² But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;^(B)
    I had nearly lost my foothold.^(C)
3 For I envied^(D) the arrogant
    when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.^(E)

⁴ They have no struggles;
    their bodies are healthy and strong.^[a]
5 They are free^(F) from common human burdens;
    they are not plagued by human ills.
⁶ Therefore pride^(G) is their necklace;^(H)
    they clothe themselves with violence.^(I)
7 From their callous hearts^(J) comes iniquity^[b];
    their evil imaginations have no limits.
⁸ They scoff, and speak with malice;^(K)
    with arrogance^(L) they threaten oppression.^(M)
9 Their mouths lay claim to heaven,
    and their tongues take possession of the earth.
¹⁰ Therefore their people turn to them
    and drink up waters in abundance.^[c]
11 They say, “How would God know?
    Does the Most High know anything?”

¹² This is what the wicked are like—
    always free of care,^(N) they go on amassing wealth.^(O)

¹³ Surely in vain^(P) I have kept my heart pure
    and have washed my hands in innocence.^(Q)
14 All day long I have been afflicted,^(R)
    and every morning brings new punishments.

¹⁵ If I had spoken out like that,
    I would have betrayed your children.
¹⁶ When I tried to understand^(S) all this,
    it troubled me deeply
¹⁷ till I entered the sanctuary^(T) of God;
    then I understood their final destiny.^(U)

¹⁸ Surely you place them on slippery ground;^(V)
    you cast them down to ruin.^(W)
19 How suddenly^(X) are they destroyed,
    completely swept away^(Y) by terrors!
²⁰ They are like a dream^(Z) when one awakes;^(AA)
    when you arise, Lord,
    you will despise them as fantasies.^(AB)

²¹ When my heart was grieved
    and my spirit embittered,
²² I was senseless^(AC) and ignorant;
    I was a brute beast^(AD) before you.

²³ Yet I am always with you;
    you hold me by my right hand.^(AE)
24 You guide^(AF) me with your counsel,^(AG)
    and afterward you will take me into glory.
²⁵ Whom have I in heaven but you?^(AH)
    And earth has nothing I desire besides you.^(AI)
26 My flesh and my heart^(AJ) may fail,^(AK)
    but God is the strength^(AL) of my heart
    and my portion^(AM) forever.

²⁷ Those who are far from you will perish;^(AN)
    you destroy all who are unfaithful^(AO) to you.
²⁸ But as for me, it is good to be near God.^(AP)
    I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge;^(AQ)
    I will tell of all your deeds.^(AR)

⁵ The heavens^(E) praise your wonders, Lord,
    your faithfulness too, in the assembly^(F) of the holy ones.
⁶ For who in the skies above can compare with the Lord?
    Who is like the Lord among the heavenly beings?^(G)
7 In the council^(H) of the holy ones^(I) God is greatly feared;
    he is more awesome than all who surround him.^(J)
8 Who is like you,^(K) Lord God Almighty?^(L)
    You, Lord, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you.

⁹ You rule over the surging sea;
    when its waves mount up, you still them.^(M)
10 You crushed Rahab^(N) like one of the slain;
    with your strong arm you scattered^(O) your enemies.
¹¹ The heavens are yours,^(P) and yours also the earth;^(Q)
    you founded the world and all that is in it.^(R)
12 You created the north and the south;
    Tabor^(S) and Hermon^(T) sing for joy^(U) at your name.
¹³ Your arm is endowed with power;
    your hand is strong, your right hand exalted.^(V)

¹⁴ Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;^(W)
    love and faithfulness go before you.^(X)
15 Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you,
    who walk^(Y) in the light^(Z) of your presence, Lord.
¹⁶ They rejoice in your name^(AA) all day long;
    they celebrate your righteousness.
¹⁷ For you are their glory and strength,^(AB)
    and by your favor you exalt our horn.^[d](AC)
18 Indeed, our shield^[e](AD) belongs to the Lord,
    our king^(AE) to the Holy One of Israel.

¹⁹ Once you spoke in a vision,
    to your faithful people you said:
“I have bestowed strength on a warrior;
    I have raised up a young man from among the people.
²⁰ I have found David^(AF) my servant;^(AG)
    with my sacred oil^(AH) I have anointed^(AI) him.
²¹ My hand will sustain him;
    surely my arm will strengthen him.^(AJ)
22 The enemy will not get the better of him;^(AK)
    the wicked will not oppress^(AL) him.
²³ I will crush his foes before him^(AM)
    and strike down his adversaries.^(AN)
24 My faithful love will be with him,^(AO)
    and through my name his horn^[f] will be exalted.
²⁵ I will set his hand over the sea,
    his right hand over the rivers.^(AP)
26 He will call out to me, ‘You are my Father,^(AQ)
    my God, the Rock^(AR) my Savior.’^(AS)
27 And I will appoint him to be my firstborn,^(AT)
    the most exalted^(AU) of the kings^(AV) of the earth.
²⁸ I will maintain my love to him forever,
    and my covenant with him will never fail.^(AW)
29 I will establish his line forever,
    his throne as long as the heavens endure.^(AX)

³⁰ “If his sons forsake my law
    and do not follow my statutes,
³¹ if they violate my decrees
    and fail to keep my commands,
³² I will punish their sin with the rod,
    their iniquity with flogging;^(AY)
33 but I will not take my love from him,^(AZ)
    nor will I ever betray my faithfulness.
³⁴ I will not violate my covenant
    or alter what my lips have uttered.^(BA)
35 Once for all, I have sworn by my holiness—
    and I will not lie to David—
³⁶ that his line will continue forever
    and his throne endure before me like the sun;^(BB)
37 it will be established forever like the moon,
    the faithful witness in the sky.”^(BC)

³⁸ But you have rejected,^(BD) you have spurned,
    you have been very angry with your anointed one.
³⁹ You have renounced the covenant with your servant
    and have defiled his crown in the dust.^(BE)
40 You have broken through all his walls^(BF)
    and reduced his strongholds^(BG) to ruins.
⁴¹ All who pass by have plundered^(BH) him;
    he has become the scorn of his neighbors.^(BI)
42 You have exalted the right hand of his foes;
    you have made all his enemies rejoice.^(BJ)
43 Indeed, you have turned back the edge of his sword
    and have not supported him in battle.^(BK)
44 You have put an end to his splendor
    and cast his throne to the ground.
⁴⁵ You have cut short^(BL) the days of his youth;
    you have covered him with a mantle of shame.^(BM)

⁴⁶ How long, Lord? Will you hide yourself forever?
    How long will your wrath burn like fire?^(BN)
47 Remember how fleeting is my life.^(BO)
    For what futility you have created all humanity!
⁴⁸ Who can live and not see death,
    or who can escape the power of the grave?^(BP)
49 Lord, where is your former great love,
    which in your faithfulness you swore to David?
⁵⁰ Remember, Lord, how your servant has^[g] been mocked,^(BQ)
    how I bear in my heart the taunts of all the nations,
⁵¹ the taunts with which your enemies, Lord, have mocked,
    with which they have mocked every step of your anointed one.^(BR)

⁵² Praise be to the Lord forever!
Amen and Amen.^(BS)