The Lord, a Refuge and Defense.

For the music director. A Psalm of David.

11 In the Lord I (A)take refuge;
How can you say to my soul, “Flee as a bird to your (B)mountain?
For, behold, the wicked (C)bend the bow,
They have [a](D)set their arrow on the string
To (E)shoot in darkness at the upright in heart.
If the (F)foundations are destroyed,
What can the righteous do?”

The Lord is in His (G)holy temple; the [b]Lords (H)throne is in heaven;
His (I)eyes see, His eyelids test the sons of mankind.
The Lord (J)tests the righteous and (K)the wicked,
And His soul hates one who loves violence.
He will (L)rain [c]coals of fire upon the wicked,
(M)And brimstone and (N)burning wind will be the portion of (O)their cup.
For the Lord is (P)righteous, (Q)He loves [d]righteousness;
The upright will (R)see His face.

God, a Helper against the Treacherous.

For the music director; [e]upon an eight-stringed lyre. A Psalm of David.

12 Help, Lord, for (S)the godly person has come to an end,
For the faithful have disappeared from the sons of mankind.
They (T)speak [f]lies to one another;
They speak with [g](U)flattering lips and a double heart.
May the Lord cut off all [h]flattering lips,
The tongue that (V)speaks great things;
Who (W)have said, “With our tongue we will prevail;
Our lips are [i]our own; who is lord over us?”
“Because of the (X)devastation of the poor, because of the groaning of the needy,
Now (Y)I will arise,” says the Lord; “I will (Z)put him in the safety for which he longs.”

The (AA)words of the Lord are pure words;
Like silver (AB)refined in a furnace on the ground, filtered seven times.
You, Lord, will keep them;
You will (AC)protect him from this generation forever.
The (AD)wicked strut about on every side
When [j](AE)vileness is exalted among the sons of mankind.

Prayer for Help in Trouble.

For the music director. A Psalm of David.

13 How long, Lord? Will You (AF)forget me forever?
How long (AG)will You hide Your face from me?
How long am I to (AH)feel anxious in my soul,
With (AI)grief in my heart all the day?
How long will my enemy be exalted over me?

(AJ)Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;
(AK)Enlighten my eyes, or I will (AL)sleep the sleep of death,
And my enemy will (AM)say, “I have overcome him,”
And (AN)my adversaries will rejoice when I am shaken.

But I have (AO)trusted in Your faithfulness;
My heart shall (AP)rejoice in Your salvation.
I will (AQ)sing to the Lord,
Because He has (AR)looked after me.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 11:2 Or fixed
  2. Psalm 11:4 Lit Lord, His throne
  3. Psalm 11:6 As in a Gr version; MT snares; Fire and
  4. Psalm 11:7 Or righteous deeds
  5. Psalm 12 Title Or according to a lower octave (Heb Sheminith)
  6. Psalm 12:2 Lit worthless speech
  7. Psalm 12:2 Lit a smooth lip
  8. Psalm 12:3 Lit a smooth lip
  9. Psalm 12:4 Lit with us
  10. Psalm 12:8 Or worthlessness

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