¹³ “Here is the fate God allots to the wicked,
    the heritage a ruthless man receives from the Almighty:^(A)
14 However many his children,^(B) their fate is the sword;^(C)
    his offspring will never have enough to eat.^(D)
15 The plague will bury those who survive him,
    and their widows will not weep for them.^(E)
16 Though he heaps up silver like dust^(F)
    and clothes like piles of clay,^(G)
17 what he lays up^(H) the righteous will wear,^(I)
    and the innocent will divide his silver.^(J)
18 The house^(K) he builds is like a moth’s cocoon,^(L)
    like a hut^(M) made by a watchman.
¹⁹ He lies down wealthy, but will do so no more;^(N)
    when he opens his eyes, all is gone.^(O)
20 Terrors^(P) overtake him like a flood;^(Q)
    a tempest snatches him away in the night.^(R)
21 The east wind^(S) carries him off, and he is gone;^(T)
    it sweeps him out of his place.^(U)
22 It hurls itself against him without mercy^(V)
    as he flees headlong^(W) from its power.^(X)
23 It claps its hands^(Y) in derision
    and hisses him out of his place.”^(Z)

²⁰ All his days the wicked man suffers torment,^(A)
    the ruthless man through all the years stored up for him.^(B)
21 Terrifying sounds fill his ears;^(C)
    when all seems well, marauders attack him.^(D)
22 He despairs of escaping the realm of darkness;^(E)
    he is marked for the sword.^(F)
23 He wanders about^(G) for food like a vulture;^(H)
    he knows the day of darkness^(I) is at hand.^(J)
24 Distress and anguish^(K) fill him with terror;^(L)
    troubles overwhelm him, like a king^(M) poised to attack,
²⁵ because he shakes his fist^(N) at God
    and vaunts himself against the Almighty,^(O)
26 defiantly charging against him
    with a thick, strong shield.^(P)

²⁷ “Though his face is covered with fat
    and his waist bulges with flesh,^(Q)
28 he will inhabit ruined towns
    and houses where no one lives,^(R)
    houses crumbling to rubble.^(S)
29 He will no longer be rich and his wealth will not endure,^(T)
    nor will his possessions spread over the land.^(U)
30 He will not escape the darkness;^(V)
    a flame^(W) will wither his shoots,^(X)
    and the breath of God’s mouth^(Y) will carry him away.^(Z)
31 Let him not deceive^(AA) himself by trusting what is worthless,^(AB)
    for he will get nothing in return.^(AC)
32 Before his time^(AD) he will wither,^(AE)
    and his branches will not flourish.^(AF)
33 He will be like a vine stripped of its unripe grapes,^(AG)
    like an olive tree shedding its blossoms.^(AH)
34 For the company of the godless^(AI) will be barren,
    and fire will consume^(AJ) the tents of those who love bribes.^(AK)
35 They conceive trouble^(AL) and give birth to evil;^(AM)
    their womb fashions deceit.”

⁵ “The lamp of a wicked man is snuffed out;^(A)
    the flame of his fire stops burning.^(B)
6 The light in his tent^(C) becomes dark;^(D)
    the lamp beside him goes out.^(E)
7 The vigor^(F) of his step is weakened;^(G)
    his own schemes^(H) throw him down.^(I)
8 His feet thrust him into a net;^(J)
    he wanders into its mesh.
⁹ A trap seizes him by the heel;
    a snare^(K) holds him fast.^(L)
10 A noose^(M) is hidden for him on the ground;
    a trap^(N) lies in his path.^(O)
11 Terrors^(P) startle him on every side^(Q)
    and dog^(R) his every step.
¹² Calamity^(S) is hungry^(T) for him;
    disaster^(U) is ready for him when he falls.^(V)
13 It eats away parts of his skin;^(W)
    death’s firstborn devours his limbs.^(X)
14 He is torn from the security of his tent^(Y)
    and marched off to the king^(Z) of terrors.^(AA)
15 Fire resides^[a] in his tent;^(AB)
    burning sulfur^(AC) is scattered over his dwelling.
¹⁶ His roots dry up below^(AD)
    and his branches wither above.^(AE)
17 The memory of him perishes from the earth;^(AF)
    he has no name^(AG) in the land.^(AH)
18 He is driven from light into the realm of darkness^(AI)
    and is banished^(AJ) from the world.^(AK)
19 He has no offspring^(AL) or descendants^(AM) among his people,
    no survivor^(AN) where once he lived.^(AO)
20 People of the west are appalled^(AP) at his fate;^(AQ)
    those of the east are seized with horror.
²¹ Surely such is the dwelling^(AR) of an evil man;^(AS)
    such is the place^(AT) of one who does not know God.”^(AU)

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)

⁷ Why do the wicked live on,
    growing old and increasing in power?^(A)
8 They see their children established around them,
    their offspring before their eyes.^(B)
9 Their homes are safe and free from fear;^(C)
    the rod of God is not on them.^(D)
10 Their bulls never fail to breed;
    their cows calve and do not miscarry.^(E)
11 They send forth their children as a flock;^(F)
    their little ones dance about.
¹² They sing to the music of timbrel and lyre;^(G)
    they make merry to the sound of the pipe.^(H)
13 They spend their years in prosperity^(I)
    and go down to the grave^(J) in peace.^[a](K)
14 Yet they say to God, ‘Leave us alone!^(L)
    We have no desire to know your ways.^(M)
15 Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him?
    What would we gain by praying to him?’^(N)
16 But their prosperity is not in their own hands,
    so I stand aloof from the plans of the wicked.^(O)

¹⁷ “Yet how often is the lamp of the wicked snuffed out?^(P)
    How often does calamity^(Q) come upon them,
    the fate God allots in his anger?^(R)
18 How often are they like straw before the wind,
    like chaff^(S) swept away^(T) by a gale?^(U)
19 It is said, ‘God stores up the punishment of the wicked for their children.’^(V)
    Let him repay the wicked, so that they themselves will experience it!^(W)
20 Let their own eyes see their destruction;^(X)
    let them drink^(Y) the cup of the wrath of the Almighty.^(Z)
21 For what do they care about the families they leave behind^(AA)
    when their allotted months^(AB) come to an end?^(AC)

²² “Can anyone teach knowledge to God,^(AD)
    since he judges even the highest?^(AE)
23 One person dies in full vigor,^(AF)
    completely secure and at ease,^(AG)
24 well nourished^(AH) in body,^[b]
    bones^(AI) rich with marrow.^(AJ)
25 Another dies in bitterness of soul,^(AK)
    never having enjoyed anything good.
²⁶ Side by side they lie in the dust,^(AL)
    and worms^(AM) cover them both.^(AN)

²⁷ “I know full well what you are thinking,
    the schemes by which you would wrong me.
²⁸ You say, ‘Where now is the house of the great,^(AO)
    the tents where the wicked lived?’^(AP)
29 Have you never questioned those who travel?
    Have you paid no regard to their accounts—
³⁰ that the wicked are spared from the day of calamity,^(AQ)
    that they are delivered from^[c] the day of wrath?^(AR)
31 Who denounces their conduct to their face?
    Who repays them for what they have done?^(AS)
32 They are carried to the grave,
    and watch is kept over their tombs.^(AT)
33 The soil in the valley is sweet to them;^(AU)
    everyone follows after them,
    and a countless throng goes^[d] before them.^(AV)