⁶ The tents of marauders are undisturbed,^(A)
    and those who provoke God are secure^(B)—
    those God has in his hand.^[a]

⁷ Be still^(A) before the Lord
    and wait patiently^(B) for him;
do not fret^(C) when people succeed in their ways,^(D)
    when they carry out their wicked schemes.^(E)

⁷ that though the wicked spring up like grass
    and all evildoers flourish,
    they will be destroyed forever.^(A)

⁷ Why do the wicked live on,
    growing old and increasing in power?^(A)
8 They see their children established around them,
    their offspring before their eyes.^(B)
9 Their homes are safe and free from fear;^(C)
    the rod of God is not on them.^(D)
10 Their bulls never fail to breed;
    their cows calve and do not miscarry.^(E)
11 They send forth their children as a flock;^(F)
    their little ones dance about.
¹² They sing to the music of timbrel and lyre;^(G)
    they make merry to the sound of the pipe.^(H)
13 They spend their years in prosperity^(I)
    and go down to the grave^(J) in peace.^[a](K)
14 Yet they say to God, ‘Leave us alone!^(L)
    We have no desire to know your ways.^(M)
15 Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him?
    What would we gain by praying to him?’^(N)

³ For I envied^(A) the arrogant
    when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.^(B)

⁴ They have no struggles;
    their bodies are healthy and strong.^[a]
5 They are free^(C) from common human burdens;
    they are not plagued by human ills.
⁶ Therefore pride^(D) is their necklace;^(E)
    they clothe themselves with violence.^(F)
7 From their callous hearts^(G) comes iniquity^[b];
    their evil imaginations have no limits.
⁸ They scoff, and speak with malice;^(H)
    with arrogance^(I) they threaten oppression.^(J)
9 Their mouths lay claim to heaven,
    and their tongues take possession of the earth.
¹⁰ Therefore their people turn to them
    and drink up waters in abundance.^[c]
11 They say, “How would God know?
    Does the Most High know anything?”

¹² This is what the wicked are like—
    always free of care,^(K) they go on amassing wealth.^(L)