⁷ All who worship images^(A) are put to shame,^(B)
    those who boast in idols^(C)—
    worship him,^(D) all you gods!^(E)

⁸ Zion hears and rejoices
    and the villages of Judah are glad^(F)
    because of your judgments,^(G) Lord.
⁹ For you, Lord, are the Most High^(H) over all the earth;^(I)
    you are exalted^(J) far above all gods.
¹⁰ Let those who love the Lord hate evil,^(K)
    for he guards^(L) the lives of his faithful ones^(M)
    and delivers^(N) them from the hand of the wicked.^(O)
11 Light shines^[a](P) on the righteous^(Q)
    and joy on the upright in heart.^(R)
12 Rejoice in the Lord,^(S) you who are righteous,
    and praise his holy name.^(T)

²⁰ Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous,^(A)
    no one who does what is right and never sins.^(B)

²¹ Do not pay attention to every word people say,
    or you^(C) may hear your servant cursing you—
²² for you know in your heart
    that many times you yourself have cursed others.

“I am determined to be wise”^(D)—
    but this was beyond me.
²⁴ Whatever exists is far off and most profound—
    who can discover it?^(E)
25 So I turned my mind to understand,
    to investigate and to search out wisdom and the scheme of things^(F)
and to understand the stupidity of wickedness
    and the madness of folly.^(G)

²⁶ I find more bitter than death
    the woman who is a snare,^(H)
whose heart is a trap
    and whose hands are chains.
The man who pleases God will escape her,
    but the sinner she will ensnare.^(I)

“Adding one thing to another to discover the scheme of things—
²⁸     while I was still searching
    but not finding—
I found one upright man among a thousand,
    but not one upright woman^(K) among them all.
²⁹ This only have I found:
    God created mankind upright,
    but they have gone in search of many schemes.”

8 Who is like the wise?
    Who knows the explanation of things?
A person’s wisdom brightens their face
    and changes its hard appearance.