³ Do not drag me away with the wicked,
    with those who do evil,
who speak cordially with their neighbors
    but harbor malice in their hearts.^(G)
4 Repay them for their deeds
    and for their evil work;
repay them for what their hands have done^(H)
    and bring back on them what they deserve.^(I)

⁵ Because they have no regard for the deeds of the Lord
    and what his hands have done,^(J)
he will tear them down
    and never build them up again.

⁶ Praise be to the Lord,^(K)
    for he has heard my cry for mercy.^(L)
7 The Lord is my strength^(M) and my shield;
    my heart trusts^(N) in him, and he helps me.
My heart leaps for joy,^(O)
    and with my song I praise him.^(P)

⁸ The Lord is the strength^(Q) of his people,
    a fortress of salvation^(R) for his anointed one.^(S)
9 Save your people^(T) and bless your inheritance;^(U)
    be their shepherd^(V) and carry them^(W) forever.

³ Even from birth the wicked go astray;
    from the womb they are wayward, spreading lies.
⁴ Their venom is like the venom of a snake,^(D)
    like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears,
⁵ that will not heed^(E) the tune of the charmer,^(F)
    however skillful the enchanter may be.

⁶ Break the teeth in their mouths, O God;^(G)
    Lord, tear out the fangs of those lions!^(H)
7 Let them vanish like water that flows away;^(I)
    when they draw the bow, let their arrows fall short.^(J)
8 May they be like a slug that melts away as it moves along,^(K)
    like a stillborn child^(L) that never sees the sun.

⁹ Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns^(M)—
    whether they be green or dry—the wicked will be swept away.^[c](N)
10 The righteous will be glad^(O) when they are avenged,^(P)
    when they dip their feet in the blood of the wicked.^(Q)
11 Then people will say,
    “Surely the righteous still are rewarded;^(R)
    surely there is a God who judges the earth.”^(S)

³ I am overwhelmed with troubles^(C)
    and my life draws near to death.^(D)
4 I am counted among those who go down to the pit;^(E)
    I am like one without strength.^(F)
5 I am set apart with the dead,
    like the slain who lie in the grave,
whom you remember no more,
    who are cut off^(G) from your care.

⁶ You have put me in the lowest pit,
    in the darkest depths.^(H)
7 Your wrath^(I) lies heavily on me;
    you have overwhelmed me with all your waves.^[d](J)
8 You have taken from me my closest friends^(K)
    and have made me repulsive to them.
I am confined^(L) and cannot escape;^(M)
9     my eyes^(N) are dim with grief.

I call^(O) to you, Lord, every day;
    I spread out my hands^(P) to you.
¹⁰ Do you show your wonders to the dead?
    Do their spirits rise up and praise you?^(Q)
11 Is your love declared in the grave,
    your faithfulness^(R) in Destruction^[e]?
¹² Are your wonders known in the place of darkness,
    or your righteous deeds in the land of oblivion?

¹³ But I cry to you for help,^(S) Lord;
    in the morning^(T) my prayer comes before you.^(U)
14 Why, Lord, do you reject^(V) me
    and hide your face^(W) from me?

¹⁵ From my youth^(X) I have suffered^(Y) and been close to death;
    I have borne your terrors^(Z) and am in despair.^(AA)
16 Your wrath^(AB) has swept over me;
    your terrors^(AC) have destroyed me.
¹⁷ All day long they surround me like a flood;^(AD)
    they have completely engulfed me.
¹⁸ You have taken from me friend^(AE) and neighbor—
    darkness is my closest friend.

² Let Israel say:^(D)
    “His love endures forever.”^(E)
3 Let the house of Aaron say:^(F)
    “His love endures forever.”
⁴ Let those who fear the Lord^(G) say:
    “His love endures forever.”

⁵ When hard pressed,^(H) I cried to the Lord;
    he brought me into a spacious place.^(I)
6 The Lord is with me;^(J) I will not be afraid.
    What can mere mortals do to me?^(K)
7 The Lord is with me; he is my helper.^(L)
    I look in triumph on my enemies.^(M)

⁸ It is better to take refuge in the Lord^(N)
    than to trust in humans.^(O)
9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
    than to trust in princes.^(P)
10 All the nations surrounded me,
    but in the name of the Lord I cut them down.^(Q)
11 They surrounded me^(R) on every side,^(S)
    but in the name of the Lord I cut them down.
¹² They swarmed around me like bees,^(T)
    but they were consumed as quickly as burning thorns;^(U)
    in the name of the Lord I cut them down.^(V)
13 I was pushed back and about to fall,
    but the Lord helped me.^(W)
14 The Lord is my strength^(X) and my defense^[a];
    he has become my salvation.^(Y)

¹⁵ Shouts of joy^(Z) and victory
    resound in the tents of the righteous:
“The Lord’s right hand^(AA) has done mighty things!^(AB)
16     The Lord’s right hand is lifted high;
    the Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!”
¹⁷ I will not die^(AC) but live,
    and will proclaim^(AD) what the Lord has done.
¹⁸ The Lord has chastened^(AE) me severely,
    but he has not given me over to death.^(AF)
19 Open for me the gates^(AG) of the righteous;
    I will enter^(AH) and give thanks to the Lord.
²⁰ This is the gate of the Lord^(AI)
    through which the righteous may enter.^(AJ)
21 I will give you thanks, for you answered me;^(AK)
    you have become my salvation.^(AL)

²² The stone^(AM) the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone;^(AN)
23 the Lord has done this,
    and it is marvelous^(AO) in our eyes.
²⁴ The Lord has done it this very day;
    let us rejoice today and be glad.^(AP)

²⁵ Lord, save us!^(AQ)
    Lord, grant us success!

