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!

31 What, then, 'is' the superiority of the Jew? or what the profit of the circumcision? 2 much in every way; for first, indeed, that they were intrusted with the oracles of God; 3 for what, if certain were faithless? shall their faithlessness the faithfulness of god make useless? 4 let it not be! and let God become true, and every man false, according as it hath been written, 'That Thou mayest be declared righteous in Thy words, and mayest overcome in Thy being judged.' 5 And, if our unrighteousness God's righteousness doth establish, what shall we say? is God unrighteous who is inflicting the wrath? (after the manner of a man I speak) 6 let it not be! since how shall God judge the world? 7 for if the truth of God in my falsehood did more abound to His glory, why yet am I also as a sinner judged? 8 and not, as we are evil spoken of, and as certain affirm us to say—'We may do the evil things, that the good ones may come?' whose judgment is righteous.

There Is None Righteous

9 What, then? are we better? not at all! for we did before charge both Jews and Greeks with being all under sin, 10 according as it hath been written—'There is none righteous, not even one; 11 There is none who is understanding, there is none who is seeking after God. 12 All did go out of the way, together they became unprofitable, there is none doing good, there is not even one. 13 A sepulchre opened 'is' their throat; with their tongues they used deceit; poison of asps 'is' under their lips. 14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. 15 Swift 'are' their feet to shed blood. 16 Ruin and misery 'are' in their ways. 17 And a way of peace they did not know. 18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.'

19 And we have known that as many things as the law saith, to those in the law it doth speak, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may come under judgment to God; 20 wherefore by works of law shall no flesh be declared righteous before Him, for through law is a knowledge of sin.

Righteousness through Faith

21 And now apart from law hath the righteousness of God been manifested, testified to by the law and the prophets, 22 and the righteousness of God 'is' through the faith of Jesus Christ to all, and upon all those believing,—for there is no difference, 23 for all did sin, and are come short of the glory of God— 24 being declared righteous freely by His grace through the redemption that 'is' in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God did set forth a mercy seat, through the faith in his blood, for the shewing forth of His righteousness, because of the passing over of the bygone sins in the forbearance of God— 26 for the shewing forth of His righteousness in the present time, for His being righteous, and declaring him righteous who 'is' of the faith of Jesus. 27 Where then 'is' the boasting? it was excluded; by what law? of works? no, but by a law of faith: 28 therefore do we reckon a man to be declared righteous by faith, apart from works of law. 29 The God of Jews only 'is He', and not also of nations? 30 yes, also of nations; since one 'is' God who shall declare righteous the circumcision by faith, and the uncircumcision through the faith. 31 Law then do we make useless through the faith? let it not be! yea, we do establish law.