We have a strong city;^(C)
    God makes salvation
    its walls^(D) and ramparts.^(E)
2 Open the gates^(F)
    that the righteous^(G) nation may enter,
    the nation that keeps faith.
³ You will keep in perfect peace^(H)
    those whose minds are steadfast,
    because they trust^(I) in you.
⁴ Trust^(J) in the Lord forever,^(K)
    for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock^(L) eternal.
⁵ He humbles those who dwell on high,
    he lays the lofty city low;
he levels it to the ground^(M)
    and casts it down to the dust.^(N)
6 Feet trample^(O) it down—
    the feet of the oppressed,^(P)
    the footsteps of the poor.^(Q)

⁷ The path of the righteous is level;^(R)
    you, the Upright One,^(S) make the way of the righteous smooth.^(T)
8 Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your laws,^[a](U)
    we wait^(V) for you;
your name^(W) and renown
    are the desire of our hearts.
⁹ My soul yearns for you in the night;^(X)
    in the morning my spirit longs^(Y) for you.
When your judgments^(Z) come upon the earth,
    the people of the world learn righteousness.^(AA)
10 But when grace is shown to the wicked,^(AB)
    they do not learn righteousness;
even in a land of uprightness they go on doing evil^(AC)
    and do not regard^(AD) the majesty of the Lord.
¹¹ Lord, your hand is lifted high,^(AE)
    but they do not see^(AF) it.
Let them see your zeal^(AG) for your people and be put to shame;^(AH)
    let the fire^(AI) reserved for your enemies consume them.

¹² Lord, you establish peace^(AJ) for us;
    all that we have accomplished you have done^(AK) for us.
¹³ Lord our God, other lords^(AL) besides you have ruled over us,
    but your name^(AM) alone do we honor.^(AN)
14 They are now dead,^(AO) they live no more;
    their spirits^(AP) do not rise.
You punished them and brought them to ruin;^(AQ)
    you wiped out all memory of them.^(AR)
15 You have enlarged the nation, Lord;
    you have enlarged the nation.^(AS)
You have gained glory for yourself;
    you have extended all the borders^(AT) of the land.

¹⁶ Lord, they came to you in their distress;^(AU)
    when you disciplined^(AV) them,
    they could barely whisper^(AW) a prayer.^[b]
17 As a pregnant woman about to give birth^(AX)
    writhes and cries out in her pain,
    so were we in your presence, Lord.
¹⁸ We were with child, we writhed in labor,
    but we gave birth^(AY) to wind.
We have not brought salvation^(AZ) to the earth,
    and the people of the world have not come to life.^(BA)

¹⁹ But your dead^(BB) will live, Lord;
    their bodies will rise—
let those who dwell in the dust^(BC)
    wake up and shout for joy—
your dew^(BD) is like the dew of the morning;
    the earth will give birth to her dead.^(BE)

²⁰ Go, my people, enter your rooms
    and shut the doors^(BF) behind you;
hide^(BG) yourselves for a little while
    until his wrath^(BH) has passed by.^(BI)
21 See, the Lord is coming^(BJ) out of his dwelling^(BK)
    to punish^(BL) the people of the earth for their sins.
The earth will disclose the blood^(BM) shed on it;
    the earth will conceal its slain no longer.

the Lord will punish with his sword^(BO)—
    his fierce, great and powerful sword—
Leviathan^(BP) the gliding serpent,^(BQ)
    Leviathan the coiling serpent;
he will slay the monster^(BR) of the sea.

“Sing^(BT) about a fruitful vineyard:^(BU)
3     I, the Lord, watch over it;
    I water^(BV) it continually.
I guard^(BW) it day and night
    so that no one may harm^(BX) it.
⁴     I am not angry.
If only there were briers and thorns confronting me!
    I would march against them in battle;
    I would set them all on fire.^(BY)
5 Or else let them come to me for refuge;^(BZ)
    let them make peace^(CA) with me,
    yes, let them make peace with me.”

