Prayer for Help against Persecutors.

For the music director. A Psalm of David; for a memorial.

70 (A)God, hurry to save me;
Lord, hurry to help me!
(B)May those who seek my [a]life
Be put to shame and humiliated;
May those who delight [b]in my harm
Be turned back and dishonored.
(C)May those who say, “Aha, aha!” be [c]turned back
Because of their shame.

May all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
And may those who love Your salvation say continually,
“May God be exalted!”
But (D)I am afflicted and needy;
(E)Hurry to me, God!
You are my help and my savior;
Lord, do not delay.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 70:2 Or soul
  2. Psalm 70:2 Or to injure me
  3. Psalm 70:3 Some mss appalled

Psalm 70

Prayer for Deliverance from Enemies

To the leader. Of David, for the memorial offering.

Be pleased, O God, to deliver me.
    O Lord, make haste to help me!(A)
Let those be put to shame and confusion
    who seek my life.
Let those be turned back and brought to dishonor
    who desire to hurt me.(B)
Let those who say, “Aha, Aha!”
    turn back because of their shame.(C)

Let all who seek you
    rejoice and be glad in you.
Let those who love your salvation
    say evermore, “God is great!”
But I am poor and needy;
    hasten to me, O God!
You are my help and my deliverer;
    O Lord, do not delay!(D)

70 A psalm for David. Of the sons of Jonadab, and the former captives. In thee, O Lord, I have hoped, let me never be put to confusion:

Deliver me in thy justice, and rescue me. Incline thy ear unto me, and save me.

Be thou unto me a God, a protector, and a place of strength: that thou mayst make me safe. For thou art my firmament and my refuge.

Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the sinner, and out of the hand of the transgressor of the law and of the unjust.

For thou art my patience, O Lord: my hope, O Lord, from my youth;

By thee have I been confirmed from the womb: from my mother's womb thou art my protector. Of thee shall I continually sing:

I run become unto many as a wonder, but thou art a strong helper.

Let my mouth be filled with praise, that I may sing thy glory; thy greatness all the day long.

Cast me not off in the time of old age: when my strength shall fail, do not thou forsake me.

10 For my enemies have spoken against me; and they that watched my soul have consulted together,

11 Saying: God hath forsaken him: pursue and take him, for there is none to deliver him.

12 O God, be not thou far from me: O my God, make haste to my help.

13 Let them be confounded and come to nothing that detract my soul; let them be covered with confusion and shame that seek my hurt.

14 But I will always hope; and will add to all thy praise.

15 My mouth shall shew forth thy justice; thy salvation all the day long. Because I have not known learning,

16 I will enter into the powers of the Lord: O Lord, I will be mindful of thy justice alone.

17 Thou hast taught me, O God, from my youth: and till now I will declare thy wonderful works.

18 And unto old age and grey hairs: O God, forsake me not, Until I shew forth thy arm to all the generation that is to come: Thy power,

19 And thy justice, O God, even to the highest great things thou hast done: O God, who is like to thee?

20 How great troubles hast thou shewn me, many and grievous: and turning thou hast brought me to life, and hast brought me back again from the depths of the earth:

21 Thou hast multiplied thy magnificence; and turning to me thou hast comforted me.

22 For I will also confess to thee thy truth with the instruments of psaltery: O God, I will sing to thee with the harp, thou holy one of Israel.

23 My lips shall greatly rejoice, when I shall sing to thee; and my soul which thou hast redeemed.

24 Yea and my tongue shall meditate on thy justice all the day; when they shall be confounded and put to shame that seek evils to me.

70 1-3 God! Please hurry to my rescue!
    God, come quickly to my side!
Those who are out to get me—
    let them fall all over themselves.
Those who relish my downfall—
    send them down a blind alley.
Give them a taste of their own medicine,
    those gossips off clucking their tongues.

Let those on the hunt for you
    sing and celebrate.
Let all who love your saving way
    say over and over, “God is mighty!”

But I’ve lost it. I’m wasted.
    God—quickly, quickly!
Quick to my side, quick to my rescue!
    God, don’t lose a minute.