Psalm 17-32

New American Standard Bible

Prayer for Protection against Oppressors.

A Prayer of David.

17 Hear a ^(A)just cause, Lord, ^(B)give Your attention to my cry;
^(C)Listen to my prayer, which is not from ^(D)deceitful lips.
²Let ^(E)my ^[a]judgment come forth from Your presence;
Let Your eyes look with ^(F)integrity.
³You have ^(G)put my heart to the test;
You have visited me by night;
You have ^(H)sifted me and ^(I)You find ^[b]nothing;
My ^(J)intent is that my mouth will not offend.
⁴As for the works of mankind, ^(K)by the word of Your lips
I have kept from the ^(L)ways of the violent.
⁵My ^(M)steps have held to Your ^[c]paths.
My ^(N)feet have not slipped.

⁶I have ^(O)called upon You, for You will answer me, God;
^(P)Incline Your ear to me, hear my speech.
⁷^(Q)Show Your wonderful faithfulness,
^(R)Savior of those who take refuge ^[d]at Your right hand
From those who rise up against them.
⁸Keep me as ^[e]the ^(S)apple of the eye;
Hide me ^(T)in the shadow of Your wings
⁹From the ^(U)wicked who deal violently with me,
My ^(V)deadly enemies who surround me.
¹⁰They have ^(W)closed their ^[f]unfeeling hearts,
With their mouths they ^(X)speak proudly.
¹¹They have now ^(Y)surrounded us in our steps;
They set their eyes ^(Z)to cast us down to the ground.
¹²He is ^(AA)like a lion that is eager to tear,
And as a young lion ^(AB)lurking in secret places.

¹³^(AC)Arise, Lord, confront him, ^(AD)make him bow down;
^(AE)Save my soul from the wicked with ^(AF)Your sword,
¹⁴From people by ^(AG)Your hand, Lord,
From people ^[g]of the world, ^(AH)whose portion is in this life,
And whose belly You ^(AI)fill with Your treasure;
They are satisfied with children,
And leave their abundance to their babies.
¹⁵As for me, I shall ^(AJ)behold Your face in righteousness;
^(AK)I shall be satisfied with Your ^(AL)likeness when I awake.

The Lord Praised for Rescuing David.

For the music director. A Psalm of David, the servant of the Lord, ^[h]who spoke to the Lord the words of this song on the day that the Lord rescued him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. And he said,

18 “I love You, Lord, ^(AM)my strength.”
²The Lord is ^(AN)my rock and ^(AO)my fortress and my ^(AP)savior,
My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge;
My ^(AQ)shield and the ^(AR)horn of my salvation, my ^(AS)stronghold.
³I call upon the Lord, who is ^(AT)worthy to be praised,
And I am ^(AU)saved from my enemies.

⁴The ^(AV)ropes of death encompassed me,
And the ^(AW)torrents of ^[i]destruction ^[j]terrified me.
⁵The ^(AX)ropes of ^[k]Sheol surrounded me;
The snares of death confronted me.
⁶In my ^(AY)distress I called upon the Lord,
And cried to my God for help;
He heard my voice ^(AZ)from His temple,
And my ^(BA)cry for help before Him came into His ears.

⁷Then the ^(BB)earth shook and quaked;
And the ^(BC)foundations of the mountains were trembling
And were shaken, because He was angry.
⁸Smoke went up ^[l]out of His nostrils,
And ^(BD)fire from His mouth was devouring;
Coals burned from it.
⁹He also ^(BE)bowed the heavens down low, and came down
With thick ^(BF)darkness under His feet.
¹⁰He rode on a ^(BG)cherub and flew;
And He sped on the ^(BH)wings of the wind.
¹¹He made ^(BI)darkness His hiding place, ^(BJ)His ^[m]canopy around Him,
Darkness of waters, thick clouds.
¹²From the ^(BK)brightness before Him passed His thick clouds,
Hailstones and ^(BL)coals of fire.
¹³The Lord also ^(BM)thundered in the heavens,
And the Most High uttered His voice,
Hailstones and coals of fire.
¹⁴He ^(BN)sent out His arrows, and scattered them,
And lightning flashes in abundance, and ^[n]routed them.
¹⁵Then the ^(BO)channels of water appeared,
And the foundations of the world were exposed
By Your ^(BP)rebuke, Lord,
At the blast of the ^(BQ)breath of Your nostrils.

