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Verse
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Psalm chapter 82

English Standard Version

1 God has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods he holds judgment: 2"How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Selah 3 Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. 4 Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked." 5 They have neither knowledge nor understanding, they walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken. 6 I said, "You are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you; 7nevertheless, like men you shall die, and fall like any prince." 8 Arise, O God, judge the earth; for you shall inherit all the nations!
New International Version

1A psalm of Asaph. God presides in the great assembly; he renders judgment among the "gods": 2"How long will you defend the unjust and show partiality to the wicked? 3Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed.
4Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.
5"The ‘gods’ know nothing, they understand nothing. They walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken. 6"I said, ‘You are "gods"; you are all sons of the Most High.’
7But you will die like mere mortals; you will fall like every other ruler." 8Rise up, O God, judge the earth, for all the nations are your inheritance.
New American Standard Bible

1God takes His position in His assembly; He judges in the midst of the gods. 2How long will you judge unjustly And show partiality to the wicked? Selah 3Vindicate the weak and fatherless; Do justice to the afflicted and destitute. 4Rescue the weak and needy; Save them from the hand of the wicked. 5They do not know nor do they understand; They walk around in darkness; All the foundations of the earth are shaken. 6 I said, 'You are gods, And all of you are sons of the Most High. 7Nevertheless you will die like men, And fall like one of the princes.' 8Arise, God, judge the earth! For You possess all the nations.
Christian Standard Bible

1A psalm of Asaph. God stands in the divine assembly; he pronounces judgment among the gods:
2"How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Selah 3Provide justice for the needy and the fatherless; uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute.
4Rescue the poor and needy; save them from the power of the wicked."
5They do not know or understand; they wander in darkness. All the foundations of the earth are shaken. 6I said, "You are gods; you are all sons of the Most High.
7However, you will die like humans and fall like any other ruler." 8Rise up, God, judge the earth, for all the nations belong to you.
New Living Translation

1God presides over heaven’s court; he pronounces judgment on the heavenly beings:
2'How long will you hand down unjust decisions by favoring the wicked? Interlude
3'Give justice to the poor and the orphan; uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute. 4Rescue the poor and helpless; deliver them from the grasp of evil people. 5But these oppressors know nothing; they are so ignorant! They wander about in darkness, while the whole world is shaken to the core. 6I say, ‘You are gods; you are all children of the Most High. 7But you will die like mere mortals and fall like every other ruler.’'
8Rise up, O God, and judge the earth, for all the nations belong to you.
King James Version

1A Psalm of Asaph. God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods.
2How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah.
3Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy.
4Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked.
5They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course.
6I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.
7But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.
8Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.
New King James Version

1{A Psalm of Asaph.} God stands in the congregation of the mighty; He judges among the gods.
2How long will you judge unjustly, And show partiality to the wicked? Selah
3Defend the poor and fatherless; Do justice to the afflicted and needy. 4Deliver the poor and needy; Free them from the hand of the wicked. 5They do not know, nor do they understand; They walk about in darkness; All the foundations of the earth are unstable. 6I said, “You are gods, And all of you are children of the Most High. 7But you shall die like men, And fall like one of the princes.” 8Arise, O God, judge the earth; For You shall inherit all nations.

What does Psalm chapter 82 mean?

God has reasons to allow limited human beings to administer government here on earth. Among the most important is to reflect His character of compassion and justice. Restraining evil and protecting the weak are fundamental to the Lord's view of human rulers (Romans 13:1; Psalm 72:12–14; Proverbs 31:9). In this psalm, Asaph depicts God condemning judges who corrupt their positions.

The psalm begins with a depiction of God standing in a gathering of powerful men to deliver His own verdict. The Hebrew word translated "God," meaning the God of Abraham, can also be translated as "god," a general term for a spiritual power. This is the word elohiym. The same term can mean those in positions of power. It carries various meanings in this psalm, defined by their contexts. This does not imply that God rules a cabinet of lesser deities. Rather, it sets up the idea that human authority flows from God's authority, so it should reflect God's nature (Psalm 82:1).

Asaph then speaks from God's perspective. The corrupt judges are commanded to render fair verdicts, to care for the weak, and not to conspire with the wicked. This follows God's consistent commands about such issues (Micah 6:8; James 1:27). Those who fail to do so are replacing justice with wickedness and order with chaos. This undoes the cornerstones of human civilization (Psalm 82:2–5).

These judges, governors, rulers, and other leaders are "sons" of the Most High God, appointed by the Lord's broad command for human government to restrain evil. Jesus refers to these comments when accused of blasphemy (John 10:33–36). No matter how much power they have, these men are still mortal (Hebrews 9:27). They will face the Judge of judges, and Asaph prays for this very thing to happen (Psalm 82:6–8).
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