כִּכְלוּב מָלֵא עוֹף כֵּן בָּתֵּיהֶם מְלֵאִים מִרְמָה עַל כֵּן גָּדְלוּ וַיַּעֲשִׁירוּ: שָׁמְנוּ עָשְׁתוּ גַּם עָבְרוּ דִבְרֵי רָע דִּין לֹא דָנוּ דִּין יָתוֹם וְיַצְלִיחוּ וּמִשְׁפַּט אֶבְיוֹנִים לֹא שָׁפָטוּ: הַעַל אֵלֶּה לֹא אֶפְקֹד נְאֻם ה' אִם בְּגוֹי אֲשֶׁר כָּזֶה לֹא תִתְנַקֵּם נַפְשִׁי:
As a cage is full of birds, so their houses are full of guile; that is why they have grown so wealthy. They have become fat and sleek; they pass beyond the bounds of wickedness, and they prosper. They will not judge the case of the orphan, nor give a hearing to the plea of the needy. Shall I not punish such deeds -- says the LORD -- shall I not bring retribution on a nation such as this?
[JPS translation]
Suggested Discussion Questions:
1. What are some of the reasons that affluence is connected with apathy toward "the needy"? Does access to money automatically imply greed and wickedness?
2. Is this text incriminating people solely because they are wealthy or because in their desire for wealth they did not help the needy? How does this affect our understanding of economic discrepancies?
Time Period: Biblical (early ancestors to 165 BCE)