Bible in 90 Days

^22 (A) Make their table a trap
    for them and their friends.
²³ Blind them with darkness
    and make them tremble.
²⁴ Show them how angry you are!
    Be furious and catch them.
^25 (B) Destroy their camp
and don't let anyone live
    in their tents.

²⁶ They cause trouble for people
    you have already punished;
their gossip hurts those
    you have wounded.
²⁷ Make them guiltier than ever
    and don't forgive them.
^28 (C) Wipe their names from the book
    of the living;
remove them from the list
    of the innocent.
²⁹ I am mistreated and in pain.
Protect me, God,
    and keep me safe!

³⁰ I will praise the Lord God
with a song
    and a thankful heart.
³¹ This will please the Lord
better than offering an ox
    or a full-grown bull.
³² When those in need see this,
    they will be happy,
and the Lord's worshipers
    will be encouraged.
³³ The Lord will listen
    when the homeless cry out,
and he will never forget
    his people in prison.

³⁴ Heaven and earth
    will praise our God,
and so will the oceans
    and everything in them.
³⁵ God will rescue Jerusalem,
and he will rebuild
    the towns of Judah.
His people will live there
    on their own land,
³⁶ and when the time comes,
their children will inherit
    the land.
Then everyone who loves God
    will also settle there.

⁴ Let your worshipers celebrate
    and be glad because of you.
They love your saving power,
so let them always say,
    “God is wonderful!”
⁵ I am poor and needy,
but you, the Lord God,
    care about me.

You are the one who saves me.
    Please hurry and help!

⁴ Come and save me, Lord God,
from vicious and cruel
    and brutal enemies!
⁵ I depend on you,
and I have trusted you
    since I was young.
⁶ I have relied on you^[b]
    from the day I was born.
You brought me safely
through birth,
    and I always praise you.

⁷ Many people think of me
    as something evil.
But you are my mighty protector,
⁸ and I praise and honor you
    all day long.
⁹ Don't throw me aside
    when I am old;
don't desert me
    when my strength is gone.
¹⁰ My enemies are plotting
    because they want me dead.
¹¹ They say, “Now we'll catch you!
God has deserted you,
    and no one can save you.”
¹² Come closer, God!
    Please hurry and help.
¹³ Embarrass and destroy
    all who want me dead;
disgrace and confuse
    all who want to hurt me.
¹⁴ I will never give up hope
    or stop praising you.
¹⁵ All day long I will tell
the wonderful things you do
    to save your people.
But you have done much more
    than I could possibly know.
¹⁶ I will praise you, Lord God,
for your mighty deeds
    and your power to save.

¹⁷ You have taught me
    since I was a child,
and I never stop telling about
    your marvelous deeds.
¹⁸ Don't leave me when I am old
    and my hair turns gray.
Let me tell future generations
    about your mighty power.
¹⁹ Your deeds of kindness
are known in the heavens.
    No one is like you!

²⁰ You made me suffer a lot,
    but you will bring me
back from this deep pit
    and give me new life.
²¹ You will make me truly great
    and take my sorrow away.

²² I will praise you, God,
the Holy One of Israel.
    You are faithful.
I will play the harp
    and sing your praises.
²³ You have rescued me!
    I will celebrate and shout,
singing praises to you
    with all my heart.
²⁴ All day long I will announce
    your power to save.
I will tell how you disgraced
and disappointed those
    who wanted to hurt me.

^8 (D) Let his kingdom reach
    from sea to sea,
from the Euphrates River
    across all the earth.
⁹ Force the desert tribes
    to accept his rule,
and make his enemies
    crawl in the dirt.
¹⁰ Force the rulers of Tarshish^[d]
and of the islands
    to pay taxes to him.
Make the kings of Sheba
    and of Seba^[e] bring gifts.
¹¹ Make other rulers bow down
    and all nations serve him.

¹² Do this because the king
rescues the homeless
    when they cry out,
and he helps everyone
    who is poor and in need.
¹³ The king has pity
on the weak and the helpless
    and protects those in need.
¹⁴ He cares when they hurt,
and he saves them from cruel
    and violent deaths.

