BSB(i)
20 A wicked man writhes in pain all his days; only a few years are reserved for the ruthless.
21 Sounds of terror fill his ears; in his prosperity the destroyer attacks him.
22 He despairs of his return from darkness; he is marked for the sword.
23 He wanders about as food for vultures; he knows the day of darkness is at hand.
24 Distress and anguish terrify him, overwhelming him like a king poised to attack.
25 For he has stretched out his hand against God and has vaunted himself against the Almighty,
26 rushing headlong at Him with a thick, studded shield.
27 Though his face is covered with fat and his waistline bulges with flesh,
28 he will dwell in ruined cities, in abandoned houses destined to become rubble.
29 He will no longer be rich; his wealth will not endure. His possessions will not overspread the land.
30 He will not escape from the darkness; the flame will wither his shoots, and the breath of God’s mouth will carry him away.
31 Let him not deceive himself with trust in emptiness, for emptiness will be his reward.
32 It will be paid in full before his time, and his branch will not flourish.
33 He will be like a vine stripped of its unripe grapes, like an olive tree that sheds its blossoms.
34 For the company of the godless will be barren, and fire will consume the tents of bribery.
35 They conceive trouble and give birth to evil; their womb is pregnant with deceit.”