29 For behold, he hath his friends in iniquity and he keepeth his guards about him; And he teareth up the laws of those which have reigned in righteousness before him, And he trampleth under his feet the commandments of God,
30 And he enacteth laws and sendeth them forth among his people, Yea, laws after the manner of his own wickedness; And whosoever doth not obey his laws, he causeth to be destroyed,
31 And whosoever doth rebel against him, he will send his armies against them to war, and if he can, he will destroy them;
32 And thus an unrighteous king doth pervert the ways of all righteousness.
33 "And now behold I say unto you, it is not expedient that such abominations should come upon you;
34 Therefore, choose you by the voice of this people, judges, that ye may be judged according to the laws which hath been given you by our fathers, which are correct, And which were given them by the hand of the Lord.
35 "Now it is not common that the voice of the people desireth anything contrary to that which is right, But it is common for the lesser part of the people to desire that which is not right;
36 Therefore, this shall ye observe, and make it your law to do your business by the voice of the people;
37 And if the time cometh that the voice of the people doth choose iniquity, then is the time that the judgments of God will come upon you,
38 Yea, then is the time He will visit you with great destruction, even as He hath hitherto visited this land.
39 "And now if ye have judges, and they do not judge you according to the law which has been given, ye can cause that they may be judged of a higher judge;