36:1And Elihu went on to say, 36:2Give me a little more time, and I will make it clear to you; for I have still something to say for God. 36:3I will get my knowledge from far, and I will give righteousness to my Maker. 36:4For truly my words are not false; one who has all knowledge is talking with you. 36:5Truly, God gives up the hard-hearted, and will not give life to the sinner. 36:6His eyes are ever on the upright, and he gives to the crushed their right; 36:7Lifting them up to the seat of kings, and making them safe for ever. 36:8And if they have been prisoned in chains, and taken in cords of trouble, 36:9Then he makes clear to them what they have done, even their evil works in which they have taken pride. 36:10Their ear is open to his teaching, and he gives them orders so that their hearts may be turned from evil. 36:11If they give ear to his voice, and do his word, then he gives them long life, and years full of pleasure. 36:12But if not, they come to their end, and give up their breath without knowledge. 36:13Those who have no fear of God keep wrath stored up in their hearts; they give no cry for help when they are made prisoners. 36:14They come to their end while they are still young, their life is short like that of those who are used for sex purposes in the worship of their gods. 36:15He makes the wrong done to the poor the way of their salvation, opening their ears by their trouble. 36:16... 36:17... 36:18... 36:19... 36:20... 36:21Take care not to be turned to sin, for you have taken evil for your part in place of sorrow. 36:22Truly God is lifted up in strength; who is a ruler like him? 36:23Who ever gave orders to him, or said to him, You have done wrong? 36:24See that you give praise to his work, about which men make songs. 36:25All people are looking on it; man sees it from far. 36:26Truly, God is great, greater than all our knowledge; the number of his years may not be searched out. 36:27For he takes up the drops from the sea; he sends them through his mist as rain, 36:28Flowing down from the sky, and dropping on the peoples. 36:29And who has knowledge of how the clouds are stretched out, or of the thunders of his tent? 36:30See, he is stretching out his mist, covering the tops of the mountains with it. 36:31For by these he gives food to the peoples, and bread in full measure. 36:32He takes the light in his hands, sending it against the mark. 36:33The thunder makes clear his passion, and the storm gives news of his wrath.
37:1At this my heart is shaking; it is moved out of its place. 37:2Give ear to the rolling noise of his voice; to the hollow sound which goes out of his mouth. 37:3He sends it out through all the heaven, and his thunder-flame to the ends of the earth. 37:4After it a voice is sounding, thundering out the word of his power; he does not keep back his thunder-flames; from his mouth his voice is sounding. 37:5He does wonders, more than may be searched out; great things of which we have no knowledge; 37:6For he says to the snow, Make the earth wet; and to the rain-storm, Come down. 37:7He puts an end to the work of every man, so that all may see his work. 37:8Then the beasts go into their holes, and take their rest. 37:9Out of its place comes the storm-wind, and the cold out of its store-houses. 37:10By the breath of God ice is made, and the wide waters are shut in. 37:11The thick cloud is weighted with thunder-flame, and the cloud sends out its light; 37:12And it goes this way and that, round about, turning itself by his guiding, to do whatever he gives orders to be done, on the face of his world of men, 37:13For a rod, or for a curse, or for mercy, causing it to come on the mark. 37:14Give ear to this, O Job, and keep quiet in your place; and take note of the wonders worked by God. 37:15Have you knowledge of God's ordering of his works, how he makes the light of his cloud to be seen? 37:16Have you knowledge of the balancings of the clouds, the wonders of him who has all wisdom? 37:17You, whose clothing is warm, when the earth is quiet because of the south wind, 37:18Will you, with him, make the skies smooth, and strong as a polished looking-glass? 37:19Make clear to me what we are to say to him; we are unable to put our cause before him, because of the dark. 37:20How may he have knowledge of my desire for talk with him? or did any man ever say, May destruction come on me? 37:21And now the light is not seen, for it is dark because of the clouds; but a wind comes, clearing them away. 37:22A bright light comes out of the north; God's glory is greatly to be feared. 37:23There is no searching out of the Ruler of all: his strength and his judging are great; he is full of righteousness, doing no wrong. 37:24For this cause men go in fear of him; he has no respect for any who are wise in heart.
