| 1 ¶ Woe to them that devise iniquity, and work evil upon their beds! when the morning is light, they practise it, because it is in the power of their hand.
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| 2 And they covet fields, and take them by violence; and houses, and take them away: so they oppress1 a man and his house, even a man and his heritage.
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| 3 Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, against this family do I devise an evil, from which ye shall not remove your necks; neither shall ye go haughtily: for this time is evil.
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| 4 In that day shall one take up a parable against you, and lament with a doleful2 lamentation, and say, We be utterly spoiled: he hath changed the portion of my people: how hath he removed it from me! turning3 away he hath divided our fields.
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| 5 Therefore thou shalt have none that shall cast a cord by lot in the congregation of the LORD.
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| 6 ¶ Prophesy ye4 not, say they to them that prophesy: they shall not prophesy to them, that they shall not take shame.
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| 7 O thou that art named the house of Jacob, is the spirit of the LORD straitened5? are these his doings? do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly6?
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| 8 Even of late7 my people is risen up as an enemy: ye pull off the8 robe with the garment from them that pass by securely as men averse from war.
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| 9 The women9 of my people have ye cast out from their pleasant houses; from their children have ye taken away my glory for ever.
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| 10 Arise ye, and depart; for this is not your rest: because it is polluted, it shall destroy you, even with a sore destruction.
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| 11 If a man walking10 in the spirit and falsehood do lie, saying, I will prophesy unto thee of wine and of strong drink; he shall even be the prophet of this people.
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| 12 ¶ I will surely assemble, O Jacob, all of thee; I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together as the sheep of Bozrah, as the flock in the midst of their fold: they shall make great noise by reason of the multitude of men.
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| 13 The breaker is come up before them: they have broken up, and have passed through the gate, and are gone out by it: and their king shall pass before them, and the LORD on the head of them.
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