Lexicon :: Strong's H1945 - hôy

Ah, sinful nation,

A people loaded down with wickedness [with sin, with injustice, with wrongdoing],

Offspring of evildoers,

Sons who behave corruptly!

They have abandoned (rejected) the LORD,

They have despised the Holy One of Israel [provoking Him to anger],

They have turned away from Him.

Therefore the Lord GOD of hosts,

The Mighty One of Israel, declares:

“Ah, I will be freed of My adversaries

And avenge Myself on My enemies.

Woe (judgment is coming) to those who join house to house and join field to field [to increase their holdings by depriving others],

Until there is no more room [for others],

So that you have to live alone in the midst of the land!

Woe (judgment is coming) to those who rise early in the morning to pursue intoxicating drink,

Who stay up late in the night till wine inflames them!

Woe (judgment is coming) to those who drag along wickedness with cords of falsehood,

And sin as if with cart ropes [towing their own punishment];

Woe (judgment is coming) to those who call evil good, and good evil;

Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness;

Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!

Woe (judgment is coming) to those [judges] who issue evil statutes,

And to those [magistrates] who constantly record unjust and oppressive decisions,

Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger [against Israel],

The staff in whose hand is My indignation and fury [against Israel’s disobedience]!

Oh, the uproar of many peoples

Who roar like the roaring of the seas,

And the noise of nations

Who roar like the rumbling of mighty waters!

Woe (judgment is coming) to the land of [fn]whirring wings

Which is beyond the rivers of [fn]Cush (Ethiopia),

Woe (judgment is coming) to [Samaria] the splendid crown of the drunkards of [fn]Ephraim,

And to the fading flower of its glorious beauty,

Which is at the head of the rich valley

Of those who are overcome with wine!

Woe (judgment is coming) to [fn]Ariel, to Ariel, the city where David [once] camped!

Add [fn]yet another year; let the feasts run their course [but only one year more].

Woe (judgment is coming) to those who [try to] deeply hide their plans from the LORD,

Whose deeds are done in a dark place,

And who say, “Who sees us?” or “Who knows us?”

“Woe (judgment is coming) to the rebellious children,” declares the LORD,

“Who carry out a plan, but not Mine,

And make an alliance [by pouring out a libation], but not of My Spirit,

In order to add sin to sin;

Woe (judgment is coming) to those who go down to Egypt for help,

Who rely on horses

And trust in chariots because they are many,

And in horsemen because they are very strong,

But they do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek and consult the LORD!

Woe (judgment is coming) to you, O destroyer,

You who were not destroyed,

And he who is treacherous, while others did not deal treacherously with him.

As soon as you finish destroying, you will be destroyed;

As soon as you stop dealing treacherously, others will deal treacherously with you.

“Woe (judgment is coming) to him who quarrels with his Maker—

A [worthless] piece of broken pottery among other broken pieces [equally worthless]!

Shall the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you doing?’

Or does the thing say, ‘He has no hands’?

“Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters;

And you who have no money come, buy grain and eat.

Come, buy wine and milk

Without money and without cost [simply accept it as a gift from God].

“Woe (judgment is coming) to him who builds his house by [acts of] unrighteousness

And his upper chambers by injustice,

Who uses his neighbor’s service without pay

And does not give him wages [for his work],

Therefore thus says the LORD in regard to [fn]Jehoiakim the [second] son of Josiah, king of Judah,

“The relatives will not lament (mourn over with expressions of grief) for him:

‘Alas, my brother!’ or, ‘Alas, sister,’ [how great our loss]!

The subjects will not lament for him:

‘Alas, master!’ or ‘Alas, majesty [how great was his glory]!’

“Woe to the shepherds (civil leaders, rulers) who are destroying and scattering the sheep of My pasture!” says the LORD.

‘Alas! for that day is great,

There is none like it;

It is the time of Jacob’s [unequaled] trouble,

But he will be saved from it.

“O you sword of the LORD,

How long will it be before you are quiet?

Put yourself into your sheath;

Rest and be still.

Concerning [fn]Moab.

Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel,

“Woe (judgment is coming) to [the city of] [fn]Nebo, for it has been destroyed!

Kiriathaim has been shamed, it has been captured;

Misgab [the high fortress] has been shamed, broken down and crushed.

Kill all her young bulls [her strength—her young men];

Let them go down to the slaughter!

Woe (judgment is coming) to the Chaldeans, for their day has come,

The time of their punishment.

Woe (judgment is coming) to you who desire the day of the LORD [expecting rescue from the Gentiles]!

Why would you want the day of the LORD?

It is darkness (judgment) and not light [and rescue and prosperity];

Woe (judgment is coming) to those who are at ease and carefree in Zion (Judah)

And to those on the mountain of Samaria who feel secure,

The distinguished men of the foremost of nations,

To whom the house of Israel comes.

Woe (judgment is coming) to those who devise wickedness

And plot evil on their beds!

When morning comes, they practice evil

Because it is in the power of their hands.

Woe (judgment is coming) to the city of blood [guilty of murder and mayhem], completely full of lies and pillage;

Her prey never departs [alive].

“Will all these [victims of his greed] not take up a taunting song against him,

And in mocking derision against him

Say, ‘[fn]Woe (judgment is coming) to him who increases that which is not his—

How long [will he possess it]?

And [woe to him who] makes himself wealthy with loans.’

“Woe (judgment is coming) to him who obtains wicked gain for his house [and thinks by so doing]

To set his nest on high,

That he may be rescued from the hand of evil.

“Woe (judgment is coming) to him who builds a city with bloodshed

And establishes a town by violence!

“Woe (judgment is coming) to you who make your neighbors drink,

Who mix in your venom to make them drunk

So that you may look at their nakedness!

“Woe (judgment is coming) to him who says to the wooden image, ‘Awake!’

And to the speechless stone, ‘Arise!’

And that is your teacher?

Look, it is overlaid with gold and silver,

And there is no breath at all inside it.

Woe (judgment is coming) to the inhabitants of the seacoast,

The nation of the Cherethites [in Philistia]!

The word of the LORD is against you,

O Canaan, land of the Philistines;

I will destroy you

So that no inhabitant will be left.

Woe (judgment is coming) to her who is rebellious and defiled,

The tyrannical city [Jerusalem]!

“[fn]Hear this! Flee from [Babylon] the land of the north [which shall come under judgment],” declares the LORD, “for I have scattered you like the four winds of the heavens,” declares the LORD.

“Woe (judgment is coming) to the worthless and foolish shepherd

Who deserts the flock!

The sword will strike his arm

And his right eye!

His arm shall be totally withered

And his right eye completely blinded.”