A Prayer for Cleansing

511 Favour me, O God, according to Thy kindness, According to the abundance of Thy mercies, Blot out my transgressions. 2 Thoroughly wash me from mine iniquity, And from my sin cleanse me, 3 For my transgressions I do know, And my sin 'is' before me continually. 4 Against Thee, Thee only, I have sinned, And done the evil thing in Thine eyes, So that Thou art righteous in Thy words, Thou art pure in Thy judging. 5 Lo, in iniquity I have been brought forth, And in sin doth my mother conceive me. 6 Lo, truth Thou hast desired in the inward parts, And in the hidden part Wisdom Thou causest me to know.

7 Thou cleansest me with hyssop and I am clean, Washest me, and than snow I am whiter. 8 Thou causest me to hear joy and gladness, Thou makest joyful bones Thou hast bruised. 9 Hide Thy face from my sin. And all mine iniquities blot out. 10 A clean heart prepare for me, O God, And a right spirit renew within me. 11 Cast me not forth from Thy presence, And Thy Holy Spirit take not from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of Thy salvation, And a willing spirit doth sustain me. 13 I teach transgressors Thy ways, And sinners unto Thee do return.

14 Deliver me from blood, O God, God of my salvation, My tongue singeth of Thy righteousness. 15 O Lord, my lips thou dost open, And my mouth declareth Thy praise. 16 For Thou desirest not sacrifice, or I give 'it', Burnt-offering Thou acceptest not. 17 The sacrifices of God 'are' a broken spirit, A heart broken and bruised, O God, Thou dost not despise. 18 Do good in Thy good pleasure with Zion, Thou dost build the walls of Jerusalem. 19 Then Thou desirest sacrifices of righteousness, Burnt-offering, and whole burnt-offering, Then they offer bullocks on thine altar!

The Futility of Boastful Wickedness

521 To the Overseer.—An instruction, by David, in the coming in of Doeg the Edomite, and he declareth to Saul, and saith to him, 'David came in unto the house of Ahimelech.' What, boasteth thou in evil, O mighty one? The kindness of God 'is' all the day. 2 Mischiefs doth thy tongue devise, Like a sharp razor, working deceit. 3 Thou hast loved evil rather than good, Lying, than speaking righteousness. Selah. 4 Thou hast loved all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue. 5 Also—God doth break thee down for ever, Taketh thee, and pulleth thee out of the tent, And He hath uprooted thee Out of the land of the living. Selah.

6 And the righteous see, And fear, and laugh at him. 7 'Lo, the man who maketh not God his strong place, And trusteth in the abundance of his riches, He is strong in his mischiefs.' 8 And I, as a green olive in the house of God, I have trusted in the kindness of God, To the age and for ever, 9 I thank Thee to the age, because Thou hast done 'it', And I wait 'on' Thy name for 'it is' good before Thy saints!

The Folly and Wickedness of Men

531 To the Overseer.—'On a disease.'—An instruction, by David. A fool said in his heart, 'There is no God.' They have done corruptly, Yea, they have done abominable iniquity, There is none doing good. 2 God from the heavens looked on the sons of men, To see if there be an understanding one, 'One' seeking God. 3 Every one went back, together they became filthy, There is none doing good—not even one. 4 Have not workers of iniquity known, Those eating my people have eaten bread, God they have not called. 5 There they feared a fear—there was no fear, For God hath scattered the bones of him Who is encamping against thee, Thou hast put to shame, For God hath despised them. 6 Who doth give from Zion the salvation of Israel? When God turneth back 'to' a captivity of His people, Jacob doth rejoice—Israel is glad!

A Prayer for Protection from Enemies

541 To the Overseer with stringed instruments.—An instruction, by David, in the coming in of the Ziphim, and they say to Saul, 'Is not David hiding himself with us?' O God, by Thy name save me, and by Thy might judge me. 2 O God, hear my prayer, Give ear to the sayings of my mouth, 3 For strangers have risen up against me And terrible ones have sought my soul, They have not set God before them. Selah.

4 Lo, God 'is' a helper to me, The Lord 'is' with those supporting my soul, 5 Turn back doth the evil thing to mine enemies, In Thy truth cut them off. 6 With a free will-offering I sacrifice to Thee, I thank Thy name, O Jehovah, for 'it is' good, 7 For, from all adversity He delivered me, And on mine enemies hath mine eye looked!