¹⁶He ^(BR)sent from on high, He took me;
He drew me out of ^(BS)many waters.
¹⁷He ^(BT)saved me from my strong enemy,
And from those who hated me, for they were ^(BU)too mighty for me.
¹⁸They confronted me in ^(BV)the day of my disaster,
But ^(BW)the Lord was my support.
¹⁹He also brought me out into an ^(BX)open place;
He rescued me, because ^(BY)He delighted in me.

²⁰The Lord has ^(BZ)rewarded me according to my righteousness;
According to the ^(CA)cleanness of my hands He has repaid me.
²¹For I have ^(CB)kept the ways of the Lord,
And have ^(CC)not acted wickedly against my God.
²²For all ^(CD)His judgments were before me,
And I did not put away His ^(CE)statutes from me.
²³I was also ^[o]^(CF)blameless with Him,
And I ^(CG)kept myself from my wrongdoing.
²⁴Therefore the Lord has ^(CH)repaid me according to my righteousness,
According to the cleanness of my hands in His eyes.

²⁵With ^(CI)the faithful You show Yourself faithful;
With the ^[p]blameless ^(CJ)You prove Yourself blameless;
²⁶With the pure You show Yourself ^(CK)pure,
And with the crooked ^(CL)You show Yourself ^[q]astute.
²⁷For You ^(CM)save an afflicted people,
But You humiliate ^(CN)haughty eyes.
²⁸For You ^(CO)light my lamp;
The Lord my God ^(CP)illumines my darkness.
²⁹For by You I can ^(CQ)run at a ^[r]troop of warriors;
And by my God I can ^(CR)leap over a wall.

³⁰As for God, His way is ^[s]^(CS)blameless;
The ^(CT)word of the Lord is refined;
He is a ^(CU)shield to all who take refuge in Him.
³¹For ^(CV)who is God, but the Lord?
And who is a ^(CW)rock, except our God,
³²The God who ^(CX)encircles me with strength,
And ^[t]makes my way ^[u]^(CY)blameless?
³³He ^(CZ)makes my feet like deer’s feet,
And ^(DA)sets me up on my high places.
³⁴He ^(DB)trains my hands for battle,
So that my arms can ^(DC)bend a bow of bronze.
³⁵You have also given me ^(DD)the shield of Your salvation,
And Your ^(DE)right hand upholds me;
And ^(DF)Your ^[v]gentleness makes me great.
³⁶You ^(DG)enlarge my steps under me,
And my ^[w]^(DH)feet have not slipped.

³⁷I ^(DI)pursued my enemies and overtook them,
And I did not turn back ^(DJ)until they were consumed.
³⁸I shattered them, so that they were ^(DK)not able to rise;
They fell ^(DL)under my feet.
³⁹For You have ^(DM)encircled me with strength for battle;
You have forced those who rose up against me ^(DN)to bow down under me.
⁴⁰You have also made my enemies ^(DO)turn their backs to me,
And I ^[x]^(DP)destroyed those who hated me.
⁴¹They cried for help, but there was ^(DQ)no one to save,
They cried to the Lord, but ^(DR)He did not answer them.
⁴²Then I beat them fine like the ^(DS)dust before the wind;
I emptied them out like the mud of the streets.

⁴³You have rescued me from the ^(DT)contentions of the people;
You have placed me as ^(DU)head of the nations;
A ^(DV)people whom I have not known serve me.
⁴⁴As soon as they hear, they obey me;
Foreigners ^(DW)pretend to obey me.
⁴⁵Foreigners ^(DX)lose heart,
And ^(DY)come trembling out of their ^[y]fortresses.

⁴⁶The Lord ^(DZ)lives, and blessed be ^(EA)my rock;
And exalted be ^(EB)the God of my salvation,
⁴⁷The God who ^(EC)executes vengeance for me,
And ^(ED)subdues peoples under me.
⁴⁸He ^(EE)rescues me from my enemies;
You indeed ^(EF)lift me above those who rise up against me;
You rescue me from a ^(EG)violent man.
⁴⁹Therefore I will ^(EH)give thanks to You among the nations, Lord,
And I will ^(EI)sing praises to Your name.
⁵⁰He gives great ^[z]^(EJ)salvation to His king,
And shows faithfulness to ^(EK)His anointed,
To David and ^(EL)his ^[aa]descendants forever.

The Works and the Word of God.

For the music director. A Psalm of David.

