Rulers and Prophets Condemned

1And I sayd, Heare, I pray you, O heads of Iaakob, and yee princes of the house of Israel: should not ye knowe iudgement?

2But they hate the good, and loue the euill: they plucke off their skinnes from them, & their flesh from their bones.

3And they eate also the flesh of my people, & flay off their skinne from them, & they breake their bones, and chop them in pieces, as for the pot, and as flesh within the caldron.

4Then shall they crye vnto the Lorde, but he will not heare them: he wil euen hide his face from them at that time, because they haue done wickedly in their workes.

5Thus saith the Lorde, Concerning the prophets that deceiue my people, and bite them with their teeth, and cry peace, but if a man put not into their mouthes, they prepare warre against him,

6Therefore night shalbe vnto you for a vision, and darkenesse shalbe vnto you for a diuination, and the sunne shall goe downe ouer the prophets, and the day shalbe darke ouer them.

7Then shall the Seers bee ashamed, and the southsayers confounded: yea, they shall all couer their lippes, for they haue none answere of God.

8Yet notwithstanding I am full of power by the Spirite of the Lord, and of iudgement, and of strength to declare vnto Iaakob his transgression, and to Israel his sinne.

9Heare this, I pray you, ye heades of the house of Iaakob, and princes of the house of Israel: they abhorre iudgement, and peruert all equitie.

10They build vp Zion with blood, and Ierusalem with iniquitie.

11The heads thereof iudge for rewardes, and the Priestes thereof teache for hyre, and the prophets thereof prophecie for money: yet wil they leane vpon the Lorde, and say, Is not the Lorde among vs? no euill can come vpon vs.

12Therefore shall Zion for your sake bee plowed as a field, & Ierusalem shalbe an heape, and the mountaine of the house, as the hye places of the forest.