² “If one attempts a word with you, will you become weary?
But who can withhold himself from speaking?
³ Surely you have instructed many,
And you ^(A)have strengthened weak hands.
⁴ Your words have upheld him who was stumbling,
And you ^(B)have strengthened the ^[a]feeble knees;
⁵ But now it comes upon you, and you are weary;
It touches you, and you are troubled.
⁶ Is not ^(C)your reverence ^(D)your confidence?
And the integrity of your ways your hope?

⁷ “Remember now, ^(E)who ever perished being innocent?
Or where were the upright ever cut off?
⁸ Even as I have seen,
^(F)Those who plow iniquity
And sow trouble reap the same.
⁹ By the blast of God they perish,
And by the breath of His anger they are consumed.
¹⁰ The roaring of the lion,
The voice of the fierce lion,
And ^(G)the teeth of the young lions are broken.
^11 (H)The old lion perishes for lack of prey,
And the cubs of the lioness are scattered.

¹² “Now a word was secretly brought to me,
And my ear received a whisper of it.
^13 (I)In disquieting thoughts from the visions of the night,
When deep sleep falls on men,
¹⁴ Fear came upon me, and ^(J)trembling,
Which made all my bones shake.
¹⁵ Then a spirit passed before my face;
The hair on my body stood up.
¹⁶ It stood still,
But I could not discern its appearance.
A form was before my eyes;
There was silence;
Then I heard a voice saying:
¹⁷ ‘Can a mortal be more righteous than God?
Can a man be more pure than his Maker?
¹⁸ If He ^(K)puts no trust in His servants,
If He charges His angels with error,
¹⁹ How much more those who dwell in houses of clay,
Whose foundation is in the dust,
Who are crushed before a moth?
^20 (L)They are broken in pieces from morning till evening;
They perish forever, with no one regarding.
²¹ Does not their own excellence go away?
They die, even without wisdom.’

⁸ “But as for me, I would seek God,
And to God I would commit my cause—
⁹ Who does great things, and unsearchable,
Marvelous things without number.
^10 (Q)He gives rain on the earth,
And sends waters on the fields.
^11 (R)He sets on high those who are lowly,
And those who mourn are lifted to safety.
^12 (S)He frustrates the devices of the crafty,
So that their hands cannot carry out their plans.
¹³ He catches the ^(T)wise in their own craftiness,
And the counsel of the cunning comes quickly upon them.
¹⁴ They meet with darkness in the daytime,
And grope at noontime as in the night.
¹⁵ But ^(U)He saves the needy from the sword,
From the mouth of the mighty,
And from their hand.
^16 (V)So the poor have hope,
And injustice shuts her mouth.

¹⁷ “Behold,^(W) happy is the man whom God corrects;
Therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty.
^18 (X)For He bruises, but He binds up;
He wounds, but His hands make whole.
^19 (Y)He shall deliver you in six troubles,
Yes, in seven ^(Z)no evil shall touch you.
^20 (AA)In famine He shall redeem you from death,
And in war from the ^[f]power of the sword.
^21 (AB)You shall be hidden from the scourge of the tongue,
And you shall not be afraid of destruction when it comes.
²² You shall laugh at destruction and famine,
And ^(AC)you shall not be afraid of the ^(AD)beasts of the earth.
^23 (AE)For you shall have a covenant with the stones of the field,
And the beasts of the field shall be at peace with you.
²⁴ You shall know that your tent is in peace;
You shall visit your dwelling and find nothing amiss.
²⁵ You shall also know that ^(AF)your descendants shall be many,
And your offspring ^(AG)like the grass of the earth.
^26 (AH)You shall come to the grave at a full age,
As a sheaf of grain ripens in its season.
²⁷ Behold, this we have ^(AI)searched out;
It is true.
Hear it, and know for yourself.”

⁶ The Lord executes righteousness
And justice for all who are oppressed.
^7 (F)He made known His ways to Moses,
His acts to the children of Israel.
^8 (G)The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.
^9 (H)He will not always strive with us,
Nor will He keep His anger forever.
^10 (I)He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor punished us according to our iniquities.

¹¹ For as the heavens are high above the earth,
So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;
¹² As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He ^(J)removed our transgressions from us.
^13 (K)As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
¹⁴ For He ^[a]knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.

¹⁵ As for man, ^(L)his days are like grass;
As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
^16 (M)For the wind passes over it, and it is ^[b]gone,
And ^(N)its place remembers it no more.
¹⁷ But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting
On those who fear Him,
And His righteousness to children’s children,
^18 (O)To such as keep His covenant,
And to those who remember His commandments to do them.

¹⁹ The Lord has established His throne in heaven,
And ^(P)His kingdom rules over all.

^20 (Q)Bless the Lord, you His angels,
Who excel in strength, who ^(R)do His word,
Heeding the voice of His word.
²¹ Bless the Lord, all you His hosts,
^(S)You ^[c]ministers of His, who do His pleasure.
²² Bless the Lord, all His works,
In all places of His dominion.

Bless the Lord, O my soul!