38:1And the Lord made answer to Job out of the storm-wind, and said, 38:2Who is this who makes the purpose of God dark by words without knowledge? 38:3Get your strength together like a man of war; I will put questions to you, and you will give me the answers. 38:4Where were you when I put the earth on its base? Say, if you have knowledge. 38:5By whom were its measures fixed? Say, if you have wisdom; or by whom was the line stretched out over it? 38:6On what were its pillars based, or who put down its angle-stone, 38:7When the morning stars made songs together, and all the sons of the gods gave cries of joy? 38:8Or where were you when the sea came to birth, pushing out from its secret place; 38:9When I made the cloud its robe, and put thick clouds as bands round it, 38:10Ordering a fixed limit for it, with locks and doors; 38:11And said, So far you may come, and no farther; and here the pride of your waves will be stopped? 38:12Have you, from your earliest days, given orders to the morning, or made the dawn conscious of its place; 38:13So that it might take a grip of the skirts of the earth, shaking all the evil-doers out of it? 38:14It is changed like wet earth under a stamp, and is coloured like a robe; 38:15And from the evil-doers their light is kept back, and the arm of pride is broken. 38:16Have you come into the springs of the sea, walking in the secret places of the deep? 38:17Have the doors of death been open to you, or have the door-keepers of the dark ever seen you? 38:18Have you taken note of the wide limits of the earth? Say, if you have knowledge of it all. 38:19Which is the way to the resting-place of the light, and where is the store-house of the dark; 38:20So that you might take it to its limit, guiding it to its house? 38:21No doubt you have knowledge of it, for then you had come to birth, and the number of your days is great. 38:22Have you come into the secret place of snow, or have you seen the store-houses of the ice-drops, 38:23Which I have kept for the time of trouble, for the day of war and fighting? 38:24Which is the way to the place where the wind is measured out, and the east wind sent out over the earth? 38:25By whom has the way been cut for the flowing of the rain, and the flaming of the thunder; 38:26Causing rain to come on a land where no man is living, on the waste land which has no people; 38:27To give water to the land where there is waste and destruction, and to make the dry land green with young grass? 38:28Has the rain a father? or who gave birth to the drops of night mist? 38:29Out of whose body came the ice? and who gave birth to the cold mist of heaven? 38:30The waters are joined together, hard as a stone, and the face of the deep is covered. 38:31Are the bands of the Pleiades fixed by you, or are the cords of Orion made loose? 38:32Do you make Mazzaroth come out in its right time, or are the Bear and its children guided by you? 38:33Have you knowledge of the laws of the heavens? did you give them rule over the earth? 38:34Is your voice sent up to the cloud, so that you may be covered by the weight of waters? 38:35Do you send out the thunder-flames, so that they may go, and say to you, Here we are? 38:36Who has put wisdom in the high clouds, or given knowledge to the lights of the north? 38:37By whose wisdom are the clouds numbered, or the water-skins of the heavens turned to the earth, 38:38When the earth becomes hard as metal, and is joined together in masses? 38:39Do you go after food for the she-lion, or get meat so that the young lions may have enough, 38:40When they are stretched out in their holes, and are waiting in the brushwood? 38:41Who gives in the evening the meat he is searching for, when his young ones are crying to God; when the young lions with loud noise go wandering after their food?
