¹ O Lord, God of my salvation,
    I cry out to you by day.
    I come to you at night.
² Now hear my prayer;
    listen to my cry.
³ For my life is full of troubles,
    and death^[b] draws near.
⁴ I am as good as dead,
    like a strong man with no strength left.
⁵ They have left me among the dead,
    and I lie like a corpse in a grave.
I am forgotten,
    cut off from your care.
⁶ You have thrown me into the lowest pit,
    into the darkest depths.
⁷ Your anger weighs me down;
    with wave after wave you have engulfed me. Interlude

⁸ You have driven my friends away
    by making me repulsive to them.
I am in a trap with no way of escape.
⁹     My eyes are blinded by my tears.
Each day I beg for your help, O Lord;
    I lift my hands to you for mercy.
¹⁰ Are your wonderful deeds of any use to the dead?
    Do the dead rise up and praise you? Interlude

¹¹ Can those in the grave declare your unfailing love?
    Can they proclaim your faithfulness in the place of destruction?^[c]
12 Can the darkness speak of your wonderful deeds?
    Can anyone in the land of forgetfulness talk about your righteousness?
¹³ O Lord, I cry out to you.
    I will keep on pleading day by day.
¹⁴ O Lord, why do you reject me?
    Why do you turn your face from me?

¹⁵ I have been sick and close to death since my youth.
    I stand helpless and desperate before your terrors.
¹⁶ Your fierce anger has overwhelmed me.
    Your terrors have paralyzed me.
¹⁷ They swirl around me like floodwaters all day long.
    They have engulfed me completely.
¹⁸ You have taken away my companions and loved ones.
    Darkness is my closest friend.

29 Whoever stubbornly refuses to accept criticism
    will suddenly be destroyed beyond recovery.

² When the godly are in authority, the people rejoice.
    But when the wicked are in power, they groan.

³ The man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father,
    but if he hangs around with prostitutes, his wealth is wasted.

⁴ A just king gives stability to his nation,
    but one who demands bribes destroys it.

⁵ To flatter friends
    is to lay a trap for their feet.

⁶ Evil people are trapped by sin,
    but the righteous escape, shouting for joy.

⁷ The godly care about the rights of the poor;
    the wicked don’t care at all.

⁸ Mockers can get a whole town agitated,
    but the wise will calm anger.

⁹ If a wise person takes a fool to court,
    there will be ranting and ridicule but no satisfaction.

¹⁰ The bloodthirsty hate blameless people,
    but the upright seek to help them.^[a]

¹¹ Fools vent their anger,
    but the wise quietly hold it back.

¹² If a ruler pays attention to liars,
    all his advisers will be wicked.

¹³ The poor and the oppressor have this in common—
    the Lord gives sight to the eyes of both.

¹⁴ If a king judges the poor fairly,
    his throne will last forever.

¹⁵ To discipline a child produces wisdom,
    but a mother is disgraced by an undisciplined child.

¹⁶ When the wicked are in authority, sin flourishes,
    but the godly will live to see their downfall.

¹⁷ Discipline your children, and they will give you peace of mind
    and will make your heart glad.

¹⁸ When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild.
    But whoever obeys the law is joyful.

¹⁹ Words alone will not discipline a servant;
    the words may be understood, but they are not heeded.

²⁰ There is more hope for a fool
    than for someone who speaks without thinking.

²¹ A servant pampered from childhood
    will become a rebel.

²² An angry person starts fights;
    a hot-tempered person commits all kinds of sin.

²³ Pride ends in humiliation,
    while humility brings honor.

²⁴ If you assist a thief, you only hurt yourself.
    You are sworn to tell the truth, but you dare not testify.

²⁵ Fearing people is a dangerous trap,
    but trusting the Lord means safety.

²⁶ Many seek the ruler’s favor,
    but justice comes from the Lord.

²⁷ The righteous despise the unjust;
    the wicked despise the godly.