and congregation of the firstborn, who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous, who have been made perfect,

the mighty men and warriors, judges and prophets, omen readers and leaders, ¹ 

For God is the judge! ¹  He brings one down and exalts another. ² 

He says, ¹  “How long will you make unjust legal decisions and show favoritism to the wicked? ²  (Selah)

I am speaking to thoughtful people. Consider what I say.

Then let the trees of the forest shout with joy before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth!

The Lord judges the nations. ¹  Vindicate me, Lord, because I am innocent, ²  because I am blameless, ³  O Exalted One! ⁴ 

He will take delight in obeying the Lord. ¹  He will not judge by mere appearances, ²  or make decisions on the basis of hearsay. ³ 

Return it to its sheath! ¹  In the place where you were created, ²  in your native land, I will judge you.

Yet you say, ‘The behavior of the Lord is not right.’ House of Israel, I will judge each of you according to his behavior.” ¹ 

“‘As for you, my sheep, this is what the sovereign Lord says: Look, I am about to judge between one sheep and another, between rams and goats.

“‘Therefore, this is what the sovereign Lord says to them: Look, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep.

I will save my sheep; they will no longer be prey. I will judge between one sheep and another.

But the man who was unfairly hurting his neighbor pushed ¹  Moses ²  aside, saying, ‘Who made ³  you a ruler and judge over us?

When the Lord raised up leaders for them, the Lord was with each leader and delivered the people ¹  from their enemies while the leader remained alive. The Lord felt sorry for them ²  when they cried out in agony because of what their harsh oppressors did to them. ³ 

The one who rejects me and does not accept ¹  my words has a judge; ²  the word ³  I have spoken will judge him at the last day.

¹ Therefore ²  you are without excuse, ³  whoever you are, ⁴  when you judge someone else. ⁵  For on whatever grounds ⁶  you judge another, you condemn yourself, because you who judge practice the same things.

Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you not competent to settle trivial suits?

Although ¹  I am innocent, ²  I could not answer him; ³  I could only plead ⁴  with my judge ⁵  for mercy.

So now, residents of Jerusalem, ¹  people ²  of Judah, you decide between me and my vineyard!