¹⁵ Long live the king!
    Give him gold from Sheba.
Always pray for the king
    and praise him each day.
¹⁶ Let cities overflow with food
and hills be covered with grain,
    just like Mount Lebanon.
Let the people in the cities
    prosper like wild flowers.
¹⁷ May the glory of the king
shine brightly forever
    like the sun in the sky.
Let him make nations prosper
    and learn to praise him.

¹⁸ Lord God of Israel,
we praise you.
    Only you can work miracles.
¹⁹ We will always praise
    your glorious name.
Let your glory be seen
everywhere on earth.
    Amen and amen.

²⁰ This ends the prayers
    of David, the son of Jesse.

⁶ Their pride is like a necklace,
and they commit sin more often
    than they dress themselves.
⁷ Their eyes bulge with fat,
and their minds are flooded
    with foolish thoughts.
⁸ They sneer and say cruel things,
and because of their pride,
    they make violent threats.
⁹ They dare to speak against God
    and to order others around.

¹⁰ God will bring his people back,
and they will drink the water
    he so freely gives.^[h]

¹¹ Only evil people would say,
“God Most High cannot
    know everything!”
¹² Yet all goes well for them,
    and they live in peace.
¹³ What good did it do me
to keep my thoughts pure
    and refuse to do wrong?
¹⁴ I am sick all day,
and I am punished
    each morning.
¹⁵ If I had said evil things,
I would not have been loyal
    to your people.

¹⁶ It was hard for me
    to understand all this!
¹⁷ Then I went to your temple,
    and there I understood
what will happen
    to my enemies.
¹⁸ You will make them stumble,
    never to get up again.
¹⁹ They will be terrified,
suddenly swept away
    and no longer there.
²⁰ They will disappear, Lord,
despised like a bad dream
    the morning after.

²¹ Once I was bitter
    and brokenhearted.
²² I was stupid and ignorant,
and I treated you
    as a wild animal would.
²³ But I never really left you,
    and you hold my right hand.
²⁴ Your advice has been my guide,
and later you will welcome me
    in glory.^[i]
25 In heaven I have only you,
and on this earth
    you are all I want.
²⁶ My body and mind may fail,
but you are my strength
    and my choice forever.

²⁷ All-Powerful Lord God,
those who stay far from you
    will be lost,
and you will destroy those
    who are unfaithful.
²⁸ It is good for me
    to be near you.
I choose you as my protector,
and I will tell about
    your wonderful deeds.

Think of Mount Zion,
    your home;
³ walk over to the temple
left in ruins forever
    by those who hate us.

⁴ Your enemies roared like lions
    in your holy temple,
and they have placed
    their banners there.
⁵ It looks like a forest
    chopped to pieces.^[j]
6 They used axes and hatchets
    to smash the carvings.
⁷ They burned down your temple
    and badly disgraced it.
⁸ They said to themselves,
    “We'll crush them!”
Then they burned every one
of your meeting places
    all over the country.
⁹ There are no more miracles
    and no more prophets.
Who knows how long
    it will be like this?

¹⁰ Our God, how much longer
    will our enemies sneer?
Won't they ever stop
    insulting you?
¹¹ Why don't you punish them?
    Why are you holding back?

¹² Our God and King,
you have ruled
    since ancient times;
you have won victories
    everywhere on this earth.
^13 (E) By your power you made a path
    through the sea,
and you smashed the heads
    of sea monsters.
^14 (F) You crushed the heads
    of the monster Leviathan,^[k]
then fed him to wild creatures
    in the desert.
¹⁵ You opened the ground
for streams and springs
    and dried up mighty rivers.
¹⁶ You rule the day and the night,
and you put the moon
    and the sun in place.
¹⁷ You made summer and winter
    and gave them to the earth.^[l]

¹⁸ Remember your enemies, Lord!
They foolishly sneer
    and won't respect you.
¹⁹ You treat us like pet doves,
    but they mistreat us.
Don't keep forgetting us
and letting us be fed
    to those wild animals.
²⁰ Remember the agreement
    you made with us.
Violent enemies are hiding
in every dark corner
    of the earth.
²¹ Don't disappoint those in need
    or make them turn from you,
but help the poor and homeless
    to shout your praises.
²² Do something, God!
    Defend yourself.
Remember how those fools
    sneer at you all day long.
²³ Don't forget the loud shouts
    of your enemies.

