Study Desk

For the choir director. A Davidic psalm.

Lord , I seek refuge in You; let me never be disgraced.^(a) Save me by Your righteousness.

Listen closely to me; rescue me quickly. Be a rock of refuge for me, a mountain fortress to save me.^(b)

For You are my rock and my fortress;^(c) You lead and guide me because of Your name.^(d)

You will free me from the net that is secretly set for me, for You are my refuge.^(e)

Into Your hand I entrust my spirit;^(f) You redeem^[a] me, Lord , God of truth.^(g)

I^[b] hate those who are devoted to worthless idols, but I trust in the Lord .^(h)

I will rejoice and be glad in Your faithful love because You have seen my affliction. You have known the troubles of my life⁽ⁱ⁾

and have not handed me over to the enemy.^(j) You have set my feet in a spacious place.^(k)

Be gracious to me, Lord , because I am in distress;^(l) my eyes are worn out from angry sorrow— my whole being^[c] as well.^(m)

Indeed, my life is consumed with grief and my years with groaning;⁽ⁿ⁾ my strength has failed because of my sinfulness,^[d] and my bones waste away.^(o)

I am ridiculed by all my adversaries and even by my neighbors. I am dreaded by my acquaintances; those who see me in the street run from me.^(p)

I am forgotten: gone from memory like a dead person—like broken pottery.^(q)

I have heard the gossip of many; terror is on every side.^(r) When they conspired against me, they plotted to take my life.^(s)

But I trust in You, Lord ; I say, "You are my God."^(t)

The course of my life is in Your power;^(u) deliver me from the power of my enemies and from my persecutors.^(v)

Show Your favor to Your servant; save me by Your faithful love.^(w)

Lord , do not let me be disgraced when I call on You.^(x) Let the wicked be disgraced; let them be silent^[e][f] in Sheol.^(y)

Let lying lips be quieted;^(z) they speak arrogantly against the righteous with pride and contempt.^(aa)

How great is Your goodness that You have stored up for those who fear You and accomplished in the sight of everyone for those who take refuge in You.^(ab)

You hide them in the protection of Your presence; You conceal them in a shelter^[g] from the schemes of men, from quarrelsome tongues.^(ac)

May the Lord be praised, for He has wonderfully shown His faithful love to me in a city under siege.^[h](ad)

In my alarm I had said, "I am cut off from Your sight."^(ae) But You heard the sound of my pleading when I cried to You for help.^(af)

Love the Lord , all His faithful ones.^(ag) The Lord protects the loyal, but fully repays the arrogant.^(ah)

Be strong^[i] and courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord .^(ai)

Davidic.

Oppose my opponents, Lord ; fight those who fight me.^(a)

Take Your shields—large and small— and come to my aid.^(b)

Draw the spear and javelin against my pursuers, and assure me: "I am your deliverance."^(c)

Let those who seek to kill me be disgraced and humiliated; let those who plan to harm me be turned back and ashamed.^(d)

Let them be like chaff in the wind, with the angel of the Lord driving them away.^(e)

Let their way be dark and slippery, with the angel of the Lord pursuing them.^(f)

They hid their net for me without cause; they dug a pit for me without cause.^(g)

Let ruin come on him unexpectedly, and let the net that he hid ensnare him; let him fall into it—to his ruin.^(h)

Then I will rejoice in the Lord ; I will delight in His deliverance.⁽ⁱ⁾

My very bones will say, " Lord , who is like You,^(j) rescuing the poor from one too strong for him, the poor or the needy from one who robs him?"^(k)

Malicious witnesses come forward; they question me about things I do not know.^(l)

They repay me evil for good, making me desolate.^(m)

Yet when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I humbled myself with fasting, and my prayer was genuine.^[a](n)

I went about grieving as if for my friend or brother; I was bowed down with grief, like one mourning a mother.^(o)

But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee; they gathered against me. Assailants I did not know tore at me and did not stop.^(p)

With godless mockery^[b] they gnashed their teeth at me.^(q)

Lord, how long will You look on?^(r) Rescue my life from their ravages, my only one from the young lions.^(s)

I will praise You in the great congregation; I will exalt You among many people.^(t)

Do not let my deceitful enemies rejoice over me; do not let those who hate me without cause^(u) look at me maliciously.^(v)

For they do not speak in friendly ways, but contrive deceitful schemes^[c] against those who live peacefully in the land.^(w)

They open their mouths wide against me and say, "Aha, aha! We saw it!"^[d](x)

You saw it, Lord ; do not be silent. Lord, do not be far from me.^(y)

Wake up and rise to my defense, to my cause, my God and my Lord !^(z)

Vindicate me, Lord my God, in keeping with Your righteousness, and do not let them rejoice over me.^(aa)

Do not let them say in their hearts, "Aha! Just what we wanted." Do not let them say, "We have swallowed him up!"^(ab)

Let those who rejoice at my misfortune be disgraced and humiliated; let those who exalt themselves over me be clothed with shame and reproach.^(ac)

Let those who want my vindication shout for joy and be glad; let them continually say, "The Lord be exalted. He takes pleasure in His servant's well-being."^(ad)

And my tongue will proclaim Your righteousness, Your praise all day long.^(ae)