When I tried to make sense of this, it was troubling to me.

See the one who is pregnant with wickedness, who conceives destructive plans, and gives birth to harmful lies –

Cruel rulers are not your allies, those who make oppressive laws.

As for the heads of those who surround me – may the harm done by their lips overwhelm them!

His mouth is full of curses and deceptive, harmful words; his tongue injures and destroys.

You have taken notice, for you always see one who inflicts pain and suffering. The unfortunate victim entrusts his cause to you; you deliver the fatherless.

The days of our lives add up to seventy years, or eighty, if one is especially strong. But even one’s best years are marred by trouble and oppression. Yes, they pass quickly and we fly away.