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God Commands Justice

A psalm of Asaph.[a]

82 God stands in the divine assembly;[b]
he administers judgment in the midst of the gods.[c]
“How long will you judge unjustly
and show favoritism to the wicked?[d] Selah
Judge on behalf of the helpless and the orphan;
provide justice to the afflicted and the poor.
Rescue the helpless and the needy;
deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”
They do not know or consider.[e]
They go about in the darkness,
so that all the foundations of the earth are shaken.
I have said,[f] “You are gods,
and sons of the Most High, all of you.
However, you will die like men,[g]
and you will fall like one of the princes.”
Rise up, O God, judge the earth,
because you shall inherit[h] all the nations.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 82:1 The Hebrew Bible counts the superscription as the first verse of the psalm
  2. Psalm 82:1 Or “assembly of El
  3. Psalm 82:1 Hebrew elohim
  4. Psalm 82:2 Literally “lift up the faces of the wicked”
  5. Psalm 82:5 Or “understand”
  6. Psalm 82:6 Hebrew “I, I have said”
  7. Psalm 82:7 Singular
  8. Psalm 82:8 Or “receive an inheritance”

God Judges the Judges

A song of Asaph.

82 God is in charge of the great meeting of his people.
    He judges the judges.
He says, “How long will you defend evil people?
    How long will you show greater kindness to the wicked? Selah
Defend the orphans and the weak.
    Defend the rights of the poor and suffering.
Save the weak and helpless
    from the power of the wicked.

“You know nothing. You don’t understand.
You walk in the dark,
    while the world is falling apart.
I said, ‘You are gods.
    You are all sons of the Most High God.’
But you will die like any other person.
    You will die like all the leaders.”

God, come and judge the earth.
    You own all the nations.

Psalm 82

A psalm of Asaph.

God presides in the great assembly;
    he renders judgment(A) among the “gods”:(B)

“How long will you[a] defend the unjust
    and show partiality(C) to the wicked?[b](D)
Defend the weak and the fatherless;(E)
    uphold the cause of the poor(F) and the oppressed.
Rescue the weak and the needy;
    deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

“The ‘gods’ know nothing, they understand nothing.(G)
    They walk about in darkness;(H)
    all the foundations(I) of the earth are shaken.

“I said, ‘You are “gods”;(J)
    you are all sons of the Most High.’
But you will die(K) like mere mortals;
    you will fall like every other ruler.”

Rise up,(L) O God, judge(M) the earth,
    for all the nations are your inheritance.(N)

Footnotes

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