By the multitude of your iniquities, through the sinfulness of your trade, you desecrated your sanctuaries. So I drew fire out from within you; it consumed you, and I turned you to ashes on the earth before the eyes of all who saw you.

He taught what was true; ¹  sinful words were not found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and integrity, and he turned many people away from sin.

“The one who is faithful in a very little ¹  is also faithful in much, and the one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.

and with every kind of evil deception directed against ¹  those who are perishing, because they found no place in their hearts for the truth ²  so as to be saved.

For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love you have demonstrated for his name, in having served and continuing to serve the saints.

‘Surely such is the residence ¹  of an evil man; and this is the place of one who has not known God.’” ² 

Who has prescribed his ways for him? Or said to him, ‘You have done what is wicked’?

Violent men perjure themselves, ¹  and falsely accuse me. ² 

By David. Do not fret ²  when wicked men seem to succeed! ³  Do not envy evildoers!

No! ¹  You plan how to do what is unjust; ²  you deal out violence in the earth. ³ 

Cruel rulers ¹  are not your allies, those who make oppressive laws. ² 

The Lord abhors ¹  dishonest scales, ²  but an accurate weight ³  is his elight.

and that we may be delivered from perverse and evil people. For not all have faith.

The just Lord resides ¹  within her; he commits no unjust acts. ²  Every morning he reveals ³  his justice. At dawn he appears without fail. ⁴  Yet the unjust know no shame.

The Pharisee stood and prayed about himself like this: ¹  ‘God, I thank ²  you that I am not like other people: ³  extortionists, ⁴  unrighteous people, ⁵  adulterers – or even like this tax collector. ⁶ 

The evildoer must continue to do evil, ¹  and the one who is morally filthy ²  must continue to be filthy. The ³  one who is righteous must continue to act righteously, and the one who is holy must continue to be holy.”

“‘You ¹  must not deal unjustly in judgment: ²  you must neither show partiality to the poor nor honor the rich. ³  You must judge your fellow citizen fairly. ⁴ 

Respect the Lord and make careful decisions, for the Lord our God disapproves of injustice, partiality, and bribery.” ¹ 

The womb ¹  forgets him, the worm feasts on him, no longer will he be remembered. Like a tree, wickedness will be broken down.

This is what the Lord says: “What fault could your ancestors ¹  have possibly found in me that they strayed so far from me? ²  They paid allegiance to ³  worthless idols, and so became worthless to me. ⁴