A Prayer for Mercy in Time of Trouble

6¹ O Jehovah, in Thine anger reprove me not, Nor in Thy fury chastise me. ² Favour me, O Jehovah, for I 'am' weak, Heal me, O Jehovah, For troubled have been my bones, ³ And my soul hath been troubled greatly, And Thou, O Jehovah, till when? ⁴ Turn back, O Jehovah, draw out my soul, Save me for Thy kindness' sake. ⁵ For there is not in death Thy memorial, In Sheol, who doth give thanks to Thee? ⁶ I have been weary with my sighing, I meditate through all the night 'on' my bed, With my tear my couch I waste. ⁷ Old from provocation is mine eye, It is old because of all mine adversaries,

⁸ Turn from me all ye workers of iniquity, For Jehovah heard the voice of my weeping, ⁹ Jehovah hath heard my supplication, Jehovah my prayer receiveth. ¹⁰ Ashamed and troubled greatly are all mine enemies, They turn back—ashamed 'in' a moment!

God's Glory and Man's Honor

8¹ Jehovah, our Lord, How honourable Thy name in all the earth! Who settest thine honour on the heavens. ² From the mouths of infants and sucklings Thou hast founded strength, Because of Thine adversaries, To still an enemy and a self-avenger.

³ For I see Thy heavens, a work of Thy fingers, Moon and stars that Thou didst establish. ⁴ What 'is' man that Thou rememberest him? The son of man that Thou inspectest him? ⁵ And causest him to lack a little of Godhead, And with honour and majesty compassest him. ⁶ Thou dost cause him to rule Over the works of Thy hands, All Thou hast placed under his feet. ⁷ Sheep and oxen, all of them, And also beasts of the field, ⁸ Bird of the heavens, and fish of the sea, Passing through the paths of the seas! ⁹ Jehovah, our Lord, How honourable Thy name in all the earth!

Thanksgiving for God's Justice

9¹ I confess, O Jehovah, with all my heart, I recount all Thy wonders, ² I rejoice and exult in Thee, I praise Thy Name, O Most High. ³ In mine enemies turning backward, they stumble and perish from Thy face. ⁴ For Thou hast done my judgment and my right. Thou hast sat on a throne, A judge of righteousness. ⁵ Thou hast rebuked nations, Thou hast destroyed the wicked, Their name Thou hast blotted out to the age and for ever. ⁶ O thou Enemy, Finished have been destructions for ever, As to cities thou hast plucked up, Perished hath their memorial with them. ⁷ And Jehovah to the age abideth, He is preparing for judgment His throne. ⁸ And He judgeth the world in righteousness, He judgeth the peoples in uprightness. ⁹ And Jehovah is a tower for the bruised, A tower for times of adversity. ¹⁰ They trust in Thee who do know Thy name, For Thou hast not forsaken Those seeking Thee, O Jehovah.

¹¹ Sing ye praise to Jehovah, inhabiting Zion, Declare ye among the peoples His acts, ¹² For He who is seeking for blood Them hath remembered, He hath not forgotten the cry of the afflicted. ¹³ Favour me, O Jehovah, See mine affliction by those hating me, Thou who liftest me up from the gates of death, ¹⁴ So that I recount all Thy praise, In the gates of the daughter of Zion. I rejoice on Thy salvation. ¹⁵ Sunk have nations in a pit they made, In a net that they hid hath their foot been captured. ¹⁶ Jehovah hath been known, Judgment He hath done, By a work of his hands Hath the wicked been snared. Meditation. Selah. ¹⁷ The wicked do turn back to Sheol, All nations forgetting God. ¹⁸ For not for ever is the needy forgotten, The hope of the humble lost to the age. ¹⁹ Rise, O Jehovah, let not man be strong, Let nations be judged before Thy face. ²⁰ Appoint, O Jehovah, a director to them, Let nations know they 'are' men! Selah.

A Prayer for the Overthrow of the Wicked

10¹ Why, Jehovah, dost Thou stand at a distance? Thou dost hide in times of adversity, ² Through the pride of the wicked, Is the poor inflamed, They are caught in devices that they devised. ³ Because the wicked hath boasted Of the desire of his soul, And a dishonest gainer he hath blessed, He hath despised Jehovah. ⁴ The wicked according to the height of his face, inquireth not. 'God is not!' 'are' all his devices. ⁵ Pain do his ways at all times, On high 'are' Thy judgments before him, All his adversaries—he puffeth at them. ⁶ He hath said in his heart, 'I am not moved,' To generation and generation not in evil. ⁷ Of oaths his mouth is full, And deceits, and fraud: Under his tongue 'is' perverseness and iniquity, ⁸ He doth sit in an ambush of the villages, In secret places he doth slay the innocent. His eyes for the afflicted watch secretly, ⁹ He lieth in wait in a secret place, as a lion in a covert. He lieth in wait to catch the poor, He catcheth the poor, drawing him into his net. ¹⁰ He is bruised—he boweth down, Fallen by his mighty ones hath the afflicted. ¹¹ He said in his heart, 'God hath forgotten, He hath hid His face, He hath never seen.'

