“How you have helped ¹  the powerless! ²  How you have saved the person who has no strength! ³ 

Our God, will you not judge them? For we are powerless against this huge army that attacks us! We don’t know what we should do; we look to you for help.” ¹ 

For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.

Your sons and daughters will be given to another people while you look on in vain all day, and you will be powerless to do anything about it. ¹ 

And now, though we share the same flesh and blood as our fellow countrymen, ¹  and our children are just like their children, ²  still we have found it necessary to subject our sons and daughters to slavery. ³  Some of our daughters have been subjected to slavery, while we are powerless to help, ⁴  since our fields and vineyards now belong to other people.” ⁵ 

But man ¹  dies and is powerless; ²  he expires – and where is he? ³ 

Rescue the poor and needy! Deliver them from the power ¹  of the wicked!

He gives strength to those who are tired; to the ones who lack power, he gives renewed energy.

For the blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sins. ¹ 

Foreigners are powerless before me; ¹  when they hear of my exploits, they submit to me. ² 

For the calamity from God was a terror to me, ¹  and by reason of his majesty ²  I was powerless.

When they hear of my exploits, they submit to me. ¹  Foreigners are powerless ²  before me;

The one who oppresses ¹  the poor insults ²  his Creator, but whoever shows favor ³  to the needy honors him.

So Herodias nursed a grudge against him and wanted to kill him. But ¹  she could not

Asa prayed ¹  to the Lord his God: “O Lord, there is no one but you who can help the weak when they are vastly outnumbered. ²  Help us, O Lord our God, for we rely on you and have marched on your behalf against this huge army. ³  O Lord our God, don’t let men prevail against you!” ⁴ 

King Zedekiah said to them, “Very well, you can do what you want with him. ¹  For I cannot do anything to stop you.” ² 

For this reason the law lacks power, ¹  and justice is never carried out. ²  Indeed, ³  the wicked intimidate ⁴  the innocent. ⁵  For this reason justice is perverted. ⁶ 

But God chose what the world thinks foolish to shame the wise, and God chose what the world thinks weak to shame the strong.

They were stoned, sawed apart, ¹  murdered with the sword; they went about in sheepskins and goatskins; they were destitute, afflicted, ill-treated

Today I am weak, even though I am anointed as king. These men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too much for me to bear! ¹  May the Lord punish appropriately the one who has done this evil thing!” ²