Study Desk

"But if you have understanding, hear this; Listen to the sound of my words.

-"Shall ^(C1)one who hates justice rule? And ^(C2)will you condemn the righteous mighty One,

Who says to a king, 'You worthless one,' To nobles, 'You wicked one';

Who shows no ^(C1)partiality to the prominent, Nor regards the rich as above the poor, Since they are all the ^(C2)work of His hands?

-"In a moment they die, and ^(C1)at midnight People are shaken and pass away, And ^(C2)the powerful are taken away without a hand.

"For ^(C1)His eyes are upon the ways of a person, And He sees all his steps.

-"There is ^(C1)no darkness or deep shadow Where the workers of injustice can hide themselves.

-"For He does not ^(C1)need to consider a person further, That he should go before God in judgment.

-"He breaks in pieces the ^(C1)mighty without investigation, And sets others in their place.

-"Therefore He ^(C1)knows their deeds, And ^(C2)He overthrows them in the night, And they are crushed.

-"He ^(C1)strikes them like the wicked ^(F1)In a public place,

Because they ^(C1)turned aside from following Him, And ^(C2)had no regard for any of His ways,

So that they caused ^(C1)the cry of the poor to come to Him, And that He would ^(C2)hear the cry of the afflicted—

When He keeps quiet, who can condemn? And when He hides His face, who then can look at Him, That is, regarding both nation and a person?—

-"So that ^(C1)godless people would not rule, Nor be snares for the people.