"But they do not knowhow to dowhatis right,"declaresthe LORD,"these who hoardup violenceand devastationin their citadels."
"Nothingremainsfor him to devour,Thereforehis prosperitydoes not endure.
Do allthe workersof wickednessnot know,Who eatup my people[as] they eatbread,[And] do not callupon the Lord?
We will findall[kinds] of preciouswealth,We will fillour houseswith spoil;
A graciouswomanattainshonor,And ruthlessmenattainriches.
Evilmendo not understandjustice,But those who seekthe LORDunderstandallthings.
Then I lookedagainat allthe actsof oppressionwhichwere being doneunderthe sun.And behold[I saw] the tearsof the oppressedand [that] they hadnooneto comfort[them]; and on the sideof their oppressorswas power,but they hadnooneto comfort[them].
"For My peopleare foolish,They knowMe not; They are stupidchildrenAnd havenounderstanding.They are shrewdto doevil,But to dogoodthey do not know."
Then I said,"They are onlythe poor,They are foolish;For they do not knowthe wayof the LORD[Or] the ordinanceof their God.
if a mandoes not oppressanyone, but restoresto the debtorhis pledge,does not commitrobbery,[but] giveshis breadto the hungryand coversthe nakedwith clothing,
"The peopleof the landhave practicedoppressionand committedrobbery,and they have wrongedthe poorand needyand have oppressedthe sojournerwithoutjustice.
He saidto me, "Do you see[this], sonof man?Is it too lighta thingfor the houseof Judahto committhe abominationswhichthey have committedhere,that they have filledthe landwith violenceand provokedMe repeatedly?For behold,they are puttingthe twigto their nose.
When I would healIsrael,The iniquityof Ephraimis uncovered,And the evildeedsof Samaria,For they dealfalsely;The thiefentersin, Banditsraidoutside,
Hearthisword,you cowsof Bashanwhoare on the mountainof Samaria,Who oppressthe poor,who crushthe needy,Who sayto your husbands,"Bringnow, that we may drink!"
[For] those who turnjusticeinto wormwoodAnd castrighteousnessdownto the earth."
Do horsesrunon rocks?Ordoes one plowthem with oxen?Yetyou have turnedjusticeinto poisonAnd the fruitof righteousnessinto wormwood,
Do you putoffthe dayof calamity,And would you bringnearthe seatof violence?
The LordGODhas swornby Himself,the LORDGodof hostshas declared:"I loathethe arroganceof Jacob,And detesthis citadels;Therefore I will deliverup [the] cityand allit contains."
"Is there yeta manin the wickedhouse,[Along with] treasuresof wickednessAnd a shortmeasure[that is] cursed?
"And I will punishon that dayallwho leapon the [temple] threshold,Who fillthe houseof their lordwith violenceand deceit.
For when they maintainthis,it escapes their noticethat by the wordof God[the] heavensexistedlong agoand [the] earthwas formedout of waterand by water,
