"Now hear this, heads of the house of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel, who abhor justice and twist everything that is straight, who build Zion with bloodshed and Jerusalem with violent injustice.  Her leaders pronounce judgment for a bribe, her priests instruct for a price and her prophets divine for money.  Yet they lean on the Lord, saying, 'Is not the Lord in our midst?  Calamity will not come upon us.'  Therefore, on account of you Zion will be plowed as a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of ruins, and the mountain of the temple will become high places of a forest."

Any time we place something above Jesus we find ourselves in trouble with God.  This is what happens to the prophets of Israel.  They begin prophesy for money.

The rest of the religions in the world at this time considered a "bribe" to a priest as a legitimate form of worship.  This was meant to keep priests and prophets working.  In other words, if we pay the priest extra, he will like us more and continue to go to our god with us in mind.

All of this rests on the shoulders of a good priest. 

We have a Great High Priest - one that goes to our Heavenly Father for us without bribe.  Jesus loves us without us paying for it - so when a prophet or priest tries to get paid for directing God's love, we realize that God is placed in second place.

Verses 9-12 tell us what happens to the prophet who puts God at second string.

He who is like Jehovah places God at the head of the table and accepts God's love for everyone.