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O Lord, do your eyes not look for truth?
You have struck them,
    but they felt no anguish;
you have consumed them,
    but they refused to take correction.
They have made their faces harder than rock;
    they have refused to turn back.(A)

Then I said, “These are only the poor;
    they have no sense,
for they do not know the way of the Lord,
    the law of their God.(B)
Let me go to the rich[a]
    and speak to them;
surely they know the way of the Lord,
    the law of their God.”
But they all alike had broken the yoke;
    they had burst the bonds.(C)

Therefore a lion from the forest shall kill them;
    a wolf from the desert shall destroy them.
A leopard is watching against their cities;
    everyone who goes out of them shall be torn in pieces,
because their transgressions are many;
    their faithlessness is great.(D)

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Footnotes

  1. 5.5 Or the great

Lord, don’t you look for integrity?
You have struck them down,
    but they didn’t even cringe.
You have crushed them,
    but they have ignored your discipline.
They make their faces harder than rock
    and refuse to return.
Then I thought to myself,
    These are the poor who don’t know better!
    They don’t understand the Lord’s way
        or the justice of their God.
Let me go and speak to the powerful people,
    for they will surely know the Lord’s way
    and the justice of their God.
But they too have broken their yoke
    and shattered the chains.
Therefore, a lion from the forest will attack them;
    a wolf from the desert will destroy them;
    a leopard prowling around their towns
        will tear to pieces anyone venturing out—
        because of their many crimes
        and countless acts of unfaithfulness.

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