Jeremiah 5:28
New International Version
and have grown fat and sleek. Their evil deeds have no limit; they do not seek justice. They do not promote the case of the fatherless; they do not defend the just cause of the poor.

New Living Translation
They are fat and sleek, and there is no limit to their wicked deeds. They refuse to provide justice to orphans and deny the rights of the poor.

English Standard Version
they have grown fat and sleek. They know no bounds in deeds of evil; they judge not with justice the cause of the fatherless, to make it prosper, and they do not defend the rights of the needy.

Berean Standard Bible
They have grown fat and sleek, and have excelled in the deeds of the wicked. They have not taken up the cause of the fatherless, that they might prosper; nor have they defended the rights of the needy.

King James Bible
They are waxen fat, they shine: yea, they overpass the deeds of the wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge.

New King James Version
They have grown fat, they are sleek; Yes, they surpass the deeds of the wicked; They do not plead the cause, The cause of the fatherless; Yet they prosper, And the right of the needy they do not defend.

New American Standard Bible
‘They are fat, they are sleek, They also excel in deeds of wickedness; They do not plead the cause, The cause of the orphan, so that they may be successful; And they do not defend the rights of the poor.

NASB 1995
‘They are fat, they are sleek, They also excel in deeds of wickedness; They do not plead the cause, The cause of the orphan, that they may prosper; And they do not defend the rights of the poor.

NASB 1977
‘They are fat, they are sleek, They also excel in deeds of wickedness; They do not plead the cause, The cause of the orphan, that they may prosper; And they do not defend the rights of the poor.

Legacy Standard Bible
They are fat, they are sleek; They also excel in deeds of evil; They do not plead the cause, The cause of the orphan, that they may succeed; And they do not render justice for the poor.

Amplified Bible
‘They are fat and they are sleek (prosperous), They excel in acts of wickedness; They do not plead the cause, The cause of the orphan, so that they [the wicked] may prosper, And they do not defend the rights of the poor.

Christian Standard Bible
They have become fat and sleek. They have also excelled in evil matters. They have not taken up cases, such as the case of the fatherless, so they might prosper, and they have not defended the rights of the needy.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
They have become fat and sleek. They have also excelled in evil matters. They have not taken up cases, such as the case of the fatherless, so they might prosper, and they have not defended the rights of the needy.

American Standard Version
They are waxed fat, they shine: yea, they overpass in deeds of wickedness; they plead not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, that they may prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge.

Contemporary English Version
and prosperous, but you refuse to help the poor get the justice they deserve.

English Revised Version
They are waxen fat, they shine: yea, they overpass in deeds of wickedness: they plead not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, that they should prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
They grow big and fat. Their evil deeds have no limits. They have no respect for the rights of others. They have no respect for the rights of orphans. But they still prosper. They don't defend the rights of the poor.

Good News Translation
why they are fat and well fed. There is no limit to their evil deeds. They do not give orphans their rights or show justice to the oppressed.

International Standard Version
and have grown fat and sleek. There is no limit to their evil deeds. They don't argue the case of the orphan to secure justice. They don't defend the rights of the poor.

Majority Standard Bible
They have grown fat and sleek, and have excelled in the deeds of the wicked. They have not taken up the cause of the fatherless, that they might prosper; nor have they defended the rights of the needy.

NET Bible
That is how they have grown fat and sleek. There is no limit to the evil things they do. They do not plead the cause of the fatherless in such a way as to win it. They do not defend the rights of the poor.

New Heart English Bible
They have grown fat. They shine; yes, they excel in deeds of wickedness. They do not plead the cause, the cause of the fatherless, that they may prosper; and they do not judge the right of the needy.

Webster's Bible Translation
They have become fat, they shine: yes, they surpass the deeds of the wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge.

World English Bible
They have grown fat. They shine; yes, they excel in deeds of wickedness. They don’t plead the cause, the cause of the fatherless, that they may prosper; and they don’t defend the rights of the needy.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
They have been fat, they have shone, "" Indeed, they have surpassed the acts of the evil, "" They have not judged judgment, "" The judgment of the fatherless—and they prosper, "" And they have not judged the judgment of the needy.

Young's Literal Translation
They have been fat, they have shone, Yea, they have overpassed the acts of the evil, Judgment they have not judged, The judgment of the fatherless -- and they prosper, And the judgment of the needy they have not judged.

Smith's Literal Translation
They became fat, they shone: they passed over words of evil: they judged not judgment, the judgment of the orphan, and they will give success; and the judgment of the needy they judged not.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
They are grown gross and fat: andhave most wickedly transgressed my words. They have not judged the cause of the widow, they have not managed the cause of the fatherless, they have not judged the judgement of the poor.

Catholic Public Domain Version
They have grown stout and fat. And they have transgressed my words most wickedly. They have not judged the case of the widow; they have not given guidance to the case of the orphan; and they have not judged a judgment for the poor.

New American Bible
fat and sleek. They pass over wicked deeds; justice they do not defend By advancing the claim of the orphan or judging the cause of the poor.

