⁴ They pour out arrogant^(G) words;
    all the evildoers are full of boasting.^(H)
5 They crush your people,^(I) Lord;
    they oppress your inheritance.^(J)
6 They slay the widow^(K) and the foreigner;
    they murder the fatherless.^(L)
7 They say, “The Lord does not see;^(M)
    the God of Jacob^(N) takes no notice.”

⁸ Take notice, you senseless ones^(O) among the people;
    you fools, when will you become wise?
⁹ Does he who fashioned the ear not hear?
    Does he who formed the eye not see?^(P)
10 Does he who disciplines^(Q) nations not punish?
    Does he who teaches^(R) mankind lack knowledge?
¹¹ The Lord knows all human plans;^(S)
    he knows that they are futile.^(T)

¹² Blessed is the one you discipline,^(U) Lord,
    the one you teach^(V) from your law;
¹³ you grant them relief from days of trouble,^(W)
    till a pit^(X) is dug for the wicked.
¹⁴ For the Lord will not reject his people;^(Y)
    he will never forsake his inheritance.
¹⁵ Judgment will again be founded on righteousness,^(Z)
    and all the upright in heart^(AA) will follow it.

¹⁶ Who will rise up^(AB) for me against the wicked?
    Who will take a stand for me against evildoers?^(AC)
17 Unless the Lord had given me help,^(AD)
    I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death.^(AE)
18 When I said, “My foot is slipping,^(AF)”
    your unfailing love, Lord, supported me.
¹⁹ When anxiety^(AG) was great within me,
    your consolation^(AH) brought me joy.

²⁰ Can a corrupt throne^(AI) be allied with you—
    a throne that brings on misery by its decrees?^(AJ)
21 The wicked band together^(AK) against the righteous
    and condemn the innocent^(AL) to death.^(AM)
22 But the Lord has become my fortress,
    and my God the rock^(AN) in whom I take refuge.^(AO)
23 He will repay^(AP) them for their sins
    and destroy^(AQ) them for their wickedness;
    the Lord our God will destroy them.

³ Lord, do not your eyes^(H) look for truth?
    You struck^(I) them, but they felt no pain;
    you crushed them, but they refused correction.^(J)
They made their faces harder than stone^(K)
    and refused to repent.^(L)
4 I thought, “These are only the poor;
    they are foolish,^(M)
for they do not know^(N) the way of the Lord,
    the requirements of their God.
⁵ So I will go to the leaders^(O)
    and speak to them;
surely they know the way of the Lord,
    the requirements of their God.”
But with one accord they too had broken off the yoke
    and torn off the bonds.^(P)
6 Therefore a lion from the forest^(Q) will attack them,
    a wolf from the desert will ravage^(R) them,
a leopard^(S) will lie in wait near their towns
    to tear to pieces any who venture out,
for their rebellion is great
    and their backslidings many.^(T)

⁷ “Why should I forgive you?
    Your children have forsaken me
    and sworn^(U) by gods that are not gods.^(V)
I supplied all their needs,
    yet they committed adultery^(W)
    and thronged to the houses of prostitutes.^(X)
8 They are well-fed, lusty stallions,
    each neighing for another man’s wife.^(Y)
9 Should I not punish them for this?”^(Z)
    declares the Lord.
“Should I not avenge^(AA) myself
    on such a nation as this?

¹⁰ “Go through her vineyards and ravage them,
    but do not destroy them completely.^(AB)
Strip off her branches,
    for these people do not belong to the Lord.
¹¹ The people of Israel and the people of Judah
    have been utterly unfaithful^(AC) to me,”
declares the Lord.

¹² They have lied^(AD) about the Lord;
    they said, “He will do nothing!
No harm will come to us;^(AE)
    we will never see sword or famine.^(AF)
13 The prophets^(AG) are but wind^(AH)
    and the word is not in them;
    so let what they say be done to them.”

“Because the people have spoken these words,
    I will make my words in your mouth^(AI) a fire^(AJ)
    and these people the wood it consumes.^(AK)
15 People of Israel,” declares the Lord,
    “I am bringing a distant nation^(AL) against you—
an ancient and enduring nation,
    a people whose language^(AM) you do not know,
    whose speech you do not understand.
¹⁶ Their quivers^(AN) are like an open grave;
    all of them are mighty warriors.
¹⁷ They will devour^(AO) your harvests and food,
    devour^(AP) your sons and daughters;
they will devour^(AQ) your flocks and herds,
    devour your vines and fig trees.^(AR)
With the sword^(AS) they will destroy
    the fortified cities^(AT) in which you trust.^(AU)

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)