Woe to the Complacent

1Woe to those who are at ease in Ziona

and to those who feel secure on the hill of Samaria —

the notable people in this first of the nations,

those the house of Israel comes to.

2Cross over to Calneha and see;

go from there to great Hamath;b

then go down to Gathc of the Philistines.

Are you better than these kingdoms?

Is their territory larger than yours?

3You dismiss any thought of the evil daya

and bring in a reign of violence.b

4They lie on beds inlaid with ivory,a

sprawled out on their couches,b

and dine on lambs from the flockc

and calves from the stall.

5They improvise songsA to the sound of the harpa

and inventB their own musical instruments like David.b

6They drink wine by the bowlfula

and anoint themselves with the finest oils

but do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph.b

7Therefore, they will now go into exile

as the first of the captives,a

and the feastingb of those who sprawl out

will come to an end.

Israel’s Pride Judged

8The Lord God has sworn by himselfa — this is the declaration of the Lord, the God of Armies:

I loathe Jacob’s prideb

and hate his citadels,c

so I will hand over the cityd and everything in it.

9And if there are ten men left in one house, they will die.a 10A close relativeA and burnerB a will remove his corpseC from the house. He will call to someone in the inner recesses of the house, “Any more with you? ”

That person will reply, “None.”

Then he will say, “Silence, because the Lord’s name must not be invoked.”b

11For the Lord commands:

The large house will be smashed to pieces,

and the small house to rubble.a

12Do horses gallop on the cliffs?

Does anyone plow there with oxen?A

Yet you have turned justice into poisona

and the fruit of righteousness into wormwoodb —

13you who rejoice over Lo-debara

and say, “Didn’t we capture Karnaim

for ourselves by our own strength? ”b

14But look, I am raising up a nation

against you, house of Israela —

this is the declaration of the Lord,

the God of Armies —

and they will oppress you

from the entrance of Hamatha b

to the Brook of the Arabah.B