“‘ See, I strike my hands together at the dishonest profit you have made, and at the bloodshed they have done among you.

“看哪，我因你所得不义之财和你中间所流的血，就拍掌叹息。

“看哪，我因你所得不义之财和你们中间所流的血，就击打手掌。

“看哪，我因你所得不义之财和你们中间所流的血，就击打手掌。

“‘我见你谋财害命，就击掌叹息。

“‘看哪！因你所得的不义之财，又因在你中间所流的血，我就拍掌。

「看哪，我因你所得不義之財和你中間所流的血，就拍掌歎息。

「看哪，我因你所得不義之財和你們中間所流的血，就擊打手掌。

「看哪，我因你所得不義之財和你們中間所流的血，就擊打手掌。

「『我見你謀財害命，就擊掌歎息。

“‘看哪！因你所得的不義之財，又因在你中間所流的血，我就拍掌。

『所以你看，我因你所得的不義之財、又因你中間所有流人血的事，我就拍掌歎息。

因爾所得非義之利、及爾中所流之血、我則擊掌、

爾貪非義之利、草菅人命、我見之憤恨鼓掌。

爾行不義得財、殺人流血、我忿恨鼓掌、

“‘ I will surely strike my hands together at the unjust gain you have made and at the blood you have shed in your midst.

“‘ “I will clap my hands because I am so angry. You got rich by cheating others. You spilled blood inside the walls of your city.

“ Behold, I strike my hand at the dishonest gain that you have made, and at the blood that has been in your midst.

“ But now I clap my hands in indignation over your dishonest gain and bloodshed.

“‘ Now look, I clap my hands together against the dishonest profit you have made and against the blood shed among you.

“ Behold, then, I strike with My hand your profit which you have made and the bloodshed which is among you.

“ Behold, therefore, I beat My fists at the dishonest profit which you have made, and at the bloodshed which has been in your midst.

Behold, therefore, I have smitten my hand at thy dishonest gain which thou hast made, and at thy blood which hath been in the midst of thee.

“ Now look, I clap My hands together against the dishonest profit you have made and against the blood shed among you.

Behold, therefore I have smitten mine hand at thy dishonest gain which thou hast made, and at thy blood which hath been in the midst of thee.

“‘“ Behold, therefore I have struck my hand at your dishonest gain which you have made, and at your blood which has been within you.

I too will clap my hands together, I will exhaust my rage; I the LORD have spoken.”

The one who lives uprightly and speaks honestly; the one who refuses to profit from oppressive measures and rejects a bribe; the one who does not plot violent crimes and does not seek to harm others–

Her officials are like wolves in her midst rending their prey– shedding blood and destroying lives– so they can get dishonest profit.

“ And you, son of man, prophesy, and clap your hands together. Let the sword strike twice, even three times! It is a sword for slaughter, a sword for the great slaughter surrounding them.

This is what the LORD says:“ Because Israel has committed three covenant transgressions– make that four!– I will not revoke my decree of judgment. They sold the innocent for silver, the needy for a pair of sandals.They trample on the dirt-covered heads of the poor; they push the destitute away. A man and his father go to the same girl; in this way they show disrespect for my moral purity.They stretch out on clothing seized as collateral; they do so right beside every altar! They drink wine bought with the fines they have levied; they do so right in the temple of their God!

You steal. You murder. You commit adultery. You lie when you swear on oath. You sacrifice to the god Baal. You pay allegiance to other gods whom you have not previously known.Then you come and stand in my presence in this temple I have claimed as my own and say,“ We are safe!” You think you are so safe that you go on doing all those hateful sins!Do you think this temple I have claimed as my own is to be a hideout for robbers? You had better take note! I have seen for myself what you have done! says the LORD.

Those who devise sinful plans are as good as dead, those who dream about doing evil as they lie in bed. As soon as morning dawns they carry out their plans, because they have the power to do so.They confiscate the fields they desire, and seize the houses they want. They defraud people of their homes, and deprive people of the land they have inherited.Therefore the LORD says this:“ Look, I am devising disaster for this nation! It will be like a yoke from which you cannot free your neck. You will no longer walk proudly, for it will be a time of catastrophe.

Listen to this, you who trample the needy, and do away with the destitute in the land.You say,“ When will the new moon festival be over, so we can sell grain? When will the Sabbath end, so we can open up the grain bins? We’re eager to sell less for a higher price, and to cheat the buyer with rigged scales!We’re eager to trade silver for the poor, a pair of sandals for the needy! We want to mix in some chaff with the grain!”

In this matter no one should violate the rights of his brother or take advantage of him, because the Lord is the avenger in all these cases, as we also told you earlier and warned you solemnly.

“ They do not know how to do what is right.”( The LORD is speaking.)“ They store up the spoils of destructive violence in their fortresses.

“ I will not overlook, O sinful house, the dishonest gain you have hoarded away, or the smaller-than-standard measure I hate so much.I do not condone the use of rigged scales, or a bag of deceptive weights.

The one who increases his wealth by increasing interest gathers it for someone who is gracious to the needy.

Then Balak became very angry at Balaam, and he struck his hands together. Balak said to Balaam,“ I called you to curse my enemies, and look, you have done nothing but bless them these three times!

“ Indeed, there are wicked scoundrels among my people. They lie in wait like bird catchers hiding in ambush. They set deadly traps to catch people.Like a cage filled with the birds that have been caught, their houses are filled with the gains of their fraud and deceit. That is how they have gotten so rich and powerful.