⁷ “Listen, my people, and I will speak;
    I will testify^(Q) against you, Israel:
    I am God, your God.^(R)
8 I bring no charges^(S) against you concerning your sacrifices
    or concerning your burnt offerings,^(T) which are ever before me.
⁹ I have no need of a bull^(U) from your stall
    or of goats^(V) from your pens,^(W)
10 for every animal of the forest^(X) is mine,
    and the cattle on a thousand hills.^(Y)
11 I know every bird^(Z) in the mountains,
    and the insects in the fields^(AA) are mine.
¹² If I were hungry I would not tell you,
    for the world^(AB) is mine, and all that is in it.^(AC)
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls
    or drink the blood of goats?

¹⁴ “Sacrifice thank offerings^(AD) to God,
    fulfill your vows^(AE) to the Most High,^(AF)
15 and call^(AG) on me in the day of trouble;^(AH)
    I will deliver^(AI) you, and you will honor^(AJ) me.”

“What right have you to recite my laws
    or take my covenant^(AK) on your lips?^(AL)
17 You hate^(AM) my instruction
    and cast my words behind^(AN) you.
¹⁸ When you see a thief, you join^(AO) with him;
    you throw in your lot with adulterers.^(AP)
19 You use your mouth for evil
    and harness your tongue to deceit.^(AQ)
20 You sit and testify against your brother^(AR)
    and slander your own mother’s son.
²¹ When you did these things and I kept silent,^(AS)
    you thought I was exactly^[c] like you.
But I now arraign^(AT) you
    and set my accusations^(AU) before you.

²² “Consider this, you who forget God,^(AV)
    or I will tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue you:^(AW)
23 Those who sacrifice thank offerings honor me,
    and to the blameless^[d] I will show my salvation.^(AX)”

² But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;^(B)
    I had nearly lost my foothold.^(C)
3 For I envied^(D) the arrogant
    when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.^(E)

⁴ They have no struggles;
    their bodies are healthy and strong.^[a]
5 They are free^(F) from common human burdens;
    they are not plagued by human ills.
⁶ Therefore pride^(G) is their necklace;^(H)
    they clothe themselves with violence.^(I)
7 From their callous hearts^(J) comes iniquity^[b];
    their evil imaginations have no limits.
⁸ They scoff, and speak with malice;^(K)
    with arrogance^(L) they threaten oppression.^(M)
9 Their mouths lay claim to heaven,
    and their tongues take possession of the earth.
¹⁰ Therefore their people turn to them
    and drink up waters in abundance.^[c]
11 They say, “How would God know?
    Does the Most High know anything?”

¹² This is what the wicked are like—
    always free of care,^(N) they go on amassing wealth.^(O)

¹³ Surely in vain^(P) I have kept my heart pure
    and have washed my hands in innocence.^(Q)
14 All day long I have been afflicted,^(R)
    and every morning brings new punishments.

¹⁵ If I had spoken out like that,
    I would have betrayed your children.
¹⁶ When I tried to understand^(S) all this,
    it troubled me deeply
¹⁷ till I entered the sanctuary^(T) of God;
    then I understood their final destiny.^(U)

¹⁸ Surely you place them on slippery ground;^(V)
    you cast them down to ruin.^(W)
19 How suddenly^(X) are they destroyed,
    completely swept away^(Y) by terrors!
²⁰ They are like a dream^(Z) when one awakes;^(AA)
    when you arise, Lord,
    you will despise them as fantasies.^(AB)

²¹ When my heart was grieved
    and my spirit embittered,
²² I was senseless^(AC) and ignorant;
    I was a brute beast^(AD) before you.

²³ Yet I am always with you;
    you hold me by my right hand.^(AE)
24 You guide^(AF) me with your counsel,^(AG)
    and afterward you will take me into glory.
²⁵ Whom have I in heaven but you?^(AH)
    And earth has nothing I desire besides you.^(AI)
26 My flesh and my heart^(AJ) may fail,^(AK)
    but God is the strength^(AL) of my heart
    and my portion^(AM) forever.

