²⁵ With ^(D)the merciful you show yourself merciful;
    with the blameless man you show yourself blameless;
²⁶ with the purified you show yourself pure;
    and with ^(E)the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.
²⁷ For you save ^(F)a humble people,
    but ^(G)the haughty eyes you bring down.
²⁸ For it is you who light my ^(H)lamp;
    the Lord my God lightens my darkness.
²⁹ For by you I can run against a troop,
    and by my God I can ^(I)leap over ^(J)a wall.
³⁰ This God—his way is ^(K)perfect;^[b]
    the word of the Lord ^(L)proves true;
    he is ^(M)a shield for all those who ^(N)take refuge in him.

³¹ For ^(O)who is God, but the Lord?
    And who is ^(P)a rock, except our God?—
³² the God who ^(Q)equipped me with strength
    and made my way ^(R)blameless.
³³ He made my feet like the feet of a ^(S)deer
    and set me secure on ^(T)the heights.
³⁴ He ^(U)trains my hands for war,
    so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
³⁵ You have given me the shield of your salvation,
    and your right hand ^(V)supported me,
    and your ^(W)gentleness made me great.
³⁶ You ^(X)gave a wide place for my steps under me,
    and my feet did not slip.
³⁷ I pursued my enemies and overtook them,
    and did not turn back till they were consumed.
³⁸ I thrust them through, so that they were not able to rise;
    they fell under my feet.
³⁹ For you equipped me with strength for the battle;
    you made those who rise against me sink under me.
⁴⁰ You made my enemies ^(Y)turn their backs to me,^[c]
    and those who hated me I destroyed.
^41 (Z)They cried for help, but there was none to save;
    they cried to the Lord, but he did not answer them.
⁴² I beat them fine as ^(AA)dust before the wind;
    I cast them out like ^(AB)the mire of the streets.

⁴³ You delivered me from ^(AC)strife with the people;
    you made me ^(AD)the head of the nations;
    ^(AE)people whom I had not known served me.
⁴⁴ As soon as they heard of me they obeyed me;
    ^(AF)foreigners ^(AG)came cringing to me.
^45 (AH)Foreigners lost heart
    and ^(AI)came trembling out of their fortresses.

⁴⁶ The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock,
    and exalted be the God of my salvation—
⁴⁷ the God who gave me vengeance
    and ^(AJ)subdued peoples under me,
⁴⁸ who rescued me from my enemies;
    yes, you ^(AK)exalted me above those who rose against me;
    you delivered me from ^(AL)the man of violence.

^49 (AM)For this I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations,
    and ^(AN)sing to your name.
⁵⁰ Great ^(AO)salvation he brings to his king,
    and shows steadfast love to his ^(AP)anointed,
    to ^(AQ)David and his offspring forever.

⁶ For at ^(I)the window of my house
    I have looked out through my lattice,
⁷ and I have seen among ^(J)the simple,
    I have perceived among the youths,
    a young man ^(K)lacking sense,
⁸ passing along the street ^(L)near her corner,
    taking the road to her house
⁹ in ^(M)the twilight, in the evening,
    at ^(N)the time of night and darkness.

¹⁰ And behold, the woman meets him,
    ^(O)dressed as a prostitute, wily of heart.^[c]
11 She is ^(P)loud and ^(Q)wayward;
    ^(R)her feet do not stay at home;
¹² now in the street, now in the market,
    and ^(S)at every corner she ^(T)lies in wait.
¹³ She seizes him and kisses him,
    and with ^(U)bold face she says to him,
¹⁴ “I had to ^(V)offer sacrifices,^[d]
    and today I have ^(W)paid my vows;
¹⁵ so now I have come out to meet you,
    to seek you eagerly, and I have found you.
¹⁶ I have spread my couch with ^(X)coverings,
    colored linens from ^(Y)Egyptian linen;
¹⁷ I have perfumed my bed with ^(Z)myrrh,
    aloes, and ^(AA)cinnamon.
¹⁸ Come, let us take our fill of love till morning;
    let us delight ourselves with love.
¹⁹ For ^(AB)my husband is not at home;
    he has gone on a long journey;
²⁰ he took a bag of money with him;
    at full moon he will come home.”

²¹ With much seductive speech she persuades him;
    with ^(AC)her smooth talk she compels him.
²² All at once he follows her,
    as an ox goes to the slaughter,
or as a stag is caught fast^[e]
23     till an arrow pierces its liver;
as ^(AD)a bird rushes into a snare;
    he does not know that it will cost him his life.

²⁴ And ^(AE)now, O sons, listen to me,
    and be attentive to the words of my mouth.
²⁵ Let not your heart turn aside to her ways;
    do not stray into her paths,
²⁶ for many a victim has she laid low,
    and all her slain are ^(AF)a mighty throng.
²⁷ Her house is ^(AG)the way to Sheol,
    going down to the chambers of death.