A Prayer for Vindication

71 Yahweh, my God, I take refuge in you.
Save me from all those who pursue me, and deliver me, 2 lest they tear apart my soul like a lion,
ripping it in pieces, while there is none to deliver. 3 Yahweh, my God, if I have done this,
if there is iniquity in my hands, 4 if I have rewarded evil to him who was at peace with me
(yes, if I have delivered him who without cause was my adversary), 5 let the enemy pursue my soul, and overtake it;
yes, let him tread my life down to the earth,
and lay my glory in the dust. Selah. 6 Arise, Yahweh, in your anger.
Lift up yourself against the rage of my adversaries.
Awake for me. You have commanded judgment. 7 Let the congregation of the peoples surround you.
Rule over them on high. 8 Yahweh administers judgment to the peoples.
Judge me, Yahweh, according to my righteousness,
and to my integrity that is in me. 9 Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end,
but establish the righteous;
their minds and hearts are searched by the righteous God.

10 My shield is with God,
who saves the upright in heart. 11 God is a righteous judge,
yes, a God who has indignation every day. 12 If a man doesn’t relent, he will sharpen his sword;
he has bent and strung his bow. 13 He has also prepared for himself the instruments of death.
He makes ready his flaming arrows. 14 Behold, he travails with iniquity.
Yes, he has conceived mischief,
and brought forth falsehood. 15 He has dug a hole,
and has fallen into the pit which he made. 16 The trouble he causes shall return to his own head.
His violence shall come down on the crown of his own head. 17 I will give thanks to Yahweh according to his righteousness,
and will sing praise to the name of Yahweh Most High.

The LORD Is My Light and My Salvation

271 Yahweh is my light and my salvation.
Whom shall I fear?
Yahweh is the strength of my life.
Of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When evildoers came at me to eat up my flesh,
even my adversaries and my foes, they stumbled and fell. 3 Though an army should encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear.
Though war should rise against me,
even then I will be confident. 4 One thing I have asked of Yahweh, that I will seek after,
that I may dwell in the house of Yahweh all the days of my life,
to see Yahweh’s beauty,
and to inquire in his temple. 5 For in the day of trouble he will keep me secretly in his pavilion.
In the covert of his tabernacle he will hide me.
He will lift me up on a rock. 6 Now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me.
I will offer sacrifices of joy in his tent.
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to Yahweh.

7 Hear, Yahweh, when I cry with my voice.
Have mercy also on me, and answer me. 8 When you said, “Seek my face,”
my heart said to you, “I will seek your face, Yahweh.” 9 Don’t hide your face from me.
Don’t put your servant away in anger.
You have been my help.
Don’t abandon me,
neither forsake me, God of my salvation. 10 When my father and my mother forsake me,
then Yahweh will take me up. 11 Teach me your way, Yahweh.
Lead me in a straight path, because of my enemies. 12 Don’t deliver me over to the desire of my adversaries,
for false witnesses have risen up against me,
such as breathe out cruelty. 13 I am still confident of this:
I will see the goodness of Yahweh in the land of the living. 14 Wait for Yahweh.
Be strong, and let your heart take courage.
Yes, wait for Yahweh.

A Profession of Trust

311 In you, Yahweh, I take refuge.
Let me never be disappointed.
Deliver me in your righteousness. 2 Bow down your ear to me.
Deliver me speedily.
Be to me a strong rock,
a house of defense to save me. 3 For you are my rock and my fortress,
therefore for your name’s sake lead me and guide me. 4 Pluck me out of the net that they have laid secretly for me,
for you are my stronghold. 5 Into your hand I commend my spirit.
You redeem me, Yahweh, God of truth. 6 I hate those who regard lying vanities,
but I trust in Yahweh. 7 I will be glad and rejoice in your loving kindness,
for you have seen my affliction.
You have known my soul in adversities. 8 You have not shut me up into the hand of the enemy.
You have set my feet in a large place.

