14. What is man that he should be pure,or one born of woman, that he should be righteous?
15. If God places no trust in his holy ones,if even the heavens are not pure in his eyes,
16. how much less man, who is abominable and corrupt,who drinks in evil like water!
17. “I will explain to you; listen to me,and what I have seen, I will declare,
18. what wise men declare,hiding nothing, from the tradition of their ancestors,
19. to whom alone the land was givenwhen no foreigner passed among them.
20. All his days the wicked man suffers torment,throughout the number of the years that are stored up for the tyrant.
21. Terrifying sounds fill his ears;in a time of peace marauders attack him.
22. He does not expect to escape from darkness;he is marked for the sword;
23. he wanders about – food for vultures;he knows that the day of darkness is at hand.
24. Distress and anguish terrify him;they prevail against him like a king ready to launch an attack,
25. for he stretches out his hand against God,and vaunts himself against the Almighty,
26. defiantly charging against himwith a thick, strong shield!
27. Because he covered his face with fat,and made his hips bulge with fat,
28. he lived in ruined townsand in houses where no one lives,where they are ready to crumble into heaps.
29. He will not grow rich,and his wealth will not endure,nor will his possessions spread over the land.
30. He will not escape the darkness;a flame will wither his shootsand he will depart by the breath of God’s mouth.