You are doomed! You buy more houses and fields to add to those you already have. Soon there will be no place for anyone else to live, and you alone will live in the land.

I have heard the LORD Almighty say, "All these big, fine houses will be empty ruins.

They are like greedy dogs that never get enough. These leaders have no understanding. They each do as they please and seek their own advantage.

Everyone, great and small, tries to make money dishonestly; even prophets and priests cheat the people.

So I will give their fields to new owners and their wives to other men. Everyone, great and small, tries to make money dishonestly. Even prophets and priests cheat the people.

But you can only see your selfish interests; you kill the innocent and violently oppress your people. The LORD has spoken.

So my people crowd in to hear what you have to say, but they don't do what you tell them to do. Loving words are on their lips, but they continue their greedy ways.

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

And so the LORD says, "I am planning to bring disaster on you, and you will not be able to escape it. You are going to find yourselves in trouble, and then you will not walk so proudly any more.

And he went on to say to them all, "Watch out and guard yourselves from every kind of greed; because your true life is not made up of the things you own, no matter how rich you may be."

Since you are God's people, it is not right that any matters of sexual immorality or indecency or greed should even be mentioned among you.

You may be sure that no one who is immoral, indecent, or greedy (for greed is a form of idolatry) will ever receive a share in the Kingdom of Christ and of God.

You must put to death, then, the earthly desires at work in you, such as sexual immorality, indecency, lust, evil passions, and greed (for greed is a form of idolatry).

But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and are caught in the trap of many foolish and harmful desires, which pull them down to ruin and destruction.

In their greed these false teachers will make a profit out of telling you made-up stories. For a long time now their Judge has been ready, and their Destroyer has been wide awake!

They want to look for nothing but the chance to commit adultery; their appetite for sin is never satisfied. They lead weak people into a trap. Their hearts are trained to be greedy. They are under God's curse!

The LORD has hidden himself from his people, but I trust him and place my hope in him.

The God of Israel, who saves his people, is a God who conceals himself.

The people of Israel have not repented; even though the LORD Almighty has punished them, they have not returned to him.

I punished you, but it did no good; you would not let me correct you. Like a raging lion, you have murdered your prophets.

Surely the LORD looks for faithfulness. He struck you, but you paid no attention; he crushed you, but you refused to learn. You were stubborn and would not turn from your sins.

He spent everything he had. Then a severe famine spread over that country, and he was left without a thing.

He wished he could fill himself with the bean pods the pigs ate, but no one gave him anything to eat.

It is useless; it is like chasing the wind. It is better to be satisfied with what you have than to be always wanting something else.