3. I can tell those proud people,“Stop your boasting!Nothing is hidden from the Lord,and he judges what we do.”
4. Our Lord, you breakthe bows of warriors,but you give strengthto everyone who stumbles.
5. People who oncehad plenty to eatmust now hire themselves outfor only a piece of bread.But you give the hungry morethan enough to eat.A woman did not have a child,and you gave her seven,but a woman who had manywas left with none.
6. You take away life,and you give life.You send people downto the world of the deadand bring them back again.
7. Our Lord, you are the onewho makes us rich or poor.You put some in high positionsand bring disgrace on others.
8. You lift the poor and homelessout of the rubbish dumpand give them places of honourin royal palaces.You set the world on foundations,and they belong to you.
9. You protect your loyal people,but everyone who is evilwill die in darkness.We cannot win a victoryby our own strength.
28-29. Out of all the tribes of Israel, I chose your family to be my priests. I wanted them to offer sacrifices and burn incense to me and to find out from me what I want my people to do. I commanded everyone to bring their sacrifices here where I live, and I allowed you and your family to keep those that were not offered to me on the altar.But you honour your sons instead of me! You don't respect the sacrifices and offerings that are brought to me, and you've all got fat from eating the best parts.
30. I am the Lord, the God of Israel. I promised to let your family serve me as priests for ever, but now I tell you that I cannot do this any longer! I honour anyone who honours me, but I put a curse on anyone who hates me.
31. The time will come when I will kill you and everyone else in your family. Not one of you will live to an old age.
32. Your family will have a lot of trouble. I will be kind to Israel, but everyone in your family will die young.
33. If I let anyone from your family be a priest, his life will be full of sadness and sorrow. But most of the men in your family will die a violent death!