39:1Have you knowledge of the rock-goats? or do you see the roes giving birth to their young? 39:2Is the number of their months fixed by you? or is the time when they give birth ordered by you? 39:3They are bent down, they give birth to their young, they let loose the fruit of their body. 39:4Their young ones are strong, living in the open country; they go out and do not come back again. 39:5Who has let the ass of the fields go free? or made loose the bands of the loud-voiced beast? 39:6To whom I have given the waste land for a heritage, and the salt land as a living-place. 39:7He makes sport of the noise of the town; the voice of the driver does not come to his ears; 39:8He goes looking for his grass-lands in the mountains, searching out every green thing. 39:9Will the ox of the mountains be your servant? or is his night's resting-place by your food-store? 39:10Will he be pulling your plough with cords, turning up the valleys after you? 39:11Will you put your faith in him, because his strength is great? will you give the fruit of your work into his care? 39:12Will you be looking for him to come back, and get in your seed to the crushing-floor? 39:13Is the wing of the ostrich feeble, or is it because she has no feathers, 39:14That she puts her eggs on the earth, warming them in the dust, 39:15Without a thought that they may be crushed by the foot, and broken by the beasts of the field? 39:16She is cruel to her young ones, as if they were not hers; her work is to no purpose; she has no fear. 39:17For God has taken wisdom from her mind, and given her no measure of knowledge. 39:18When she is shaking her wings on high, she makes sport of the horse and of him who is seated on him. 39:19Do you give strength to the horse? is it by your hand that his neck is clothed with power? 39:20Is it through you that he is shaking like a locust, in the pride of his loud-sounding breath? 39:21He is stamping with joy in the valley; he makes sport of fear. 39:22In his strength he goes out against the arms of war, turning not away from the sword. 39:23The bow is sounding against him; he sees the shining point of spear and arrow. 39:24Shaking with passion, he is biting the earth; he is not able to keep quiet at the sound of the horn; 39:25When it comes to his ears he says, Aha! He is smelling the fight from far off, and hearing the thunder of the captains, and the war-cries. 39:26Is it through your knowledge that the hawk takes his flight, stretching out his wings to the south? 39:27Or is it by your orders that the eagle goes up, and makes his resting-place on high? 39:28On the rock is his house, and on the mountain-top his strong place. 39:29From there he is watching for food; his eye sees it far off. 39:30His young have blood for their drink, and where the dead bodies are, there is he to be seen.
40:1... 40:2Will he who is protesting give teaching to the Ruler of all? Let him who has arguments to put forward against God give an answer. 40:3And Job said in answer to the Lord, 40:4Truly, I am of no value; what answer may I give to you? I will put my hand on my mouth. 40:5I have said once, and even twice, what was in my mind, but I will not do so again. 40:6Then the Lord made answer to Job out of the storm-wind, and said, 40:7Get your strength together like a man of war: I will put questions to you, and you will give me the answers. 40:8Will you even make my right of no value? will you say that I am wrong in order to make clear that you are right? 40:9Have you an arm like God? have you a voice of thunder like his? 40:10Put on the ornaments of your pride; be clothed with glory and power: 40:11Let your wrath be overflowing; let your eyes see all the sons of pride, and make them low. 40:12Send destruction on all who are lifted up, pulling down the sinners from their places. 40:13Let them be covered together in the dust; let their faces be dark in the secret place of the underworld. 40:14Then I will give praise to you, saying that your right hand is able to give you salvation. 40:15See now the Great Beast, whom I made, even as I made you; he takes grass for food, like the ox. 40:16His strength is in his body, and his force in the muscles of his stomach. 40:17His tail is curving like a cedar; the muscles of his legs are joined together. 40:18His bones are pipes of brass, his legs are like rods of iron. 40:19He is the chief of the ways of God, made by him for his pleasure. 40:20He takes the produce of the mountains, where all the beasts of the field are at play. 40:21He takes his rest under the trees of the river, and in the pool, under the shade of the water-plants. 40:22He is covered by the branches of the trees; the grasses of the stream are round him. 40:23Truly, if the river is overflowing, it gives him no cause for fear; he has no sense of danger, even if Jordan is rushing against his mouth. 40:24Will anyone take him when he is on the watch, or put metal teeth through his nose?
