A Prayer for Protection

5¹ My sayings hear, O Jehovah, Consider my meditation. ² Be attentive to the voice of my cry, My king and my God, For unto Thee I pray habitually. ³ Jehovah, 'at' morning Thou hearest my voice, 'At' morning I set in array for Thee, And I look out. ⁴ For not a God desiring wickedness 'art' Thou, Evil inhabiteth Thee not. ⁵ The boastful station not themselves before Thine eyes: Thou hast hated all working iniquity. ⁶ Thou destroyest those speaking lies, A man of blood and deceit Jehovah doth abominate.

⁷ And I, in the abundance of Thy kindness, I enter Thy house, I bow myself toward Thy holy temple in Thy fear. ⁸ O Jehovah, lead me in Thy righteousness, Because of those observing me, Make straight before me Thy way, ⁹ For there is no stability in their mouth. Their heart 'is' mischiefs, An open grave 'is' their throat, Their tongue they make smooth. ¹⁰ Declare them guilty, O God, Let them fall from their own counsels, In the abundance of their transgressions Drive them away, Because they have rebelled against Thee. ¹¹ And rejoice do all trusting in Thee, To the age they sing, and Thou coverest them over, And those loving Thy name exult in Thee. ¹² For Thou blessest the righteous, O Jehovah, As a buckler with favour dost compass him!

The Prayer of a Suffering Penitent

38¹ Jehovah, in Thy wrath reprove me not, Nor in Thy fury chastise me. ² For Thine arrows have come down on me, And Thou lettest down upon me Thy hand. ³ Soundness is not in my flesh, Because of Thine indignation, Peace is not in my bones because of my sin. ⁴ For mine iniquities have passed over my head, As a heavy burden—too heavy for me. ⁵ Stunk—become corrupt have my wounds, Because of my folly. ⁶ I have been bent down, I have been bowed down—unto excess, All the day I have gone mourning. ⁷ For my flanks have been full of drought, And soundness is not in my flesh. ⁸ I have been feeble and smitten—unto excess, I have roared from disquietude of heart. ⁹ Lord, before Thee 'is' all my desire, And my sighing from Thee hath not been hid. ¹⁰ My heart 'is' panting, my power hath forsaken me, And the light of mine eyes, Even they are not with me. ¹¹ My lovers and my friends over-against my plague stand. And my neighbours afar off have stood.

¹² And those seeking my soul lay a snare, And those seeking my evil Have spoken mischievous things, And they do deceits meditate all the day. ¹³ And I, as deaf, hear not. And as a dumb one who openeth not his mouth. ¹⁴ Yea, I am as a man who heareth not, And in his mouth are no reproofs. ¹⁵ Because for Thee, O Jehovah, I have waited, Thou dost answer, O Lord my God. ¹⁶ When I said, 'Lest they rejoice over me, In the slipping of my foot against me they magnified themselves. ¹⁷ For I am ready to halt, And my pain 'is' before me continually. ¹⁸ For mine iniquity I declare, I am sorry for my sin. ¹⁹ And mine enemies 'are' lively, They have been strong, and those hating me without cause, Have been multiplied. ²⁰ And those paying evil for good accuse me, Because of my pursuing good. ²¹ Do not forsake me, O Jehovah, My God, be not far from me, ²² Haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!

A Prayer for Healing

41¹ O the happiness of him Who is acting wisely unto the poor, In a day of evil doth Jehovah deliver him. ² Jehovah doth preserve him and revive him, He is happy in the land, And Thou givest him not into the will of his enemies. ³ Jehovah supporteth on a couch of sickness, All his bed Thou hast turned in his weakness. ⁴ I—I said, 'O Jehovah, favour me, Heal my soul, for I did sin against Thee,'

⁵ Mine enemies say evil of me: When he dieth—his name hath perished! ⁶ And if he came to see—vanity he speaketh, His heart gathereth iniquity to itself, He goeth out—at the street he speaketh. ⁷ All hating me whisper together against me, Against me they devise evil to me: ⁸ A thing of Belial is poured out on him, And because he lay down he riseth not again. ⁹ Even mine ally, in whom I trusted, One eating my bread, made great the heel against me, ¹⁰ And Thou, Jehovah, favour me, And cause me to rise, And I give recompence to them. ¹¹ By this I have known, That Thou hast delighted in me, Because my enemy shouteth not over me. ¹² As to me, in mine integrity, Thou hast taken hold upon me, And causest me to stand before Thee to the age. ¹³ Blessed 'is' Jehovah, God of Israel, From the age—and unto the age. Amen and Amen.

Thirsting for God

42¹ To the Overseer.—An Instruction. By sons of Korah. As a hart doth pant for streams of water, So my soul panteth toward Thee, O God. ² My soul thirsted for God, for the living God, When do I enter and see the face of God? ³ My tear hath been to me bread day and night, In their saying unto me all the day, 'Where 'is' thy God?' ⁴ These I remember, and pour out my soul in me, For I pass over into the booth, I go softly with them unto the house of God, With the voice of singing and confession, The multitude keeping feast! ⁵ What! bowest thou thyself, O my soul? Yea, art thou troubled within me? Wait for God, for still I confess Him: The salvation of my countenance—My God!

⁶ In me doth my soul bow itself, Therefore I remember Thee from the land of Jordan, And of the Hermons, from the hill Mizar. ⁷ Deep unto deep is calling At the noise of Thy water-spouts, All Thy breakers and Thy billows passed over me. ⁸ By day Jehovah commandeth His kindness, And by night a song 'is' with me, A prayer to the God of my life. ⁹ I say to God my rock, 'Why hast Thou forgotten me? Why go I mourning in the oppression of an enemy? ¹⁰ With a sword in my bones Have mine adversaries reproached me, In their saying unto me all the day, 'Where 'is' thy God?' ¹¹ What! bowest thou thyself, O my soul? And what! art thou troubled within me? Wait for God, for still I confess Him, The salvation of my countenance, and my God!