who freely strut about when what is vile is honored 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。

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

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.

“ He will be succeeded by a contemptible person who has not been given the honor of royalty. He will invade the kingdom when its people feel secure, and he will seize it through intrigue.

A base and nameless brood, they were driven out of the land.

The high priest tore his clothes.“ Why do we need any more witnesses?” he asked.“ You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?” They all condemned him as worthy of death.Then some began to spit at him; they blindfolded him, struck him with their fists, and said,“ Prophesy!” And the guards took him and beat him.

The fearful heart will know and understand, and the stammering tongue will be fluent and clear.No longer will the fool be called noble nor the scoundrel be highly respected.For fools speak folly, their hearts are bent on evil: They practice ungodliness and spread error concerning the Lord; the hungry they leave empty and from the thirsty they withhold water.

Yet having learned who Mordecai’s people were, he scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai. Instead Haman looked for a way to destroy all Mordecai’s people, the Jews, throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes.In the twelfth year of King Xerxes, in the first month, the month of Nisan, the pur( that is, the lot) was cast in the presence of Haman to select a day and month. And the lot fell on the twelfth month, the month of Adar.Then Haman said to King Xerxes,“ There is a certain people dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom who keep themselves separate. Their customs are different from those of all other people, and they do not obey the king’s laws; it is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them.If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will give ten thousand talents of silver to the king’s administrators for the royal treasury.”So the king took his signet ring from his finger and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews.“ Keep the money,” the king said to Haman,“ and do with the people as you please.”Then on the thirteenth day of the first month the royal secretaries were summoned. They wrote out in the script of each province and in the language of each people all Haman’s orders to the king’s satraps, the governors of the various provinces and the nobles of the various peoples. These were written in the name of King Xerxes himself and sealed with his own ring.Dispatches were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces with the order to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews— young and old, women and children— on a single day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods.A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued as law in every province and made known to the people of every nationality so they would be ready for that day.The couriers went out, spurred on by the king’s command, and the edict was issued in the citadel of Susa. The king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was bewildered.

Ephraim is oppressed, trampled in judgment, intent on pursuing idols.

You have observed the statutes of Omri and all the practices of Ahab’s house; you have followed their traditions. Therefore I will give you over to ruin and your people to derision; you will bear the scorn of the nations.”

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

Day and night they prowl about on its walls; malice and abuse are within it.Destructive forces are at work in the city; threats and lies never leave its streets.

Saul said to David,“ Here is my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you in marriage; only serve me bravely and fight the battles of the Lord.” For Saul said to himself,“ I will not raise a hand against him. Let the Philistines do that!”But David said to Saul,“ Who am I, and what is my family or my clan in Israel, that I should become the king’s son- in- law?”

But today you have revolted against my father’s family. You have murdered his seventy sons on a single stone and have made Abimelek, the son of his female slave, king over the citizens of Shechem because he is related to you.So have you acted honorably and in good faith toward Jerub- Baal and his family today? If you have, may Abimelek be your joy, and may you be his, too!But if you have not, let fire come out from Abimelek and consume you, the citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo, and let fire come out from you, the citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo, and consume Abimelek!”Then Jotham fled, escaping to Beer, and he lived there because he was afraid of his brother Abimelek.After Abimelek had governed Israel three years,God stirred up animosity between Abimelek and the citizens of Shechem so that they acted treacherously against Abimelek.God did this in order that the crime against Jerub-Baal’s seventy sons, the shedding of their blood, might be avenged on their brother Abimelek and on the citizens of Shechem, who had helped him murder his brothers.In opposition to him these citizens of Shechem set men on the hilltops to ambush and rob everyone who passed by, and this was reported to Abimelek.Now Gaal son of Ebed moved with his clan into Shechem, and its citizens put their confidence in him.After they had gone out into the fields and gathered the grapes and trodden them, they held a festival in the temple of their god. While they were eating and drinking, they cursed Abimelek.Then Gaal son of Ebed said,“ Who is Abimelek, and why should we Shechemites be subject to him? Isn’t he Jerub- Baal’s son, and isn’t Zebul his deputy? Serve the family of Hamor, Shechem’s father! Why should we serve Abimelek?If only this people were under my command! Then I would get rid of him. I would say to Abimelek,‘ Call out your whole army!’”When Zebul the governor of the city heard what Gaal son of Ebed said, he was very angry.Under cover he sent messengers to Abimelek, saying,“ Gaal son of Ebed and his clan have come to Shechem and are stirring up the city against you.Now then, during the night you and your men should come and lie in wait in the fields.In the morning at sunrise, advance against the city. When Gaal and his men come out against you, seize the opportunity to attack them.”So Abimelek and all his troops set out by night and took up concealed positions near Shechem in four companies.Now Gaal son of Ebed had gone out and was standing at the entrance of the city gate just as Abimelek and his troops came out from their hiding place.When Gaal saw them, he said to Zebul,“ Look, people are coming down from the tops of the mountains!” Zebul replied,“ You mistake the shadows of the mountains for men.”But Gaal spoke up again:“ Look, people are coming down from the central hill, and a company is coming from the direction of the diviners’ tree.”Then Zebul said to him,“ Where is your big talk now, you who said,‘ Who is Abimelek that we should be subject to him?’ Aren’t these the men you ridiculed? Go out and fight them!”So Gaal led out the citizens of Shechem and fought Abimelek.Abimelek chased him all the way to the entrance of the gate, and many were killed as they fled.Then Abimelek stayed in Arumah, and Zebul drove Gaal and his clan out of Shechem.The next day the people of Shechem went out to the fields, and this was reported to Abimelek.So he took his men, divided them into three companies and set an ambush in the fields. When he saw the people coming out of the city, he rose to attack them.Abimelek and the companies with him rushed forward to a position at the entrance of the city gate. Then two companies attacked those in the fields and struck them down.All that day Abimelek pressed his attack against the city until he had captured it and killed its people. Then he destroyed the city and scattered salt over it.On hearing this, the citizens in the tower of Shechem went into the stronghold of the temple of El-Berith.When Abimelek heard that they had assembled there,he and all his men went up Mount Zalmon. He took an ax and cut off some branches, which he lifted to his shoulders. He ordered the men with him,“ Quick! Do what you have seen me do!”So all the men cut branches and followed Abimelek. They piled them against the stronghold and set it on fire with the people still inside. So all the people in the tower of Shechem, about a thousand men and women, also died.Next Abimelek went to Thebez and besieged it and captured it.Inside the city, however, was a strong tower, to which all the men and women— all the people of the city— had fled. They had locked themselves in and climbed up on the tower roof.Abimelek went to the tower and attacked it. But as he approached the entrance to the tower to set it on fire,a woman dropped an upper millstone on his head and cracked his skull.Hurriedly he called to his armor-bearer,“ Draw your sword and kill me, so that they can’t say,‘ A woman killed him.’” So his servant ran him through, and he died.When the Israelites saw that Abimelek was dead, they went home.Thus God repaid the wickedness that Abimelek had done to his father by murdering his seventy brothers.God also made the people of Shechem pay for all their wickedness. The curse of Jotham son of Jerub-Baal came on them.