Jeremiah 22:3

Justice The stranger and outcast Parents and children Poverty and the vulnerable

¹ This is what the LORD says: “Go down to the palace of the king of Judah and proclaim this message there,

² saying, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, O king of Judah, who sits on the throne of David—you and your officials and your people who enter these gates.

This is what the LORD says: Administer justice and righteousness. Rescue the victim of robbery from the hand of his oppressor. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless, or the widow. Do not shed innocent blood in this place.

⁴ For if you will indeed carry out these commands, then kings who sit on David’s throne will enter through the gates of this palace riding on chariots and horses—they and their officials and their people.

⁵ But if you do not obey these words, then I swear by Myself, declares the LORD, that this house will become a pile of rubble.’”

Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: This is what the LORD says: Administer justice and righteousness. Rescue the victim of robbery from the hand of his oppressor. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless, or the widow. Do not shed innocent blood in this place.
KJV: Thus saith the LORD; Execute ye judgment and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, neither shed innocent blood in this place.
WEB: The LORD says: “Execute justice and righteousness, and deliver him who is robbed out of the hand of the oppressor. Do no wrong. Do no violence to the foreigner, the fatherless, or the widow. Don’t shed innocent blood in this place.
ASV: Thus saith Jehovah: Execute ye justice and righteousness, and deliver him that is robbed out of the hand of the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence, to the sojourner, the fatherless, nor the widow; neither shed innocent blood in this place.
DARBY: Thus saith Jehovah: Execute judgment and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor; and do no wrong, do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, or the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place.
BLB: Thus says YHWH: Do justice and righteousness, and deliver the one plundered, from the hand of the oppressor. And do no wrong, and do no violence to the sojourner and the fatherless and the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place.

ÅB: Så sier Herren: Gjør rett og rettferdighet, fri den plyndrede ut av undertrykkerens hånd, og gjør ikke urett og vold mot den fremmede, den farløse og enken, og utøs ikke uskyldig blod på dette sted!
OTB: Dette sier Herren: Handle med rettferdighet og rett. Redd offeret for ran fra undertrykkerens hånd. Gjør ingen skade eller vold mot fremmede, farløse eller enker, og utøs ikke uskyldig blod på dette stedet.
B1930: Så sier Herren: Gjør rett og rettferdighet, fri den plyndrede ut av undertrykkerens hånd, og gjør ikke urett og vold mot den fremmede, den farløse og enken, og utøs ikke uskyldig blod på dette sted!

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Jeremiah 21:12
O house of David, this is what the LORD says: ‘Administer justice every morning, and rescue the victim of robbery from the hand of his oppressor, or My wrath will go forth like fire and burn with no one to extinguish it because of their evil deeds.
Read in context
Micah 6:8
He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?
Read in context
Jeremiah 22:17
“But your eyes and heart are set on nothing except your own dishonest gain, on shedding innocent blood, on practicing extortion and oppression.”
Read in context
James 1:27
Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
Read in context
Ezekiel 22:7
Father and mother are treated with contempt. Within your walls the foreign resident is exploited, the fatherless and the widow are oppressed.
Read in context
Isaiah 1:15–20
When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; even though you multiply your prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood.
Read in context
Zechariah 7:9–11
“This is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘Administer true justice. Show loving devotion and compassion to one another.
Read in context
Malachi 3:5
“Then I will draw near to you for judgment. And I will be a swift witness against sorcerers and adulterers and perjurers, against oppressors of the widowed and fatherless, and against those who defraud laborers of their wages and deny justice to the foreigner but do not fear Me,” says the LORD of Hosts.
Read in context