And do no wrong

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…
But if ye will not hear these words,
I swear by myself, saith the LORD,
that this house shall become a desolation. Jer 22.3, 5

These are stark and unyielding words of prophecy. Jeremiah told the people of Judah over and over that if they continued in disobedience, destruction would follow. Jeremiah was very specific in his predictions. The Babylonians would conquer the country, destroy Jerusalem, loot the Temple and take all the wealth of the country. And they would take captives back to Babylon, including the King of Judah. These captives would never return to their native land. The people left behind would face a worse fate: disease, starvation and death with no one to mourn their passing.

God tells the people of Judah that the situation was a “according to the fruit of your doings”. The dire prophecy could have been avoided if the people turned back to God. We often think that what God wanted was a stricter adherence to the law, but look at what God actually asks for:
1. Execute ye judgment and righteousness, and
2. deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor: and
3. do no wrong, do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow,
4. neither shed innocent blood in this place

So what is this is plain English? Here goes:
1. Be fair. Be wise. Be honest.
2. Help those who have been hurt by those who are stronger and more powerful.
3. Don’t take advantage of people who cannot defend themselves; instead, be as fair to them as you would to a person well known and respected in the community.
4. Don’t allow an innocent person to be falsely accused or spoken of.

We could sum this all up by saying “be nice to people, be fair and consistently honest without regard for wealth or power.” This isn’t law, this is love.