12:7Meaning
The accusation—dishonest commerce and oppression The speaker describes Ephraim as a trader with “balances of deceit” in his hand. The image is of weighing goods with rigged scales so the other party loses. The line then states the moral direction of that practice: Ephraim “loves to oppress,” meaning exploitation is not accidental but embraced.
Unit 2 (v. 8a): Ephraim’s self-assessment—wealth as the conclusion
Ephraim responds with confidence: “Surely I have become rich, I have found myself wealth.” The claim is presented as settled fact, as if prosperity closes the case. The wording suggests he credits himself for acquiring it—he has “found” it for himself (see found).
Unit 3 (v. 8b): Ephraim’s defense—no charge will count
Ephraim adds that in all his “labors” no one will find wrongdoing in him that qualifies as “iniquity that is sin.” The point is not merely that he expects to evade detection, but that he argues his whole record will not yield a real moral indictment. He frames his work as clean enough that any accusation would fail.