That is also why you pay taxes, because the authorities are working for God when they fulfill their duties.

Praise the LORD your God! He has shown how pleased he is with you by making you king of Israel. Because his love for Israel is eternal, he has made you their king so that you can maintain law and justice."

and instructed them: "Be careful in pronouncing judgment; you are not acting on human authority, but on the authority of the LORD, and he is with you when you pass sentence.

"You must stop judging unjustly; you must no longer be partial to the wicked!

Rescue them from the power of evil people.

The wise have also said these things: It is wrong for judges to be prejudiced.

If they pronounce a guilty person innocent, they will be cursed and hated by everyone.

"Speak up for people who cannot speak for themselves. Protect the rights of all who are helpless.

Speak for them and be a righteous judge. Protect the rights of the poor and needy."

Do what the king says, and don't make any rash promises to God.

The king acts with authority, and no one can challenge what he does.

and learn to do right. See that justice is done---help those who are oppressed, give orphans their rights, and defend widows."

why they are fat and well fed. There is no limit to their evil deeds. They do not give orphans their rights or show justice to the oppressed.

The government officials are like wolves tearing apart the animals they have killed. They commit murder in order to get rich.

Listen, you rulers of Israel! You are supposed to be concerned about justice,

You eat my people up. You strip off their skin, break their bones, and chop them up like meat for the pot.

A wise person will try to keep the king happy; if the king becomes angry, someone may die.

Fear an angry king as you would a growling lion; making him angry is suicide.

The king sits in judgment and knows evil when he sees it.

A wise king will find out who is doing wrong, and will punish him without pity.

Never take revenge, my friends, but instead let God's anger do it. For the scripture says, "I will take revenge, I will pay back, says the Lord."

The dead person's nearest relative has the responsibility for putting the murderer to death. When he finds you, he is to kill you.

or by striking him with your fist, you are guilty of murder and are to be put to death. The dead person's nearest relative has the responsibility for putting the murderer to death. When he finds you, he is to kill you.

Or suppose that, without looking, you throw a stone that kills someone whom you did not intend to hurt and who was not your enemy.

You are guilty only of manslaughter, and the community is to rescue you from the dead person's relative, and they are to return you to the city of refuge to which you had escaped. You must live there until the death of the man who is then High Priest.

and if the dead person's relative finds you and kills you, this act of revenge is not murder.

If the one looking for revenge follows you there, the people of the city must not hand you over to that one. They must protect you because you killed the person accidentally and not out of anger.

These were the cities of refuge chosen for all the people of Israel and for any foreigner living among them. Any who killed a person accidentally could find protection there from the one looking for revenge; they could not be killed unless they had first received a public trial.

My people Israel will take revenge on Edom for me, and they will make Edom feel my furious anger. Edom will know what it means to be the object of my revenge." The Sovereign LORD has spoken.