41:1Is it possible for Leviathan to be pulled out with a fish-hook, or for a hook to be put through the bone of his mouth? 41:2Will you put a cord into his nose, or take him away with a cord round his tongue? 41:3Will he make prayers to you, or say soft words to you? 41:4Will he make an agreement with you, so that you may take him as a servant for ever? 41:5Will you make sport with him, as with a bird? or put him in chains for your young women? 41:6Will the fishermen make profit out of him? will they have him cut up for the traders? 41:7Will you put sharp-pointed irons into his skin, or fish-spears into his head? 41:8Only put your hand on him, and see what a fight you will have; you will not do it again! 41:9Truly, the hope of his attacker is false; he is overcome even on seeing him! 41:10He is so cruel that no one is ready to go against him. Who then is able to keep his place before me? 41:11Who ever went against me, and got the better of me? There is no one under heaven! 41:12I will not keep quiet about the parts of his body, or about his power, and the strength of his frame. 41:13Who has ever taken off his outer skin? who may come inside his inner coat of iron? 41:14Who has made open the doors of his face? Fear is round about his teeth. 41:15His back is made of lines of plates, joined tight together, one against the other, like a stamp. 41:16One is so near to the other that no air may come between them. 41:17They take a grip of one another; they are joined together, so that they may not be parted. 41:18His sneezings give out flames, and his eyes are like the eyes of the dawn. 41:19Out of his mouth go burning lights, and flames of fire are jumping up. 41:20Smoke comes out of his nose, like a pot boiling on the fire. 41:21His breath puts fire to coals, and a flame goes out of his mouth. 41:22Strength is in his neck, and fear goes dancing before him. 41:23The plates of his flesh are joined together, fixed, and not to be moved. 41:24His heart is as strong as a stone, hard as the lower crushing-stone. 41:25When he gets ready for the fight, the strong are overcome with fear. 41:26The sword may come near him but is not able to go through him; the spear, or the arrow, or the sharp-pointed iron. 41:27Iron is to him as dry grass, and brass as soft wood. 41:28The arrow is not able to put him to flight: stones are no more to him than dry stems. 41:29A thick stick is no better than a leaf of grass, and he makes sport of the onrush of the spear. 41:30Under him are sharp edges of broken pots: as if he was pulling a grain-crushing instrument over the wet earth. 41:31The deep is boiling like a pot of spices, and the sea like a perfume-vessel. 41:32After him his way is shining, so that the deep seems white. 41:33On earth there is not another like him, who is made without fear. 41:34Everything which is high goes in fear of him; he is king over all the sons of pride.
42:1And Job said in answer to the Lord, 42:2I see that you are able to do every thing, and to give effect to all your designs. 42:3Who is this who makes dark the purpose of God by words without knowledge? For I have been talking without knowledge about wonders not to be searched out. 42:4Give ear to me, and I will say what is in my mind; I will put questions to you, and you will give me the answers. 42:5Word of you had come to my ears, but now my eye has seen you. 42:6For this cause I give witness that what I said is false, and in sorrow I take my seat in the dust. 42:7And it came about, after he had said these words to Job, that the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, I am very angry with you and your two friends, because you have not said what is right about me, as my servant Job has. 42:8And now, take seven oxen and seven sheep, and go to my servant Job, and give a burned offering for yourselves, and my servant Job will make prayer for you, that I may not send punishment on you; because you have not said what is right about me, as my servant Job has. 42:9And Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite, went and did as the Lord had said. And the Lord gave ear to Job. 42:10And the Lord made up to Job for all his losses, after he had made prayer for his friends: and all Job had before was increased by the Lord twice as much. 42:11And all his brothers and sisters, and his friends of earlier days, came and took food with him in his house; and made clear their grief for him, and gave him comfort for all the evil which the Lord had sent on him; and they all gave him a bit of money and a gold ring. 42:12And the Lord's blessing was greater on the end of Job's life than on its start: and so he came to have fourteen thousand sheep and goats, and six thousand camels, and two thousand oxen, and a thousand she-asses. 42:13And he had seven sons and three daughters. 42:14And he gave the first the name of Jemimah, the second Keziah, and the third Keren-happuch; 42:15And there were no women so beautiful as the daughters of Job in all the earth: and their father gave them a heritage among their brothers. 42:16And after this Job had a hundred and forty years of life, and saw his sons, and his sons' sons, even four generations. 42:17And Job came to his end, old and full of days.
Psalms
1:1Happy is the man who does not go in the company of sinners, or take his place in the way of evil-doers, or in the seat of those who do not give honour to the Lord. 1:2But whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and whose mind is on his law day and night. 1:3He will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, which gives its fruit at the right time, whose leaves will ever be green; and he will do well in all his undertakings. 1:4The evil-doers are not so; but are like the dust from the grain, which the wind takes away. 1:5For this cause there will be no mercy for sinners when they are judged, and the evil-doers will have no place among the upright, 1:6Because the Lord sees the way of the upright, but the end of the sinner is destruction.
