Category: Psalms

A Contrite Sinner’s Prayer for Pardon.

1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness;

According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions.

2 Wash me thoroughly from my wickednessandguilt

And cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I am conscious of my transgressionsandI acknowledge them;

My sin is always before me.

4 Against You, You only, have I sinned

And done that which is evil in Your sight,

So that You are justified when You speak [Your sentence]

And faultless in Your judgment.

5 I was brought forth in [a state of] wickedness;

In sin my mother conceived me [and from my beginning I, too, was sinful].

6 Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being,

And in the hidden part [of my heart] You will make me know wisdom.

7 Purify me withhyssop, and I will be clean;

Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

8 Make me hear joy and gladnessandbe satisfied;

Let the bones which You have broken rejoice.

9 Hide Your face from my sins

And blot out all my iniquities.

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,

And renew a rightandsteadfast spirit within me.

11 Do not cast me away from Your presence

And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation

And sustain me with a willing spirit.

13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,

And sinners shall be convertedandreturn to You.

14 Rescue me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation;

Then my tongue will sing joyfully of Your righteousnessandYour justice.

15 O Lord, open my lips,

That my mouth may declare Your praise.

16 For You do not delight in sacrifice, or else I would give it;

You are not pleased with burnt offering.

17 My [only] sacrifice [acceptable] to God is a broken spirit;

A broken and contrite heart [broken with sorrow for sin, thoroughly penitent], such, O God, You will not despise.

18 By Your favor do good to Zion;

May You rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

19 Then will You delight in the sacrifices of righteousness,

In burnt offering and whole burnt offering;

Then young bulls will be offered on Your altar.

Futility of Boastful Wickedness.

1 Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man?

The lovingkindness of Godenduresall day long.

2 Your tongue devises destruction,

Like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.

3 You love evil more than good,

And falsehood more than speaking what is right. Selah.

4 You love all words that devour,

O deceitful tongue.

5 But God will break you down forever;

He will take you away and tear you away from your tent,

And uproot you from the land of the living. Selah.

6 The righteous will see it and fear,

And will [scoffingly] laugh,saying,

7 “Look, [this is] the man who would not make God his strength [his stronghold and fortress],

But trusted in the abundance of his riches,

Taking refuge in his wealth.”

8 But as for me, I am like a green olive tree in the house of God;

I trust [confidently] in the lovingkindness of God forever and ever.

9 I will thank You forever, because You have done it, [You have rescued me and kept me safe].

I will wait on Your name, for it is good, in the presence of Your godly ones.

Folly and Wickedness of Men.

1 The [empty-headed] fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”

They are corruptandevil, and have committed repulsive injustice;

There is no one who does good.

2 God has looked down from heaven upon the children of men

To see if there is anyone who understands,

Who seeks after God [who requires Him, who longs for Him as essential to life].

3 Every one of them has turned asideandfallen away;

Together they have become filthyandcorrupt;

There is no one who does good, no, not even one.

4 Have workers of wickedness no knowledgeorno understanding?

They eat up My peopleas thoughthey ate bread

And have not called upon God.

5 There they were, in great terroranddread, where there had been no terrorordread;

For God scattered the bones of him who besieged you;

You have put them to shame, because God has rejected them.

6 Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion!

When God restores [the fortunes of] His people,

Let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.

Prayer for Defense against Enemies.

1 Save me, O God, by Your name;

And vindicate me by Your [wondrous] power.

2 Hear my prayer, O God;

Listen to the words of my mouth.

3 For strangers have risen against me

And violent men have sought my life;

They have not set God before them. Selah.

4 Behold, God is my helperandally;

The Lord is the sustainer of my soul [my upholder].

5 He will pay back the evil to my enemies;

In Your faithfulness destroy them.

6 With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to You;

I will give thanksandpraise Your name, O Lord, for it is good.

7 For He has rescued me from every trouble,

And my eye has lookedwith satisfaction(triumph) on my enemies.

Prayer for the Destruction of the Treacherous.

1 Listen to my prayer, O God,

And do not hide Yourself from my plea.

2 Listen to me and answer me;

I am restlessanddistraught in my complaint and distracted

3 Because of the voice of the enemy,

Because of the pressure of the wicked;

For they bring down trouble on me,

And in anger they persecute me.

4 My heart is in anguish within me,

And the terrors of death have fallen upon me.

5 Fear and trembling have come upon me;

Horror has overwhelmed me.

6 And I say, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove!

I would fly away and be at rest.

