Rulers Denounced
And I said,“aHear now, heads of JacobAnd rulers of the house of Israel.Is it not for you to bknow and administer justice?Is 1:10; Mic 3:9Ps 82:1-5; Jer 5:5
2 “You who hate good and love evil,Who atear the skin off my peopleAnd their flesh from their bones;Ps 53:4; Ezek 22:27; Mic 2:8; 7:2, 33 You who aeat the flesh of my people,Strip off their skin from them,Break their bonesAnd bchop them in pieces as for the pot,Like meat in a kettle.”Ps 14:4; 27:2; Zeph 3:3Ezek 11:3, 6, 74 Then they will acry to the LORD,But He will not answer them;Instead, He will even bhide His face from them at that time withholding His mercyBecause they have cpracticed and tolerated and ignored evil acts. Is 1:15Ps 18:41; Prov 1:28; Is 1:15; Jer 11:11Deut 31:17; Is 59:2Is 3:11; Mic 7:13
5 Thus says the LORD concerning the false prophets who alead my people astray;When they have something good to bite with their teeth,They bcall out, “Peace,”But against the one who gives them nothing to eat,They declare a holy war.Is 3:12; 9:15, 16; Jer 14:14, 15Jer 6:14
6 Therefore it will be anight for you—without vision,And darkness for you—without foresight.The bsun shall go down on the false prophets,And the day shall become dark and black over them.Is 8:20-22; 29:10-12Is 59:107 The seers shall be aashamedAnd the bdiviners discredited and embarrassed;Indeed, they shall all ccover their mouths in shameBecause there is dno answer from God.Zech 13:4Is 44:25; 47:12-14Mic 7:161 Sam 28:6; Mic 3:48 But in fact, aI am filled with power,With the Spirit of the LORD,And with justice and might,To bdeclare to Jacob his transgressionAnd to Israel his sin.Is 61:1, 2; Jer 1:18Is 58:19 Now hear this, you aheads of the house of JacobAnd rulers of the house of Israel,Who bhate and reject justiceAnd twist everything that is straight,Mic 1:1Ps 58:1, 2; Is 1:2310 Who abuild Zion with blood and extortion and murderAnd Jerusalem with violent injustice.Jer 22:13, 17; Hab 2:1211 Her leaders pronounce ajudgment for a bribe,Her bpriests teach for a fee,And her prophets foretell for money;Yet they lean on the LORD, saying,“cIs not the LORD among us?No tragedy or distress will come on us.” Is 1:10-15Is 1:23; Mic 7:3Jer 6:13Is 48:212 Therefore, on account of you1aZion shall be plowed like a field,bJerusalem shall become 2a heap of ruins,And the cmountain of the house of the LORD shall become like a densely wooded hill. Jer 26:17-19Zion (City of David) was the elevated area between the Tyropoeon and Kidron valleys (southeastern area of Jerusalem during the time of Jesus). The city was the capital of Israel (the united kingdom) during the reigns of David and Solomon, and the site of Solomon’s temple.In 586 B.C. Jerusalem (including Solomon’s temple) was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar ruler of Babylon (Chaldean Dynasty).Jer 26:18Ps 79:1; Jer 9:11Mic 4:1