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¹O God, have mercy on me, for people are hounding me. My foes attack me all day long.

²I am constantly hounded by those who slander me, and many are boldly attacking me.

³But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.

⁴I praise God for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me?

⁵They are always twisting what I say; they spend their days plotting to harm me.

⁶They come together to spy on me — watching my every step, eager to kill me.

⁷Don’t let them get away with their wickedness; in your anger, O God, bring them down.

⁸You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.

⁹My enemies will retreat when I call to you for help. This I know: God is on my side!

¹⁰I praise God for what he has promised; yes, I praise the LORD for what he has promised.

¹¹I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me?

¹²I will fulfill my vows to you, O God, and will offer a sacrifice of thanks for your help.

¹³For you have rescued me from death; you have kept my feet from slipping. So now I can walk in your presence, O God, in your life-giving light.

¹Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy! I look to you for protection. I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings until the danger passes by.

²I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfill his purpose for me.

³He will send help from heaven to rescue me, disgracing those who hound me. Interlude My God will send forth his unfailing love and faithfulness.

⁴I am surrounded by fierce lions who greedily devour human prey — whose teeth pierce like spears and arrows, and whose tongues cut like swords.

⁵Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens! May your glory shine over all the earth.

⁶My enemies have set a trap for me. I am weary from distress. They have dug a deep pit in my path, but they themselves have fallen into it. Interlude

⁷My heart is confident in you, O God; my heart is confident. No wonder I can sing your praises!

⁸Wake up, my heart! Wake up, O lyre and harp! I will wake the dawn with my song.

⁹I will thank you, Lord, among all the people. I will sing your praises among the nations.

¹⁰For your unfailing love is as high as the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.

¹¹Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens. May your glory shine over all the earth.

¹Justice — do you rulers know the meaning of the word? Do you judge the people fairly?

²No! You plot injustice in your hearts. You spread violence throughout the land.

³These wicked people are born sinners; even from birth they have lied and gone their own way.

⁴They spit venom like deadly snakes; they are like cobras that refuse to listen,

⁵ignoring the tunes of the snake charmers, no matter how skillfully they play.

⁶Break off their fangs, O God! Smash the jaws of these lions, O LORD!

⁷May they disappear like water into thirsty ground. Make their weapons useless in their hands.

⁸May they be like snails that dissolve into slime, like a stillborn child who will never see the sun.

⁹God will sweep them away, both young and old, faster than a pot heats over burning thorns.

¹⁰The godly will rejoice when they see injustice avenged. They will wash their feet in the blood of the wicked.

¹¹Then at last everyone will say, “There truly is a reward for those who live for God; surely there is a God who judges justly here on earth.”

¹Rescue me from my enemies, O God. Protect me from those who have come to destroy me.

²Rescue me from these criminals; save me from these murderers.

³They have set an ambush for me. Fierce enemies are out there waiting, LORD, though I have not sinned or offended them.

⁴I have done nothing wrong, yet they prepare to attack me. Wake up! See what is happening and help me!

⁵O LORD God of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, wake up and punish those hostile nations. Show no mercy to wicked traitors. Interlude

⁶They come out at night, snarling like vicious dogs as they prowl the streets.

⁷Listen to the filth that comes from their mouths; their words cut like swords. “After all, who can hear us?” they sneer.

⁸But LORD, you laugh at them. You scoff at all the hostile nations.

⁹You are my strength; I wait for you to rescue me, for you, O God, are my fortress.

¹⁰In his unfailing love, my God will stand with me. He will let me look down in triumph on all my enemies.

¹¹Don’t kill them, for my people soon forget such lessons; stagger them with your power, and bring them to their knees, O Lord our shield.

¹²Because of the sinful things they say, because of the evil that is on their lips, let them be captured by their pride, their curses, and their lies.

¹³Destroy them in your anger! Wipe them out completely! Then the whole world will know that God reigns in Israel. Interlude

¹⁴My enemies come out at night, snarling like vicious dogs as they prowl the streets.

¹⁵They scavenge for food but go to sleep unsatisfied.

¹⁶But as for me, I will sing about your power. Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love. For you have been my refuge, a place of safety when I am in distress.

¹⁷O my Strength, to you I sing praises, for you, O God, are my refuge, the God who shows me unfailing love.

¹You have rejected us, O God, and broken our defenses. You have been angry with us; now restore us to your favor.

²You have shaken our land and split it open. Seal the cracks, for the land trembles.

³You have been very hard on us, making us drink wine that sent us reeling.

⁴But you have raised a banner for those who fear you — a rallying point in the face of attack. Interlude

⁵Now rescue your beloved people. Answer and save us by your power.

⁶God has promised this by his holiness : “I will divide up Shechem with joy. I will measure out the valley of Succoth.

⁷Gilead is mine, and Manasseh, too. Ephraim, my helmet, will produce my warriors, and Judah, my scepter, will produce my kings.

⁸But Moab, my washbasin, will become my servant, and I will wipe my feet on Edom and shout in triumph over Philistia.”

⁹Who will bring me into the fortified city? Who will bring me victory over Edom?

¹⁰Have you rejected us, O God? Will you no longer march with our armies?

¹¹Oh, please help us against our enemies, for all human help is useless.

¹²With God’s help we will do mighty things, for he will trample down our foes.

¹O God, listen to my cry! Hear my prayer!

²From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety,

³for you are my safe refuge, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me.

⁴Let me live forever in your sanctuary, safe beneath the shelter of your wings! Interlude

⁵For you have heard my vows, O God. You have given me an inheritance reserved for those who fear your name.

⁶Add many years to the life of the king! May his years span the generations!

⁷May he reign under God’s protection forever. May your unfailing love and faithfulness watch over him.

⁸Then I will sing praises to your name forever as I fulfill my vows each day.