2  O Lord, ^bhow long shall I cry for help,

and you will not hear?

Or cry to you ^c“Violence!”

and you will not save?

3  ^dWhy do you make me see iniquity,

and why do you idly look at wrong?

Destruction ^cand violence are before me;

strife and contention arise.

4  ^eSo the law is paralyzed,

and justice never goes forth.

^fFor the wicked surround the righteous;

so justice goes forth perverted.

1  I will ^htake my stand at my watchpost

and station myself on the tower,

and ⁱlook out to see ^jwhat he will say to me,

and what I will answer concerning my complaint.

^k“Write the vision;

make it plain on tablets,

so he may run who reads it.

3  For still ^lthe vision awaits its appointed time;

it hastens to the end—it will not lie.

If it seems slow, ^mwait for it;

ⁿit will surely come; it will not delay.

4  “Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him,

but ^othe righteous shall live by his faith.¹