{There is} a generation, whose teeth {are as} swords, and their jaw teeth {as} knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from {among} men.

Forasmuch therefore as your treading {is} upon the poor, and ye take from him burdens of wheat: ye have built houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in them; ye have planted pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not drink wine of them. {pleasant...: Heb. vineyards of desire}

Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people {as} they eat bread, and call not upon the LORD.

For the vile person will speak villany, and his heart will work iniquity, to practise hypocrisy, and to utter error against the LORD, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.

For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the LORD; I will set {him} in safety {from him that} puffeth at him. {puffeth...: or, would ensnare him}

Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away {the punishment} thereof; because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes;

I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted, {and} the right of the poor.

Ye have condemned {and} killed the just; {and} he doth not resist you.

But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in {yourselves}, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.

And he said, Hear thou therefore the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left.

Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not: {understanding: Heb. heart}

Then said the prophet Jeremiah unto Hananiah the prophet, Hear now, Hananiah; The LORD hath not sent thee; but thou makest this people to trust in a lie.

Hear the word of the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah.

Now therefore hear thou the word of the LORD: Thou sayest, Prophesy not against Israel, and drop not {thy word} against the house of Isaac.

[To the chief Musician upon Jonathelemrechokim, Michtam of David, when the Philistines took him in Gath.] Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up; he fighting daily oppresseth me. {Michtam...: or, A golden Psalm of David}

Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which {is} in Jerusalem.

And they covet fields, and take {them} by violence; and houses, and take {them} away: so they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage. {oppress: or, defraud}

Thou shalt not steal.

Ye shall have just balances, and a just ephah, and a just bath.

But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and {into} many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.

Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people {as} they eat bread, and call not upon the LORD.

Thou shalt not oppress an hired servant {that is} poor and needy, {whether he be} of thy brethren, or of thy strangers that {are} in thy land within thy gates:

{There is} a generation, whose teeth {are as} swords, and their jaw teeth {as} knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from {among} men.

But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?

And if thou sell ought unto thy neighbour, or buyest {ought} of thy neighbour's hand, ye shall not oppress one another:

What mean ye {that} ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor? saith the Lord GOD of hosts.

Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon hath devoured me, he hath crushed me, he hath made me an empty vessel, he hath swallowed me up like a dragon, he hath filled his belly with my delicates, he hath cast me out.

Thou hast despised mine holy things, and hast profaned my sabbaths.

Hear this word, ye kine of Bashan, that {are} in the mountain of Samaria, which oppress the poor, which crush the needy, which say to their masters, Bring, and let us drink.

Which devour widows' houses, and for a shew make long prayers: the same shall receive greater damnation.

And this {is} the manner of the release: Every creditor that lendeth {ought} unto his neighbour shall release {it}; he shall not exact {it} of his neighbour, or of his brother; because it is called the LORD'S release. {creditor: Heb. master of the lending of his hand}

{As} the partridge sitteth {on eggs}, and hatcheth {them} not; {so} he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool. {sitteth...: or, gathereth young which she hath not brought forth}

Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?

Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.

And hath not oppressed any, {but} hath restored to the debtor his pledge, hath spoiled none by violence, hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment;

And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him. {forbearing: or, moderating} {your...: some read, both your and their Master}

Behold, therefore I have smitten mine hand at thy dishonest gain which thou hast made, and at thy blood which hath been in the midst of thee.

For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.

Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away {the punishment} thereof; because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes;

That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and turn aside the way of the meek: and a man and his father will go in unto the {same} maid, to profane my holy name: {maid: or, young woman}

That which he laboured for shall he restore, and shall not swallow {it} down: according to {his} substance {shall} the restitution {be}, and he shall not rejoice {therein}. {his...: Heb. the substance of his exchange}

That we may buy the poor for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes; {yea}, and sell the refuse of the wheat?

They turn the needy out of the way: the poor of the earth hide themselves together.

Who hate the good, and love the evil; who pluck off their skin from off them, and their flesh from off their bones;

Divers weights, {and} divers measures, both of them {are} alike abomination to the LORD. {Divers weights: Heb. A stone and a stone} {divers measures: Heb. an ephah and an ephah}

The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower {is} servant to the lender. {the lender: Heb. the man that lendeth}

He that withholdeth corn, the people shall curse him: but blessing {shall be} upon the head of him that selleth {it}.

As a cage is full of birds, so {are} their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxen rich. {cage: or, coop}

If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for {he that is} higher than the highest regardeth; and {there be} higher than they. {at the... Heb. at the will, or, purpose}