14. If he thought only of himselfand withdrew his Spirit and his breath,
15. all living beings would die together,and humanity would return to dust.
16. “If you understand, listen to this.Open your ears to my words!
17. Should anyone who hates justice be allowed to govern?Will you condemn the one who is righteous and mighty?
18. Should anyone ⌊even⌋ say to a king,‘You good-for-nothing scoundrel!’or to nobles, ‘You wicked people!’
19. The one who is righteous and mightydoes not grant special favors to princesor prefer important people over poor peoplebecause his hands made them all.
20. They die suddenly in the middle of the night.People have seizures and pass away.Mighty people are taken away but not by human hands.
21. God’s eyes are on a person’s ways.He sees all his steps.
22. There’s no darkness or deep shadowwhere troublemakers can hide.
23. He doesn’t have to set a time for a personin order to bring him to divine judgment.
24. He breaks mighty people into pieces without examining themand puts others in their places.
25. He knows what they do,so he overthrows them at night, and they’re crushed.
26. In return for their evil, he strikes them in public,
27. because they turned away from following himand didn’t consider any of his ways.
28. They forced the poor to cry out to him,and he hears the cry of those who suffer.