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

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.

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.

“ The next to come to power will be a despicable man who is not in line for royal succession. He will slip in when least expected and take over the kingdom by flattery and intrigue.

They are nameless fools, outcasts from society.

Then the high priest tore his clothing to show his horror and said,“ Why do we need other witnesses?You have all heard his blasphemy. What is your verdict?”“ Guilty!” they all cried.“ He deserves to die!”Then some of them began to spit at him, and they blindfolded him and beat him with their fists.“ Prophesy to us,” they jeered. And the guards slapped him as they took him away.

Even the hotheads will be full of sense and understanding. Those who stammer will speak out plainly.In that day ungodly fools will not be heroes. Scoundrels will not be respected.For fools speak foolishness and make evil plans. They practice ungodliness and spread false teachings about the Lord. They deprive the hungry of food and give no water to the thirsty.

He had learned of Mordecai’s nationality, so he decided it was not enough to lay hands on Mordecai alone. Instead, he looked for a way to destroy all the Jews throughout the entire empire of Xerxes.So in the month of April, during the twelfth year of King Xerxes’ reign, lots were cast in Haman’s presence( the lots were called purim) to determine the best day and month to take action. And the day selected was March 7, nearly a year later.Then Haman approached King Xerxes and said,“ There is a certain race of people scattered through all the provinces of your empire who keep themselves separate from everyone else. Their laws are different from those of any other people, and they refuse to obey the laws of the king. So it is not in the king’s interest to let them live.If it please the king, issue a decree that they be destroyed, and I will give 10,000 large sacks of silver to the government administrators to be deposited in the royal treasury.”The king agreed, confirming his decision by removing his signet ring from his finger and giving it to Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews.The king said,“ The money and the people are both yours to do with as you see fit.”So on April 17 the king’s secretaries were summoned, and a decree was written exactly as Haman dictated. It was sent to the king’s highest officers, the governors of the respective provinces, and the nobles of each province in their own scripts and languages. The decree was written in the name of King Xerxes and sealed with the king’s signet ring.Dispatches were sent by swift messengers into all the provinces of the empire, giving the order that all Jews— young and old, including women and children— must be killed, slaughtered, and annihilated on a single day. This was scheduled to happen on March 7 of the next year. The property of the Jews would be given to those who killed them.A copy of this decree was to be issued as law in every province and proclaimed to all peoples, so that they would be ready to do their duty on the appointed day.At the king’s command, the decree went out by swift messengers, and it was also proclaimed in the fortress of Susa. Then the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa fell into confusion.

The people of Israel will be crushed and broken by my judgment because they are determined to worship idols.

You keep only the laws of evil King Omri; you follow only the example of wicked King Ahab! Therefore, I will make an example of you, bringing you to complete ruin. You will be treated with contempt, mocked by all who see you.”

If a ruler pays attention to liars, all his advisers will be wicked.

Its walls are patrolled day and night against invaders, but the real danger is wickedness within the city.Everything is falling apart; threats and cheating are rampant in the streets.

One day Saul said to David,“ I am ready to give you my older daughter, Merab, as your wife. But first you must prove yourself to be a real warrior by fighting the Lord’s battles.” For Saul thought,“ I’ll send him out against the Philistines and let them kill him rather than doing it myself.”“ Who am I, and what is my family in Israel that I should be the king’s son in law?” David exclaimed.“ My father’s family is nothing!”