2:1Why are the nations so violently moved, and why are the thoughts of the people so foolish? 2:2The kings of the earth have taken their place, and the rulers are fixed in their purpose, against the Lord, and against the king of his selection, saying, 2:3Let their chains be broken, and their cords taken from off us. 2:4Then he whose seat is in the heavens will be laughing: the Lord will make sport of them. 2:5Then will his angry words come to their ears, and by his wrath they will be troubled: 2:6But I have put my king on my holy hill of Zion. 2:7I will make clear the Lord's decision: he has said to me, You are my son, this day have I given you being. 2:8Make your request to me, and I will give you the nations for your heritage, and the farthest limits of the earth will be under your hand. 2:9They will be ruled by you with a rod of iron; they will be broken like a potter's vessel. 2:10So now be wise, you kings: take his teaching, you judges of the earth. 2:11Give worship to the Lord with fear, kissing his feet and giving him honour, 2:12For fear that he may be angry, causing destruction to come on you, because he is quickly moved to wrath. Happy are all those who put their faith in him.
3:1<A Psalm. Of David. When he went in flight from Absalom his son.> Lord, how greatly are they increased who make attacks on me! in great numbers they come against me. 3:2Unnumbered are those who say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. (Selah.) 3:3But your strength, O Lord, is round me, you are my glory and the lifter up of my head. 3:4I send up a cry to the Lord with my voice, and he gives me an answer from his holy hill. (Selah.) 3:5I took my rest in sleep, and then again I was awake; for the Lord was my support. 3:6I will have no fear, though ten thousand have come round me, putting themselves against me. 3:7Come to me, Lord; keep me safe, O my God; for you have given all my haters blows on their face-bones; the teeth of the evil-doers have been broken by you. 3:8Salvation comes from the Lord; your blessing is on your people. (Selah.)
4:1<To the chief music-maker on corded instruments. A Psalm. Of David.> Give answer to my cry, O God of my righteousness; make me free from my troubles; have mercy on me, and give ear to my prayer. 4:2O you sons of men, how long will you go on turning my glory into shame? how long will you give your love to foolish things, going after what is false? (Selah.) 4:3See how the Lord has made great his mercy for me; the Lord will give ear to my cry. 4:4Let there be fear in your hearts, and do no sin; have bitter feelings on your bed, but make no sound. (Selah.) 4:5Give the offerings of righteousness, and put your faith in the Lord. 4:6There are numbers who say, Who will do us any good? the light of his face has gone from us. 4:7Lord, you have put joy in my heart, more than they have when their grain and their wine are increased. 4:8I will take my rest on my bed in peace, because you only, Lord, keep me safe.
5:1<To the chief music-maker on wind instruments. A Psalm. Of David.> Give ear to my words, O Lord; give thought to my heart-searchings. 5:2Let the voice of my cry come to you, my King and my God; for to you will I make my prayer. 5:3My voice will come to you in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I send my prayer to you, and keep watch. 5:4For you are not a God who takes pleasure in wrongdoing; there is no evil with you. 5:5The sons of pride have no place before you; you are a hater of all workers of evil. 5:6You will send destruction on those whose words are false; the cruel man and the man of deceit are hated by the Lord. 5:7But as for me, I will come into your house, in the full measure of your mercy; and in your fear I will give worship, turning my eyes to your holy Temple. 5:8Be my guide, O Lord, in the ways of your righteousness, because of those who are against me; make your way straight before my face. 5:9For no faith may be put in their words; their inner part is nothing but evil; their throat is like an open place for the dead; smooth are the words of their tongues. 5:10Send them to destruction, O Lord; let their evil designs be the cause of their fall; let them be forced out by all their sins; because they have gone against your authority. 5:11But let all those who put their faith in you be glad with cries of joy at all times, and let all the lovers of your name be glad in you. 5:12For you, Lord, will send a blessing on the upright man; your grace will be round him, and you will be his strength.
