14  Thick clouds veil him, so that he does not see,

and he walks on the ^hvault of heaven.’

15  Will you keep to the old way

that wicked men have trod?

16  They were snatched away ⁱbefore their time;

their foundation was washed away.¹

17  ^jThey said to God, ‘Depart from us,’

and ‘What can the Almighty do to us?’²

18  Yet he filled their houses with good things—

but the ^kcounsel of the wicked is far from me.

19  ^lThe righteous see it and are glad;

the innocent one mocks at them,

20  saying, ‘Surely our adversaries are cut off,

and what they left the fire has consumed.’

21  “Agree with God, and be at peace;

thereby good will come to you.

22  Receive instruction from his mouth,

and lay up his words in your heart.

23  ^mIf you return to the Almighty you will be built up;

if you remove ⁿinjustice far from your tents,

24  if you lay gold in the dust,

and gold of ^oOphir among the stones of the torrent-bed,

25  then the Almighty will be your gold

and your precious silver.

26  For then you will ^pdelight yourself in the Almighty

and ^qlift up your face to God.

27  You will make your prayer to him, and he will hear you,

and you will pay your vows.

28  You will decide on a matter, and it will be established for you,

and light will shine on your ways.

29  For when they are humbled you say, ‘It is because of pride’;³

but ^rhe saves the lowly.

30  He delivers even the one who is not innocent,

who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.”