7 ^aWhy do the wicked live and become old,
Yes, become mighty in power? ‡

8 Their descendants are established with them in their sight,
And their offspring before their eyes.

9 Their houses are safe from fear,
^aNeither is¹ the rod of God upon them. ‡

10 Their bull breeds without failure;
Their cow calves ^awithout miscarriage. ‡

11 They send forth their little ones like a flock,
And their children dance.

12 They sing to the tambourine and harp,
And rejoice to the sound of the flute.

13 They ^aspend their days in wealth,
And¹ in a moment go down to the grave. ‡

14 ^aYet they say to God, ‘Depart from us,
For we do not desire the knowledge of Your ways. ‡

15 ^aWho is the Almighty, that we should serve Him?
And ^bwhat profit do we have if we pray to Him?’ ‡

16 Indeed¹ their prosperity is not in their hand;
^aThe counsel of the wicked is far from me. ‡

17 “How often is the lamp of the wicked put out?
How often does their destruction come upon them,
The sorrows God ^adistributes in His anger? ‡

18 ^aThey are like straw before the wind,
And like chaff that a storm¹ carries away. ‡

19 They say, ‘God¹ lays up one’s iniquity ^afor his children’;
Let Him recompense him, that he may know it. ‡

20 Let his eyes see his destruction,
And ^alet him drink of the wrath of the Almighty. ‡

21 For what does he care about his household after him,
When the number of his months is cut in half?