³ Look on me^(F) and answer,^(G) Lord my God.
    Give light to my eyes,^(H) or I will sleep in death,^(I)
4 and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,^(J)”
    and my foes will rejoice when I fall.^(K)

⁵ But I trust in your unfailing love;^(L)
    my heart rejoices in your salvation.^(M)
6 I will sing^(N) the Lord’s praise,
    for he has been good to me.

⁵ Why, my soul, are you downcast?
    Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
    for I will yet praise him,
    my Savior and my God.^(Q)

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)

⁶ The Lord works righteousness^(M)
    and justice for all the oppressed.^(N)

⁷ He made known^(O) his ways^(P) to Moses,
    his deeds^(Q) to the people of Israel:
⁸ The Lord is compassionate and gracious,^(R)
    slow to anger, abounding in love.
⁹ He will not always accuse,
    nor will he harbor his anger forever;^(S)
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve^(T)
    or repay us according to our iniquities.
¹¹ For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
    so great is his love^(U) for those who fear him;^(V)
12 as far as the east is from the west,
    so far has he removed our transgressions^(W) from us.

¹³ As a father has compassion^(X) on his children,
    so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
¹⁴ for he knows how we are formed,^(Y)
    he remembers that we are dust.^(Z)
15 The life of mortals is like grass,^(AA)
    they flourish like a flower^(AB) of the field;
¹⁶ the wind blows^(AC) over it and it is gone,
    and its place^(AD) remembers it no more.
¹⁷ But from everlasting to everlasting
    the Lord’s love is with those who fear him,
    and his righteousness with their children’s children^(AE)—
¹⁸ with those who keep his covenant^(AF)
    and remember^(AG) to obey his precepts.^(AH)

¹⁹ The Lord has established his throne^(AI) in heaven,
    and his kingdom rules^(AJ) over all.

²⁰ Praise the Lord,^(AK) you his angels,^(AL)
    you mighty ones^(AM) who do his bidding,^(AN)
    who obey his word.
²¹ Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts,^(AO)
    you his servants^(AP) who do his will.
²² Praise the Lord, all his works^(AQ)
    everywhere in his dominion.

Praise the Lord, my soul.^(AR)

² It is like precious oil poured on the head,^(C)
    running down on the beard,
running down on Aaron’s beard,
    down on the collar of his robe.
³ It is as if the dew^(D) of Hermon^(E)
    were falling on Mount Zion.^(F)
For there the Lord bestows his blessing,^(G)
    even life forevermore.^(H)

13 A wise son heeds his father’s instruction,
    but a mocker does not respond to rebukes.^(A)

² From the fruit of their lips people enjoy good things,^(B)
    but the unfaithful have an appetite for violence.

³ Those who guard their lips^(C) preserve their lives,^(D)
    but those who speak rashly will come to ruin.^(E)

⁴ A sluggard’s appetite is never filled,^(F)
    but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.

⁵ The righteous hate what is false,^(G)
    but the wicked make themselves a stench
    and bring shame on themselves.

⁶ Righteousness guards the person of integrity,
    but wickedness overthrows the sinner.^(H)

⁷ One person pretends to be rich, yet has nothing;^(I)
    another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.^(J)

⁸ A person’s riches may ransom their life,
    but the poor cannot respond to threatening rebukes.^(K)

⁹ The light of the righteous shines brightly,
    but the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out.^(L)

¹⁰ Where there is strife, there is pride,
    but wisdom is found in those who take advice.^(M)

¹¹ Dishonest money dwindles away,^(N)
    but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow.

¹² Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
    but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.^(O)

¹³ Whoever scorns instruction will pay for it,^(P)
    but whoever respects^(Q) a command is rewarded.^(R)

¹⁴ The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life,^(S)
    turning a person from the snares of death.^(T)

¹⁵ Good judgment wins favor,
    but the way of the unfaithful leads to their destruction.^[a]

¹⁶ All who are prudent act with^[b] knowledge,
    but fools expose^(U) their folly.^(V)

¹⁷ A wicked messenger falls into trouble,^(W)
    but a trustworthy envoy brings healing.^(X)

¹⁸ Whoever disregards discipline comes to poverty and shame,^(Y)
    but whoever heeds correction is honored.^(Z)

¹⁹ A longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul,^(AA)
    but fools detest turning from evil.

²⁰ Walk with the wise and become wise,
    for a companion of fools suffers harm.^(AB)

²¹ Trouble pursues the sinner,^(AC)
    but the righteous^(AD) are rewarded with good things.^(AE)

²² A good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children,
    but a sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous.^(AF)

²³ An unplowed field produces food for the poor,
    but injustice sweeps it away.

²⁴ Whoever spares the rod^(AG) hates their children,
    but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline^(AH) them.^(AI)

²⁵ The righteous eat to their hearts’ content,
    but the stomach of the wicked goes hungry.^(AJ)