But today you have revolted against my father and his descendants, killing his seventy sons on one stone. And you have chosen his slave woman’s son, Abimelech, to be your king just because he is your relative.“ If you have acted honorably and in good faith toward Gideon and his descendants today, then may you find joy in Abimelech, and may he find joy in you.But if you have not acted in good faith, then may fire come out from Abimelech and devour the leading citizens of Shechem and Beth millo; and may fire come out from the citizens of Shechem and Beth millo and devour Abimelech!”Then Jotham escaped and lived in Beer because he was afraid of his brother Abimelech.After Abimelech had ruled over Israel for three years,God sent a spirit that stirred up trouble between Abimelech and the leading citizens of Shechem, and they revolted.God was punishing Abimelech for murdering Gideon’s seventy sons, and the citizens of Shechem for supporting him in this treachery of murdering his brothers.The citizens of Shechem set an ambush for Abimelech on the hilltops and robbed everyone who passed that way. But someone warned Abimelech about their plot.One day Gaal son of Ebed moved to Shechem with his brothers and gained the confidence of the leading citizens of Shechem.During the annual harvest festival at Shechem, held in the temple of the local god, the wine flowed freely, and everyone began cursing Abimelech.“ Who is Abimelech?” Gaal shouted.“ He’s not a true son of Shechem, so why should we be his servants? He’s merely the son of Gideon, and this Zebul is merely his deputy. Serve the true sons of Hamor, the founder of Shechem. Why should we serve Abimelech?If I were in charge here, I would get rid of Abimelech. I would say to him,‘ Get some soldiers, and come out and fight!’”But when Zebul, the leader of the city, heard what Gaal was saying, he was furious.He sent messengers to Abimelech in Arumah, telling him,“ Gaal son of Ebed and his brothers have come to live in Shechem, and now they are inciting the city to rebel against you.Come by night with an army and hide out in the fields.In the morning, as soon as it is daylight, attack the city. When Gaal and those who are with him come out against you, you can do with them as you wish.”So Abimelech and all his men went by night and split into four groups, stationing themselves around Shechem.Gaal was standing at the city gates when Abimelech and his army came out of hiding.When Gaal saw them, he said to Zebul,“ Look, there are people coming down from the hilltops!” Zebul replied,“ It’s just the shadows on the hills that look like men.”But again Gaal said,“ No, people are coming down from the hills. And another group is coming down the road past the Diviners’ Oak.”Then Zebul turned on him and asked,“ Now where is that big mouth of yours? Wasn’t it you that said,‘ Who is Abimelech, and why should we be his servants?’ The men you mocked are right outside the city! Go out and fight them!”So Gaal led the leading citizens of Shechem into battle against Abimelech.But Abimelech chased him, and many of Shechem’s men were wounded and fell along the road as they retreated to the city gate.Abimelech returned to Arumah, and Zebul drove Gaal and his brothers out of Shechem.The next day the people of Shechem went out into the fields to battle. When Abimelech heard about it,he divided his men into three groups and set an ambush in the fields. When Abimelech saw the people coming out of the city, he and his men jumped up from their hiding places and attacked them.Abimelech and his group stormed the city gate to keep the men of Shechem from getting back in, while Abimelech’s other two groups cut them down in the fields.The battle went on all day before Abimelech finally captured the city. He killed the people, leveled the city, and scattered salt all over the ground.When the leading citizens who lived in the tower of Shechem heard what had happened, they ran and hid in the temple of Baal berith.Someone reported to Abimelech that the citizens had gathered in the temple,so he led his forces to Mount Zalmon. He took an ax and chopped some branches from a tree, then put them on his shoulder.“ Quick, do as I have done!” he told his men.So each of them cut down some branches, following Abimelech’s example. They piled the branches against the walls of the temple and set them on fire. So all the people who had lived in the tower of Shechem died— about 1,000 men and women.Then Abimelech attacked the town of Thebez and captured it.But there was a strong tower inside the town, and all the men and women— the entire population— fled to it. They barricaded themselves in and climbed up to the roof of the tower.Abimelech followed them to attack the tower. But as he prepared to set fire to the entrance,a woman on the roof dropped a millstone that landed on Abimelech’s head and crushed his skull.He quickly said to his young armor bearer,“ Draw your sword and kill me! Don’t let it be said that a woman killed Abimelech!” So the young man ran him through with his sword, and he died.When Abimelech’s men saw that he was dead, they disbanded and returned to their homes.In this way, God punished Abimelech for the evil he had done against his father by murdering his seventy brothers.God also punished the men of Shechem for all their evil. So the curse of Jotham son of Gideon was fulfilled.