19 The ^(EM)heavens tell of the glory of God;
And their ^(EN)expanse declares the work of His hands.
²Day to ^(EO)day pours forth speech,
And ^(EP)night to night reveals knowledge.
³There is no speech, nor are there words;
Their voice is not heard.
⁴Their ^[ab]^(EQ)line has gone out into all the earth,
And their words to the end of the world.
In them He has ^(ER)placed a tent for the sun,
⁵Which is like a groom coming out of his chamber;
It rejoices like a strong person to run his course.
⁶Its ^(ES)rising is from ^[ac]one end of the heavens,
And its circuit to the ^[ad]other end of them;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

⁷^(ET)The Law of the Lord is ^[ae]^(EU)perfect, ^(EV)restoring the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is ^(EW)sure, making ^(EX)wise the simple.
⁸The precepts of the Lord are ^(EY)right, ^(EZ)rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is ^(FA)pure, ^(FB)enlightening the eyes.
⁹The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are ^(FC)true; they are ^(FD)righteous altogether.
¹⁰They are more desirable than ^(FE)gold, yes, than much pure gold;
^(FF)Sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.
¹¹Moreover, ^(FG)Your servant is warned by them;
In keeping them there is great ^(FH)reward.
¹²Who can ^(FI)discern his errors? ^(FJ)Acquit me of ^(FK)hidden faults.
¹³Also keep Your servant back ^(FL)from presumptuous sins;
Let them not ^(FM)rule over me;
Then I will be ^(FN)innocent,
And I will be blameless of ^(FO)great wrongdoing.
¹⁴May the words of my mouth and ^(FP)the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
Lord, ^(FQ)my rock and my ^(FR)Redeemer.

Prayer for Victory over Enemies.

For the music director. A Psalm of David.

20 May the Lord answer you ^(FS)on a day of trouble!
May the ^(FT)name of the ^(FU)God of Jacob ^[af]protect you!
²May He send you help ^(FV)from the sanctuary,
And ^(FW)support you from Zion!
³May He ^(FX)remember all your meal offerings
And ^[ag]^(FY)accept your burnt offering! Selah

⁴May He grant you your ^(FZ)heart’s desire
And ^(GA)fulfill your whole plan!
⁵^[ah]We will ^(GB)sing for joy over your ^[ai]victory,
And in the name of our God we will ^(GC)set up our banners.
May the Lord ^(GD)fulfill all your desires.

⁶Now ^(GE)I know that the Lord saves His anointed;
He will ^(GF)answer him from His holy heaven
With the ^[aj]^(GG)saving strength of His right hand.
⁷Some praise their chariots and some their ^(GH)horses,
But ^(GI)we will praise the name of the Lord, our God.
⁸They have ^(GJ)bowed down and fallen,
But we have ^(GK)risen and stood upright.
⁹^[ak]^(GL)Save, Lord;
May the ^(GM)King answer us on the day we call.

Praise for Salvation.

For the music director. A Psalm of David.

21 Lord, in Your strength the king will ^(GN)be glad,
And in Your ^[al]salvation how greatly he will rejoice!
²You have ^(GO)given him his heart’s desire,
And You have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah
³For You ^(GP)meet him with the blessings of good things;
You set a ^(GQ)crown of pure gold on his head.
⁴He asked for life from You,
You ^(GR)gave it to him,
^(GS)Length of days forever and ever.
⁵His ^(GT)glory is great through Your ^[am]salvation,
^(GU)Splendor and majesty You place upon him.
⁶For You make him ^[an]most ^(GV)blessed forever;
You make him joyful ^(GW)with the joy of Your presence.

⁷For the king ^(GX)trusts in the Lord,
And through the faithfulness of the Most High ^(GY)he will not be shaken.
⁸Your hand will ^(GZ)find all your enemies;
Your right hand will find those who hate you.
⁹You will make them ^(HA)as a fiery oven in the time ^[ao]of your anger;
The Lord will ^(HB)swallow them up in His wrath,
And ^(HC)fire will devour them.
¹⁰You will eliminate their ^[ap]descendants from the earth,
And their ^[aq]^(HD)children from among the sons of mankind.
¹¹Though they ^[ar]^(HE)intended evil against You
And ^(HF)devised a plot,
They will not succeed.
¹²For You will ^(HG)make them turn their back;
You will take aim at their faces ^(HH)with Your bowstrings.
¹³Be exalted, Lord, in Your strength;
We will ^(HI)sing and praise Your power.

A Cry of Anguish and a Song of Praise.

