1  Why, O Lord, do you stand ^kfar away?

Why ^ldo you hide yourself in ^mtimes of trouble?

2  In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor;

let them ⁿbe caught in the schemes that they have devised.

3  For the wicked ^oboasts of the desires of his soul,

and the one greedy for gain ^pcurses¹ and ^qrenounces the Lord.

4  In the pride of his face² the wicked does not ^qseek him;³

all his thoughts are, ^r“There is no God.”

5  His ways prosper at all times;

your judgments are on high, ^sout of his sight;

as for all his foes, he ^tpuffs at them.

6  He ^usays in his heart, “I shall not be moved;

throughout all generations I ^vshall not meet adversity.”

7  ^wHis mouth is filled with cursing and ^xdeceit and ^yoppression;

^zunder his tongue are ^amischief and ^biniquity.

8  He sits in ambush in the villages;

in ^chiding places he murders the innocent.

His eyes stealthily watch for the helpless;

9  he lurks in ambush like ^da lion in his ^ethicket;

he ^flurks that he may seize the poor;

he seizes the poor when he draws him into his ^gnet.

10  The helpless are crushed, sink down,

and fall by his might.

11  He says in his heart, “God has forgotten,

he has ^hhidden his face, he ⁱwill never see it.”

12  ^jArise, O Lord; O God, ^klift up your hand;

^lforget not the afflicted.

13  Why does the wicked ^mrenounce God

and say in his heart, “You will not ⁿcall to account”?

14  But you do see, for you ^onote mischief and vexation,

that you may take it into your hands;

to you the helpless ^pcommits himself;

you have been ^qthe helper of the fatherless.

15  ^rBreak the arm of the wicked and evildoer;

^scall his wickedness to account till you find none.

16  ^tThe Lord is king forever and ever;

the ^unations perish from his land.

17  O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted;

you will ^vstrengthen their heart; you will incline your ear

18  to ^wdo justice to the fatherless and ^xthe oppressed,

so that ^yman who is of the earth may strike terror no more.

1  Do you indeed decree what is right, you gods?²

Do you judge the children of man uprightly?

2  No, in your hearts you devise wrongs;

your hands ^jdeal out violence on earth.

3  The wicked are ^kestranged from the womb;

they go astray from birth, speaking lies.

4  ^lThey have venom like the venom of a serpent,

like the deaf adder that stops its ear,

5  so that it ^mdoes not hear the voice of charmers

or of the cunning enchanter.

6  O God, ⁿbreak the teeth in their mouths;

tear out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord!

7  Let them ^ovanish like water that runs away;

when he ^paims his arrows, let them be blunted.

8  Let them be like the snail ^othat dissolves into slime,

like ^qthe stillborn child who never sees the sun.

9  Sooner than your pots can feel the heat of ^rthorns,

whether green or ablaze, may he ^ssweep them away!³

10  ^tThe righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance;

he will ^ubathe his feet in the blood of the wicked.

11  Mankind will say, “Surely there is ^va reward for the righteous;

surely there is a God who ^wjudges on earth.”

1  ^oIn you, O Lord, do I ^ptake refuge;

^qlet me never be put to shame;

in your ^rrighteousness deliver me!

2  Incline your ear to me;

rescue me speedily!

Be ^sa rock of ^trefuge for me,

a strong fortress to save me!

3  For you are my rock and my fortress;

and for your ^uname’s sake you lead me and guide me;

4  you ^vtake me out of ^wthe net they have hidden for me,

for you are my ^xrefuge.

5  ^yInto your hand I commit my spirit;

you have redeemed me, O Lord, ^zfaithful God.

6  I ^ahate¹ those who pay ^bregard to worthless ^cidols,

but I trust in the Lord.

7  I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love,

because you have seen my affliction;

you have ^dknown the distress of my soul,

8  and you have not ^edelivered me into the hand of the enemy;

you have set my feet in ^fa broad place.

9  Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am ^gin distress;

^hmy eye is wasted from grief;

my soul and my body also.

10  For my life is spent with sorrow,

and my years with sighing;

my strength fails because of my iniquity,

and ⁱmy bones waste away.

11  Because of all my adversaries I have become ^ja reproach,

especially to my ^kneighbors,

and an object of dread to my acquaintances;

those who see me in the street ^lflee from me.

12  I have been ^mforgotten like one who is dead;

I have become like ⁿa broken vessel.

13  For I ^ohear the whispering of many—

terror on every side!—

^pas they scheme together against me,

as they plot to take my life.

14  But I ^qtrust in you, O Lord;

I say, “You are my God.”

15  My ^rtimes are in your hand;

^srescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!

16  ^tMake your face shine on your servant;

save me in your steadfast love!

17  O Lord, ^ulet me not be put to shame,

for I call upon you;

let the wicked be put to shame;

let them go ^vsilently to Sheol.

18  Let the lying lips be mute,

which ^wspeak ^xinsolently against the righteous

in pride and contempt.

19  Oh, how abundant is your goodness,

which you have stored up for those who fear you

and worked for those who take refuge in you,

^yin the sight of the children of mankind!

20  In ^zthe cover of your presence you hide them

from the plots of men;

you ^astore them in your shelter

from the strife of tongues.

21  Blessed be the Lord,

for he has wondrously ^bshown his steadfast love to me

when I was in ^ca besieged city.

22  I had said in my ^dalarm,²

“I am ^ecut off from ^fyour sight.”

But you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy

when I cried to you for help.

23  Love the Lord, all you his ^gsaints!

The Lord preserves the faithful

but abundantly ^hrepays the one who acts in pride.

24  ⁱBe strong, and let your heart take courage,

all you who wait for the Lord!

1  ^jIncline your ear, O Lord, and answer me,

for I am ^kpoor and needy.

2  Preserve my life, for I am ^lgodly;

save your servant, who ^mtrusts in you—you are my God.

3  ⁿBe gracious to me, O Lord,

for to you do I cry all the day.

4  Gladden the soul of your servant,

for ^oto you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.

5  For you, O Lord, are good and ^pforgiving,

^qabounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.

6  ^rGive ear, O Lord, to my prayer;

listen to my plea for grace.

7  In ^sthe day of my trouble I call upon you,

^tfor you answer me.

8  There is ^unone like you among the gods, O Lord,

^vnor are there any works like yours.

9  ^wAll the nations you have made shall come

and worship before you, O Lord,

and shall glorify your name.

10  For ^xyou are great and ^ydo wondrous things;

^zyou alone are God.

11  ^aTeach me your way, O Lord,

that I may ^bwalk in your truth;

^cunite my heart to fear your name.

12  I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart,

and I will glorify your name forever.

13  ^dFor great is your steadfast love toward me;

you have ^edelivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.

14  O God, insolent men have ^frisen up against me;

a band of ruthless men seeks my life,

and they do not set you before them.

15  But you, O Lord, are a God ^gmerciful and gracious,

slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.

16  ^hTurn to me and be gracious to me;

give your strength to ⁱyour servant,

and save ⁱthe son of your maidservant.

17  ^jShow me a sign of your ^kfavor,

that those who hate me may see and be put to shame

because you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.