⁶ In days to come Jacob will take root,^(CB)
    Israel will bud and blossom^(CC)
    and fill all the world with fruit.^(CD)

⁷ Has the Lord struck her
    as he struck^(CE) down those who struck her?
Has she been killed
    as those were killed who killed her?
⁸ By warfare^[c] and exile^(CF) you contend with her—
    with his fierce blast he drives her out,
    as on a day the east wind^(CG) blows.
⁹ By this, then, will Jacob’s guilt be atoned^(CH) for,
    and this will be the full fruit of the removal of his sin:^(CI)
When he makes all the altar stones^(CJ)
    to be like limestone crushed to pieces,
no Asherah poles^[d](CK) or incense altars^(CL)
    will be left standing.
¹⁰ The fortified city stands desolate,^(CM)
    an abandoned settlement, forsaken^(CN) like the wilderness;
there the calves graze,^(CO)
    there they lie down;^(CP)
    they strip its branches bare.
¹¹ When its twigs are dry, they are broken off^(CQ)
    and women come and make fires^(CR) with them.
For this is a people without understanding;^(CS)
    so their Maker has no compassion on them,
    and their Creator^(CT) shows them no favor.^(CU)

12 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
    but whoever hates correction is stupid.^(A)

² Good people obtain favor from the Lord,^(B)
    but he condemns those who devise wicked schemes.^(C)

³ No one can be established through wickedness,
    but the righteous cannot be uprooted.^(D)

⁴ A wife of noble character^(E) is her husband’s crown,
    but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones.^(F)

⁵ The plans of the righteous are just,
    but the advice of the wicked is deceitful.

⁶ The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood,
    but the speech of the upright rescues them.^(G)

⁷ The wicked are overthrown and are no more,^(H)
    but the house of the righteous stands firm.^(I)

⁸ A person is praised according to their prudence,
    and one with a warped^(J) mind is despised.

⁹ Better to be a nobody and yet have a servant
    than pretend to be somebody and have no food.

¹⁰ The righteous care for the needs of their animals,^(K)
    but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.

¹¹ Those who work their land will have abundant food,
    but those who chase fantasies have no sense.^(L)

¹² The wicked desire the stronghold of evildoers,
    but the root of the righteous endures.

¹³ Evildoers are trapped by their sinful talk,^(M)
    and so the innocent escape trouble.^(N)

¹⁴ From the fruit of their lips people are filled with good things,^(O)
    and the work of their hands brings them reward.^(P)

¹⁵ The way of fools seems right to them,^(Q)
    but the wise listen to advice.^(R)

¹⁶ Fools^(S) show their annoyance at once,^(T)
    but the prudent overlook an insult.^(U)

¹⁷ An honest witness tells the truth,
    but a false witness tells lies.^(V)

¹⁸ The words of the reckless pierce like swords,^(W)
    but the tongue of the wise brings healing.^(X)

¹⁹ Truthful lips endure forever,
    but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.

²⁰ Deceit is in the hearts of those who plot evil,
    but those who promote peace have joy.^(Y)

²¹ No harm overtakes the righteous,^(Z)
    but the wicked have their fill of trouble.

²² The Lord detests lying lips,^(AA)
    but he delights^(AB) in people who are trustworthy.^(AC)

²³ The prudent keep their knowledge to themselves,^(AD)
    but a fool’s heart blurts out folly.^(AE)

²⁴ Diligent hands will rule,
    but laziness ends in forced labor.^(AF)

²⁵ Anxiety weighs down the heart,^(AG)
    but a kind word cheers it up.

²⁶ The righteous choose their friends carefully,
    but the way of the wicked leads them astray.^(AH)

²⁷ The lazy do not roast^[a] any game,
    but the diligent feed on the riches of the hunt.

²⁸ In the way of righteousness there is life;^(AI)
    along that path is immortality.