I also have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Who does not know such things as these?

you asked, ‘Who is this who darkens counsel without knowledge?’ But I have declared without understanding things too wonderful for me to know.

He despises a reprobate, but honors the Lord’s loyal followers. He makes firm commitments and does not renege on his promise.

Surely people go through life as mere ghosts. Surely they accumulate worthless wealth without knowing who will eventually haul it away.”

Receiving sacrifices and offerings are not your primary concern. You make that quite clear to me! You do not ask for burnt sacrifices and sin offerings.

I am oppressed and needy! May the Lord pay attention to me! You are my helper and my deliverer! O my God, do not delay!

May death destroy them! May they go down alive into Sheol! For evil is in their dwelling place and in their midst.

In God – I boast in his promise – in God I trust, I am not afraid. What can mere men do to me?

Do not trust in what you can gain by oppression! Do not put false confidence in what you can gain by robbery! If wealth increases, do not become attached to it!

May all those who seek you be happy and rejoice in you! May those who love to experience your deliverance say continually, “May God be praised!”

May my accusers be humiliated and defeated! May those who want to harm me be covered with scorn and disgrace!

He established a rule in Jacob; he set up a law in Israel. He commanded our ancestors to make his deeds known to their descendants,

I will listen to what God the Lord says. For he will make peace with his people, his faithful followers. Yet they must not return to their foolish ways.

Then you spoke through a vision to your faithful followers and said: “I have energized a warrior; I have raised up a young man from the people.

May sinners disappear from the earth, and the wicked vanish! Praise the Lord, O my soul! Praise the Lord!

for he is like someone calculating the cost in his mind. “Eat and drink,” he says to you, but his heart is not with you;

Likewise, know that wisdom is sweet to your soul; if you find it, you will have a future, and your hope will not be cut off.

Next, I decided to consider wisdom, as well as foolish behavior and ideas. For what more can the king’s successor do than what the king has already done?

The wise man can see where he is going, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I also realized that the same fate happens to them both.

But better than both is the one who has not been born and has not seen the evil things that are done on earth.