An Evil Time

1Woe to those who devise wickedness,

Who work out evil on their beds!

When the light of the morning comes, they do it,

For it is in the power of their hands.

2And they covet fields and then tear them away,

And houses, and take them away.

And they oppress a man and his house,

A man and his inheritance.

3Therefore thus says Yahweh,

“Behold, I am devising against this family an evil demise

From which you cannot remove your necks;

And you will not walk haughtily,

For it will be an evil time.

4On that day they will take up against you a [†]taunt

And [†]utter a bitter wailing and say,

‘We are completely devastated!

He exchanges the portion of my people;

How He removes it from me!

To the faithless one, He apportions our fields.’

5Therefore you will have no one [†]stretching a measuring line

For you by lot in the assembly of Yahweh.

6‘Do not speak, dripping out words,’ they say while dripping out words.

But if [†]they do not drip out words concerning these things,

Dishonor will not be turned back.

7Is it being said, O house of Jacob:

‘Is the Spirit of Yahweh impatient?

Are these His deeds?’

Do not My words do good

To the one walking uprightly?

8[†]And recently My people have arisen as an enemy—

You strip the [†]robe off the garment

From unsuspecting passers-by,

From those returned from war.

9The women of My people you drive out,

Each one from her pleasant house.

From her infants you take My splendor forever.

10Arise and go,

For this is no place of rest

Because of the uncleanness that wreaks destruction,

A painful destruction.

11If a man walking after wind and lying

Had acted falsely and said,

‘I will speak, dripping out words to you concerning wine and liquor,’

He would be one who drips out words as a spokesman to this people.

12“I will surely assemble all of you, Jacob;

I will surely gather the remnant of Israel.

I will put them together like sheep in the fold;

Like a flock in the midst of its pasture

They will be noisy with men.

13The breaker goes up before them;

They break out, pass through the gate, and go out by it.

So their king goes on before them,

And Yahweh at their head.”