The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground – trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

And out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.

‘You shall not covet your neighbour’s house. You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour.’

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.”

I will drive out nations before you and enlarge your territory, and no one will covet your land when you go up three times each year to appear before the Lord your God.

For I will cast out nations before you and enlarge your borders; no one shall covet your land, when you go up to appear before the Lord your God three times in the year.

‘You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife. You shall not set your desire on your neighbour’s house or land, his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour.’

“‘And you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. And you shall not desire your neighbor’s house, his field, or his male servant, or his female servant, his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.’

The images of their gods you are to burn in the fire. Do not covet the silver and gold on them, and do not take it for yourselves, or you will be ensnared by it, for it is detestable to the Lord your God.

The carved images of their gods you shall burn with fire. You shall not covet the silver or the gold that is on them or take it for yourselves, lest you be ensnared by it, for it is an abomination to the Lord your God.

when I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylonia, two hundred shekels of silver and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath.’

when I saw among the spoil a beautiful cloak from Shinar, and 200 shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels, then I coveted them and took them. And see, they are hidden in the earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath.”

that God would be willing to crush me,
to let loose his hand and cut off my life!

that it would please God to crush me,
that he would let loose his hand and cut me off!

‘Surely he will have no respite from his craving;
he cannot save himself by his treasure.

“Because he knew no contentment in his belly,
he will not let anything in which he delights escape him.

For what hope have the godless when they are cut off,
when God takes away their life?

For what is the hope of the godless when God cuts him off,
when God takes away his life?

He boasts about the cravings of his heart;
he blesses the greedy and reviles the Lord.

For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul,
and the one greedy for gain curses and renounces the Lord.

They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the honeycomb.

More to be desired are they than gold,
even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey
and drippings of the honeycomb.

When you rebuke and discipline anyone for their sin,
you consume their wealth like a moth –
surely everyone is but a breath.

When you discipline a man
with rebukes for sin,
you consume like a moth what is dear to him;
surely all mankind is a mere breath!  Selah

why gaze in envy, you rugged mountain,
at the mountain where God chooses to reign,
where the Lord himself will dwell for ever?

Why do you look with hatred, O many-peaked mountain,
at the mount that God desired for his abode,
yes, where the Lord will dwell forever?

Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain;
it takes away the life of those who get it.

Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain;
it takes away the life of its possessors.

‘How long will you who are simple love your simple ways?
How long will mockers delight in mockery
and fools hate knowledge?

“How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?
How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing
and fools hate knowledge?

Do not lust in your heart after her beauty
or let her captivate you with her eyes.

Do not desire her beauty in your heart,
and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes;

The wicked desire the stronghold of evildoers,
but the root of the righteous endures.

Whoever is wicked covets the spoil of evildoers,
but the root of the righteous bears fruit.

The greedy bring ruin to their households,
but the one who hates bribes will live.

Whoever is greedy for unjust gain troubles his own household,
but he who hates bribes will live.

The wise store up choice food and olive oil,
but fools gulp theirs down.

Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man’s dwelling,
but a foolish man devours it.

Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest
is my beloved among the young men.
I delight to sit in his shade,
and his fruit is sweet to my taste.

As an apple tree among the trees of the forest,
so is my beloved among the young men.
With great delight I sat in his shadow,
and his fruit was sweet to my taste.

‘You will be ashamed because of the sacred oaks
in which you have delighted;
you will be disgraced because of the gardens
that you have chosen.

For they shall be ashamed of the oaks
that you desired;
and you shall blush for the gardens
that you have chosen.

When the Lord has finished all his work against Mount Zion and Jerusalem, he will say, ‘I will punish the king of Assyria for the wilful pride of his heart and the haughty look in his eyes.

When the Lord has finished all his work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem he will punish the speech of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and the boastful look in his eyes.

Like a shepherd’s tent my house
has been pulled down and taken from me.
Like a weaver I have rolled up my life,
and he has cut me off from the loom;
day and night you made an end of me.

My dwelling is plucked up and removed from me
like a shepherd’s tent;
like a weaver I have rolled up my life;
he cuts me off from the loom;
from day to night you bring me to an end;

All who make idols are nothing,
and the things they treasure are worthless.
Those who would speak up for them are blind;
they are ignorant, to their own shame.

All who fashion idols are nothing, and the things they delight in do not profit. Their witnesses neither see nor know, that they may be put to shame.

He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

For he grew up before him like a young plant,
and like a root out of dry ground;
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
and no beauty that we should desire him.

‘From the least to the greatest,
all are greedy for gain;
prophets and priests alike,
all practise deceit.

“For from the least to the greatest of them,
everyone is greedy for unjust gain;
and from prophet to priest,
everyone deals falsely.

Therefore I will give their wives to other men
and their fields to new owners.
From the least to the greatest,
all are greedy for gain;
prophets and priests alike,
all practise deceit.

Therefore I will give their wives to others
and their fields to conquerors,
because from the least to the greatest
everyone is greedy for unjust gain;
from prophet to priest,
everyone deals falsely.

The Lord has done what he planned;
he has fulfilled his word,
which he decreed long ago.
He has overthrown you without pity,
he has let the enemy gloat over you,
he has exalted the horn of your foes.

The Lord has done what he purposed;
he has carried out his word,
which he commanded long ago;
he has thrown down without pity;
he has made the enemy rejoice over you
and exalted the might of your foes.

In you are people who accept bribes to shed blood; you take interest and make a profit from the poor. You extort unjust gain from your neighbours. And you have forgotten me, declares the Sovereign Lord.

In you they take bribes to shed blood; you take interest and profit and make gain of your neighbors by extortion; but me you have forgotten, declares the Lord God.

Her officials within her are like wolves tearing their prey; they shed blood and kill people to make unjust gain.

Her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey shedding blood, destroying lives to get dishonest gain.

They do not jostle each other;
each marches straight ahead.
They plunge through defences
without breaking ranks.

They do not jostle one another;
each marches in his path;
they burst through the weapons
and are not halted.

I saw the Lord standing by the altar, and he said:

‘Strike the tops of the pillars
so that the thresholds shake.
Bring them down on the heads of all the people;
those who are left I will kill with the sword.
Not one will get away,
none will escape.

I saw the Lord standing beside the altar, and he said:

“Strike the capitals until the thresholds shake,
and shatter them on the heads of all the people;
and those who are left of them I will kill with the sword;
not one of them shall flee away;
not one of them shall escape.

They covet fields and seize them,
and houses, and take them.
They defraud people of their homes,
they rob them of their inheritance.

They covet fields and seize them,
and houses, and take them away;
they oppress a man and his house,
a man and his inheritance.

‘Woe to him who builds his house by unjust gain,
setting his nest on high
to escape the clutches of ruin!

“Woe to him who gets evil gain for his house,
to set his nest on high,
to be safe from the reach of harm!

‘The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; his hands will also complete it. Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you.

“The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also complete it. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you.