Study Desk

For the choir director. A Psalm of David.

O Lord , You have ^(a)searched me and known me.

You ^(b)know ^[a]when I sit down and ^[b]when I rise up; You ^(c)understand my thought from afar.

You ^[c](d)scrutinize my ^[d]path and my lying down, And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.

^[e]Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O Lord , You ^(e)know it all.

You have ^(f)enclosed me behind and before, And ^(g)laid Your hand upon me.

Such ^(h)knowledge is ⁽ⁱ⁾too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot attain to it.

^(j)Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?

^(k)If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in ^[f]Sheol, behold, ^(l)You are there.

If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,

Even there Your hand will ^(m)lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me.

If I say, "Surely the ⁽ⁿ⁾darkness will ^[g]overwhelm me, And the light around me will be night,"

Even the ^(o)darkness is not dark ^[h]to You, And the night is as bright as the day. ^(p)Darkness and light are alike to You.

For You ^(q)formed my ^[i]inward parts; You ^(r)wove me in my mother's womb.

I will give thanks to You, for ^[j]I am fearfully and wonderfully made; ^(s)Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well.

My ^[k](t)frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the ^(u)depths of the earth;

Your ^(v)eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in ^(w)Your book were all written The ^(x)days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them.

How precious also are Your ^(y)thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them!

If I should count them, they would ^(z)outnumber the sand. When ^(aa)I awake, I am still with You.

O that You would ^(ab)slay the wicked, O God; ^(ac)Depart from me, therefore, ^(ad)men of bloodshed.

For they ^(ae)speak ^[l]against You wickedly, And Your enemies ^[m](af)take Your name in vain.

Do I not ^(ag)hate those who hate You, O Lord ? And do I not ^(ah)loathe those who rise up against You?

I hate them with the utmost hatred; They have become my enemies.

^(ai)Search me, O God, and know my heart; ^(aj)Try me and know my anxious thoughts;

And see if there be any ^[n](ak)hurtful way in me, And ^(al)lead me in the ^(am)everlasting way.

For the choir director. A Psalm of David.

^(a)Rescue me, O Lord , from evil men; Preserve me from ^(b)violent men

Who ^(c)devise evil things in their hearts; They ^(d)continually stir up wars.

They ^(e)sharpen their tongues as a serpent; ^(f)Poison of a viper is under their lips. ^[a]Selah.

^(g)Keep me, O Lord , from the hands of the wicked; ^(h)Preserve me from violent men Who have ^[b]purposed to ^[c](i)trip up my feet.

The proud have ^(j)hidden a trap for me, and cords; They have spread a ^(k)net by the ^[d]wayside; They have set ^(l)snares for me. Selah.

I ^(m)said to the Lord , "You are my God; ⁽ⁿ⁾Give ear, O Lord , to the ^(o)voice of my supplications.

"O ^[e] God the Lord, ^(p)the strength of my salvation, You have ^(q)covered my head in the day of ^[f]battle.

"Do not grant, O Lord , the ^(r)desires of the wicked; Do not promote ^(s)his evil device, that they not be exalted. Selah.

"As for the head of those who surround me, May the ^(t)mischief of their lips cover them.

"May ^(u)burning coals fall upon them; May they be ^(v)cast into the fire, Into ^[g]deep pits from which they ^(w)cannot rise.

"May a ^[h]slanderer not be established in the earth; ^(x)May evil hunt the violent man ^[i]speedily."

I know that the Lord will ^(y)maintain the cause of the afflicted And ^(z)justice for the poor.

Surely the ^(aa)righteous will give thanks to Your name; The ^(ab)upright will dwell in Your presence.

A Psalm of David.

O Lord , I call upon You; ^(a)hasten to me! ^(b)Give ear to my voice when I call to You!

May my prayer be ^[a]counted as ^(c)incense before You; The ^(d)lifting up of my hands as the ^(e)evening offering.

Set a ^(f)guard, O Lord , ^[b]over my mouth; Keep watch over the ^(g)door of my lips.

^(h)Do not incline my heart to any evil thing, To practice deeds ^[c]of wickedness With men who ⁽ⁱ⁾do iniquity; And ^(j)do not let me eat of their delicacies.

Let the ^(k)righteous smite me ^[d]in kindness and reprove me; It is ^(l)oil upon the head; Do not let my head refuse it, ^[e]For still my prayer ^(m)is ^[f]against their wicked deeds.

Their judges are ⁽ⁿ⁾thrown down by the sides of the rock, And they hear my words, for they are pleasant.

As when one ^(o)plows and breaks open the earth, Our ^(p)bones have been scattered at the ^(q)mouth of ^[g]Sheol.

For my ^(r)eyes are toward You, O ^[h] God , the Lord; In You I ^(s)take refuge; ^(t)do not ^[i]leave me defenseless.

Keep me from the ^[j](u)jaws of the trap which they have set for me, And from the ^(v)snares of those who do iniquity.

Let the wicked ^(w)fall into their own nets, While I pass by ^[k](x)safely.