³ I have seen fools taking root,
    but suddenly I cursed their dwelling.^(A)

⁶ All the birds of the air
    made their nests in its boughs;
under its branches all the animals of the field
    gave birth to their young,
and in its shade
    all great nations lived.^(A)
7 It was beautiful in its greatness,
    in the length of its branches,
for its roots went down
    to abundant water.
⁸ The cedars in the garden of God could not rival it
    nor the fir trees equal its boughs;
the plane trees were as nothing
    compared with its branches;
no tree in the garden of God
    was like it in beauty.^(B)
9 I made it beautiful
    with its mass of branches,
the envy of all the trees of Eden
    that were in the garden of God.

¹⁴ I will ascend to the tops of the clouds;
    I will make myself like the Most High.”^(A)
15 But you are brought down to Sheol,
    to the depths of the Pit.^(B)
16 Those who see you will stare at you
    and ponder over you:
“Is this the man who made the earth tremble,
    who shook kingdoms,^(C)
17 who made the world like a desert
    and overthrew its cities,
    who would not let his prisoners go home?”^(D)
18 All the kings of the nations lie in glory,
    each in his own tomb,
¹⁹ but you are cast out, away from your grave,
    like loathsome carrion,^[a]
clothed with the dead, those pierced by the sword,
    who go down to the stones of the Pit
    like a corpse trampled underfoot.^(E)

³ For I was envious of the arrogant;
    I saw the prosperity of the wicked.^(A)

⁷ Why do the wicked live on,
    reach old age, and grow mighty in power?^(A)
8 Their children are established in their presence
    and their offspring before their eyes.^(B)
9 Their houses are safe from fear,
    and no rod of God is upon them.^(C)
10 Their bull breeds without fail;
    their cow calves and never miscarries.^(D)
11 They send out their little ones like a flock,
    and their children dance around.
¹² They sing to the tambourine and the lyre
    and rejoice to the sound of the pipe.^(E)
13 They spend their days in prosperity,
    and in peace they go down to Sheol.^(F)
14 They say to God, ‘Leave us alone!
    We do not desire to know your ways.^(G)
15 What is the Almighty,^[a] that we should serve him?
    And what profit do we get if we pray to him?’^(H)
16 Is not their prosperity indeed their own achievement?^[b]
    The plans of the wicked are repugnant to me.^(I)

¹³ Such are the paths of all who forget God;
    the hope of the godless shall perish.^(A)
14 Their confidence is gossamer,
    a spider’s house their trust.
¹⁵ If one leans against its house, it will not stand;
    if one lays hold of it, it will not endure.^(B)
16 The wicked thrive^[a] before the sun,
    and their shoots spread over the garden.^(C)
17 Their roots twine around the stoneheap;
    they live among the rocks.^[b]
18 If they are destroyed from their place,
    then it will deny them, saying, ‘I have never seen you.’^(D)
19 See, these are their happy ways,^[c]
    and out of the earth still others will spring.