¹³ The people ^(E)did not turn to him who struck them,
    nor inquire of the Lord of hosts.
¹⁴ So the Lord cut off from Israel ^(F)head and tail,
    palm branch and reed in one day—
^15 (G)the elder and honored man is the head,
    and ^(H)the prophet who teaches lies is the tail;
¹⁶ for those who guide this people have been leading them astray,
    and those who are guided by them are swallowed up.
¹⁷ Therefore the Lord does not ^(I)rejoice over their young men,
    and has no compassion on their fatherless and widows;
for everyone is ^(J)godless and an evildoer,
    and every mouth speaks ^(K)folly.^[a]
(L)For all this his anger has not turned away,
    and his hand is stretched out still.

¹⁸ For wickedness burns like ^(M)a fire;
    it consumes briers and thorns;
it kindles the thickets of the forest,
    and they roll upward in a column of smoke.
¹⁹ Through the wrath of the Lord of hosts
    the land is scorched,
and ^(N)the people are like fuel for the fire;
    ^(O)no one spares another.
^20 (P)They slice meat on the right, but are still hungry,
    and they devour on the left, but are not satisfied;
^(Q)each devours the flesh of his own arm,
²¹ Manasseh devours Ephraim, and Ephraim devours Manasseh;
    together they are ^(R)against Judah.
^(S)For all this his anger has not turned away,
    and his hand is stretched out still.

10 Woe to those who ^(T)decree iniquitous decrees,
    and the writers who ^(U)keep writing oppression,
² to turn aside the needy from justice
    and ^(V)to rob the poor of my people of their right,
that widows may be their spoil,
    and that they may make the fatherless their prey!
³ What will you do on ^(W)the day of punishment,
    in the ruin that will come ^(X)from afar?
To whom will you flee for help,
    and where will you leave your wealth?
⁴ Nothing remains but to crouch among the prisoners
    or fall among the slain.
^(Y)For all this his anger has not turned away,
    and his hand is stretched out still.