The wicked prowl all around, and what is worthless is exalted by the human race.

下流人在世人中升高，就有恶人到处游行。

卑鄙的人在世人中高升时，就有恶人四处横行。

卑鄙的人在世人中高升时，就有恶人四处横行。

众人若抑善扬恶，恶人必横行无忌。

恶人到处横行，邪恶在世人中被高举。

卑劣的事在世人中受尊崇时，恶人就四处横行。

下流人在世人中升高，就有惡人到處遊行。

卑鄙的人在世人中高升時，就有惡人四處橫行。

卑鄙的人在世人中高升時，就有惡人四處橫行。

眾人若抑善揚惡，惡人必橫行無忌。

惡人到處橫行，邪惡在世人中被高舉。

雖有惡人到處橫行，你卻輕蔑下流人像蛆蟲。

卑劣的事在世人中受尊崇時，惡人就四處橫行。

庸劣居於人上、惡者隨在而遨遊兮、

維彼惡人、以遨以遊、若狂風之驟起兮。

卑陋人升居高位、各處有惡人傲然而行、

主必濟窮民。莫隨斯世溺。

who freely strut about when what is vile is honored by the human race.

Proud and sinful people walk around openly when the evil they do is praised by the human race.

On every side the wicked prowl, as vileness is exalted among the children of man.

even though the wicked strut about, and evil is praised throughout the land.

The wicked strut about on every side When vileness is exalted among the sons of mankind.

The wicked prowl on every side, When vileness is exalted among the sons of men.

The wicked walk on every side, When vileness is exalted among the sons of men.

The wicked wander everywhere, and what is worthless is exalted by the human race.

The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted.

for the wicked seem to be everywhere, when people promote evil.

The wicked walk on every side, when what is vile is exalted among the sons of men.

“ In his place a despised person will arise; royal honors will not be given to him, but he will come during a time of peace and seize the kingdom by intrigue.

Foolish men, without even a name. They were forced to leave the land.

Then the high priest tore his robes and said,“ Why do we still need witnesses?You have heard the blasphemy. What is your decision?” They all condemned him as deserving death.Then some began to spit on him, to blindfold him, and to beat him, saying,“ Prophesy!” The temple servants also took him and slapped him.

The reckless mind will gain knowledge, and the stammering tongue will speak clearly and fluently.A fool will no longer be called a noble, nor a scoundrel said to be important.For a fool speaks foolishness and his mind plots iniquity. He lives in a godless way and speaks falsely about the LORD. He leaves the hungry empty and deprives the thirsty of drink.

And when he learned of Mordecai’s ethnic identity, it seemed repugnant to Haman to do away with Mordecai alone. He planned to destroy all of Mordecai’s people, the Jews, throughout Ahasuerus’s kingdom.In the first month, the month of Nisan, in King Ahasuerus’s twelfth year, the pur— that is, the lot— was cast before Haman for each day in each month, and it fell on the twelfth month, the month Adar.Then Haman informed King Ahasuerus,“ There is one ethnic group, scattered throughout the peoples in every province of your kingdom, keeping themselves separate. Their laws are different from everyone else’s and they do not obey the king’s laws. It is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them.If the king approves, let an order be drawn up authorizing their destruction, and I will pay 375 tons of silver to the officials for deposit in the royal treasury.”The king removed his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews.Then the king told Haman,“ The money and people are given to you to do with as you see fit.”The royal scribes were summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month, and the order was written exactly as Haman commanded. It was intended for the royal satraps, the governors of each of the provinces, and the officials of each ethnic group and written for each province in its own script and to each ethnic group in its own language. It was written in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the royal signet ring.Letters were sent by couriers to each of the royal provinces telling the officials to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the Jewish people— young and old, women and children— and plunder their possessions on a single day, the thirteenth day of Adar, the twelfth month.A copy of the text, issued as law throughout every province, was distributed to all the peoples so that they might get ready for that day.The couriers left, spurred on by royal command, and the law was issued in the fortress of Susa. The king and Haman sat down to drink, while the city of Susa was in confusion.

Ephraim is oppressed, crushed in judgment, for he is determined to follow what is worthless.

The statutes of Omri and all the practices of Ahab’s house have been observed; you have followed their policies. Therefore, I will make you a desolate place and the city’s residents an object of contempt; you will bear the scorn of my people.”

If a ruler listens to lies, all his officials will be wicked.

day and night they make the rounds on its walls. Crime and trouble are within it;destruction is inside it; oppression and deceit never leave its marketplace.

