³ Do not drag me away with the wicked,
    with those who do evil,
who speak cordially with their neighbors
    but harbor malice in their hearts.^(G)
4 Repay them for their deeds
    and for their evil work;
repay them for what their hands have done^(H)
    and bring back on them what they deserve.^(I)

⁵ Because they have no regard for the deeds of the Lord
    and what his hands have done,^(J)
he will tear them down
    and never build them up again.

⁶ Praise be to the Lord,^(K)
    for he has heard my cry for mercy.^(L)
7 The Lord is my strength^(M) and my shield;
    my heart trusts^(N) in him, and he helps me.
My heart leaps for joy,^(O)
    and with my song I praise him.^(P)

⁸ The Lord is the strength^(Q) of his people,
    a fortress of salvation^(R) for his anointed one.^(S)
9 Save your people^(T) and bless your inheritance;^(U)
    be their shepherd^(V) and carry them^(W) forever.

⁹ So justice is far from us,
    and righteousness does not reach us.
We look for light, but all is darkness;^(A)
    for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows.
¹⁰ Like the blind^(B) we grope along the wall,
    feeling our way like people without eyes.
At midday we stumble^(C) as if it were twilight;
    among the strong, we are like the dead.^(D)
11 We all growl like bears;
    we moan mournfully like doves.^(E)
We look for justice, but find none;
    for deliverance, but it is far away.

¹² For our offenses^(F) are many in your sight,
    and our sins testify^(G) against us.
Our offenses are ever with us,
    and we acknowledge our iniquities:^(H)
13 rebellion^(I) and treachery against the Lord,
    turning our backs^(J) on our God,
inciting revolt and oppression,^(K)
    uttering lies^(L) our hearts have conceived.
¹⁴ So justice^(M) is driven back,
    and righteousness^(N) stands at a distance;
truth^(O) has stumbled in the streets,
    honesty cannot enter.
¹⁵ Truth^(P) is nowhere to be found,
    and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey.

The Lord looked and was displeased
    that there was no justice.^(Q)
16 He saw that there was no one,^(R)
    he was appalled that there was no one to intervene;^(S)
so his own arm achieved salvation^(T) for him,
    and his own righteousness^(U) sustained him.
¹⁷ He put on righteousness as his breastplate,^(V)
    and the helmet^(W) of salvation on his head;
he put on the garments^(X) of vengeance^(Y)
    and wrapped himself in zeal^(Z) as in a cloak.
¹⁸ According to what they have done,
    so will he repay^(AA)
wrath to his enemies
    and retribution to his foes;
    he will repay the islands^(AB) their due.
¹⁹ From the west,^(AC) people will fear the name of the Lord,
    and from the rising of the sun,^(AD) they will revere his glory.^(AE)
For he will come like a pent-up flood
    that the breath^(AF) of the Lord drives along.^[a]

“See, I lay a stone in Zion,
    a chosen and precious cornerstone,^(L)
and the one who trusts in him
    will never be put to shame.”^[b](M)

“The stone the builders rejected^(O)
    has become the cornerstone,”^[c](P)

“A stone that causes people to stumble
    and a rock that makes them fall.”^[d](Q)