Woe to Oppressors
1 Woe (judgment is coming) to those who devise wickedness
And plot evil on their beds!
When morning comes, they practice evil
Because it is in the power of their hands.
2 They covet fields and seize them,
And houses, and take them away.
They oppressandrob a man and his house,
A man and his inheritance.
3 Therefore, thus says the Lord,
“Behold, I am planning against this family a disaster (exile)
[Like a noose] from which you cannot remove your necks;
Nor will you be able to walk haughtilyanderect,
For it will be an evil time [of subjugation to the invaders].
4 “On that day they shall take up a [taunting, deriding] parable against you
And wail with a dolefulandbitter song of mourning and say,
‘We are completely destroyed!
God exchanges the inheritance of my people;
How He removes it from me!
He divides our fields to the rebellious [our captors].’
5 “Therefore, you will have no one stretching a measuring line [dividing the common land]
For you by lot in the assembly of the Lord.
6 ‘Do not speak out,’ so they speak out.
But ifthey do not speak out concerning these things,
Reproaches will not be turned back.
7 “Is it being said, O house of Jacob:
‘Is the Spirit of the Lordimpatient?
Or are these [prophesied judgments] His doings?’
Do not My words do good
To the one walking uprightly?
8 “But lately My people have stood up as an enemy [and have made Me their antagonist].
You strip the ornaments off the garment
Of those unsuspecting passers-by,
Like those returned from war.
9 “You evict the women (widows) of My people,
Each one from her pleasant house;
From her [young, fatherless] children you take away My splendorandblessing forever [by putting them among the pagans, away from Me].
10 “Arise and depart [because the captivity is inevitable],
For this [land] is not the place of rest
Because of the defilement that brings destruction,
A painfulandterrible destruction.
11 “If a man walking in a false spirit [spouting deception]
Should lie and say,
‘I will prophesy to you [O Israel] of wine and liquor (greed, sensual pleasure),’
He would be the acceptable spokesman of this people.
12 “I shall most certainly assemble all of you, O Jacob;
I shall surely gather the remnant of Israel.
I shall bring them together like sheep in the fold [multiplying the nation];
Like a flock in the midst of its pasture.
The place will swarm with many peopleandhum loudly with noise.
13 “Thebreaker [the Messiah, who opens the way] shall go up before them [liberating them].
They will break out, pass through the gate and go out;
So their King goes on before them,
The Lordat their head.”