They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely — the devouring of widows' houses is the chapter's most specific accusation: the teachers' religious authority is being used to exploit the vulnerable. Widows were among the most economically vulnerable members of ancient society; the teachers who are called to protect them are instead taking from them. The lengthy prayers that accompany the exploitation are the external religious performance that masks the internal corruption.

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