New Revised Standard Version
they have grown fat and sleek. They know no limits in deeds of wickedness; they do not judge with justice the cause of the orphan, to make it prosper, and they do not defend the rights of the needy.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Therefore they have become great and rich and have perverted judgment; they do not execute justice, and they do not judge aright the cause of the orphan; and the cause of the needy they did not judge.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Because of this, they increased and they were rich and they passed judgment; they have not judged by justice, and the case of orphans they have not set right, and the case of the afflicted they have not judged
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
They are waxen fat, they are become sleek; Yea, they overpass in deeds of wickedness; They plead not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, That they might make it to prosper; And the right of the needy do they not judge.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
and they have transgressed the rule of judgment; they have not judged the cause of the orphan, nor have they judged the cause of the widow.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Judgment Proclaimed
27Like cages full of birds, so their houses are full of deceit. Therefore they have become powerful and rich. 28They have grown fat and sleek, and have excelled in the deeds of the wicked. They have not taken up the cause of the fatherless, that they might prosper; nor have they defended the rights of the needy. 29Should I not punish them for these things?” declares the LORD. “Should I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?…

Cross References
Isaiah 1:23
Your rulers are rebels, friends of thieves. They all love bribes and chasing after rewards. They do not defend the fatherless, and the plea of the widow never comes before them.

Ezekiel 22:29
The people of the land have practiced extortion and committed robbery. They have oppressed the poor and needy and have exploited the foreign resident without justice.

Micah 3:1-3
Then I said: “Hear now, O leaders of Jacob, you rulers of the house of Israel. Should you not know justice? / You hate good and love evil. You tear the skin from my people and strip the flesh from their bones. / You eat the flesh of my people after stripping off their skin and breaking their bones. You chop them up like flesh for the cooking pot, like meat in a cauldron.”

Amos 5:11-12
Therefore, because you trample on the poor and exact from him a tax of grain, you will never live in the stone houses you have built; you will never drink the wine from the lush vineyards you have planted. / For I know that your transgressions are many and your sins are numerous. You oppress the righteous by taking bribes; you deprive the poor of justice in the gate.

Zechariah 7:10
Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. And do not plot evil in your hearts against one another.’

James 5:1-6
Come now, you who are rich, weep and wail over the misery to come upon you. / Your riches have rotted and moths have eaten your clothes. / Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and consume your flesh like fire. You have hoarded treasure in the last days. ...

Matthew 23:23
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You pay tithes of mint, dill, and cumin. But you have disregarded the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.

Luke 11:42
Woe to you Pharisees! For you pay tithes of mint, rue, and every herb, but you disregard justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without neglecting the former.

Isaiah 10:1-2
Woe to those who enact unjust statutes and issue oppressive decrees, / to deprive the poor of fair treatment and withhold justice from the oppressed of My people, to make widows their prey and orphans their plunder.

Proverbs 21:13
Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too shall cry out and receive no answer.

Psalm 82:2-4
“How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Selah / Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; uphold the rights of the afflicted and oppressed. / Rescue the weak and needy; save them from the hand of the wicked.

Isaiah 3:14-15
The LORD brings this charge against the elders and leaders of His people: “You have devoured the vineyard; the plunder of the poor is in your houses. / Why do you crush My people and grind the faces of the poor?” declares the Lord GOD of Hosts.

Ezekiel 34:2-4
“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Woe to the shepherds of Israel, who only feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed their flock? / You eat the fat, wear the wool, and butcher the fattened sheep, but you do not feed the flock. / You have not strengthened the weak, healed the sick, bound up the injured, brought back the strays, or searched for the lost. Instead, you have ruled them with violence and cruelty.

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.

Matthew 23:25-28
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. / Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, so that the outside may become clean as well. / Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of impurity. ...


Treasury of Scripture

They are waxen fat, they shine: yes, they overpass the deeds of the wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge.

waxen.

Deuteronomy 32:15
But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation.

Job 15:27,28
Because he covereth his face with his fatness, and maketh collops of fat on his flanks…

Job 21:23,24
One dieth in his full strength, being wholly at ease and quiet…

overpass.

Jeremiah 2:33
Why trimmest thou thy way to seek love? therefore hast thou also taught the wicked ones thy ways.

Ezekiel 5:6,7
And she hath changed my judgments into wickedness more than the nations, and my statutes more than the countries that are round about her: for they have refused my judgments and my statutes, they have not walked in them…

Ezekiel 16:47-52
Yet hast thou not walked after their ways, nor done after their abominations: but, as if that were a very little thing, thou wast corrupted more than they in all thy ways…

judge.

Jeremiah 22:15-19
Shalt thou reign, because thou closest thyself in cedar? did not thy father eat and drink, and do judgment and justice, and then it was well with him? …

Job 29:12-14
Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him…

Psalm 72:4
He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor.

yet.

Jeremiah 12:1
Righteous art thou, O LORD, when I plead with thee: yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments: Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously?

Job 12:6
The tabernacles of robbers prosper, and they that provoke God are secure; into whose hand God bringeth abundantly.

Psalm 73:12
Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.

