<p class="poetry">If the wicked are shown mercy,p> <p class="poetry">they do not learn about justice.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Even in a land where right is rewarded, they act unjustly;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">they do not see the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s majesty revealed.p>

I furthermore admonished your judges at that time that they<n id="1" /> should pay attention to issues among your fellow citizens<n id="2" /> and judge fairly,<n id="3" /> whether between one citizen and another<n id="4" /> or a citizen and a resident foreigner.<n id="5" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">You must appoint judges and civil servants<n id="1" /> for each tribe in all your villages<n id="2" /> that the <sc>Lordsc> your God is giving you, and they must judge the people fairly.<n id="3" />

<p class="poetry">They will summon peoples to the mountain,p> <p class="poetry">there they will sacrifice proper<n id="1" /> sacrifices;p> <p class="poetry">for they will enjoy<n id="2" /> the abundance of the seas,p> <p class="poetry">and the hidden treasures of the shores.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">You love<n id="1" /> justice and hate evil.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">For this reason God, your God<n id="3" /> has anointed you<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">with the oil of joy,<n id="5" /> elevating you above your companions.<n id="6" />p>

<t /><p class="psasuper">For the music director; according to the <i>al-tashchethi> style;<n id="2" /> a prayer<n id="3" /> of David.p> <p class="poetry">Do you rulers really pronounce just decisions?<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">Do you judge people<n id="5" /> fairly?p>

<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>

<p class="poetry">Who stirs up this one from the east?<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Who<n id="2" /> officially commissions him for service?<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">He hands nations over to him,<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">and enables him to subdue<n id="5" /> kings.p> <p class="poetry">He makes them like dust with his sword,p> <p class="poetry">like windblown straw with his bow.<n id="6" />p>

<p class="poetry">O sky, rain down from above!p> <p class="poetry">Let the clouds send down showers<n id="1" /> of deliverance!p> <p class="poetry">Let the earth absorb it<n id="2" /> so salvation may grow,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">and deliverance may sprout up<n id="4" /> along with it.p> <p class="poetry">I, the <sc>Lordsc>, create it.<n id="5" />p>

<p class="poetry">I have not spoken in secret,p> <p class="poetry">in some hidden place.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">I did not tell Jacob&#8217;s descendants,p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;Seek me in vain!&#8217;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">I am the <sc>Lordsc>,p> <p class="poetry">the one who speaks honestly,p> <p class="poetry">who makes reliable announcements.<n id="3" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">&#8220;Listen to me, you who pursue godliness,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">who seek the <sc>Lordsc>!p> <p class="poetry">Look at the rock from which you were chiseled,p> <p class="poetry">at the quarry<n id="2" /> from which you were dug!<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Listen to me, you who know what is right,p> <p class="poetry">you people who are aware of my law!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Don&#8217;t be afraid of the insults of men;p> <p class="poetry">don&#8217;t be discouraged because of their abuse!p>

<p class="poetry">You assist<n id="1" /> those who delight in doing what is right,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">who observe your commandments.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">Look, you were angry because we violated them continually.p> <p class="poetry">How then can we be saved?<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">So I said to the <sc>Lordsc>,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;O <sc>Lordsc> who rules over all,<n id="2" /> you are a just judge!p> <p class="poetry">You examine people&#8217;s hearts and minds.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">I want to see you pay them back for what they have donep> <p class="poetry">because I trust you to vindicate my cause.&#8221;<n id="4" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">&#8220;&#8216;Sure to be judged<n id="1" /> is the king who builds his palace using injusticep> <p class="poetry">and treats people unfairly while adding its upper rooms.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">He makes his countrymen work for him for nothing.p> <p class="poetry">He does not pay them for their labor.p>

<p class="poetry">All who encountered them devoured them.p> <p class="poetry">Their enemies who did this said, &#8216;We are not liable for punishment!p> <p class="poetry">For those people have sinned against the <sc>Lordsc>, their true pasture.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">They have sinned against the <sc>Lordsc> in whom their ancestors<n id="2" /> trusted.&#8217;<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Sow righteousness for yourselves,p> <p class="poetry">reap unfailing love.p> <p class="poetry">Break up the unplowed ground for yourselves,p> <p class="poetry">for it is time to seek the <sc>Lordsc>,p> <p class="poetry">until he comes and showers deliverance<n id="1" /> on you.p>

<p class="poetry">Seek the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s favor,<n id="1" /> all you humble people<n id="2" /> of the land who have obeyed his commands!<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">Strive to do what is right!<n id="4" /> Strive to be humble!<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">Maybe you will be protected<n id="6" /> on the day of the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s angry judgment.p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">Adoni-Zedek, king of Jerusalem,<n id="1" /> heard how Joshua captured Ai and annihilated it and its king as he did Jericho<n id="2" /> and its king.<n id="3" /> He also heard how<n id="4" /> the people of Gibeon made peace with Israel and lived among them.