Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails; for the wicked surround the righteous; therefore justice comes out perverted.

因此律法放松，公理也不显明；恶人围困义人，所以公理显然颠倒。”

因此律法无效，公理从未彰显。恶人围困义人，所以公理遭受扭曲。

因此律法无效，公理从未彰显。恶人围困义人，所以公理遭受扭曲。

因此律法失效，正义不彰，恶人包围义人，正义被扭曲。

因此律法不能生效（“律法不能生效”原文作“律法松懈”），公理无法彰显。因为恶人把义人包围，所以公理颠倒。

因此律法放鬆，公理也不顯明；惡人圍困義人，所以公理顯然顛倒。

因此律法無效，公理從未彰顯。惡人圍困義人，所以公理遭受扭曲。

因此律法無效，公理從未彰顯。惡人圍困義人，所以公理遭受扭曲。

因此律法失效，正義不彰，惡人包圍義人，正義被扭曲。

因此律法不能生效（“律法不能生效”原文作“律法鬆懈”），公理無法彰顯。因為惡人把義人包圍，所以公理顛倒。

因此律法僵化，公理總不出現。因為惡人圍困着義人，故此公理就使出現、也彎曲了。

緣此法律廢弛、公義不彰、惡者環繞義人、公義顯然違反、

惡者枉法、環攻義人、律例俱廢、伸其冤者、卒無一人。

緣此律法已廢、是非不循理而決、惡者圍攻善人、以致曲直顛倒、○

Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.

The law can’t do what it’s supposed to do. Fairness never comes out on top. Sinful people surround those who do what is right. So people are never treated fairly.

So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; so justice goes forth perverted.

The law has become paralyzed, and there is no justice in the courts. The wicked far outnumber the righteous, so that justice has become perverted.

This is why the law is ineffective and justice never emerges. For the wicked restrict the righteous; therefore, justice comes out perverted.

Therefore the Law is ignored, And justice is never upheld. For the wicked surround the righteous; Therefore justice comes out confused.

Therefore the law is powerless, And justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; Therefore perverse judgment proceeds.

Therefore the law is slacked, and justice doth never go forth; for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore justice goeth forth perverted.

This is why the law is ineffective and justice never emerges. For the wicked restrict the righteous; therefore, justice comes out perverted.

Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth.

For this reason the law lacks power, and justice is never carried out. Indeed, the wicked intimidate the innocent. For this reason justice is perverted.

How the faithful city has become a prostitute! She was full of justice. Righteousness lodged in her, but now there are murderers.Your silver has become dross, your wine mixed with water.Your princes are rebellious and companions of thieves. Everyone loves bribes and follows after rewards. They don’t defend the fatherless, neither does the cause of the widow come to them.

“ Why do the wicked live, become old, yes, and grow mighty in power?

It is time to act, Yahweh, for they break your law.

You are righteous, Yahweh, when I contend with you; yet I would like to reason the cause with you. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why are they all at ease who deal very treacherously?

Then he said to me,“ The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perversion; for they say,‘ Yahweh has forsaken the land, and Yahweh doesn’t see.’

Shall the throne of wickedness have fellowship with you, which brings about mischief by statute?They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood.

“ You shall not deny justice to your poor people in their lawsuits.

transgressing and denying Yahweh, and turning away from following our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.Justice is turned away backward, and righteousness stands far away; for truth has fallen in the street, and uprightness can’t enter.Yes, truth is lacking; and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. Yahweh saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice.

Do you indeed speak righteousness, silent ones? Do you judge blamelessly, you sons of men?No, in your heart you plot injustice. You measure out the violence of your hands in the earth.

They make promises, swearing falsely in making covenants. Therefore judgment springs up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field.

There is a conspiracy of her prophets within it, like a roaring lion ravening the prey. They have devoured souls. They take treasure and precious things. They have made many widows within it.Her priests have done violence to my law, and have profaned my holy things. They have made no distinction between the holy and the common, neither have they caused men to discern between the unclean and the clean, and have hidden their eyes from my Sabbaths. So I am profaned among them.Her princes within it are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, that they may get dishonest gain.Her prophets have plastered for them with whitewash, seeing false visions, and divining lies to them, saying,‘ The Lord Yahweh says,’ when Yahweh has not spoken.The people of the land have used oppression and exercised robbery. Yes, they have troubled the poor and needy, and have oppressed the foreigner wrongfully.“ I sought for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I would not destroy it; but I found no one.

“ You shall not follow a crowd to do evil. You shall not testify in court to side with a multitude to pervert justice.

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality. You shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts the words of the righteous.

For I know how many your offenses, and how great are your sins— you who afflict the just, who take a bribe, and who turn away the needy in the courts.

Do we then nullify the law through faith? May it never be! No, we establish the law.

Now when morning had come, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death:and they bound him, and led him away, and delivered him up to Pontius Pilate, the governor.

As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit. Therefore they have become great, and grew rich.They have grown fat. They shine; yes, they excel in deeds of wickedness. They don’t plead the cause, the cause of the fatherless, that they may prosper; and they don’t defend the rights of the needy.“ Shouldn’t I punish for these things?” says Yahweh.“ Shouldn’t my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

The godly man has perished out of the earth, and there is no one upright among men. They all lie in wait for blood; every man hunts his brother with a net.Their hands are on that which is evil to do it diligently. The ruler and judge ask for a bribe; and the powerful man dictates the evil desire of his soul. Thus they conspire together.The best of them is like a brier. The most upright is worse than a thorn hedge. The day of your watchmen, even your visitation, has come; now is the time of their confusion.