² You have set a time
    to judge with fairness.
³ The earth trembles,
    and its people shake;
you alone keep
    its foundations firm.
⁴ You tell every bragger,
    “Stop bragging!”
And to the wicked you say,
    “Don't boast of your power!
⁵ Stop bragging! Quit telling me
    how great you are.”

⁶ Our Lord and our God,
    victory doesn't come
from the east or the west
    or from the desert.
⁷ You are the one who judges.
You can take away power
    and give it to others.
⁸ You hold in your hand
a cup filled with wine,^[n]
    strong and foaming.
You will pour out some
for every sinful person
    on this earth,
and they will have to drink
    until it is gone.
⁹ But I will always tell about
you, the God of Jacob,
    and I will sing your praise.

¹⁰ Our Lord, you will destroy
    the power of evil people,
but you will give strength
    to those who are good.

⁴ You are more glorious than
    the eternal mountains.^[o]
5 Brave warriors were robbed
    of what they had taken,
and now they lie dead,
    unable to lift an arm.
⁶ God of Jacob, when you roar,
enemy chariots and horses
    drop dead in their tracks.

⁷ Our God, you are fearsome,
and no one can oppose you
    when you are angry.
⁸ From heaven you announced
    your decisions as judge!
And all who live on this earth
    were terrified and silent
⁹ when you took over as judge,
ready to rescue
    everyone in need.
¹⁰ Even the most angry people
will praise you
    when you are furious.^[p]

¹¹ Everyone, make your promises
to the Lord your God
    and do what you promise.
The Lord is fearsome,
and all his servants
    should bring him gifts.
¹² God destroys the courage
of rulers and kings
    and makes cowards of them.

⁴ Because of you, Lord God,
    I can't sleep.
I am restless
    and can't even talk.
⁵ I think of times gone by,
    of those years long ago.
⁶ Each night my mind
    is flooded with questions:^[q]
7 “Have you rejected me forever?
    Won't you be kind again?
⁸ Is this the end of your love
    and your promises?
⁹ Have you forgotten
    how to have pity?
Do you refuse to show mercy
    because of your anger?”
¹⁰ Then I said, “God Most High,
    what hurts me most
is that you no longer help us
    with your mighty arm.”

¹¹ Our Lord, I will remember
the things you have done,
    your miracles of long ago.
¹² I will think about each one
    of your mighty deeds.
¹³ Everything you do is right,
and no other god
    compares with you.
¹⁴ You alone work miracles,
and you have let nations
    see your mighty power.
¹⁵ With your own arm you rescued
your people, the descendants
    of Jacob and Joseph.

¹⁶ The ocean looked at you, God,
and it trembled deep down
    with fear.
¹⁷ Water flowed from the clouds.
    Thunder was heard above
as your arrows of lightning
    flashed about.
¹⁸ Your thunder roared
    like chariot wheels.
The world was made bright
by lightning,
    and all the earth trembled.

¹⁹ You walked through the water
    of the mighty sea,
but your footprints
    were never seen.
²⁰ You guided your people
    like a flock of sheep,
and you chose Moses and Aaron
    to be their leaders.

⁵ God gave his Law
to Jacob's descendants,
    the people of Israel.
And he told our ancestors
    to teach their children,
⁶ so that each new generation
would know his Law
    and tell it to the next.
⁷ Then they would trust God
    and obey his teachings,
without forgetting anything
    God had done.
⁸ They would be different
    from their ancestors,
who were stubborn, rebellious,
    and unfaithful to God.

