הוֹי

Then he laid the body in his own tomb, and they lamented over him, “Oh, my brother!”

Alas, O sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a brood of evildoers, children who act corruptly! They have forsaken the LORD; they have despised the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on Him.

Therefore the Lord GOD of Hosts, the Mighty One of Israel, declares: “Ah, I will be relieved of My foes and avenge Myself on My enemies.

Woe to you who add house to house and join field to field until no place is left and you live alone in the land.

Woe to those who rise early in the morning in pursuit of strong drink, who linger into the evening, to be inflamed by wine.

Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of deceit and pull sin along with cart ropes,

Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who turn darkness to light and light to darkness, who replace bitter with sweet and sweet with bitter.

Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight.

Woe to those who are heroes in drinking wine and champions in mixing strong drink,

Woe to those who enact unjust statutes and issue oppressive decrees,

Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger; the staff in their hands is My wrath.

Alas, the tumult of many peoples; they rage like the roaring seas and clamoring nations; they rumble like the crashing of mighty waters.

Woe to the land of whirring wings, along the rivers of Cush,

Woe to the majestic crown of Ephraim’s drunkards, to the fading flower of his glorious splendor, set on the summit above the fertile valley, the pride of those overcome by wine.

Woe to you, O Ariel, the city of Ariel where David camped! Year upon year let your festivals recur.

Woe to those who dig deep to hide their plans from the LORD. In darkness they do their works and say, “Who sees us, and who will know?”

“Woe to the rebellious children,” declares the LORD, “to those who carry out a plan that is not Mine, who form an alliance, but against My will, heaping up sin upon sin.

Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in their abundance of chariots and in their multitude of horsemen. They do not look to the Holy One of Israel; they do not seek the LORD.

Woe to you, O destroyer never destroyed, O traitor never betrayed! When you have finished destroying, you will be destroyed. When you have finished betraying, you will be betrayed.

Woe to him who quarrels with his Maker—one clay pot among many. Does the clay ask the potter, ‘What are you making?’ Does your work say, ‘He has no hands’?

Woe to him who says to his father, ‘What have you begotten?’ or to his mother, ‘What have you brought forth?’”

“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you without money, come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost!

“Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness, and his upper rooms without justice, who makes his countrymen serve without pay, and fails to pay their wages,

Therefore this is what the LORD says concerning Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah: “They will not mourn for him: ‘Alas, my brother! Alas, my sister!’ They will not mourn for him: ‘Alas, my master! Alas, his splendor!’

“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!” declares the LORD.

How awful that day will be! None will be like it! It is the time of Jacob’s distress, but he will be saved out of it.

…you will die in peace. As spices were burned for your fathers, the former kings who preceded you, so people will burn spices for you and lament, ‘Alas, O master!’ For I Myself have spoken this word, declares the LORD.”

‘Alas, O sword of the LORD, how long until you rest? Return to your sheath; cease and be still!’

Concerning Moab, this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “Woe to Nebo, for it will be devastated. Kiriathaim will be captured and disgraced; the fortress will be shattered and dismantled.

Kill all her young bulls; let them go down to the slaughter. Woe to them, for their day has come—the time of their punishment.

This is what the Lord GOD says: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit yet have seen nothing.

…and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: Woe to the women who sew magic charms on their wrists and make veils for the heads of people of every height, in order to ensnare their souls. Will you ensnare the souls of My people but preserve your own?

“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Woe to the shepherds of Israel, who only feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed their flock?

Woe to you who long for the Day of the LORD! What will the Day of the LORD be for you? It will be darkness and not light.

Woe to those at ease in Zion and those secure on Mount Samaria, the distinguished ones of the foremost nation, to whom the house of Israel comes.

Woe to those who devise iniquity and plot evil on their beds! At morning’s light they accomplish it because the power is in their hands.

Woe to the city of blood, full of lies, full of plunder, never without prey.

Will not all of these take up a taunt against him, speaking with mockery and derision: ‘Woe to him who amasses what is not his and makes himself rich with many loans! How long will this go on?’

Woe to him who builds his house by unjust gain, to place his nest on high and escape the hand of disaster!

Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and establishes a town by iniquity!

Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbors, pouring it from the wineskin until they are drunk, in order to gaze at their nakedness!

Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Awake!’ or to silent stone, ‘Arise!’ Can it give guidance? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, yet there is no breath in it at all.”

Woe to the dwellers of the seacoast, O nation of the Cherethites! The word of the LORD is against you, O Canaan, land of the Philistines: “I will destroy you, and no one will be left.”

Woe to the city of oppressors, rebellious and defiled!

“Get up! Get up! Flee from the land of the north,” declares the LORD, “for I have scattered you like the four winds of heaven,” declares the LORD.

“Get up, O Zion! Escape, you who dwell with the Daughter of Babylon!”