1  Do you indeed decree what is right, you gods?²

Do you judge the children of man uprightly?

2  No, in your hearts you devise wrongs;

your hands deal out violence on earth.

3  The wicked are ^hestranged from the womb;

they go astray from birth, speaking lies.

4  They have venom like the ⁱvenom of a serpent,

like the deaf adder that stops its ear,

5  so that it does not hear the voice of ^jcharmers

or of the cunning enchanter.

6  O God, ^kbreak the teeth in their mouths;

tear out the fangs of the young ^llions, O Lord!

7  Let them vanish like water that runs away;

when he ^maims his arrows, let them be blunted.

8  Let them be like the snail that dissolves into slime,

like the stillborn child who never sees the sun.

9  Sooner than your pots can feel the heat of thorns,

whether green or ablaze, may he sweep them away!³

10  ⁿThe righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance;

he will bathe his ^ofeet in the blood of the wicked.

11  Mankind will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous;

surely there is a ^pGod who judges on earth.”

1  Hear my cry, O God,

listen to my prayer;

2  from the end of the earth I call to you

^jwhen my heart is faint.

Lead me to the rock

that is higher than I,

3  for you have been my refuge,

a ^kstrong tower against the enemy.

4  Let me ^ldwell in your tent forever!

Let me take refuge ^munder the shelter of your wings! Selah

5  For you, O God, have heard my vows;

you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.

6  Prolong the life of the king;

ⁿmay his years endure to all generations!

7  May he be enthroned forever before God;

appoint ^osteadfast love and faithfulness to watch over him!

8  So will I ever sing praises to your name,

as I perform my vows day after day.

1  ^qFor God alone my soul waits ^rin silence;

from him comes my salvation.

2  He alone is my rock and my salvation,

my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.

3  How long will all of you attack a man

to batter him,

like a leaning wall, a tottering fence?

4  They only plan to thrust him down from his high position.

They take pleasure in falsehood.

They bless with their mouths,

^sbut inwardly they curse. Selah

5  ^tFor God alone, O my soul, wait in silence,

for my hope is from him.

6  He only is my rock and my salvation,

my fortress; I shall not be shaken.

7  On God rests my salvation and my glory;

my mighty rock, my refuge is God.

8  ^uTrust in him at all times, O people;

^vpour out your heart before him;

God is a refuge for us. Selah

9  Those of ^wlow estate are but a breath;

those of high estate are a delusion;

in the balances they go up;

they are together lighter than a breath.

10  Put no ^xtrust in extortion;

set no vain hopes on robbery;

^yif riches increase, set not your heart on them.

11  Once God has spoken;

twice have I heard this:

that power belongs to God,

12  and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love.

For you will render to a man

^zaccording to his work.