16  ^qWho rises up for me against the wicked?

Who stands up for me against evildoers?

17  ^rIf the Lord had not been my help,

my soul would soon have lived in the land of ^ssilence.

18  When I thought, ^t“My foot slips,”

your steadfast love, O Lord, ^uheld me up.

19  When the cares of my heart are many,

your consolations cheer my soul.

20  Can ^wwicked rulers be allied with you,

those who frame¹ injustice by ^xstatute?

21  They ^yband together against the life of the righteous

and condemn ^zthe innocent to death.²

22  But the Lord has become my ^astronghold,

and my God ^bthe rock of my ^crefuge.

23  He will bring back on them ^dtheir iniquity

and ^ewipe them out for their wickedness;

the Lord our God will wipe them out.