I said,“ Listen, you leaders of Jacob, you rulers of the nation of Israel! You ought to know what is just,

我说：雅各的首领，以色列家的官长啊，你们要听！你们不当知道公平吗？

于是我说：雅各的领袖，以色列家的官长啊，你们要听！你们岂不知道公平吗？

于是我说：雅各的领袖，以色列家的官长啊，你们要听！你们岂不知道公平吗？

我说：“雅各的首领，以色列家的统治者啊！你们要听！难道你们不知正义吗？

我说：“雅各的首领，你们要听，以色列家的官长，你们也要听；难道你们不知道公平吗？

我說：雅各的首領，以色列家的官長啊，你們要聽！你們不當知道公平嗎？

於是我說：雅各的領袖，以色列家的官長啊，你們要聽！你們豈不知道公平嗎？

於是我說：雅各的領袖，以色列家的官長啊，你們要聽！你們豈不知道公平嗎？

我說：「雅各的首領，以色列家的統治者啊！你們要聽！難道你們不知正義嗎？

我說：“雅各的首領，你們要聽，以色列家的官長，你們也要聽；難道你們不知道公平嗎？

我說：雅各的首領啊，你們要聽；以色列家的官長啊，你們要留心；你們的本分不是應當明白公平麼？

我曰、雅各之首領、以色列家之有司歟、爾其聽之、公義非爾所當知乎、

我曰、雅各之長者、以色列族之士師、宜聽我言、聽訟之理、非爾所當知乎、

我曰、雅各之諸長者、以色列族之秉權者、秉權者或作侯伯當聽我言、聽訟之理、聽訟之理或作按理以審判非爾所當知乎、

Then I said,“ Listen, you leaders of Jacob, you rulers of Israel. Should you not embrace justice,

Then I said,“ Listen, you leaders of Jacob’s people! Pay attention, you rulers of Israel! You should want to judge others fairly.

And I said: Hear, you heads of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel! Is it not for you to know justice?—

I said,“ Listen, you leaders of Israel! You are supposed to know right from wrong,

Then I said,“ Now listen, leaders of Jacob, you rulers of the house of Israel. Aren’t you supposed to know what is just?

And I said,“ Hear now, you leaders of Jacob And rulers of the house of Israel: Is it not for you to know justice?

And I said:“ Hear now, O heads of Jacob, And you rulers of the house of Israel: Is it not for you to know justice?

And I said, Hear, I pray you, ye heads of Jacob, and rulers of the house of Israel: is it not for you to know justice?

Then I said,“ Now listen, leaders of Jacob, you rulers of the house of Israel. Aren’t you supposed to know what is just?

And I said, Hear, I pray you, O heads of Jacob, and ye princes of the house of Israel;[ Is it] not for you to know judgment?

I said,“ Please listen, you heads of Jacob, and rulers of the house of Israel: Isn’t it for you to know justice?

I thought,“ Surely it is only the ignorant poor who act this way. They act like fools because they do not know what the LORD demands. They do not know what their God requires of them.I will go to the leaders and speak with them. Surely they know what the LORD demands. Surely they know what their God requires of them.” Yet all of them, too, have rejected his authority and refuse to submit to him.

God stands in the assembly of El; in the midst of the gods he renders judgment.He says,“ How long will you make unjust legal decisions and show favoritism to the wicked?( Selah)Defend the cause of the poor and the fatherless! Vindicate the oppressed and suffering!Rescue the poor and needy! Deliver them from the power of the wicked!They neither know nor understand. They stumble around in the dark, while all the foundations of the earth crumble.

Hear this, you priests! Pay attention, you Israelites! Listen closely, O king! For judgment is about to overtake you! For you were like a trap to Mizpah, like a net spread out to catch Tabor.

Listen to the LORD’s word, you leaders of Sodom! Pay attention to our God’s rebuke, people of Gomorrah!

Listen to this message, you cows of Bashan who live on Mount Samaria! You oppress the poor; you crush the needy. You say to your husbands,“ Bring us more to drink!”

I say this to your shame! Is there no one among you wise enough to settle disputes between fellow Christians?

Then I said to the people of Judah,“ Listen and pay attention! Do not be arrogant! For the LORD has spoken.Show the LORD your God the respect that is due him. Do it before he brings the darkness of disaster. Do it before you stumble into distress like a traveler on the mountains at twilight. Do it before he turns the light of deliverance you hope for into the darkness and gloom of exile.But if you will not pay attention to this warning, I will weep alone because of your arrogant pride. I will weep bitterly and my eyes will overflow with tears because you, the LORD’s flock, will be carried into exile.”The LORD told me,“ Tell the king and the queen mother,‘ Surrender your thrones, for your glorious crowns will be removed from your heads.

Select wise and practical men, those known among your tribes, whom I may appoint as your leaders.”You replied to me that what I had said to you was good.So I chose as your tribal leaders wise and well-known men, placing them over you as administrators of groups of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens, and also as other tribal officials.I furthermore admonished your judges at that time that they should pay attention to issues among your fellow citizens and judge fairly, whether between one citizen and another or a citizen and a resident foreigner.They must not discriminate in judgment, but hear the lowly and the great alike. Nor should they be intimidated by human beings, for judgment belongs to God. If the matter being adjudicated is too difficult for them, they should bring it before me for a hearing.

All those who behave wickedly do not understand– those who devour my people as if they were eating bread, and do not call out to the LORD.

Say:‘ Listen, O king of Judah who follows in David’s succession. You, your officials, and your subjects who pass through the gates of this palace must listen to what the LORD says.The LORD says,“ Do what is just and right. Deliver those who have been robbed from those who oppress them. Do not exploit or mistreat foreigners who live in your land, children who have no fathers, or widows. Do not kill innocent people in this land.

You must appoint judges and civil servants for each tribe in all your villages that the LORD your God is giving you, and they must judge the people fairly.

He appointed judges throughout the land and in each of the fortified cities of Judah.He told the judges,“ Be careful what you do, for you are not judging for men, but for the LORD, who will be with you when you make judicial decisions.Respect the LORD and make careful decisions, for the LORD our God disapproves of injustice, partiality, and bribery.”In Jerusalem Jehoshaphat appointed some Levites, priests, and Israelite family leaders to judge on behalf of the LORD and to settle disputes among the residents of Jerusalem.He commanded them:“ Carry out your duties with respect for the LORD, with honesty, and with pure motives.Whenever your countrymen who live in the cities bring a case before you( whether it involves a violent crime or other matters related to the law, commandments, rules, and regulations), warn them that they must not sin against the LORD. If you fail to do so, God will be angry with you and your colleagues; but if you obey, you will be free of guilt.

Listen to this, you leaders of the family of Jacob, you rulers of the nation of Israel! You hate justice and pervert all that is right.You build Zion through bloody crimes, Jerusalem through unjust violence.