²⁶ Blessed is he who comes^(AR) in the name of the Lord.
    From the house of the Lord we bless you.^[b](AS)
27 The Lord is God,^(AT)
    and he has made his light shine^(AU) on us.
With boughs in hand,^(AV) join in the festal procession
    up^[c] to the horns of the altar.^(AW)

²⁸ You are my God, and I will praise you;
    you are my God,^(AX) and I will exalt^(AY) you.

²⁹ Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
    his love endures forever.

Praise the Lord from the heavens;^(B)
    praise him in the heights above.
² Praise him, all his angels;^(C)
    praise him, all his heavenly hosts.^(D)
3 Praise him, sun^(E) and moon;
    praise him, all you shining stars.
⁴ Praise him, you highest heavens^(F)
    and you waters above the skies.^(G)

⁵ Let them praise the name^(H) of the Lord,
    for at his command^(I) they were created,
⁶ and he established them for ever and ever—
    he issued a decree^(J) that will never pass away.

⁷ Praise the Lord^(K) from the earth,
    you great sea creatures^(L) and all ocean depths,^(M)
8 lightning and hail,^(N) snow and clouds,
    stormy winds that do his bidding,^(O)
9 you mountains and all hills,^(P)
    fruit trees and all cedars,
¹⁰ wild animals^(Q) and all cattle,
    small creatures and flying birds,
¹¹ kings^(R) of the earth and all nations,
    you princes and all rulers on earth,
¹² young men and women,
    old men and children.

¹³ Let them praise the name of the Lord,^(S)
    for his name alone is exalted;
    his splendor^(T) is above the earth and the heavens.^(U)
14 And he has raised up for his people a horn,^[b](V)
    the praise^(W) of all his faithful servants,^(X)
    of Israel, the people close to his heart.^(Y)

Praise the Lord.

28 The wicked flee^(A) though no one pursues,^(B)
    but the righteous are as bold as a lion.^(C)

² When a country is rebellious, it has many rulers,
    but a ruler with discernment and knowledge maintains order.

³ A ruler^[a] who oppresses the poor
    is like a driving rain that leaves no crops.

⁴ Those who forsake instruction praise the wicked,
    but those who heed it resist them.

⁵ Evildoers do not understand what is right,
    but those who seek the Lord understand it fully.

⁶ Better the poor whose walk is blameless
    than the rich whose ways are perverse.^(D)

⁷ A discerning son heeds instruction,
    but a companion of gluttons disgraces his father.^(E)

⁸ Whoever increases wealth by taking interest^(F) or profit from the poor
    amasses it for another,^(G) who will be kind to the poor.^(H)

⁹ If anyone turns a deaf ear to my instruction,
    even their prayers are detestable.^(I)

¹⁰ Whoever leads the upright along an evil path
    will fall into their own trap,^(J)
    but the blameless will receive a good inheritance.

¹¹ The rich are wise in their own eyes;
    one who is poor and discerning sees how deluded they are.

¹² When the righteous triumph, there is great elation;^(K)
    but when the wicked rise to power, people go into hiding.^(L)

¹³ Whoever conceals their sins^(M) does not prosper,
    but the one who confesses^(N) and renounces them finds mercy.^(O)

¹⁴ Blessed is the one who always trembles before God,
    but whoever hardens their heart falls into trouble.

¹⁵ Like a roaring lion or a charging bear
    is a wicked ruler over a helpless people.

¹⁶ A tyrannical ruler practices extortion,
    but one who hates ill-gotten gain will enjoy a long reign.

¹⁷ Anyone tormented by the guilt of murder
    will seek refuge^(P) in the grave;
    let no one hold them back.

¹⁸ The one whose walk is blameless is kept safe,^(Q)
    but the one whose ways are perverse will fall^(R) into the pit.^[b]

¹⁹ Those who work their land will have abundant food,
    but those who chase fantasies will have their fill of poverty.^(S)

²⁰ A faithful person will be richly blessed,
    but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.^(T)

²¹ To show partiality^(U) is not good^(V)—
    yet a person will do wrong for a piece of bread.^(W)

²² The stingy are eager to get rich
    and are unaware that poverty awaits them.^(X)

²³ Whoever rebukes a person will in the end gain favor
    rather than one who has a flattering tongue.^(Y)

²⁴ Whoever robs their father or mother^(Z)
    and says, “It’s not wrong,”
    is partner to one who destroys.^(AA)

²⁵ The greedy stir up conflict,^(AB)
    but those who trust in the Lord^(AC) will prosper.

²⁶ Those who trust in themselves are fools,^(AD)
    but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe.^(AE)

²⁷ Those who give to the poor will lack nothing,^(AF)
    but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses.^(AG)

²⁸ When the wicked rise to power, people go into hiding;^(AH)
    but when the wicked perish, the righteous thrive.