For the music director; upon ^[as]Aijeleth Hashshahar. A Psalm of David.

22 ^(HJ)My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?
^(HK)Far from my ^[at]help are the words of my ^[au]^(HL)groaning.
²My God, I ^(HM)cry out by day, but You do not answer;
And by night, but ^[av]I have no rest.
³Yet ^(HN)You are holy,
You who ^[aw]are enthroned upon ^(HO)the praises of Israel.
⁴In You our fathers ^(HP)trusted;
They trusted and You ^(HQ)rescued them.
⁵To You they cried out and they fled to safety;
^(HR)In You they trusted and were not ^[ax]disappointed.

⁶But I am a ^(HS)worm and not a person,
A ^(HT)disgrace of mankind and ^(HU)despised by the people.
⁷All who see me ^(HV)deride me;
They ^[ay]sneer, they ^(HW)shake their heads, saying,
⁸“^[az]Turn ^[ba]him over to the Lord; ^(HX)let Him save him;
Let Him rescue him, because He delights in him.”

⁹Yet You are He who ^(HY)brought me forth from the womb;
You made me trust when upon my mother’s breasts.
¹⁰I was cast upon You ^(HZ)from ^[bb]birth;
You have been my God from my mother’s womb.

¹¹^(IA)Do not be far from me, for ^[bc]trouble is near;
For there is ^(IB)no one to help.
¹²Many ^(IC)bulls have surrounded me;
Strong bulls of ^(ID)Bashan have encircled me.
¹³They ^(IE)open their mouths wide at me,
As a ravening and roaring ^(IF)lion.
¹⁴I am ^(IG)poured out like water,
And all my ^(IH)bones are out of joint;
My ^(II)heart is like wax;
It is melted within ^[bd]me.
¹⁵My ^(IJ)strength is dried up like a piece of pottery,
And ^(IK)my tongue clings to my jaws;
And You ^(IL)lay me ^[be]in the dust of death.
¹⁶For ^(IM)dogs have surrounded me;
^[bf]A band of evildoers has encompassed me;
^[bg]They ^(IN)pierced my hands and my feet.
¹⁷I can count all my bones.
^(IO)They look, they stare at me;
¹⁸They ^(IP)divide my garments among them,
And they cast lots for my clothing.

¹⁹But You, Lord, ^(IQ)do not be far away;
You who are my help, ^(IR)hurry to my assistance.
²⁰Save my ^[bh]soul from ^(IS)the sword,
My ^(IT)only life from the ^[bi]power of the dog.
²¹Save me from the ^(IU)lion’s mouth;
From the horns of the ^(IV)wild oxen You ^(IW)answer me.

²²I will ^(IX)proclaim Your name to my brothers;
In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.
²³^(IY)You who fear the Lord, praise Him;
All you ^[bj]descendants of Jacob, ^(IZ)glorify Him,
And ^(JA)stand in awe of Him, all you ^[bk]descendants of Israel.
²⁴For He has ^(JB)not despised nor scorned the suffering of the afflicted;
Nor has He ^(JC)hidden His face from him;
But ^(JD)when he cried to Him for help, He heard.

²⁵From You comes ^(JE)my praise in the great assembly;
I shall ^(JF)pay my vows before those who fear Him.
²⁶The ^[bl]afflicted will eat and ^(JG)be satisfied;
Those who seek Him will ^(JH)praise the Lord.
May your ^(JI)heart live forever!
²⁷All the ^(JJ)ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord,
And all the ^(JK)families of the nations will worship before ^[bm]You.
²⁸For the ^(JL)kingdom is the Lord’s
And He ^(JM)rules over the nations.
²⁹All the ^[bn]^(JN)prosperous of the earth will eat and worship,
All those who ^(JO)go down to the dust will kneel before Him,
Even he who ^[bo]^(JP)cannot keep his soul alive.
³⁰A ^[bp]^(JQ)posterity will serve Him;
It will be told of the Lord to ^(JR)the coming generation.
³¹They will come and ^(JS)will declare His righteousness
To a people ^(JT)who will be born, that He has performed it.

The Lord, the Psalmist’s Shepherd.

A Psalm of David.

23 The Lord is my ^(JU)shepherd,
I will ^(JV)not be in need.
²He lets me lie down in ^(JW)green pastures;
He ^(JX)leads me beside ^[bq]^(JY)quiet waters.
³He ^(JZ)restores my soul;
He ^(KA)guides me in the ^[br]^(KB)paths of righteousness
For the sake of His name.

