¹⁷ You renew your witnesses against me
    and increase your vexation towards me;
    you bring fresh troops against me.

⁷ Why do the wicked live,
    reach old age, and grow mighty in power?
⁸ Their offspring are established in their presence,
    and their descendants before their eyes.
⁹ Their houses are safe from fear,
    and no rod of God is upon them.
¹⁰ Their bull breeds without fail;
    their cow calves and does not miscarry.
¹¹ They send out their little boys like a flock,
    and their children dance.
¹² They sing to the tambourine and the lyre
    and rejoice to the sound of the pipe.
¹³ They spend their days in prosperity,
    and in peace they go down to Sheol.
¹⁴ They say to God, ‘Depart from us!
    We do not desire the knowledge of your ways.
¹⁵ What is the Almighty, that we should serve him?
    And what profit do we get if we pray to him?’