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Song of Trust in God's Protection

^1 (C1)On that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:

"We have a ^(C2)strong city;
He sets up walls and ramparts for ^(F1)(C3)security.

² "Open the ^(C1)gates, that the ^(C2)righteous nation may enter,
The one that ^(F1)remains faithful.

³ "The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect ^(C1)peace,
Because he trusts in You.

⁴ "^(C1)Trust in the LORD forever,
For in ^(F1)GOD the LORD, we have an everlasting ^(C2)Rock.

⁵ "For He has brought low those who dwell on high, the ^(C1)unassailable city;
^(C2)He lays it low, He lays it low to the ground, He casts it to the dust.

⁶ "^(C1)The foot will trample it,
The feet of the ^(C2)poor, the steps of the helpless."

⁷ The ^(C1)way of the righteous is smooth;
O Upright One, ^(C2)make the path of the righteous level.

⁸ Indeed, while following the way of ^(C1)Your judgments, LORD,
We have waited for You eagerly;
^(C2)Your name, and ^(C3)remembering You, is the desire of our souls.

^9 (C1)At night ^(F1)my soul longs for You,
Indeed, ^(F2)my spirit within me ^(C2)seeks You diligently;
For when the earth ^(F3)experiences Your judgments,
The inhabitants of the world ^(C3)learn righteousness.

¹⁰ Though the wicked person is shown compassion,
He does not ^(C1)learn righteousness;
He ^(C2)deals unjustly in the land of uprightness,
And does not perceive the majesty of the LORD.

¹¹ LORD, Your hand is lifted up, yet they ^(C1)do not see it.
^(F1)They see ^(C2)Your zeal for the people and are put to shame;
Indeed, ^(F2)(C3)fire will devour Your enemies.

¹² LORD, You will establish ^(C1)peace for us,
Since You have also performed for us all our works.

¹³ LORD, our God, ^(C1)other masters besides You have ruled us;
But through You alone we ^(F1)(C2)confess Your name.

^14 (C1)The dead will not live, the ^(F1)departed spirits will not rise;
Therefore You have ^(C2)punished and destroyed them,
And You have eliminated all remembrance of them.

^15 (C1)You have increased the nation, LORD,
You have increased the nation, You are glorified;
You have ^(C2)extended all the borders of the land.

¹⁶ LORD, they sought You ^(C1)in distress;
They ^(F1)could only whisper a prayer,
Your discipline was upon them.

^17 (C1)As the pregnant woman approaches the time to give birth,
She writhes and cries out in her labor pains;
This is how we were before You, LORD.

¹⁸ We were pregnant, we writhed in labor,
We ^(C1)gave birth, as it seems, only to wind.
We could not accomplish deliverance for the earth,
Nor were ^(C2)inhabitants of the world ^(F1)born.

¹⁹ Your ^(C1)dead will live;
^(F1)Their corpses will rise.
You who lie in the dust, ^(C2)awake and shout for joy,
For your dew is as the dew of the ^(F2)dawn,
And the earth will ^(F3)give birth to the ^(F4)departed spirits.

²⁰ Come, my people, ^(C1)enter your rooms
And close your doors behind you;
Hide for a little ^(F1)(C2)while
Until ^(C3)indignation ^(F2)runs its course.

²¹ For behold, the LORD is about to ^(C1)come out from His place
To ^(C2)punish the inhabitants of the earth for their wrongdoing;
And the earth will ^(C3)reveal her bloodshed
And will no longer cover her slain.