A Prayer for Cleansing

511 Be gracious to me, O God , according to Your lovingkindness ; According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions . 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity And cleanse me from my sin . 3 For I know my transgressions , And my sin is ever before me. 4 Against You, You only , I have sinned And done what is evil in Your sight , So that You are justified when You speak And blameless when You judge . 5 Behold , I was brought forth in iniquity , And in sin my mother conceived me. 6 Behold , You desire truth in the innermost being , And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom .

7 Purify me with hyssop , and I shall be clean ; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow . 8 Make me to hear joy and gladness , Let the bones which You have broken rejoice . 9 Hide Your face from my sins And blot out all my iniquities . 10 Create in me a clean heart , O God , And renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me away from Your presence And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation And sustain me with a willing spirit . 13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways , And sinners will be converted to You.

14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness , O God , the God of my salvation ; Then my tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness . 15 O Lord , open my lips , That my mouth may declare Your praise . 16 For You do not delight in sacrifice , otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering . 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit ; A broken and a contrite heart , O God , You will not despise . 18 By Your favor do good to Zion ; Build the walls of Jerusalem . 19 Then You will delight in righteous sacrifices , In burnt offering and whole burnt offering ; Then young bulls will be offered on Your altar .

The Futility of Boastful Wickedness

521 Why do you boast in evil , O mighty man ? The lovingkindness of God endures all day long. 2 Your tongue devises destruction , Like a sharp razor , O worker of deceit . 3 You love evil more than good , Falsehood more than speaking what is right . Selah . 4 You love all words that devour , O deceitful tongue . 5 But God will break you down forever ; He will snatch you up and tear you away from your tent , And uproot you from the land of the living . Selah .

6 The righteous will see and fear , And will laugh at him, saying, 7 "Behold , the man who would not make God his refuge , But trusted in the abundance of his riches And was strong in his evil desire ." 8 But as for me, I am like a green olive tree in the house of God ; I trust in the lovingkindness of God forever and ever . 9 I will give You thanks forever , because You have done it, And I will wait on Your name , for it is good , in the presence of Your godly ones .

The Folly and Wickedness of Men

531 The fool has said in his heart , "There is no God ," They are corrupt , and have committed abominable injustice ; There is no one who does good . 2 God has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men To see if there is anyone who understands , Who seeks after God . 3 Every one of them has turned aside ; together they have become corrupt ; There is no one who does good , not even one . 4 Have the workers of wickedness no knowledge , Who eat up My people as though they ate bread And have not called upon God ? 5 There they were in great fear where no fear had been ; For God scattered the bones of him who encamped against you; You put them to shame , because God had rejected them. 6 Oh e , that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion ! When God restores His captive people , Let Jacob rejoice , let Israel be glad .

A Prayer for Protection from Enemies

541 Save me, O God , by Your name , And vindicate me by Your power . 2 Hear my prayer , O God ; Give ear to the words of my mouth . 3 For strangers have risen against me And violent men have sought my life ; They have not set God before them. Selah .

4 Behold , God is my helper ; The Lord is the sustainer of my soul . 5 He will recompense the evil to my foes ; Destroy them in Your faithfulness . 6 Willingly I will sacrifice to You; I will give thanks to Your name , O Lord , for it is good . 7 For He has delivered me from all trouble , And my eye has looked with satisfaction upon my enemies .

A Prayer for the Destruction of the Deceitful

551 Give ear to my prayer , O God ; And do not hide Yourself from my supplication . 2 Give heed to me and answer me; I am restless in my complaint and am surely distracted , 3 Because of the voice of the enemy , Because e of the pressure of the wicked ; For they bring down trouble upon me And in anger they bear a grudge against me. 4 My heart is in anguish within me, And the terrors of death have fallen upon me. 5 Fear and trembling come upon me, And horror has overwhelmed me. 6 I said , "Oh e , that I had wings like a dove ! I would fly away and be at rest . 7 "Behold , I would wander far away, I would lodge in the wilderness . Selah . 8 "I would hasten to my place of refuge From the stormy wind and tempest ."

9 Confuse , O Lord , divide their tongues , For I have seen violence and strife in the city . 10 Day and night they go around her upon her walls , And iniquity and mischief are in her midst . 11 Destruction is in her midst ; Oppression and deceit do not depart from her streets . 12 For it is not an enemy who reproaches me, Then I could bear it; Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me, Then I could hide myself from him. 13 But it is you, a man my equal , My companion and my familiar friend ; 14 We who had sweet fellowship together Walked in the house of God in the throng . 15 Let death come deceitfully upon them; Let them go down alive to Sheol , For evil is in their dwelling , in their midst .

16 As for me, I shall call upon God , And the Lord will save me. 17 Evening and morning and at noon , I will complain and murmur , And He will hear my voice . 18 He will redeem my soul in peace from the battle which is against me, For they are many who strive with me. 19 God will hear and answer them- Even the one who sits enthroned from of old - Selah . With whom there is no change , And who do not fear God . 20 He has put forth his hands against those who were at peace with him; He has violated his covenant . 21 His speech was smoother than butter , But his heart was war ; His words were softer than oil , Yet they were drawn swords . 22 Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never e allow the righteous to be shaken . 23 But You, O God , will bring them down to the pit of destruction ; Men of bloodshed and deceit will not live out half their days . But I will trust in You.

A Prayer of Trust

561 Be gracious to me, O God , for man has trampled upon me; Fighting all day long he oppresses me. 2 My foes have trampled upon me all day long, For they are many who fight proudly against me. 3 When I am afraid , I will put my trust in You. 4 In God , whose word I praise , In God I have put my trust ; I shall not be afraid . What can mere man do to me? 5 All day long they distort my words ; All their thoughts are against me for evil . 6 They attack , they lurk , They watch my steps , As they have waited to take my life . 7 Because of wickedness , cast them forth , In anger put down the peoples , O God !

8 You have taken account of my wanderings ; Put my tears in Your bottle . Are they not in Your book ? 9 Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call ; This I know , that God is for me. 10 In God , whose word I praise , In the Lord , whose word I praise , 11 In God I have put my trust , I shall not be afraid . What can man do to me? 12 Your vows are binding upon me, O God ; I will render thank offerings to You. 13 For You have delivered my soul from death , Indeed my feet from stumbling , So that I may walk before God In the light of the living .

A Prayer for Rescue from Persecutors

571 Be gracious to me, O God , be gracious to me, For my soul takes refuge in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge Until destruction passes by. 2 I will cry to God Most High , To God who accomplishes all things for me. 3 He will send from heaven and save me; He reproaches him who tramples upon me. Selah . God will send forth His lovingkindness and His truth . 4 My soul is among lions ; I must lie among those who breathe forth fire , Even the sons of men , whose teeth are spears and arrows And their tongue a sharp sword . 5 Be exalted above the heavens , O God ; Let Your glory be above all the earth . 6 They have prepared a net for my steps ; My soul is bowed down ; They dug a pit before me; They themselves have fallen into the midst of it. Selah .

7 My heart is steadfast , O God , my heart is steadfast ; I will sing , yes, I will sing praises ! 8 Awake , my glory ! Awake , harp and lyre ! I will awaken the dawn . 9 I will give thanks to You, O Lord , among the peoples ; I will sing praises to You among the nations . 10 For Your lovingkindness is great to the heavens And Your truth to the clouds . 11 Be exalted above the heavens , O God ; Let Your glory be above all the earth .