The leaders are like lions roaring over the animals they have killed. They kill the people, take all the money and property they can get, and by their murders leave many widows.

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.

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who take advantage of widows and rob them of their homes, and then make a show of saying long prayers! Their punishment will be all the worse!"

Some of them go into people's houses and gain control over weak women who are burdened by the guilt of their sins and driven by all kinds of desires,

"When you pray, do not use a lot of meaningless words, as the pagans do, who think that their gods will hear them because their prayers are long.

I assure you that on the Judgment Day God will show more mercy to the people of Tyre and Sidon than to you!

You can be sure that on the Judgment Day God will show more mercy to Sodom than to you!"

You snakes and children of snakes! How do you expect to escape from being condemned to hell?

"The servant who knows what his master wants him to do, but does not get himself ready and do it, will be punished with a heavy whipping.

But the servant who does not know what his master wants, and yet does something for which he deserves a whipping, will be punished with a light whipping. Much is required from the person to whom much is given; much more is required from the person to whom much more is given.