<p class="poetry">Then a trustworthy king will be established;p> <p class="poetry">he will rule in a reliable manner,p> <p class="poetry">this one from David&#8217;s family.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">He will be sure to make just decisionsp> <p class="poetry">and will be experienced in executing justice.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">I<n id="1" /> look for<n id="2" /> you during the night,p> <p class="poetry">my spirit within me seeks you at dawn,p> <p class="poetry">for when your judgments come upon the earth,p> <p class="poetry">those who live in the world learn about justice.<n id="3" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">For this reason the <sc>Lordsc> is ready to show you mercy;p> <p class="poetry">he sits on his throne, ready to have compassion on you.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Indeed, the <sc>Lordsc> is a just God;p> <p class="poetry">all who wait for him in faith will be blessed.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">A deceiver&#8217;s methods are evil;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">he dreams up evil plans<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">to ruin the poor with lies,p> <p class="poetry">even when the needy are in the right.<n id="3" />p>

<t /><n id="1" /><p class="poetry">&#8220;Here is my servant whom I support,p> <p class="poetry">my chosen one in whom I take pleasure.p> <p class="poetry">I have placed my spirit on him;p> <p class="poetry">he will make just decrees<n id="2" /> for the nations.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">But I thought,<n id="1" /> &#8220;I have worked in vain;p> <p class="poetry">I have expended my energy for absolutely nothing.&#8221;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">But the <sc>Lordsc> will vindicate me;p> <p class="poetry">my God will reward me.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Pay attention to me, my people!p> <p class="poetry">Listen to me, my people!p> <p class="poetry">For<n id="1" /> I will issue a decree,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">I will make my justice a light to the nations.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">He was led away after an unjust trial<n id="1" /> &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">but who even cared?<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Indeed, he was cut off from the land of the living;<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">because of the rebellion of his own<n id="4" /> people he was wounded.p>

<t /><p class="poetry">This is what the <sc>Lordsc> says,p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Promote<n id="1" /> justice! Do what is right!p> <p class="poetry">For I am ready to deliver you;p> <p class="poetry">I am ready to vindicate you openly.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">They are unfamiliar with peace;p> <p class="poetry">their deeds are unjust.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">They use deceitful methods,p> <p class="poetry">and whoever deals with them is unfamiliar with peace.<n id="2" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">For this reason deliverance<n id="1" /> is far from us<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">and salvation does not reach us.p> <p class="poetry">We wait for light,<n id="3" /> but see only darkness;<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">we wait for<n id="5" /> a bright light,<n id="6" /> but live<n id="7" /> in deep darkness.<n id="8" />p>

<p class="poetry">Justice is driven back;p> <p class="poetry">godliness<n id="1" /> stands far off.p> <p class="poetry">Indeed,<n id="2" /> honesty stumbles in the city squarep> <p class="poetry">and morality is not even able to enter.p>

<p class="poetry">Honesty has disappeared;p> <p class="poetry">the one who tries to avoid evil is robbed.p> <p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> watches and is displeased,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">for there is no justice.p>

<p class="poetry">For I, the <sc>Lordsc>, love justicep> <p class="poetry">and hate robbery and sin.p> <p class="poetry">I will repay them because of my faithfulness;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">I will make a permanent covenant with them.p>

In this way<n id="1" /> I will pass sentence<n id="2" /> on the people of Jerusalem and Judah<n id="3" /> because of all their wickedness. For they rejected me and offered sacrifices to other gods, worshiping what they made with their own hands.&#8221;<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">I thought, &#8220;Surely it is only the ignorant poor who act this way.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">They act like fools because they do not know what the <sc>Lordsc> demands.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">They do not know what their God requires of them.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">That is how<n id="1" /> they have grown fat and sleek.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">There is no limit to the evil things they do.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">They do not plead the cause of the fatherless in such a way as to win it.p> <p class="poetry">They do not defend the rights of the poor.p>

You must change<n id="1" /> the way you have been living and do what is right. You must treat one another fairly.<n id="2" />

<p class="poetry">Even the stork knowsp> <p class="poetry">when it is time to move on.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">The turtledove, swallow, and crane<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">recognize<n id="3" /> the normal times for their migration.p> <p class="poetry">But my people pay no attentionp> <p class="poetry">to<n id="4" /> what I, the <sc>Lordsc>, require of them.<n id="5" />p>

<p class="poetry"><sc>Lordsc>, you have always been fairp> <p class="poetry">whenever I have complained to you.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">However, I would like to speak with you about the disposition of justice.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Why are wicked people successful?<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">Why do all dishonest people have such easy lives?p>