How painful are honest words! But what does your reproof prove?

He would certainly rebuke you if you secretly showed partiality!

Do not reprove a mocker or he will hate you; reprove a wise person and he will love you.

Do you intend to criticize mere words, and treat the words of a despairing man as wind?

Is it because of your piety that he rebukes you and goes to judgment with you?

But there will be delight for those who convict the guilty, and a pleasing blessing will come on them.

The Israelites hate anyone who arbitrates at the city gate; they despise anyone who speaks honestly.

You must not hate your brother in your heart. You must surely reprove your fellow citizen so that you do not incur sin on account of him.

He let no one oppress them, he disciplined kings for their sake,

Nor is there an arbiter between us, who might lay his hand on us both,

Does he argue with useless talk, with words that have no value in them?

and he contends with God on behalf of man as a man pleads for his friend.

If indeed you would exalt yourselves above me and plead my disgrace against me,

There an upright person could present his case before him, and I would be delivered forever from my judge.

Or a person is chastened by pain on his bed, and with the continual strife of his bones,

“Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let the person who accuses God give him an answer!”

I am not condemning you because of your sacrifices, or because of your burnt sacrifices that you continually offer me.

Does the one who disciplines the nations not punish? He is the one who imparts knowledge to human beings!

He let no one oppress them; he disciplined kings for their sake,

Whoever corrects a mocker is asking for insult; whoever reproves a wicked person receives abuse.