“Job, why does God punish\par and blame you?\par Is it because you worship him?\par
Isaiah 3:14 - Easy To Read Version The Lord will give his judgment against the elders {\cf2\super [32]} and leaders for the things they have done. Tuilleadh leaganachaKing James Version (Oxford) 1769 The LORD will enter into judgment with the ancients of his people, and the princes thereof: for ye have eaten up the vineyard; the spoil of the poor is in your houses. Amplified Bible - Classic Edition The Lord enters into judgment with the elders of His people and their princes: For [by your exactions and oppressions you have robbed the people and ruined the country] you have devoured the vineyard; the spoil of the poor is in your houses. American Standard Version (1901) Jehovah will enter into judgment with the elders of his people, and the princes thereof: It is ye that have eaten up the vineyard; the spoil of the poor is in your houses: Common English Bible The LORD will enter into judgment with the elders and princes of his people: You yourselves have devoured the vineyard; the goods stolen from the poor are in your houses. Catholic Public Domain Version The Lord will enter into judgment with the elders of his people, and with their leaders. For you have been devouring the vineyard, and the plunder from the poor is in your house. Douay-Rheims version of The Bible - 1752 version The Lord will enter into judgment with the ancients of his people and its princes. For you have devoured the vineyard: and the spoil of the poor is in your house. |
“Job, why does God punish\par and blame you?\par Is it because you worship him?\par
A murderer gets up early in the morning,\par and kills poor, helpless people.\par And at night he becomes a thief.\par
Evil people take a nursing baby from its mother.\par They take a poor person’s child\par as security {\cf2\super [39]} for a loan.\par
God does not need to pick a time\par to test people some more.\par God does not need to bring people\par in front of him to be judged.\par
Those bad people are like lions trying to catch the animals they will eat.\par They attack poor people.\par The poor people are caught in the traps that the evil people make.\par
Bad people have destroyed my people.\par And those bad people don’t know God.\par Bad people have plenty of food to eat. {\cf2\super [76]} \par And they don’t even worship the Lord.\par
Don’t judge me, your servant.\par Never, in all my life, could I ever be judged innocent.\par
There are people whose teeth are like swords. Their jaws are like knives. They use their time to take everything they can from poor people.
Look at the lawmakers that write evil laws. Those lawmakers write laws that make life hard for people.
Those lawmakers are not fair to the poor people. They take away the poor people’s rights. They allow people to steal from widows and orphans. {\cf2\super [112]}
But my poor people will be able to eat safely. Their children will be safe. My poor people will be able to lie down and feel safe. But I will kill your family with hunger. And all your people that are left will die.
The Lord will make the poor people happy. The poor people will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
The Holy One (God) of Israel says, “You people have refused to accept this message from the Lord. You people want to depend on fighting and lies to help you.
The field of grapes that belongs to the Lord All-Powerful is the nation of Israel. The grapevine—the plant the Lord loves—is the man of Judah. {\cf2\super [48]}
You are hungry; but not for food. You are hungry for arguing and fighting, not bread. You are hungry to hit people with your evil hands. When you stop eating food, it is not for me. You don’t want to use your voice to praise me.
Many shepherds (leaders) have ruined\par my field of grapes.\par Those shepherds have walked\par on the plants in my field.\par Those shepherds have made my beautiful field\par into an empty desert.\par
The houses of these evil men are full of lies,\par like a cage full of birds.\par Their lies made them rich and powerful.\par
He might mistreat poor, helpless people. He might take advantage of people. He might not give back the collateral {\cf2\super [134]} when a person pays his debt. That evil son might pray to those filthy idols and do other terrible things.
I will lead you into a desert \{like I did before\}. But this will be a place where other nations live. We will stand face to face and I will judge you.
I will judge you just like I judged your ancestors {\cf2\super [149]} in the desert near Egypt.” The Lord my Master said these things.
“Don’t cheat your neighbor when you sell your land to him. And don’t let him cheat you when you buy land from him.
You must not cheat each other. You must honor your God! I am the Lord your God!
They pushed those poor peoples’ faces into the ground and walked on them. They stopped listening to suffering people. Fathers and sons have sexual relations with the same woman. They have ruined my holy name.
Listen to me, you cows of Bashan {\cf2\super [48]} on Samaria’s mountain. You hurt poor people. You crush those poor people. You tell your husbands, {\cf2\super [49]} “Bring us something to drink!”
Trouble will come to people\par that make plans to sin.\par Those people lie on their beds\par making their evil plans\par Then when the morning light comes,\par they do the bad things they planned.\par Why? Simply because they have the power\par to do what they want.\par
They want fields,\par so they take them.\par They want houses,\par so they take them.\par They cheat a man\par and take his house.\par They cheat a man\par and take his land from him.\par
You are destroying my people! {\cf2\super [37]} \par You take their skin off them,\par and break their bones.\par You chop their bones up like \{meat\}\par to put in the pot!\par
Do the bad people still hide treasures\par that they have stolen?\par Do bad people still cheat people\par with baskets that are too small? {\cf2\super [76]} \par \{Yes! All of those things are still happening!\}\par
“Listen to this story: There was a man that owned a vineyard. He put a wall around the field and dug a hole for a wine press. {\cf2\super [299]} Then the man built a tower. He leased the land to some farmers. Then he left for a trip.
But you show no respect to the poor man. And you know that the rich people are the people who always try to control your lives. And they are the people who take you to court.