³ In the morning,^(E) Lord, you hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before you
and wait expectantly.^(F)
4 For you are not a God who is pleased with wickedness;
with you, evil people^(G) are not welcome.
⁵ The arrogant^(H) cannot stand^(I)
in your presence.
You hate^(J) all who do wrong;
⁶ you destroy those who tell lies.^(K)
The bloodthirsty and deceitful
you, Lord, detest.
⁷ But I, by your great love,
can come into your house;
in reverence^(L) I bow down^(M)
toward your holy temple.^(N)

⁸ Lead me, Lord, in your righteousness^(O)
because of my enemies—
make your way straight^(P) before me.
⁹ Not a word from their mouth can be trusted;
their heart is filled with malice.
Their throat is an open grave;^(Q)
with their tongues they tell lies.^(R)
10 Declare them guilty, O God!
Let their intrigues be their downfall.
Banish them for their many sins,^(S)
for they have rebelled^(T) against you.
¹¹ But let all who take refuge in you be glad;
let them ever sing for joy.^(U)
Spread your protection over them,
that those who love your name^(V) may rejoice in you.^(W)

¹² Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous;^(X)
you surround them^(Y) with your favor as with a shield.^(Z)

⁴ Turn,^(AH) Lord, and deliver me;
save me because of your unfailing love.^(AI)
5 Among the dead no one proclaims your name.
Who praises you from the grave?^(AJ)

⁶ I am worn out^(AK) from my groaning.^(AL)

All night long I flood my bed with weeping^(AM)
and drench my couch with tears.^(AN)
7 My eyes grow weak^(AO) with sorrow;
they fail because of all my foes.

⁸ Away from me,^(AP) all you who do evil,^(AQ)
for the Lord has heard my weeping.
⁹ The Lord has heard my cry for mercy;^(AR)
the Lord accepts my prayer.
¹⁰ All my enemies will be overwhelmed with shame and anguish;^(AS)
they will turn back and suddenly be put to shame.^(AT)

² In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak,^(C)
who are caught in the schemes he devises.
³ He boasts^(D) about the cravings of his heart;
he blesses the greedy and reviles the Lord.^(E)
4 In his pride the wicked man does not seek him;
in all his thoughts there is no room for God.^(F)
5 His ways are always prosperous;
your laws are rejected by^[b] him;
he sneers at all his enemies.
⁶ He says to himself, “Nothing will ever shake me.”
He swears, “No one will ever do me harm.”^(G)

⁷ His mouth is full^(H) of lies and threats;^(I)
trouble and evil are under his tongue.^(J)
8 He lies in wait^(K) near the villages;
from ambush he murders the innocent.^(L)
His eyes watch in secret for his victims;
⁹ like a lion in cover he lies in wait.
He lies in wait to catch the helpless;^(M)
he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net.^(N)
10 His victims are crushed,^(O) they collapse;
they fall under his strength.
¹¹ He says to himself, “God will never notice;^(P)
he covers his face and never sees.”^(Q)

¹² Arise,^(R) Lord! Lift up your hand,^(S) O God.
Do not forget the helpless.^(T)
13 Why does the wicked man revile God?^(U)
Why does he say to himself,
“He won’t call me to account”?^(V)
14 But you, God, see the trouble^(W) of the afflicted;
you consider their grief and take it in hand.
The victims commit themselves to you;^(X)
you are the helper^(Y) of the fatherless.
¹⁵ Break the arm of the wicked man;^(Z)
call the evildoer to account for his wickedness
that would not otherwise be found out.

¹⁶ The Lord is King for ever and ever;^(AA)
the nations^(AB) will perish from his land.
¹⁷ You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted;^(AC)
you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,^(AD)
18 defending the fatherless^(AE) and the oppressed,^(AF)
so that mere earthly mortals
will never again strike terror.

⁴ The Lord is in his holy temple;^(AO)
the Lord is on his heavenly throne.^(AP)
He observes everyone on earth;^(AQ)
his eyes examine^(AR) them.
⁵ The Lord examines the righteous,^(AS)
but the wicked, those who love violence,
he hates with a passion.^(AT)
6 On the wicked he will rain
fiery coals and burning sulfur;^(AU)
a scorching wind^(AV) will be their lot.

⁷ For the Lord is righteous,^(AW)
he loves justice;^(AX)
the upright^(AY) will see his face.^(AZ)

² “You only have I chosen^(C)
of all the families of the earth;
therefore I will punish^(D) you
for all your sins.^(E)”

³ Do two walk together
unless they have agreed to do so?
⁴ Does a lion roar^(F) in the thicket
when it has no prey?^(G)
Does it growl in its den
when it has caught nothing?
⁵ Does a bird swoop down to a trap on the ground
when no bait^(H) is there?
Does a trap spring up from the ground
if it has not caught anything?
⁶ When a trumpet^(I) sounds in a city,
do not the people tremble?
When disaster^(J) comes to a city,
has not the Lord caused it?^(K)

⁷ Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing
without revealing his plan^(L)
to his servants the prophets.^(M)

⁸ The lion^(N) has roared^(O)—
who will not fear?
The Sovereign Lord has spoken—
who can but prophesy?^(P)

⁹ Proclaim to the fortresses of Ashdod^(Q)
and to the fortresses of Egypt:
“Assemble yourselves on the mountains of Samaria;^(R)
see the great unrest within her
and the oppression among her people.”

¹⁰ “They do not know how to do right,^(S)” declares the Lord,
“who store up in their fortresses^(T)
what they have plundered^(U) and looted.”

“An enemy will overrun your land,
pull down your strongholds
and plunder your fortresses.^(V)”

“‘From the lips of children and infants
you, Lord, have called forth your praise’^[c]?”^(J)