Study Desk

Why ^(C1)do You stand far away, LORD? Why ^(C2)do You hide ^(F1)Yourself in times of trouble?

In ^(C1)arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the needy; ^(F1)Let them be ^(C2)caught in the plots which they have devised.

For the wicked ^(C1)boasts of his ^(C2)soul's desire, And ^(F1)the greedy person curses and ^(C3)shows disrespect to the LORD.

The wicked, ^(F1)in his haughtiness, ^(C1)does not seek Him. ^(C2)There is no God in all his schemes.

His ways ^(C1)succeed at all times; Yet Your judgments are on high, ^(C2)out of his sight; As for all his enemies, he snorts at them.

He says to himself, "^(C1)I will not be moved; ^(F1)Throughout the generations ^(C2)I will not be in adversity."

His ^(C1)mouth is full of cursing, deceit, and ^(C2)oppression; ^(C3)Under his tongue is harm and injustice.

He sits in the ^(C1)lurking places of the villages; He ^(C2)kills the innocent in the secret places; His eyes ^(F1)surreptitiously watch for the ^(F2)(C3)unfortunate.

He lurks in secret like ^(C1)a lion in his ^(F1)lair; He ^(C2)lurks to catch ^(C3)the needy; He catches the needy when he pulls him into his ^(C4)net.

Then he crushes the needy one, who cowers; And ^(F1)unfortunate people fall by his mighty power.

He ^(C1)says to himself, "God has forgotten; He has hidden His face; He will never see it."

Arise, LORD; God, ^(C1)lift up Your hand. ^(C2)Do not forget the humble.

Why has the wicked ^(C1)treated God disrespectfully? He has said to himself, "^(F1)You will not require an account."

You have seen it, for You have looked at ^(C1)harm and provocation to ^(F1)take it into Your hand. The ^(F2)(C2)unfortunate commits himself to You; You have been the ^(C3)helper of the orphan.

^(C1)Break the arm of the wicked and the evildoer, ^(F1)(C2)Seek out his wickedness until You find none.

The LORD is ^(C1)King forever and ever; ^(C2)Nations have perished from His land.

LORD, You have heard the ^(C1)desire of the humble; You will ^(C2)strengthen their heart, ^(C3)You will make Your ear attentive

To ^(F1)vindicate the ^(C1)orphan and the ^(C2)oppressed, So that mankind, which is of the earth, will no longer cause ^(C3)terror.

In the LORD I ^(C1)take refuge; How can you say to my soul, "Flee as a bird to your ^(C2)mountain?

-"For, behold, the wicked ^(C1)bend the bow, They have ^(F1)(C2)set their arrow on the string To ^(C3)shoot in darkness at the upright in heart.

-"If the ^(C1)foundations are destroyed, What can the righteous do?"

The LORD is in His ^(C1)holy temple; the ^(F1)LORD'S ^(C2)throne is in heaven; His ^(C3)eyes see, His eyelids test the sons of mankind.

The LORD ^(C1)tests the righteous and ^(C2)the wicked, And His soul hates one who loves violence.

He will ^(C1)rain ^(F1)coals of fire upon the wicked, ^(C2)And brimstone and ^(C3)burning wind will be the portion of ^(C4)their cup.

For the LORD is ^(C1)righteous, ^(C2)He loves ^(F1)righteousness; The upright will ^(C3)see His face.

Help, LORD, for ^(C1)the godly person has come to an end, For the faithful have disappeared from the sons of mankind.

They ^(C1)speak ^(F1)lies to one another; They speak with ^(F2)(C2)flattering lips and a double heart.

May the LORD cut off all ^(F1)flattering lips, The tongue that ^(C1)speaks great things;

Who ^(C1)have said, "With our tongue we will prevail; Our lips are ^(F1)our own; who is lord over us?"

"Because of the ^(C1)devastation of the poor, because of the groaning of the needy, Now ^(C2)I will arise," says the LORD; "I will ^(C3)put him in the safety for which he longs."

The ^(C1)words of the LORD are pure words; Like silver ^(C2)refined in a furnace on the ground, filtered seven times.

You, LORD, will keep them; You will ^(C1)protect him from this generation forever.

The ^(C1)wicked strut about on every side When ^(F1)(C2)vileness is exalted among the sons of mankind.

How long, LORD? Will You ^(C1)forget me forever? How long ^(C2)will You hide Your face from me?

How long am I to ^(C1)feel anxious in my soul, With ^(C2)grief in my heart all the day? How long will my enemy be exalted over me?

^(C1)Consider and answer me, O LORD my God; ^(C2)Enlighten my eyes, or I will ^(C3)sleep the sleep of death,

And my enemy will ^(C1)say, "I have overcome him," And ^(C2)my adversaries will rejoice when I am shaken.

But I have ^(C1)trusted in Your faithfulness; My heart shall ^(C2)rejoice in Your salvation.

