⁴ My heart is in anguish^(G) within me;
    the terrors^(H) of death have fallen on me.
⁵ Fear and trembling^(I) have beset me;
    horror^(J) has overwhelmed me.
⁶ I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!
    I would fly away and be at rest.
⁷ I would flee far away
    and stay in the desert;^[c](K)
8 I would hurry to my place of shelter,^(L)
    far from the tempest and storm.^(M)”

⁹ Lord, confuse the wicked, confound their words,^(N)
    for I see violence and strife^(O) in the city.^(P)
10 Day and night they prowl^(Q) about on its walls;
    malice and abuse are within it.
¹¹ Destructive forces^(R) are at work in the city;
    threats and lies^(S) never leave its streets.

¹² If an enemy were insulting me,
    I could endure it;
if a foe were rising against me,
    I could hide.
¹³ But it is you, a man like myself,
    my companion, my close friend,^(T)
14 with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship^(U)
    at the house of God,^(V)
as we walked about
    among the worshipers.

¹⁵ Let death take my enemies by surprise;^(W)
    let them go down alive to the realm of the dead,^(X)
    for evil finds lodging among them.

¹⁶ As for me, I call to God,
    and the Lord saves me.
¹⁷ Evening,^(Y) morning^(Z) and noon^(AA)
    I cry out in distress,
    and he hears my voice.
¹⁸ He rescues me unharmed
    from the battle waged against me,
    even though many oppose me.
¹⁹ God, who is enthroned from of old,^(AB)
    who does not change—
he will hear^(AC) them and humble them,
    because they have no fear of God.^(AD)

²⁰ My companion attacks his friends;^(AE)
    he violates his covenant.^(AF)
21 His talk is smooth as butter,^(AG)
    yet war is in his heart;
his words are more soothing than oil,^(AH)
    yet they are drawn swords.^(AI)

²² Cast your cares on the Lord
    and he will sustain you;^(AJ)
he will never let
    the righteous be shaken.^(AK)
23 But you, God, will bring down the wicked
    into the pit^(AL) of decay;
the bloodthirsty and deceitful^(AM)
    will not live out half their days.^(AN)

But as for me, I trust in you.^(AO)

⁴ May all the kings of the earth^(J) praise you, Lord,
    when they hear what you have decreed.
⁵ May they sing^(K) of the ways of the Lord,
    for the glory of the Lord^(L) is great.

⁶ Though the Lord is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly;^(M)
    though lofty, he sees them^(N) from afar.
⁷ Though I walk^(O) in the midst of trouble,
    you preserve my life.^(P)
You stretch out your hand^(Q) against the anger of my foes;^(R)
    with your right hand^(S) you save me.^(T)
8 The Lord will vindicate^(U) me;
    your love, Lord, endures forever^(V)—
    do not abandon^(W) the works of your hands.^(X)

⁷ Where can I go from your Spirit?
    Where can I flee^(K) from your presence?
⁸ If I go up to the heavens,^(L) you are there;
    if I make my bed^(M) in the depths, you are there.
⁹ If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
    if I settle on the far side of the sea,
¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me,^(N)
    your right hand^(O) will hold me fast.
¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
    and the light become night around me,”
¹² even the darkness will not be dark^(P) to you;
    the night will shine like the day,
    for darkness is as light to you.

¹³ For you created my inmost being;^(Q)
    you knit me together^(R) in my mother’s womb.^(S)
14 I praise you^(T) because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,^(U)
    I know that full well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made^(V) in the secret place,
    when I was woven together^(W) in the depths of the earth.^(X)
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained^(Y) for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be.
¹⁷ How precious to me are your thoughts,^[a](Z) God!^(AA)
    How vast is the sum of them!
¹⁸ Were I to count them,^(AB)
    they would outnumber the grains of sand^(AC)—
    when I awake,^(AD) I am still with you.

¹⁹ If only you, God, would slay the wicked!^(AE)
    Away from me,^(AF) you who are bloodthirsty!^(AG)
20 They speak of you with evil intent;
    your adversaries^(AH) misuse your name.^(AI)
21 Do I not hate those^(AJ) who hate you, Lord,
    and abhor^(AK) those who are in rebellion against you?
²² I have nothing but hatred for them;
    I count them my enemies.^(AL)
23 Search me,^(AM) God, and know my heart;^(AN)
    test me and know my anxious thoughts.
²⁴ See if there is any offensive way^(AO) in me,
    and lead me^(AP) in the way everlasting.