Saul told David,“ Here is my oldest daughter Merab. I’ll give her to you as a wife if you will be a warrior for me and fight the LORD’s battles.” But Saul was thinking,“ I don’t need to raise a hand against him; let the hand of the Philistines be against him.”Then David responded,“ Who am I, and what is my family or my father’s clan in Israel that I should become the king’s son-in-law?”

and now you have attacked my father’s family today, killed his seventy sons on top of a large stone, and made Abimelech, the son of his slave woman, king over the citizens of Shechem‘ because he is your brother’—so if you have acted faithfully and honestly with Jerubbaal and his house this day, rejoice in Abimelech and may he also rejoice in you.But if not, may fire come from Abimelech and consume the citizens of Shechem and Beth-millo, and may fire come from the citizens of Shechem and Beth-millo and consume Abimelech.”Then Jotham fled, escaping to Beer, and lived there because of his brother Abimelech.When Abimelech had ruled over Israel three years,God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem. They treated Abimelech deceitfully,so that the crime against the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come to justice and their blood would be avenged on their brother Abimelech, who killed them, and on the citizens of Shechem, who had helped him kill his brothers.The citizens of Shechem rebelled against him by putting men in ambush on the tops of the mountains, and they robbed everyone who passed by them on the road. So this was reported to Abimelech.Gaal son of Ebed came with his brothers and crossed into Shechem, and the citizens of Shechem trusted him.So they went out to the countryside and harvested grapes from their vineyards. They trampled the grapes and held a celebration. Then they went to the house of their god, and as they ate and drank, they cursed Abimelech.Gaal son of Ebed said,“ Who is Abimelech and who is Shechem that we should serve him? Isn’t he the son of Jerubbaal, and isn’t Zebul his officer? You are to serve the men of Hamor, the father of Shechem. Why should we serve Abimelech?If only these people were in my power, I would remove Abimelech.” So he said to Abimelech,“ Gather your army and come out.”When Zebul, the ruler of the city, heard the words of Gaal son of Ebed, he was angry.So he secretly sent messengers to Abimelech, saying,“ Beware! Gaal son of Ebed and his brothers have come to Shechem and are turning the city against you.Now tonight, you and the troops with you, come and wait in ambush in the countryside.Then get up early, and at sunrise attack the city. When he and the troops who are with him come out against you, do to him whatever you can.”So Abimelech and all the troops with him got up at night and waited in ambush for Shechem in four units.Gaal son of Ebed went out and stood at the entrance of the city gate. Then Abimelech and the troops who were with him got up from their ambush.When Gaal saw the troops, he said to Zebul,“ Look, troops are coming down from the mountaintops!” But Zebul said to him,“ The shadows of the mountains look like men to you.”Then Gaal spoke again,“ Look, troops are coming down from the central part of the land, and one unit is coming from the direction of the Diviners’ Oak.”Zebul replied,“ What do you have to say now? You said,‘ Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?’ Aren’t these the troops you despised? Now go and fight them!”So Gaal went out leading the citizens of Shechem and fought against Abimelech,but Abimelech pursued him, and Gaal fled before him. Numerous bodies were strewn as far as the entrance of the city gate.Abimelech stayed in Arumah, and Zebul drove Gaal and his brothers from Shechem.The next day when the people of Shechem went into the countryside, this was reported to Abimelech.He took the troops, divided them into three companies, and waited in ambush in the countryside. He looked, and the people were coming out of the city, so he arose against them and struck them down.Then Abimelech and the units that were with him rushed forward and took their stand at the entrance of the city gate. The other two units rushed against all who were in the countryside and struck them down.So Abimelech fought against the city that entire day, captured it, and killed the people who were in it. Then he tore down the city and sowed it with salt.When all the citizens of the Tower of Shechem heard, they entered the inner chamber of the temple of El-berith.Then it was reported to Abimelech that all the citizens of the Tower of Shechem had gathered.So Abimelech and all the troops who were with him went up to Mount Zalmon. Abimelech took his ax in his hand and cut a branch from the trees. He picked up the branch, put it on his shoulder, and said to the troops who were with him,“ Hurry and do what you have seen me do.”Each of the troops also cut his own branch and followed Abimelech. They put the branches against the inner chamber and set it on fire; about a thousand men and women died, including all the men of the Tower of Shechem.Abimelech went to Thebez, camped against it, and captured it.There was a strong tower inside the city, and all the men, women, and citizens of the city fled there. They locked themselves in and went up to the roof of the tower.When Abimelech came to attack the tower, he approached its entrance to set it on fire.But a woman threw the upper portion of a millstone on Abimelech’s head and fractured his skull.He quickly called his armor-bearer and said to him,“ Draw your sword and kill me, or they’ll say about me,‘ A woman killed him.’” So his armor-bearer ran him through, and he died.When the Israelites saw that Abimelech was dead, they all went home.In this way, God brought back Abimelech’s evil— the evil that Abimelech had done to his father when he killed his seventy brothers.God also brought back to the men of Shechem all their evil. So the curse of Jotham son of Jerubbaal came upon them.