Study Desk

^(C1)The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, and have committed abominable injustice; ^(C2)There is no one who does good.

God has looked down from heaven upon the sons of mankind To see if there is ^(C1)anyone who ^(F1)understands, Who ^(C2)seeks after God.

^(C1)Every one of them has turned aside; together they have become corrupt; There is no one who does good, not even one.

Have the workers of injustice ^(C1)no knowledge, Who eat up My people like they ate bread, And have not called upon God?

They were in great ^(F1)fear there, ^(C1)where no ^(F1)fear had been; For God ^(C2)scattered the bones of ^(F2)him who encamped against you; You ^(C3)put them to shame, because ^(C4)God had rejected them.

Oh, that ^(C1)the salvation of Israel would come from Zion! When God restores the fortunes of His people, Jacob shall rejoice, Israel shall be glad.

^(C1)Listen to my prayer, God; And ^(C2)do not hide Yourself from my pleading.

Give Your ^(C1)attention to me and answer me; I am restless in my ^(C2)complaint and ^(F1)(C3)severely distracted,

Because of the voice of the enemy, Because of the ^(C1)pressure of the wicked; For they ^(C2)bring down ^(F1)trouble upon me And in anger they ^(C3)hold a grudge against me.

My ^(C1)heart is in anguish within me, And the terrors of ^(C2)death have fallen upon me.

Fear and ^(C1)trembling come upon me, And ^(F1)(C2)horror has ^(F2)overwhelmed me.

I said, "Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and ^(F1)(C1)be at rest.

-"Behold, I would flee far away, I would ^(C1)spend my nights in the wilderness. Selah

-"I would hurry to my place of refuge From the ^(C1)stormy wind and heavy gale."

Confuse them, Lord, ^(C1)divide their tongues, For I have seen ^(C2)violence and strife in the city.

Day and night they go around her upon her walls, And evil and harm are in her midst.

^(C1)Destruction is in her midst; ^(C2)Oppression and deceit do not depart from her ^(F1)streets.

For it is ^(C1)not an enemy who taunts me, Then I could endure it; Nor is it one who hates me who ^(C2)has exalted himself against me, Then I could hide myself from him.

But it is you, a man ^(F1)my equal, My ^(C1)companion and my ^(C2)confidant;

We who had sweet ^(F1)fellowship together, ^(C1)Walked in the house of God among the commotion.

May ^(F1)death come ^(C1)deceitfully upon them; May they ^(C2)go down alive to ^(F2)Sheol, For evil is in their dwelling, in their midst.

As for me, I shall ^(C1)call upon God, And the LORD will save me.

^(C1)Evening and ^(C2)morning and at ^(C3)noon, I will complain and moan, And He will hear my voice.

He will ^(C1)redeem my soul in peace ^(F1)from the battle which is against me, For they are ^(C2)many who are aggressive toward me.

God will ^(C1)hear and humiliate them— Even the One ^(C2)who ^(F1)sits enthroned from ancient times— Selah With whom there ^(F2)is no change, And who ^(C3)do not fear God.

He has put forth his hands against ^(C1)those who were at peace with him; He has ^(F1)(C2)violated his covenant.

His ^(F1)speech was ^(C1)smoother than butter, But his heart was war; His words were ^(C1)softer than oil, Yet they were drawn ^(C2)swords.

^(C1)Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; ^(C2)He will never allow the righteous to ^(F1)(C3)be shaken.

But You, God, will bring them down to the ^(C1)pit of destruction; ^(C2)Men of bloodshed and deceit will ^(C3)not live out half their days. But I will ^(C4)trust in You.

Do you indeed ^(F1)speak righteousness, you ^(F2)gods? Do you ^(C1)judge ^(F3)fairly, you sons of mankind?

No, in heart you ^(C1)practice injustice; On earth you ^(C2)clear a way for the violence of your hands.

The wicked have turned away ^(C1)from the womb; These who speak lies ^(C2)go astray from ^(F1)birth.

They have venom like the ^(C1)venom of a serpent; Like a deaf cobra that stops up its ear,

So that it ^(C1)does not hear the voice of ^(F1)(C2)charmers, Or a skillful caster of spells.

God, ^(C1)shatter their teeth in their mouth; Break out the fangs of the young lions, LORD.

May they ^(C1)flow away like water that runs off; When he ^(F1)(C2)aims his arrows, may they be as ^(F2)headless shafts.

May they be like a snail which goes along in slime, Like the ^(C1)miscarriage of a woman that never sees the sun.

Before your ^(C1)pots can feel the fire of thorns He will ^(C2)sweep them away with a whirlwind, the ^(F1)green and the burning alike.

The ^(C1)righteous will rejoice when he ^(C2)sees vengeance; He will ^(C3)wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.

And people will say, "There certainly is ^(F1)(C1)a reward for the righteous; There certainly is a God who ^(C2)judges on the earth!"