When the righteous increase, the people rejoice,
But when a wicked man rules, people groan.

By transgression an evil man is ensnared,
But the righteous sings and rejoices.

The righteous is concerned for the rights of the poor,
The wicked does not understand such concern.

When the wicked increase, transgression increases;
But the righteous will see their fall.

An unjust man is abominable to the righteous,
And he who is upright in the way is abominable to the wicked.

I said to myself, “God will judge both the righteous man and the wicked man,” for a time for every matter and for every deed is there.

I have seen everything during my lifetime of futility; there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his wickedness.

Do not be excessively righteous and do not be overly wise. Why should you ruin yourself?

Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins.

O Lord God of Israel, You are righteous, for we have been left an escaped remnant, as it is this day; behold, we are before You in our guilt, for no one can stand before You because of this.”

For I have taken all this to my heart and explain it that righteous men, wise men, and their deeds are in the hand of God. Man does not know whether it will be love or hatred; anything awaits him.

It is the same for all. There is one fate for the righteous and for the wicked; for the good, for the clean and for the unclean; for the man who offers a sacrifice and for the one who does not sacrifice. As the good man is, so is the sinner; as the swearer is, so is the one who is afraid to swear.

Say to the righteous that it will go well with them,
For they will eat the fruit of their actions.

“You found his heart faithful before You,
And made a covenant with him
To give him the land of the Canaanite,
Of the Hittite and the Amorite,
Of the Perizzite, the Jebusite and the Girgashite—
To give it to his descendants.
And You have fulfilled Your promise,
For You are righteous.

From the ends of the earth we hear songs, “Glory to the Righteous One,”
But I say, “Woe to me! Woe to me! Alas for me!
The treacherous deal treacherously,
And the treacherous deal very treacherously.”

“Open the gates, that the righteous nation may enter,
The one that remains faithful.

Or what great nation is there that has statutes and judgments as righteous as this whole law which I am setting before you today?

‘Do not fear, for I am with you;
Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, surely I will help you,
Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

“Declare and set forth your case;
Indeed, let them consult together.
Who has announced this from of old?
Who has long since declared it?
Is it not I, the Lord?
And there is no other God besides Me,
A righteous God and a Savior;
There is none except Me.

If you are pure and upright,
Surely now He would rouse Himself for you
And restore your righteous estate.

“If there is a dispute between men and they go to court, and the judges decide their case, and they justify the righteous and condemn the wicked,

“You shall appoint for yourself judges and officers in all your towns which the Lord your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.

You shall not distort justice; you shall not be partial, and you shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts the words of the righteous.

As a result of the anguish of His soul,
He will see it and be satisfied;
By His knowledge the Righteous One,
My Servant, will justify the many,
As He will bear their iniquities.

“Then all your people will be righteous;
They will possess the land forever,
The branch of My planting,
The work of My hands,
That I may be glorified.

For all of us have become like one who is unclean,
And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment;
And all of us wither like a leaf,
And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

And the Lord said to me, “Faithless Israel has proved herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.

“Though I am righteous, my mouth will condemn me;
Though I am guiltless, He will declare me guilty.

‘If I am wicked, woe to me!
And if I am righteous, I dare not lift up my head.
I am sated with disgrace and conscious of my misery.

“What is man, that he should be pure,
Or he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?

“The Rock! His work is perfect,
For all His ways are just;
A God of faithfulness and without injustice,
Righteous and upright is He.

“They will call peoples to the mountain;
There they will offer righteous sacrifices;
For they will draw out the abundance of the seas,
And the hidden treasures of the sand.”

Righteous are You, O Lord, that I would plead my case with You;
Indeed I would discuss matters of justice with You:
Why has the way of the wicked prospered?
Why are all those who deal in treachery at ease?

Yet, O Lord of hosts, You who test the righteous,
Who see the mind and the heart;
Let me see Your vengeance on them;
For to You I have set forth my cause.

“Nevertheless the righteous will hold to his way,
And he who has clean hands will grow stronger and stronger.

“Is there any pleasure to the Almighty if you are righteous,
Or profit if you make your ways perfect?

“The righteous see and are glad,
And the innocent mock them,

“Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord,
“When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch;
And He will reign as king and act wisely
And do justice and righteousness in the land.

In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch of David to spring forth; and He shall execute justice and righteousness on the earth.

Then these three men ceased answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.

“For Job has said, ‘I am righteous,
But God has taken away my right;

“Shall one who hates justice rule?
And will you condemn the righteous mighty One,

“If you are righteous, what do you give to Him,
Or what does He receive from your hand?

“He does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous;
But with kings on the throne
He has seated them forever, and they are exalted.