Thoughtless words can wound as deeply as any sword, but wisely spoken words can heal.

I destroyed the power of cruel men and rescued their victims.

Come, LORD! Save me, my God! You punish all my enemies and leave them powerless to harm me.

You make plans to ruin others; your tongue is like a sharp razor. You are always inventing lies.

I am surrounded by enemies, who are like lions hungry for human flesh. Their teeth are like spears and arrows; their tongues are like sharp swords.

Break the teeth of these fierce lions, O God.

The second beast looked like a bear standing on its hind legs. It was holding three ribs between its teeth, and a voice said to it, "Go on, eat as much meat as you can!"

As I was watching, a fourth beast appeared. It was powerful, horrible, terrifying. With its huge iron teeth it crushed its victims, and then it trampled on them. Unlike the other beasts, it had ten horns.

Their hair was like women's hair, their teeth were like lions' teeth.

If you make gifts to rich people or oppress the poor to get rich, you will become poor yourself.

Someone in authority who oppresses poor people is like a driving rain that destroys the crops.

They hide themselves in the villages, waiting to murder innocent people. They spy on their helpless victims;

they wait in their hiding place like lions. They lie in wait for the poor; they catch them in their traps and drag them away.

"But now I will come," says the LORD, "because the needy are oppressed and the persecuted groan in pain. I will give them the security they long for."

"Don't they know?" asks the LORD. "Are all these evildoers ignorant? They live by robbing my people, and they never pray to me."

Then I looked again at all the injustice that goes on in this world. The oppressed were crying, and no one would help them. No one would help them, because their oppressors had power on their side.

A stupid person is evil and does evil things; he plots to ruin the poor with lies and to keep them from getting their rights.

They trample down the weak and helpless and push the poor out of the way. A man and his father have intercourse with the same slave woman, and so profane my holy name.

Listen to this, you women of Samaria, who grow fat like the well-fed cows of Bashan, who mistreat the weak, oppress the poor, and demand that your husbands keep you supplied with liquor!

Listen to this, you that trample on the needy and try to destroy the poor of the country.

How terrible it will be for those who lie awake and plan evil! When morning comes, as soon as they have the chance, they do the evil they planned.

When they want fields, they seize them; when they want houses, they take them. No one's family or property is safe.

Listen, you rulers of Israel! You are supposed to be concerned about justice,

You eat my people up. You strip off their skin, break their bones, and chop them up like meat for the pot.

My people are deceived by prophets who promise peace to those who pay them, but threaten war for those who don't. To these prophets the LORD says,

Your arrows pierced the commander of his army when it came like a storm to scatter us, gloating like those who secretly oppress the poor.

Its officials are like roaring lions; its judges are like hungry wolves, too greedy to leave a bone until morning.

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And now, you rich people, listen to me! Weep and wail over the miseries that are coming upon you!

Your gold and silver are covered with rust, and this rust will be a witness against you and will eat up your flesh like fire. You have piled up riches in these last days.