6:1<To the chief music-maker on corded instruments, on the Sheminith. A Psalm. Of David.> O Lord, do not be bitter with me in your wrath; do not send punishment on me in the heat of your passion. 6:2Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am wasted away: make me well, for even my bones are troubled. 6:3My soul is in bitter trouble; and you, O Lord, how long? 6:4Come back, O Lord, make my soul free; O give me salvation because of your mercy. 6:5For in death there is no memory of you; in the underworld who will give you praise? 6:6The voice of my sorrow is a weariness to me; all the night I make my bed wet with weeping; it is watered by the drops flowing from my eyes. 6:7My eyes are wasting away with trouble; they are becoming old because of all those who are against me. 6:8Go from me, all you workers of evil; for the Lord has given ear to the voice of my weeping. 6:9The Lord has given ear to my request; the Lord has let my prayer come before him. 6:10Let all those who are against me be shamed and deeply troubled; let them be turned back and suddenly put to shame.
7:1<Shiggaion of David; a song which he made to the Lord, about the words of Cush the Benjamite.> O Lord my God, I put my faith in you; take me out of the hands of him who is cruel to me, and make me free; 7:2So that he may not come rushing on my soul like a lion, wounding it, while there is no one to be my saviour. 7:3O Lord my God, if I have done this; if my hands have done any wrong; 7:4If I have given back evil to him who did evil to me, or have taken anything from him who was against me without cause; 7:5Let my hater go after my soul and take it; let my life be crushed to the earth, and my honour into the dust. (Selah.) 7:6Come up, Lord, in your wrath; be lifted up against my haters; be awake, my God, give orders for the judging. 7:7The meeting of the nations will be round you; take your seat, then, over them, on high. 7:8The Lord will be judge of the peoples; give a decision for me, O Lord, because of my righteousness, and let my virtue have its reward. 7:9O let the evil of the evil-doer come to an end, but give strength to the upright: for men's minds and hearts are tested by the God of righteousness. 7:10God, who is the saviour of the upright in heart, is my breastplate. 7:11God is the judge of the upright, and is angry with the evil-doers every day. 7:12If a man is not turned from his evil, he will make his sword sharp; his bow is bent and ready. 7:13He has made ready for him the instruments of death; he makes his arrows flames of fire. 7:14That man is a worker of evil; the seed of wrongdoing has given birth to deceit. 7:15He has made a hole deep in the earth, and is falling into the hole which he has made 7:16His wrongdoing will come back to him, and his violent behaviour will come down on his head. 7:17I will give praise to the Lord for his righteousness; I will make a song to the name of the Lord Most High.
8:1<To the chief music-maker on the Gittith. A Psalm. Of David.> O Lord, our Lord, whose glory is higher than the heavens, how noble is your name in all the earth! 8:2You have made clear your strength even out of the mouths of babies at the breast, because of those who are against you; so that you may put to shame the cruel and violent man. 8:3When I see your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have put in their places; 8:4What is man, that you keep him in mind? the son of man, that you take him into account? 8:5For you have made him only a little lower than the gods, crowning him with glory and honour. 8:6You have made him ruler over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet; 8:7All sheep and oxen, and all the beasts of the field; 8:8The birds of the air and the fish of the sea, and whatever goes through the deep waters of the seas. 8:9O Lord, our Lord, how noble is your name in all the earth!
9:1<To the chief music-maker on Muthlabben. A Psalm. Of David.> I will give you praise, O Lord, with all my heart; I will make clear all the wonder of your works. 9:2I will be glad and have delight in you: I will make a song of praise to your name, O Most High. 9:3When my haters are turned back, they will be broken and overcome before you. 9:4For you gave approval to my right and my cause; you were seated in your high place judging in righteousness. 9:5You have said sharp words to the nations, you have sent destruction on the sinners, you have put an end to their name for ever and ever. 9:6You have given their towns to destruction; the memory of them has gone; they have become waste for ever. 9:7But the Lord is King for ever: he has made ready his high seat for judging. 9:8And he will be the judge of the world in righteousness, giving true decisions for the peoples. 9:9The Lord will be a high tower for those who are crushed down, a high tower in times of trouble; 9:10And those who have knowledge of your name will put their faith in you; because you, Lord, have ever given your help to those who were waiting for you. 9:11Make songs of praise to the Lord, whose house is in Zion: make his doings clear to the people. 9:12When he makes search for blood, he has them in his memory: he is not without thought for the cry of the poor. 9:13Have mercy on me, O Lord, and see how I am troubled by my haters; let me be lifted up from the doors of death; 9:14So that I may make clear all your praise in the house of the daughter of Zion: I will be glad because of your salvation. 9:15The nations have gone down into the hole which they made: in their secret net is their foot taken. 9:16The Lord has given knowledge of himself through his judging: the evil-doer is taken in the net which his hands had made. (Higgaion. Selah.) 9:17The sinners and all the nations who have no memory of God will be turned into the underworld. 9:18For the poor will not be without help; the hopes of those in need will not be crushed for ever. 9:19Up! O Lord; let not man overcome you: let the nations be judged before you. 9:20Put them in fear, O Lord, so that the nations may see that they are only men. (Selah.)
