have survived.
I will gather them,
just as a shepherd
brings sheep together,
and there will be many.
13 I will break down the gate
and lead them out—
then I will be their king.
1 Woe vnto them, that imagine iniquitie, and worke wickednesse vpon their beddes: when the morning is light they practise it because their hande hath power. 2 And they couet fields, and take them by violence, and houses, and take them away: so they oppresse a man and his house, euen man and his heritage. 3 Therefore thus saieth the Lord, Beholde, against this familie haue I deuised a plague, whereout yee shall not plucke your neckes, and ye shall not go so proudly, for this time is euill. 4 In that daye shall they take vp a parable against you, and lament with a dolefull lamentation, and say, We be vtterly wasted: hee hath changed the portion of my people: how hath he taken it away to restore it vnto mee? he hath deuided our fieldes. 5 Therefore thou shalt haue none that shall cast a corde by lot in the Congregation of the Lord. 6 They that prophecied, Prophecie ye not. They shall not prophecie to them, neither shall they take shame. 7 O thou that art named of the house of Iaakob, is the Spirite of the Lord shortened? are these his workes? are not my wordes good vnto him that walketh vprightly? 8 But hee that was yesterday my people, is risen vp on the other side, as against an enemie: they spoyle the beautifull garment from them that passe by peaceably, as though they returned from the warre. 9 The women of my people haue ye cast out from their pleasant houses, and from their childre haue ye taken away my glorie continually. 10 Arise and depart, for this is not your rest: because it is polluted, it shall destroy you, euen with a sore destruction. 11 If a man walke in the Spirit, and would lie falsely, saying, I wil prophecie vnto thee of wine, and of strong drinke, he shall euen be the prophet of this people. 12 I will surely gather thee wholy, O Iaakob: I will surely gather the remnant of Israel: I will put them together as the sheepe of Bozrah, euen as the flocke in the mids of their folde: the cities shall be full of brute of the men. 13 The breaker vp shall come vp before them: they shall breake out, and passe by the gate, and goe out by it, and their King shall goe before them, and the Lord shalbe vpon their heades.