26 ^[a](A)Vindicate me, Lord, for I have ^(B)walked in my integrity,
And I have ^(C)trusted in the Lord ^[b](D)without wavering.
^2 (E)Examine me, Lord, and put me to the test;
^(F)Refine my ^[c]mind and my heart.
³ For Your ^(G)[d]goodness is before my eyes,
And I have ^(H)walked in Your truth.
⁴ I do not ^(I)sit with ^[e]deceitful people,
Nor will I go with ^[f](J)pretenders.
⁵ I ^(K)hate the assembly of evildoers,
And I will not sit with the wicked.
⁶ I will ^(L)wash my hands in innocence,
And I will go around ^(M)Your altar, Lord,
⁷ That I may proclaim with the voice of ^(N)thanksgiving
And declare all Your ^[g]wonders.

56 Be gracious to me, God, for a man has ^[d](A)trampled upon me;
^[e]Fighting all day long he ^(B)oppresses me.
² My enemies have ^(C)trampled upon me all day long,
For ^[f]they are many who ^(D)fight proudly against me.
^3 [g]When I am ^(E)afraid,
^[h]I will ^(F)put my trust in You.
^4 (G)In God, whose word I praise,
In God I have put my trust;
I shall not be afraid.
^(H)What can mere ^[i]mortals do to me?
⁵ All day long they ^(I)distort my words;
All their ^[j](J)thoughts are against me for evil.
⁶ They ^[k](K)attack, they lurk,
They ^(L)watch my ^[l]steps,
As they have ^(M)waited to take my ^[m]life.
⁷ Because of their wickedness, will there be an ^(N)escape for them?
In anger ^(O)make the peoples fall down, God!

86 ^(A)Incline Your ear, Lord, and answer me;
For I am ^(B)afflicted and needy.
^2 (C)Protect my ^[a]soul, for I am ^(D)godly;
You my God, save Your servant who ^(E)trusts in You.
³ Be ^(F)gracious to me, Lord,
For ^(G)I call upon You all day long.
⁴ Make the soul of Your servant joyful,
For to You, Lord, ^(H)I lift up my soul.
⁵ For You, Lord, are ^(I)good, and ^(J)ready to forgive,
And ^(K)abundant in mercy to all who call upon You.
^6 (L)Listen, Lord, to my prayer;
And give Your attention to the sound of my pleading!
⁷ On ^(M)the day of my trouble I will call upon You,
For ^(N)You will answer me.
⁸ There is ^(O)no one like You among the gods, Lord,
Nor are there any works ^(P)like Yours.
^9 (Q)All nations whom You have made will come and worship before You, Lord,
And they will glorify Your name.
¹⁰ For You are ^(R)great, and you ^(S)do ^[b]wondrous deeds;
You alone ^(T)are God.

116 ^(A)I love the Lord, because He ^(B)hears
My voice and my pleas.
² Because He has ^(C)inclined His ear to me,
Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.
³ The ^(D)snares of death encompassed me
And the ^[a]terrors of ^[b]Sheol ^[c]came upon me;
I found distress and sorrow.
⁴ Then ^(E)I called upon the name of the Lord:
“Please, Lord, ^(F)save my ^[d]life!”

146 ^[a]Praise ^[b]the Lord!
^(A)Praise the Lord, my soul!
² I will praise the Lord ^(B)while I live;
I will ^(C)sing praises to my God while I ^[c]have my being.
^3 (D)Do not trust in noblemen,
In ^[d]mortal ^(E)man, in whom there is ^(F)no salvation.
⁴ His ^(G)spirit departs, he ^(H)returns to ^[e]the earth;
On that very day his ^(I)plans perish.
^5 (J)Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
Whose ^(K)hope is in the Lord his God,
⁶ Who ^(L)made heaven and earth,
The ^(M)sea and everything that is in them;
Who ^(N)keeps ^[f]faith forever;
⁷ Who ^(O)executes justice for the oppressed;
Who ^(P)gives food to the hungry.
The Lord ^(Q)frees the prisoners.

26 Like snow in summer and like ^(A)rain in harvest,
So honor is not ^(B)fitting for a fool.
² Like a ^(C)sparrow in its ^[a]flitting, like a swallow in its flying,
So a ^(D)curse without cause does not come to rest.
³ A ^(E)whip is for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,
And a ^(F)rod for the back of fools.
^4 (G)Do not answer a fool ^[b]according to his foolishness,
Or you will also be like him.
^5 (H)Answer a fool as his foolishness deserves,
So that he will not be ^(I)wise in his own eyes.
⁶ One who sends a message by the hand of a fool
Chops off his own feet and drinks violence.
⁷ Like ^[c]useless legs to one who cannot walk,
So is a proverb in the mouths of fools.
⁸ Like ^[d]one who binds a stone in a sling,
So is one who gives honor to a fool.
⁹ Like a thorn that ^[e]sticks in the hand of a heavy drinker,
So is a proverb in the mouths of fools.
^10 [f]Like an archer who wounds everyone,
So is one who hires a fool or hires those who pass by.
¹¹ Like ^(J)a dog that returns to its vomit,
So is a fool who ^(K)repeats ^[g]his foolishness.
¹² Do you see a person ^(L)wise in his own eyes?
^(M)There is more hope for a fool than for him.
^13 [h]A ^(N)lazy one says, “There is a lion on the road!
A lion is ^[i]in the public square!”
¹⁴ As the door turns on its hinges,
So does a ^(O)lazy one on his bed.
¹⁵ A ^(P)lazy one buries his hand in the dish;
He is weary of bringing it to his mouth again.
¹⁶ A lazy one is ^(Q)wiser in his own eyes
Than seven people who can ^[j]give a discreet answer.
¹⁷ Like one who takes a dog by the ears,
So is one who passes by and ^[k]meddles with ^(R)strife not belonging to him.
¹⁸ Like a maniac who shoots
^(S)Flaming arrows, arrows, and death,
¹⁹ So is a person who ^(T)deceives his neighbor,
And says, “^(U)Was I not joking?”
²⁰ For lack of wood the fire goes out,
And where there is no ^(V)gossiper, ^(W)quarreling quiets down.
²¹ Like charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire,
So is a ^(X)contentious person to kindle strife.
²² The ^(Y)words of a gossiper are like dainty morsels,
And they go down into the ^[l]innermost parts of the body.
²³ Like an earthenware ^(Z)vessel overlaid with silver ^[m](AA)impurities
Are burning lips and a wicked heart.
²⁴ One who ^(AB)hates disguises it with his lips,
But he harbors ^(AC)deceit in his ^[n]heart.
²⁵ When ^[o]he ^(AD)speaks graciously, do not believe him,
Because there are seven abominations in his heart.
²⁶ Though his hatred ^(AE)covers itself with deception,
His wickedness will be ^(AF)revealed in the assembly.
²⁷ One who ^(AG)digs a pit will fall into it,
And one who rolls a stone, it will come back on him.
²⁸ A lying tongue hates ^[p]those it crushes,
And a ^(AH)flattering mouth works ruin.