10:1Why do you keep far away, O Lord? why are you not to be seen in times of trouble? 10:2The evil-doer in his pride is cruel to the poor; let him be taken by the tricks of his invention. 10:3For the evil-doer is lifted up because of the purpose of his heart, and he whose mind is fixed on wealth is turned away from the Lord, saying evil against him. 10:4The evil-doer in his pride says, God will not make a search. All his thoughts are, There is no God. 10:5His ways are ever fixed; your decisions are higher than he may see: as for his haters, they are as nothing to him. 10:6He has said in his heart, I will not be moved: through all generations I will never be in trouble. 10:7His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and false words: under his tongue are evil purposes and dark thoughts. 10:8He is waiting in the dark places of the towns: in the secret places he puts to death those who have done no wrong: his eyes are secretly turned against the poor. 10:9He keeps himself in a secret place like a lion in his hole, waiting to put his hands on the poor man, and pulling him into his net. 10:10The upright are crushed and made low, and the feeble are overcome by his strong ones. 10:11He says in his heart, God has no memory of me: his face is turned away; he will never see it. 10:12Up! O Lord; let your hand be lifted: give thought to the poor. 10:13Why has the evil-doer a low opinion of God, saying in his heart, You will not make search for it? 10:14You have seen it; for your eyes are on sorrow and grief, to take it into your hand: the poor man puts his faith in you; you have been the helper of the child who has no father. 10:15Let the arm of the sinner and the evil-doer be broken; go on searching for his sin till there is no more. 10:16The Lord is King for ever and ever; the nations are gone from his land. 10:17Lord, you have given ear to the prayer of the poor: you will make strong their hearts, you will give them a hearing: 10:18To give decision for the child without a father and for the broken-hearted, so that the man of the earth may no longer be feared.
11:1<For the chief music-maker. Of David.> In the Lord put I my faith; how will you say to my soul, Go in flight like a bird to the mountain? 11:2See, the bows of the evil-doers are bent, they make ready their arrows on the cord, so that they may send them secretly against the upright in heart. 11:3If the bases are broken down, what is the upright man to do? 11:4The Lord is in his holy Temple, the Lord's seat is in heaven; his eyes are watching and testing the children of men. 11:5The Lord puts the upright and the sinner to the test, but he has hate in his soul for the lover of violent acts. 11:6On the evil-doer he will send down fire and flames, and a burning wind; with these will their cup be full. 11:7For the Lord is upright; he is a lover of righteousness: the upright will see his face.
12:1<For the chief music-maker on the Sheminith. A Psalm. Of David.> Send help, Lord, for mercy has come to an end; there is no more faith among the children of men. 12:2Everyone says false words to his neighbour: their tongues are smooth in their talk, and their hearts are full of deceit. 12:3The smooth lips and the tongue of pride will be cut off by the Lord. 12:4They have said, With our tongues will we overcome; our lips are ours: who is lord over us? 12:5Because of the crushing of the poor and the weeping of those in need, now will I come to his help, says the Lord; I will give him the salvation which he is desiring. 12:6The words of the Lord are true words: like silver tested by fire and burned clean seven times. 12:7You will keep them, O Lord, you will keep them safe from this generation for ever. 12:8The sinners are walking on every side, and evil is honoured among the children of men.