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(A psalm by David.)

A Prayer for the Lord's Protection

I pray to you, Lord!
Please listen when I pray
    and hurry to help me.
(A) Think of my prayer
    as sweet-smelling incense,
and think of my lifted hands
    as an evening sacrifice.

Help me to guard my words
    whenever I say something.
Don't let me want to do evil
or waste my time doing wrong
    with wicked people.
Don't let me even taste
    the good things they offer.

Let your faithful people
    correct and punish me.
My prayers condemn the deeds
    of those who do wrong,
so don't let me be friends
    with any of them.
Everyone will admit
    that I was right
when their rulers are thrown
    down a rocky cliff,
and their bones lie scattered
like crushed rocks
    on top of a grave.[a]

You are my Lord and God,
and I look to you for safety.
    Don't let me be harmed.
Protect me from the traps
    of those violent people,
10 and make them fall
into their own traps
    while you help me escape.

(A special psalm and a prayer by David when he was in the cave.)

A Prayer for Help

(B) I pray to you, Lord.
    I beg for mercy.
I tell you all my worries
    and my troubles,
and whenever I feel low,
    you are there to guide me.

A trap has been hidden
    along my pathway.
Even if you look,
    you won't see anyone
who cares enough
    to walk beside me.
There is no place to hide,
    and no one who really cares.

I pray to you, Lord!
    You are my place of safety,
and you are my choice
    in the land of the living.
Please answer my prayer.
    I am completely helpless.

Help! They are chasing me,
    and they are too strong.
Rescue me from this prison,
    so I can praise your name.
And when your people notice
your wonderful kindness to me,
    they will rush to my side.

(A psalm by David.)

A Prayer in Time of Danger

Listen, Lord, as I pray!
You are faithful and honest
    and will answer my prayer.
(C) I am your servant.
    Don't try me in your court,
because no one is innocent
    by your standards.
My enemies are chasing me,
    crushing me in the ground.
I am in total darkness,
    like someone long dead.
I have given up hope,
    and I feel numb all over.

I remember to think about
the many things you did
    in years gone by.
Then I lift my hands in prayer,
because my soul is a desert,
    thirsty for water from you.

Please hurry, Lord,
and answer my prayer.
    I feel hopeless.
Don't turn away
    and leave me here to die.
Each morning let me learn
more about your love
    because I trust you.
I come to you in prayer,
    asking for your guidance.

Please rescue me
from my enemies, Lord!
    I come to you for safety.[b]
10 You are my God. Show me
    what you want me to do,
and let your gentle Spirit
    lead me in the right path.

11 Be true to your name, Lord,
    and keep my life safe.
Use your saving power
    to protect me from trouble.
12 I am your servant.
Show how much you love me
    by destroying my enemies.

(By David.)

A Prayer for the Nation

I praise you, Lord!
    You are my mighty rock,[c]
and you teach me
    how to fight my battles.
You are my friend, my fortress,
    where I am safe.
You are my shield,
and you made me the ruler
    of our people.[d]

(D) Why do we humans mean anything
to you, our Lord?
    Why do you care about us?
We disappear like a breath;
we last no longer
    than a faint shadow.

Open the heavens like a curtain
    and come down, Lord.
Touch the mountains
    and make them send up smoke.
Use your lightning as arrows
to scatter my enemies
    and make them run away.
Reach down from heaven
    and set me free.
Save me from the mighty flood
of those lying foreigners
    who never tell the truth.

In praise of you, our God,
I will sing a new song,
    while playing my harp.
10 By your power, kings win wars,
and your servant David is saved
    from deadly swords.
11 Won't you keep me safe
from those lying foreigners
    who never tell the truth?

12 Let's pray that our young sons
    will grow like strong plants
and that our daughters
will be as lovely as columns
    in the corner of a palace.
13 May our barns be filled
    with all kinds of crops.
May our fields be covered
with sheep by the thousands,
14     and every cow have calves.[e]
Don't let our city be captured
    or any of us be taken away,
and don't let cries of sorrow
    be heard in our streets.

15 Our Lord and our God,
you give these blessings
    to all who worship you.

Footnotes

  1. 141.5-7 Let … grave: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verses 5-7.
  2. 143.9 I … safety: Or “You are my hiding place.”
  3. 144.1 mighty rock: See the note at 18.2.
  4. 144.2 of our people: Some Hebrew manuscripts and ancient translations have “of the nations.”
  5. 144.14 have calves: Or “grow fat.”

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