I will ^(C1)sing to the LORD, Because He has ^(C2)looked after me.

The fool has ^(C1)said in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, they have committed detestable acts; There is ^(C2)no one who does good.

The LORD has ^(C1)looked down from heaven upon the sons of mankind To see if there are any who ^(F1)(C2)understand, Who ^(C3)seek God.

They have all ^(C1)turned aside, together they are corrupt; There is ^(C2)no one who does good, not even one.

Do all the workers of injustice ^(C1)not know, Who ^(C2)devour my people as they eat bread, And ^(C3)do not call upon the LORD?

There they are in great dread, For God is with a ^(C1)righteous generation.

You would put to shame the plan of the poor, But the LORD is his ^(C1)refuge.

Oh, that ^(C1)the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! When the LORD ^(C2)restores the fortunes of His people, Jacob will rejoice, Israel will be glad.

LORD, who may reside ^(C1)in Your tent? Who may settle on Your ^(C2)holy hill?

One who ^(C1)walks with integrity, practices righteousness, And ^(C2)speaks truth in his heart.

He ^(C1)does not slander ^(F1)with his tongue, Nor ^(C2)do evil to his neighbor, Nor ^(C3)bring shame on his friend;

A despicable person is despised in his eyes, But he ^(C1)honors those who fear the LORD; He ^(C2)takes an oath to his own detriment, and does not change;

He ^(C1)does not ^(F1)lend his money ^(F2)at interest, Nor ^(C2)does he take a bribe against the innocent. ^(C3)One who does these things will never be shaken.

^(C1)Protect me, God, for ^(C2)I take refuge in You.

^(F1)I said to the LORD, "You are ^(F2)my Lord; I ^(C1)have nothing good besides You."

As for the ^(F1)(C1)saints who are on the earth, ^(F2)They are the majestic ones; ^(C2)all my delight is in them.

^(F1)The ^(C1)pains of those who have acquired another god will be multiplied; I will not pour out their drink offerings of ^(C2)blood, Nor will I ^(C3)take their names upon my lips.

The LORD is the ^(C1)portion of my inheritance and my ^(C2)cup; You support my ^(C3)lot.

The measuring ^(C1)lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; Indeed, my inheritance is ^(C2)beautiful to me.

I will bless the LORD who has ^(C1)advised me; Indeed, my ^(F1)(C2)mind instructs me in the night.

^(C1)I have ^(C2)set the LORD continually before me; Because He is ^(C3)at my right hand, ^(C4)I will not be shaken.

Therefore ^(C1)my heart is glad and ^(C2)my glory rejoices; My flesh also will ^(C3)dwell securely.

For You ^(C1)will not abandon my soul to ^(F1)Sheol; You will not ^(F2)(C2)allow Your ^(F3)Holy One to ^(F4)undergo decay.

You will make known to me ^(C1)the way of life; In ^(C2)Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are ^(C3)pleasures forever.

Hear a ^(C1)just cause, LORD, ^(C2)give Your attention to my cry; ^(C3)Listen to my prayer, which is not from ^(C4)deceitful lips.

Let ^(C1)my ^(F1)judgment come forth from Your presence; Let Your eyes look with ^(C2)integrity.

You have ^(C1)put my heart to the test; You have visited me by night; You have ^(C2)sifted me and ^(C3)You find ^(F1)nothing; My ^(C4)intent is that my mouth will not offend.

As for the works of mankind, ^(C1)by the word of Your lips I have kept from the ^(C2)ways of the violent.

My ^(C1)steps have held to Your ^(F1)paths. My ^(C2)feet have not slipped.

I have ^(C1)called upon You, for You will answer me, God; ^(C2)Incline Your ear to me, hear my speech.

^(C1)Show Your wonderful faithfulness, ^(C2)Savior of those who take refuge ^(F1)at Your right hand From those who rise up against them.

Keep me as ^(F1)the ^(C1)apple of the eye; Hide me ^(C2)in the shadow of Your wings

From the ^(C1)wicked who deal violently with me, My ^(C2)deadly enemies who surround me.

They have ^(C1)closed their ^(F1)unfeeling hearts, With their mouths they ^(C2)speak proudly.

They have now ^(C1)surrounded us in our steps; They set their eyes ^(C2)to cast us down to the ground.

He is ^(C1)like a lion that is eager to tear, And as a young lion ^(C2)lurking in secret places.

^(C1)Arise, LORD, confront him, ^(C2)make him bow down; ^(C3)Save my soul from the wicked with ^(C4)Your sword,

From people by ^(C1)Your hand, LORD, From people ^(F1)of the world, ^(C2)whose portion is in this life, And whose belly You ^(C3)fill with Your treasure; They are satisfied with children, And leave their abundance to their babies.

As for me, I shall ^(C1)behold Your face in righteousness; ^(C2)I shall be satisfied with Your ^(C3)likeness when I awake.