Woe To The Oppressors Of God's People
1 "Woe to those who are crafting iniquity, planning evil well into the night! When morning's light comes, they carry out their plans because they have the power to do so.
1 Woe to them that devise iniquity, and work evil upon their beds! when the morning is light, they practise it, because it is in the power of their hand.
1 Woe to those who (A)scheme iniquity,Who work out evil on their beds!(a)(B)When morning comes, they do it,For it is in the (C)power of their hands.
1 Woe to those who dream up wickednessand prepare evil plans(A) on their beds!At morning light(B) they accomplish itbecause the power is in their hands.(C)
1 Woe (judgment is coming) to those who devise wickednessAnd plot evil on their beds!When morning comes, they practice evilBecause it is in the power of their hands.
2 They covet fields and seize them; they covet houses, and grab them, too. They harass the valiant man, along with his household, an individual and his estate.
2 And they covet fields, and take them by violence; and houses, and take them away: so they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage.
2 They (D)covet fields and then (E)seize them,And houses, and take them away.They (b)(F)rob a man and his house,A man and his inheritance.
3 "Therefore this is what the LORD says, "I'm crafting evil against this family, from which you can't escape. You won't strut around arrogantly, because the times are evil.'
3 Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, against this family do I devise an evil, from which ye shall not remove your necks; neither shall ye go haughtily: for this time is evil.
3 Therefore thus says the Lord,“Behold, I am (G)planning against this (H)family a calamityFrom which you (I)cannot remove your necks;And you will not walk (J)haughtily,For it will be an (K)evil time.
3 Therefore, the Lord says:I am now planning(H) a disasteragainst this nation;(I)you cannot free your necks from it.(J)Then you will not walk so proudly(K)because it will be an evil time.(L)
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 haughtily and erect,For it will be an evil time [of subjugation to the invaders].
4 "When this happens, someone will compose a proverb about you, lamenting sorrowfully, "We are completely ruined! He has given my people's heritage to others. How he has removed it from me, dividing up our fields!'
4 In that day shall one take up a parable against you, and lament with a doleful lamentation, and say, We be utterly spoiled: he hath changed the portion of my people: how hath he removed it from me! turning away he hath divided our fields.
4 “On that day they will (L)take up against you a (c)tauntAnd (d)(M)utter a bitter lamentation and say,‘We are completely (N)destroyed!He exchanges the portion of my people;How He removes it from me!To the apostate He (O)apportions our fields.’
4 In that day one will take up(M) a taunt against you,and lament mournfully,(N) saying,“We are totally ruined!(O)He measures out the allotted land of my people.How He removes it from me!He allots our fields(P) to traitors.”
4 “On that day they shall take up a [taunting, deriding] parable against youAnd wail with a doleful and bitter 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 "This is why there will not be left even a single person to settle boundary disputes in the LORD's community.
5 Therefore thou shalt have none that shall cast a cord by lot in the congregation of the LORD.
5 “Therefore you will have no one (e)(P)stretching a measuring lineFor you by lot in the assembly of the Lord.
God's Word Rejected
6 To those who speak out, they will declare, "Don't prophesy to anyone!' so their shame won't go away.
6 Prophesy ye not, say they to them that prophesy: they shall not prophesy to them, that they shall not take shame.
6 ‘(Q)Do not (f)speak out,’ so they (g)speak out.But if (h)they do (R)not (i)speak out concerning these things,(S)Reproaches will not be turned back.
6 “Quit your preaching,”(R) they(b) preach.“They should not preach these things;(S)shame will not overtake us.”(c)(T)
6 ‘Do not speak out,’ so they speak out.But if they do not speak out concerning these things,Reproaches will not be turned back.
7 "It is said, house of Jacob, "The Spirit of the LORD is limited, if he acts this way, is he not?' "But my words benefit those who live righteously, do they not?
7 O thou that art named the house of Jacob, is the spirit of the LORD straitened? are these his doings? do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly?
7 “Is it being said, O house of Jacob:‘Is the Spirit of the Lord (T)impatient?Are these His doings?’Do not My words (U)do goodTo the one (V)walking uprightly?
