<p class="poetry">When someone comes to visit,<n id="1" /> he pretends to be friendly;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">he thinks of ways to defame me,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">and when he leaves he slanders me.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">It is vain for you to rise early, come home late,p> <p class="poetry">and work so hard for your food.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Yes,<n id="2" /> he can provide for those whom he loves even when they sleep.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Remove falsehood and lies<n id="1" /> far from me;p> <p class="poetry">do not give me poverty or riches,p> <p class="poetry">feed me with my allotted portion<n id="2" /> of bread,<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Do not bring any more meaningless<n id="1" /> offerings;p> <p class="poetry">I consider your incense detestable!<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">You observe new moon festivals, Sabbaths, and convocations,p> <p class="poetry">but I cannot tolerate sin-stained celebrations!<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">His battle cry overwhelms like a flooding river<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">that reaches one&#8217;s neck.p> <p class="poetry">He shakes the nations in a sieve that isolates the chaff;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">he puts a bit into the mouth of the nations and leads them to destruction.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">No one is concerned about justice;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">no one sets forth his case truthfully.p> <p class="poetry">They depend on false words<n id="2" /> and tell lies;p> <p class="poetry">they conceive of oppression<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">and give birth to sin.p>

They see delusion and their omens are a lie.<n id="1" /> They say, &#8220;the <sc>Lordsc> declares,&#8221; though the <sc>Lordsc> has not sent them;<n id="2" /> yet they expect their word to be confirmed.<n id="3" />

Have you not seen a false vision and announced a lying omen when you say, &#8220;the <sc>Lordsc> declares,&#8221; although I myself never spoke?p>

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;&#8216;Therefore, this is what the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> says: Because you have spoken false words and forecast delusion, look,<n id="1" /> I am against you,<n id="2" /> declares the sovereign <sc>Lordsc>.

Therefore you will no longer see false visions and practice divination. I will rescue my people from your power, and you<n id="1" /> will know that I am the <sc>Lordsc>.&#8217;&#8221;p>

But those in Jerusalem<n id="1" /> will view it as a false omen. They have sworn solemn oaths,<n id="2" /> but the king of Babylon<n id="3" /> will accuse them of violations<n id="4" /> in order to seize them.<n id="5" />p>

Her prophets coat their messages with whitewash.<n id="1" /> They see false visions and announce lying omens for them, saying, &#8216;This is what the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> says,&#8217; when the <sc>Lordsc> has not spoken.

<p class="poetry">Is there idolatry<n id="1" /> in Gilead?<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Certainly its inhabitants<n id="3" /> will come to nothing!<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">Do they sacrifice bulls in Gilgal?p> <p class="poetry">Surely their altars will be like stones heaped up on a plowed field!p>

You have said, &#8216;It is useless to serve God. How have we been helped<n id="1" /> by keeping his requirements and going about like mourners before the <sc>Lordsc> who rules over all?<n id="2" />

My hand will be against the prophets who see delusion and announce lying omens. They will not be included in the council<n id="1" /> of my people, nor be written in the registry<n id="2" /> of the house of Israel, nor enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the sovereign <sc>Lordsc>.p>

<p class="poetry">while seeing false visions for youp> <p class="poetry">and reading lying omens for you<n id="1" /> &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">to place that sword<n id="2" /> on the necks of the profane wicked,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">whose day has come,p> <p class="poetry">the time of final punishment.p>