³ My enemies turn back;
    they stumble and perish before you.
⁴ For you have upheld my right^(F) and my cause,^(G)
    sitting enthroned^(H) as the righteous judge.^(I)
5 You have rebuked the nations^(J) and destroyed the wicked;
    you have blotted out their name^(K) for ever and ever.
⁶ Endless ruin has overtaken my enemies,
    you have uprooted their cities;^(L)
    even the memory of them^(M) has perished.

⁷ The Lord reigns forever;^(N)
    he has established his throne^(O) for judgment.
⁸ He rules the world in righteousness^(P)
    and judges the peoples with equity.^(Q)
9 The Lord is a refuge^(R) for the oppressed,^(S)
    a stronghold in times of trouble.^(T)
10 Those who know your name^(U) trust in you,
    for you, Lord, have never forsaken^(V) those who seek you.^(W)

¹¹ Sing the praises^(X) of the Lord, enthroned in Zion;^(Y)
    proclaim among the nations^(Z) what he has done.^(AA)
12 For he who avenges blood^(AB) remembers;
    he does not ignore the cries of the afflicted.^(AC)

¹³ Lord, see how my enemies^(AD) persecute me!
    Have mercy^(AE) and lift me up from the gates of death,^(AF)
14 that I may declare your praises^(AG)
    in the gates of Daughter Zion,^(AH)
    and there rejoice in your salvation.^(AI)

¹⁵ The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug;^(AJ)
    their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.^(AK)
16 The Lord is known by his acts of justice;
    the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands.^[c](AL)
17 The wicked go down to the realm of the dead,^(AM)
    all the nations that forget God.^(AN)
18 But God will never forget the needy;
    the hope^(AO) of the afflicted^(AP) will never perish.

¹⁹ Arise,^(AQ) Lord, do not let mortals triumph;^(AR)
    let the nations be judged^(AS) in your presence.
²⁰ Strike them with terror,^(AT) Lord;
    let the nations know they are only mortal.^(AU)

⁴ “Show me, Lord, my life’s end
    and the number of my days;^(I)
    let me know how fleeting^(J) my life is.^(K)
5 You have made my days^(L) a mere handbreadth;
    the span of my years is as nothing before you.
Everyone is but a breath,^(M)
    even those who seem secure.^[b]

⁶ “Surely everyone goes around^(N) like a mere phantom;^(O)
    in vain they rush about,^(P) heaping up wealth^(Q)
    without knowing whose it will finally be.^(R)

⁷ “But now, Lord, what do I look for?
    My hope is in you.^(S)
8 Save me^(T) from all my transgressions;^(U)
    do not make me the scorn^(V) of fools.
⁹ I was silent;^(W) I would not open my mouth,^(X)
    for you are the one who has done this.^(Y)
10 Remove your scourge from me;
    I am overcome by the blow^(Z) of your hand.^(AA)
11 When you rebuke^(AB) and discipline^(AC) anyone for their sin,
    you consume^(AD) their wealth like a moth^(AE)—
    surely everyone is but a breath.^(AF)

¹² “Hear my prayer, Lord,
    listen to my cry for help;^(AG)
    do not be deaf^(AH) to my weeping.^(AI)
I dwell with you as a foreigner,^(AJ)
    a stranger,^(AK) as all my ancestors were.^(AL)
13 Look away from me, that I may enjoy life again
    before I depart and am no more.”^(AM)

⁵ You, God, know my folly;^(J)
    my guilt is not hidden from you.^(K)

⁶ Lord, the Lord Almighty,
    may those who hope in you
    not be disgraced because of me;
God of Israel,
    may those who seek you
    not be put to shame because of me.
⁷ For I endure scorn^(L) for your sake,^(M)
    and shame covers my face.^(N)
8 I am a foreigner to my own family,
    a stranger to my own mother’s children;^(O)
9 for zeal for your house consumes me,^(P)
    and the insults of those who insult you fall on me.^(Q)
10 When I weep and fast,^(R)
    I must endure scorn;
¹¹ when I put on sackcloth,^(S)
    people make sport of me.
¹² Those who sit at the gate^(T) mock me,
    and I am the song of the drunkards.^(U)

¹³ But I pray to you, Lord,
    in the time of your favor;^(V)
in your great love,^(W) O God,
    answer me with your sure salvation.
¹⁴ Rescue me from the mire,
    do not let me sink;
deliver me from those who hate me,
    from the deep waters.^(X)
15 Do not let the floodwaters^(Y) engulf me
    or the depths swallow me up^(Z)
    or the pit close its mouth over me.^(AA)

¹⁶ Answer me, Lord, out of the goodness of your love;^(AB)
    in your great mercy turn to me.
¹⁷ Do not hide your face^(AC) from your servant;
    answer me quickly,^(AD) for I am in trouble.^(AE)
18 Come near and rescue me;
    deliver^(AF) me because of my foes.