7 I would wander far away,

I would lodge in the [peace of the] wilderness. Selah.

8 I would hurry to my refuge [my tranquil shelter far away]

From the stormy windandfrom the tempest.”

9 Confuse [my enemies], O Lord, divide their tongues [destroying their schemes],

For I have seen violence and strife in the city.

10 Day and night they go around her walls;

Wickedness and mischief are in her midst.

11 Destruction is within her;

Oppression and deceit do not depart from her streetsandmarket places.

12 For it is not an enemy who taunts me—

Then I could bear it;

Nor is it one who has hated me who insolently exalts himself against me—

Then I could hide from him.

13 But it is you, a man my equalandmy counsel,

My companion and my familiar friend;

14 We who had sweetfellowship together,

Who walked to the house of God in company.

15 Let death come deceitfully upon them;

Let them go down alive to Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead),

For evil [of every kind] is in their dwellingandin their hearts, in their midst.

16 As for me, I shall call upon God,

And the Lordwill save me.

17 Evening and morning and at noon I will complain and murmur,

And He will hear my voice.

18 He has redeemed my life in peace from the battle that was against me,

For there were many against me.

19 God will hear and humble them,

Even He whosits enthroned from old— Selah.

Because in them there has been no change [of heart],

And they do not fear God [at all].

20 He [my companion] has put out his hands against those who were at peace with him;

He hasbroken his covenant [of friendship and loyalty].

21 The words of his mouth were smoother than butter,

But his heart was hostile;

His words were softer than oil,

Yet they were drawn swords.

22 Cast your burden on the Lord[release it] and He will sustainanduphold you;

He will never allow the righteous to be shaken (slip, fall, fail).

23 But You, O God, will bring down the wicked to the pit of destruction;

Men of blood and treachery will not live out half their days.

But I will [boldly and unwaveringly] trust in You.

Supplication for Rescue and Grateful Trust in God.

1 Be gracious to me, O God, for man has trampled on me;

All day long the adversary oppressesandtorments me.

2 My enemies have trampled upon me all day long,

For they are many who fight proudly against me.

3 When I am afraid,

I will put my trustandfaith in You.

4 In God, whose word I praise;

In God I have put my trust;

I shall not fear.

What can mere man do to me?

5 All day long they twist my wordsandsay hurtful things;

All their thoughts are against me for evil.

6 They attack, they hideandlurk,

They watch my steps,

As they have [expectantly] waitedto takemy life.

7 Cast them out because of their wickedness.

In anger bring down the peoples, O God!

8 You have taken account of my wanderings;

Put my tears in Your bottle.

Are they not recorded in Your book?

9 Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call;

This I know, that God is for me.

10 In God,whoseword I praise,

In the Lord,whoseword I praise,

11 In God have I put my trustandconfident reliance; I will not be afraid.

What can man do to me?

12 Your vows arebindingupon me, O God;

I will give thank offerings to You.

13 For You have rescued my soul from death,

Yes, and my feet from stumbling,

So that I may walk before God

In the light of life.

Prayer for Rescue from Persecutors.

1 Be gracious to me, O God, be graciousandmerciful to me,

For my soul finds shelterandsafety in You,

And in the shadow of Your wings I will take refugeandbe confidently secure

Until destruction passes by.

2 I will cry to God Most High,

Who accomplishesall thingson my behalf [for He completes my purpose in His plan].

3 He will send from heaven and save me;

He calls to account him who tramples me down. Selah.

God will send out His lovingkindness and His truth.

4 My life is among lions;

I must lie among those who breathe out fire—

The sons of men whose teeth are spears and arrows,

And their tongue a sharp sword.

5 Be exalted above the heavens, O God;

Let Your gloryandmajesty be over all the earth.

6 Theyset a net for my steps;

My very life was bowed down.

They dug a pit before me;

Into the midst of it they themselves have fallen. Selah.

7 My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfastandconfident!

I will sing, yes, I will sing praises [to You]!

8 Awake, my glory!

Awake, harp and lyre!

I will awaken the dawn.

9 I will praiseandgive thanks to You, O Lord, among the people;

I will sing praises to You among the nations.

10 For Your faithfulnessandlovingkindness are great, reaching to the heavens,

And Your truth to the clouds.

11 Be exalted above the heavens, O God;

Let Your gloryandmajesty be over all the earth.

Prayer for the Punishment of the Wicked.

1 Do you indeed speak righteousness, O gods (heavenly beings)?

Do you judge fairly, O sons of men?

