¹⁸ Surely you place them on slippery ground;^(A)
    you cast them down to ruin.^(B)
19 How suddenly^(C) are they destroyed,
    completely swept away^(D) by terrors!

⁵ that the mirth of the wicked^(A) is brief,
    the joy of the godless^(B) lasts but a moment.^(C)
6 Though the pride^(D) of the godless person reaches to the heavens^(E)
    and his head touches the clouds,^(F)
7 he will perish forever,^(G) like his own dung;
    those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’^(H)
8 Like a dream^(I) he flies away,^(J) no more to be found,
    banished^(K) like a vision of the night.^(L)
9 The eye that saw him will not see him again;
    his place will look on him no more.^(M)
10 His children^(N) must make amends to the poor;
    his own hands must give back his wealth.^(O)
11 The youthful vigor^(P) that fills his bones^(Q)
    will lie with him in the dust.^(R)

¹² “Though evil^(S) is sweet in his mouth
    and he hides it under his tongue,^(T)
13 though he cannot bear to let it go
    and lets it linger in his mouth,^(U)
14 yet his food will turn sour in his stomach;^(V)
    it will become the venom of serpents^(W) within him.
¹⁵ He will spit out the riches^(X) he swallowed;
    God will make his stomach vomit^(Y) them up.
¹⁶ He will suck the poison^(Z) of serpents;
    the fangs of an adder will kill him.^(AA)
17 He will not enjoy the streams,
    the rivers^(AB) flowing with honey^(AC) and cream.^(AD)
18 What he toiled for he must give back uneaten;^(AE)
    he will not enjoy the profit from his trading.^(AF)
19 For he has oppressed the poor^(AG) and left them destitute;^(AH)
    he has seized houses^(AI) he did not build.

²⁰ “Surely he will have no respite from his craving;^(AJ)
    he cannot save himself by his treasure.^(AK)
21 Nothing is left for him to devour;
    his prosperity will not endure.^(AL)
22 In the midst of his plenty, distress will overtake him;^(AM)
    the full force of misery will come upon him.^(AN)
23 When he has filled his belly,^(AO)
    God will vent his burning anger^(AP) against him
    and rain down his blows on him.^(AQ)
24 Though he flees^(AR) from an iron weapon,
    a bronze-tipped arrow pierces him.^(AS)
25 He pulls it out of his back,
    the gleaming point out of his liver.
Terrors^(AT) will come over him;^(AU)
26     total darkness^(AV) lies in wait for his treasures.
A fire^(AW) unfanned will consume him^(AX)
    and devour what is left in his tent.^(AY)
27 The heavens will expose his guilt;
    the earth will rise up against him.^(AZ)
28 A flood will carry off his house,^(BA)
    rushing waters^[a] on the day of God’s wrath.^(BB)
29 Such is the fate God allots the wicked,
    the heritage appointed for them by God.”^(BC)