² “Would a wise person answer with empty notions
    or fill their belly with the hot east wind?^(B)
3 Would they argue with useless words,
    with speeches that have no value?^(C)
4 But you even undermine piety
    and hinder devotion to God.^(D)
5 Your sin^(E) prompts your mouth;^(F)
    you adopt the tongue of the crafty.^(G)
6 Your own mouth condemns you, not mine;
    your own lips testify against you.^(H)

⁷ “Are you the first man ever born?^(I)
    Were you brought forth before the hills?^(J)
8 Do you listen in on God’s council?^(K)
    Do you have a monopoly on wisdom?^(L)
9 What do you know that we do not know?
    What insights do you have that we do not have?^(M)
10 The gray-haired and the aged^(N) are on our side,
    men even older than your father.^(O)
11 Are God’s consolations^(P) not enough for you,
    words^(Q) spoken gently to you?^(R)
12 Why has your heart^(S) carried you away,
    and why do your eyes flash,
¹³ so that you vent your rage^(T) against God
    and pour out such words^(U) from your mouth?^(V)

¹⁴ “What are mortals, that they could be pure,
    or those born of woman,^(W) that they could be righteous?^(X)
15 If God places no trust in his holy ones,^(Y)
    if even the heavens are not pure in his eyes,^(Z)
16 how much less mortals, who are vile and corrupt,^(AA)
    who drink up evil^(AB) like water!^(AC)

¹⁷ “Listen to me and I will explain to you;
    let me tell you what I have seen,^(AD)
18 what the wise have declared,
    hiding nothing received from their ancestors^(AE)
19 (to whom alone the land^(AF) was given
    when no foreigners moved among them):
²⁰ All his days the wicked man suffers torment,^(AG)
    the ruthless man through all the years stored up for him.^(AH)
21 Terrifying sounds fill his ears;^(AI)
    when all seems well, marauders attack him.^(AJ)
22 He despairs of escaping the realm of darkness;^(AK)
    he is marked for the sword.^(AL)
23 He wanders about^(AM) for food like a vulture;^(AN)
    he knows the day of darkness^(AO) is at hand.^(AP)
24 Distress and anguish^(AQ) fill him with terror;^(AR)
    troubles overwhelm him, like a king^(AS) poised to attack,
²⁵ because he shakes his fist^(AT) at God
    and vaunts himself against the Almighty,^(AU)
26 defiantly charging against him
    with a thick, strong shield.^(AV)

²⁷ “Though his face is covered with fat
    and his waist bulges with flesh,^(AW)
28 he will inhabit ruined towns
    and houses where no one lives,^(AX)
    houses crumbling to rubble.^(AY)
29 He will no longer be rich and his wealth will not endure,^(AZ)
    nor will his possessions spread over the land.^(BA)
30 He will not escape the darkness;^(BB)
    a flame^(BC) will wither his shoots,^(BD)
    and the breath of God’s mouth^(BE) will carry him away.^(BF)
31 Let him not deceive^(BG) himself by trusting what is worthless,^(BH)
    for he will get nothing in return.^(BI)
32 Before his time^(BJ) he will wither,^(BK)
    and his branches will not flourish.^(BL)
33 He will be like a vine stripped of its unripe grapes,^(BM)
    like an olive tree shedding its blossoms.^(BN)
34 For the company of the godless^(BO) will be barren,
    and fire will consume^(BP) the tents of those who love bribes.^(BQ)
35 They conceive trouble^(BR) and give birth to evil;^(BS)
    their womb fashions deceit.”

⁶ Appoint someone evil to oppose my enemy;
    let an accuser^(I) stand at his right hand.
⁷ When he is tried, let him be found guilty,^(J)
    and may his prayers condemn^(K) him.
⁸ May his days be few;^(L)
    may another take his place^(M) of leadership.
⁹ May his children be fatherless
    and his wife a widow.^(N)
10 May his children be wandering beggars;^(O)
    may they be driven^[a] from their ruined homes.
¹¹ May a creditor^(P) seize all he has;
    may strangers plunder^(Q) the fruits of his labor.^(R)
12 May no one extend kindness to him
    or take pity^(S) on his fatherless children.
¹³ May his descendants be cut off,^(T)
    their names blotted out^(U) from the next generation.
¹⁴ May the iniquity of his fathers^(V) be remembered before the Lord;
    may the sin of his mother never be blotted out.
¹⁵ May their sins always remain before^(W) the Lord,
    that he may blot out their name^(X) from the earth.

¹⁶ For he never thought of doing a kindness,
    but hounded to death the poor
    and the needy^(Y) and the brokenhearted.^(Z)
17 He loved to pronounce a curse—
    may it come back on him.^(AA)
He found no pleasure in blessing—
    may it be far from him.
¹⁸ He wore cursing^(AB) as his garment;
    it entered into his body like water,^(AC)
    into his bones like oil.
¹⁹ May it be like a cloak wrapped^(AD) about him,
    like a belt tied forever around him.
²⁰ May this be the Lord’s payment^(AE) to my accusers,
    to those who speak evil^(AF) of me.

²¹ But you, Sovereign Lord,
    help me for your name’s sake;^(AG)
    out of the goodness of your love,^(AH) deliver me.^(AI)
22 For I am poor and needy,
    and my heart is wounded within me.
²³ I fade away like an evening shadow;^(AJ)
    I am shaken off like a locust.
²⁴ My knees give^(AK) way from fasting;^(AL)
    my body is thin and gaunt.^(AM)
25 I am an object of scorn^(AN) to my accusers;
    when they see me, they shake their heads.^(AO)

²⁶ Help me,^(AP) Lord my God;
    save me according to your unfailing love.
²⁷ Let them know^(AQ) that it is your hand,
    that you, Lord, have done it.
²⁸ While they curse,^(AR) may you bless;
    may those who attack me be put to shame,
    but may your servant rejoice.^(AS)
29 May my accusers be clothed with disgrace
    and wrapped in shame^(AT) as in a cloak.

³⁰ With my mouth I will greatly extol the Lord;
    in the great throng^(AU) of worshipers I will praise him.
³¹ For he stands at the right hand^(AV) of the needy,
    to save their lives from those who would condemn them.