⁹ The warriors from Ephraim
    were armed with arrows,
but they ran away
    when the battle began.
¹⁰ They broke their agreement
    with God,
and they turned their backs
    on his teaching.
¹¹ They forgot all he had done,
    even the mighty miracles
^12 (H)(I) he did for their ancestors
    near Zoan^[r] in Egypt.

^13 (J) God made a path in the sea
and piled up the water
    as he led them across.
^14 (K) He guided them during the day
    with a cloud,
and each night he led them
    with a flaming fire.
^15 (L) God made water flow
from rocks he split open
    in the desert,
and his people drank freely,
    as though from a lake.
¹⁶ He made streams gush out
    like rivers from rocks.

¹⁷ But in the desert,
the people of God Most High
    kept sinning and rebelling.
^18 (M) They stubbornly tested God
and demanded from him
    what they wanted to eat.
¹⁹ They challenged God by saying,
“Can God provide food
    out here in the desert?
²⁰ It's true God struck the rock
and water gushed out
    like a river,
but can he give his people
    bread and meat?”

²¹ When the Lord heard this,
    he was angry and furious
with Jacob's descendants,
    the people of Israel.
²² They had refused to trust him,
and they had doubted
    his saving power.

²³ But God gave a command
    to the clouds,
and he opened the doors
    in the skies.
^24 (N) From heaven he sent grain
    that they called manna.^[s]
25 He gave them more than enough,
and each one of them ate
    this special food.

²⁶ God's mighty power
sent a strong wind
    from the southeast,
²⁷ and it brought birds
that covered the ground,
    like sand on the beach.
²⁸ Then God made the birds fall
in the camp of his people
    near their tents.

²⁹ God gave his people
    all they wanted,
and each of them ate
    until they were full.
³⁰ But before they had swallowed
    the last bite,
³¹ God became angry and killed
the strongest and best
    from the families of Israel.

³² But the rest kept on sinning
and would not trust
    God's miracles.
³³ So he cut their lives short
    and made them terrified.
³⁴ After he killed some of them,
the others turned to him
    with all their hearts.
³⁵ They remembered God Most High,
the mighty rock^[t]
    that kept them safe.
³⁶ But they tried to flatter God,
    and they told him lies;
^37 (O) they were unfaithful
    and broke their promises.

³⁸ Yet God was kind.
He kept forgiving their sins
    and didn't destroy them.
He often became angry,
    but never lost his temper.
³⁹ God remembered that they
    were made of flesh
and were like a wind
that blows once
    and then dies down.

⁴⁰ While they were in the desert,
they often rebelled
    and made God sad.
⁴¹ They kept testing him
and caused terrible pain
    for the Holy One of Israel.
⁴² They forgot about his power
and how he had rescued them
    from their enemies.

⁴³ God showed them all kinds
of wonderful miracles
    near Zoan^[u] in Egypt.
^44 (P) He turned the rivers of Egypt
    into blood,
and no one could drink
    from the streams.
^45 (Q) He sent swarms of flies
    to pester the Egyptians,
and he sent frogs
    to cause them trouble.

^46 (R) God let worms and grasshoppers
    eat their crops.
^47 (S) He destroyed their grapevines
and their fig trees
    with hail and floods.^[v]
48 Then he killed their cattle
    with hail
and their other animals
    with lightning.

⁴⁹ God was so angry and furious
    that he went into a rage
and caused them great trouble
by sending swarms
    of destroying angels.
⁵⁰ God released his anger
and slaughtered them
    in a terrible way.
^51 (T) He killed the first-born son
    of each Egyptian family.

^52 (U) Then God led his people
    out of Egypt
and guided them in the desert
    like a flock of sheep.
^53 (V) He led them safely along,
    and they were not afraid,
but their enemies drowned
    in the sea.

^54 (W) God brought his people
    to the sacred mountain
that he had taken
    by his own power.
^55 (X) He made nations run
    from the tribes of Israel,
and he let the tribes
    take over their land.

