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A Prayer for Help[a]

28 O Lord, my defender, I call to you.
    Listen to my cry!
If you do not answer me,
    I will be among those who go down to the world of the dead.
Hear me when I cry to you for help,
    when I lift my hands toward your holy Temple.
Do not condemn me with the wicked,
    with those who do evil—
    those whose words are friendly,
    but who have hatred in their hearts.

(A)Punish them for what they have done,
    for the evil they have committed.
Punish them for all their deeds;
    give them what they deserve!
They take no notice of what the Lord has done
    or of what he has made;
so he will punish them
    and destroy them forever.

Give praise to the Lord;
    he has heard my cry for help.
The Lord protects and defends me;
    I trust in him.
He gives me help and makes me glad;
    I praise him with joyful songs.

The Lord protects his people;
    he defends and saves his chosen king.
Save your people, Lord,
    and bless those who are yours.
Be their shepherd,
    and take care of them forever.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 28:1 HEBREW TITLE: By David.

Psalm 28

Of David.

To you, Lord, I call;
    you are my Rock,
    do not turn a deaf ear(A) to me.
For if you remain silent,(B)
    I will be like those who go down to the pit.(C)
Hear my cry for mercy(D)
    as I call to you for help,
as I lift up my hands(E)
    toward your Most Holy Place.(F)

Do not drag me away with the wicked,
    with those who do evil,
who speak cordially with their neighbors
    but harbor malice in their hearts.(G)
Repay them for their deeds
    and for their evil work;
repay them for what their hands have done(H)
    and bring back on them what they deserve.(I)

Because they have no regard for the deeds of the Lord
    and what his hands have done,(J)
he will tear them down
    and never build them up again.

Praise be to the Lord,(K)
    for he has heard my cry for mercy.(L)
The Lord is my strength(M) and my shield;
    my heart trusts(N) in him, and he helps me.
My heart leaps for joy,(O)
    and with my song I praise him.(P)

The Lord is the strength(Q) of his people,
    a fortress of salvation(R) for his anointed one.(S)
Save your people(T) and bless your inheritance;(U)
    be their shepherd(V) and carry them(W) forever.

(By David.)

A Prayer for Help

Only you, Lord,
    are a mighty rock![a]
Don't refuse to help me
    when I pray.
If you don't answer me,
    I will soon be dead.
Please listen to my prayer
    and my cry for help,
as I lift my hands
    toward your holy temple.

Don't drag me away, Lord,
    with those cruel people,
who speak kind words,
    while planning trouble.
(A) Treat them as they deserve!
    Punish them for their sins.
They don't pay any attention
    to your wonderful deeds.
Now you will destroy them
    and leave them in ruin.

I praise you, Lord,
    for answering my prayers.
You are my strong shield,
    and I trust you completely.
You have helped me,
and I will celebrate
    and thank you in song.

You give strength
    to your people, Lord,
and you save and protect
    your chosen ones.
Come save us and bless us.
Be our shepherd and always
    carry us in your arms.

Footnotes

  1. 28.1 mighty rock: See the note at 18.2.

Psalm 28

A psalm of David.

I pray to you, O Lord, my rock.
    Do not turn a deaf ear to me.
For if you are silent,
    I might as well give up and die.
Listen to my prayer for mercy
    as I cry out to you for help,
    as I lift my hands toward your holy sanctuary.

Do not drag me away with the wicked—
    with those who do evil—
those who speak friendly words to their neighbors
    while planning evil in their hearts.
Give them the punishment they so richly deserve!
    Measure it out in proportion to their wickedness.
Pay them back for all their evil deeds!
    Give them a taste of what they have done to others.
They care nothing for what the Lord has done
    or for what his hands have made.
So he will tear them down,
    and they will never be rebuilt!

Praise the Lord!
    For he has heard my cry for mercy.
The Lord is my strength and shield.
    I trust him with all my heart.
He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy.
    I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.

The Lord gives his people strength.
    He is a safe fortress for his anointed king.
Save your people!
    Bless Israel, your special possession.[a]
Lead them like a shepherd,
    and carry them in your arms forever.

Footnotes

  1. 28:9 Hebrew Bless your inheritance.

A Prayer in Troubled Times

Of David.

28 Lord, my Rock, I call out to you for help.
    Do not be deaf to me.
If you are silent,
    I will be like those in the grave.
Hear the sound of my prayer,
    when I cry out to you for help.
I raise my hands
    toward your Most Holy Place.
Don’t drag me away with the wicked,
    with those who do evil.
They say “Peace” to their neighbors,
    but evil is in their hearts.
Pay them back for what they have done,
    for their evil deeds.
Pay them back for what they have done;
    give them their reward.
They don’t understand what the Lord has done
    or what he has made.
So he will knock them down
    and not lift them up.

Praise the Lord,
    because he heard my prayer for help.
The Lord is my strength and shield.
    I trust him, and he helps me.
I am very happy,
    and I praise him with my song.
The Lord is powerful;
    he gives victory to his chosen one.
Save your people
    and bless those who are your own.
    Be their shepherd and carry them forever.