And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, {they that} tempt God are even delivered. {are set up: Heb. are built}

When the wicked spring as the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish; {it is} that they shall be destroyed for ever:

[{A Psalm} of David.] Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.

I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree. {a green...: or, a green tree that groweth in his own soil}

For I was envious at the foolish, {when} I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

The tabernacles of robbers prosper, and they that provoke God are secure; into whose hand God bringeth {abundantly}.

Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done {this} evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, {and} be clear when thou judgest.

O Lord, righteousness {belongeth} unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, {that are} near, and {that are} far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee. {belongeth...: or, thou hast}

Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth. {wrong: or, wrested}

The just LORD {is} in the midst thereof; he will not do iniquity: every morning doth he bring his judgment to light, he faileth not; but the unjust knoweth no shame. {every...: Heb. morning by morning}

LORD, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph?

Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power?

{Thou art} of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, {and} holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth {the man that is} more righteous than he? {iniquity: or, grievance}

As a cage is full of birds, so {are} their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxen rich. {cage: or, coop}

But, O LORD of hosts, that judgest righteously, that triest the reins and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I revealed my cause.

Surely I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God.

O LORD God of Israel, thou {art} righteous: for we remain yet escaped, as {it is} this day: behold, we {are} before thee in our trespasses: for we cannot stand before thee because of this.

For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously against me, saith the LORD.

For even thy brethren, and the house of thy father, even they have dealt treacherously with thee; yea, they have called a multitude after thee: believe them not, though they speak fair words unto thee. {they have called...: or, they cried after thee fully} {fair...: Heb. good things}

The LORD {is} righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works. {holy: or, merciful, or, bountiful}

For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them. {turning...: or, ease of the simple}

Produce your cause, saith the LORD; bring forth your strong {reasons}, saith the King of Jacob. {Produce: Heb. Cause to come near}

But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? {Is} God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man)

I know, O LORD, that thy judgments {are} right, and {that} thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me. {right: Heb. righteousness}

{He is} the Rock, his work {is} perfect: for all his ways {are} judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right {is} he.

TZADDI. Righteous {art} thou, O LORD, and upright {are} thy judgments.

Yea, thou heardest not; yea, thou knewest not; yea, from that time {that} thine ear was not opened: for I knew that thou wouldest deal very treacherously, and wast called a transgressor from the womb.

But they like men have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against me. {men: or, Adam}

That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?

Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. {Rest in: Heb. Be silent to}

When the wicked spring as the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish; {it is} that they shall be destroyed for ever:

For I was envious at the foolish, {when} I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

{Thou art} of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, {and} holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth {the man that is} more righteous than he? {iniquity: or, grievance}

I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. {tower: Heb. fenced place} {unto me: or, in me} {when...: or, when I am argued with: Heb. upon my reproof, or, arguing}

But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.

Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power?

LORD, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph?

Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth. {wrong: or, wrested}

TZADDI. Righteous {art} thou, O LORD, and upright {are} thy judgments.

Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal?

The LORD is righteous; for I have rebelled against his commandment: hear, I pray you, all people, and behold my sorrow: my virgins and my young men are gone into captivity. {commandment: Heb. mouth}

What shall we say then? {Is there} unrighteousness with God? God forbid.

The earth is given into the hand of the wicked: he covereth the faces of the judges thereof; if not, where, {and} who {is} he?

And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, {they that} tempt God are even delivered. {are set up: Heb. are built}

He preserveth not the life of the wicked: but giveth right to the poor. {poor: or, afflicted}

And an host was given {him} against the daily {sacrifice} by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered. {an host...: or, the host was given over for the transgression against the daily sacrifice}

Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his maker?

And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord GOD, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan!

And the children of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, and destroyed down to the ground of the Israelites that day twenty and two thousand men.

And said, O LORD God of Israel, why is this come to pass in Israel, that there should be to day one tribe lacking in Israel?

I have seen the foolish taking root: but suddenly I cursed his habitation.

{Is it} good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress, that thou shouldest despise the work of thine hands, and shine upon the counsel of the wicked? {work: Heb. labour}

Why, seeing times are not hidden from the Almighty, do they that know him not see his days?

They {are} not in trouble {as other} men; neither are they plagued like {other} men. {in...: Heb. in the trouble of other men} {like: Heb. with}

Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people, and go from them! for they {be} all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men.

But, O LORD of hosts, that judgest righteously, that triest the reins and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I revealed my cause.

Now when I had delivered the evidence of the purchase unto Baruch the son of Neriah, I prayed unto the LORD, saying,

Then the woman said, Let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak {one} word unto my lord the king. And he said, Say on.

Behold, these {are} the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase {in} riches.

But thou hast cast off and abhorred, thou hast been wroth with thine anointed.

There the righteous might dispute with him; so should I be delivered for ever from my judge.

Surely I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God.

Gracious {is} the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God {is} merciful.

I know, O LORD, that thy judgments {are} right, and {that} thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me. {right: Heb. righteousness}

His roots are wrapped about the heap, {and} seeth the place of stones.

All {things} have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just {man} that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked {man} that prolongeth {his life} in his wickedness.

I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason {of things}, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness {and} madness: {I applied...: Heb. I and mine heart compassed}

There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there be just {men}, unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there be wicked {men}, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also {is} vanity.

And he was with them hid in the house of God six years: and Athaliah reigned over the land.

And he cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son?

I will fetch my knowledge from afar, and will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.

Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of understanding: far be it from God, {that he should do} wickedness; and {from} the Almighty, {that he should commit} iniquity. {men...: Heb. men of heart}

{Though} it be given him {to be} in safety, whereon he resteth; yet his eyes {are} upon their ways.

They are waxen fat, they shine: yea, they overpass the deeds of the wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge.

That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?

Howbeit thou {art} just in all that is brought upon us; for thou hast done right, but we have done wickedly:

O LORD God of Israel, thou {art} righteous: for we remain yet escaped, as {it is} this day: behold, we {are} before thee in our trespasses: for we cannot stand before thee because of this.

O Lord, righteousness {belongeth} unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, {that are} near, and {that are} far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee. {belongeth...: or, thou hast}

From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs, {even} glory to the righteous. But I said, My leanness, my leanness, woe unto me! the treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously; yea, the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously. {uttermost...: Heb. wing} {My leanness: Heb. Leanness to me, or, My secret to me}

And Moses besought the LORD his God, and said, LORD, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand? {the LORD: Heb. the face of the LORD}

And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou {so} evil entreated this people? why {is} it {that} thou hast sent me?

And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.

Thy righteousness {is} like the great mountains; thy judgments {are} a great deep: O LORD, thou preservest man and beast. {the...: Heb. the mountains of God}