^56 (Y) But the people tested
    God Most High,
and they refused
    to obey his laws.
⁵⁷ They were as unfaithful
    as their ancestors,
and they were as crooked
    as a twisted arrow.
⁵⁸ God demanded all their love,
but they made him angry
    by worshiping idols.

⁵⁹ So God became furious
and completely rejected
    the people of Israel.
^60 (Z) Then he deserted his home
at Shiloh, where he lived
    here on earth.
^61 (AA) He let enemies capture
the sacred chest^[w]
    and let them dishonor him.

⁶² God took out his anger
    on his chosen ones
and let them be killed
    by enemy swords.
⁶³ Fire destroyed the young men,
and the young women were left
    with no one to marry.
⁶⁴ Priests died violent deaths,
but their widows
    were not allowed to mourn.

⁶⁵ Finally the Lord woke up,
like a soldier
    startled from a drunken sleep.
⁶⁶ God scattered his enemies
and made them ashamed
    forever.

⁶⁷ Then the Lord decided
    not to make his home
with Joseph's descendants
    in Ephraim.^[x]
68 Instead he chose the tribe
    of Judah,
and he chose Mount Zion,
    the place he loves.
⁶⁹ There he built his temple
as lofty as the mountains
and as solid as the earth
he made to last forever.

^70 (AB) The Lord God chose David
to be his servant and took him
    from tending sheep
⁷¹     and from caring for lambs.
Then God made him the leader
    of Israel, his own nation.
⁷² David treated the people fairly
    and guided them with wisdom.

⁵ Our Lord, will you keep on
    being angry?
Will your angry feelings
    keep flaming up like fire?
⁶ Get angry with those nations
that don't know you
    and won't worship you!
⁷ They have gobbled up
Jacob's descendants
    and left the land in ruins.

^8 (AD) Don't make us pay for the sins
    of our ancestors.
Have pity and come quickly!
    We are completely helpless.
⁹ Our God, you keep us safe.
    Now help us! Rescue us.
Forgive our sins
    and bring honor to yourself.

¹⁰ Why should nations ask us,
    “Where is your God?”
Let us and the other nations
    see you take revenge
for your servants who died
    a violent death.

¹¹ Listen to the prisoners groan!
Let your mighty power save all
    who are sentenced to die.
¹² Each of those nations sneered
    at you, our Lord.
Now let others sneer at them,
    seven times as much.
¹³ Then we, your people,
    will always thank you.
We are like sheep
    with you as our shepherd,
and all generations
    will hear us praise you.

³ Our God, make us strong again!
    Smile on us and save us.

⁴ Lord God All-Powerful,
    how much longer
will the prayers of your people
    make you angry?
⁵ You gave us tears for food,
and you made us drink them
    by the bowlful.
⁶ Because of you,
our enemies who live nearby
    laugh and joke about us.
⁷ Our God, make us strong again!
    Smile on us and save us.

⁸ We were like a grapevine
    you brought out of Egypt.
You chased other nations away
    and planted us here.
⁹ Then you cleared the ground,
and we put our roots deep,
    spreading over the land.
¹⁰ Shade from this vine covered
    the mountains.
Its branches climbed
the mighty cedars
¹¹     and stretched to the sea;
its new growth reached
    to the river.^[z]

¹² Our Lord, why have you
torn down the wall
    from around the vineyard?
You let everyone who walks by
    pick the grapes.
¹³ Now the vine is gobbled up
by pigs from the forest
    and other wild animals.

¹⁴ God All-Powerful,
    please do something!
Look down from heaven
and see what's happening
    to this vine.
¹⁵ With your own hands
    you planted its roots,
and you raised it
    as your very own.

¹⁶ Enemies chopped the vine down
    and set it on fire.
Now show your anger
    and destroy them.
¹⁷ But help the one who sits
    at your right side,^[aa]
the one you raised
    to be your very own.
¹⁸ Then we will never turn away.
Put new life into us,
    and we will worship you.

¹⁹ Lord God All-Powerful,
make us strong again!
    Smile on us and save us.

