• Yahweh Will Not Answer

  • 1 And I said, “Hear now, heads of Jacob And rulers of the house of Israel. Is it not for you to know justice?
  • 2 “You who hate good and love evil, Who tear off their skin from them And their flesh from their bones,
  • 3 And who eat the flesh of my people, Strip off their skin from them, Break their bones, And spread them out as for the pot And as meat in a caldron.”
  • 4 Then they will cry out to Yahweh, But He will not answer them. Instead, He will hide His face from them at that time Because they have practiced evil deeds.
  • 5 Thus says Yahweh concerning the prophets who lead my people astray; When they have something to bite with their teeth, They call out, “Peace,” But against him who puts nothing in their mouths, They set themselves apart for war.
  • 6 Therefore it will be night for you—without vision, And darkness for you—without divination. The sun will go down on the prophets, And the day will grow black over them.
  • 7 The seers will be ashamed, And the diviners will be humiliated. Indeed, they will all cover their mouths Because there is no answer from God.
  • 8 On the other hand I am filled with power— With the Spirit of Yahweh— And with justice and might To declare to Jacob his transgression, Even to Israel his sin.
  • 9 Now hear this, heads of the house of Jacob And rulers of the house of Israel, Who abhor justice And twist everything that is straight,
  • 10 Who build Zion with bloodshed And Jerusalem with violent injustice.
  • 11 Her heads pronounce judgment for a bribe, And her priests instruct for a price, And her prophets divine for money. Yet they lean on Yahweh saying, “Is not Yahweh in our midst? Evil will not come upon us.”
  • 12 Therefore, on account of you Zion will be plowed as a field; Jerusalem will become a heap of ruins, And the mountain of the house of God will become high places of a forest.