² O my soul, you have said to the Lord,
“You are my Lord,
^(B)My goodness is nothing apart from You.”
³ As for the saints who are on the earth,
“They are the excellent ones, in ^(C)whom is all my delight.”

⁴ Their sorrows shall be multiplied who hasten after another god;
Their drink offerings of ^(D)blood I will not offer,
^(E)Nor take up their names on my lips.

⁵ O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You ^[b]maintain my lot.
⁶ The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Yes, I have a good inheritance.

⁷ I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel;
My ^[c]heart also instructs me in the night seasons.
^8 (F)I have set the Lord always before me;
Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.

⁹ Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will ^[d]rest in hope.
^10 (G)For You will not leave my soul in ^[e]Sheol,
Nor will You allow Your Holy One to ^[f]see corruption.
¹¹ You will show me the ^(H)path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

I was looking, and behold,
^(G)A tree in the midst of the earth,
And its height was great.
¹¹ The tree grew and became strong;
Its height reached to the heavens,
And it could be seen to the ends of all the earth.
¹² Its leaves were lovely,
Its fruit abundant,
And in it was food for all.
^(H)The beasts of the field found shade under it,
The birds of the heavens dwelt in its branches,
And all flesh was fed from it.

^(K)‘Chop down the tree and cut off its branches,
Strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit.
^(L)Let the beasts get out from under it,
And the birds from its branches.
¹⁵ Nevertheless leave the stump and roots in the earth,
Bound with a band of iron and bronze,
In the tender grass of the field.
Let it be wet with the dew of heaven,
And let him graze with the beasts
On the grass of the earth.
¹⁶ Let his heart be changed from that of a man,
Let him be given the heart of a beast,
And let seven ^(M)times^[b] pass over him.

¹⁷ ‘This decision is by the decree of the watchers,
And the sentence by the word of the holy ones,
In order ^(N)that the living may know
^(O)That the Most High rules in the kingdom of men,
^(P)Gives it to whomever He will,
And sets over it the ^(Q)lowest of men.’