1 W oe to those who devise iniquity and work out evil upon their beds! When the morning is light, they perform and practice it because it is in their power.

Wo those devising iniquity, And working evil on their beds, In the light of the morning they do it, For their hand is -- to God.

2 T hey covet fields and seize them, and houses and take them away; they oppress and crush a man and his house, a man and his inheritance.

And they have desired fields, And they have taken violently, And houses, and they have taken away, And have oppressed a man and his house, Even a man and his inheritance.

3 T herefore thus says the Lord: Behold, against this family I am planning a disaster from which you cannot remove your necks, nor will you be able to walk erect; for it will be an evil time.

Therefore, thus said Jehovah: Lo, I am devising against this family evil, From which ye do not remove your necks, Nor walk loftily, for a time of evil it.

4 I n that day shall they take up a parable against you and wail with a doleful and bitter lamentation and say, We are utterly ruined and laid waste! changes the portion of my people. How He removes it from me! He divides our fields.

In that day doth take up for you a simile, And he hath wailed a wailing of wo, He hath said, We have been utterly spoiled, The portion of my people He doth change, How doth He move toward me! To the backslider our fields He apportioneth.

5 T herefore you shall have no one to cast a line by lot upon a plot in the assembly of the Lord.

Therefore, thou hast no caster of a line by lot In the assembly of Jehovah.

6 D o not preach, say the prophesying false prophets; one should not babble and harp on such things; disgrace will not overtake us.

Ye do not prophesy -- they do prophesy, They do not prophesy to these, It doth not remove shame.

7 O house of Jacob, shall it be said, Is the Spirit of the Lord restricted, impatient, and shortened? Or are these His doings? Do not My words do good to him who walks uprightly?

Doth the house of Jacob say, `Hath the Spirit of Jehovah been shortened? Are these His doings?' Do not My words benefit the people that is walking uprightly?

8 B ut lately (yesterday) My people have stood up as an enemy. Off from the garment you strip the cloak of those who pass by in secure confidence of safety and are averse to war.

And yesterday My people for an enemy doth raise himself up, From the outer garment the honourable ornament ye strip off, From the confident passers by, Ye who are turning back from war.

9 T he women of My people you cast out from their pleasant houses; from their young children you take away My glory forever.

The women of My people ye cast out from its delightful house, From its sucklings ye take away My honour to the age.

10 A rise and depart, for this is not the rest, because of uncleanness that works destruction, even a sharp and grievous destruction.

Rise and go, for this not the rest, Because of uncleanness it doth corrupt, And corruption is powerful.

11 I f a man walking in a spirit and in falsehood should lie and say, I will prophesy to you of wine and strong drink, O Israel, he would even be the acceptable prophet of this people!

If one is going the wind, And falsehood hath lied: `I prophesy to thee of wine, and of strong drink,' He hath been the prophet of this people!

12 I will surely gather all of you, O Jacob; I will surely collect the remnant of Israel. I will bring them together like sheep in a fold, like a flock in the midst of their pasture. They shall swarm with men and hum with much noise.

I do surely gather thee, O Jacob, all of thee, I surely bring together the remnant of Israel, Together I do set it as the flock of Bozrah, As a drove in the midst of its pasture, It maketh a noise because of man.

13 T he Breaker will go up before them. They will break through, pass in through the gate and go out through it, and their King will pass on before them, the Lord at their head.

Gone up hath the breaker before them, They have broken through, Yea, they pass through the gate, Yea, they go out through it, And pass on doth their king before them, And Jehovah at their head!