7 House of Jacob, should it be asked,“Is the Spirit of the Lord impatient?(U)Are these the things He does?”Don’t My words bring good(V)to the one who walks uprightly?(W)
7 “Is it being said, O house of Jacob:‘Is the Spirit of the Lord impatient?Or are these [prophesied judgments] His doings?’Do not My words do goodTo the one walking uprightly?
8 Lately my people have acted like an enemy you strip travelers who thought they were as secure as those who return from war.
8 Even of late my people is risen up as an enemy: ye pull off the robe with the garment from them that pass by securely as men averse from war.
8 “(j)Recently My people have arisen as an (W)enemy—You (X)strip the (k)robe off the garmentFrom (Y)unsuspecting passers-by,From those returned from war.
8 But recently My people have risen uplike an enemy:(X)You strip off the splendid robe(Y)from those who are passing through confidently,(Z)like those returning from war.
8 “But lately My people have stood up as an enemy [and have made Me their antagonist].You strip the ornaments off the garmentOf those unsuspecting passers-by,Like those returned from war.
9 You have evicted the wives of my people from their dream homes; you have removed my majesty from their children permanently.
9 The women of my people have ye cast out from their pleasant houses; from their children have ye taken away my glory for ever.
9 “The women of My people you (Z)evict,Each one from her pleasant house.From her children you take My (AA)splendor forever.
9 You force(AA) the women of My peopleout of their comfortable homes,and you take My blessing(d)(AB)from their children forever.
9 “You evict the women (widows) of My people,Each one from her pleasant house;From her [young, fatherless] children you take away My splendor and blessing forever [by putting them among the pagans, away from Me].
10 "Get up and go, because there's no rest for you here! Since everything is polluted, it can only cause destruction, even heavy destruction.
10 Arise ye, and depart; for this is not your rest: because it is polluted, it shall destroy you, even with a sore destruction.
10 “Arise and go,For this is no place (AB)of restBecause of the (AC)uncleanness that brings on destruction,A painful destruction.
10 Get up and leave,for this is not your place of rest,(AC)because defilement(AD) brings destruction—a grievous destruction!(AE)
10 “Arise and depart [because the captivity is inevitable],For this [land] is not the place of restBecause of the defilement that brings destruction,A painful and terrible destruction.
11 Suppose a man who keeps company with a deceiving spirit prophesies like this: "Drink wine and strong drink!' Won't the people accept him as a prophet?"
11 If a man walking in the spirit and falsehood do lie, saying, I will prophesy unto thee of wine and of strong drink; he shall even be the prophet of this people.
11 “If a man walking after wind and (AD)falsehoodHad told lies and said,‘I will (l)speak out to you concerning (AE)wine and liquor,’He would be (m)spokesman to (AF)this people.
The Remnant Regathered
12 "Jacob, how I will surely gather all of you! How I will gather the survivors of Israel! I will gather them together like sheep in a pen, like the flock in the midst of the sheepfold. There will be a great commotion because of all the 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.
12 “I will surely (AG)assemble all of you, Jacob,I will surely gather the (AH)remnant of Israel.I will put them together like sheep in the fold;Like a flock in the midst of its pastureThey will be noisy with men.
12 I will indeed gather(AI) all of you, Jacob;I will collect the remnant of Israel.(AJ)I will bring them together like sheep in a pen,like a flock in the middle of its fold.It will be noisy with people.(AK)
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 people and hum loudly with noise.
13 God will stand up and break through in their presence. Then they will pass through the gate, going out by it. Their king will pass in front of them with the LORD at their head."
13 The breaker is come up before them: they have broken up, and have passed through the gate, and are gone out by it: and their king shall pass before them, and the LORD on the head of them.
13 “The breaker goes up before them;They break out, pass through the gate and go out by it.So their king goes on before them,And the Lord at their head.”
13 One who breaks open the waywill advance before them;they will break out, pass through the gate,and leave by it.Their King will pass through before them,the Lord as their leader.