Study Desk

Then I said, "Listen, you leaders^(a) of Jacob, you rulers of Israel. Should you not embrace justice,

you who hate good and love evil; who tear the skin from my people and the flesh from their bones;^(b)

who eat my people's flesh,^(c) strip off their skin and break their bones in pieces;^(d) who chop^(e) them up like meat for the pan, like flesh for the pot?^(f)"

Then they will cry out to the Lord , but he will not answer them.^(g) At that time he will hide his face^(h) from them because of the evil they have done.⁽ⁱ⁾

This is what the Lord says: "As for the prophets who lead my people astray,^(j) they proclaim ‘peace'^(k) if they have something to eat, but prepare to wage war against anyone who refuses to feed them.

Therefore night will come over you, without visions, and darkness, without divination.^(l) The sun will set for the prophets,^(m) and the day will go dark for them.⁽ⁿ⁾

The seers will be ashamed^(o) and the diviners disgraced.^(p) They will all cover^(q) their faces^(r) because there is no answer from God.^(s)"

But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the Lord , and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression, to Israel his sin.^(t)

Hear this, you leaders of Jacob, you rulers of Israel, who despise justice and distort all that is right;^(u)

who build^(v) Zion with bloodshed,^(w) and Jerusalem with wickedness.^(x)

Her leaders judge for a bribe,^(y) her priests teach for a price,^(z) and her prophets tell fortunes for money.^(aa) Yet they look^(ab) for the Lord 's support and say, "Is not the Lord among us? No disaster will come upon us."^(ac)

Therefore because of you, Zion will be plowed like a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble,^(ad) the temple^(ae) hill a mound overgrown with thickets.^(af)