2 No, in your heart you devise wrongdoing;

On earth you deal out the violence of your hands.

3 The wicked are estranged from the womb;

These go astray from birth, speaking lies [even twisted partial truths].

4 Their poison is like the venom of a serpent;

They are like the deaf horned viper that stops up its ear,

5 So that it does not listen to the voice of charmers,

Or of the skillful enchanter casting [cunning] spells.

6 O God, break their teeth in their mouth;

Break out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord.

7 Let them flow away like water that runs off;

When he aims his arrows, let them be as headless shafts.

8 Let them beas a snail which melts away (secretes slime) as it goes along,

Like the miscarriage of a woman which never sees the sun.

9 Before your cooking pots can feel thefire ofthorns [burning under them as fuel],

He will sweep them away with a whirlwind, the green and the burning ones alike.

10 The [unyieldingly] righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance [of God];

He will wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.

11 Men will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous;

Surely there is a God who judges on the earth.”

Prayer for Rescue from Enemies.

1 Deliver me from my enemies, O my God;

Set mesecurelyon an inaccessibly high place away from those who rise up against me.

2 Deliver me from those who practice wrongdoing,

And save me from bloodthirsty men.

3 Look! They lie in wait for my life;

Fierceandpowerful men [are uniting together to] launch an attack against me,

Not for my wrongdoing nor for any sin of mine, O Lord.

4 They run and set themselves against me though there is no guilt in me;

Stir Yourself to meetandhelp me, and see [what they are doing]!

5 You, O LordGod of hosts, the God of Israel,

Arise to punish all the nations;

Spare no oneanddo not be merciful to any who treacherously plot evil. Selah.

6 They return at evening, they howlandsnarl like dogs,

And go [prowling] around the city.

7 Look how they belch out [insults] with their mouths;

Swords [of sarcasm, ridicule, slander, and lies] are in their lips,

Forthey say,“Who hears us?”

8 But You, O Lord, will laugh at them [in scorn];

You scoff atandderide all the nations.

9 O [God] my strength, I will watch for You;

For God is my stronghold [my refuge, my protector, my high tower].

10 My God in His [steadfast] lovingkindness will meet me;

God will let me looktriumphantlyon my enemies [who lie in wait for me].

11 Do not kill them, or my people will forget;

Scatter themandmake them wander [endlessly] back and forth by Your power, and bring them down,

O Lord our shield!

12 For the sin of their mouths and the words of their lips,

Let them even be trapped in their pride,

And on account of the curses and lies which they tell.

13 Destroythemin wrath, destroythemso that they may be no more;

Let them know that God rules over Jacob (Israel)

To the ends of the earth. Selah.

14 They return at evening, they howlandsnarl like dogs,

And go [prowling] around the city.

15 They wander around for food [to devour]

And growl all night if they are not satisfied.

16 But as for me, I will sing of Your mighty strengthandpower;

Yes, I will sing joyfully of Your lovingkindness in the morning;

For You have been my stronghold

And a refuge in the day of my distress.

17 To You, O [God] my strength, I will sing praises;

For God is my stronghold [my refuge, my protector, my high tower], the God who shows me [steadfast] lovingkindness.

Lament over Defeat in Battle, and Prayer for Help.

1 O God, You have rejected usandcast us off. You have broken [down our defenses and scattered] us;

You have been angry; O restore usandturn again to us.

2 You have made the land quake, You have split it open;

Heal its rifts, for it shakesandtotters.

3 You have made Your people experience hardship;

You have given us wine to drink that makes us staggerandfall.

4 You have set up a banner for those who fear You [with awe-inspired reverence and submissive wonder—a banner to shield them from attack],

A banner that may be displayed because of the truth. Selah.

5 That Your beloved ones may be rescued,

Save with Your right hand and answer us.

6 God has spoken in His holiness [in His promises]:

“I will rejoice, I will divide [the land of] Shechem and measure out the Valley of Succoth [west to east].

7 Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine;

Ephraim is My helmet;

Judah is My scepter.

8 Moab is Mywashbowl;

Over Edom I shall throw My shoe [in triumph];

Over Philistia I raise the shout [of victory].”

9 Who will bring me into the besieged city [of Petra]?

Who will lead me to Edom?

10 Have You not rejected us, O God?

And will You not go out with our armies?

11 Give us help against the enemy,

For the help of man is worthless (ineffectual, without purpose).

12 Through God we will have victory,

For He will trample down our enemies.