1“He will say, ‘Listen, you leaders of Jacob,

you officials of the house of Israel!

You should know justice, should you not?—

2you who despise good and love evil,

who tear off the skin of my people,a

along with the flesh from their bones.

3You eat the flesh of my people,

flaying their skin from them.

You break their bones,

chopping them in pieces like meatb for a pot,

like meat destined for a soup kettle.’

4“Then they will cry to the LORD,

but he will not listen to them.

In fact, he will hide his face from them at that time,

because they were so wicked in what they were doing.”

God’s Judgment against False Prophets

5“This is what the LORD says about the prophets

who are causing my people to go astray,

who are calling out ‘Peace’ when they’re being fed,c

but who declare war against those who won’t feed them:d

6‘You will have nights without visions,

and darkness without prophecy.

The sun will set on the prophets,

and the day will darken for them.

7Those who see visions will be put to shame,

and the diviners will be disgraced—every one of them—

they will cover their faces,e

because there will be no answer from God.’”

The Message of God’s Prophet

8“As for me, I am truly filled with power by the Spirit of the LORD,

filledf with judgment and power

to announce to Jacob his transgression,

and to Israel his sin.

9Please listen to this, you leaders of the house of Jacob,

you officials of the house of Israel,

you who hate administering justice,

who pervert the very meaning ofg equity,

10who are building up Zion by means of bloodshed,

and Jerusalem by means of iniquity.

11Her leaders judge for the money,

her priests teach only when they’re paid ,

and her prophets prophesy for cash.

Even so, don’t they all rely on the LORD as they ask,

‘The LORD is among us, is he not?

Nothing bad can possibly happen to us!’

12“Therefore, because of you, Zion will be plowed up like a field,

and Jerusalem will become heaps of rubble,

and the Temple Mount like a forest high place.”