16. If you have understanding, hear this! Give ear to the sound of my words:
17. Should the one who hates right-ruling govern? Or would you declare a most righteous one wrong?
18. Who shall say to a sovereign: ‘Beliya‛al,’ to nobles: ‘Wrong one’? –
19. who is not partial to princes, nor regards the rich more than the poor? For they are all the work of His hands.
20. In a moment they die, in the middle of the night; the people are shaken and pass away; and the mighty are taken away without a hand.
21. For His eyes are on the ways of man, and He sees all his steps.
22. There is no darkness nor shadow of death where the workers of wickedness hide themselves.
23. For He sets a man no stated time to appear before Ěl in right-ruling.
24. He breaks in pieces the mighty, without inquiry, and puts others in their place.
25. Truly, He knows their works, and He shall overthrow in the night, and they are crushed.
26. As wrong ones He slaps them in the presence of onlookers,
27. because they turned from following Him, and they regarded not all His ways,
28. so as to cause the cry of the poor to come to Him; for He hears the cry of the afflicted.
29. And when He is silent, who would then condemn? And when He hides His face, who then sees Him, whether it is against a nation or a man alone?
30. So that a defiled one should not reign, lest the people be ensnared.