²⁶ Yet when I hoped for good, evil came;
    when I looked for light, then came darkness.^(A)

⁹ So justice is far from us,
    and righteousness does not reach us.
We look for light, but all is darkness;^(A)
    for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows.

²³ I looked at the earth,
    and it was formless and empty;^(A)
and at the heavens,
    and their light^(B) was gone.