1  Lord, you have been our ^udwelling place¹

in all generations.

2  ^vBefore the ^wmountains were brought forth,

or ever you had formed the earth and the world,

^xfrom everlasting to everlasting you are God.

3  You return man to dust

and say, ^y“Return, ^zO children of man!”²

4  For ^aa thousand years in your sight

are but as ^byesterday when it is past,

or as ^ca watch in the night.

5  You ^dsweep them away as with a flood; they are like ^ea dream,

like ^fgrass that is renewed in the morning:

6  in ⁱthe morning it flourishes and is renewed;

in the evening it ^jfades and ^kwithers.

7  For we are brought to an end by your anger;

by your wrath we are dismayed.

8  You have ^lset our iniquities before you,

our ^msecret sins in the light of your presence.

9  For all our days pass away under your wrath;

we bring our years to an end like a sigh.

10  The years of our life are seventy,

or even by reason of strength eighty;

yet their span³ is but toil and trouble;

they are soon gone, and we fly away.

11  Who considers the power of your anger,

and your wrath according to the fear of you?

12  ⁿSo teach us to number our days

that we may get a heart of wisdom.

13  ^oReturn, O Lord! ^pHow long?

Have ^qpity on your servants!

14  Satisfy us in the ^smorning with your steadfast love,

that we may ^trejoice and be glad all our days.

15  Make us glad for as many days as you have ^uafflicted us,

and for as many years as we have seen evil.

16  Let your ^vwork be shown to your servants,

and your glorious power to their children.

17  Let the ^xfavor⁴ of the Lord our God be upon us,

and establish ^ythe work of our hands upon us;

yes, establish the work of our hands!

1  ^aA false balance is an abomination to the Lord,

^bbut a just weight is his delight.

2  ^cWhen pride comes, then comes disgrace,

but with ^dthe humble is wisdom.

3  ^eThe integrity of the upright guides them,

^fbut the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.

4  ^gRiches do not profit in the day of wrath,

^hbut righteousness delivers from death.

5  The righteousness of the blameless ⁱkeeps his way straight,

but the wicked falls by his own wickedness.

6  ^hThe righteousness of the upright delivers them,

but the treacherous ^jare taken captive by their lust.

7  When the wicked dies, his ^khope will perish,

and ^lthe expectation of wealth¹ perishes too.

8  ^mThe righteous is delivered from trouble,

and the wicked walks into it instead.

9  With his mouth the godless man would destroy his neighbor,

but by knowledge the righteous are delivered.

10  ⁿWhen it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices,

and when the wicked perish there are shouts of gladness.

11  By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted,

but ^oby the mouth of the wicked ^pit is overthrown.

12  Whoever ^qbelittles his neighbor lacks sense,

but a man of understanding remains silent.

13  Whoever ^rgoes about slandering reveals secrets,

but he who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a thing covered.

14  Where there is ^sno guidance, a people falls,

^sbut in an abundance of counselors there is safety.

15  ^tWhoever puts up security for a stranger will surely suffer harm,

but he who hates striking hands in pledge is secure.

16  ^uA gracious woman gets honor,

and ^vviolent men get riches.

17  ^wA man who is kind benefits himself,

but a cruel man hurts himself.

18  The wicked earns deceptive wages,

but one who ^xsows righteousness gets a sure reward.

19  Whoever is steadfast in righteousness ^ywill live,

but ^zhe who pursues evil will die.

20  Those of ^acrooked heart are ^ban abomination to the Lord,

but those of ^cblameless ways are ^dhis delight.

21  ^eBe assured, ^fan evil person will not go unpunished,

but ^gthe offspring of the righteous will be delivered.

22  Like ^ha gold ring in a pig’s snout

is a beautiful woman without discretion.

23  The desire of the righteous ends only in good,

ⁱthe expectation of the wicked in wrath.

24  ^jOne gives ^kfreely, yet grows all the richer;

another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.

25  ^lWhoever brings blessing ^mwill be enriched,

and ⁿone who waters will himself be watered.

26  ^oThe people curse him who holds back grain,

but ^pa blessing is on the head of him who ^qsells it.

27  Whoever diligently seeks good seeks favor,²

but evil comes to ^rhim who searches for it.

28  Whoever ^strusts in his riches will fall,

but the righteous will ^tflourish like a green leaf.

29  Whoever ^utroubles his own household will ^vinherit the wind,

and the fool will be servant to the wise of heart.

30  The fruit of the righteous is ^wa tree of life,

and whoever ^xcaptures souls is wise.

31  If ^ythe righteous is repaid on earth,

how much more the wicked and the sinner!