² “Dominion and awe belong to God;^(B)
    he establishes order in the heights of heaven.^(C)
3 Can his forces be numbered?
    On whom does his light not rise?^(D)
4 How then can a mortal be righteous before God?
    How can one born of woman be pure?^(E)
5 If even the moon^(F) is not bright
    and the stars are not pure in his eyes,^(G)
6 how much less a mortal, who is but a maggot—
    a human being,^(H) who is only a worm!”^(I)

² “How you have helped the powerless!^(J)
    How you have saved the arm that is feeble!^(K)
3 What advice you have offered to one without wisdom!
    And what great insight^(L) you have displayed!
⁴ Who has helped you utter these words?
    And whose spirit spoke from your mouth?^(M)

⁵ “The dead are in deep anguish,^(N)
    those beneath the waters and all that live in them.
⁶ The realm of the dead^(O) is naked before God;
    Destruction^[a](P) lies uncovered.^(Q)
7 He spreads out the northern skies^(R) over empty space;
    he suspends the earth over nothing.^(S)
8 He wraps up the waters^(T) in his clouds,^(U)
    yet the clouds do not burst under their weight.
⁹ He covers the face of the full moon,
    spreading his clouds^(V) over it.
¹⁰ He marks out the horizon on the face of the waters^(W)
    for a boundary between light and darkness.^(X)
11 The pillars of the heavens quake,^(Y)
    aghast at his rebuke.
¹² By his power he churned up the sea;^(Z)
    by his wisdom^(AA) he cut Rahab^(AB) to pieces.
¹³ By his breath the skies^(AC) became fair;
    his hand pierced the gliding serpent.^(AD)
14 And these are but the outer fringe of his works;
    how faint the whisper^(AE) we hear of him!^(AF)
    Who then can understand the thunder of his power?”^(AG)

⁴ My heart is in anguish^(G) within me;
    the terrors^(H) of death have fallen on me.
⁵ Fear and trembling^(I) have beset me;
    horror^(J) has overwhelmed me.
⁶ I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!
    I would fly away and be at rest.
⁷ I would flee far away
    and stay in the desert;^[c](K)
8 I would hurry to my place of shelter,^(L)
    far from the tempest and storm.^(M)”

⁹ Lord, confuse the wicked, confound their words,^(N)
    for I see violence and strife^(O) in the city.^(P)
10 Day and night they prowl^(Q) about on its walls;
    malice and abuse are within it.
¹¹ Destructive forces^(R) are at work in the city;
    threats and lies^(S) never leave its streets.

¹² If an enemy were insulting me,
    I could endure it;
if a foe were rising against me,
    I could hide.
¹³ But it is you, a man like myself,
    my companion, my close friend,^(T)
14 with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship^(U)
    at the house of God,^(V)
as we walked about
    among the worshipers.

¹⁵ Let death take my enemies by surprise;^(W)
    let them go down alive to the realm of the dead,^(X)
    for evil finds lodging among them.

¹⁶ As for me, I call to God,
    and the Lord saves me.
¹⁷ Evening,^(Y) morning^(Z) and noon^(AA)
    I cry out in distress,
    and he hears my voice.
¹⁸ He rescues me unharmed
    from the battle waged against me,
    even though many oppose me.
¹⁹ God, who is enthroned from of old,^(AB)
    who does not change—
he will hear^(AC) them and humble them,
    because they have no fear of God.^(AD)

²⁰ My companion attacks his friends;^(AE)
    he violates his covenant.^(AF)
21 His talk is smooth as butter,^(AG)
    yet war is in his heart;
his words are more soothing than oil,^(AH)
    yet they are drawn swords.^(AI)

²² Cast your cares on the Lord
    and he will sustain you;^(AJ)
he will never let
    the righteous be shaken.^(AK)
23 But you, God, will bring down the wicked
    into the pit^(AL) of decay;
the bloodthirsty and deceitful^(AM)
    will not live out half their days.^(AN)

But as for me, I trust in you.^(AO)