9 Have mercy on me, Yahweh, for I am in distress.
My eye, my soul, and my body waste away with grief. 10 For my life is spent with sorrow,
my years with sighing.
My strength fails because of my iniquity.
My bones are wasted away. 11 Because of all my adversaries I have become utterly contemptible to my neighbors,
A fear to my acquaintances.
Those who saw me on the street fled from me. 12 I am forgotten from their hearts like a dead man.
I am like broken pottery. 13 For I have heard the slander of many, terror on every side,
while they conspire together against me,
they plot to take away my life. 14 But I trust in you, Yahweh.
I said, “You are my God.” 15 My times are in your hand.
Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who persecute me. 16 Make your face to shine on your servant.
Save me in your loving kindness. 17 Let me not be disappointed, Yahweh, for I have called on you.
Let the wicked be disappointed.
Let them be silent in Sheol. 18 Let the lying lips be mute,
which speak against the righteous insolently, with pride and contempt.

19 Oh how great is your goodness,
which you have laid up for those who fear you,
which you have worked for those who take refuge in you,
before the sons of men! 20 In the shelter of your presence you will hide them from the plotting of man.
You will keep them secretly in a dwelling away from the strife of tongues. 21 Praise be to Yahweh,
for he has shown me his marvelous loving kindness in a strong city. 22 As for me, I said in my haste, “I am cut off from before your eyes.”
Nevertheless you heard the voice of my petitions when I cried to you. 23 Oh love Yahweh, all you his saints!
Yahweh preserves the faithful,
and fully recompenses him who behaves arrogantly. 24 Be strong, and let your heart take courage,
all you who hope in Yahweh.

Praise for Deliverance from Troubles

341 I will bless Yahweh at all times.
His praise will always be in my mouth. 2 My soul shall boast in Yahweh.
The humble shall hear of it, and be glad. 3 Oh magnify Yahweh with me.
Let us exalt his name together. 4 I sought Yahweh, and he answered me,
and delivered me from all my fears. 5 They looked to him, and were radiant.
Their faces shall never be covered with shame. 6 This poor man cried, and Yahweh heard him,
and saved him out of all his troubles. 7 The angel of Yahweh encamps around those who fear him,
and delivers them. 8 Oh taste and see that Yahweh is good.
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. 9 Oh fear Yahweh, you his saints,
for there is no lack with those who fear him. 10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger,
but those who seek Yahweh shall not lack any good thing.

11 Come, you children, listen to me.
I will teach you the fear of Yahweh. 12 Who is someone who desires life,
and loves many days, that he may see good? 13 Keep your tongue from evil,
and your lips from speaking lies. 14 Depart from evil, and do good.
seek peace, and pursue it. 15 Yahweh’s eyes are toward the righteous.
His ears listen to their cry. 16 Yahweh’s face is against those who do evil,
to cut off the memory of them from the earth. 17 The righteous cry, and Yahweh hears,
and delivers them out of all their troubles. 18 Yahweh is near to those who have a broken heart,
and saves those who have a crushed spirit. 19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
but Yahweh delivers him out of them all. 20 He protects all of his bones.
Not one of them is broken. 21 Evil shall kill the wicked.
Those who hate the righteous shall be condemned. 22 Yahweh redeems the soul of his servants.
None of those who take refuge in him shall be condemned.

The Futility of Boastful Wickedness

521 Why do you boast of mischief, mighty man?
God’s loving kindness endures continually. 2 Your tongue plots destruction,
like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. 3 You love evil more than good,
lying rather than speaking the truth. Selah. 4 You love all devouring words,
you deceitful tongue. 5 God will likewise destroy you forever.
He will take you up, and pluck you out of your tent,
and root you out of the land of the living. Selah.

6 The righteous also will see it, and fear,
and laugh at him, saying, 7 “Behold, this is the man who didn’t make God his strength,
but trusted in the abundance of his riches,
and strengthened himself in his wickedness.” 8 But as for me, I am like a green olive tree in God’s house.
I trust in God’s loving kindness forever and ever. 9 I will give you thanks forever, because you have done it.
I will hope in your name, for it is good,
in the presence of your saints.