⁴Even though I ^(KC)walk through the ^[bs]valley of the shadow of death,
I ^(KD)fear no ^[bt]evil, for ^(KE)You are with me;
Your ^(KF)rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
⁵You ^(KG)prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You ^[bu]have ^(KH)anointed my head with oil;
My ^(KI)cup overflows.
⁶^[bv]Certainly ^(KJ)goodness and ^[bw]faithfulness will follow me all the days of my life,
And my ^(KK)dwelling will be in the house of the Lord ^[bx]forever.

The King of Glory Entering Zion.

A Psalm of David.

24 The ^(KL)earth is the Lord’s, and ^[by]all it contains,
The ^(KM)world, and those who live in it.
²For He has ^(KN)founded it upon the seas
And established it upon the rivers.
³Who may ^(KO)ascend onto the ^(KP)hill of the Lord?
And who may stand in His holy ^(KQ)place?
⁴One who has ^(KR)clean hands and a ^(KS)pure heart,
Who has not ^(KT)lifted up his soul to deceit
And has not ^(KU)sworn deceitfully.
⁵He will receive a ^(KV)blessing from the Lord
And ^[bz]^(KW)righteousness from the God of his salvation.
⁶^[ca]This is the generation of those who ^(KX)seek Him,
Who seek Your face—even Jacob. Selah

⁷^(KY)Lift up your heads, you gates,
And be lifted up, you ^[cb]ancient doors,
That the King of ^(KZ)glory may come in!
⁸Who is the King of glory?
The Lord ^(LA)strong and mighty,
The Lord ^(LB)mighty in battle.
⁹Lift up your heads, you gates,
And lift them up, you ^[cc]ancient doors,
That the King of ^(LC)glory may come in!
¹⁰Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of ^(LD)armies,
He is the King of glory. Selah

Prayer for Protection, Guidance, and Pardon.

A Psalm of David.

25 To You, Lord, I ^(LE)lift up my soul.
²My God, in You ^(LF)I trust,
Do not let me ^(LG)be ashamed;
Do not let my ^(LH)enemies rejoice over me.
³Indeed, ^(LI)none of those who wait for You will be ashamed;
^[cd]Those who ^(LJ)deal treacherously without cause will be ashamed.

⁴^(LK)Make me know Your ways, Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
⁵Lead me in ^(LL)Your truth and teach me,
For You are the ^(LM)God of my salvation;
For You I ^(LN)wait all the day.
⁶^(LO)Remember, Lord, Your compassion and Your faithfulness,
For they have been ^[ce]^(LP)from of old.
⁷Do not remember the ^(LQ)sins of my youth or my wrongdoings;
^(LR)Remember me according to Your faithfulness,
For Your ^(LS)goodness’ sake, Lord.

⁸^(LT)The Lord is good and ^(LU)upright;
Therefore He ^(LV)instructs sinners in the way.
⁹He ^(LW)leads the ^[cf]humble in justice,
And He ^(LX)teaches the ^[cg]humble His way.
¹⁰All the paths of the Lord are ^(LY)faithfulness and truth
To ^(LZ)those who comply with His covenant and His testimonies.
¹¹For the ^(MA)sake of Your name, Lord,
^(MB)Forgive my wrongdoing, for it is great.

¹²Who is the person who ^(MC)fears the Lord?
He will ^(MD)instruct him in the way he should choose.
¹³His soul will ^(ME)dwell in ^[ch]prosperity,
And his ^[ci]descendants will ^(MF)inherit the ^[cj]land.
¹⁴The ^[ck]^(MG)secret of the Lord is for those who fear Him,
^[cl]And He will ^(MH)make them know His covenant.
¹⁵My ^(MI)eyes are continually toward the Lord,
For He will ^[cm]^(MJ)rescue my feet from the net.

¹⁶^(MK)Turn to me and be gracious to me,
For I am ^(ML)lonely and afflicted.
¹⁷^[cn]The ^(MM)troubles of my heart are enlarged;
Bring me ^(MN)out of my distresses.
¹⁸^(MO)Look at my misery and my trouble,
And ^(MP)forgive all my sins.
¹⁹Look at my enemies, for they ^(MQ)are many,
And they ^(MR)hate me with violent hatred.
²⁰^(MS)Guard my soul and save me;
Do not let me ^(MT)be ashamed, for I take refuge in You.
²¹Let ^(MU)integrity and uprightness protect me,
For ^(MV)I wait for You.
²²^(MW)Redeem Israel, God,
From all his distress.

