O My people!Their oppressorsare children,And womenruleover them. O My people!Those who guideyou lead[you] astrayAnd confusethe directionof your paths.
When Athaliahthe motherof Ahaziahsawthat her sonwas dead,she roseand destroyedallthe royaloffspring.
"They breakup my path,They profitfrom my destruction;Noone restrainsthem.
A leaderwho is a greatoppressorlacksunderstanding,[But] he who hatesunjustgainwill prolong[his] days.
Woeto you, O land,whosekingis a ladand whose princesfeastin the morning.
The LORDhas mixedwithinher a spiritof distortion;They have ledEgyptastrayin allthat it does,As a drunkenmanstaggersin his vomit.
And I will makemere ladstheir princes,And capriciouschildrenwill ruleover them,
Thussaysyour Lord,the LORD,even your GodWho contendsfor His people,"Behold,I have takenout of your handthe cupof reeling,The chaliceof My anger;You will neverdrinkit again.
The prophetsprophesyfalsely,And the priestsruleon their [own] authority;And My peopleloveit so!But whatwill you doat the endof it?
Thussaysthe LORDconcerningthe prophetswho leadmy peopleastray;When they have [something] to bitewith their teeth,They cry,"Peace,"But againsthim whoputsnothingin their mouthsThey declareholywar.
Behold,your peopleare womenin your midst!The gatesof your landare openedwideto your enemies;Fireconsumesyour gate bars.
"Let them alone;they are blindguidesof the blind.And ifa blind manguidesa blind man,bothwill fallinto a pit."
"But woeto you, scribesand Pharisees,hypocrites,becauseyou shutoff the kingdomof heavenfrom people;for you do not enterin yourselves,nordo you allowthosewho are enteringto goin.
