<p class="poetry">For the <sc>Lordsc> promotes<n id="1" /> justice,p> <p class="poetry">and never abandons<n id="2" /> his faithful followers.p> <p class="poetry">They are permanently secure,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">but the children<n id="4" /> of evil men are wiped out.<n id="5" />p>

<p class="poetry">At that time<n id="1" /> the sovereign master<n id="2" /> will wash the excrement<n id="3" /> from Zion&#8217;s women,p> <p class="poetry">he will rinse the bloodstains from Jerusalem&#8217;s midst,<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">as he comes to judgep> <p class="poetry">and to bring devastation.<n id="5" />p>

<p class="poetry">to keep the poor from getting fair treatment,p> <p class="poetry">and to deprive<n id="1" /> the oppressed among my people of justice,p> <p class="poetry">so they can steal what widows own,p> <p class="poetry">and loot what belongs to orphans.<n id="2" />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>

<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>

<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>

<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>

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>

<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">Does it make you any more of a kingp> <p class="poetry">that you outstrip everyone else in<n id="1" /> building with cedar?p> <p class="poetry">Just think about your father.p> <p class="poetry">He was content that he had food and drink.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">He did what was just and right.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">So things went well with him.p>

<p class="poetry">&#8220;I, the <sc>Lordsc>, promise<n id="1" /> that a new time will certainly come<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">when I will raise up for them a righteous branch,<n id="3" /> a descendant of David.p> <p class="poetry">He will rule over them with wisdom and understanding<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">and will do what is just and right in the land.<n id="5" />p>

does not engage in usury or charge interest,<n id="1" /> but refrains<n id="2" /> from wrongdoing, promotes true justice<n id="3" /> between men,