³ Does God pervert justice?^(A)
    Does the Almighty pervert what is right?^(B)
4 When your children sinned against him,
    he gave them over to the penalty of their sin.^(C)
5 But if you will seek God earnestly
    and plead^(D) with the Almighty,^(E)
6 if you are pure and upright,
    even now he will rouse himself on your behalf^(F)
    and restore you to your prosperous state.^(G)

⁵ The earth is defiled^(A) by its people;
    they have disobeyed^(B) the laws,
violated the statutes
    and broken the everlasting covenant.^(C)

⁶ Therefore a curse^(A) consumes the earth;
    its people must bear their guilt.
Therefore earth’s inhabitants are burned up,^(B)
    and very few are left.