Chapter 2

Woe to those who devise iniquity and work evil on their beds! when the morning is light, they practice it, because it is in the power of their hand.

They covet fields, and seize them; and houses, and take them away: and they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage.

Therefore thus says Yahweh: Behold, against this family do I devise an evil, from which you shall not remove your necks, neither shall you walk haughtily; for it is an evil time.

In that day shall they take up a parable against you, and lament with a doleful lamentation, [and] say, We are utterly ruined: he changes the portion of my people: how does he remove [it] from me! to the rebellious he divides our fields.

Therefore you shall have none who shall cast the line by lot in the assembly of Yahweh.

Don't you prophesy, [thus] they prophesy. They shall not prophesy to these: reproaches shall not depart.

Shall it be said, O house of Jacob, Is the Spirit of Yahweh straitened? are these his doings? Do not my words do good to him who walks blamelessly?

But of late my people is risen up as an enemy: you strip the robe from off the garment from those who pass by securely [as men] returned from war.

The women of my people you cast out from their pleasant houses; from their young children you take away my glory forever.

Arise you, and depart; for this is not your resting-place; because of uncleanness that destroys, even with a grievous destruction.

If a man walking in a spirit of falsehood do lie, [saying], I will prophesy to you of wine and of strong drink; he shall even be the prophet of this people.

I will surely assemble, Jacob, all of you; I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together as the sheep of Bozrah, as a flock in the midst of their pasture; they shall make great noise by reason of [the multitude of] men.

The breaker is gone up before them: they have broken forth and passed on to the gate, and are gone out thereat; and their king is passed on before them, and Yahweh at the head of them.