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(A prayer by David.)

A Prayer for Help

Please listen, Lord,
and answer my prayer!
    I am poor and helpless.
Protect me and save me
    because you are my God.
I am your faithful servant,
    and I trust you.
Be kind to me!
    I pray to you all day.
Make my heart glad!
I serve you,
    and my prayer is sincere.
You willingly forgive,
and your love is always there
    for those who pray to you.
Please listen, Lord!
    Answer my prayer for help.
When I am in trouble, I pray,
    knowing you will listen.

No other gods are like you;
    only you work miracles.
(A) You created each nation,
and they will all bow down
    to worship and honor you.
10 You perform great wonders
    because you alone are God.

11 Teach me to follow you,
and I will obey your truth.
    Always keep me faithful.
12 With all my heart I thank you.
    I praise you, Lord God.
13 Your love for me is so great
that you protected me
    from death and the grave.

14 Proud and violent enemies,
    who don't care about you,
have ganged up to attack
    and kill me.
15 But you, the Lord God,
    are kind and merciful.
You don't easily get angry,
and your love
    can always be trusted.
16 I serve you, Lord,
and I am the child
    of one of your servants.
Look on me with kindness.
    Make me strong and save me.
17 Show that you approve of me!
Then my hateful enemies
    will feel like fools,
because you have helped
    and comforted me.

(A psalm and a song by the clan of Korah.)

The Glory of Mount Zion

Zion was built by the Lord
    on the holy mountain,
and he loves that city
more than any other place
    in all of Israel.
Zion, you are the city of God,
and wonderful things
    are told about you.

Egypt,[a] Babylonia, Philistia,
    Phoenicia,[b] and Ethiopia[c]
are some of those nations
    that know you,
and their people all say,
    “I was born in Zion.”

God Most High will strengthen
    the city of Zion.
Then everyone will say,
    “We were born here too.”
The Lord will make a list
    of his people,
and all who were born here
    will be included.

All who sing or dance will say,
    “I too am from Zion.”

Footnotes

  1. 87.4 Egypt: The Hebrew text has “Rahab,” the name of a monster that stands for Egypt (see Isaiah 30.7).
  2. 87.4 Phoenicia: See the note at 83.7.
  3. 87.4 Ethiopia: The Hebrew text has “Cush,” which was a region south of Egypt that included parts of the present countries of Ethiopia and Sudan.

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