A psalm of David, from when he was in the wilderness of Judah.

You, God, O my God, eagerly I seek You.

I long for You with both body and soul

in a desolate land without water.

I sought for You in the sanctuary

to behold Your power and Your glory.

Your lovingkindness is superior to mine,

therefore I will praise You.

I will praise You all of my days.

I lift up my hands in Your Name.

My soul is satisfied as if I’ve eaten rich foods,

therefore, with joyful lips

my mouth will praise You.

When I think of You as I lie in bed,

throughout the night watches I meditate on You.

Because You have been my help

and I sing for joy in the shadow of Your wings.

My soul clings to You

– You uphold me with Your right hand.

Those who want to kill me

will sink down into the depths of the Earth.

They will be sliced open by the sword,

to be eaten by jackals.

Yet the king will rejoice in God.

Everyone who swears by God

will boast when the mouths of liars will be shut.

For the music director: according to Jeduthun. A psalm of David.

Wait in stillness, O my soul, for God alone

– my salvation comes from God.

God alone is my rock and my salvation,

my unmovable fortress

How long will all of you attack a person,

to crush them like a leaning wall

or a ramshackle fence?

They plot solely to remove them from their rank.

Foes delight in lies,

blessing with their mouths,

but cursing inwardly.

Selah

Wait in stillness, O my soul, for God alone

– my hope comes from God.

God alone is my rock and salvation,

my immovable fortress.

My salvation and glory rely on God,

my strong rock, my refuge.

Trust in God at all times, you people,

pour out your hearts before God.

God is my refuge.

Selah

Children of Adam are but of breath,

human beings are an illusion.

If weighed on a scale they go up

– together, they are less than vapor.

Don’t trust in extortion

or put vain hope in stolen goods.

While those things increase wealth,

you shouldn’t set your heart on them.

God has spoken once;

twice have I heard this:

strength belongs to God,

lovingkindness is God’s as well.

God rewards everyone

according to their works.

For the music director – with stringed instruments. Davidic.

God, hear my cry,

listen to my prayer.

When my heart is faint I call to You

from the ends of the Earth.

Lead me to a rock high above me.

You have been a safe place for me,

a strong tower against my enemy.

Let me forever live in Your tent,

and take refuge under the shelter of Your wings.

Selah.

God, You have heard my vows.

You have given an inheritance

to those who revere Your Name.

May You add days to the King’s lifespan.

May he live for many generations.

May he forever be enthroned before God.

Appoint truth and mercy to guard him.

Then I will forever sing praises to Your Name

to daily fulfill my vows.

For the music director, to the tune of “Lily of the Covenant”. A Davidic miktam for teaching. When he fought Aram Naharim and Aram Zobah and Joab returned and killed 12,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt.

You have turned away from us, O God

and broken out against us.

You have been angry – turn back towards us!

You have shaken the Earth and split it open.

Mend its fissures, for it is quaking.

You have made Your people see hard times.

You have made us drink wine

that makes us stagger.

Yet for those who revere You,

You have given a banner

to be flown before the archers.

Selah.

Save and answer us with Your right hand

so that those You love may be rescued.

God has promised by God‘s holy nature

“I will triumph! I will divide up Shechem

and apportion the Valley of Succoth.

Gilead and Manassah are Mine,

Ephraim is my helmet and Judah, my scepter.

My washbasin is Moab and I tossed my sandal on Edom,

Philistia cries aloud because of me!”

Who will bring me to the fortified city?

Who will lead me to Edom?

Shouldn’t it be You, O God

– the One Who turned away from us

and no longer marches out with our armies?

Help us against our adversaries,

because human help is worthless.

We will do mighty things with God

 – God will trample our enemies.

For the music director: to the tune “Do Not Destroy”, a miktam of David, when Saul sent men to watch David’s house to kill him.

Rescue me from my enemies, my God!

Lift me high up,

far away from those who rise up against me.

Deliver me from those who do evil.

Rescue me from those who thirst for blood.

Look – they lie in wait for me.

Powerful men conspire against me

– not because of any transgression

or sin I committed, Adonai.

I’ve done nothing wrong

yet they run to set up traps for me.

Wake up!

Come to my aid!

Look!

For you are Adonai,

the Ruler of heavenly armies, the God of Israel!

Rise up to punish the nations.

Show no mercy to wicked traitors.

Selah

At evening they return,

snarling like a dog,

and prowl around the city.

See what their mouths spew,

with words like swords in their lips,

saying “After all, who is listening?”

But You, Adonai, laugh at them.

You ridicule all the nations.

I watch for You, O my strength,

because God is my fortress.

God will go before me in lovingkindness.

God will let me gloat over my foes.

But don’t kill them, or my people will forget.

Instead, shake them

and bring them down

with Your power,

O Adonai our shield.

Their mouth’s sin is their lip’s words.

Let them be caught in their pride,

for uttering curses and lies.

Devour them in rage,

gobble them completely up.

Then let it be known

to the ends of the Earth

that God rules over Jacob.

Selah

At evening they return,

snarling like a dog,

and prowl around the city,

scavenging for food.

If they are not satisfied they stay up until dawn.

But as for me, I sing of Your strength!

In the morning, I sing loudly of Your lovingkindness.

For You have been my stronghold,

my refuge in times of trouble.

To You, I sing praises, O my strength,

because God is my fortress

– my God of merciful compassion.

For the music director: to the tune “Do Not Destroy”, a miktam of David.

Do your “gods” really speak of justice?

Do your sons of man judge fairly?

