18. the one who says to a king, ‘You worthless man,’ to noblemen, ‘You wicked man,’
19. who shows no partiality to officials and who does not take note of the noble more than of the insignificant, for all of them are the work of his hands?
20. In a moment they die, and in the middle of the night the people are shaken, and they pass away, and they take away the mighty effortlessly.
21. “Indeed, his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he sees all his steps.
22. There is no darkness, and there is no deep shadow where instigators of mischief might hide themselves.
23. Indeed, he has not yet appointed a time for man to go to God in the judgment.
24. He shatters the mighty without investigation, and he sets others in their place.
25. Therefore he knows their works, and he overturns them in the night so that they are crushed.
26. He strikes them where the wicked stood, where there are onlookers,
27. because they have turned aside from him and have not understood any of his ways,
28. so that they cause the cry of distress from the helpless to come to him, and he hears the cry of distress from the needy,
29. but he remains quiet, and who can condemn? And he hides his face, and who can behold him? Yet he is over a nation and over a person alike,
30. so that godless human beings should not reign, nor those who ensnare the people.
31. “Indeed, does anyone say to God, ‘I have endured chastisement; I will not act corruptly again;
32. teach me yourself what I cannot see; if I have done wrong, I will not repeat it’?
33. According to your judgment, must he repay it because you rejected this? Indeed, you must choose, and not I, so declare what you know.
34. Those who have sense say to me, and the wise man hearing me says: