The wickedhave drawnthe swordand benttheir bowTo castdownthe afflictedand the needy,To slaythose whoare uprightin conduct.
Then Zereshhis wifeand allhis friendssaidto him, "Have a gallowsfiftycubitshighmadeand in the morningaskthe kingto have Mordecaihangedon it; then gojoyfullywith the kingto the banquet."And the advicepleasedHaman,so he had the gallowsmade.
For, behold,the wickedbendthe bow,They makereadytheir arrowupon the stringTo shootin darknessat the uprightin heart.
Allmy boneswill say,"LORD,whois likeYou, Who deliversthe afflictedfrom him whois toostrongfor him, And the afflictedand the needyfrom him who robshim?"
Menof bloodshedhatethe blameless,But the uprightare concernedfor his life.
An unjustmanis abominableto the righteous,And he whois uprightin the wayis abominableto the wicked.
[Your] eyesare toopureto approveevil,And You cannot lookon wickedness[with favor]. Whydo You lookwith favor On those who dealtreacherously?Why are You silentwhen the wickedswallowup Those morerighteousthanthey?
When Petercameto himself,he said,"NowI knowfor surethat the Lordhas sent forthHis angeland rescuedme from the handof Herodand from allthat the Jewishpeoplewere expecting."
And immediatelyan angelof the Lordstruckhim becausehe did not giveGodthe glory,and he was eaten by wormsand died.
"Which oneof the prophetsdid your fathersnot persecute?They killedthosewho had previously announcedthe comingof the Righteous One,whosebetrayersand murderersyou have nowbecome;
not as Cain,[who] was of the eviloneand slewhis brother.And for whatreasondid he slayhim? Becausehis deedswere evil,and his brother'swere righteous.
"Now, my father,see!Indeed,seethe edgeof your robein my hand!For in that I cutoffthe edgeof your robeand did not killyou, knowand perceivethat thereis noevilor rebellionin my hands,and I have not sinnedagainst you, though you are lyingin waitfor my lifeto takeit.
He saidto David,"You are morerighteousthanI; for you have dealtwellwith me, while I have dealtwickedlywith you.
