⁸ Lord, do not let evil people have their way.
    Do not let their evil schemes succeed,
    or they will become proud. Interlude

¹² Do not let me fall into their hands.
    For they accuse me of things I’ve never done;
    with every breath they threaten me with violence.

¹² He frustrates the plans of schemers
    so the work of their hands will not succeed.
¹³ He traps the wise in their own cleverness
    so their cunning schemes are thwarted.

²⁰ Can unjust leaders claim that God is on their side—
    leaders whose decrees permit injustice?
²¹ They gang up against the righteous
    and condemn the innocent to death.

²⁷ But I feared the taunt of Israel’s enemy,
    who might misunderstand and say,
“Our own power has triumphed!
    The Lord had nothing to do with this!”’