“Now see what has happened,” says the Lord. “Another nation has taken away my people for nothing. This nation who rules them makes fun of me,” says the Lord. “All day long they speak against me.
The Lord said, “I have seen the troubles my people have suffered in Egypt, and I have heard their cries when the Egyptian slave masters hurt them. I am concerned about their pain,
Say to him, ‘What are you doing here? Who said you could cut out a tomb for your self here? Why are you preparing your tomb in a high place? Why are you carving out a tomb from the rock?
he said to them, “Tell your master this: The Lord says, ‘Don’t be afraid of what you have heard. Don’t be frightened by the words the servants of the king of Assyria have spoken against me.
I was angry with my people, so I rejected those who belonged to me. I gave them to you, but you showed them no mercy. You even made the old people work very hard.
Your people have become weak. They fall down and lie on every street corner, like animals caught in a net. They have felt the full anger of the Lord and have heard God’s angry shout.
I will now give that cup of punishment to those who gave you pain, who told you, ‘Bow down so we can walk over you.’ They made your back like dirt for them to walk on; you were like a street for them to travel on.”
“The people of Israel are like a flock of sheep that are scattered from being chased by lions. The first lion to eat them up was the king of Assyria. The last lion to crush their bones was Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.”
“People have heard my groaning, and there is no one to comfort me. All my enemies have heard of my trouble, and they are happy you have done this to me. Now bring that day you have announced so that my enemies will be like me.
In his anger he has removed all the strength of Israel; he took away his power from Israel when the enemy came. He burned against the people of Jacob like a flaming fire that burns up everything around it.
But I acted for the sake of my name so it would not be dishonored in full view of the nations who watched as I had brought the Israelites out of Egypt.
But I acted for the sake of my name so it would not be dishonored in full view of the nations where the Israelites lived. I made myself known to the Israelites with a promise to bring them out of Egypt while the nations were watching.
“On that day,” says the Lord, “a cry will be heard at the Fish Gate. A wail will come from the new area of the city, and a loud crash will echo from the hills.
When they came near Micah’s house, they recognized the voice of the young Levite. So they stopped there and asked him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing here? Why are you here?”