They laid wait for me as a lion ready for prey, and like a lion's whelp dwelling in secret [places].

For behold, they have hunted after my soul; violent men have set upon me; neither [is it] my iniquity, nor my sin, O Lord.

For the godly has perished from the earth; and there is none upright among men: they all quarrel even to blood: they grievously afflict everyone his neighbor.

Therefore you [must] not be persuaded by them; for more than four hundred of them are lying in wait for him, who have bound themselves by a curse neither to eat nor to drink until they kill him; and now they are prepared, waiting for the promise from you."

He has troubled me, as a female bear lying in wait; He is to me as a lion in secret places.

Will a lion roar out of his thicket if he has no prey? Will a young [lion] utter his voice at all out of his lair, if he has taken nothing?

Where is the dwelling place of the lions, and the feeding place of the young lions? Where did the lion go, that the lion's cub should enter in there, and there was none to scare [him] away?

The lion seized enough prey for his cubs, and strangled for his [young] lions, and filled his lair with prey, and his dwelling place with spoil.

There is a voice of the shepherds mourning, for their greatness is brought low; a voice of roaring lions, for the pride of the Jordan is brought down.

For among My people were found ungodly men; and they have set snares to destroy men, and have caught [them].

And one of her whelps sprang forth; he became a lion, and learned to take prey, he devoured men.

And she saw that he was driven away from her, [and] her hope for him perished, and she took another of her whelps; she made him a lion.

He has brought up destruction with a hook, and drawn one with a casting net, and caught another in his drags: therefore shall his heart rejoice and be glad.

But a hired hand, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them.

Because of the misery of the poor, and because of the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, says the Lord, I will set [them] in safety; I will speak [to them] openly.

All my bones shall say, O Lord, who is like You? Delivering the poor out of the hand of them that are stronger than he, yea, the poor and needy one from them that spoil him.

Sinners have drawn their swords; they have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, [and] to slay the upright in heart.

For He stood on the right hand of the poor, to save [me] from them that persecute my soul.

And let them perish in war, and let the weak escape from the hand of the mighty.

And let the weak have hope, but the mouth of the unjust be stopped.

He that oppresses the needy provokes his Maker, but he that honors Him has pity upon the poor.

He that oppresses the poor, increases his own substance, yet gives to the rich so as to make it less.

A hungry lion and a thirsty wolf [is he], who, being poor, rules over a poor nation.

Why do you wrong My people, and shame the face of the poor?

For the counsel of the wicked will devise iniquity, to destroy the poor with unjust words, and ruin the cause of the poor in judgment.

That sorely oppress the people of the land with injustice, and commit robbery; oppressing the poor and needy, and not dealing justly with the stranger.

Thus says the Lord; for three sins of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away from him, because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for sandals,

in which to tread on the dust of the earth, and they have smitten upon the heads of the poor, and have perverted the way of the lowly; and a son and his father have gone into the same maid, that they might profane the name of their God.

Therefore because they have smitten the poor with their fists, and you have received of them choice gifts, you have built polished houses, but you shall not dwell in them; you have planted desirable vineyards, but you shall not drink the wine of them.

For I know your many transgressions, and your sins are great, trampling on the just, taking bribes, and turning aside [the judgment of] the poor in the gates.

You thrust through the heads of princes with amazement, they shall tremble in it; they shall burst their bridles, they shall be as a poor man devouring in secret.