A Prayer for Protection against Oppressors

171 Hear, Yahweh, my righteous plea;
Give ear to my prayer, that doesn’t go out of deceitful lips. 2 Let my sentence come forth from your presence.
Let your eyes look on equity. 3 You have proved my heart.
You have visited me in the night.
You have tried me, and found nothing.
I have resolved that my mouth shall not disobey. 4 As for the works of men, by the word of your lips,
I have kept myself from the ways of the violent. 5 My steps have held fast to your paths.
My feet have not slipped. 6 I have called on you, for you will answer me, God.
Turn your ear to me.
Hear my speech. 7 Show your marvelous loving kindness,
you who save those who take refuge by your right hand from their enemies.

8 Keep me as the apple of your eye.
Hide me under the shadow of your wings, 9 from the wicked who oppress me,
my deadly enemies, who surround me. 10 They close up their callous hearts.
With their mouth they speak proudly. 11 They have now surrounded us in our steps.
They set their eyes to cast us down to the earth. 12 He is like a lion that is greedy of his prey,
as it were a young lion lurking in secret places. 13 Arise, Yahweh, confront him.
Cast him down.
Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword; 14 from men by your hand, Yahweh,
from men of the world, whose portion is in this life.
You fill the belly of your cherished ones.
Your sons have plenty,
and they store up wealth for their children. 15 As for me, I shall see your face in righteousness.
I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with seeing your form.

A Prayer for Rescue from Enemies

351 Contend, Yahweh, with those who contend with me.
Fight against those who fight against me. 2 Take hold of shield and buckler,
and stand up for my help. 3 Brandish the spear and block those who pursue me.
Tell my soul, “I am your salvation.” 4 Let those who seek after my soul be disappointed and brought to dishonor.
Let those who plot my ruin be turned back and confounded. 5 Let them be as chaff before the wind,
Yahweh’s angel driving them on. 6 Let their way be dark and slippery,
Yahweh’s angel pursuing them. 7 For without cause they have hidden their net in a pit for me.
Without cause they have dug a pit for my soul. 8 Let destruction come on him unawares.
Let his net that he has hidden catch himself.
Let him fall into that destruction. 9 My soul shall be joyful in Yahweh.
It shall rejoice in his salvation. 10 All my bones shall say, “Yahweh, who is like you,
who delivers the poor from him who is too strong for him;
yes, the poor and the needy from him who robs him?”

11 Unrighteous witnesses rise up.
They ask me about things that I don’t know about. 12 They reward me evil for good,
to the bereaving of my soul. 13 But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth.
I afflicted my soul with fasting.
My prayer returned into my own bosom. 14 I behaved myself as though it had been my friend or my brother.
I bowed down mourning, as one who mourns his mother. 15 But in my adversity, they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together.
The attackers gathered themselves together against me, and I didn’t know it.
They tore at me, and didn’t cease. 16 Like the profane mockers in feasts,
they gnashed their teeth at me.

17 Lord, how long will you look on?
Rescue my soul from their destruction,
my precious life from the lions. 18 I will give you thanks in the great assembly.
I will praise you among many people. 19 Don’t let those who are my enemies wrongfully rejoice over me;
neither let those who hate me without a cause wink their eyes. 20 For they don’t speak peace,
but they devise deceitful words against those who are quiet in the land. 21 Yes, they opened their mouth wide against me.
They said, “Aha! Aha! Our eye has seen it!” 22 You have seen it, Yahweh. Don’t keep silent.
Lord, don’t be far from me. 23 Wake up! Rise up to defend me, my God!
My Lord, contend for me! 24 Vindicate me, Yahweh my God, according to your righteousness.
Don’t let them gloat over me. 25 Don’t let them say in their heart, “Aha! That’s the way we want it!”
Don’t let them say, “We have swallowed him up!” 26 Let them be disappointed and confounded together who rejoice at my calamity.
Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor who magnify themselves against me. 27 Let them shout for joy and be glad, who favor my righteous cause.
Yes, let them say continually, “Yahweh be magnified,
who has pleasure in the prosperity of his servant!” 28 My tongue shall talk about your righteousness and about your praise all day long.

A Prayer for Protection from Enemies

541 Save me, God, by your name.
Vindicate me in your might. 2 Hear my prayer, God.
Listen to the words of my mouth. 3 For strangers have risen up against me.
Violent men have sought after my soul.
They haven’t set God before them. Selah.

4 Behold, God is my helper.
The Lord is the one who sustains my soul. 5 He will repay the evil to my enemies.
Destroy them in your truth. 6 With a free will offering, I will sacrifice to you.
I will give thanks to your name, Yahweh, for it is good. 7 For he has delivered me out of all trouble.
My eye has seen triumph over my enemies.

God Satisfies the Thirsting Soul

631 God, you are my God.
I will earnestly seek you.
My soul thirsts for you.
My flesh longs for you,
in a dry and weary land, where there is no water. 2 So I have seen you in the sanctuary,
watching your power and your glory.

3 Because your loving kindness is better than life,
my lips shall praise you. 4 So I will bless you while I live.
I will lift up my hands in your name. 5 My soul shall be satisfied as with the richest food.
My mouth shall praise you with joyful lips, 6 when I remember you on my bed,
and think about you in the night watches.

7 For you have been my help.
I will rejoice in the shadow of your wings. 8 My soul stays close to you.
Your right hand holds me up. 9 But those who seek my soul, to destroy it,
shall go into the lower parts of the earth. 10 They shall be given over to the power of the sword.
They shall be jackal food. 11 But the king shall rejoice in God.
Everyone who swears by him will praise him,
for the mouth of those who speak lies shall be silenced.