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.

你的官长居心悖逆，与盗贼作伴，各都喜爱贿赂，追求赃私。他们不为孤儿伸冤；寡妇的案件也不得呈到他们面前。

你的官长悖逆，与盗贼为伍，全都喜爱贿赂，追求赃物；他们不为孤儿伸冤，寡妇的案件也呈不到他们面前。

你的官长悖逆，与盗贼为伍，全都喜爱贿赂，追求赃物；他们不为孤儿伸冤，寡妇的案件也呈不到他们面前。

你的首领是叛逆之徒，与盗贼为伍，个个收受贿赂，贪图好处，不为孤儿辩护，不替寡妇申冤。

你的官长存心悖逆，与盗贼同伙；人都贪爱贿赂，追索私酬；他们不替孤儿伸冤，寡妇的案件也呈不到他们面前。

你的首领们悖逆，与盗贼同伙；他们都贪爱贿赂，追逐赃酬；他们不为孤儿伸冤；寡妇的争讼也达不到他们面前。

你的官長居心悖逆，與盜賊作伴，各都喜愛賄賂，追求贓私。他們不為孤兒伸冤；寡婦的案件也不得呈到他們面前。

你的官長悖逆，與盜賊為伍，全都喜愛賄賂，追求贓物；他們不為孤兒伸冤，寡婦的案件也呈不到他們面前。

你的官長悖逆，與盜賊為伍，全都喜愛賄賂，追求贓物；他們不為孤兒伸冤，寡婦的案件也呈不到他們面前。

你的首領是叛逆之徒，與盜賊為伍，個個收受賄賂，貪圖好處，不為孤兒辯護，不替寡婦伸冤。

你的官長存心悖逆，與盜賊同夥；人都貪愛賄賂，追索私酬；他們不替孤兒伸冤，寡婦的案件也呈不到他們面前。

你的大官倔強要造反，跟盜賊作伴；個個都喜愛賄賂，追求私酬；他們不為孤兒伸冤；寡婦的案件呈不到他們面前。

你的首領們悖逆，與盜賊同夥；他們都貪愛賄賂，追逐贓酬；他們不為孤兒伸冤；寡婦的爭訟也達不到他們面前。

爾之牧伯悖逆、黨於盜賊、好賄賂、索苞苴、不伸孤子之冤、不理嫠婦之訟、○

爾之君長悖逆乎我、與盜為侶、好賄賂、納苞苴、孤子嫠婦、不伸其冤。

爾之侯伯悖逆、與盜為侶、俱好賄賂、求贓私、不為孤子辨屈、嫠婦不敢至前訴冤、

Your rulers are rebels, partners with thieves; they all love bribes and chase after gifts. They do not defend the cause of the fatherless; the widow’s case does not come before them.

Your princes are rebels and companions of thieves. Everyone loves a bribe and runs after gifts. They do not bring justice to the fatherless, and the widow’s cause does not come to them.

Your leaders are rebels, the companions of thieves. All of them love bribes and demand payoffs, but they refuse to defend the cause of orphans or fight for the rights of widows.

Your rulers are rebels, friends of thieves. They all love graft and chase after bribes. They do not defend the rights of the fatherless, and the widow’s case never comes before them.

Your rulers are rebels And companions of thieves; Everyone loves a bribe And chases after gifts. They do not obtain justice for the orphan, Nor does the widow’s case come before them.

Your princes are rebellious, And companions of thieves; Everyone loves bribes, And follows after rewards. They do not defend the fatherless, Nor does the cause of the widow come before them.

Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves; every one loveth bribes, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.

Your rulers are rebels, friends of thieves. They all love graft and chase after bribes. They do not defend the rights of the fatherless, and the widow’s case never comes before them.

Thy princes[ are] rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.

Your officials are rebels, they associate with thieves. All of them love bribery, and look for payoffs. They do not take up the cause of the orphan, or defend the rights of the widow.

Your princes are rebellious and companions of thieves. Everyone loves bribes and follows after rewards. They don’t defend the fatherless, neither does the cause of the widow come to them.

They are very good at doing what is evil. Rulers require gifts. Judges accept money from people who want special favors. Those who are powerful always get what they want. All of them make evil plans together.

“ Do not take money from people who want special favors. It makes you blind to the truth. It twists the words of good people.

Do not take advantage of widows. Do not mistreat children whose fathers have died. Do not be mean to outsiders or poor people. Do not make evil plans against one another.”

He said,“ In a certain town there was a judge. He didn’t have any respect for God or care about what people thought.A widow lived in that town. She came to the judge again and again. She kept begging him,‘ Make things right for me. Someone is treating me badly.’“ For some time the judge refused. But finally he said to himself,‘ I don’t have any respect for God. I don’t care about what people think.But this widow keeps bothering me. So I will see that things are made right for her. If I don’t, she will someday come and attack me!’ ”

And that’s not all. The people and all the leaders of the priests became more and more unfaithful. They followed all the practices of the nations. The Lord hated those practices. The people and leaders made the Lord’ s temple“ unclean.” The Lord had set the temple in Jerusalem apart in a special way for himself.

“ Jehoiakim, the only thing on your mind is to get rich by cheating others. You would even kill people who are not guilty of doing anything wrong. You would mistreat them. You would take everything they own.”

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!You take away the rights of poor people. You hold back what is fair from my people who are suffering. You take for yourselves what belongs to widows. You rob children whose fathers have died.

He judges the elders and leaders of his people. He says to them,“ My people are like a vineyard. You have destroyed them. The things you have taken from poor people are in your houses.

The Lord says,“ My people did many evil things in Gilgal. That is why I hated them there. They committed many sins. So I will drive them out of my land. I will not love them anymore. All their leaders refuse to obey me.

