The people's sins (Jeremiah 5:26–28) fully justified the Lord's punishment, but the religious leaders committed even more wrongs. The prophets lied and claimed these lies were prophecies from the Lord (Jeremiah 14:14; Ezekiel 13:6). The priests, who were supposed to serve the people, became tyrants and ruled harshly. Surprisingly, the people accepted their leaders' new roles, even though this left them unprepared for the disaster approaching them (Micah 2:11).