Protestation of Integrity and Prayer for Protection.

A Psalm of David.

26 ^[co]^(MX)Vindicate me, Lord, for I have ^(MY)walked in my integrity,
And I have ^(MZ)trusted in the Lord ^[cp]^(NA)without wavering.
²^(NB)Examine me, Lord, and put me to the test;
^(NC)Refine my ^[cq]mind and my heart.
³For Your ^(ND)^[cr]goodness is before my eyes,
And I have ^(NE)walked in Your truth.
⁴I do not ^(NF)sit with ^[cs]deceitful people,
Nor will I go with ^[ct]^(NG)pretenders.
⁵I ^(NH)hate the assembly of evildoers,
And I will not sit with the wicked.
⁶I will ^(NI)wash my hands in innocence,
And I will go around ^(NJ)Your altar, Lord,
⁷That I may proclaim with the voice of ^(NK)thanksgiving
And declare all Your ^[cu]wonders.

⁸Lord, I ^(NL)love the dwelling of Your house,
And the place ^[cv]where Your ^(NM)glory remains.
⁹^(NN)Do not ^[cw]take my soul away along with sinners,
Nor my life with ^(NO)men of bloodshed,
¹⁰In whose hands is a ^(NP)wicked scheme,
And whose right hand is full of ^(NQ)bribes.
¹¹But as for me, I will ^(NR)walk in my integrity;
^(NS)Redeem me, and be gracious to me.
¹²^(NT)My foot stands on ^(NU)level ground;
In the ^(NV)congregations I will bless the Lord.

A Psalm of Fearless Trust in God.

A Psalm of David.

27 The Lord is my ^(NW)light and my ^(NX)salvation;
Whom should I fear?
The Lord is the ^[cx]^(NY)defense of my life;
^(NZ)Whom should I dread?
²When evildoers came upon me to ^(OA)devour my flesh,
My adversaries and my enemies, they ^(OB)stumbled and fell.
³If an ^(OC)army encamps against me,
My heart will not fear;
If war arises against me,
In spite of this I am ^(OD)confident.

⁴^(OE)One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek:
That I may ^(OF)dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
To behold ^(OG)the ^[cy]beauty of the Lord
And to ^[cz]^(OH)meditate in His temple.
⁵For on the ^(OI)day of trouble He will ^(OJ)conceal me in His ^[da]tabernacle;
He will ^(OK)hide me in the secret place of His tent;
He will ^(OL)lift me up on a rock.
⁶And now ^(OM)my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me,
And I will offer ^(ON)sacrifices in His tent ^[db]with shouts of joy;
I will ^(OO)sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.

⁷^(OP)Hear, Lord, when I cry with my voice,
And be gracious to me and ^(OQ)answer me.
⁸When You said, “^(OR)Seek My face,” my heart said to You,
“^(OS)I shall seek Your face, Lord.”
⁹^(OT)Do not hide Your face from me,
Do not turn Your servant away in ^(OU)anger;
You have been ^(OV)my help;
^(OW)Do not abandon me nor ^(OX)forsake me,
God of my salvation!
¹⁰^[dc]For my father and ^(OY)my mother have forsaken me,
But ^(OZ)the Lord will take me up.

¹¹^(PA)Teach me Your way, Lord,
And lead me on a ^(PB)level path
Because of my enemies.
¹²Do not turn me over to the ^[dd]^(PC)desire of my enemies,
For ^(PD)false witnesses have risen against me,
And the violent ^(PE)witness.
¹³I certainly believed that I would see the ^(PF)goodness of the Lord
In the ^(PG)land of the living.
¹⁴^(PH)Wait for the Lord;
Be ^(PI)strong and let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait for the Lord.

A Prayer for Help, and Praise for Its Answer.

A Psalm of David.

28 To You, Lord, I call;
My ^(PJ)rock, do not be deaf to me,
For if You ^(PK)are silent to me,
I will become like those who ^(PL)go down to the pit.
²Hear the ^(PM)sound of my pleadings when I cry to You for help,
When I ^(PN)raise my hands ^(PO)toward ^[de]Your holy ^(PP)sanctuary.
³^(PQ)Do not drag me away with the wicked
And with those who practice injustice,
Who ^(PR)speak peace with their neighbors,
While evil is in their hearts.
⁴Give back to them ^(PS)according to their work and according to the evil of their practices;
Give back to them according to the work of their hands;
Repay them what is due them.
⁵Because they ^(PT)do not regard the works of the Lord
Nor the deeds of His hands,
He will tear them down and not build them up.

