The one who builds a city by bloodshed is as good as dead– he who starts a town by unjust deeds.

以人血建城、以罪孽立邑的有祸了！

祸哉！那以鲜血建城、以罪孽造镇的人！

祸哉！那以鲜血建城、以罪孽造镇的人！

“以人血建城邑，以罪恶造城池的人啊，你们有祸了！

你这用人血做城，凭邪恶立镇的，有祸了！

以人血建城、以罪孽立邑的有禍了！

禍哉！那以鮮血建城、以罪孽造鎮的人！

禍哉！那以鮮血建城、以罪孽造鎮的人！

「以人血建城邑，以罪惡造城池的人啊，你們有禍了！

你這用人血做城，憑邪惡立鎮的，有禍了！

以人血建城、以罪孽立都市的、有禍啊！

以血建邑、以惡築城、其人禍哉、

爾殺戮人、強奪人、以構城邑、禍必不遠、

禍哉爾歟、殺人流血以建城、行諸不義以造邑、

“ Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and establishes a town by injustice!

“ How terrible it will be for the Babylonians! They build cities by spilling the blood of others. They establish towns by doing what is wrong.

“ Woe to him who builds a town with blood and founds a city on iniquity!

“ What sorrow awaits you who build cities with money gained through murder and corruption!

Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and founds a town with injustice!

“ Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed, And founds a town with violence!

“ Woe to him who builds a town with bloodshed, Who establishes a city by iniquity!

Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and establisheth a city by iniquity!

Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and stablisheth a city by iniquity!

Woe to him who builds a town with blood, and establishes a city by iniquity!

You build Zion through bloody crimes, Jerusalem through unjust violence.

Woe to the city guilty of bloodshed! She is full of lies; she is filled with plunder; she has hoarded her spoil!

“‘ Therefore this is what the sovereign LORD says: Woe to the city of bloodshed! I will also make the pile high.

I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and the blood of those who testified to Jesus. I was greatly astounded when I saw her.

So now, you are banished from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.When you try to cultivate the ground it will no longer yield its best for you. You will be a homeless wanderer on the earth.”Then Cain said to the LORD,“ My punishment is too great to endure!Look! You are driving me off the land today, and I must hide from your presence. I will be a homeless wanderer on the earth; whoever finds me will kill me.”But the LORD said to him,“ All right then, if anyone kills Cain, Cain will be avenged seven times as much.” Then the LORD put a special mark on Cain so that no one who found him would strike him down.So Cain went out from the presence of the LORD and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.Cain had marital relations with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was building a city, and he named the city after his son Enoch.

At that time Joshua made this solemn declaration:“ The man who attempts to rebuild this city of Jericho will stand condemned before the LORD. He will lose his firstborn son when he lays its foundations and his youngest son when he erects its gates!”

During Ahab’s reign, Hiel the Bethelite rebuilt Jericho. Abiram, his firstborn son, died when he laid the foundation; Segub, his youngest son, died when he erected its gates, just as the LORD had warned through Joshua son of Nun.

So the chief priests and the Pharisees called the council together and said,“ What are we doing? For this man is performing many miraculous signs.If we allow him to go on in this way, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away our sanctuary and our nation.”Then one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said,“ You know nothing at all!You do not realize that it is more to your advantage to have one man die for the people than for the whole nation to perish.”

Therefore, O king, may my advice be pleasing to you. Break away from your sins by doing what is right, and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor. Perhaps your prosperity will be prolonged.”Now all of this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar.After twelve months, he happened to be walking around on the battlements of the royal palace of Babylon.The king uttered these words:“ Is this not the great Babylon that I have built for a royal residence by my own mighty strength and for my majestic honor?”While these words were still on the king’s lips, a voice came down from heaven:“ It is hereby announced to you, King Nebuchadnezzar, that your kingdom has been removed from you!

“‘ Sure to be judged is the king who builds his palace using injustice and treats people unfairly while adding its upper rooms. He makes his countrymen work for him for nothing. He does not pay them for their labor.He says,“ I will build myself a large palace with spacious upper rooms.” He cuts windows in its walls, panels it with cedar, and paints its rooms red.Does it make you any more of a king that you outstrip everyone else in building with cedar? Just think about your father. He was content that he had food and drink. He did what was just and right. So things went well with him.He upheld the cause of the poor and needy. So things went well for Judah.’ The LORD says,‘ That is a good example of what it means to know me.’But you are always thinking and looking for ways to increase your wealth by dishonest means. Your eyes and your heart are set on killing some innocent person and committing fraud and oppression.