All her idols will be broken to pieces; all her temple gifts will be burned with fire; I will destroy all her images. Since she gathered her gifts from the wages of prostitutes, as the wages of prostitutes they will again be used.”

Therefore you will give parting gifts to Moresheth Gath. The town of Akzib will prove deceptive to the kings of Israel.

Shave your head in mourning for the children in whom you delight; make yourself as bald as the vulture, for they will go from you into exile.

They covet fields and seize them, and houses, and take them. They defraud people of their homes, they rob them of their inheritance.

You 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?

Get up, go away! For this is not your resting place, because it is defiled, it is ruined, beyond all remedy.

If 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

“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.

Leaders and Prophets Rebuked

Then I said, “Listen, you leaders of Jacob, you rulers of Israel. Should you not embrace justice,

This is what the Lord says: “As for the prophets who lead my people astray, they proclaim ‘peace’ if they have something to eat, but prepare to wage war against anyone who refuses to feed them.

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.

Hear this, you leaders of Jacob, you rulers of Israel, who despise justice and distort all that is right;

Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets tell fortunes for money. Yet they look for the Lord’s support and say, “Is not the Lord among us? No disaster will come upon us.”

Many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

The Lord’s Plan

“In that day,” declares the Lord, “I will gather the lame; I will assemble the exiles and those I have brought to grief.

Writhe in agony, Daughter Zion, like a woman in labor, for now you must leave the city to camp in the open field. You will go to Babylon; there you will be rescued. There the Lord will redeem you out of the hand of your enemies.

But now many nations are gathered against you. They say, “Let her be defiled, let our eyes gloat over Zion!”

“Rise and thresh, Daughter Zion, for I will give you horns of iron; I will give you hooves of bronze, and you will break to pieces many nations.” You will devote their ill-gotten gains to the Lord, their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.

who will rule the land of Assyria with the sword, the land of Nimrod with drawn sword. He will deliver us from the Assyrians when they invade our land and march across our borders.

The remnant of Jacob will be in the midst of many peoples like dew from the Lord, like showers on the grass, which do not wait for anyone or depend on man.

Your hand will be lifted up in triumph over your enemies, and all your foes will be destroyed.

“In that day,” declares the Lord, “I will destroy your horses from among you and demolish your chariots.

I will destroy the cities of your land and tear down all your strongholds.

I will destroy your witchcraft and you will no longer cast spells.

I will destroy your idols and your sacred stones from among you; you will no longer bow down to the work of your hands.