This is the fate of the conceited,

And of those who are pleased with their wealth:

Like sheep they descend to the grave,

Death shall be their shepherd;

They go straight down to the grave,

And their forms waste away in hell.

But God will redeem my life,

And snatch me from the power of the grave.

So fear not when a man grows rich,

When the pomp of his house increases;

For when he dies he can take nothing with him,
His pomp he must leave behind him.
Though in life he congratulate himself,
And be lauded for his prosperity,
He must join the race of his fathers,
Who shall never see daylight again.
Men do not retain their honor,

But are like the beasts that perish.

306. THE CONSOLATION OF THE INNOCENT

Surely God is good to the upright,
To those who are pure in heart.

My feet were almost gone from under me,
My steps had nearly slipped,

For I was envious of the arrogant,

When I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
For they have no pains to endure,
Their bodies are full of strength;

The trouble of mortals they do not share,
They never are afflicted as other men.
So they wear their pride like a necklace,
Violence clothes them as a garment,
Crime exudes from their fatness,
And their minds overflow with conceit.
They scoff and speak of evil,

They haughtily plot oppression,

They direct their speech against heaven,

And their tongue dictates about the earth.

Therefore the people resort to them,
And pour out all that is in their heart.
They say, 'How does God know?
And has the Most High any knowledge?
See, such as these are the wicked,

In continual ease they add to their wealth!'

Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure,
And washed my hands in innocence,
For all day long I am plagued,

And every morning my torture is renewed.

But when I pondered that I might understand this,
It seemed to me a wearisome task,

Until I penetrated the mysteries of God,
And considered the end of the wicked.
Thou dost set them in slippery places,
Thou hurlest them down to destruction.
How they are ruined in a moment!
They are gone, overwhelmed by terrors.
Like a dream when one awakens, O Lord,
So their phantom is despised by one awake.

Surely my mind was embittered,
And I felt pain in my heart,

I was indeed dull and ignorant,
Like a stupid beast before thee.
Yet I am with thee continually;
Thou dost hold fast my right hand,
Thou guidest me by thy counsel,

And thou wilt afterward take me to glory.
Whom have I in heaven but thee?

On earth I have no joy beside thee.

My body and my heart grow faint,

But God is my Rock and my portion forever!

307. THE PRINCIPLES THAT SHOULD GUIDE A

RULER

I will sing of love and justice, praising thee, O Lord. I will give heed to the way that is right. O when wilt thou come to me?

Within my own house I will walk with clear conscience. I will never tolerate in my presence a thing that is base; I hate a crooked act; it shall not cling to me.

Far from me be every false motive; I will know no evil.

Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him will I destroy, Whoever has a haughty mien and a proud heart I will not tolerate.

My eyes shall be on the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me:

He who lives a blameless life, that one shall serve me, Whoever practises deceit shall not dwell in my house; He who tells lies shall not remain in my presence. Zealously will I destroy all the wicked in the land, That I may cut off from the city of the Lord all evildoers.

308. THE IMPORTANCE OF KEEPING THE LAW

Happy are those who live blameless lives, following the law of the Lord!

Happy are those who keep his decrees, who seek him whole-heartedly,

And commit no crime, but live as he would have them. It is thou who hast given thy precepts, that they may be zealously kept.

Oh that my habits were firmly established, to keep thy statutes!

Then I should never be ashamed, when I consider thy commands.

I thank thee with a sincere heart, as I learn thy just judgments,

I will keep thy statutes; O do not completely forsake me.

How can a young man keep his life pure? By following thy teachings.

With all my heart have I sought thee, let me not stray from thy commands.

In my heart have I treasured thy word, that I may not sin against thee.

Blessed art thou, O Lord! Teach me thy statutes.

With my lips have I rehearsed all the judgments of thy mouth;

I rejoice in following thy charges as much as in all riches; I will meditate on thy precepts and regard thy rules of life;

In thy statutes I take delight, I will not forget thy word.

Deal generously with thy servant that I may live and keep thy word;

Open thou my eyes that I may see wondrous things in thy law.

Teach me the way of thy statutes, O Lord, and I will faithfully keep them;

Enlighten me, that I may keep thy law and I will observe it with all my heart.

Guide me in the way of thy commands, for in it do I delight.

Incline my heart to thy decrees, and not to the desire for gain.

Turn my eyes from vain desires, revive me by thy word. Confirm for thy servant thy promise to those who revere

thee.

Thy word is a lamp to my feet, a light to my path. Thou who art my shelter and shield; for thy word do I wait.

Marvellous are thy decrees; therefore I gladly obey them. The revelation of thy word gives light, insight to the

simple.

Righteous art thou, O Lord, and just thy decisions;

The decrees thou hast issued are righteous and perfectly

true.

Great peace have they who love thy law, they never have cause for stumbling.

309. THE SOURCE OF ALL PROSPERITY

Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain.

Unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman wakens in vain.

It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit down at your meal late,

And so eat the bread of toil; for he gives to his loved ones sleep.

Children too are a gift from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.

As arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of youth.

Happy indeed is the man whose quiver is full of them, He shall not be put to shame when he argues with foes in the court.

310. THE HAPPINESS OF GOD'S PEOPLE

Our sons are like saplings, grown tall in their youth;
Our daughters like corner-pillars, carved as in a palace.
Our garners are full, affording all kinds of supplies.
The sheep in our fields increase by thousands and tens
of thousands.

Our cattle are great with young, strong to labor, and do not break down from toil.

There is no going forth to war, no outcries on our streets!

Happy the people that enjoys this good fortune,

Happy the people whose God is the Lord'