There are people among you who turn what is fair into something bitter. They throw down to the ground what is right.

你们这使公平变为茵陈、将公义丢弃于地的，

你们这使公平变为茵陈，将公义丢弃于地的人哪！

你们这使公平变为茵陈，将公义丢弃于地的人哪！

你们这些使正义变为苦艾、将公义丢弃在地的人啊，

他们使公正变为苦堇，把公义弃于地上。

你們這使公平變為茵蔯、將公義丟棄於地的，

你們這使公平變為茵蔯，將公義丟棄於地的人哪！

你們這使公平變為茵蔯，將公義丟棄於地的人哪！

你們這些使正義變為苦艾、將公義丟棄在地的人啊，

他們使公正變為苦堇，把公義棄於地上。

那些使公平變為苦堇，將公義摔落於地的，

爾曹變公平為茵蔯、委義於地、

爾不秉公、不行義、反使人茹荼飲酖、

爾曹判斷、不秉公義、使人受屈苦、若食茵蔯、爾曹拋棄公義於地、

There are those who turn justice into bitterness and cast righteousness to the ground.

O you who turn justice to wormwood and cast down righteousness to the earth!

You twist justice, making it a bitter pill for the oppressed. You treat the righteous like dirt.

Those who turn justice into wormwood also throw righteousness to the ground.

For those who turn justice into wormwood, And throw righteousness to the earth.”

You who turn justice to wormwood, And lay righteousness to rest in the earth!”

Ye who turn justice to wormwood, and cast down righteousness to the earth,

Those who turn justice into wormwood throw righteousness to the ground.

Ye who turn judgment to wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth,

The Israelites turn justice into bitterness; they throw what is fair and right to the ground.

You who turn justice to wormwood, and cast down righteousness to the earth:

Horses don’t run on rocky ground. People don’t plow the sea with oxen. But you have turned fair treatment into poison. You have turned the fruit of right living into bitterness.

They make a lot of promises. They make agreements among themselves. They make promises they don’t mean to keep. So court cases spring up like poisonous weeds in a plowed field.

I will destroy those who stop following the Lord. They no longer look to him or ask him for advice.

“ Or suppose a godly person turns away from their godliness and does what is evil. And suppose I put something in their way that will trip them up. Then they will die. Since you did not warn them, they will die for their sin. The godly things that person did will not be remembered. And I will hold you responsible for their death.

Suppose a godly person stops doing what is right. And they do what is evil. Then they will die because of it.

Lord, haven’t you existed forever? You are my holy God. You will never die. Lord, you have appointed the Babylonians to punish your people. My Rock, you have chosen them to judge us.Your eyes are too pure to look at what is evil. You can’t put up with the wrong things people do. So why do you put up with those who can’t be trusted? The evil Babylonians swallow up those who are more godly than themselves. So why are you silent?You have made people to be like the fish in the sea. They are like the sea creatures that don’t have a ruler.

“ Suppose a godly person stops doing what is right. And they sin. They do the same evil things a sinful person does. They do things I hate. Then they will not live. I will not remember any of the right things they have done. They have not been faithful to me. They have also committed many other sins. So they are guilty. They will die.

You make poor people pay tax on their straw. You also tax their grain. So, even though you have built stone houses, you won’t live in them. You have planted fruitful vineyards. But you won’t drink the wine they produce.I know how many crimes you have committed. You have sinned far too much. Among you are people who crush those who have done no wrong. They accept money from people who want special favors. They take away the rights of poor people in the courts.

“ Son of man, speak to your people. Tell them,‘ Suppose a godly person does not obey the Lord. Then the right things that person has done in the past count for nothing. Suppose a sinful person turns away from doing wrong things. Then the wrong things that person has done in the past won’t bring them judgment. A godly person who sins won’t be allowed to live. That’s true even though they used to do right things.’Suppose I tell a godly person that they will live. And they trust in the fact that they used to do what is right. But now they do what is evil. Then I will not remember any of the right things they have done. They will die because they have done so many evil things.

Their mouths speak words that are evil and false. They do not act wisely or do what is good.

Make sure there isn’t a man or woman among your families or tribes who turns away from the Lord our God. No one must worship the gods of those nations. Make sure that kind of worship doesn’t spread like bitter poison through your whole community.

Your rulers refuse to obey the Lord. They join forces with robbers. All of them love to accept money from those who want special favors. They are always looking for gifts from other people. They don’t stand up in court for children whose fathers have died. They don’t do it for widows either.

But the Lord will drive out those who have taken crooked paths. He will drive them out with those who do evil things. May Israel enjoy peace.

We’ve refused to obey the Lord. We’ve made evil plans against him. We’ve turned our backs on our God. We’ve stirred up conflict and refused to follow him. We’ve told lies that came from our own minds.So people stop others from doing what is fair. They keep them from doing what is right. No one tells the truth in court anymore. No one is honest there.

The vineyard of the Lord who rules over all is the nation of Israel. The people of Judah are the vines he took delight in. He kept looking for them to do what is fair. But all he saw was blood being spilled. He kept looking for them to do what is right. But all he heard were cries of suffering.

How terrible it will be for you who make laws that aren’t fair! How terrible for you who write laws that make life hard for others!