12
Lord, are you not from everlasting?
My God, my Holy One, you 1 will never die.
You, Lord, have appointed them to execute judgment;
you, my Rock, have ordained them to punish.
13
Your eyes are too pure to look on evil;
you cannot tolerate wrongdoing.
Why then do you tolerate the treacherous?
Why are you silent while the wicked
swallow up those more righteous than themselves?
14
You have made people like the fish in the sea,
like the sea creatures that have no ruler.
15
The wicked foe pulls all of them up with hooks,
he catches them in his net,
he gathers them up in his dragnet;
and so he rejoices and is glad.
16
Therefore he sacrifices to his net
and burns incense to his dragnet,
for by his net he lives in luxury
and enjoys the choicest food.
17
Is he to keep on emptying his net,
destroying nations without mercy?
1
I will stand at my watch
and station myself on the ramparts;
I will look to see what he will say to me,
and what answer I am to give to this complaint. 2