Study Desk

For the choir director. Davidic. To bring remembrance.^(a)

God, deliver me. Hurry to help me, Lord !^(b)

Let those who seek my life be disgraced and confounded; let those who wish me harm be driven back and humiliated.

Let those who say, "Aha, aha!" retreat because of their shame.^(c)

Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; let those who love Your salvation continually say, "God is great!"^(d)

I am afflicted and needy; hurry to me, God. You are my help and my deliverer; Lord , do not delay.^(e)

Lord , I seek refuge in You; let me never be disgraced.^(a)

In Your justice, rescue and deliver me; listen closely to me and save me.^(b)

Be a rock of refuge for me, where I can always go. Give the command to save me, for You are my rock and fortress.^(c)

Deliver me, my God, from the power of the wicked, from the grasp of the unjust and oppressive.^(d)

For You are my hope, Lord God , my confidence from my youth.^(e)

I have leaned on You from birth; You took me from my mother's womb.^(f) My praise is always about You.^(g)

I have become an ominous sign to many, but You are my strong refuge.^(h)

My mouth is full of praise and honor to You all day long.⁽ⁱ⁾

Don't discard me in my old age; as my strength fails, do not abandon me.^(j)

For my enemies talk about me, and those who spy on me plot together,^(k)

saying, "God has abandoned him; chase him and catch him, for there is no one to rescue him."^(l)

God, do not be far from me; my God, hurry to help me.^(m)

May my adversaries be disgraced and destroyed; may those who seek my harm be covered with disgrace and humiliation.⁽ⁿ⁾

But I will hope continually and will praise You more and more.^(o)

My mouth will tell about Your righteousness and Your salvation all day long, though I cannot sum them up.^(p)

I come because of the mighty acts of the Lord God ; I will proclaim Your righteousness, Yours alone.^(q)

God, You have taught me from my youth, and I still proclaim Your wonderful works.^(r)

Even when I am old and gray, God, do not abandon me.^(s) Then I will^[a] proclaim Your power to another generation, Your strength to all who are to come.^(t)

Your righteousness reaches heaven, God, You who have done great things; God, who is like You?^(u)

You caused me to experience many troubles and misfortunes,^(v) but You will revive me again.^(w) You will bring me up again, even from the depths of the earth.^(x)

You will increase my honor and comfort me once again.^(y)

Therefore, I will praise You with a harp for Your faithfulness, my God; I will sing to You with a lyre, Holy One of Israel.^(z)

My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to You because You have redeemed me.^(aa)

Therefore, my tongue will proclaim Your righteousness all day long, for those who seek my harm will be disgraced and confounded.^(ab)

Solomonic.^(a)

God, give Your justice to the king and Your righteousness to the king's son.^(b)

He will judge Your people with righteousness and Your afflicted ones with justice.^(c)

May the mountains bring prosperity^[a] to the people and the hills, righteousness.^(d)

May he vindicate the afflicted among the people, help the poor, and crush the oppressor.^(e)

May he continue^[b] while the sun endures and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.^(f)

May he be like rain that falls on the cut grass, like spring showers that water the earth.^(g)

May the righteous^[c] flourish in his days and prosperity^[d] abound until the moon is no more.^(h)

May he rule from sea to sea and from the Euphrates to the ends of the earth.⁽ⁱ⁾

May desert tribes kneel before him and his enemies lick the dust.^(j)

May the kings of Tarshish and the coasts and islands bring tribute, the kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts.^(k)

Let all kings bow down to him, all nations serve him.^(l)

For he will rescue the poor who cry out and the afflicted who have no helper.^(m)

He will have pity on the poor and helpless and save the lives of the poor.⁽ⁿ⁾

He will redeem them from oppression and violence, for their lives are^[e] precious^[f] in his sight.^(o)

May he live long! May gold from Sheba be given to him. May prayer be offered for him continually, and may he be blessed all day long.^(p)

May there be plenty of grain in the land; may it wave on the tops of the mountains. May its crops be like Lebanon. May people flourish in the cities like the grass of the field.^(q)

May his name endure forever; as long as the sun shines, may his fame increase. May all nations be blessed by him and call him blessed.^(r)

May the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone does wonders, be praised.^(s)

May His glorious name be praised forever; the whole earth is filled with His glory.^(t) Amen and amen.

The prayers of David son of Jesse are concluded.^(u)

A psalm of Asaph.^(a) God is indeed good to Israel, to the pure in heart.^(b)

But as for me, my feet almost slipped; my steps nearly went astray.^(c)

For I envied the arrogant; I saw the prosperity of the wicked.^(d)

They have an easy time until they die,^[a] and their bodies are well fed.^[b](e)

They are not in trouble like others; they are not afflicted like most people.^(f)

Therefore, pride is their necklace, and violence covers them like a garment.^(g)

Their eyes bulge out from fatness; the imaginations of their hearts run wild.^(h)

They mock, and they speak maliciously; they arrogantly threaten oppression.⁽ⁱ⁾

They set their mouths against heaven, and their tongues strut across the earth.^(j)

Therefore His people turn to them^[c] and drink in their overflowing words.^[d](k)

The wicked say, "How can God know? Does the Most High know everything?"^(l)

Look at them—the wicked! They are always at ease, and they increase their wealth.^(m)

Did I purify my heart and wash my hands in innocence for nothing?⁽ⁿ⁾

For I am afflicted all day long and punished every morning.^(o)

If I had decided to say these things aloud, I would have betrayed Your people.^[e](p)

When I tried to understand all this, it seemed hopeless^[f](q)

until I entered God's sanctuary. Then I understood their destiny.^(r)

Indeed, You put them in slippery places; You make them fall into ruin.^(s)

How suddenly they become a desolation! They come to an end, swept away by terrors.^(t)

Like one waking from a dream, Lord, when arising, You will despise their image.^(u)

When I became embittered and my innermost being^[g] was wounded,^(v)

I was stupid and didn't understand; I was an unthinking animal toward You.^(w)

Yet I am always with You; You hold my right hand.^(x)

You guide me with Your counsel, and afterward You will take me up in glory.^[h](y)

Who do I have in heaven but You? And I desire nothing on earth but You.^(z)

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength^[i] of my heart, my portion forever.^(aa)

Those far from You will certainly perish; You destroy all who are unfaithful to You.^(ab)

But as for me, God's presence is my good. I have made the Lord God my refuge, so I can tell about all You do.^(ac)