Woe to the Oppressors

1 1Woe to those who devise wickedness and work evil 2on their beds! When the morning dawns, they perform it, because it is in the power of their hand.
2 They covet fields and 3seize 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 4this family I am devising disaster,a from which you cannot remove your necks, and you 5shall not walk haughtily, 6for it will be a time of disaster.
4 In that day 7they shall take up a taunt song against you and moan bitterly, and say, "We are utterly ruined; 8he changes the portion of my people; 9how he removes it from me! 10To an apostate he allots our fields."
5 Therefore you will have none 11to cast the line by lot in the assembly of the LORD.
6 12"Do not preach"--thus they preach-- 13"one should not preach of such things; 14disgrace will not overtake us."
7 Should this be said, O house of Jacob? 15Has the LORD grown impatient?b Are these his deeds? Do not my words do good to him who walks uprightly?
8 But lately 16my people have risen up as an enemy; you strip the rich robe from those who pass by trustingly with no thought of war.c
9 The women of my people you drive out from their delightful houses; from their young children you take away my splendor forever.
10 17Arise and go, for this is no 18place to rest, because of 19uncleanness that destroys with a grievous destruction.
11 If a man should go about and 20utter wind and lies, saying, "I will preach to you 21of wine and strong drink," he would be the preacher for this people!
12 I will surely assemble all of you, O Jacob; 22I will gather 23the remnant of Israel; I will set them together like sheep in a fold, 24like a flock in its pasture, a noisy multitude of men.
13 25He who opens the breach goes up before them; they break through and pass the gate, 26going out by it. Their king passes on before them, 27the LORD at their head.