Study Desk

For the choir director, for ^[a]Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

I said, "I will ^(a)guard my ways That I ^(b)may not sin with my tongue; I will guard ^(c)my mouth as with a muzzle While the wicked are in my presence."

I was ^(d)mute ^[b]and silent, I ^[c]refrained even from good, And my ^[d]sorrow grew worse.

My ^(e)heart was hot within me, While I was musing the fire burned; Then I spoke with my tongue:

" Lord , make me to know ^(f)my end And what is the extent of my days; Let me know how ^(g)transient I am.

"Behold, You have made ^(h)my days as handbreadths, And my ⁽ⁱ⁾lifetime as nothing in Your sight; Surely every man ^[e]at his best is ^[f]a mere ^(j)breath. ^[g]Selah.

"Surely every man ^(k)walks about as ^[h]a phantom; Surely they make an ^(l)uproar for nothing; He ^(m)amasses riches and does not know who will gather them.

"And now, Lord, for what do I wait? My ⁽ⁿ⁾hope is in You.

"^(o)Deliver me from all my transgressions; Make me not the ^(p)reproach of the foolish.

"I have become ^(q)mute, I do not open my mouth, Because it is ^(r)You who have done it.

"^(s)Remove Your plague from me; Because of ^(t)the opposition of Your hand I am ^[i]perishing.

"With ^(u)reproofs You chasten a man for iniquity; You ^(v)consume as a moth what is precious to him; Surely ^(w)every man is a mere breath. Selah.

"^(x)Hear my prayer, O Lord , and give ear to my cry; Do not be silent ^(y)at my tears; For I am ^(z)a stranger with You, A ^(aa)sojourner like all my fathers.

"^(ab)Turn Your gaze away from me, that I may ^[j]smile again Before I depart and am no more."

For the choir director. A Psalm of David.

I ^(a)waited ^[a]patiently for the Lord ; And He inclined to me and ^(b)heard my cry.

He brought me up out of the ^(c)pit of destruction, out of the ^[b]miry clay, And ^(d)He set my feet upon a rock ^(e)making my footsteps firm.

He put a ^(f)new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; Many will ^(g)see and fear And will trust in the Lord .

How ^(h)blessed is the man who has made the Lord his trust, And ⁽ⁱ⁾has not ^[c]turned to the proud, nor to those who ^(j)lapse into falsehood.

Many, O Lord my God, are ^(k)the wonders which You have done, And Your ^(l)thoughts toward us; There is none to compare with You. If I would declare and speak of them, They ^(m)would be too numerous to count.

^[d](n)Sacrifice and meal offering You have not desired; My ears You have ^[e]opened; Burnt offering and sin offering You have not required.

Then I said, "Behold, I come; In the scroll of the book it is ^[f]written of me.

^(o)I delight to do Your will, O my God; ^(p)Your Law is within my heart."

I have ^(q)proclaimed glad tidings of righteousness in the great congregation; Behold, I will ^(r)not restrain my lips, O Lord , ^(s)You know.

I have ^(t)not hidden Your righteousness within my heart; I have ^(u)spoken of Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth from the great congregation.

You, O Lord , will not withhold Your compassion from me; ^[g]Your ^(v)lovingkindness and Your truth will continually preserve me.

For evils beyond number have ^(w)surrounded me; My ^(x)iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to see; They are ^(y)more numerous than the hairs of my head, And my ^(z)heart has ^[h]failed me.

^(aa)Be pleased, O Lord , to deliver me; Make ^(ab)haste, O Lord , to help me.

Let those be ^(ac)ashamed and humiliated together Who ^(ad)seek my ^[i]life to destroy it; Let those be turned back and dishonored Who delight ^[j]in my hurt.

Let those ^(ae)be ^[k]appalled because of their shame Who ^(af)say to me, "Aha, aha!"

^(ag)Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; Let those who love Your salvation ^(ah)say continually, "The Lord be magnified!"

Since ^(ai)I am afflicted and needy, ^[l](aj)Let the Lord be mindful of me. You are my help and my deliverer; Do not delay, O my God.

For the choir director. A Psalm of David.

How blessed is he who ^(a)considers the ^[a]helpless; The Lord will deliver him ^(b)in a day of ^[b]trouble.

The Lord will ^(c)protect him and keep him alive, And he shall ^[c]be called ^(d)blessed upon the earth; And ^(e)do not give him over to the desire of his enemies.

The Lord will sustain him upon his sickbed; In his illness, You ^[d]restore him to health.

As for me, I said, "O Lord , be gracious to me; ^(f)Heal my soul, for ^(g)I have sinned against You."

My enemies ^(h)speak evil against me, "When will he die, and his name perish?"

And ^[e]when he comes to see me, he ⁽ⁱ⁾speaks ^[f]falsehood; His heart gathers wickedness to itself; When he goes outside, he tells it.

All who hate me whisper together against me; Against me they ^(j)devise my hurt, saying,

"A wicked thing is poured out ^[g]upon him, That when he lies down, he will ^(k)not rise up again."

Even my ^(l)close friend in whom I trusted, Who ate my bread, Has lifted up his heel against me.

But You, O Lord , be gracious to me and ^(m)raise me up, That I may repay them.

By this I know that ⁽ⁿ⁾You are pleased with me, Because ^(o)my enemy does not shout in triumph over me.

As for me, ^(p)You uphold me in my integrity, And You set me ^(q)in Your presence forever.

^(r)Blessed be the Lord , the God of Israel, From everlasting to everlasting. Amen and Amen.