Ecclesiastes 5:8

Poverty and the vulnerable Justice Authority and leadership

⁶ Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?

⁷ For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God.

If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher than they.

⁹ Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field.

¹⁰ He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.

Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: If you see the oppression of the poor and the denial of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be astonished at the matter; for one official is watched by a superior, and others higher still are over them.
KJV: If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher than they.
WEB: If you see the oppression of the poor, and the violent taking away of justice and righteousness in a district, don’t marvel at the matter, for one official is eyed by a higher one, and there are officials over them.
ASV: If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and the violent taking away of justice and righteousness in a province, marvel not at the matter: for one higher than the high regardeth; and there are higher than they.
DARBY: If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter; for a higher than the high is watching, and there are higher than they.
BLB: If you see the oppression of the poor and the robbing of justice and righteousness in a province, you should not be astonished concerning the matter, for one higher is watching over a high one, and higher ones over them.

ÅB: Om du ser at den fattige undertrykkes, og at rett og rettferdighet tredes under føtter i landet, så undre deg ikke over den ting! For den som er høytstående, har en høyere til å vokte på seg, og en høyeste vokter på dem begge.
OTB: Hvis du ser undertrykkelse av de fattige og fornektelse av rettferdighet og rettigheter i en provins, bli ikke forbauset over saken; for én embetsmann blir overvåket av en høyere, og det er høyere embetsmenn over dem.
B1930: Om du ser at den fattige undertrykkes, og at rett og rettferdighet tredes under føtter i landet, så undre dig ikke over den ting! For den som er høitstående, har en høiere til å vokte på sig, og en høieste vokter på dem begge.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Psalms 12:5
For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the LORD; I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him.
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Ecclesiastes 4:1
So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.
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Ecclesiastes 3:16
And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there.
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1 Kings 21:19–20
And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine.
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Psalms 58:10–11
The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.
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Revelation 17:6–7
And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.
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Matthew 13:41–42
The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
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Psalms 82:1
God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods.
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