Therefore behold, I send to you prophets, wise men, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify; and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city;that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom you killed between the sanctuary and the altar.Most certainly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation.

Yahweh, how long will the wicked, how long will the wicked triumph?

Which of the prophets didn’t your fathers persecute? They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, of whom you have now become betrayers and murderers.

Woe to those who devise iniquity and work evil on their beds! When the morning is light, they practice it, because it is in the power of their hand.They covet fields, and seize them; and houses, and take them away: and they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage.

But you have dishonored the poor man. Don’t the rich oppress you, and personally drag you before the courts?Don’t they blaspheme the honorable name by which you are called?

He said to them,“ Full well do you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.

Now the chief priests, the elders, and the whole council sought false testimony against Jesus, that they might put him to death;and they found none. Even though many false witnesses came forward, they found none. But at last two false witnesses came forward,and said,“ This man said,‘ I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.’”The high priest stood up, and said to him,“ Have you no answer? What is this that these testify against you?”But Jesus held his peace. The high priest answered him,“ I adjure you by the living God, that you tell us whether you are the Christ, the Son of God.”Jesus said to him,“ You have said it. Nevertheless, I tell you, after this you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of the sky.”Then the high priest tore his clothing, saying,“ He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Behold, now you have heard his blasphemy.What do you think?” They answered,“ He is worthy of death!”

When it was day, some of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul.There were more than forty people who had made this conspiracy.They came to the chief priests and the elders, and said,“ We have bound ourselves under a great curse to taste nothing until we have killed Paul.

I said,“ Please listen, you heads of Jacob, and rulers of the house of Israel: Isn’t it for you to know justice?You who hate the good, and love the evil; who tear off their skin, and their flesh from off their bones;who also eat the flesh of my people, and peel their skin from off them, and break their bones, and chop them in pieces, as for the pot, and as meat within the cauldron.

Then Jeremiah said,“ That is false! I am not defecting to the Chaldeans.” But he didn’t listen to him; so Irijah seized Jeremiah, and brought him to the princes.The princes were angry with Jeremiah, and struck him, and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe; for they had made that the prison.When Jeremiah had come into the dungeon house, and into the cells, and Jeremiah had remained there many days,

Deliver me from the workers of iniquity. Save me from the bloodthirsty men.

They stoned Stephen as he called out, saying,“ Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!”

All the people answered,“ May his blood be on us, and on our children!”Then he released to them Barabbas, but Jesus he flogged and delivered to be crucified.

When Jehoiakim the king, with all his mighty men and all the princes heard his words, the king sought to put him to death; but when Uriah heard it, he was afraid, and fled, and went into Egypt.Then Jehoiakim the king sent men into Egypt, Elnathan the son of Achbor, and certain men with him, into Egypt;and they fetched Uriah out of Egypt, and brought him to Jehoiakim the king, who killed him with the sword, and cast his dead body into the graves of the common people.

I have done no wrong, yet they are ready to attack me. Rise up, behold, and help me!

If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?

When Jeremiah had finished speaking all that Yahweh had commanded him to speak to all the people, the priests and the prophets and all the people seized him, saying,“ You shall surely die!

God presides in the great assembly. He judges among the gods.“ How long will you judge unjustly, and show partiality to the wicked?” Selah.“ Defend the weak, the poor, and the fatherless. Maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.Rescue the weak and needy. Deliver them out of the hand of the wicked.”They don’t know, neither do they understand. They walk back and forth in darkness. All the foundations of the earth are shaken.

The two men, the wicked fellows, came in and sat before him. The wicked fellows testified against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying,“ Naboth cursed God and the king!” Then they carried him out of the city and stoned him to death with stones.

For dogs have surrounded me. A company of evildoers have enclosed me. They have pierced my hands and feet.

Then the princes said to the king,“ Please let this man be put to death; because he weakens the hands of the men of war who remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words to them: for this man doesn’t seek the welfare of this people, but harm.”Zedekiah the king said,“ Behold, he is in your hand; for the king can’t do anything to oppose you.”Then they took Jeremiah and threw him into the dungeon of Malchijah the king’s son, that was in the court of the guard. They let down Jeremiah with cords. In the dungeon there was no water, but mire; and Jeremiah sank in the mire.

For even your brothers, and the house of your father, even they have dealt treacherously with you! Even they have cried aloud after you! Don’t believe them, though they speak beautiful words to you.

But your iniquities have separated you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity. Your lips have spoken lies. Your tongue mutters wickedness.No one sues in righteousness, and no one pleads in truth. They trust in vanity, and speak lies. They conceive mischief, and give birth to iniquity.They hatch adders’ eggs, and weave the spider’s web. He who eats of their eggs dies; and that which is crushed breaks out into a viper.Their webs won’t become garments. They won’t cover themselves with their works. Their works are works of iniquity, and acts of violence are in their hands.Their feet run to evil, and they hurry to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity. Desolation and destruction are in their paths.They don’t know the way of peace; and there is no justice in their ways. They have made crooked paths for themselves; whoever goes in them doesn’t know peace.

You who turn justice to wormwood, and cast down righteousness to the earth: