But a prophet of the LORD was there, whose name {was} Oded: and he went out before the host that came to Samaria, and said unto them, Behold, because the LORD God of your fathers was wroth with Judah, he hath delivered them into your hand, and ye have slain them in a rage {that} reacheth up unto heaven.

And I am very sore displeased with the heathen {that are} at ease: for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction.

A nation of fierce countenance, which shall not regard the person of the old, nor shew favour to the young: {of fierce...: Heb. strong of face}

For {thy} violence against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever.

For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment. {rejoiceth: or, glorieth}

For they persecute {him} whom thou hast smitten; and they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded. {those...: Heb. thy wounded}

Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? did not the LORD, he against whom we have sinned? for they would not walk in his ways, neither were they obedient unto his law.

{That} made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; {that} opened not the house of his prisoners? {opened...: or, did not let his prisoners loose homeward?}

For as ye have drunk upon my holy mountain, {so} shall all the heathen drink continually, yea, they shall drink, and they shall swallow down, and they shall be as though they had not been. {swallow...: or, sup up}

I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. {tread...: Heb. lay them a treading}

The Lord hath swallowed up all the habitations of Jacob, and hath not pitied: he hath thrown down in his wrath the strong holds of the daughter of Judah; he hath brought {them} down to the ground: he hath polluted the kingdom and the princes thereof. {brought...: Heb. made to touch}

Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives ravished.

Speak unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will profane my sanctuary, the excellency of your strength, the desire of your eyes, and that which your soul pitieth; and your sons and your daughters whom ye have left shall fall by the sword. {that...: Heb. the pity of your soul}

Therefore I have profaned the princes of the sanctuary, and have given Jacob to the curse, and Israel to reproaches. {princes...: or, holy princes}

By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.

And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the LORD; for his mercies {are} great: and let me not fall into the hand of man. {are great: or, are many}

For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

A nation of fierce countenance, which shall not regard the person of the old, nor shew favour to the young: {of fierce...: Heb. strong of face}

But a prophet of the LORD was there, whose name {was} Oded: and he went out before the host that came to Samaria, and said unto them, Behold, because the LORD God of your fathers was wroth with Judah, he hath delivered them into your hand, and ye have slain them in a rage {that} reacheth up unto heaven.

Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The children of Israel and the children of Judah {were} oppressed together: and all that took them captives held them fast; they refused to let them go.

The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand: they are wreathed, {and} come up upon my neck: he hath made my strength to fall, the Lord hath delivered me into {their} hands, {from whom} I am not able to rise up.

And I am very sore displeased with the heathen {that are} at ease: for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction.

In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.

Princes are hanged up by their hand: the faces of elders were not honoured.

Therefore I have profaned the princes of the sanctuary, and have given Jacob to the curse, and Israel to reproaches. {princes...: or, holy princes}

Because ye were glad, because ye rejoiced, O ye destroyers of mine heritage, because ye are grown fat as the heifer at grass, and bellow as bulls; {fat: Heb. big, or, corpulent} {bellow...: or, neigh as steeds}

They shall hold the bow and the lance: they {are} cruel, and will not shew mercy: their voice shall roar like the sea, and they shall ride upon horses, {every one} put in array, like a man to the battle, against thee, O daughter of Babylon.

For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian. {For...: or, When thou brakest}

Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will plead thy cause, and take vengeance for thee; and I will dry up her sea, and make her springs dry.

Wherefore have we fasted, {say they}, and thou seest not? {wherefore} have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours. {labours: or, things wherewith ye grieve others: Heb. griefs}

Israel {was} holiness unto the LORD, {and} the firstfruits of his increase: all that devour him shall offend; evil shall come upon them, saith the LORD.

The portion of Jacob {is} not like them: for he {is} the former of all {things}; and Israel {is} the rod of his inheritance: The LORD of hosts {is} his name.

And afterward, saith the LORD, I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, and his servants, and the people, and such as are left in this city from the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those that seek their life: and he shall smite them with the edge of the sword; he shall not spare them, neither have pity, nor have mercy.

All that found them have devoured them: and their adversaries said, We offend not, because they have sinned against the LORD, the habitation of justice, even the LORD, the hope of their fathers.

Israel {is} a scattered sheep; the lions have driven {him} away: first the king of Assyria hath devoured him; and last this Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath broken his bones.

And I will render unto Babylon and to all the inhabitants of Chaldea all their evil that they have done in Zion in your sight, saith the LORD.

The Lord hath swallowed up all the habitations of Jacob, and hath not pitied: he hath thrown down in his wrath the strong holds of the daughter of Judah; he hath brought {them} down to the ground: he hath polluted the kingdom and the princes thereof. {brought...: Heb. made to touch}

And thou shalt take thine inheritance in thyself in the sight of the heathen, and thou shalt know that I {am} the LORD. {shalt take...: or, shalt be profaned}

Because thou hast spoiled many nations, all the remnant of the people shall spoil thee; because of men's blood, and {for} the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein. {blood: Heb. bloods}

Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and {his} doctrine be not blasphemed.

Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the LORD shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all {things}: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee.

Then men shall say, Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD God of their fathers, which he made with them when he brought them forth out of the land of Egypt:

And now, behold, we {are} in thine hand: as it seemeth good and right unto thee to do unto us, do.

And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the LORD; for his mercies {are} great: and let me not fall into the hand of man. {are great: or, are many}

And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto this people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou {it} lighter unto us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little {finger} shall be thicker than my father's loins.

And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let me fall now into the hand of the LORD; for very great {are} his mercies: but let me not fall into the hand of man. {very great: or, very many}

Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore ease thou somewhat the grievous servitude of thy father, and his heavy yoke that he put upon us, and we will serve thee.

For whereas my father put a heavy yoke upon you, I will put more to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I {will chastise you} with scorpions. {my father put: Heb. my father laded}

A grievous vision is declared unto me; the treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler spoileth. Go up, O Elam: besiege, O Media; all the sighing thereof have I made to cease. {grievous: Heb. hard}

Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? did not the LORD, he against whom we have sinned? for they would not walk in his ways, neither were they obedient unto his law.

Now therefore, what have I here, saith the LORD, that my people is taken away for nought? they that rule over them make them to howl, saith the LORD; and my name continually every day {is} blasphemed.

Thou shalt not rule over him with rigour; but shalt fear thy God.

And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him. {forbearing: or, moderating} {your...: some read, both your and their Master}

[A Psalm of Asaph.] O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance; thy holy temple have they defiled; they have laid Jerusalem on heaps. {of: or, for}