² “How long will you say such things?^(B)
    Your words are a blustering wind.^(C)
3 Does God pervert justice?^(D)
    Does the Almighty pervert what is right?^(E)
4 When your children sinned against him,
    he gave them over to the penalty of their sin.^(F)
5 But if you will seek God earnestly
    and plead^(G) with the Almighty,^(H)
6 if you are pure and upright,
    even now he will rouse himself on your behalf^(I)
    and restore you to your prosperous state.^(J)
7 Your beginnings will seem humble,
    so prosperous^(K) will your future be.^(L)

⁸ “Ask the former generation^(M)
    and find out what their ancestors learned,
⁹ for we were born only yesterday and know nothing,^(N)
    and our days on earth are but a shadow.^(O)
10 Will they not instruct^(P) you and tell you?
    Will they not bring forth words from their understanding?^(Q)
11 Can papyrus grow tall where there is no marsh?^(R)
    Can reeds^(S) thrive without water?
¹² While still growing and uncut,
    they wither more quickly than grass.^(T)
13 Such is the destiny^(U) of all who forget God;^(V)
    so perishes the hope of the godless.^(W)
14 What they trust in is fragile^[a];
    what they rely on is a spider’s web.^(X)
15 They lean on the web,^(Y) but it gives way;
    they cling to it, but it does not hold.^(Z)
16 They are like a well-watered plant in the sunshine,
    spreading its shoots^(AA) over the garden;^(AB)
17 it entwines its roots around a pile of rocks
    and looks for a place among the stones.
¹⁸ But when it is torn from its spot,
    that place disowns^(AC) it and says, ‘I never saw you.’^(AD)
19 Surely its life withers^(AE) away,
    and^[b] from the soil other plants grow.^(AF)

²⁰ “Surely God does not reject one who is blameless^(AG)
    or strengthen the hands of evildoers.^(AH)
21 He will yet fill your mouth with laughter^(AI)
    and your lips with shouts of joy.^(AJ)
22 Your enemies will be clothed in shame,^(AK)
    and the tents^(AL) of the wicked will be no more.”^(AM)

⁵ Remember the wonders^(I) he has done,
    his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,^(J)
6 you his servants, the descendants of Abraham,^(K)
    his chosen^(L) ones, the children of Jacob.
⁷ He is the Lord our God;
    his judgments are in all the earth.

⁸ He remembers his covenant^(M) forever,
    the promise he made, for a thousand generations,
⁹ the covenant he made with Abraham,^(N)
    the oath he swore to Isaac.
¹⁰ He confirmed it^(O) to Jacob as a decree,
    to Israel as an everlasting covenant:^(P)
11 “To you I will give the land of Canaan^(Q)
    as the portion you will inherit.”^(R)

¹² When they were but few in number,^(S)
    few indeed, and strangers in it,^(T)
13 they wandered from nation to nation,^(U)
    from one kingdom to another.
¹⁴ He allowed no one to oppress^(V) them;
    for their sake he rebuked kings:^(W)
15 “Do not touch^(X) my anointed ones;
    do my prophets^(Y) no harm.”

¹⁶ He called down famine^(Z) on the land
    and destroyed all their supplies of food;
¹⁷ and he sent a man before them—
    Joseph, sold as a slave.^(AA)
18 They bruised his feet with shackles,^(AB)
    his neck was put in irons,
¹⁹ till what he foretold^(AC) came to pass,
    till the word^(AD) of the Lord proved him true.
²⁰ The king sent and released him,
    the ruler of peoples set him free.^(AE)
21 He made him master of his household,
    ruler over all he possessed,
²² to instruct his princes^(AF) as he pleased
    and teach his elders wisdom.^(AG)

²³ Then Israel entered Egypt;^(AH)
    Jacob resided^(AI) as a foreigner in the land of Ham.^(AJ)
24 The Lord made his people very fruitful;
    he made them too numerous^(AK) for their foes,
²⁵ whose hearts he turned^(AL) to hate his people,
    to conspire^(AM) against his servants.
²⁶ He sent Moses^(AN) his servant,
    and Aaron,^(AO) whom he had chosen.^(AP)
27 They performed^(AQ) his signs^(AR) among them,
    his wonders^(AS) in the land of Ham.
²⁸ He sent darkness^(AT) and made the land dark—
    for had they not rebelled against^(AU) his words?
²⁹ He turned their waters into blood,^(AV)
    causing their fish to die.^(AW)
30 Their land teemed with frogs,^(AX)
    which went up into the bedrooms of their rulers.
³¹ He spoke,^(AY) and there came swarms of flies,^(AZ)
    and gnats^(BA) throughout their country.
³² He turned their rain into hail,^(BB)
    with lightning throughout their land;
³³ he struck down their vines^(BC) and fig trees^(BD)
    and shattered the trees of their country.
³⁴ He spoke,^(BE) and the locusts came,^(BF)
    grasshoppers^(BG) without number;^(BH)
35 they ate up every green thing in their land,
    ate up the produce of their soil.
³⁶ Then he struck down all the firstborn^(BI) in their land,
    the firstfruits of all their manhood.
³⁷ He brought out Israel, laden with silver and gold,^(BJ)
    and from among their tribes no one faltered.
³⁸ Egypt was glad when they left,
    because dread of Israel^(BK) had fallen on them.

³⁹ He spread out a cloud^(BL) as a covering,
    and a fire to give light at night.^(BM)
40 They asked,^(BN) and he brought them quail;^(BO)
    he fed them well with the bread of heaven.^(BP)
41 He opened the rock,^(BQ) and water gushed out;
    it flowed like a river in the desert.

⁴² For he remembered his holy promise^(BR)
    given to his servant Abraham.
⁴³ He brought out his people with rejoicing,^(BS)
    his chosen ones with shouts of joy;
⁴⁴ he gave them the lands of the nations,^(BT)
    and they fell heir to what others had toiled^(BU) for—
⁴⁵ that they might keep his precepts
    and observe his laws.^(BV)

Praise the Lord.^[a](BW)