The Hebrew Prophets

Don't tell about it in Gat, don't shed any tears. At Beit-L'afrah [house of dust] roll yourself in the dust.

Inhabitants of Shafir, pass on your way in nakedness and shame. The inhabitants of Tza'anan have not left yet. The wailing of Beit-Ha'etzel will remove from you their support.

The inhabitants of Marot have no hope of anything good; for ADONAI has sent down disaster to the very gate of Yerushalayim.

Harness the chariots to the fastest horses, inhabitants of Lakhish; she was the beginning of sin for the daughter of Tziyon; for the crimes of Isra'el are traceable to you.

Therefore you must bestow parting gifts upon Moreshet-Gat. The houses of Akhziv will disappoint the kings of Isra'el.

Inhabitants of Mareshah, I have yet to bring you the one who will [invade and] possess you. The glory of Isra'el will come to 'Adulam.

Shave the hair from your head as you mourn for the children who were your delight; make yourselves as bald as vultures, for they have gone from you into exile.

Woe to those who think up evil and plan wickedness as they lie in bed. When morning comes, they do it, since they have it in their power.

They covet fields and seize them; they take over houses as well, doing violence to both owner and house, to people and their inherited land.

Therefore this is what ADONAI says: "Against this family I am planning an evil from which you will not withdraw your necks; nor will you walk with your heads held high, for it will be an evil time."

On that day they will take up a dirge for you; sadly lamenting, they will wail, "We are completely ruined! Our people's land has changed hands. Our fields are taken away from us; instead of restoring them, he parcels them out."

Therefore, you will have no one in the assembly of ADONAI to stretch out a measuring line and restore the land assigned by lot.

"Don't preach!" - thus they preach! "They shouldn't preach about these things. Shame will not overtake us" -

is this what the house of Ya'akov says? ADONAI has not grown impatient, and these things are not his doings. "Rather, my words do only good to anyone living uprightly.

But lately my people behave like an enemy, stripping both cloaks and tunics from travelers who thought they were secure, so that they become like war refugees.

You throw my people's women out of the homes they love. You deprive their children of my glory forever.

Get up and go! You can't stay here! Because [the land] is now unclean, it will destroy you with a grievous destruction."

If a man who walks in wind and falsehood tells this lie: "I will preach to you of [how good it is to drink] wine and strong liquor" - this people will accept him as their preacher!

"I will assemble all of you, Ya'akov; I will gather the remnant of Isra'el, I will put them together like sheep in a pen, like a herd in its pasture - it will hum with the sounds of people."

The one breaking through went up before them; they broke through, passed the gate and went out. Their king passed on before them; ADONAI was leading them.

"I said, 'Please listen, leaders of Ya'akov, rulers of the house of Isra'el: Shouldn't you know what justice is?

Yet you hate what is good and love what is bad. You strip off their skin from them and their flesh from their bones,

you eat the flesh of my people, skin them alive, break their bones; yes, they chop them in pieces, like flesh in a caldron, like meat in a pot.'"

Then they will call to ADONAI, but he will not answer them; when that time comes, he will hide his face from them, because their deeds were so wicked.

Here is what ADONAI says in regard to the prophets who cause my people to go astray, who cry, "Peace" as soon as they are given food to eat but prepare war against anyone who fails to put something in their mouths: