Daily Bible Reading

Woe to the Oppressors

1Woe to those who devise wickedness

and work evil on their beds!

When the morning dawns, they perform it,

because it is in the power of their hand.

2They covet fields and seize them,

and houses, and take them away;

they oppress a man and his house,

a man and his inheritance.

3Therefore thus says the Lord:

behold, against this family I am devising disaster,

from which you cannot remove your necks,

and you shall not walk haughtily,

for it will be a time of disaster.

4In that day they shall take up a taunt song against you

and moan bitterly,

and say, “We are utterly ruined;

he changes the portion of my people;

how he removes it from me!

To an apostate he allots our fields.”

5Therefore you will have none to cast the line by lot

in the assembly of the Lord.

6“Do not preach”—thus they preach—

“one should not preach of such things;

disgrace will not overtake us.”

7Should this be said, O house of Jacob?

Has the Lord grown impatient?

Are these his deeds?

Do not my words do good

to him who walks uprightly?

8But lately my people have risen up as an enemy;

you strip the rich robe from those who pass by trustingly

with no thought of war.

9The women of my people you drive out

from their delightful houses;

from their young children you take away

my splendor forever.

10Arise and go,

for this is no place to rest,

because of uncleanness that destroys

with a grievous destruction.

11If a man should go about and utter wind and lies,

saying, “I will preach to you of wine and strong drink,”

he would be the preacher for this people!

12I will surely assemble all of you, O Jacob;

I will gather the remnant of Israel;

I will set them together

like sheep in a fold,

like a flock in its pasture,

a noisy multitude of men.

13He who opens the breach goes up before them;

they break through and pass the gate,

going out by it.

Their king passes on before them,

the Lord at their head.

Human Plans and God’s Plans

1Woe to those who plan iniquity,

to those who plot evil on their beds!

At morning’s light they carry it out

because it is in their power to do it.

2They covet fields and seize them,

and houses, and take them.

They defraud people of their homes,

they rob them of their inheritance.

3Therefore, the Lord says:

“I am planning disaster against this people,

from which you cannot save yourselves.

You will no longer walk proudly,

for it will be a time of calamity.

4In that day people will ridicule you;

they will taunt you with this mournful song:

‘We are utterly ruined;

my people’s possession is divided up.

He takes it from me!

He assigns our fields to traitors.’ ”

5Therefore you will have no one in the assembly of the Lord

to divide the land by lot.

False Prophets

6“Do not prophesy,” their prophets say.

“Do not prophesy about these things;

disgrace will not overtake us.”

7You descendants of Jacob, should it be said,

“Does the Lord become impatient?

Does he do such things?”

“Do not my words do good

to the one whose ways are upright?

8Lately my people have risen up

like an enemy.

You strip off the rich robe

from those who pass by without a care,

like men returning from battle.

9You drive the women of my people

from their pleasant homes.

You take away my blessing

from their children forever.

10Get up, go away!

For this is not your resting place,

because it is defiled,

it is ruined, beyond all remedy.

11If a liar and deceiver comes and says,

‘I will prophesy for you plenty of wine and beer,’

that would be just the prophet for this people!

Deliverance Promised

12“I will surely gather all of you, Jacob;

I will surely bring together the remnant of Israel.

I will bring them together like sheep in a pen,

like a flock in its pasture;

the place will throng with people.

13The One who breaks open the way will go up before them;

they will break through the gate and go out.

Their King will pass through before them,

the Lord at their head.”