“‘ “The princes of Israel are in your city. All of them use their power to spill blood.

“看哪，以色列的首领各逞其能，在你中间流人之血。

“看哪，以色列的领袖在你那里，为了流人的血各逞其能。

“看哪，以色列的领袖在你那里，为了流人的血各逞其能。

“‘看啊，在你城中的以色列首领各逞权势，杀人流血。

看哪！以色列的领袖们恃着自己的能力，在你里面流人的血。

「看哪，以色列的首領各逞其能，在你中間流人之血。

「看哪，以色列的領袖在你那裏，為了流人的血各逞其能。

「看哪，以色列的領袖在你那裏，為了流人的血各逞其能。

「『看啊，在你城中的以色列首領各逞權勢，殺人流血。

看哪！以色列的領袖們恃著自己的能力，在你裡面流人的血。

『看哪，以色列的眾首領各逞其權勢都在你中間要流人血呢。

以色列牧伯、各奮其力、流血於爾中、

以色列牧伯、居於爾中、竭力殺人、

以色列牧伯、俱於爾中竭力殺人流血、

“‘ See how each of the princes of Israel who are in you uses his power to shed blood.

“ Behold, the princes of Israel in you, every one according to his power, have been bent on shedding blood.

“ Every leader in Israel who lives within your walls is bent on murder.

“‘ Look, every prince of Israel within you has used his strength to shed blood.

“ Behold, the rulers of Israel, each according to his power, have been among you for the purpose of shedding blood.

“ Look, the princes of Israel: each one has used his power to shed blood in you.

Behold, the princes of Israel, every one according to his power, have been in thee to shed blood.

“ Look, every prince of Israel within you has used his strength to shed blood.

Behold, the princes of Israel, every one were in thee to their power to shed blood.

“‘ See how each of the princes of Israel living within you has used his authority to shed blood.

“‘“ Behold, the princes of Israel, everyone according to his power, have been in you to shed blood.

The officials in the land are like wolves that tear their food apart. They spill blood and kill people to get rich.

Your rulers refuse to obey the Lord. They join forces with robbers. All of them love to accept money from those who want special favors. They are always looking for gifts from other people. They don’t stand up in court for children whose fathers have died. They don’t do it for widows either.

Listen to me, you leaders of Jacob’s people! Pay attention, you rulers of Israel! You hate to do what is fair. You twist everything that is right.You build up Zion by spilling the blood of others. You build Jerusalem by doing what is evil.Your judges take money from people who want special favors. Your priests teach only if they get paid for it. Your prophets won’t tell fortunes unless they receive money. But you still look for the Lord’ s help. You say,“ The Lord is with us. No trouble will come on us.”

Our kings and leaders didn’t follow your law. Our priests and our people before us didn’t follow it either. They didn’t pay any attention to your commands or rules that you warned them to keep.

How terrible it will be for those who plan to harm others! How terrible for those who make evil plans before they even get out of bed! As soon as daylight comes, they carry out their plans. That’s because they have the power to do it.

Then I said,“ Listen, you leaders of Jacob’s people! Pay attention, you rulers of Israel! You should want to judge others fairly.But you hate what is good. And you love what is evil. You are like someone who tears the skin off my people. You pull the meat off their bones.You eat my people’s bodies. You strip off their skin. You break their bones in pieces. You chop them up like meat. You put them in a cooking pot.”

Joshua stood in front of the angel. He was wearing clothes that were very dirty.

“ A thief is dishonored when he is caught. And you people of Israel are filled with shame. Your kings and officials are dishonored. So are your priests and your prophets.You say to a piece of wood,‘ You are my father.’ You say to a stone,‘ You are my mother.’ You have turned your backs to me. You refuse to look at me. But when you are in trouble, you say,‘ Come and save us!’

So I will go to the leaders. I’ll speak to them. They should know how the Lord wants them to live. They must know what their God requires of them.” But all of them had broken off the yoke the Lord had put on them. They had torn off the ropes he had tied them up with.

The people of Israel and Judah have made me very angry. They have done many evil things. They, their kings and officials have sinned. So have their priests and prophets. And the people of Judah and Jerusalem have also sinned.

Lord, we are covered with shame. So are our kings and princes, and our people of long ago. We have sinned against you.