You are always righteous, Lord, when I bring a case before you. Yet I would speak with you about your justice: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease?

耶和华啊，我与你争辩的时候，你显为义；但有一件，我还要与你理论：恶人的道路为何亨通呢？大行诡诈的为何得安逸呢？

耶和华啊，我与你争辩的时候，你总是显为义；但有一件，我还要与你理论：恶人的道路为何亨通呢？大行诡诈的为何得安逸呢？

耶和华啊，我与你争辩的时候，你总是显为义；但有一件，我还要与你理论：恶人的道路为何亨通呢？大行诡诈的为何得安逸呢？

耶和华啊，每次我与你争论，都显明你是对的。然而，我还是对你的公正有所不解：为什么恶人总是得势？为什么诡诈之人反而生活安逸？

耶和华啊！我跟你争辩的时候，总是你有理；然而我还要跟你讨论有关公正的问题。恶人的道路为什么亨通？所有行诡诈的为什么都得享安逸？

耶和華啊，我與你爭辯的時候，你顯為義；但有一件，我還要與你理論：惡人的道路為何亨通呢？大行詭詐的為何得安逸呢？

耶和華啊，我與你爭辯的時候，你總是顯為義；但有一件，我還要與你理論：惡人的道路為何亨通呢？大行詭詐的為何得安逸呢？

耶和華啊，我與你爭辯的時候，你總是顯為義；但有一件，我還要與你理論：惡人的道路為何亨通呢？大行詭詐的為何得安逸呢？

耶和華啊，每次我與你爭論，都顯明你是對的。然而，我還是對你的公正有所不解：為什麼惡人總是得勢？為什麼詭詐之人反而生活安逸？

耶和華啊！我跟你爭辯的時候，總是你有理；然而我還要跟你討論有關公正的問題。惡人的道路為甚麼亨通？所有行詭詐的為甚麼都得享安逸？

永恆主啊，我和你辯訴時，你都是對的；但有一個案件、我還要跟你理論。惡人的路為甚麼順利亨通？大行詭詐的為甚麼安享興隆呢？

耶和華歟、我與爾辯、爾乃公義、然我猶欲與爾論之、惡人之道、何故亨通、行詐之流、奚為安泰、

耶利米曰、耶和華與、吾訴於爾前、爾惟公是秉。即以爾行事論之、作惡者享通、逆理者平康、誠何故哉。

我若與主爭辯、主必顯為至公、雖然、我猶敢與主理論、惡人之道途亨通、奸詐之人平康、何故哉、

Lord, when I bring a matter to you, you always do what is right. But now I would like to speak with you about whether you are being fair. Why are sinful people successful? Why do those who can’t be trusted have an easy life?

Righteous are you, O Lord, when I complain to you; yet I would plead my case before you. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all who are treacherous thrive?

Lord, you always give me justice when I bring a case before you. So let me bring you this complaint: Why are the wicked so prosperous? Why are evil people so happy?

You will be righteous, LORD, even if I bring a case against you. Yet, I wish to contend with you: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the treacherous live at ease?

Righteous are You, Lord, when I plead my case with You; Nevertheless I would discuss matters of justice with You: Why has the way of the wicked prospered? Why are all those who deal in treachery at ease?

Righteous are You, O Lord, when I plead with You; Yet let me talk with You about Your judgments. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why are those happy who deal so treacherously?

Righteous art thou, O Jehovah, when I contend with thee; yet would I reason the cause with thee: wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? wherefore are all they at ease that deal very treacherously?

You will be righteous, Lord, even if I bring a case against You. Yet, I wish to contend with You: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the treacherous live at ease?

Righteous[ art] thou, O LORD, when I plead with thee: yet let me talk with thee of[ thy] judgments: Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper?[ wherefore] are all they happy that deal very treacherously?

LORD, you have always been fair whenever I have complained to you. However, I would like to speak with you about the disposition of justice. Why are wicked people successful? Why do all dishonest people have such easy lives?

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?

But now we call the arrogant blessed. Certainly evildoers prosper, and even when they put God to the test, they get away with it.’”

Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong;

that though the wicked spring up like grass and all evildoers flourish, they will be destroyed forever.

The tents of marauders are undisturbed, and those who provoke God are secure— those God has in his hand.

Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge.

I have seen a wicked and ruthless man flourishing like a luxuriant native tree,

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

But you, Lord Almighty, who judge righteously and test the heart and mind, let me see your vengeance on them, for to you I have committed my cause.

The Lord within her is righteous; he does no wrong. Morning by morning he dispenses his justice, and every new day he does not fail, yet the unrighteous know no shame.

Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrongdoing. Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?You have made people like the fish in the sea, like the sea creatures that have no ruler.The wicked foe pulls all of them up with hooks, he catches them in his net, he gathers them up in his dragnet; and so he rejoices and is glad.Therefore he sacrifices to his net and burns incense to his dragnet, for by his net he lives in luxury and enjoys the choicest food.Is he to keep on emptying his net, destroying nations without mercy?

“ Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame— the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to you.

The people of Israel and the people of Judah have been utterly unfaithful to me,” declares the Lord.

Like cages full of birds, their houses are full of deceit; they have become rich and powerfuland have grown fat and sleek. Their evil deeds have no limit; they do not seek justice. They do not promote the case of the fatherless; they do not defend the just cause of the poor.

How long, Lord, will the wicked, how long will the wicked be jubilant?They pour out arrogant words; all the evildoers are full of boasting.

For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong.They are free from common human burdens; they are not plagued by human ills.Therefore pride is their necklace; they clothe themselves with violence.From their callous hearts comes iniquity; their evil imaginations have no limits.They scoff, and speak with malice; with arrogance they threaten oppression.Their mouths lay claim to heaven, and their tongues take possession of the earth.Therefore their people turn to them and drink up waters in abundance.They say,“ How would God know? Does the Most High know anything?”This is what the wicked are like— always free of care, they go on amassing wealth.Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure and have washed my hands in innocence.All day long I have been afflicted, and every morning brings new punishments.If I had spoken out like that, I would have betrayed your children.When I tried to understand all this, it troubled me deeplytill I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny.Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin.How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors!They are like a dream when one awakes; when you arise, Lord, you will despise them as fantasies.When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered,I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you.Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand.You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory.Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.

Lord, the God of Israel, you are righteous! We are left this day as a remnant. Here we are before you in our guilt, though because of it not one of us can stand in your presence.”

Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power?They see their children established around them, their offspring before their eyes.Their homes are safe and free from fear; the rod of God is not on them.Their bulls never fail to breed; their cows calve and do not miscarry.They send forth their children as a flock; their little ones dance about.They sing to the music of timbrel and lyre; they make merry to the sound of the pipe.They spend their years in prosperity and go down to the grave in peace.Yet they say to God,‘ Leave us alone! We have no desire to know your ways.Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him? What would we gain by praying to him?’

But I desire to speak to the Almighty and to argue my case with God.

You are righteous, Lord, and your laws are right.

You have neither heard nor understood; from of old your ears have not been open. Well do I know how treacherous you are; you were called a rebel from birth.

The Lord is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does.

As at Adam, they have broken the covenant; they were unfaithful to me there.

“ Present your case,” says the Lord.“ Set forth your arguments,” says Jacob’s King.

But if our unrighteousness brings out God’s righteousness more clearly, what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us?( I am using a human argument.)Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world?

Far be it from you to do such a thing— to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?”

He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.

Your relatives, members of your own family— even they have betrayed you; they have raised a loud cry against you. Do not trust them, though they speak well of you.

I know, Lord, that your laws are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.

For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them;