Study Desk

Do you indeed ^(F1)speak righteousness, you ^(F2)gods? Do you ^(C1)judge ^(F3)fairly, you sons of mankind?

No, in heart you ^(C1)practice injustice; On earth you ^(C2)clear a way for the violence of your hands.

The wicked have turned away ^(C1)from the womb; These who speak lies ^(C2)go astray from ^(F1)birth.

They have venom like the ^(C1)venom of a serpent; Like a deaf cobra that stops up its ear,

So that it ^(C1)does not hear the voice of ^(F1)(C2)charmers, Or a skillful caster of spells.

God, ^(C1)shatter their teeth in their mouth; Break out the fangs of the young lions, LORD.

May they ^(C1)flow away like water that runs off; When he ^(F1)(C2)aims his arrows, may they be as ^(F2)headless shafts.

May they be like a snail which goes along in slime, Like the ^(C1)miscarriage of a woman that never sees the sun.

Before your ^(C1)pots can feel the fire of thorns He will ^(C2)sweep them away with a whirlwind, the ^(F1)green and the burning alike.

The ^(C1)righteous will rejoice when he ^(C2)sees vengeance; He will ^(C3)wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.

And people will say, "There certainly is ^(F1)(C1)a reward for the righteous; There certainly is a God who ^(C2)judges on the earth!"

^(C1)Rescue me from my enemies, my God; ^(F1)(C2)Set me securely on high away from those who rise up against me.

Rescue me from ^(C1)those who practice injustice, And save me from ^(C2)men of bloodshed.

For behold, they ^(C1)have ^(F1)set an ambush for my ^(F2)life; ^(F3)Fierce men ^(C1)attack me, ^(C2)Not for my wrongdoing nor for my sin, LORD,

^(F1)(C1)For no guilt of mine, they run and take their stand against me. ^(C2)Stir Yourself to ^(F2)help me, and see!

You, ^(C1)LORD God of armies, the God of Israel, Awake to ^(F1)(C2)punish all the nations; ^(C3)Do not be gracious to any who deal treacherously in wrongdoing. Selah

They ^(C1)return at evening, they howl like a ^(C2)dog, And prowl around the city.

Behold, they ^(C1)gush forth with their mouths; ^(C2)Swords are in their lips, For, they say, "^(C3)Who hears?"

But You, LORD, ^(C1)laugh at them; You ^(C2)scoff at all the nations.

Because of ^(F1)his ^(C1)strength I will watch for You, For God is my ^(C2)refuge.

^(F1)My God ^(C1)in His faithfulness will meet me; God will let me ^(C2)look triumphantly upon my enemies.

Do not kill them, ^(C1)or my people will forget; ^(F1)(C2)Scatter them by Your power and bring them down, Lord, ^(C3)our shield.

^(F1)On account of the ^(C1)sin of their mouths and the words of their lips, May they even be ^(C2)caught in their pride, And on account of ^(C3)curses and lies which they tell.

^(F1)(C1)Destroy them in wrath, ^(F1)destroy them so that they will no longer exist; So that people may ^(C2)know that God ^(F2)rules in Jacob, To the ends of the earth. Selah

They ^(C1)return at evening, they howl like a dog, And prowl around the city.

They ^(C1)wander about ^(F1)for food And ^(F2)murmur if they are not satisfied.

But as for me, I will ^(C1)sing of Your strength; Yes, I will ^(C2)joyfully sing of Your faithfulness in the ^(C3)morning, For You have been my ^(C4)refuge And a ^(C5)place of refuge on the day of my distress.

^(C1)My strength, I will sing praises to You; For God is my ^(C2)refuge, the ^(F1)God who shows me favor.

God, ^(C1)You have rejected us. You have ^(F1)(C2)broken us; You have been ^(C3)angry; ^(C4)restore us!

You have made the ^(F1)(C1)land quake, You have split it open; ^(C2)Heal its cracks, for it sways.

You have ^(F1)(C1)made Your people experience hardship; You have given us ^(F2)wine to ^(C2)drink that makes us stagger.

You have given a ^(C1)banner to those who fear You, That it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah

^(C1)That Your ^(C2)beloved may be rescued, ^(C3)Save us with Your right hand, and answer ^(F1)us!

God has spoken in His ^(F1)(C1)holiness: "I will triumph, I will divide up ^(C2)Shechem, and measure out the Valley of ^(C3)Succoth.

-"^(C1)Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine; ^(C2)Ephraim also is the ^(F1)helmet of My head; Judah is My ^(C3)scepter.

-"^(C1)Moab is My washbowl; I will throw My sandal over ^(C2)Edom; Shout loud, ^(C3)Philistia, because of Me!"

Who will bring me into the besieged city? Who ^(F1)will lead me to Edom?

Have You Yourself not ^(C1)rejected us, God? And ^(C2)will You not go out with our armies, God?

Oh give us help against the enemy, For ^(C1)rescue ^(F1)by man is worthless.

^(F1)Through God we will ^(C1)do valiantly, And it is He who will ^(C2)trample down our enemies.

^(C1)Hear my cry, God; ^(C2)Give Your attention to my prayer.

From the ^(C1)end of the earth I call to You when my heart is ^(C2)faint; Lead me to ^(C3)the rock that is higher than I.

For You have been a ^(C1)refuge for me, A ^(C2)tower of strength against the enemy.

Let me ^(F1)(C1)dwell in Your tent forever; Let me ^(C2)take refuge in the shelter of Your wings. Selah

For You have heard my ^(C1)vows, God; You have given me the inheritance of those who ^(C2)fear Your name.

You will ^(F1)(C1)prolong the king's ^(F2)life; His years will be like generations.

He will ^(F1)sit enthroned ^(C1)before God forever; Appoint ^(C2)faithfulness and truth that they may watch over him.

