Ut de impensis alienis domus non aedificetur
The Integrity of the Royal Hand
The king is exhorted to maintain purity by rejecting bribes and avoiding the sight of evil.
But you, O king—like a son of the purest King—shake your royal hands clean of every harmful gift, because it is written: "Whoever shakes his hands free of every bribe, who stops his ears so he will not hear of bloodshed, and closes his eyes so he will not look on evil—that one will dwell on high."✦
The Woe of Unjust Building
A collection of prophetic warnings against building wealth and homes through the exploitation of the poor and the seizure of land.
So then, that you may deserve to sit happily on a high throne, do not enlarge yourself with the gifts of the poor, or build a house with them—because it is written: "Whoever builds his house at others' expense is like someone gathering stones in winter."1 Jeremiah also says: "Woe to him who builds his house by injustice, and his upper rooms without justice; he oppresses his neighbor without cause, and doesn't pay him his wages."✦ Who says, "I will build myself a pleasant house and spacious upper rooms"—who opens windows for himself, makes cedar paneling, and paints it with vermilion.✦2 Isaiah cries out against such people and says: "Woe to you who join house to house and couple field to field, right up to the edge of the land."✦ Will you alone live in the middle of the earth?✦ These things are in my ears, says the Lord of hosts.✦ Solomon forbids this very thing as well, saying: "Do not touch the boundary markers of the little ones, and do not enter the field of orphans."✦
Stewardship Over Exploitation
The king is reminded that his existing wealth is sufficient for his needs and must not be supplemented by the suffering of the poor.
The almighty Lord has granted you, King, vast and flourishing kingdoms filled with riches, and has portioned out your parents' many estates; he has provided abundant revenues from the treasuries and bestowed upon you the gifts of many powerful men, so that you might build royal palaces from them. Take care that no royal house is built for you with the tears of the poor and at the expense of the wretched.
Read the original Latin
Tu vero, o rex, velut mundissimi regis filius ab omni munere nocuo regias excutiens munda manus, quia scriptum est: Qui excutit manus suas ab omni munere, qui obturat aures suas ne audiat sanguinem, et claudit oculos suos ne videat malum, iste in excelsis habitabit. Ergo ut merearis in excelso sedere feliciter throno, muneribus pauperum non amplifices tibimet, aut aedifices domum: quia scriptum est: Qui aedificat domum suam impendiis alienis, quasi qui colligit lapides suos in hieme. Jeremias quoque ait: Vae qui aedificat domum suam in injustitia, et coenacula sua non in judicio; amicum suum opprimet frustra, et mercedem ejus non reddet ei. Qui dicit: Aedificabo mihi domum laetam, et coenacula spatiosa: qui aperit sibi fenestras, facit laquearia cedrina, pingitque sinopide. Isaias talibus clamat et dicit: Vae qui conjungitis domum ad domum, et agrum agro copulatis, usque ad terminum loci. Nunquid habitabitis vos soli in medio terrarum? In auribus meis sunt haec, dicit Dominus exercituum. Hoc ipsum et Salomon prohibet dicens: Ne attingas parvulorum terminos: et agrum pupillorum ne introeas.
Tibi ergo, rex, omnipotens Dominus ampla et florida, divitiisque plena tribuit regna, parentumque multiplicia divisit et praedia; fiscorum plurima dedit vectigalia, et multorum potentum honoravit munera, unde regia fabricare possis palatia. Cave ne pauperum lacrymis miserorumque impensis tibi domus aedificetur regalis.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Isa.33.15-Isa.33.16 — Whoever walks in righteousness and speaks uprightly, who refuses gain from oppression, who shakes his hands free from holding a bribe, who stops his ear from hearing of bloodshed and shuts his eyes from looking upon evil — Isa.33.16 — He shall dwell on the heights; his refuge shall be the rocky fortresses; his bread is given, his waters are sure.
- ↩Jer.22.13 — Woe to the one who builds his house without righteousness, and his upper rooms without justice; who makes his neighbor work for nothing, and does not give him his wages.
- ↩Jer.22.14 — who says, 'I will build myself a spacious house with large upper rooms, and cut out windows for it, and panel it with cedar, and paint it with vermilion.'
- ↩Isa.5.8 — Woe to those who join house to house, who add field to field, until there is no more room, and you are made to dwell alone in the midst of the land.
- ↩Isa.5.8 — Woe to those who join house to house, who add field to field, until there is no more room, and you are made to dwell alone in the midst of the land.
- ↩Isa.5.9 — In my ears the LORD of hosts has sworn: Surely many houses shall become a desolation, great and good ones, without inhabitant.
- ↩Prov.23.10 — Do not move the ancient boundary stone, and do not enter the fields of the fatherless.
Notes
Via Regia (The Royal Road) companion
Rule yourself daily, not just on retreat
Chosen Portion turns the mirror into a daily practice — a short reading and examining question each morning before you lead anyone.
Chosen Portion makes the mirror daily: the ruler-formation questions this collection preserves become a two-minute morning examination in the app.
- A daily formation reading drawn from centuries of counsel to those in authority
- One pointed examination question a day — two minutes, before the meetings start
- Track your practice over weeks and watch the examined life become a habit