In a voice unknown to me,
    I heard someone say:
⁶ “I lifted the burden
    from your shoulder
and took the heavy basket
    from your hands.
^7 (AG) When you were in trouble,
    I rescued you,
and from the thunderclouds,
    I answered your prayers.
Later I tested you
    at Meribah Spring.^[ad]

⁸ “Listen, my people,
while I, the Lord,
    correct you!
Israel, if you would only
    pay attention to me!
^9 (AH) Don't worship foreign gods
or bow down to gods
    you know nothing about.
¹⁰ I am the Lord your God.
    I rescued you from Egypt.
Just ask, and I will give you
    whatever you need.

¹¹ “But, my people, Israel,
    you refused to listen,
and you would have nothing
    to do with me!
¹² So I let you be stubborn
and keep on following
    your own advice.

¹³ “My people, Israel,
if only you would listen
    and do as I say!
¹⁴ I, the Lord, would quickly
defeat your enemies
    with my mighty power.
¹⁵ Everyone who hates me
    would come crawling,
and that would be the end
    of them.
¹⁶ But I would feed you
    with the finest bread
and with the best honey^[ae]
    until you were full.”

⁵ “None of you know
    or understand a thing.
You live in darkness,
while the foundations
    of the earth tremble.^[ag]

^6 (AI) “I, the Most High God, say
that all of you are gods^[ah]
    and also my own children.
⁷ But you will die,
just like everyone else,
    including powerful rulers.”

⁸ Do something, God!
Judge the nations of the earth;
    they belong to you.

⁵ All of them fully agree
in their plans against you,
    and among them are
⁶ Edom and the Ishmaelites;
    Moab and the Hagrites;
⁷ Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek;
    Philistia and Phoenicia.^[ai]
8 Even Assyria has joined forces
    with Moab and Ammon.^[aj]

^9 (AJ) Our Lord, punish all of them
    as you punished Midian.
Destroy them, as you destroyed
    Sisera and Jabin
at Kishon Creek ¹⁰ near Endor,
    and let their bodies rot.
^11 (AK) Treat their leaders as you did
    Oreb and Zeeb,
    Zebah and Zalmunna.
¹² All of them said, “We'll take
    God's valuable land!”

¹³ Our God, scatter them around
    like dust in a whirlwind.
¹⁴ Just as flames destroy forests
    on the mountains,
¹⁵ pursue and terrify them
    with storms of your own.
¹⁶ Make them blush with shame,
until they turn and worship
    you, our Lord.
¹⁷ Let them be forever ashamed
and confused.
    Let them die in disgrace.
¹⁸ Make them realize that you
are the Lord Most High,
    the only ruler of earth!

³ Lord God All-Powerful,
    my King and my God,
sparrows find a home
    near your altars;
swallows build nests there
    to raise their young.

⁴ You bless everyone
who lives in your house,
    and they sing your praises.
⁵ You bless all who depend
    on you for their strength
and all who deeply desire
    to visit your temple.
⁶ When they reach Dry Valley,^[al]
    springs start flowing,
and the autumn rain fills it
    with pools of water.^[am]
7 Your people grow stronger,
and you, the God of gods,
    will be seen in Zion.

⁸ Lord God All-Powerful,
the God of Jacob,
    please answer my prayer!
⁹ You are the shield
    that protects your people,
and I am your chosen one.
    Won't you smile on me?

¹⁰ One day in your temple
is better than a thousand
    anywhere else.
I would rather serve
    in your house,
than live in the homes
    of the wicked.

¹¹ Our Lord and our God,
you are like the sun
    and also like a shield.
You treat us with kindness
    and with honor,
never denying any good thing
    to those who live right.

¹² Lord God All-Powerful,
you bless everyone
    who trusts you.

⁴ Our Lord and our God,
    you save us!
Please bring us back home
    and don't be angry.
⁵ Will you always be angry
    with us and our families?
⁶ Won't you give us fresh life
and let your people be glad
    because of you?
⁷ Show us your love
    and save us!

