26 “Among my people are the wicked(A)
    who lie in wait(B) like men who snare birds
    and like those who set traps(C) to catch people.
27 Like cages full of birds,
    their houses are full of deceit;(D)
they have become rich(E) and powerful
28     and have grown fat(F) and sleek.
Their evil deeds have no limit;
    they do not seek justice.
They do not promote the case of the fatherless;(G)
    they do not defend the just cause of the poor.(H)

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26 For wicked people are found among My people,
They (A)watch like fowlers [a]lying in wait;
They set a trap,
They catch people.
27 Like a cage full of birds,
So their houses are full of (B)deceit;
Therefore they have become great and rich.
28 They are (C)fat, they are sleek,
They also [b]excel in deeds of wickedness;
They do not plead the cause,
The cause of the [c](D)orphan, so that they may be successful;
And they do not [d]defend the rights of the poor.

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 5:26 Perhaps, crouching down
  2. Jeremiah 5:28 Lit pass over; or overlook deeds
  3. Jeremiah 5:28 Or fatherless
  4. Jeremiah 5:28 Lit judge

To Stand for Nothing and Stand Up for No One

26-29 “My people are infiltrated by wicked men,
    unscrupulous men on the hunt.
They set traps for the unsuspecting.
    Their victims are innocent men and women.
Their houses are stuffed with ill-gotten gain,
    like a hunter’s bag full of birds.
Pretentious and powerful and rich,
    hugely obese, oily with rolls of fat.
Worse, they have no conscience.
    Right and wrong mean nothing to them.
They stand for nothing, stand up for no one,
    throw orphans to the wolves, exploit the poor.
Do you think I’ll stand by and do nothing about this?”
    God’s Decree.
“Don’t you think I’ll take serious measures
    against a people like this?

* * *

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26 “Among my people are wicked men
    who lie in wait for victims like a hunter hiding in a blind.
They continually set traps
    to catch people.
27 Like a cage filled with birds,
    their homes are filled with evil plots.
    And now they are great and rich.
28 They are fat and sleek,
    and there is no limit to their wicked deeds.
They refuse to provide justice to orphans
    and deny the rights of the poor.

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26 For among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men.

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

28 They are waxen fat, they shine: yea, they overpass the deeds of the wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge.

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