Yahweh Will Not Answer
And I said,
“aHear now, heads of Jacob
And rulers of the house of Israel.
Is it not for you to bknow justice?
2 You who hate good and love evil,
Who atear off their skin from them
And their flesh from their bones,
3 And who aeat the flesh of my people,
Strip off their skin from them,
Break their bones,
And bspread them out as for the pot
And as meat in a caldron.”
4 Then they will acry out to Yahweh,
But He will not answer them.
Instead, He will bhide His face from them at that time
Because they have cpracticed evil deeds.
5 Thus says Yahweh concerning the prophets who alead my people astray;
When they have something to bite with their teeth,
They bcall out, “Peace,”
But against him who puts nothing in their mouths,
They set themselves apart for war.
6 Therefore it will be anight for you—without vision,
And darkness for you—without divination.
The bsun will go down on the prophets,
And the day will grow black over them.
7 The seers will be aashamed,
And the bdiviners will be humiliated.
Indeed, they will all ccover their mouths
Because there is dno answer from God.
8 On the other hand aI am filled with power—
With the Spirit of Yahweh—
And with justice and might
To bdeclare to Jacob his transgression,
Even to Israel his sin.
9 Now hear this, aheads of the house of Jacob
And rulers of the house of Israel,
Who babhor justice
And twist everything that is straight,
10 Who abuild Zion with bloodshed
And Jerusalem with violent injustice.
11 Her heads pronounce ajudgment for a bribe,
And her bpriests instruct for a price,
And her prophets divine for money.
Yet they lean on Yahweh saying,
“cIs not Yahweh in our midst?
Evil will not come upon us.”
12 Therefore, on account of you
aZion will be plowed as a field;
bJerusalem will become a heap of ruins,
And the cmountain of the house of God will become high places of a forest.