⁶Blessed be the Lord,
Because He ^(PU)has heard the sound of my pleading.
⁷The Lord is my ^(PV)strength and my ^(PW)shield;
My heart ^(PX)trusts in Him, and I am helped;
Therefore ^(PY)my heart triumphs,
And with ^(PZ)my song I shall thank Him.
⁸The Lord is ^[df]their ^(QA)strength,
And He is a refuge of ^(QB)salvation to His anointed.
⁹^(QC)Save Your people and bless ^(QD)Your inheritance;
Be their ^(QE)shepherd also, and ^(QF)carry them forever.

The Voice of the Lord in the Storm.

A Psalm of David.

29 ^(QG)Ascribe to the Lord, ^[dg]sons of the mighty,
Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
²Ascribe to the Lord the glory ^[dh]due His name;
Worship the Lord ^(QH)in holy attire.

³The ^(QI)voice of the Lord is on the waters;
The God of glory ^(QJ)thunders,
The Lord is over ^[di]^(QK)many waters.
⁴The voice of the Lord is ^(QL)powerful,
The voice of the Lord is majestic.
⁵The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
Yes, the Lord breaks ^(QM)the cedars of Lebanon in pieces.
⁶He makes Lebanon ^(QN)skip like a calf,
And ^(QO)Sirion like a young wild ox.
⁷The voice of the Lord divides ^[dj]flames of fire.
⁸The voice of the Lord ^[dk]shakes the wilderness;
The Lord shakes the wilderness of ^(QP)Kadesh.
⁹The voice of the Lord makes ^(QQ)the deer give birth
And strips the forests bare;
And ^(QR)in His temple everything says, “Glory!”

¹⁰The Lord sat as King at the ^(QS)flood;
Yes, the Lord sits as ^(QT)King forever.
¹¹^[dl]The Lord will give ^(QU)strength to His people;
^[dm]The Lord will bless His people with ^(QV)peace.

Thanksgiving for Rescue from Death.

A Psalm; a Song at the Dedication of the House. A Psalm of David.

30 I will ^(QW)exalt You, Lord, for You have ^(QX)lifted me up,
And have not let my ^(QY)enemies rejoice over me.
²Lord my God,
I ^(QZ)cried to You for help, and You ^(RA)healed me.
³Lord, You have ^(RB)brought up my soul from ^[dn]Sheol;
You have kept me alive, ^[do]that I would not ^(RC)go down to the pit.
⁴^(RD)Sing praise to the Lord, you ^(RE)His godly ones,
And ^(RF)praise the mention of His holiness.
⁵For ^(RG)His anger is but for a moment,
His ^(RH)favor is for a lifetime;
Weeping may ^(RI)last for the night,
But a shout of joy comes in the morning.

⁶Now as for me, I said in my prosperity,
“I will ^(RJ)never be moved.”
⁷Lord, by Your favor You have made my mountain to stand strong;
You ^(RK)hid Your face, I was dismayed.
⁸To You, Lord, I called,
And to the Lord I pleaded for compassion:
⁹“What gain is there in my blood, if I ^(RL)go down to the pit?
Will the ^(RM)dust praise You? Will it declare Your faithfulness?

¹⁰“^(RN)Hear, Lord, and be gracious to me;
Lord, be my ^(RO)helper.”
¹¹You have turned ^(RP)my mourning into dancing for me;
You have ^(RQ)untied my sackcloth and encircled me with ^(RR)joy,
¹²That my ^[dp]^(RS)soul may sing praise to You and not be silent.
Lord my God, I will ^(RT)give thanks to You forever.

A Psalm of Complaint and of Praise.

For the music director. A Psalm of David.

31 ^(RU)In You, Lord, I have taken refuge;
Let me never ^(RV)be ^[dq]put to shame;
^(RW)In Your righteousness rescue me.
²^(RX)Incline Your ear to me, rescue me quickly;
Be a ^(RY)rock of ^[dr]strength for me,
A ^[ds]stronghold to save me.
³For You are my rock and ^(RZ)my fortress;
For the ^(SA)sake of Your name You will lead me and guide me.
⁴You will ^(SB)pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me,
For You are my ^(SC)strength.
⁵^(SD)Into Your hand I entrust my spirit;
You have ^(SE)redeemed me, Lord, ^(SF)God of ^[dt]truth.

