The Lord comes to pronounce judgment on the leaders of his people and their officials. He says, ¹  “It is you ²  who have ruined ³  the vineyard! ⁴  You have stashed in your houses what you have stolen from the poor. ⁵ 

They stretch out on clothing seized as collateral; they do so right ¹  beside every altar! They drink wine bought with the fines they have levied; they do so right in the temple ²  of their God! ³ 

Your ox will be slaughtered before your very eyes but you will not eat of it. Your donkey will be stolen from you as you watch and will not be returned to you. Your flock of sheep will be given to your enemies and there will be no one to save you.

You also say, ‘How tiresome it is.’ You turn up your nose at it,” says the Lord who rules over all, “and instead bring what is stolen, lame, or sick. You bring these things for an offering! Should I accept this from you?” ¹  asks the Lord.

The hungry ¹  eat up his harvest, ²  and take it even from behind the thorns, ³  and the thirsty ⁴  swallow up ⁵  their fortune. ⁶ 

Men ¹  move boundary stones; they seize the flock and pasture them. ² 

I broke the fangs ¹  of the wicked, and made him drop ²  his prey from his teeth.

if I have eaten its produce without paying, ¹  or caused the death ²  of its owners, ³ 

For you have brought these men here who are neither temple robbers ¹  nor blasphemers of our goddess. ² 

Now if he has defrauded you of anything or owes you anything, charge what he owes ¹  to me.

¹ (21:37) ²  “If a man steals an ox or a sheep and kills it or sells it, he must pay back ³  five head of cattle for the ox, and four sheep for the one sheep. ⁴ 

“If thieves came to rob you ¹  during the night, ²  they would steal only as much as they wanted! ³  If grape pickers came to harvest your vineyards, ⁴  they would leave some behind for the poor! ⁵  But you will be totally destroyed! ⁶ 

They had not gone very far from the city ¹  when Joseph said ²  to the servant who was over his household, “Pursue the men at once! ³  When you overtake ⁴  them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid good with evil?

He retrieved all the stolen property. ¹  He also brought back his nephew Lot and his possessions, as well as the women and the rest of ²  the people.

Why did you run away secretly ¹  and deceive me? ²  Why didn’t you tell me so I could send you off with a celebration complete with singing, tambourines, and harps? ³ 

When you see ¹  your neighbor’s ²  ox or sheep going astray, do not ignore it; ³  you must return it without fail ⁴  to your neighbor.

Joshua sent messengers who ran to the tent. The things were hidden right in his tent, with the silver underneath. ¹ 

These men were very good to us. They did not insult us, nor did we sustain any loss during the entire time we were together ¹  in the field.

Do not trust in what you can gain by oppression! ¹  Do not put false confidence in what you can gain by robbery! ²  If wealth increases, do not become attached to it! ³ 

Their wealth will be stolen and their houses ruined! They will not live in the houses they have built, nor will they drink the wine from the vineyards they have planted.