¹⁸ Say to the king^(Y) and to the queen mother,^(Z)
    “Come down from your thrones,
for your glorious crowns^(AA)
    will fall from your heads.”
¹⁹ The cities in the Negev will be shut up,
    and there will be no one to open them.
All Judah^(AB) will be carried into exile,
    carried completely away.

²⁰ Look up and see
    those who are coming from the north.^(AC)
Where is the flock^(AD) that was entrusted to you,
    the sheep of which you boasted?
²¹ What will you say when the Lord sets over you
    those you cultivated as your special allies?^(AE)
Will not pain grip you
    like that of a woman in labor?^(AF)
22 And if you ask yourself,
    “Why has this happened to me?”^(AG)—
it is because of your many sins^(AH)
    that your skirts have been torn off^(AI)
    and your body mistreated.^(AJ)
23 Can an Ethiopian^[b] change his skin
    or a leopard its spots?
Neither can you do good
    who are accustomed to doing evil.^(AK)

²⁴ “I will scatter you like chaff^(AL)
    driven by the desert wind.^(AM)
25 This is your lot,
    the portion^(AN) I have decreed for you,”
declares the Lord,
“because you have forgotten^(AO) me
    and trusted in false gods.^(AP)
26 I will pull up your skirts over your face
    that your shame may be seen^(AQ)—
²⁷ your adulteries and lustful neighings,
    your shameless prostitution!^(AR)
I have seen your detestable acts
    on the hills and in the fields.^(AS)
Woe to you, Jerusalem!
    How long will you be unclean?”^(AT)

³ May the mountains bring prosperity to the people,
    the hills the fruit of righteousness.
⁴ May he defend the afflicted^(C) among the people
    and save the children of the needy;^(D)
    may he crush the oppressor.^(E)
5 May he endure^[a](F) as long as the sun,
    as long as the moon, through all generations.^(G)
6 May he be like rain^(H) falling on a mown field,
    like showers watering the earth.
⁷ In his days may the righteous flourish^(I)
    and prosperity abound till the moon is no more.

⁸ May he rule from sea to sea
    and from the River^[b](J) to the ends of the earth.^(K)
9 May the desert tribes bow before him
    and his enemies lick the dust.
¹⁰ May the kings of Tarshish^(L) and of distant shores^(M)
    bring tribute to him.
May the kings of Sheba^(N) and Seba
    present him gifts.^(O)
11 May all kings bow down^(P) to him
    and all nations serve^(Q) him.

¹² For he will deliver the needy who cry out,
    the afflicted who have no one to help.
¹³ He will take pity^(R) on the weak and the needy
    and save the needy from death.
¹⁴ He will rescue^(S) them from oppression and violence,
    for precious^(T) is their blood in his sight.

¹⁵ Long may he live!
    May gold from Sheba^(U) be given him.
May people ever pray for him
    and bless him all day long.^(V)
16 May grain^(W) abound throughout the land;
    on the tops of the hills may it sway.
May the crops^(X) flourish like Lebanon^(Y)
    and thrive^[c] like the grass of the field.^(Z)
17 May his name endure forever;^(AA)
    may it continue as long as the sun.^(AB)

Then all nations will be blessed through him,^[d]
    and they will call him blessed.^(AC)

¹⁸ Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Israel,^(AD)
    who alone does marvelous deeds.^(AE)
19 Praise be to his glorious name^(AF) forever;
    may the whole earth be filled with his glory.^(AG)
Amen and Amen.^(AH)

²⁰ This concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse.^(AI)

² But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;^(AK)
    I had nearly lost my foothold.^(AL)
3 For I envied^(AM) the arrogant
    when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.^(AN)

⁴ They have no struggles;
    their bodies are healthy and strong.^[e]
5 They are free^(AO) from common human burdens;
    they are not plagued by human ills.
⁶ Therefore pride^(AP) is their necklace;^(AQ)
    they clothe themselves with violence.^(AR)
7 From their callous hearts^(AS) comes iniquity^[f];
    their evil imaginations have no limits.
⁸ They scoff, and speak with malice;^(AT)
    with arrogance^(AU) they threaten oppression.^(AV)
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.^[g]
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,^(AW) they go on amassing wealth.^(AX)

¹³ Surely in vain^(AY) I have kept my heart pure
    and have washed my hands in innocence.^(AZ)
14 All day long I have been afflicted,^(BA)
    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^(BB) all this,
    it troubled me deeply
¹⁷ till I entered the sanctuary^(BC) of God;
    then I understood their final destiny.^(BD)

¹⁸ Surely you place them on slippery ground;^(BE)
    you cast them down to ruin.^(BF)
19 How suddenly^(BG) are they destroyed,
    completely swept away^(BH) by terrors!
²⁰ They are like a dream^(BI) when one awakes;^(BJ)
    when you arise, Lord,
    you will despise them as fantasies.^(BK)

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

²³ Yet I am always with you;
    you hold me by my right hand.^(BN)
24 You guide^(BO) me with your counsel,^(BP)
    and afterward you will take me into glory.
²⁵ Whom have I in heaven but you?^(BQ)
    And earth has nothing I desire besides you.^(BR)
26 My flesh and my heart^(BS) may fail,^(BT)
    but God is the strength^(BU) of my heart
    and my portion^(BV) forever.

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

⁴ Your foes roared^(CL) in the place where you met with us;
    they set up their standards^(CM) as signs.
⁵ They behaved like men wielding axes
    to cut through a thicket of trees.^(CN)
6 They smashed all the carved^(CO) paneling
    with their axes and hatchets.
⁷ They burned your sanctuary to the ground;
    they defiled^(CP) the dwelling place^(CQ) of your Name.^(CR)
8 They said in their hearts, “We will crush^(CS) them completely!”
    They burned^(CT) every place where God was worshiped in the land.

⁹ We are given no signs from God;^(CU)
    no prophets^(CV) are left,
    and none of us knows how long this will be.
¹⁰ How long^(CW) will the enemy mock^(CX) you, God?
    Will the foe revile^(CY) your name forever?
¹¹ Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand?^(CZ)
    Take it from the folds of your garment^(DA) and destroy them!

¹² But God is my King^(DB) from long ago;
    he brings salvation^(DC) on the earth.

¹³ It was you who split open the sea^(DD) by your power;
    you broke the heads of the monster^(DE) in the waters.
¹⁴ It was you who crushed the heads of Leviathan^(DF)
    and gave it as food to the creatures of the desert.^(DG)
15 It was you who opened up springs^(DH) and streams;
    you dried up^(DI) the ever-flowing rivers.
¹⁶ The day is yours, and yours also the night;
    you established the sun and moon.^(DJ)
17 It was you who set all the boundaries^(DK) of the earth;
    you made both summer and winter.^(DL)

¹⁸ Remember how the enemy has mocked you, Lord,
    how foolish people^(DM) have reviled your name.
¹⁹ Do not hand over the life of your dove^(DN) to wild beasts;
    do not forget the lives of your afflicted^(DO) people forever.
²⁰ Have regard for your covenant,^(DP)
    because haunts of violence fill the dark places^(DQ) of the land.
²¹ Do not let the oppressed^(DR) retreat in disgrace;
    may the poor and needy^(DS) praise your name.
²² Rise up,^(DT) O God, and defend your cause;
    remember how fools^(DU) mock you all day long.
²³ Do not ignore the clamor^(DV) of your adversaries,^(DW)
    the uproar^(DX) of your enemies,^(DY) which rises continually.