Messages about the Kings

13 “Woe to him who builds his house (A)without righteousness,
And his upstairs rooms without justice,
Who uses his neighbor’s services without pay
And (B)does not give him his wages,
14 Who says, ‘I will (C)build myself a large house
With spacious upstairs rooms,
And cut out its windows,
[a]Paneling it with (D)cedar and painting it [b]bright red.’
15 Do you become a king because you are competing in cedar?
Did your father not eat and drink
And (E)do justice and righteousness?
Then it was (F)well for him.
16 He pled the cause of the (G)afflicted and the poor,
Then it was well.
(H)Is that not what it means to know Me?”
Declares the Lord.
17 “But your eyes and your heart
Are intent only upon your own (I)dishonest gain,
And on (J)shedding innocent blood,
And on practicing oppression and extortion.”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 22:14 Or Paneled
  2. Jeremiah 22:14 Or vermilion

13 “Woe(A) to him who builds(B) his palace by unrighteousness,
    his upper rooms by injustice,
making his own people work for nothing,
    not paying(C) them for their labor.
14 He says, ‘I will build myself a great palace(D)
    with spacious upper rooms.’
So he makes large windows in it,
    panels it with cedar(E)
    and decorates it in red.(F)

15 “Does it make you a king
    to have more and more cedar?
Did not your father have food and drink?
    He did what was right and just,(G)
    so all went well(H) with him.
16 He defended the cause of the poor and needy,(I)
    and so all went well.
Is that not what it means to know(J) me?”
    declares the Lord.
17 “But your eyes and your heart
    are set only on dishonest gain,(K)
on shedding innocent blood(L)
    and on oppression and extortion.”(M)

Read full chapter

They (A)covet fields, so they (B)seize them;
And houses, so they take them.
They [a](C)exploit a man and his house,
A person and his inheritance.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Micah 2:2 Or oppress

They covet fields(A) and seize them,(B)
    and houses, and take them.
They defraud(C) people of their homes,
    they rob them of their inheritance.(D)

Read full chapter

“Woe to him who makes (A)evil profit for his household,
To (B)put his nest on high,
To be saved from the hand of catastrophe!
10 You have planned a (C)shameful thing for your house
By bringing many peoples to an end;
So you are (D)sinning against yourself.
11 For the (E)stone will cry out from the wall,
And the rafter will answer it from the [a]framework.

12 “Woe to him who (F)builds a city with bloodshed,
And founds a town with [b]violence!

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Habakkuk 2:11 Lit wood
  2. Habakkuk 2:12 Lit injustice

“Woe to him who builds(A) his house by unjust gain,(B)
    setting his nest(C) on high
    to escape the clutches of ruin!
10 You have plotted the ruin(D) of many peoples,
    shaming(E) your own house and forfeiting your life.
11 The stones(F) of the wall will cry out,
    and the beams of the woodwork will echo it.

12 “Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed(G)
    and establishes a town by injustice!

Read full chapter