3:1 Then I said, “Listen, you leaders of Jacob, you rulers of the house of Israel. Should you not know justice,
3:2 you who hate good and love evil; who tear the skin from my people and the flesh from their bones;
3:3 who eat my people’s flesh, strip off their skin and break their bones in pieces; who chop them up like meat for the pan, like flesh for the pot?”
3:4 Then they will cry out to the LORD, but he will not answer them. At that time he will hide his face from them because of the evil they have done.
3:5 This is what the LORD says: “As for the prophets who lead my people astray, if one feeds them, they proclaim ‘peace’; if he does not, they prepare to wage war against him.
3:6 Therefore night will come over you, without visions, and darkness, without divination. The sun will set for the prophets, and the day will go dark for them.
3:7 The seers will be ashamed and the diviners disgraced. They will all cover their faces because there is no answer from God.”
3:8 But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the LORD, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression, to Israel his sin.
3:9 Hear this, you leaders of the house of Jacob, you rulers of the house of Israel, who despise justice and distort all that is right;
3:10 who build Zion with bloodshed, and Jerusalem with wickedness.
3:11 Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets tell fortunes for money. Yet they lean upon the LORD and say, “Is not the LORD among us? No disaster will come upon us.”
3:12 Therefore because of you, Zion will be plowed like a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble, the temple hill a mound overgrown with thickets.
3:1 And I said, / Hear now, you heads of Jacob / And you rulers of the house of Israel: / Is it not for you / To know justice?
3:2 You who hate good / And love evil, / You who tear away their skin from off them / And their flesh from off their bones,
3:3 And who devour the flesh of My people / And strip off their skin from off them / And break their bones in pieces / And chop them as for the pot / And like meat in a cauldron.
3:4 Then they will cry out to Jehovah, / But He will not answer them; / Indeed He will hide His face from them at that time, / Just as they were evil in their doings.
3:5 Thus says Jehovah concerning the prophets / Who cause My people to err, / Who, when they have something to bite with their teeth, / Cry, Peace, / But if there is one who does not give something for their mouths, / They prepare for war against him.
3:6 Therefore there will be night to you, without vision, / And darkness to you, without divination. / And the sun will go down on the prophets, / And the day will be black over them.
3:7 And the seers will be put to shame, / And the diviners will be ashamed; / And they will all cover their mouths, / For there will be no answer from God.
3:8 But as for me, I am full / Of power, with the Spirit of Jehovah, and of justice and might, / To declare to Jacob his transgression / And to Israel his sin.
3:9 Hear now this, you heads of the house of Jacob / And you rulers of the house of Israel: / You who abhor justice / And pervert all uprightness,
3:10 Who build Zion by bloodshed / And Jerusalem by iniquity.
3:11 Her leaders judge for a bribe, / And her priests teach for hire, / And her prophets divine for money; / But they lean on Jehovah, saying, / Is not Jehovah in our midst? / Evil will not come upon us.
3:12 Therefore on account of you / Zion will be plowed as a field, / And Jerusalem will become a heap of ruins, / And the mountain of the house will become the high places of a forest.