² Their heart is deceitful,^(A)
    and now they must bear their guilt.^(B)
The Lord will demolish their altars^(C)
    and destroy their sacred stones.^(D)

³ Then they will say, “We have no king
    because we did not revere the Lord.
But even if we had a king,
    what could he do for us?”
⁴ They make many promises,
    take false oaths^(E)
    and make agreements;^(F)
therefore lawsuits spring up
    like poisonous weeds^(G) in a plowed field.