²⁷ Those who are far from you will perish;^(AN)
    you destroy all who are unfaithful^(AO) to you.
²⁸ But as for me, it is good to be near God.^(AP)
    I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge;^(AQ)
    I will tell of all your deeds.^(AR)

² You say, “I choose the appointed time;^(C)
    it is I who judge with equity.^(D)
3 When the earth and all its people quake,^(E)
    it is I who hold its pillars^(F) firm.^[b]
4 To the arrogant^(G) I say, ‘Boast no more,’^(H)
    and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horns.^[c](I)
5 Do not lift your horns against heaven;
    do not speak so defiantly.^(J)’”

⁶ No one from the east or the west
    or from the desert can exalt themselves.
⁷ It is God who judges:^(K)
    He brings one down, he exalts another.^(L)
8 In the hand of the Lord is a cup
    full of foaming wine mixed^(M) with spices;
he pours it out, and all the wicked of the earth
    drink it down to its very dregs.^(N)

⁹ As for me, I will declare^(O) this forever;
    I will sing^(P) praise to the God of Jacob,^(Q)
10 who says, “I will cut off the horns of all the wicked,
    but the horns of the righteous will be lifted up.”^(R)

⁴ You are radiant with light,^(X)
    more majestic than mountains rich with game.
⁵ The valiant^(Y) lie plundered,
    they sleep their last sleep;^(Z)
not one of the warriors
    can lift his hands.
⁶ At your rebuke,^(AA) God of Jacob,
    both horse and chariot^(AB) lie still.

⁷ It is you alone who are to be feared.^(AC)
    Who can stand^(AD) before you when you are angry?^(AE)
8 From heaven you pronounced judgment,
    and the land feared^(AF) and was quiet—
⁹ when you, God, rose up to judge,^(AG)
    to save all the afflicted^(AH) of the land.
¹⁰ Surely your wrath against mankind brings you praise,^(AI)
    and the survivors of your wrath are restrained.^[f]

¹¹ Make vows to the Lord your God and fulfill them;^(AJ)
    let all the neighboring lands
    bring gifts^(AK) to the One to be feared.
¹² He breaks the spirit of rulers;
    he is feared by the kings of the earth.

³ I remembered^(AQ) you, God, and I groaned;^(AR)
    I meditated, and my spirit grew faint.^[h](AS)
4 You kept my eyes from closing;
    I was too troubled to speak.^(AT)
5 I thought about the former days,^(AU)
    the years of long ago;
⁶ I remembered my songs in the night.
    My heart meditated and my spirit asked:

⁷ “Will the Lord reject forever?^(AV)
    Will he never show his favor^(AW) again?
⁸ Has his unfailing love^(AX) vanished forever?
    Has his promise^(AY) failed for all time?
⁹ Has God forgotten to be merciful?^(AZ)
    Has he in anger withheld his compassion?^(BA)”

¹⁰ Then I thought, “To this I will appeal:
    the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand.^(BB)
11 I will remember the deeds of the Lord;
    yes, I will remember your miracles^(BC) of long ago.
¹² I will consider^(BD) all your works
    and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”^(BE)

¹³ Your ways, God, are holy.
    What god is as great as our God?^(BF)
14 You are the God who performs miracles;^(BG)
    you display your power among the peoples.
¹⁵ With your mighty arm you redeemed your people,^(BH)
    the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.

¹⁶ The waters^(BI) saw you, God,
    the waters saw you and writhed;^(BJ)
    the very depths were convulsed.
¹⁷ The clouds poured down water,^(BK)
    the heavens resounded with thunder;^(BL)
    your arrows^(BM) flashed back and forth.
¹⁸ Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind,^(BN)
    your lightning^(BO) lit up the world;
    the earth trembled and quaked.^(BP)
19 Your path^(BQ) led through the sea,^(BR)
    your way through the mighty waters,
    though your footprints were not seen.

²⁰ You led your people^(BS) like a flock^(BT)
    by the hand of Moses and Aaron.^(BU)