No, you plot injustice in your hearts.

Your hands measure out violence on the world.

From the womb, the wicked are strangers.

From birth they go astray and speak lies.

Their venom is like that of a snake,

like a cobra, deaf to the voice of its charmers,

or those who skillfully weave spells.

God, break their teeth!

Tear out young lion’s fangs, Adonai!

Let them vanish like water flowing away.

When they bend their bow let the arrows break.

Let them melt away like a slug

moving along in slime,

like a woman’s miscarried child

let them never see the light of day.

Even before your pots can feel a thorn

– whether they are green or dry

– Adonai will sweep away the wicked.

The righteous one will rejoice

when they are avenged,

when they wash their feet

in the blood of the wicked.

Then they will say

“Truly there is a reward for the righteous,

truly there is a God who judges on earth!”

For the director of music: according to the tune,

“Do Not Destroy”. A Davidic miktam when he ran away

from Saul and hid in a cave.

Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy

for my soul takes refuge in You.

I take refuge in the shadow of Your wings

until destruction has passed.

I will cry out to God the Most High,

to the One who accomplishes it for me.

God will reach down from heaven and rescue me.

God rebukes those who trample on me.

Selah

God sends out mercy and truth.

My soul is surrounded by lions.

I lie among those who breathe fire

– people with teeth like spears and arrows,

with tongues like sharp swords.

God, be exalted over the heavens,

 let Your glory cover over all the Earth!

They spread out a net for my feet,

my soul is brought low.

They dug a pit in my path

– but they fell into it instead.

Selah

My heart, O God, is steadfast,

my heart is confident.

I will sing and even make music.

Glory, awaken!

Harp and lyre, awaken!

I will awaken the dawn.

I will praise You, Adonai,

among the nations and the peoples

because Your lovingkindness

reaches up to the heavens,

and Your truth reaches up to the skies.

God, be exalted above everything,

let Your glory cover the entire world!

For the music director, to the tune

“A Silent Dove Far Away.”

A miktam of David,

when he was seized by the Philistines in Gath.

Show mercy to me, O God,

for man has trampled me,

they fight all day and oppress me.

My enemies trample me all day long.

Many people arrogantly fight me.

When I am afraid I will place my trust in You.

I keep praising God‘s word

– I trust in God and will not fear.

What can mere mortals do, really?

They twist my words all day.

All their thoughts are evil

and turned against me.

They stir up trouble and lie in wait.

They watch my steps,

eager to pounce on my soul.

Will they escape in spite of their great sins?

O God, cast down such people in fierce anger!

You have taken a note of my wanderings,

You placed my tears in Your bottle.

Did You not write it all down in Your book?

Then my foes will retreat when I call for help.

I know this for certain – God is on my side.

In God, – whose word I forever praise.

In Adonai– whose word I forever praise.

In God I trust; I will not fear.

What can mere mortals do to me, really?

Your vows are on me, O God.

I will make thank offerings to You.

You have delivered my soul from mortal danger

and prevented my feet from stumbling

so that I may walk before God in the light of life.

For the music director: with stringed instruments,

a maskil of David.

Oh God, listen to my prayer

and don’t ignore my plea for help.

Hear me and answer me.

I moan and I’m restless because of my complaint

– because of the voice of my adversary

because of the oppression of the wicked.

They throw trouble at me

and angrily bear a grudge against me.

Deep within me, my heart shudders,

and the terrors of death wash over me,

and I am overwhelmed by horror.

I said “Oh if only I had wings like a dove!

I would then fly away and find peace.

Surely I would fly far away and stay in the wilderness.

Selah

I would scramble to my shelter

away from the rushing storm winds.”

Lord, mix up their speech,

because I see strife and violence in the city.

All day and all night they prowl her walls.

Mischief and iniquity are within her too.

In her midst are ruins.

Deceit and oppression are camped in her square.

If it were an enemy taunting me,

I could bear it.

If my enemy was raising himself up over me

I could just hide myself from him.

But no, it is a man like me

 – my friend and close companion!

We enjoyed a great fellowship together.

We used to walk with the crowds in the House of God.

Let desolation surround them,

let them get dragged alive down into Sheol

because they dwell in evil.

As for me, I call upon God

and Adonai saves me.

All day long I moan and complain,

then God hears my voice.

God will rescue my soul in shalom

from the battle waged against me.

Many foes fight against me.

God will listen and make them humble

– yes the One enthroned from long ago.

Selah

Nothing changes because they don’t fear God.

My companion raised his hands

against his allies and violates his covenant.

His speech was smoother than butter,

but his heart was filled with war.

Softer than oil were his words,

but really they were like drawn swords.

Place your burdens on Adonai

and Adonai will sustain you.

Adonai won’t ever let the righteous be shaken.

Instead, God will bring them down

to the Pit of destruction.

Bloodthirsty, treacherous people

will have their lifespan cut in half.

But as for me – I will trust in You.

For the music director: with stringed instruments.

A maskil of David, when the Ziphites asked Saul

“Isn’t David hiding amongst us?”

God, save me by Your Name

and vindicate me with Your might.

God, hear my prayer

and listen to the words from my mouth.

Strangers have risen up against me.

Ruthless people seek my soul.

They don’t set God before them.

Selah

God is my helper, surely.

Adonai supports my soul.

Let evil recoil on my foes.

Shut their mouths with Your truth!

I will offer a freewill sacrifice to You.

Because it is good I will praise Your Name, Adonai.

For Adonai has delivered me from every trouble

and my eyes have gazed in triumph on my enemies.