^4 (D)Let them be ^(E)put to shame and dishonor
    who seek after my life!
Let them be ^(F)turned back and disappointed
    who devise evil against me!
⁵ Let them be like ^(G)chaff before the wind,
    with the angel of the Lord driving them away!
⁶ Let their way be dark and ^(H)slippery,
    with the angel of the Lord pursuing them!

⁷ For ^(I)without cause ^(J)they hid their net for me;
    without cause they dug ^(K)a pit for my life.^[b]
8 Let ^(L)destruction come upon him ^(M)when he does not know it!
And let the net that he hid ensnare him;
    let him fall into it—to his destruction!

⁹ Then my soul will rejoice in the Lord,
    ^(N)exulting in his salvation.
¹⁰ All my ^(O)bones shall say,
    “O Lord, ^(P)who is like you,
delivering the poor
    from him who is too strong for him,
    the poor and needy from him who robs him?”

^11 (Q)Malicious^[c] witnesses rise up;
    they ask me of things that I do not know.
^12 (R)They repay me evil for good;
    my soul is bereft.^[d]
13 But I, ^(S)when they were sick—
    I ^(T)wore sackcloth;
    I ^(U)afflicted myself with fasting;
I prayed ^(V)with head bowed^[e] on my chest.
¹⁴     I went about as though I grieved for my friend or my brother;
as one who laments his mother,
    I ^(W)bowed down in mourning.

¹⁵ But at my stumbling they rejoiced and gathered;
    they gathered together against me;
^(X)wretches whom I did not know
    tore at me without ceasing;
¹⁶ like profane mockers at a feast,^[f]
    they ^(Y)gnash at me with their teeth.

¹⁷ How long, O Lord, will you ^(Z)look on?
    Rescue me from their destruction,
    ^(AA)my precious life from the lions!
¹⁸ I will thank you in ^(AB)the great congregation;
    in the mighty throng I will praise you.

^19 (AC)Let not those rejoice over me
    who are ^(AD)wrongfully my foes,
and let not those ^(AE)wink the eye
    who ^(AF)hate me ^(AG)without cause.
²⁰ For they do not speak peace,
    but against those who are quiet in the land
    they devise words of deceit.
²¹ They ^(AH)open wide their mouths against me;
    they say, ^(AI)“Aha, Aha!
    Our eyes have seen it!”

^22 (AJ)You have seen, O Lord; ^(AK)be not silent!
    O Lord, ^(AL)be not far from me!
²³ Awake and ^(AM)rouse yourself for ^(AN)my vindication,
    for my cause, my God and my Lord!
^24 (AO)Vindicate me, O Lord, my God,
    according to your righteousness,
    and ^(AP)let them not rejoice over me!
²⁵ Let them not say in their hearts,
    ^(AQ)“Aha, our heart's desire!”
Let them not say, ^(AR)“We have swallowed him up.”

²⁶ Let them be ^(AS)put to shame and disappointed altogether
    who rejoice at my calamity!
Let them be ^(AT)clothed with shame and dishonor
    who ^(AU)magnify themselves against me!

²⁷ Let those who delight in my righteousness
    shout for joy and be glad
    ^(AV)and say evermore,
^(AW)“Great is the Lord,
    who ^(AX)delights in the welfare of his servant!”
²⁸ Then my ^(AY)tongue shall tell of your righteousness
    and of your praise all the day long.

^5 (J)Behold, I am against you,
    declares the Lord of hosts,
    and ^(K)will lift up your skirts over your face;
and I will make nations look at ^(L)your nakedness
    and kingdoms at your shame.
⁶ I will throw filth at you
    and ^(M)treat you with contempt
    and make you ^(N)a spectacle.
⁷ And all who look at you ^(O)will shrink from you and say,
“Wasted is ^(P)Nineveh; ^(Q)who will grieve for her?”
    ^(R)Where shall I seek comforters for you?

^8 (S)Are you better than ^(T)Thebes^[a]
    that sat ^(U)by the Nile,
with water around her,
    her rampart a sea,
    and water her wall?
^9 (V)Cush was her strength;
    Egypt too, and that without limit;
    ^(W)Put and the ^(X)Libyans were her^[b] helpers.

^10 (Y)Yet she became an exile;
    she went into captivity;
^(Z)her infants were dashed in pieces
    at the head of every street;
for her honored men ^(AA)lots were cast,
    ^(AB)and all her great men were bound in chains.
^11 (AC)You also will be drunken;
    you will go into hiding;
^(AD)you will seek a refuge from the enemy.
¹² All your fortresses are ^(AE)like fig trees
    with first-ripe figs—
if shaken they fall
    into the mouth of the eater.
¹³ Behold, your troops
    ^(AF)are women in your midst.
The gates of your land
    are wide open to your enemies;
    fire has devoured your bars.

^14 (AG)Draw water for the siege;
    ^(AH)strengthen your forts;
go into the clay;
    tread the mortar;
    take hold of the brick mold!
¹⁵ There will the fire devour you;
    the sword will cut you off.
    It will ^(AI)devour you ^(AJ)like the locust.
Multiply yourselves ^(AK)like the locust;
    multiply ^(AL)like the grasshopper!
¹⁶ You increased ^(AM)your merchants
    more than the stars of the heavens.
    ^(AN)The locust spreads its wings and flies away.

¹⁷ Your ^(AO)princes are ^(AP)like grasshoppers,
    ^(AQ)your scribes^[c] like clouds of locusts
settling on the fences
    in a day of cold—
when the sun rises, they fly away;
    no one knows where they are.

¹⁸ Your shepherds ^(AR)are asleep,
    O king of Assyria;
    ^(AS)your nobles slumber.
Your people ^(AT)are scattered on the mountains
    with none to gather them.
¹⁹ There is no easing your hurt;
    ^(AU)your wound is grievous.
All who hear the news about you
    ^(AV)clap their hands over you.
For ^(AW)upon whom has not come
    your unceasing evil?