<p class="poetry">If a land<n id="1" /> has been givenp> <p class="poetry">into the hand of a wicked man,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">he covers<n id="3" /> the faces of its judges;<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">if it is not he, then who is it?<n id="5" />p>

<p class="poetry">All his days<n id="1" /> the wicked man suffers torment,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">throughout the number of the yearsp> <p class="poetry">that<n id="3" /> are stored up for the tyrant.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">This is the portion of the wicked manp> <p class="poetry">allotted by God,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">the inheritance that evildoers receivep> <p class="poetry">from the Almighty.p>

<p class="poetry">He goes about<n id="1" /> in company<n id="2" /> with evildoers,p> <p class="poetry">he goes along<n id="3" /> with wicked men.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">Certainly<n id="1" /> you are not a God who approves of evil;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">evil people<n id="3" /> cannot dwell with you.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">You terrified the nations with your battle cry;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">you destroyed the wicked;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">you permanently wiped out all memory of them.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> revealed himself;p> <p class="poetry">he accomplished justice;p> <p class="poetry">the wicked were ensnared by their own actions.<n id="1" /> (Higgaion.<n id="2" /> Selah)p>

<p class="poetry">Yes,<n id="1" /> the wicked man<n id="2" /> boasts because he gets what he wants;<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">the one who robs others<n id="4" /> curses<n id="5" /> and<n id="6" /> rejects the <sc>Lordsc>.<n id="7" />p>

<p class="poetry">The wicked man is so arrogant he always thinks,p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;God won&#8217;t hold me accountable; he doesn&#8217;t care.&#8221;<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">Why does the wicked man reject God?<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">He says to himself,<n id="2" /> &#8220;You<n id="3" /> will not hold me accountable.&#8221;<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">because of what the enemy says,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and because of how the wicked<n id="2" /> pressure me,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">for they hurl trouble<n id="4" /> down upon me<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">and angrily attack me.p>

<p class="poetry">For they say cruel and deceptive things to me;p> <p class="poetry">they lie to me.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">When the wicked<n id="1" /> see this, they will worry;p> <p class="poetry">they will grind their teeth in frustration<n id="2" /> and melt away;p> <p class="poetry">the desire of the wicked will perish.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">O <sc>Lordsc>, shelter me from the power<n id="1" /> of the wicked!p> <p class="poetry">Protect me from violent men,p> <p class="poetry">who plan to knock me over.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">O <sc>Lordsc>, do not let the wicked have their way!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Do not allow their<n id="2" /> plan to succeed when they attack!<n id="3" /> (Selah)p>

<p class="poetry">A wicked person<n id="1" /> shows boldness with his face,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">but as for the upright,<n id="3" /> he discerns<n id="4" /> his ways.p>

<p class="poetry">Like<n id="1" /> a roaring lion or a roving bear,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">so is a wicked ruler over a poor people.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">If the wicked are shown mercy,p> <p class="poetry">they do not learn about justice.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Even in a land where right is rewarded, they act unjustly;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">they do not see the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s majesty revealed.p>

Do I actually delight in the death of the wicked, declares the sovereign <sc>Lordsc>? Do I not prefer that he turn from his wicked conduct and live?p>

When a wicked person turns from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he will preserve his life.