"Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner; remember that you were foreigners in Egypt.

If you do, I, the LORD, will answer them when they cry out to me for help,

"Do not mistreat a foreigner; you know how it feels to be a foreigner, because you were foreigners in Egypt.

"Do not cheat poor and needy hired servants, whether they are Israelites or foreigners living in one of your towns.

"Parents are not to be put to death for crimes committed by their children, and children are not to be put to death for crimes committed by their parents; people are to be put to death only for a crime they themselves have committed.

Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the LORD your God set you free; that is why I have given you this command.

" 'God's curse on anyone who deprives foreigners, orphans, and widows of their rights.' "And all the people will answer, 'Amen!'

May the king judge the poor fairly; may he help the needy and defeat their oppressors.

Don't take advantage of the poor just because you can; don't take advantage of those who stand helpless in court.

The LORD will argue their case for them and threaten the life of anyone who threatens theirs.

Never move an old property line or take over land owned by orphans.

The LORD is their powerful defender, and he will argue their case against you.

Wash yourselves clean. Stop all this evil that I see you doing. Yes, stop doing evil

and learn to do right. See that justice is done---help those who are oppressed, give orphans their rights, and defend widows."

Your leaders are rebels and friends of thieves; they are always accepting gifts and bribes. They never defend orphans in court or listen when widows present their case.

why they are fat and well fed. There is no limit to their evil deeds. They do not give orphans their rights or show justice to the oppressed.

Does it make you a better king if you build houses of cedar, finer than those of others? Your father enjoyed a full life. He was always just and fair, and he prospered in everything he did.

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

None of you in the city honor your parents. You cheat foreigners and take advantage of widows and orphans.

Some of your people murder for pay. Some charge interest on the loans they make to other Israelites and get rich by taking advantage of them. They have forgotten me." The Sovereign LORD has spoken.

The wealthy cheat and rob. They mistreat the poor and take advantage of foreigners.

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!

You have oppressed the poor and robbed them of their grain. And so you will not live in the fine stone houses you build or drink wine from the beautiful vineyards you plant.

I know how terrible your sins are and how many crimes you have committed. You persecute good people, take bribes, and prevent the poor from getting justice in the courts.

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.

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.

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.

Jerusalem is doomed, that corrupt, rebellious city that oppresses its own people.

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

The LORD Almighty says, "I will appear among you to judge, and I will testify at once against those who practice magic, against adulterers, against those who give false testimony, those who cheat employees out of their wages, and those who take advantage of widows, orphans, and foreigners---against all who do not respect me.

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or who steal or are greedy or are drunkards or who slander others or are thieves---none of these will possess God's Kingdom.

You have not paid any wages to those who work in your fields. Listen to their complaints! The cries of those who gather in your crops have reached the ears of God, the Lord Almighty.

They make their plans, and plot against him, but they will not succeed.

They make evil plans as they lie in bed; nothing they do is good, and they never reject anything evil.

They are always plotting evil, always stirring up quarrels.

Don't plan anything that will hurt your neighbors; they live beside you, trusting you.

(SEE 6:16)

I was like a trusting lamb taken out to be killed, and I did not know that it was against me that they were planning evil things. They were saying, "Let's chop down the tree while it is still healthy; let's kill him so that no one will remember him any more."

Then I prayed, "Almighty LORD, you are a just judge; you test people's thoughts and feelings. I have placed my cause in your hands; so let me watch you take revenge on these people."

Then the people said, "Let's do something about Jeremiah! There will always be priests to instruct us, the wise to give us counsel, and prophets to proclaim God's message. Let's bring charges against him and stop listening to what he says."

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.

For from the inside, from your heart, come the evil ideas which lead you to do immoral things, to rob, kill,

all these evil things come from inside you and make you unclean."

But we are tempted when we are drawn away and trapped by our own evil desires.

Then our evil desires conceive and give birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

Those who hate others are murderers, and you know that murderers do not have eternal life in them.