Study Desk

Woe to you^(a) who are complacent^(b) in Zion, and to you who feel secure^(c) on Mount Samaria,^(d) you notable men of the foremost nation, to whom the people of Israel come!^(e)

Go to Kalneh^(f) and look at it; go from there to great Hamath,^(g) and then go down to Gath^(h) in Philistia. Are they better off than⁽ⁱ⁾ your two kingdoms? Is their land larger than yours?

You put off the day of disaster and bring near a reign of terror.^(j)

You lie on beds adorned with ivory and lounge on your couches.^(k) You dine on choice lambs and fattened calves.^(l)

You strum away on your harps^(m) like David and improvise on musical instruments.⁽ⁿ⁾

You drink wine^(o) by the bowlful and use the finest lotions, but you do not grieve^(p) over the ruin of Joseph.^(q)

Therefore you will be among the first to go into exile;^(r) your feasting and lounging will end.^(s)

The Sovereign Lord has sworn by himself^(t)—the Lord God Almighty declares: "I abhor^(u) the pride of Jacob^(v) and detest his fortresses;^(w) I will deliver up^(x) the city and everything in it.^(y)"

If ten^(z) people are left in one house, they too will die.

And if the relative who comes to carry the bodies out of the house to burn them^[a](aa) asks anyone who might be hiding there, "Is anyone else with you?" and he says, "No," then he will go on to say, "Hush!^(ab) We must not mention the name of the Lord ."

For the Lord has given the command, and he will smash^(ac) the great house^(ad) into pieces and the small house into bits.^(ae)

Do horses run on the rocky crags? Does one plow the sea^[b] with oxen? But you have turned justice into poison^(af) and the fruit of righteousness^(ag) into bitterness^(ah)—

you who rejoice in the conquest of Lo Debar^[c] and say, "Did we not take Karnaim^[d] by our own strength?^(ai)"

For the Lord God Almighty declares, "I will stir up a nation^(aj) against you, Israel, that will oppress you all the way from Lebo Hamath^(ak) to the valley of the Arabah.^(al)"