So I will ^(C1)sing praise to Your name forever, That I may ^(C2)pay my vows day by day.

^(C1)My soul waits in silence for God alone; From Him ^(C2)comes my salvation.

He alone is my ^(C1)rock and my salvation, My ^(C2)stronghold; I will not be greatly shaken.

How long will you attack a man, That you may murder him, all of you, Like a ^(C1)leaning wall, like a tottering fence?

They have planned only to thrust him down from his high position; They ^(C1)delight in falsehood; They ^(C2)bless with ^(F1)their mouth, But inwardly they curse. Selah

My soul, ^(C1)wait in silence for God alone, For my hope is from Him.

He alone is ^(C1)my rock and my salvation, My refuge; I will not be shaken.

My ^(C1)salvation and my glory rest on God; The rock of my strength, my ^(C2)refuge is in God.

^(C1)Trust in Him at all times, you people; ^(C2)Pour out your hearts before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah

People of ^(C1)low standing are only ^(C2)breath, and people of rank are a ^(C3)lie; In the ^(C4)balances they go up. Together they are lighter than breath.

^(C1)Do not trust in oppression, And do not vainly rely on ^(C2)robbery; If wealth increases, ^(C3)do not set your heart on it.

God has ^(C1)spoken ^(F1)once; ^(F2)Twice I have heard this: That ^(C2)power belongs to God;

And faithfulness ^(C1)is Yours, Lord, For You ^(C2)reward a person according to his work.

God, ^(C1)You are my God; I shall be watching for You; My soul ^(C2)thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a ^(C3)dry and exhausted land where there is no water.

So have I ^(C1)seen You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and glory.

Because Your ^(F1)(C1)favor is better than life, My lips will praise You.

So I will bless You ^(C1)as long as I live; I will ^(C2)lift up my hands in Your name.

My soul is ^(C1)satisfied as with fat and fatness, And my mouth offers ^(C2)praises with joyful lips.

When I remember You ^(C1)on my bed, I meditate on You in the ^(C2)night watches,

For ^(C1)You have been my help, And in the ^(C2)shadow of Your wings I sing for joy.

My soul ^(C1)clings ^(F1)to You; Your ^(C2)right hand takes hold of me.

But those who ^(C1)seek my ^(F1)life to destroy it, Will go into the ^(F2)(C2)depths of the earth.

^(F1)They will be ^(F2)(C1)turned over to the power of the sword; They will be a ^(F3)(C2)prey for foxes.

But the ^(C1)king will rejoice in God; Everyone who ^(C2)swears by Him will boast, For the ^(C3)mouths of those who speak lies will be stopped.

Hear my voice, God, in ^(C1)my ^(F1)complaint; ^(C2)Protect my life from dread of the enemy.

Hide me from the ^(C1)secret discussion of evildoers, From the restlessness of ^(C2)the workers of injustice,

Who ^(C1)have sharpened their tongues like a sword. They ^(C2)aimed bitter speech as their arrows,

To ^(C1)shoot ^(F1)from concealment at the innocent; Suddenly they shoot at him, and ^(C2)do not fear.

They make firm for themselves an evil ^(F1)purpose; They ^(F2)talk of ^(C1)setting snares secretly; They say, "^(C2)Who can see them?"

They ^(F1)devise injustices, saying, "We are ^(F2)ready with a well-conceived plot"; For the ^(F3)(C1)inward thought and the heart of a person are ^(F4)deep.

But ^(C1)God ^(F1)will shoot an arrow at them; Suddenly ^(F2)they will be wounded.

So ^(F1)they ^(F2)will ^(C1)make him stumble; ^(C2)Their own tongue is against them; All who see them will ^(C3)shake their heads.

Then all people ^(F1)will ^(C1)fear, And they ^(F2)will ^(C2)declare the work of God, And ^(F3)will consider ^(F4)what He has done.

The righteous person will be ^(C1)glad in the LORD and ^(C2)take refuge in Him; And all the upright in heart will boast.

There will be silence ^(F1)before You, and praise in Zion, God, And the ^(C1)vow will be fulfilled for You.

You who hear prayer, To You ^(C1)all ^(F1)mankind comes.

^(F1)(C1)Wrongdoings prevail against me; As for our offenses, You ^(F2)(C2)forgive them.

^(C1)Blessed is the one You ^(C2)choose and allow to approach You; He will dwell in Your courtyards. We will be ^(C3)satisfied with the goodness of Your house, Your holy temple.

By ^(C1)awesome deeds You answer us in righteousness, ^(C2)God of our salvation, You who are the trust of all the ^(C3)ends of the earth and the farthest ^(F1)(C4)sea;

Who ^(C1)establishes the mountains by His strength, Who is ^(C2)encircled with might;

Who ^(C1)stills the roaring of the seas, The roaring of their waves, And the ^(C2)turmoil of the nations.

They who dwell at the ^(C1)ends of the earth stand in awe of Your signs; You make the ^(F1)sunrise and the sunset shout for joy.

You visit the earth and ^(C1)cause it to overflow; You greatly ^(C2)enrich it; The ^(F1)(C3)stream of God is full of water; You prepare their ^(C4)grain, for so You prepare ^(F2)the earth.

You water its furrows abundantly, You ^(F1)settle its ridges, You soften it ^(C1)with showers, You bless its growth.

You have crowned the year ^(F1)with Your ^(C1)goodness, And Your ^(F2)paths ^(C2)drip with fatness.

^(C1)The pastures of the wilderness drip, And the ^(C2)hills encircle themselves with rejoicing.

The meadows are ^(C1)clothed with flocks And the valleys are ^(C2)covered with grain; They ^(C3)shout for joy, yes, they sing.