³ Why dost thou show me iniquity, and look upon perverseness? for destruction and violence are before me; and there is strife, and contention riseth up.

⁹ Destroy, O Lord, `and' divide their tongue; For I have seen violence and strife in the city.

¹⁰ Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof: Iniquity also and mischief are in the midst of it.

¹¹ Wickedness is in the midst thereof: Oppression and guile depart not from its streets.

⁸ (for that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed `his' righteous soul from day to day with `their' lawless deeds):

¹⁶ Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

¹ Woe is me! for I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits, as the grape gleanings of the vintage: there is no cluster to eat; my soul desireth the first-ripe fig.

² The godly man is perished out of the earth, and there is none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net.

³ Their hands are upon that which is evil to do it diligently; the prince asketh, and the judge `is ready' for a reward; and the great man, he uttereth the evil desire of his soul: thus they weave it together.

⁴ The best of them is as a brier; the most upright is `worse' than a thorn hedge: the day of thy watchmen, even thy visitation, is come; now shall be their perplexity.

⁶ And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they are a rebellious house.

⁸ For as often as I speak, I cry out; I cry, Violence and destruction! because the word of Jehovah is made a reproach unto me, and a derision, all the day.

² Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging-place of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people, and go from them! for they are all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men.

³ And they bend their tongue, `as it were' their bow, for falsehood; and they are grown strong in the land, but not for truth: for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith Jehovah.

⁴ Take ye heed every one of his neighbor, and trust ye not in any brother; for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbor will go about with slanders.

⁵ And they will deceive every one his neighbor, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies; they weary themselves to commit iniquity.

⁶ Thy habitation is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know me, saith Jehovah.

⁸ If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and the violent taking away of justice and righteousness in a province, marvel not at the matter: for one higher than the high regardeth; and there are higher than they.

¹ Then I returned and saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and, behold, the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.

⁵ Woe is me, that I sojourn in Meshech, That I dwell among the tents of Kedar!

⁶ My soul hath long had her dwelling With him that hateth peace.

³ For I was envious at the arrogant, When I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

⁴ For there are no pangs in their death; But their strength is firm.

⁵ They are not in trouble as `other' men; Neither are they plagued like `other' men.

⁶ Therefore pride is as a chain about their neck; Violence covereth them as a garment.

⁷ Their eyes stand out with fatness: They have more than heart could wish.

⁸ They scoff, and in wickedness utter oppression: They speak loftily.

⁹ They have set their mouth in the heavens, And their tongue walketh through the earth.

¹ Help, Jehovah; for the godly man ceaseth; For the faithful fail from among the children of men.

² They speak falsehood every one with his neighbor: With flattering lip, and with a double heart, do they speak.