He said to them,“ It is written that the Lord said,‘ My house will be called a house where people can pray.’( Isaiah 56:7) But you are making it‘ a den for robbers.’ ”( Jeremiah 7:11)

“‘ “The princes of Israel are in your city. All of them use their power to spill blood.They have made fun of fathers and mothers alike. They have crushed outsiders. They have treated badly the children whose fathers have died. They have done the same thing to widows.You have looked down on the holy things that were set apart to me. You have misused my Sabbath days.You have spread lies about others so you can spill someone’s blood. You eat at the mountain temples. You commit impure acts.You bring shame on your fathers by having sex with their wives. You have sex with women during their monthly period. That is when they are‘ unclean.’One of you has sex with another man’s wife. I hate that sin. Another brings shame on his daughter- in- law by having sex with her. Still another has sex with his sister, even though she is his own father’s daughter.You accept money from people who want special favors. You do this to spill someone’s blood. You charge interest to poor people when you lend them money. You make money from them. You get rich by cheating your neighbors. And you have forgotten me,” announces the Lord and King.

“ So I will come and put you on trial. I will be quick to bring charges against all of you,” says the Lord who rules over all.“ I will bring charges against you sinful people who do not have any respect for me. That includes those who practice evil magic. It includes those who commit adultery and those who tell lies in court. It includes those who cheat workers out of their pay. It includes those who treat widows badly. It also includes those who mistreat children whose fathers have died. And it includes those who take away the rights of outsiders in the courts.

They have grown fat and heavy. There is no limit to the evil things they do. In court they do not seek justice. They don’t protect the rights of children whose fathers have died. They do not stand up for poor people.Shouldn’t I punish them for this?” announces the Lord.“ Shouldn’t I pay back the nation that does these things?

After Jehoiada died, the officials of Judah came to King Joash. They bowed down to him. He listened to them.They turned their backs on the temple of the Lord, the God of their people. They worshiped poles made to honor the female god named Asherah. They also worshiped statues of other gods. Because Judah and Jerusalem were guilty of sin, God became angry with them.The Lord sent prophets to the people to bring them back to him. The prophets told the people what they were doing wrong. But the people wouldn’t listen.Then the Spirit of God came on Zechariah the priest. He was the son of Jehoiada. Zechariah stood in front of the people. He told them,“ God says,‘ Why do you refuse to obey my commands? You will not have success. You have deserted me. So I have deserted you.’ ”But the people made evil plans against Zechariah. The king ordered them to kill Zechariah by throwing stones at him. They did it in the courtyard of the Lord’ s temple.

The next day the rulers, the elders and the teachers of the law met in Jerusalem.Annas, the high priest, was there. So were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and other people in the high priest’s family.They had Peter and John brought to them. They wanted to question them.“ By what power did you do this?” they asked.“ And through whose name?”Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit. He said to them,“ Rulers and elders of the people!Are you asking us to explain our actions today? Do you want to know why we were kind to a man who couldn’t walk? Are you asking how he was healed?Then listen to this, you and all the people of Israel! You nailed Jesus Christ of Nazareth to the cross. But God raised him from the dead. It is through Jesus’ name that this man stands healed in front of you.Scripture says that Jesus is“‘ the stone you builders did not accept. But it has become the most important stone of all.’( Psalm 118:22)

To help a thief is to become your own enemy. When you go to court, you won’t dare to say anything.

Your judges take money from people who want special favors. Your priests teach only if they get paid for it. Your prophets won’t tell fortunes unless they receive money. But you still look for the Lord’ s help. You say,“ The Lord is with us. No trouble will come on us.”

So I will go to the leaders. I’ll speak to them. They should know how the Lord wants them to live. They must know what their God requires of them.” But all of them had broken off the yoke the Lord had put on them. They had torn off the ropes he had tied them up with.

Then he taught them. He told them,“ It is written that the Lord said,‘ My house will be called a house where people from all nations can pray.’( Isaiah 56:7) But you have made it a‘ den for robbers.’ ”( Jeremiah 7:11)

People must do what is right. They must be honest and tell the truth. They must not get rich by cheating others. Their hands must not receive money from those who want special favors. They must not let their ears listen to plans to commit murder. They must close their eyes to even thinking about doing what is evil.

Do what is right. Treat everyone the same. Don’t take money from people who want special favors. It makes those who are wise close their eyes to the truth. It twists the words of those who have done nothing wrong.

We have sinned and done what is wrong. We have been evil. We have refused to obey you. We have turned away from your commands and laws.We haven’t listened to your servants the prophets. They spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our people of long ago. They also brought your message to all our people in the land.

He told them,“ It is written that the Lord said,‘ My house will be a house where people can pray.’( Isaiah 56:7) But you have made it a‘ den for robbers.’ ”( Jeremiah 7:11)

They continue to be unfaithful to me even when their drinks are gone. And their rulers love to do shameful things.

“ Their evil conduct even makes the king glad. Their lies make the princes happy.But all the people are unfaithful to the king. Their anger against him burns like the coals in an oven. The baker does not even need to stir up the fire until the dough is ready.”On special days to honor our king, the princes get drunk with wine. And the king enjoys the party. He joins hands with those who pretend to be faithful to him.

Anyone who does wrong accepts favors in secret. Then they turn what is right into what is wrong.

Then I said,“ Listen, you leaders of Jacob’s people! Pay attention, you rulers of Israel! You should want to judge others fairly.But you hate what is good. And you love what is evil. You are like someone who tears the skin off my people. You pull the meat off their bones.You eat my people’s bodies. You strip off their skin. You break their bones in pieces. You chop them up like meat. You put them in a cooking pot.”