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¹ How good is God to Israel, to the upright in heart! ² But my feet were almost overthrown; my goings very nearly slipped. ³ For I was jealous of the transgressors, beholding the tranquility of sinners. ⁴ For there is no sign of reluctance in their death: and they have firmness under their affliction. ⁵ They are not in the troubles of other men; and they shall not be scourged with other men. ⁶ Therefore pride has possessed them; they have clothed themselves with their injustice and ungodliness. ⁷ Their injustice shall go forth as out of fatness: they have fulfilled their intention. ⁸ They have taken counsel and spoken in wickedness: they have uttered unrighteousness loftily. ⁹ They have set their mouth against heaven, and their tongue has gone through upon the earth. ¹⁰ Therefore shall my people return hither: and full days shall be found with them. ¹¹ And they said, How does God know? and is there knowledge in the Most High? ¹² Behold, these are the sinners, and they that prosper always: they have possessed wealth. ¹³ And I said, Verily in vain have I justified my heart, and washed my hands in innocency. ¹⁴ For I was plagued all the day, and my reproof was every morning.

¹⁵ If I said, I will speak thus; behold, I should have broken covenant with the generation of thy children. ¹⁶ And I undertook to understand this, but it is too hard for me, ¹⁷ until I go into the sanctuary of God; and so understand the latter end. ¹⁸ Surely thou hast appointed judgments to them because of their crafty dealings: thou hast cast them down when they were lifted up. ¹⁹ How have they become desolate! suddenly they have failed: they have perished because of their iniquity. ²⁰ As the dream of one awakening, O Lord, in thy city thou wilt despise their image.

²¹ For my heart has rejoiced, and my reins have been gladdened. ²² But I was vile and knew not: I became brutish before thee. ²³ Yet I am continually with thee: thou hast holden my right hand. ²⁴ Thou hast guided me by thy counsel, and thou hast taken me to thyself with glory. ²⁵ For what have I in heaven but thee? and what have I desired upon the earth beside thee? ²⁶ My heart and my flesh have failed: but God is the strength of my heart, and God is my portion for ever. ²⁷ For, behold, they that remove themselves far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed every one that goes a whoring from thee. ²⁸ But it is good for me to cleave close to God, to put my trust in the Lord; that I may proclaim all thy praises in the gates of the daughter of Sion.