Chapter 2

  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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  And they covet fields, and take them by violence; and houses, and take them away; and they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage.  

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  Therefore thus saith Jehovah: Behold, against this family do I devise an evil, from which ye shall not remove your necks; neither shall ye walk haughtily: for it is an evil time.  

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  In that day shall they take up a proverb concerning you, and lament with a doleful lamentation, [and] say, We are utterly spoiled: he hath changed the portion of my people: how hath he removed it from me! He hath distributed our fields to the rebellious.  

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  Therefore thou shalt have none that shall cast the measuring line upon a lot, in the congregation of Jehovah.  

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  Prophesy ye not, they prophesy. If they do not prophesy to these, the ignominy will not depart.  

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  O thou [that art] named the house of Jacob, Is Jehovah impatient? are these his doings? Do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly?  

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  But of late my people is risen up as an enemy: ye strip off the mantle with the garment from them that pass by securely, that are averse from war.  

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  The women of my people do ye cast out from their pleasant houses; from their young children do ye take away my magnificence for ever.  

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  Arise ye, and depart; for this is not the resting-place, because of defilement that bringeth destruction, even a grievous destruction.  

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  If a man walking in wind and falsehood do lie, [saying,] I will prophesy unto thee of wine and of strong drink, he shall be the prophet of this people.  

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  I will surely assemble, O Jacob, the whole of thee; I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together as sheep of Bozrah, as a flock in the midst of their pasture: they shall make great noise by reason of [the multitude of] men.  

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  One that breaketh through is gone up before them: they have broken forth, and have passed on to the gate, and are gone out by it; and their king passeth on before them, and Jehovah at the head of them.  

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