and prosperity to his nation. These years of peace brought little
happiness, however, to the common people of Israel. They had already
become so poverty-stricken during the long years of petty but cruel
wars, under the earlier kings since Solomon, that they were
practically at the mercy of a small class of nobles and wealthy
merchants who grew richer all the time while the people grew poorer.

=Evil days.=--These rich men used false weights and measures. In
buying wheat from the farmer they would use heavy weights, and get
more than was right; in selling to the poor of the cities they used
light weights, and so gave out little for much. They corrupted courts
and judges, so that no poor man could get his rights. They charged
enormous rates of interest for the money which the poor were obliged
to borrow. All over the land the mass of the people were living in
hovels and selling their sons and their daughters into slavery to keep
from starving, while the rich men and their families lived in luxury
and in wasteful, extravagant display.

None of this shameful injustice seemed to weigh heavily on any man's
conscience, for they were careful to keep up all the sacrifices to
Jehovah. And was not Jehovah showing his pleasure by granting them
these long years of peace and prosperity? They forgot the old lessons
of Jehovah's justice which the nation had learned from Moses. Even
Moses, according to their traditions, had given laws about sacrifices
and offerings. These seemed to be the essential thing. So they kept on
offering up costly sacrifices at their great temples and shrines, with
stately and gorgeous ceremonials, and thought to themselves, "How
pleased Jehovah must be!"