³ Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress, That thou shouldest despise the work of thy hands, And shine upon the counsel of the wicked?

⁸ But now, O Jehovah, thou art our Father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.

⁸ Jehovah will perfect that which concerneth me: Thy lovingkindness, O Jehovah, `endureth' for ever; Forsake not the works of thine own hands. Psalm 139 For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

¹⁵ Thou wouldest call, and I would answer thee: Thou wouldest have a desire to the work of thy hands.

¹⁹ Wherefore let them also that suffer according to the will of God commit their souls in well-doing unto a faithful Creator.

² He hath led me and caused me to walk in darkness, and not in light.

³ Surely against me he turneth his hand again and again all the day.

⁴ My flesh and my skin hath he made old; he hath broken my bones.

⁵ He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall and travail.

⁶ He hath made me to dwell in dark places, as those that have been long dead.

⁷ He hath walled me about, that I cannot go forth; he hath made my chain heavy.

⁸ Yea, when I cry, and call for help, he shutteth out my prayer.

⁹ He hath walled up my ways with hewn stone; he hath made my paths crooked.

¹⁰ He is unto me as a bear lying in wait, as a lion in secret places.

¹¹ He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces; he hath made me desolate.

¹² He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.

¹³ He hath caused the shafts of his quiver to enter into my reins.

¹⁴ I am become a derision to all my people, and their song all the day.

¹⁵ He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath sated me with wormwood.

¹⁶ He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones; he hath covered me with ashes.

¹⁷ And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace; I forgat prosperity.

¹⁸ And I said, My strength is perished, and mine expectation from Jehovah.

¹ Righteous art thou, O Jehovah, when I contend with thee; yet would I reason the cause with thee: wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? wherefore are all they at ease that deal very treacherously?

² Thou hast planted them, yea, they have taken root; they grow, yea, they bring forth fruit: thou art near in their mouth, and far from their heart.

³ But thou, O Jehovah, knowest me; thou seest me, and triest my heart toward thee: pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, and prepare them for the day of slaughter.

³³ For Jehovah heareth the needy, And despiseth not his prisoners.

⁸ Wilt thou even annul my judgment? Wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be justified?

² Shall he that cavilleth contend with the Almighty? He that argueth with God, let him answer it.

¹⁷ But thou art full of the judgment of the wicked: Judgment and justice take hold `on thee'.

¹⁸ For let not wrath stir thee up against chastisements; Neither let the greatness of the ransom turn thee aside.

⁷ He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous: But with kings upon the throne He setteth them for ever, and they are exalted.

⁸ And if they be bound in fetters, And be taken in the cords of afflictions;

⁹ Then he showeth them their work, And their transgressions, that they have behaved themselves proudly.

¹⁸ `Him' that saith to a king, `Thou art' vile, `Or' to nobles, `Ye are' wicked;

¹⁹ That respecteth not the persons of princes, Nor regardeth the rich more than the poor; For they all are the work of his hands.

⁵ For Job hath said, I am righteous, And God hath taken away my right:

⁶ Notwithstanding my right I am `accounted' a liar; My wound is incurable, `though I am' without transgression.

⁷ What man is like Job, Who drinketh up scoffing like water,

¹⁸ Yet he filled their houses with good things: But the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

¹⁶ Lo, their prosperity is not in their hand: The counsel of the wicked is far from me.

²⁴ The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; He covereth the faces of the judges thereof: If `it be' not `he', who then is it?

²² It is all one; therefore I say, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked.

²⁰ Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man, Neither will he uphold the evil-doers.