Rulers Denounced
1 And I said,
“Hear now, heads of Jacob
And rulers of the house of Israel.
Is it not for you to know justice?
2 “You who hate good and love evil,
Who tear off their skin from them
And their flesh from their bones,
3 Who eat the flesh of my people,
Strip off their skin from them,
Break their bones
And chopthemup as for the pot
And as meat in a kettle.”
4 Then they will cry out to the Lord,
But He will not answer them.
Instead, He will hide His face from them at that time
Because they have practiced evil deeds.
5 Thus says the Lordconcerning the prophets who lead my people astray; When they havesomethingto bite with their teeth, They cry, “Peace,” But against him who puts nothing in their mouths They declare holy war.
6 Thereforeit will benight for you-without vision,
And darkness for you-without divination.
The sun will go down on the prophets,
And the day will become dark over them.
7 The seers will be ashamed
And the diviners will be embarrassed.
Indeed, they will all covertheirmouths
Because there is no answer from God.
8 On the other hand I am filled with power-
With the Spirit of the Lord-
And with justice and courage
To make known to Jacob his rebellious act,
Even to Israel his sin.
9 Now hear this, heads of the house of Jacob
And rulers of the house of Israel,
Who abhor justice
And twist everything that is straight,
10 Who build Zion with bloodshed
And Jerusalem with violent injustice.
11 Her leaders pronounce judgment for a bribe,
Her priests instruct for a price
And her prophets divine for money.
Yet they lean on the Lordsaying,
“Is not the Lordin our midst?
Calamity will not come upon us.”
12 Therefore, on account of you
Zion will be plowed as a field,
Jerusalem will become a heap of ruins,
And the mountain of the templewill becomehigh places of a forest.
—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/MIC/3-a5a23a173c3efefab246720273b51dc9.mp3?version_id=100—