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Judgement on Arrogance and Oppression

⁸ The Lord sent a word against Jacob,
   and it fell on Israel;
⁹ and all the people knew it—
   Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria—
   but in pride and arrogance of heart they said:
¹⁰ ‘The bricks have fallen,
   but we will build with dressed stones;
the sycomores have been cut down,
   but we will put cedars in their place.’
¹¹ So the Lord raised adversaries^* against them,
   and stirred up their enemies,
¹² the Arameans in the east and the Philistines in the west,
   and they devoured Israel with open mouth.
For all this, his anger has not turned away;
   his hand is stretched out still.

¹³ The people did not turn to him who struck them,
   or seek the Lord of hosts.
¹⁴ So the Lord cut off from Israel head and tail,
   palm branch and reed in one day—
¹⁵ elders and dignitaries are the head,
   and prophets who teach lies are the tail;
¹⁶ for those who led this people led them astray,
   and those who were led by them were left in confusion.
¹⁷ That is why the Lord did not have pity on^* their young people,
   or compassion on their orphans and widows;
for everyone was godless and an evildoer,
   and every mouth spoke folly.
For all this, his anger has not turned away;
   his hand is stretched out still.