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(A psalm by David for the music leader. Use stringed instruments.[a])

A Prayer in Time of Trouble

(A) Don't punish me, Lord,
or even correct me
    when you are angry!
Have pity on me and heal
    my feeble body.
My bones tremble with fear,
and I am in deep distress.
    How long will it be?

Turn and come to my rescue.
Show your wonderful love
    and save me, Lord.
If I die, I cannot praise you
    or even remember you.
My groaning has worn me out.
At night my bed and pillow
    are soaked with tears.
Sorrow has made my eyes dim,
and my sight has failed
    because of my enemies.

(B) You, Lord, heard my crying,
and those hateful people
    had better leave me alone.
You have answered my prayer
    and my plea for mercy.
10 My enemies will be ashamed
    and terrified,
as they quickly run away
    in complete disgrace.

(Written by David.[b] He sang this to the Lord because of Cush from the tribe of Benjamin.)

The Lord Always Does Right

You, Lord God,
    are my protector.
Rescue me and keep me safe
    from all who chase me.
Or else they will rip me apart
like lions attacking a victim,
    and no one will save me.

I am innocent, Lord God!
I have not betrayed a friend
    or had pity on an enemy[c]
    who attacks for no reason.
If I have done any of this,
then let my enemies
    chase and capture me.
Let them trample me to death
    and leave me in the dirt.

Get angry, Lord God!
    Do something!
Attack my furious enemies.
    See that justice is done.
Make the nations come to you,
as you sit on your throne[d]
    above them all.

Our Lord, judge the nations!
Judge me and show that I
    am honest and innocent.
(C) You know every heart and mind,
    and you always do right.
Now make violent people stop,
but protect all of us
    who obey you.

10 You, God, are my shield,
the protector of everyone
    whose heart is right.
11 You see that justice is done,
and each day
    you take revenge.
12 Whenever your enemies refuse
    to change their ways,
you sharpen your sword
    and string your bow.
13 Your deadly arrows are ready
    with flaming tips.

14 An evil person is like a woman
    about to give birth
to a hateful, deceitful,
    and rebellious child.
15 (D) Such people dig a deep hole,
    then fall in it themselves.
16 The trouble they cause
    comes back on them,
and their heads are crushed
    by their own evil deeds.

17 I will praise you, Lord!
    You always do right.
I will sing about you,
    the Lord Most High.

(A psalm by David for the music leader.[e])

The Wonderful Name of the Lord

Our Lord and Ruler,
your name is wonderful
    everywhere on earth!
You let your glory be seen[f]
    in the heavens above.
(E) With praises from children
and from tiny infants,
    you have built a fortress.
It makes your enemies silent,
and all who turn against you
    are left speechless.

I often think of the heavens
    your hands have made,
and of the moon and stars
    you put in place.
(F) Then I ask, “Why do you care
    about us humans?
Why are you concerned
    for us weaklings?”
(G) You made us a little lower
    than you yourself,[g]
and you have crowned us
    with glory and honor.

(H) You let us rule everything
    your hands have made.
And you put all of it
    under our power—
the sheep and the cattle,
    and every wild animal,
the birds in the sky,
the fish in the sea,
    and all ocean creatures.

Our Lord and Ruler,
your name is wonderful
    everywhere on earth!

(A psalm by David for the music leader. To the tune “The Death of the Son.”)

Sing Praises to the Lord

I will praise you, Lord,
    with all my heart
and tell about the wonders
    you have worked.
God Most High, I will rejoice;
I will celebrate and sing
    because of you.

When my enemies face you,
they run away and stumble
    and are destroyed.
You take your seat as judge,
and your fair decisions prove
    that I was in the right.
You warn the nations
    and destroy evil people;
you wipe out their names
    forever and ever.
Our enemies are destroyed
    completely for all time.
Their cities are torn down,
and they will never
    be remembered again.

You rule forever, Lord,
and you are on your throne,
    ready for judgment.
You judge the world fairly
and treat all nations
    with justice.
The poor can run to you
because you are a fortress
    in times of trouble.
10 Everyone who honors your name
    can trust you,
because you are faithful
    to all who depend on you.

11 You rule from Zion, Lord,
    and we sing about you
to let the nations know
    everything you have done.
12 You did not forget
    to punish the guilty
or listen to the cries
    of those in need.

13 (I) Please have mercy, Lord!
    My enemies mistreat me.
Keep me from the gates
    that lead to death,
14 and I will sing about you
    at the gate to Zion.
I will be happy there
    because you rescued me.

15 (J) Our Lord, the nations fell
    into their own pits,
and their feet were caught
    in their own traps.
16 You showed what you are like,
and you made certain
    that justice is done,
but evil people are trapped
    by their own evil deeds.
17 The wicked will go down
    to the world of the dead
to be with those nations
    that forgot about you.

18 The poor and the homeless
won't always be forgotten
    and without hope.

19 Do something, Lord!
    Don't let the nations win.
Make them stand trial
    in your court of law.
20 Make the nations afraid
and let them all discover
    just how weak they are.

A Prayer for Help

Why are you far away, Lord?
Why do you hide yourself
    when I am in trouble?
Proud and brutal people
    hunt down the poor.
But let them get caught
    by their own evil plans!

The wicked brag about
    their deepest desires.
Those greedy people hate
    and curse you, Lord.
The wicked are too proud
to turn to you
    or even think about you.
They are always successful,
though they can't understand
    your teachings,
and they keep sneering
    at their enemies.

In their hearts they say,
    “Nothing can hurt us!
We'll always be happy
    and free from trouble.”
(K) They curse and tell lies,
and all they talk about
    is how to be cruel
    or how to do wrong.

They hide outside villages,
waiting to strike and murder
    some innocent victim.
They are hungry lions
    hiding in the bushes,
hoping to catch
    some helpless passerby.
They trap the poor in nets
    and drag them away.
10 They crouch down and wait
    to grab a victim.
11 They say, “God can't see!
    He's got on a blindfold.”

12 Do something, Lord God,
and use your powerful arm
    to help those in need.
13 The wicked don't respect you.
In their hearts they say,
    “God won't punish us!”

14 But you see the trouble
and the distress,
    and you will do something.
The poor can count on you,
    and so can orphans.
15 Now break the power
    of all merciless people.
Punish them for doing wrong
    and make them stop.

16 Our Lord, you will always rule,
but every godless nation
    will vanish from the earth.
17 You listen to the longings
    of those who suffer.
You offer them hope,
and you pay attention
    to their cries for help.
18 You defend orphans
    and everyone else in need,
so that no one on earth
    can terrify others again.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 6 instruments: The Hebrew text adds “according to the sheminith,” which may refer to a musical instrument with eight strings.
  2. Psalm 7 Written by David: The Hebrew text has “a shiggaion by David,” which may refer to a psalm of mourning.
  3. 7.4 had pity on an enemy: Or “failed to have pity on an enemy.”
  4. 7.7 sit … throne: Or “return to your place.”
  5. Psalm 8 leader: The Hebrew text adds “according to the gittith,” which may refer to either a musical instrument or a tune.
  6. 8.1 You … seen: Or “I will worship your glory.”
  7. 8.5 you yourself: Or “the angels” or “the beings in heaven.”

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