Online Bible

Woe to Oppressors

Woe (judgment is coming) to those who ^adevise wickednessAnd plot evil on their beds!^bWhen morning comes, they practice evilBecause it is in the ^cpower of their hands.2 They ^acovet fields and ^bseize them,And houses, and take them away.They ^coppress and rob a man and his house,A man and his inheritance. Is 5:8; Ex 20:17; Lev 25:23ff.

3 Therefore, thus says the LORD,“Behold, I am ^aplanning against this ^bfamily a disaster (exile)Like a noose from which you ^ccannot remove your necks;Nor will you be able to walk ^dhaughtily and erect,For it will be an ^eevil time of subjugation to the invaders.

4 “On that day they shall ^atake up a taunting, deriding parable against youAnd ^bwail with a doleful and bitter song of mourning and say,‘We are completely ^cdestroyed!God exchanges the inheritance of my people;How He removes it from me!He ^ddivides our fields to the rebellious our captors.’5 “Therefore, you will have no one ^astretching a measuring line dividing the common landFor you by lot in the assembly of the LORD. Rev 21:27

6 ‘^aDo not speak out,’ so they speak out.But if they do ^bnot speak out concerning these things,^cReproaches will not be turned back.7 “Is it being said, O house of Jacob:‘Is the Spirit of the LORD ^aimpatient?Or are these prophesied judgments His doings?’Do not My words ^bdo goodTo the one ^cwalking uprightly?8 “But lately My people have stood up as an ^aenemy and have made Me their antagonist.You ^bstrip the ornaments off the garmentOf those ^cunsuspecting passers-by,Like those returned from war.9 “You ^aevict the women (widows) of My people,Each one from her pleasant house;From her young, fatherless children you take away My ^bsplendor and blessing 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 ^aof restBecause of the ^bdefilement that brings destruction,A painful and terrible destruction.11 “If a man walking in a ^afalse spirit spouting deceptionShould lie and say,‘I will prophesy to you O Israel of ^bwine and liquor (greed, sensual pleasure) ,’He would be the acceptable spokesman of ^cthis people. Jer 5:31

12 “I shall most certainly ^aassemble all of you, O Jacob;I shall surely gather the ^bremnant 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 “The ¹breaker 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 LORD at their head.” Ex 23:20, 21; 33:14; Is 63:8, 9; Hos 3:5; Amos 9:11

An Evil Time

Woe to those who ^adevise wickedness,Who work out evil on their beds!^bWhen the light of the morning comes, they do it,For it is in the ^cpower of their hands.2 And they ^acovet fields and then ^btear them away,And houses, and take them away.And they ^coppress a man and his house,A man and his inheritance.

3 Therefore thus says Yahweh,“Behold, I am ^adevising against this ^bfamily an evil demiseFrom which you ^ccannot remove your necks;And you will not walk ^dhaughtily,For it will be an ^eevil time.

4 “On that day they will ^atake up against you a ¹tauntAnd ²^butter a bitter wailing and say,‘We are completely ^cdevastated!He exchanges the portion of my people;How He removes it from me!To the faithless one, He ^dapportions our fields.’5 “Therefore you will have no one ¹^astretching a measuring lineFor you by lot in the assembly of Yahweh.

6 ‘^aDo not speak, dripping out words,’ they say while dripping out words.But if ¹they do ^bnot drip out words concerning these things,^cDishonor will not be turned back.7 “Is it being said, O house of Jacob:‘Is the Spirit of Yahweh ^aimpatient?Are these His deeds?’Do not My words ^bdo goodTo the one ^cwalking uprightly?8 “¹And recently My people have arisen as an ^aenemy—You ^bstrip the ²robe off the garmentFrom ^cunsuspecting passers-by,From those returned from war.9 “The women of My people you ^adrive out,Each one from her pleasant house.From her infants you take My ^bsplendor forever.10 “Arise and go,For this is no place ^aof restBecause of the ^buncleanness that wreaks destruction,A painful destruction.11 “If a man walking after wind and ^alyingHad acted falsely and said,‘I will speak, dripping out words to you concerning ^bwine and liquor,’He would be one who drips out words as a spokesman to ^cthis people.

12 “I will surely ^aassemble all of you, Jacob;I will surely gather the ^bremnant 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.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 Yahweh at their head.”