11. The Lord has raised up Rezin’s adversaries against himand stirred up his enemies.
12. Aram from the east and Philistia from the westhave consumed Israel with open mouths.In all this, His anger is not removed,and His hand is still raised to strike.
13. The people did not turn to Him who struck them;they did not seek the Lord of Hosts.
14. So the Lord cut off Israel’s head and tail, palm branch and reed in a single day.
15. The head is the elder, the honored one; the tail is the prophet, the lying teacher.
16. The leaders of the people mislead them,and those they mislead are swallowed up.
17. Therefore the Lord does not rejoiceover Israel’s young menand has no compassionon its fatherless and widows,for everyone is a godless evildoer, and every mouth speaks folly.In all this, His anger is not removed,and His hand is still raised to strike.
18. For wickedness burns like a fire that consumes thorns and briersand kindles the forest thicketsso that they go up in a column of smoke.
19. The land is scorchedby the wrath of the Lord of Hosts,and the people are like fuel for the fire. No one has compassion on his brother.
20. They carve meat on the right,but they are still hungry; they have eaten on the left,but they are still not satisfied.Each one eats the flesh of his own arm.