A Prayer for the Destruction of the Deceitful

551 To the Overseer with stringed instruments.—An instruction, by David. Give ear, O God, 'to' my prayer, And hide not from my supplication. 2 Attend to me, and answer me, I mourn in my meditation, and make a noise, 3 Because of the voice of an enemy, Because of the oppression of the wicked, For they cause sorrow to move against me, And in anger they hate me. 4 My heart is pained within me, And terrors of death have fallen on me. 5 Fear and trembling come in to me, And horror doth cover me. 6 And I say, 'Who doth give to me a pinion as a dove? I fly away and rest, 7 Lo, I move far off, I lodge in a wilderness. Selah. 8 I hasten escape for myself, From a rushing wind, from a whirlwind.

9 Swallow up, O Lord, divide their tongue, For I saw violence and strife in a city. 10 By day and by night they go round it, on its walls. Both iniquity and perverseness 'are' in its midst, 11 Mischiefs 'are' in its midst. Fraud and deceit depart not from its street. 12 For an enemy reproacheth me not, or I bear 'it', He who is hating me Hath not magnified himself against me, Or I hide from him. 13 But thou, a man—as mine equal, My familiar friend, and mine acquaintance. 14 When together we sweeten counsel, Into the house of God we walk in company. 15 Desolations 'are' upon them, They go down 'to' Sheol—alive, For wickedness 'is' in their dwelling, in their midst.

16 I—to God I call, and Jehovah saveth me. 17 Evening, and morning, and noon, I meditate, and make a noise, and He heareth my voice, 18 He hath ransomed in peace my soul From him who is near to me, For with the multitude they were with me. 19 God doth hear and afflict them, And He sitteth of old. Selah. Because they have no changes, and fear not God, 20 He hath sent forth his hands against his well-wishers, He hath polluted his covenant. 21 Sweeter than honey hath been his mouth, And his heart 'is' war! Softer have been his words than oil, And they 'are' drawn 'swords'. 22 Cast on Jehovah that which He hath given thee, And He doth sustain thee, He doth not suffer for ever the moving of the righteous. 23 And Thou, O God, dost bring them down To a pit of destruction, Men of blood and deceit reach not to half their days, And I—I do trust in Thee!

A Prayer of Trust

561 To the Overseer.—'On the Dumb Dove far off.'—A secret treasure of David, in the Philistines' taking hold of him in Gath. Favour me, O God, for man swallowed me up, All the day fighting he oppresseth me, 2 Mine enemies have swallowed up all the day, For many 'are' fighting against me, O most High, 3 The day I am afraid I am confident toward Thee. 4 In God I praise His word, in God I have trusted, I fear not what flesh doth to me. 5 All the day they wrest my words, Concerning me all their thoughts 'are' for evil, 6 They assemble, they hide, they watch my heels, When they have expected my soul. 7 By iniquity they escape, In anger the peoples put down, O God.

8 My wandering Thou hast counted, Thou—place Thou my tear in Thy bottle, Are they not in Thy book? 9 Then turn back do mine enemies in the day I call. This I have known, that God 'is' for me. 10 In God I praise the word, In Jehovah I praise the word. 11 In God I trusted, I fear not what man doth to me, 12 On me, O God, 'are' Thy vows, I repay thank-offerings to Thee. 13 For Thou hast delivered my soul from death, Dost Thou not my feet from falling? To walk habitually before God in the light of the living!

A Prayer for Rescue from Persecutors

571 To the Overseer.—'Destroy not.'—A secret treasure of David, in his fleeing from the face of Saul into a cave. Favour me, O God, favour me, For in Thee is my soul trusting, And in the shadow of Thy wings I trust, Until the calamities pass over. 2 I call to God Most High, To God 'who' is perfecting for me. 3 He sendeth from the heaven, and saveth me, He reproached—who is panting after me. Selah. God sendeth forth His kindness and His truth. 4 My soul 'is' in the midst of lions, I lie down 'among' flames—sons of men, Their teeth 'are' a spear and arrows, And their tongue a sharp sword. 5 Be Thou exalted above the heavens, O God, Above all the earth Thine honour. 6 A net they have prepared for my steps, Bowed down hath my soul, They have digged before me a pit, They have fallen into its midst. Selah.

7 Prepared is my heart, O God, Prepared is my heart, I sing and praise. 8 Awake, mine honour, awake, psaltery and harp, I awake the morning dawn. 9 I thank Thee among the peoples, O Lord, I praise Thee among the nations. 10 For great unto the heavens 'is' Thy kindness, And unto the clouds Thy truth. 11 Be thou exalted above the heavens, O God. Above all the earth Thine honour!