Job 34:16–30

¹⁶“If you have understanding,ⁿ hear this;

listen to what I say.^o

¹⁷Can someone who hates justice govern?^p

Will you condemn the just and mighty One?^q

¹⁸Is he not the One who says to kings, ‘You are worthless,’

and to nobles,^r ‘You are wicked,’^s

¹⁹who shows no partiality^t to princes

and does not favor the rich over the poor,^u

for they are all the work of his hands?^v

²⁰They die in an instant, in the middle of the night;^w

the people are shaken and they pass away;

the mighty are removed without human hand.^x

²¹“His eyes are on the ways of mortals;^y

he sees their every step.^z

²²There is no deep shadow,^a no utter darkness,^b

where evildoers can hide.^c

²³God has no need to examine people further,^d

that they should come before him for judgment.^e

²⁴Without inquiry he shatters^f the mighty^g

and sets up others in their place.^h

²⁵Because he takes note of their deeds,ⁱ

he overthrows them in the night^j and they are crushed.^k

²⁶He punishes them for their wickedness^l

where everyone can see them,

²⁷because they turned from following him^m

and had no regard for any of his ways.ⁿ

²⁸They caused the cry of the poor to come before him,

so that he heard the cry of the needy.^o

²⁹But if he remains silent,^p who can condemn him?^q

If he hides his face,^r who can see him?

Yet he is over individual and nation alike,^s

³⁰to keep the godless^t from ruling,^u

from laying snares for the people.^v