⁹ The Lord’s voice calls out to all Jerusalem—listen to the Lord if you are wise! “The armies of destruction are coming; the Lord is sending them. ¹⁰ For your sins are very great—is there to be no end of getting rich by cheating? The homes of the wicked are full of ungodly treasures and lying scales. ¹¹ Shall I say ‘Good!’ to all your merchants with their bags of false, deceitful weights? How could God be just while saying that? ¹² Your rich men are wealthy through extortion and violence; your citizens are so used to lying that their tongues can’t tell the truth!

¹³ “Therefore I will wound you! I will make your hearts miserable for all your sins. ¹⁴ You will eat but never have enough; hunger pangs and emptiness will still remain. And though you try and try to save your money, it will come to nothing at the end, and what little you succeed in storing up I’ll give to those who conquer you!^{[a] 15} You will plant crops but not harvest them; you will press out the oil from the olives and not get enough to anoint yourself! You will trample the grapes but get no juice to make your wine.

¹⁶ “The only commands you keep are those of Omri; the only example you follow is that of Ahab! Therefore, I will make an awesome example of you—I will destroy you. I will make you the laughingstock of the world; all who see you will snicker and sneer!”