Jump to Previous
Bounds Case Cause Child Deeds Defend Evil Excel Far Fat Fatherless Gets Grew Grown Judge Limit Needy Orphan Plead Poor Prosper Right Rights Shine Sleek Strong Support Surpass Waxed Waxen Wicked Wickedness Win Works
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Bounds Case Cause Child Deeds Defend Evil Excel Far Fat Fatherless Gets Grew Grown Judge Limit Needy Orphan Plead Poor Prosper Right Rights Shine Sleek Strong Support Surpass Waxed Waxen Wicked Wickedness Win Works
Jeremiah 5
1. The judgments of God upon the people, for their perverseness;
7. for their adultery;
10. for their impiety;
15. for their worship of idols;
19. for their contempt of God;
25. and for their great corruption in the civil state;
30. and ecclesiastical.














They have grown fat and sleek
This phrase paints a vivid picture of the moral and spiritual state of the people. The Hebrew word for "fat" (שָׁמֵן, shamen) often symbolizes prosperity and abundance, but here it is used pejoratively to indicate self-indulgence and complacency. The word "sleek" (עָשַׁת, ashat) suggests a polished or smooth appearance, implying that the people have become comfortable and self-satisfied in their sin. Historically, this reflects a time when Judah was materially prosperous but spiritually bankrupt, a common theme in the prophetic literature where external wealth masks internal decay.

Their evil deeds have no limit
The phrase underscores the boundless nature of their wickedness. The Hebrew word for "limit" (מִשְׁפָּט, mishpat) typically refers to justice or judgment, but here it is used to indicate that there is no boundary or restraint to their actions. This suggests a society that has abandoned moral and ethical constraints, echoing the broader biblical narrative of Israel's repeated cycles of sin and repentance. Theologically, it serves as a warning against the dangers of unchecked sin and the importance of divine law as a boundary for human behavior.

They do not plead the case of the fatherless to win it
This phrase highlights a specific failure in social justice. The Hebrew word for "plead" (דִּין, din) means to judge or contend, and it implies an active effort to seek justice. The "fatherless" (יָתוֹם, yatom) are often mentioned in the Bible as a symbol of the vulnerable and marginalized. The failure to advocate for them indicates a society that has lost its moral compass, neglecting the very people God commands His followers to protect. This reflects the broader biblical theme of God's concern for justice and care for the oppressed.

They do not defend the rights of the poor
This phrase further emphasizes the social injustice prevalent in the society. The Hebrew word for "defend" (שָׁפַט, shaphat) means to judge or govern, suggesting a failure of leadership and governance. The "poor" (עָנִי, ani) are another group frequently mentioned in Scripture as deserving of protection and justice. This neglect is a direct violation of the covenantal laws given to Israel, which repeatedly stress the importance of caring for the less fortunate. It serves as a reminder of the biblical mandate to uphold justice and righteousness in all aspects of life.

(28) They overpass the deeds of the wicked.--Better (the English being ambiguous), they exceed in deeds (literally, words or things) of wickedness. The prophet dwells not only on the prosperity of the wicked, but on their callous indifference to the well-being of the poor.

Yet they prosper.--Better, so that they (the fatherless) may prosper. They do not judge with a view to that result. The words admit, however, in Hebrew as in English, of the sense that they (the wicked themselves) may prosper. That was all they aimed at or cared for.

Verse 28. - They overpass the deeds of the wicked; rather, they overpass the common measure of wickedness (literally, the cases of wickedness); or, as others, they exceed in deeds of wickedness. Yet they prosper; rather, so that they (the fatherless) might prosper; or, that they (the rich) might make it to prosper.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
They have grown fat
שָׁמְנ֣וּ (šā·mə·nū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 8080: To shine, be, oily, gross

and sleek,
עָשְׁת֗וּ (‘ā·šə·ṯū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 6245: To be sleek, glossy, to excogitate

and
גַּ֚ם (gam)
Conjunction
Strong's 1571: Assemblage, also, even, yea, though, both, and

have excelled
עָֽבְר֣וּ (‘ā·ḇə·rū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 5674: To pass over, through, or by, pass on

in evil
רָ֔ע (rā‘)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7451: Bad, evil

matters.
דִבְרֵי־ (ḏiḇ·rê-)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause

They have not
לֹא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

taken up the cause
דִּ֣ין (dîn)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1779: Judgement, strife

of the fatherless,
יָת֖וֹם (yā·ṯō·wm)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3490: A bereaved person

so they might prosper,
וְיַצְלִ֑יחוּ (wə·yaṣ·lî·ḥū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 6743: To push forward

nor have they
לֹ֥א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

defended
שָׁפָֽטוּ׃ (šā·p̄ā·ṭū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 8199: To judge, pronounce sentence, to vindicate, punish, to govern, to litigate

the rights
וּמִשְׁפַּ֥ט (ū·miš·paṭ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4941: A verdict, a sentence, formal decree, divine law, penalty, justice, privilege, style

of the needy.
אֶבְיוֹנִ֖ים (’eḇ·yō·w·nîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 34: In want, needy, poor


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OT Prophets: Jeremiah 5:28 They are grew fat they shine: yes (Jer.)
Jeremiah 5:27
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