1 What sorrow awaits you who lie awake at night,thinking up evil plans.You rise at dawn and hurry to carry them out,simply because you have the power to do so.
2 When you want a piece of land,you find a way to seize it.When you want someone’s house,you take it by fraud and violence.You cheat a man of his property,stealing his family’s inheritance.
3 But this is what the lord says:“I will reward your evil with evil;you won’t be able to pull your neck out of the noose.You will no longer walk around proudly,for it will be a terrible time.”
4 In that day your enemies will make fun of youby singing this song of despair about you:“We are finished,completely ruined!God has confiscated our land,taking it from us.He has given our fieldsto those who betrayed us.”
5 Others will set your boundaries then,and the lord’s people will have no sayin how the land is divided.
6 “Don’t say such things,”the people respond.“Don’t prophesy like that.Such disasters will never come our way!”