“How long will you[a] defend the unjust
    and show partiality(A) to the wicked?[b](B)

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 82:2 The Hebrew is plural.
  2. Psalm 82:2 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.

How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah.

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17 Do not show partiality(A) in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be afraid of anyone,(B) for judgment belongs to God. Bring me any case too hard for you, and I will hear it.”(C)

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17 Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; but ye shall hear the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is God's: and the cause that is too hard for you, bring it unto me, and I will hear it.

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It is not good to be partial to the wicked(A)
    and so deprive the innocent of justice.(B)

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It is not good to accept the person of the wicked, to overthrow the righteous in judgment.

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Psalm 58[a]

For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.[b]

Do you rulers indeed speak justly?(A)
    Do you judge people with equity?
No, in your heart you devise injustice,(B)
    and your hands mete out violence on the earth.(C)

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 58:1 In Hebrew texts 58:1-11 is numbered 58:2-12.
  2. Psalm 58:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term

58 Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?

Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh the violence of your hands in the earth.

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As for those who were held in high esteem(A)—whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not show favoritism(B)—they added nothing to my message.(C)

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But of these who seemed to be somewhat, (whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me: God accepteth no man's person:) for they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me:

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Hear this, you leaders of Jacob,
    you rulers of Israel,
who despise justice
    and distort all that is right;(A)
10 who build(B) Zion with bloodshed,(C)
    and Jerusalem with wickedness.(D)
11 Her leaders judge for a bribe,(E)
    her priests teach for a price,(F)
    and her prophets tell fortunes for money.(G)
Yet they look(H) for the Lord’s support and say,
    “Is not the Lord among us?
    No disaster will come upon us.”(I)
12 Therefore because of you,
    Zion will be plowed like a field,
Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble,(J)
    the temple(K) hill a mound overgrown with thickets.(L)

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Hear this, I pray you, ye heads of the house of Jacob, and princes of the house of Israel, that abhor judgment, and pervert all equity.

10 They build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity.

11 The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the Lord, and say, Is not the Lord among us? none evil can come upon us.

12 Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest.

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Leaders and Prophets Rebuked

Then I said,

“Listen, you leaders(A) of Jacob,
    you rulers of Israel.
Should you not embrace justice,
    you who hate good and love evil;
who tear the skin from my people
    and the flesh from their bones;(B)
who eat my people’s flesh,(C)
    strip off their skin
    and break their bones in pieces;(D)
who chop(E) them up like meat for the pan,
    like flesh for the pot?(F)

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And I said, Hear, I pray you, O heads of Jacob, and ye princes of the house of Israel; Is it not for you to know judgment?

Who hate the good, and love the evil; who pluck off their skin from off them, and their flesh from off their bones;

Who also eat the flesh of my people, and flay their skin from off them; and they break their bones, and chop them in pieces, as for the pot, and as flesh within the caldron.

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How long will you assault me?
    Would all of you throw me down—
    this leaning wall,(A) this tottering fence?

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How long will ye imagine mischief against a man? ye shall be slain all of you: as a bowing wall shall ye be, and as a tottering fence.

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19 who shows no partiality(A) to princes
    and does not favor the rich over the poor,(B)
    for they are all the work of his hands?(C)

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19 How much less to him that accepteth not the persons of princes, nor regardeth the rich more than the poor? for they all are the work of his hands.

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Now let the fear of the Lord be on you. Judge carefully, for with the Lord our God there is no injustice(A) or partiality(B) or bribery.”

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Wherefore now let the fear of the Lord be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts.

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21 Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver(A) between two opinions? If the Lord(B) is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.”

But the people said nothing.

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21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.

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15 “‘Do not pervert justice;(A) do not show partiality(B) to the poor or favoritism to the great,(C) but judge your neighbor fairly.(D)

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15 Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour.

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“Do not deny justice(A) to your poor people in their lawsuits. Have nothing to do with a false charge(B) and do not put an innocent(C) or honest person to death,(D) for I will not acquit the guilty.(E)

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Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause.

Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked.

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