<p class="poetry">But you, O <sc>Lordsc>, reign<n id="1" /> forever!p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">Then I said,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;<sc>Lordsc>, from the very beginningp> <p class="poetry">you have been seated on your glorious throne on high.p> <p class="poetry">You are the place where we can find refuge.p>

<p class="poetry">He is secure at all times.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">He has no regard for your commands;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">he disdains all his enemies.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Those who anticipate my defeat<n id="1" /> attack me all day long.p> <p class="poetry">Indeed,<n id="2" /> many are fighting against me, O Exalted One.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Your justice, O God, extends to the skies above;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">you have done great things.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">O God, who can compare to you?<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">The earth<n id="1" /> dries up<n id="2" /> and withers,p> <p class="poetry">the world shrivels up and withers;p> <p class="poetry">the prominent people of the earth<n id="3" /> fade away.p>

<p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> is exalted,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">indeed,<n id="2" /> he lives in heaven;<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">he fills Zion with justice and fairness.p>

<p class="poetry">With what should I<n id="1" /> enter the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s presence?p> <p class="poetry">With what<n id="2" /> should I bow before the sovereign God?<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">Should I enter his presence with burnt offerings,p> <p class="poetry">with year-old calves?p>

<p class="poetry">Through your messengers you taunted the sovereign master,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;With my many chariots I climbed upp> <p class="poetry">the high mountains,p> <p class="poetry">the slopes of Lebanon.p> <p class="poetry">I cut down its tall cedarsp> <p class="poetry">and its best evergreens.p> <p class="poetry">I invaded its most remote regions,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">its thickest woods.p>

All these kings gathered and joined forces<n id="1" /> at the Waters of Merom to fight Israel.p>

Joshua and his whole army caught them by surprise at the Waters of Merom and attacked them.<n id="1" />

<p class="poetry">Whom have you taunted and hurled insults at?p> <p class="poetry">At whom have you shouted,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and looked so arrogantly?<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">At the Holy One of Israel!<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">&#8216;What right do you have to be here? What relatives do you have buried here?<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Why<n id="2" /> do you chisel out a tomb for yourself here?p> <p class="poetry">He chisels out his burial site in an elevated place,p> <p class="poetry">he carves out his tomb on a cliff.p>

<p class="poetry">Indeed,<n id="1" /> the <sc>Lordsc> knocks down those who live in a high place,p> <p class="poetry">he brings down an elevated town;p> <p class="poetry">he brings it down to the ground,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">he throws it down to the dust.p>

<p class="poetry">Whom have you taunted and hurled insults at?p> <p class="poetry">At whom have you shoutedp> <p class="poetry">and looked so arrogantly?<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">At the Holy One of Israel!<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">Even if Babylon climbs high into the sky<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and fortifies her elevated stronghold,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">I will send destroyers against her,&#8221;<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">says the <sc>Lordsc>.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">Your presumptuous heart<n id="1" /> has deceived you &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">you who reside in the safety of the rocky cliffs,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">whose home is high in the mountains.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">You think to yourself,<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;No one can<n id="5" /> bring me down to the ground!&#8217;<n id="6" />p>

<p class="poetry">Through your messengers you taunted the sovereign master,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;With my many chariots<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">I climbed up the high mountains,p> <p class="poetry">the slopes of Lebanon.p> <p class="poetry">I cut down its tall cedars,p> <p class="poetry">and its best evergreens.p> <p class="poetry">I invaded its most remote regions,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">its thickest woods.p>

<p class="poetry">Look up at the sky!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Who created all these heavenly lights?<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">He is the one who leads out their ranks;<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">he calls them all by name.p> <p class="poetry">Because of his absolute power and awesome strength,p> <p class="poetry">not one of them is missing.p>

<p class="poetry">For this is what the high and exalted one says,p> <p class="poetry">the one who rules<n id="1" /> forever, whose name is holy:p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;I dwell in an exalted and holy place,p> <p class="poetry">but also with the discouraged and humiliated,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">in order to cheer up the humiliatedp> <p class="poetry">and to encourage the discouraged.<n id="3" />p>