¹² Arise, O Jehovah! O God, lift up Thy hand! Forget not the humble. ¹³ Wherefore hath the wicked despised God? He hath said in his heart, 'It is not required.' ¹⁴ Thou hast seen, For Thou perverseness and anger beholdest; By giving into Thy hand, On Thee doth the afflicted leave 'it', Of the fatherless Thou hast been an helper. ¹⁵ Break the arm of the wicked and the evil, Seek out his wickedness, find none; ¹⁶ Jehovah 'is' king to the age, and for ever, The nations have perished out of His land! ¹⁷ The desire of the humble Thou hast heard, O Jehovah. Thou preparest their heart; Thou causest Thine ear to attend, ¹⁸ To judge the fatherless and bruised: He addeth no more to oppress—man of the earth!

The Folly and Wickedness of Men

14¹ To the Overseer.—By David. A fool hath said in his heart, 'God is not;' They have done corruptly, They have done abominable actions, There is not a doer of good. ² Jehovah from the heavens Hath looked on the sons of men, To see if there is a wise one—seeking God. ³ The whole have turned aside, Together they have been filthy: There is not a doer of good, not even one.

⁴ Have all working iniquity not known? Those consuming my people have eaten bread, Jehovah they have not called. ⁵ There they have feared a fear, For God 'is' in the generation of the righteous. ⁶ The counsel of the poor ye cause to stink, Because Jehovah 'is' his refuge. ⁷ 'Who doth give from Zion the salvation of Israel? When Jehovah doth turn back 'To' a captivity of His people, Jacob doth rejoice—Israel is glad!

A Goodly Heritage

16¹ A Secret Treasure of David. Preserve me, O God, for I did trust in Thee. ² Thou hast said to Jehovah, 'My Lord Thou 'art';' My good 'is' not for thine own sake; ³ For the holy ones who 'are' in the land, And the honourable, all my delight 'is' in them. ⁴ Multiplied are their griefs, 'Who' have hastened backward; I pour not out their libations of blood, Nor do I take up their names on my lips. ⁵ Jehovah 'is' the portion of my share, and of my cup, Thou—Thou dost uphold my lot. ⁶ Lines have fallen to me in pleasant places, Yea, a beauteous inheritance 'is' for me. ⁷ I bless Jehovah who hath counselled me; Also 'in' the nights my reins instruct me.

⁸ I did place Jehovah before me continually, Because—at my right hand I am not moved. ⁹ Therefore hath my heart been glad, And my honour doth rejoice, Also my flesh dwelleth confidently: ¹⁰ For Thou dost not leave my soul to Sheol, Nor givest thy saintly one to see corruption. ¹¹ Thou causest me to know the path of life; Fulness of joys 'is' with Thy presence, Pleasant things by Thy right hand for ever!

The Works and Word of God

19¹ The heavens 'are' recounting the honour of God, And the work of His hands The expanse 'is' declaring. ² Day to day uttereth speech, And night to night sheweth knowledge. ³ There is no speech, and there are no words. Their voice hath not been heard. ⁴ Into all the earth hath their line gone forth, And to the end of the world their sayings, For the sun He placed a tent in them, ⁵ And he, as a bridegroom, goeth out from his covering, He rejoiceth as a mighty one To run the path. ⁶ From the end of the heavens 'is' his going out, And his revolution 'is' unto their ends, And nothing is hid from his heat.

⁷ The law of Jehovah 'is' perfect, refreshing the soul, The testimonies of Jehovah 'are' stedfast, Making wise the simple, ⁸ The precepts of Jehovah 'are' upright, Rejoicing the heart, The command of Jehovah 'is' pure, enlightening the eyes, ⁹ The fear of Jehovah 'is' clean, standing to the age, The judgments of Jehovah 'are' true, They have been righteous—together. ¹⁰ They are more desirable than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; and sweeter than honey, Even liquid honey of the comb. ¹¹ Also—Thy servant is warned by them, 'In keeping them 'is' a great reward.' ¹² Errors! who doth understand? From hidden ones declare me innocent, ¹³ Also—from presumptuous ones keep back Thy servant, Let them not rule over me, Then am I perfect, And declared innocent of much transgression, ¹⁴ Let the sayings of my mouth, And the meditation of my heart, Be for a pleasing thing before Thee, O Jehovah, my rock, and my redeemer!

Praise for Deliverance from the Enemy

21¹ Jehovah, in Thy strength is the king joyful, In Thy salvation how greatly he rejoiceth. ² The desire of his heart Thou gavest to him, And the request of his lips Thou hast not withheld. Selah. ³ For Thou puttest before him blessings of goodness, Thou settest on his head a crown of fine gold. ⁴ Life he hath asked from Thee, Thou hast given to him—length of days, Age-during—and for ever. ⁵ Great 'is' his honour in Thy salvation, Honour and majesty Thou placest on him. ⁶ For Thou makest him blessings for ever, Thou dost cause him to rejoice with joy, By Thy countenance.

⁷ For the king is trusting in Jehovah, And in the kindness of the Most High He is not moved. ⁸ Thy hand cometh to all Thine enemies, Thy right hand doth find Thy haters. ⁹ Thou makest them as a furnace of fire, At the time of Thy presence. Jehovah in His anger doth swallow them, And fire doth devour them. ¹⁰ Their fruit from earth Thou destroyest, And their seed from the sons of men. ¹¹ For they stretched out against Thee evil, They devised a wicked device, they prevail not, ¹² For Thou makest them a butt, When Thy strings Thou preparest against their faces. ¹³ Be Thou exalted, O Jehovah in, Thy strength, We sing and we praise Thy might!