1 And I said, Give ear, now, you heads of Jacob and rulers of the people of Israel: is it not for you to have knowledge of what is right?
2 You who are haters of good and lovers of evil, pulling off their skin from them and their flesh from their bones;
3 Like meat they take the flesh of my people for their food, skinning them and crushing their bones, yes, cutting them up as if for the pot, like flesh inside the cooking-pot.
4 Then they will be crying to the Lord for help, but he will not give them an answer: yes, he will keep his face veiled from them at that time, because their acts have been evil.
5 This is what the Lord has said about the prophets by whom my people have been turned from the right way; who, biting with their teeth, say, Peace; and if anyone puts nothing in their mouths they make ready for war against him.
6 For this cause it will be night for you, without a vision; and it will be dark for you, without knowledge of the future; the sun will go down over the prophets, and the day will be black over them.
7 And the seers will be shamed, and the readers of the future will be at a loss, all of them covering their lips; for there is no answer from God.
8 But I truly am full of the spirit of the Lord, with power of judging and with strength to make clear to Jacob his wrongdoing and to Israel his sin.
9 Then give ear to this, you heads of the children of Jacob, you rulers of the children of Israel, hating what is right, twisting what is straight.
10 They are building up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with evil-doing.
11 Its heads take rewards for judging, and the priests take payment for teaching, and the prophets get silver for reading the future: but still, supporting themselves on the Lord, they say, Is not the Lord among us? no evil will overtake us.
12 For this reason, Zion will be ploughed like a field because of you, and Jerusalem will become a mass of broken walls, and the mountain of the house like a high place in the woods.
1 Og jeg sa: Hør, I Jakobs høvdinger og I dommere for Israels hus! Er det ikke eders sak å vite hvad rett er?
2 I som hater det gode og elsker det onde, I som flår huden av dem og kjøttet av deres ben,
3 I som eter mitt folks kjøtt og river huden av dem og knuser deres ben og breder dem ut likesom i en gryte og som kjøtt i en panne.
4 Da* skal de rope til Herren, men han skal ikke svare dem; han skal skjule sitt åsyn for dem på den tid for deres onde gjerningers skyld! / {* MIK 2, 3.}
5 Så sier Herren om de profeter som fører mitt folk vill, som roper når de har noget å tygge med sine tenner: Fred! Men mot den som intet gir dem i deres munn, roper de ut en hellig krig.
6 Derfor skal det bli natt for eder uten syner, og mørke uten spådom; solen skal gå ned over profetene, og dagen bli sort over dem.
7 Seerne skal skamme sig, og spåmennene blues; de skal tilhylle skjegget* alle sammen; for det kommer intet svar fra Gud. / {* 3MO 13, 45.}
8 Men jeg, jeg er full av kraft ved Herrens Ånd og full av rett og styrke til å vidne for Jakob om hans overtredelse og for Israel om hans synd.
9 Hør dette, I høvdinger over Jakobs hus og I dommere for Israels hus, I som avskyr rett og gjør det kroket alt det som er bent,
10 I som bygger Sion med blod og Jerusalem med urett!
11 Dets høvdinger dømmer for gave, dets prester lærer for betaling, og dets profeter spår for penger, og enda stoler de på Herren og sier: Er ikke Herren midt iblandt oss? Det kommer ingen ulykke over oss.
12 Derfor skal for eders skyld Sion pløies som en aker, og Jerusalem skal bli til grusdynger, og tempelberget til skogbakker.