1. Then I said, "Listen, you leaders of Jacob's people! Pay attention, you rulers of Israel! You should know how to judge others fairly.
2. But you hate what is good. And you love what is evil. You are like someone who tears the skin off my people. You pull the meat off their bones.
3. You eat my people's bodies. You strip their skin off. You break their bones in pieces. You chop them up like meat. You put them in a cooking pot."
4. The time will come when Israel will cry out to the Lord. But he won't answer them. In fact, he'll turn his face away from them. They have done what is evil.
5. The Lord says, "You prophets are leading my people down the wrong path. If they feed you, you promise them peace. If they do not, you prepare to go to war against them.
6. So night will come on you. But you will not have any visions. Darkness will cover you. But you will not be able to figure out what is going to happen. The sun will set on you prophets. The day will become dark for you.
7. You who see visions will be put to shame. You who try to figure out what is going to happen will be dishonored. All of you will cover your faces. I will not answer you."
8. The Spirit of the Lord has filled me with power. He helps me do what is fair. He makes me brave. Now I'm prepared to tell Jacob's people what they've done wrong. I'm ready to tell Israel they've sinned.
9. Listen to me, you leaders of Jacob's people! Pay attention, you rulers of Israel! You hate to do what is fair. You twist everything that is right.
10. You build up Zion by spilling the blood of others. You build Jerusalem by doing what is evil.
11. Your judges take money from people who want special favors. Your priests teach only if they get paid for it. Your prophets won't tell fortunes unless they receive money. But you still claim to depend on the Lord. You say, "The Lord is with us. No trouble will come on us."
12. So because of what you have done, Zion will be plowed up like a field. Jerusalem will be turned into a pile of trash. The temple hill will be covered with bushes and weeds.