"Nowtherefore, whatdo I have here,"declaresthe LORD,"seeing that My peoplehave been takenaway withoutcause?"[Again] the LORDdeclares,"Those who ruleover them howl,and My nameis continuallyblasphemedalldaylong.
"However,becauseby thisdeedyou have givenoccasion to the enemiesof the LORDto blaspheme,the childalsothat is bornto you shall surelydie."
You sellYour peoplecheaply,And have not profitedby their sale.
Becauseof the voiceof him who reproachesand reviles,Becauseof the presenceof the enemyand the avenger.
Howlong,O God,will the adversaryrevile,[And] the enemyspurnYour nameforever?
Rememberthis,O LORD,that the enemyhas reviled,And a foolishpeoplehas spurnedYour name.
The LORDsaid,"I have surelyseenthe afflictionof My peoplewhoare in Egypt,and have givenheedto their crybecauseof their taskmasters,for I am awareof their sufferings.
Whatright do you have here,And whomdo you have here,That you have hewna tombfor yourself here,You who hewa tombon the height,You who carvea restingplacefor yourself in the rock?
"But I knowyour sittingdownAnd your goingout and your comingin And your ragingagainstMe.
Isaiahsaidto them, "Thusyou shall sayto your master,'Thussaysthe LORD,"Do not be afraidbecauseof the wordsthat you have heard,with whichthe servantsof the kingof Assyriahave blasphemedMe.
"I was angrywith My people,I profanedMy heritageAnd gavethem into your hand.You did not showmercyto them, On the agedyou madeyour yokeveryheavy.
Your sonshave fainted,They lie[helpless] at the headof everystreet,Like an antelopein a net,Fullof the wrathof the LORD,The rebukeof your God.
"I will putit into the handof your tormentors,Whohave saidto you, 'Liedownthat we may walkover[you].' You have even madeyour backlike the groundAnd like the streetfor those who walkover[it]."
For thussaysthe LORD,"You were soldfor nothingand you will be redeemedwithoutmoney."
"Israelis a scatteredflock,the lionshave driven[them] away.The firstone[who] devouredhim was the kingof Assyria,and thislastone[who] has brokenhis bonesis Nebuchadnezzarkingof Babylon.
"They have heardthat I groan;Thereis nooneto comfortme; Allmy enemieshave heardof my calamity;They are gladthat You have done[it]. Oh, that You would bringthe daywhich You have proclaimed,That they may becomelikeme.
In fierceangerHe has cutoffAllthe strengthof Israel;He has drawnbackHis righthandFrom beforethe enemy.And He has burnedin Jacoblike a flamingfireConsumingroundabout.
"But I actedfor the sakeof My name,that it should not be profanedin the sightof the nations,before whosesightI had broughtthem out.
"But I actedfor the sakeof My name,that it should not be profanedin the sightof the nationsamongwhomthey [lived], in whosesightI madeMyself knownto them by bringingthem out of the landof Egypt.
"On that day,"declaresthe LORD,"There will be the soundof a cryfrom the FishGate,A wailfrom the SecondQuarter, And a loudcrashfrom the hills.
For "THE NAMEOF GODIS BLASPHEMEDAMONGTHE GENTILESBECAUSEOF YOU," justas it is written.
When they were nearthe houseof Micah,they recognizedthe voiceof the youngman,the Levite;and they turnedasidethereand saidto him, "Whobroughtyou here?And whatare you doingin this[place]? And whatdo you have here?"
