Psalms 82

1 God gathers all the [rulers and judges who think they are] gods for a meeting in heaven; and he tells them that he has decided this:

A psalm of Asaph. God stands in the divine assembly; in the midst of the gods he renders judgment.

2 “You must [RHQ] stop judging [people] unfairly; you must no longer make decisions that favor wicked [people]!

How long will you judge unjustly and show favoritism to the wicked? (Selah)

3 You must defend [people who are] poor and orphans; you must act fairly toward those who are needy and those who have no one to help them.

Defend the poor and fatherless; maintain the rights of the afflicted and destitute.

4 Rescue them from the power [MTY] of evil [people] [DOU]!”

Rescue the poor and needy; take them out of the hand of the wicked.

5 [Those rulers] do not know or understand anything! They are very corrupt/evil, and [as a result of their corrupt/evil behavior], [it is as though] the foundation of the world is being shaken!

They neither know nor understand; they wander around in the darkness; all the foundations of the earth crumble.

6 I [the all-powerful God, previously] said to them, “You think you are gods! [It is as though] you are all my sons,

I said, “You are gods, and all of you sons of the Most High.

7 but you will die like people do; your lives will end, like the lives of all rulers end.”

Nevertheless you will die like men and fall like one of the princes.”

8 God, arise and judge [everyone on] [MTY] the earth, because all the people-groups belong to you!

Arise, God, judge the earth, for you have an inheritance in all the nations.