⁶I hate those who ^(SG)devote themselves to worthless ^[du]idols,
But I ^(SH)trust in the Lord.
⁷I will ^(SI)rejoice and be glad in Your faithfulness,
Because You have ^(SJ)seen my misery;
You have known the troubles of my soul,
⁸And You have not ^(SK)handed me over to the enemy;
You have set my feet in a large place.

⁹Be gracious to me, Lord, for ^(SL)I am in distress;
My ^(SM)eye is wasted away from grief, ^(SN)my soul and my body too.
¹⁰For my life is spent with ^(SO)sorrow
And my years with sighing;
My ^(SP)strength has failed because of my guilt,
And ^(SQ)my ^[dv]body has wasted away.
¹¹Because of all my adversaries, I have become a ^(SR)disgrace,
Especially to my ^(SS)neighbors,
And an object of dread to my acquaintances;
Those who see me in the street flee from me.
¹²I am ^(ST)forgotten like a dead person, out of mind;
I am like a broken vessel.
¹³For I have heard the ^[dw]^(SU)slander of many,
^(SV)Terror is on every side;
While they ^(SW)took counsel together against me,
They ^(SX)schemed to take away my life.

¹⁴But as for me, I trust in You, Lord,
I say, “^(SY)You are my God.”
¹⁵My ^(SZ)times are in Your hand;
^(TA)Rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from those who persecute me.
¹⁶Make Your ^(TB)face shine upon Your servant;
^(TC)Save me in Your faithfulness.
¹⁷Let me not be ^(TD)put to shame, Lord, for I call upon You;
Let the ^(TE)wicked be put to shame, let them ^(TF)be silent in ^[dx]Sheol.
¹⁸Let the ^(TG)lying lips be speechless,
Which ^(TH)speak arrogantly against the righteous
With pride and contempt.

¹⁹How great is Your ^(TI)goodness,
Which You have stored up for those who fear You,
Which You have performed for those who ^(TJ)take refuge in You,
^(TK)Before the sons of mankind!
²⁰You hide them in the ^(TL)secret place of Your presence from the ^(TM)conspiracies of mankind;
You keep them secretly in a ^[dy]shelter from the ^(TN)strife of tongues.
²¹^(TO)Blessed be the Lord,
For He has shown His ^(TP)marvelous faithfulness to me in a besieged ^(TQ)city.
²²As for me, ^(TR)I said in my alarm,
“I am ^(TS)cut off from Your eyes”;
Nevertheless You ^(TT)heard the sound of my pleadings
When I called to You for help.

²³Love the Lord, all ^(TU)His godly ones!
The Lord ^(TV)watches over the faithful
But fully ^(TW)repays the one who acts arrogantly.
²⁴^(TX)Be strong and let your heart take courage,
All you who wait for the Lord.

Blessedness of Forgiveness and of Trust in God.

A Psalm of David. A ^[dz]Maskil.

32 ^(TY)How blessed is he whose wrongdoing is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered!
²How blessed is a person whose guilt the Lord ^(TZ)does not take into account,
And in whose spirit there is ^(UA)no deceit!

³When ^(UB)I kept silent about my sin, ^(UC)my ^[ea]body wasted away
Through my ^[eb]^(UD)groaning all day long.
⁴For day and night ^(UE)Your hand was heavy upon me;
My ^[ec]^(UF)vitality failed as with the dry heat of summer. Selah
⁵I ^(UG)acknowledged my sin to You,
And I ^(UH)did not hide my guilt;
I said, “^(UI)I will confess my wrongdoings to the Lord”;
And You ^(UJ)forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah
⁶Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You ^[ed]^(UK)in a time when You may be found;
Certainly ^(UL)in a flood of great waters, they will not reach him.
⁷You are ^(UM)my hiding place; You ^(UN)keep me from trouble;
You surround me with ^[ee]^(UO)songs of deliverance. Selah

⁸I will ^(UP)instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go;
I will advise you ^(UQ)with My eye upon you.
⁹Do not be ^(UR)like the horse or like the mule, which have no understanding,
Whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check,
Otherwise they will not come near to you.
¹⁰The ^(US)sorrows of the wicked are many,
But ^(UT)the one who trusts in the Lord, goodness will surround him.
¹¹Be ^(UU)glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous ones;
And shout for joy, all you who are ^(UV)upright in heart.