A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying,‘ Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’

那城里有个寡妇，常到他那里，说：‘我有一个对头，求你给我伸冤。’

那城里有个寡妇，常到他那里，说：‘我有一个冤家，求你给我伸冤。’

那城里有个寡妇，常到他那里，说：‘我有一个冤家，求你给我伸冤。’

那城里有一位寡妇常常来哀求这位审判官，说，‘求你为我申冤，惩办我的对头。’

那城里有一个寡妇，常常来到他那里，说：‘求你给我伸冤，使我脱离我的对头！’

那城里有一个寡妇，经常到他那里去，说：‘请为我向我的对头讨个公道。’

那城裏有個寡婦，常到他那裏，說：『我有一個對頭，求你給我伸冤。』

那城裏有個寡婦，常到他那裏，說：『我有一個冤家，求你給我伸冤。』

那城裏有個寡婦，常到他那裏，說：『我有一個冤家，求你給我伸冤。』

那城裡有一位寡婦常常來哀求這位審判官，說，『求你為我伸冤，懲辦我的對頭。』

那城裡有一個寡婦，常常來到他那裡，說：‘求你給我伸冤，使我脫離我的對頭！’

那城裏有個寡婦，常去見他說，「從告我的對頭身上給我伸冤吧。」

那城裡有一個寡婦，經常到他那裡去，說：『請為我向我的對頭討個公道。』

其邑有嫠、屢就之曰、有仇我者、祈伸我冤、

有嫠入見曰、有仇我者、請伸我冤、

其邑有一嫠婦、入見之曰、有仇我者、請伸我冤、

邑中有一嫠婦含冤、頻來訴、請為昭雪。

And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea,‘ Grant me justice against my adversary.’

A widow lived in that town. She came to the judge again and again. She kept begging him,‘ Make things right for me. Someone is treating me badly.’

And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying,‘ Give me justice against my adversary.’

And a widow in that town kept coming to him, saying,‘ Give me justice against my adversary.’

Now there was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying,‘ Give me justice against my opponent.’

Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying,‘ Get justice for me from my adversary.’

and there was a widow in that city; and she came oft unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.

And a widow in that town kept coming to him, saying,‘ Give me justice against my adversary.’

And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.

There was also a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying,‘ Give me justice against my adversary.’

A widow was in that city, and she often came to him, saying,‘ Defend me from my adversary!’

Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.

For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you.The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong.

‘ Cursed is anyone who denies justice to foreigners, orphans, or widows.’ And all the people will reply,‘ Amen.’

You must have sent widows away empty handed and crushed the hopes of orphans.

“ What’s the trouble?” the king asked.“ Alas, I am a widow!” she replied.“ My husband is dead.My two sons had a fight out in the field. And since no one was there to stop it, one of them was killed.Now the rest of the family is demanding,‘ Let us have your son. We will execute him for murdering his brother. He doesn’t deserve to inherit his family’s property.’ They want to extinguish the only coal I have left, and my husband’s name and family will disappear from the face of the earth.”“ Leave it to me,” the king told her.“ Go home, and I’ll see to it that no one touches him.”“ Oh, thank you, my lord the king,” the woman from Tekoa replied.“ If you are criticized for helping me, let the blame fall on me and on my father’s house, and let the king and his throne be innocent.”“ If anyone objects,” the king said,“ bring him to me. I can assure you he will never harm you again!”Then she said,“ Please swear to me by the Lord your God that you won’t let anyone take vengeance against my son. I want no more bloodshed.”“ As surely as the Lord lives,” he replied,“ not a hair on your son’s head will be disturbed!”“ Please allow me to ask one more thing of my lord the king,” she said.“ Go ahead and speak,” he responded.She replied,“ Why don’t you do as much for the people of God as you have promised to do for me? You have convicted yourself in making this decision, because you have refused to bring home your own banished son.All of us must die eventually. Our lives are like water spilled out on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. But God does not just sweep life away; instead, he devises ways to bring us back when we have been separated from him.“ I have come to plead with my lord the king because people have threatened me. I said to myself,‘ Perhaps the king will listen to meand rescue us from those who would cut us off from the inheritance God has given us.Yes, my lord the king will give us peace of mind again.’ I know that you are like an angel of God in discerning good from evil. May the Lord your God be with you.”“ I must know one thing,” the king replied,“ and tell me the truth.”“ Yes, my lord the king,” she responded.“ Did Joab put you up to this?” And the woman replied,“ My lord the king, how can I deny it? Nobody can hide anything from you. Yes, Joab sent me and told me what to say.He did it to place the matter before you in a different light. But you are as wise as an angel of God, and you understand everything that happens among us!”So the king sent for Joab and told him,“ All right, go and bring back the young man Absalom.”Joab bowed with his face to the ground in deep respect and said,“ At last I know that I have gained your approval, my lord the king, for you have granted me this request!”Then Joab went to Geshur and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem.But the king gave this order:“ Absalom may go to his own house, but he must never come into my presence.” So Absalom did not see the king.

I helped those without hope, and they blessed me. And I caused the widows’ hearts to sing for joy.

See how Jerusalem, once so faithful, has become a prostitute. Once the home of justice and righteousness, she is now filled with murderers.Once like pure silver, you have become like worthless slag. Once so pure, you are now like watered down wine.Your leaders are rebels, the companions of thieves. All of them love bribes and demand payoffs, but they refuse to defend the cause of orphans or fight for the rights of widows.

They are fat and sleek, and there is no limit to their wicked deeds. They refuse to provide justice to orphans and deny the rights of the poor.

Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?”