¹⁸ Your covenant with death will be annulled;
    your agreement with the realm of the dead will not stand.^(A)
When the overwhelming scourge sweeps by,^(B)
    you will be beaten down^(C) by it.
¹⁹ As often as it comes it will carry you away;^(D)
    morning after morning,^(E) by day and by night,
    it will sweep through.”

The understanding of this message
    will bring sheer terror.^(F)
20 The bed is too short to stretch out on,
    the blanket too narrow to wrap around you.^(G)
21 The Lord will rise up as he did at Mount Perazim,^(H)
    he will rouse himself as in the Valley of Gibeon^(I)—
to do his work,^(J) his strange work,
    and perform his task, his alien task.
²² Now stop your mocking,^(K)
    or your chains will become heavier;
the Lord, the Lord Almighty, has told me
    of the destruction decreed^(L) against the whole land.^(M)

“Strike the tops of the pillars
    so that the thresholds shake.
Bring them down on the heads^(A) of all the people;
    those who are left I will kill with the sword.
Not one will get away,
    none will escape.^(B)
2 Though they dig down to the depths below,^(C)
    from there my hand will take them.
Though they climb up to the heavens above,^(D)
    from there I will bring them down.^(E)
3 Though they hide themselves on the top of Carmel,^(F)
    there I will hunt them down and seize them.^(G)
Though they hide from my eyes at the bottom of the sea,^(H)
    there I will command the serpent^(I) to bite them.^(J)
4 Though they are driven into exile by their enemies,
    there I will command the sword^(K) to slay them.

“I will keep my eye on them
    for harm^(L) and not for good.^(M)”^(N)

“You are my Son;
    today I have become your Father”^[a]?^(O)

“I will be his Father,
    and he will be my Son”^[b]?^(P)

“Let all God’s angels worship him.”^[c](S)

“He makes his angels spirits,
    and his servants flames of fire.”^[d](T)

“Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever;^(U)
    a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.
⁹ You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
    therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions^(V)
    by anointing you with the oil^(W) of joy.”^[e](X)

“In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth,
    and the heavens are the work of your hands.^(Y)
11 They will perish, but you remain;
    they will all wear out like a garment.^(Z)
12 You will roll them up like a robe;
    like a garment they will be changed.
But you remain the same,^(AA)
    and your years will never end.”^[f](AB)

“Sit at my right hand^(AC)
    until I make your enemies
    a footstool^(AD) for your feet”^[g]?^(AE)