Moreover, at that time I pleaded with the Lord,

for the Lord will plead their case ¹  and will rob those who are robbing ²  them.

for their Protector ¹  is strong; he will plead their case against you. ² 

and ¹  he contends with God on behalf of man as a man ²  pleads ³  for his friend.

“Listen now to my argument, ¹  and be attentive to my lips’ contentions. ² 

Fight for me ¹  and defend me! ²  Revive me with your word!

There is no one to plead your cause. There are no remedies for your wounds. ¹  There is no healing for you.

Then ¹  they asked Jesus ²  to leave their region.

ר (Resh) O Lord, ¹  you championed ²  my cause, ³  you redeemed my life.

Plead earnestly ¹  with your ²  mother (for ³  she is not my wife, and I am not her husband), so that ⁴  she might put an end to her adulterous lifestyle, ⁵  and turn away from her sexually immoral behavior. ⁶ 

Learn to do what is right! Promote justice! Give the oppressed reason to celebrate! ¹  Take up the cause of the orphan! Defend the rights of the widow! ² 

Open your mouth, judge in righteousness, ¹  and plead the cause ²  of the poor and needy.

I asked the Lord three times about this, that it would depart from me.

If indeed ¹  you would exalt yourselves ²  above me and plead my disgrace against me, ³ 

I summon ¹  my servant, but he does not respond, even though I implore ²  him with my own mouth.

Moses ¹  went out ²  from Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord,

May the Lord be our judge and arbiter. May he see and arbitrate my case and deliver me from your hands!”

Therefore the Lord says, “I will stand up for your cause. I will pay the Babylonians back for what they have done to you. ¹  I will dry up their sea. I will make their springs run dry. ² 

Listen to what the Lord says: “Get up! Defend yourself ¹  before the mountains! ²  Present your case before the hills!” ³ 

But Joash said to all those who confronted him, ¹  “Must you fight Baal’s battles? ²  Must you rescue him? Whoever takes up his cause ³  will die by morning! ⁴  If he really is a god, let him fight his own battles! ⁵  After all, it was his altar that was pulled down.” ⁶