¹⁹ You know how I am scorned,^(AG) disgraced and shamed;
    all my enemies are before you.
²⁰ Scorn has broken my heart
    and has left me helpless;
I looked for sympathy, but there was none,
    for comforters,^(AH) but I found none.^(AI)
21 They put gall in my food
    and gave me vinegar^(AJ) for my thirst.^(AK)

²² May the table set before them become a snare;
    may it become retribution and^[b] a trap.^(AL)
23 May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see,
    and their backs be bent forever.^(AM)
24 Pour out your wrath^(AN) on them;
    let your fierce anger overtake them.
²⁵ May their place be deserted;^(AO)
    let there be no one to dwell in their tents.^(AP)
26 For they persecute those you wound
    and talk about the pain of those you hurt.^(AQ)
27 Charge them with crime upon crime;^(AR)
    do not let them share in your salvation.^(AS)
28 May they be blotted out of the book of life^(AT)
    and not be listed with the righteous.^(AU)

²⁹ But as for me, afflicted and in pain—
    may your salvation, God, protect me.^(AV)

³⁰ I will praise God’s name in song^(AW)
    and glorify him^(AX) with thanksgiving.
³¹ This will please the Lord more than an ox,
    more than a bull with its horns and hooves.^(AY)
32 The poor will see and be glad^(AZ)—
    you who seek God, may your hearts live!^(BA)
33 The Lord hears the needy^(BB)
    and does not despise his captive people.

³⁴ Let heaven and earth praise him,
    the seas and all that move in them,^(BC)
35 for God will save Zion^(BD)
    and rebuild the cities of Judah.^(BE)
Then people will settle there and possess it;
³⁶     the children of his servants will inherit it,^(BF)
    and those who love his name will dwell there.^(BG)

⁴ The King^(K) is mighty, he loves justice^(L)—
    you have established equity;^(M)
in Jacob you have done
    what is just and right.^(N)
5 Exalt^(O) the Lord our God
    and worship at his footstool;
    he is holy.

⁶ Moses^(P) and Aaron^(Q) were among his priests,
    Samuel^(R) was among those who called on his name;
they called on the Lord
    and he answered^(S) them.
⁷ He spoke to them from the pillar of cloud;^(T)
    they kept his statutes and the decrees he gave them.

⁸ Lord our God,
    you answered them;
you were to Israel a forgiving God,^(U)
    though you punished^(V) their misdeeds.^[a]
9 Exalt the Lord our God
    and worship at his holy mountain,
    for the Lord our God is holy.

⁵ May all who hate Zion^(H)
    be turned back in shame.^(I)
6 May they be like grass on the roof,^(J)
    which withers^(K) before it can grow;
⁷ a reaper cannot fill his hands with it,^(L)
    nor one who gathers fill his arms.
⁸ May those who pass by not say to them,
    “The blessing of the Lord be on you;
    we bless you^(M) in the name of the Lord.”

⁷ Whoever corrects a mocker invites insults;
    whoever rebukes the wicked incurs abuse.^(L)
8 Do not rebuke mockers^(M) or they will hate you;
    rebuke the wise and they will love you.^(N)
9 Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still;
    teach the righteous and they will add to their learning.^(O)

¹⁰ The fear of the Lord^(P) is the beginning of wisdom,
    and knowledge of the Holy One^(Q) is understanding.^(R)
11 For through wisdom^[b] your days will be many,
    and years will be added to your life.^(S)
12 If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you;
    if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer.

¹³ Folly is an unruly woman;^(T)
    she is simple and knows nothing.^(U)
14 She sits at the door of her house,
    on a seat at the highest point of the city,^(V)
15 calling out^(W) to those who pass by,
    who go straight on their way,
¹⁶     “Let all who are simple come to my house!”
To those who have no sense^(X) she says,
¹⁷     “Stolen water is sweet;
    food eaten in secret is delicious!^(Y)”
¹⁸ But little do they know that the dead are there,
    that her guests are deep in the realm of the dead.^(Z)