Study Desk

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.

^[a]Maskil of David, when he was ^[b]in the cave. A Prayer.

I ^(a)cry aloud with my voice to the Lord ; I ^(b)make supplication with my voice to the Lord .

I ^(c)pour out my complaint before Him; I declare my ^(d)trouble before Him.

When ^(e)my spirit ^[c]was overwhelmed within me, You knew my path. In the way where I walk They have ^(f)hidden a trap for me.

Look to the right and see; For there is ^(g)no one who regards me; ^[d]There is no ^(h)escape for me; ⁽ⁱ⁾No one cares for my soul.

I cried out to You, O Lord ; I said, "You are ^(j)my refuge, My ^(k)portion in the ^(l)land of the living.

"^(m)Give heed to my cry, For I am ⁽ⁿ⁾brought very low; Deliver me from my persecutors, For they are too ^(o)strong for me.

"^(p)Bring my soul out of prison, So that I may give thanks to Your name; The righteous will surround me, For You will ^(q)deal bountifully with me."

A Psalm of David.

Hear my prayer, O Lord , ^(a)Give ear to my supplications! Answer me in Your ^(b)faithfulness, in Your ^(c)righteousness!

And ^(d)do not enter into judgment with Your servant, For in Your sight ^(e)no man living is righteous.

For the enemy has persecuted my soul; He has crushed my life ^(f)to the ground; He ^(g)has made me dwell in dark places, like those who have long been dead.

Therefore ^(h)my spirit ^[a]is overwhelmed within me; My heart is ^[b](i)appalled within me.

I ^(j)remember the days of old; I ^(k)meditate on all Your doings; I ^(l)muse on the work of Your hands.

I ^(m)stretch out my hands to You; My ⁽ⁿ⁾soul longs for You, as a ^[c]parched land. ^[d]Selah.

^(o)Answer me quickly, O Lord , my ^(p)spirit fails; ^(q)Do not hide Your face from me, Or I will become like ^(r)those who go down to the pit.

Let me hear Your ^(s)lovingkindness ^(t)in the morning; For I trust ^(u)in You; Teach me the ^(v)way in which I should walk; For to You I ^(w)lift up my soul.

^(x)Deliver me, O Lord , from my enemies; ^[e]I take refuge in You.

^(y)Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Let ^(z)Your good Spirit ^(aa)lead me on level ^[f]ground.

^(ab)For the sake of Your name, O Lord , ^(ac)revive me. ^(ad)In Your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble.

And in Your lovingkindness, ^[g](ae)cut off my enemies And ^(af)destroy all those who afflict my soul, For ^(ag)I am Your servant.

A Psalm of David.

Blessed be the Lord , ^(a)my rock, Who ^(b)trains my hands for war, And my fingers for battle;

My lovingkindness and ^(c)my fortress, My ^(d)stronghold and my deliverer, My ^(e)shield and He in whom I take refuge, Who ^(f)subdues ^[a]my people under me.

O Lord , ^(g)what is man, that You take knowledge of him? Or the son of man, that You think of him?

^(h)Man is like a mere breath; His ⁽ⁱ⁾days are like a passing shadow.

^(j)Bow Your heavens, O Lord , and ^(k)come down; ^(l)Touch the mountains, that they may smoke.

Flash forth ^(m)lightning and scatter them; Send out Your ⁽ⁿ⁾arrows and confuse them.

Stretch forth Your hand ^(o)from on high; Rescue me and ^(p)deliver me out of great waters, Out of the hand of ^(q)aliens

Whose mouths ^(r)speak deceit, And whose ^(s)right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

I will sing a ^(t)new song to You, O God; Upon a ^(u)harp of ten strings I will sing praises to You,

Who ^(v)gives salvation to kings, Who ^(w)rescues David His servant from the evil sword.

Rescue me and deliver me out of the hand of ^(x)aliens, Whose mouth ^(y)speaks deceit And whose ^(z)right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

Let our sons in their youth be as ^(aa)grown-up plants, And our daughters as ^(ab)corner pillars ^[b]fashioned as for a palace;

Let our ^(ac)garners be full, furnishing every kind of produce, And our flocks bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our ^[c]fields;

Let our ^(ad)cattle ^[d]bear Without ^[e](ae)mishap and without ^[f](af)loss, Let there be no ^(ag)outcry in our streets!

How blessed are the people who are so situated; How ^(ah)blessed are the people whose God is the Lord !