How are rulers, priests and prophets accused?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

Violent imagery and paid judgments precede the sentence against Sion and the temple mountain.

Chapter breakdown

The heading names oppression, prophets flattering for gain and perverted judgment as grounds for Jerusalem and temple destruction. Princes of Jacob and Israel’s chiefs are asked whether judgment is theirs to know. Hating good and loving evil is depicted by removal of skin and flesh and the breaking and chopping of bones for kettle and pot. Their later cries go unheard and God hides his face because of wicked devices.

Prophets make the people err, biting with teeth and preaching peace, but preparing war against one who gives nothing into their mouths. Night replaces vision and darkness divination; the sun sets and their day darkens. Visionaries and diviners are confounded and cover their faces because God gives no answer. The speaker contrasts his strength from God’s spirit, judgment and power to declare Jacob’s wickedness and Israel’s sin.

Princes and judges abhorring judgment build Sion with blood and Jerusalem with iniquity. Princes judge for bribes, priests teach for hire and prophets divine for money, while claiming God’s presence means no evil will come. The announced result is Sion ploughed as a field, Jerusalem a heap of stones and the temple mountain as forest high places. The sentence is an announcement here; it does not establish an observed fulfillment or a blanket rule for every paid teacher.

The story inside

The people’s bones appear as kettle and pot meat. The prophets receive no answer from God. The speaker contrasts strength, judgment and power.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The people’s bones appear as kettle and pot meat.
2
The prophets receive no answer from God.
3
The speaker contrasts strength, judgment and power.

Test your recall

What claim of protection accompanies payments?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 101650–101662
3:1. And I said: Hear, O ye princes of Jacob, and ye chiefs of the house of Israel: Is it not your part to know judgment, 3:2. You that hate good, and love evil: that violently pluck off their skins from them and their flesh from their bones? 3:3. Who have eaten the flesh of my people, and have flayed their skin off them: and have broken, and chopped their bones as for the kettle, and as flesh in the midst of the pot. 3:4. Then shall they cry to the Lord, and he will not hear them: and he will hide his face from them at that time, as they have behaved wickedly in their devices.
Lines 101664–101674
3:5. Thus saith the Lord concerning the prophets that make my people err: that bite with their teeth, and preach peace: and if a man give not something into their mouth, they prepare war against him. 3:6. Therefore night shall be to you instead of vision, and darkness to you instead of divination: and the sun shall go down upon the prophets, and the day shall be darkened over them. 3:7. And they shall be confounded that see visions, and the diviners shall be confounded: and they shall all cover their faces, because there is no answer of God.
Lines 101676–101678
3:8. But yet I am filled with the strength of the spirit of the Lord, with judgment and power: to declare unto Jacob his wickedness and to Israel his sin.
Lines 101680–101692
3:9. Hear this, ye princes of the house of Jacob, and ye judges of the house of Israel: you that abhor judgment and pervert all that is right. 3:10. You that build up Sion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity. 3:11. Her princes have judged for bribes: and her priests have taught for hire, and her prophets divined for money: and they leaned upon the Lord, saying: Is not the Lord in the midst of us? no evil shall come upon us. 3:12. Therefore because of you, Sion shall be ploughed as a field, and Jerusalem shall be as a heap of stones, and the mountain of the temple as the high places of the forests.