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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

Prayer for Help and Thanksgiving for It

Of David.

To you, O Lord, I call;
    my rock, do not refuse to hear me,
for if you are silent to me,
    I shall be like those who go down to the Pit.(A)
Hear the voice of my supplication,
    as I cry to you for help,
as I lift up my hands
    toward your most holy sanctuary.[a](B)

Do not drag me away with the wicked,
    with those who are workers of evil,
who speak peace with their neighbors
    while mischief is in their hearts.(C)
Repay them according to their work
    and according to the evil of their deeds;
repay them according to the work of their hands;
    render them their due reward.(D)
Because they do not regard the works of the Lord
    or the work of his hands,
he will break them down and build them up no more.(E)

Blessed be the Lord,
    for he has heard the sound of my pleadings.(F)
The Lord is my strength and my shield;
    in him my heart trusts;
so I am helped, and my heart exults,
    and with my song I give thanks to him.(G)

The Lord is the strength of his people;
    he is the saving refuge of his anointed.(H)
O save your people and bless your heritage;
    be their shepherd and carry them forever.(I)

Footnotes

  1. 28.2 Heb your innermost sanctuary

28 (0) By David:

(1) Adonai, I am calling to you;
my Rock, don’t be deaf to my cry.
For if you answer me with silence,
I will be like those who fall in a pit.
Hear the sound of my prayers
when I cry to you,
when I lift my hands
toward your holy sanctuary.

Don’t drag me off with the wicked,
with those whose deeds are evil;
they speak words of peace to their fellowmen,
but evil is in their hearts.
Pay them back for their deeds,
as befits their evil acts;
repay them for what they have done,
give them what they deserve.
For they don’t understand the deeds of Adonai
or what he has done.
He will break them down;
he will not build them up.

Blessed be Adonai,
for he heard my voice as I prayed for mercy.
Adonai is my strength and shield;
in him my heart trusted, and I have been helped.
Therefore my heart is filled with joy,
and I will sing praises to him.

Adonai is strength for [his people],
a stronghold of salvation to his anointed.
Save your people! Bless your heritage!
Shepherd them, and carry them forever!