"Those who are mosthelplesswill eat,And the needywill liedownin security;I will destroyyour rootwith famine,And it will killoff your survivors.
Thesetwothingshave befallenyou; Whowill mournfor you? The devastationand destruction,famineand sword;Howshall I comfortyou?
"Then thisshall be the signfor you: you will eatthis yearwhatgrowsof itself, in the secondyearwhatspringsfrom the same, and in the thirdyearsow,reap,plantvineyardsand eattheir fruit.
He will dwellon the heights,His refugewill be the impregnablerock;His breadwill be given[him], His waterwill be sure.
They sliceoff[what is] on the righthandbut [still] are hungry,And they eat[what is] on the lefthandbut they are not satisfied;Eachof them eatsthe fleshof his own arm.
They will passthrough the land hard-pressedand famished,and it will turnout that whenthey are hungry,they will be enragedand cursetheir kingand their Godas they faceupward.
Then the lambswill grazeas in their pasture,And strangerswill eatin the wasteplacesof the wealthy.
"Whatdo you mean by crushingMy peopleAnd grindingthe faceof the poor?"Declaresthe LordGODof hosts.
"His skinis devouredby disease,The firstbornof deathdevourshis limbs.
The LORDentersinto judgmentwith the eldersand princesof His people,"It is you who have devouredthe vineyard;The plunderof the pooris in your houses.
But with righteousnessHe will judgethe poor,And decidewith fairnessfor the afflictedof the earth;And He will strikethe earthwith the rodof His mouth,And with the breathof His lipsHe will slaythe wicked.
The afflictedalso will increasetheir gladnessin the LORD,And the needyof mankindwill rejoicein the HolyOneof Israel.
"But I will leaveamongyou A humbleand lowlypeople,And they will takerefugein the nameof the LORD.
