the one who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, who remains forever faithful,

Otherwise they will rip me to shreds like a lion; they will tear me to bits and no one will be able to rescue me.

They cry out, but there is no one to help them; they cry out to the Lord, but he does not answer them.

The Lord said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have made a promise on oath to David, my servant:

O daughter Babylon, soon to be devastated! How blessed will be the one who repays you for what you dished out to us!

An evil person suffers much pain, but the Lord’s faithfulness overwhelms the one who trusts in him.

Then I will have a reply for the one who insults me, for I trust in your word.

which cannot fill the reaper’s hand, or the lap of the one who gathers the grain!

It emerges from the distant horizon, and goes from one end of the sky to the other; nothing can escape its heat.

I mention Rahab and Babylon to my followers. Here are Philistia and Tyre, along with Ethiopia. It is said of them, “This one was born there.”

The Lord made a reliable promise to David; he will not go back on his word. He said, “I will place one of your descendants on your throne.

For his anger lasts only a brief moment, and his good favor restores one’s life. One may experience sorrow during the night, but joy arrives in the morning.

Our cattle will be weighted down with produce. No one will break through our walls, no one will be taken captive, and there will be no terrified cries in our city squares.

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

They say, “How does God know what we do? Is the sovereign one aware of what goes on?”

They kill the widow and the one residing outside his native land, and they murder the fatherless.

Carefully consider this, you who reject God! Otherwise I will rip you to shreds and no one will be able to rescue you.

May the one who comes in the name of the Lord be blessed! We will pronounce blessings on you in the Lord’s temple.

I will express my thanks to you with a stringed instrument, praising your faithfulness, O my God! I will sing praises to you accompanied by a harp, O Holy One of Israel!

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.