⁸ I will listen to you, Lord God,
    because you promise peace
to those who are faithful
    and no longer foolish.
⁹ You are ready to rescue
    everyone who worships you,
so that you will live with us
    in all your glory.

¹⁰ Love and loyalty
    will come together;
goodness and peace
    will unite.
¹¹ Loyalty will sprout
    from the ground;
justice will look down
    from the sky above.

¹² Our Lord, you will bless us;
our land will produce
    wonderful crops.
¹³ Justice will march in front,
making a path
    for you to follow.

⁸ No other gods are like you;
    only you work miracles.
^9 (AL) You created each nation,
and they will all bow down
    to worship and honor you.
¹⁰ You perform great wonders
    because you alone are God.

¹¹ Teach me to follow you,
and I will obey your truth.
    Always keep me faithful.
¹² With all my heart I thank you.
    I praise you, Lord God.
¹³ Your love for me is so great
that you protected me
    from death and the grave.

¹⁴ Proud and violent enemies,
    who don't care about you,
have ganged up to attack
    and kill me.
¹⁵ But you, the Lord God,
    are kind and merciful.
You don't easily get angry,
and your love
    can always be trusted.
¹⁶ I serve you, Lord,
and I am the child
    of one of your servants.
Look on me with kindness.
    Make me strong and save me.
¹⁷ Show that you approve of me!
Then my hateful enemies
    will feel like fools,
because you have helped
    and comforted me.

⁴ Egypt,^[an] Babylonia, Philistia,
    Phoenicia,^[ao] and Ethiopia^[ap]
are some of those nations
    that know you,
and their people all say,
    “I was born in Zion.”

⁵ God Most High will strengthen
    the city of Zion.
Then everyone will say,
    “We were born here too.”
⁶ The Lord will make a list
    of his people,
and all who were born here
    will be included.

⁷ All who sing or dance will say,
    “I too am from Zion.”

³ I am deeply troubled
    and close to death;
⁴ I am as good as dead
    and completely helpless.
⁵ I am no better off
    than those in the grave,
those you have forgotten
    and no longer help.

⁶ You have put me in the deepest
    and darkest grave;
⁷ your anger rolls over me
    like ocean waves.
⁸ You have made my friends turn
    in horror from me.
I am a prisoner
    who cannot escape,
⁹ and I am almost blind
    because of my sorrow.

Each day I lift my hands
    in prayer to you, Lord.
¹⁰ Do you work miracles
    for the dead?
Do they stand up
    and praise you?
¹¹ Are your love and loyalty
announced in the world
    of the dead?
¹² Do they know of your miracles
    or your saving power
in the dark world below
    where all is forgotten?

¹³ Each morning I pray
    to you, Lord.
¹⁴ Why do you reject me?
    Why do you turn from me?
¹⁵ Ever since I was a child,
I have been sick
    and close to death.
You have terrified me
    and made me helpless.^[ar]

¹⁶ Your anger is like a flood!
And I am shattered
    by your furious attacks
¹⁷ that strike each day
    and from every side.
¹⁸ My friends and neighbors
have turned against me
    because of you,
and now darkness
    is my only companion.

³ You said, “David, my servant,
    is my chosen one,
and this is the agreement
    I made with him:
^4 (AN) David, one of your descendants
    will always be king.”

⁵ Our Lord, let the heavens
    now praise your miracles,
and let all your angels
    praise your faithfulness.

⁶ None who live in the heavens
    can compare with you.
⁷ You are the most fearsome
    of all who live in heaven;
all the others fear
    and greatly honor you.
⁸ You are Lord God All-Powerful!
No one is as loving
    and faithful as you are.
⁹ You rule the roaring sea
    and calm its waves.
¹⁰ You crushed the monster Rahab,^[as]
and with your powerful arm
    you scattered your enemies.
¹¹ The heavens and the earth
    belong to you.
And so does the world
    with all its people
because you created them
¹²     and everything else.^[at]

Mount Tabor and Mount Hermon
    gladly praise you.
¹³ You are strong and mighty!