Psalm 17:1-31:22

English Standard Version

³ You have ^(D)tried my heart, you have ^(E)visited me by ^(F)night,
    you have ^(G)tested me, and you will find nothing;
    I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress.
⁴ With regard to the works of man, by the word of your lips
    I have avoided the ways of the violent.
⁵ My steps have ^(H)held fast to your paths;
    my feet have not slipped.

⁶ I ^(I)call upon you, for you will answer me, O God;
    ^(J)incline your ear to me; hear my words.
^7 (K)Wondrously show^[a] your steadfast love,
    O Savior of those who seek refuge
    from ^(L)their adversaries at your right hand.

⁸ Keep me as ^(M)the apple of your eye;
    hide me in ^(N)the shadow of your wings,
⁹ from the wicked who do me violence,
    my deadly enemies who ^(O)surround me.

^10 (P)They close their hearts to pity;
    with their mouths they ^(Q)speak arrogantly.
¹¹ They have now surrounded our ^(R)steps;
    they set their eyes to ^(S)cast us to the ground.
¹² He is like a lion eager to tear,
    as a young lion ^(T)lurking in ambush.

¹³ Arise, O Lord! Confront him, subdue him!
    Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword,
¹⁴ from men by your hand, O Lord,
    from ^(U)men of the world whose ^(V)portion is in this life.^[b]
You fill their womb with treasure;^[c]
    they are satisfied with ^(W)children,
    and they leave their abundance to their infants.

¹⁵ As for me, I shall ^(X)behold your face in righteousness;
    when I ^(Y)awake, I shall be ^(Z)satisfied with your likeness.

^4 (AL)The cords of death encompassed me;
    ^(AM)the torrents of destruction assailed me;^[d]
5 (AN)the cords of Sheol entangled me;
    the snares of death confronted me.

^6 (AO)In my distress I called upon the Lord;
    to my God I cried for help.
From his ^(AP)temple he heard my voice,
    and my cry to him reached his ears.

⁷ Then the earth ^(AQ)reeled and rocked;
    the foundations also of the mountains trembled
    and quaked, because he was angry.
⁸ Smoke went up from his nostrils,^[e]
    and devouring ^(AR)fire from his mouth;
    glowing coals flamed forth from him.
⁹ He ^(AS)bowed the heavens and ^(AT)came down;
    ^(AU)thick darkness was under his feet.
¹⁰ He rode on a cherub and flew;
    he came swiftly on ^(AV)the wings of the wind.
¹¹ He made darkness his covering, his ^(AW)canopy around him,
    thick clouds ^(AX)dark with water.
¹² Out of the brightness before him
    ^(AY)hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds.

¹³ The Lord also ^(AZ)thundered in the heavens,
    and the Most High uttered his ^(BA)voice,
    hailstones and coals of fire.
¹⁴ And he sent out his ^(BB)arrows and scattered them;
    he flashed forth lightnings and ^(BC)routed them.
¹⁵ Then ^(BD)the channels of the sea were seen,
    and the foundations of the world were laid bare
at your ^(BE)rebuke, O Lord,
    at the blast of ^(BF)the breath of your nostrils.

¹⁶ He ^(BG)sent from on high, he took me;
    he ^(BH)drew me out of ^(BI)many waters.
¹⁷ He rescued me from my strong enemy
    and from those who hated me,
    for they were ^(BJ)too mighty for me.
¹⁸ They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
    but the Lord was my support.
¹⁹ He brought me out into ^(BK)a broad place;
    he rescued me, because he ^(BL)delighted in me.

²⁰ The Lord dealt with me ^(BM)according to my righteousness;
    according to ^(BN)the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me.
²¹ For I have ^(BO)kept the ways of the Lord,
    and have not wickedly departed from my God.
²² For ^(BP)all his rules^[f] were before me,
    and his statutes I did not put away from me.
²³ I was ^(BQ)blameless before him,
    and I kept myself from my guilt.
²⁴ So the Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
    according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.

²⁵ With ^(BR)the merciful you show yourself merciful;
    with the blameless man you show yourself blameless;
²⁶ with the purified you show yourself pure;
    and with ^(BS)the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.
²⁷ For you save ^(BT)a humble people,
    but ^(BU)the haughty eyes you bring down.
²⁸ For it is you who light my ^(BV)lamp;
    the Lord my God lightens my darkness.
²⁹ For by you I can run against a troop,
    and by my God I can ^(BW)leap over ^(BX)a wall.
³⁰ This God—his way is ^(BY)perfect;^[g]
    the word of the Lord ^(BZ)proves true;
    he is ^(CA)a shield for all those who ^(CB)take refuge in him.

³¹ For ^(CC)who is God, but the Lord?
    And who is ^(CD)a rock, except our God?—
³² the God who ^(CE)equipped me with strength
    and made my way ^(CF)blameless.
³³ He made my feet like the feet of a ^(CG)deer
    and set me secure on ^(CH)the heights.
³⁴ He ^(CI)trains my hands for war,
    so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
³⁵ You have given me the shield of your salvation,
    and your right hand ^(CJ)supported me,
    and your ^(CK)gentleness made me great.
³⁶ You ^(CL)gave a wide place for my steps under me,
    and my feet did not slip.
³⁷ I pursued my enemies and overtook them,
    and did not turn back till they were consumed.
³⁸ I thrust them through, so that they were not able to rise;
    they fell under my feet.
³⁹ For you equipped me with strength for the battle;
    you made those who rise against me sink under me.
⁴⁰ You made my enemies ^(CM)turn their backs to me,^[h]
    and those who hated me I destroyed.
^41 (CN)They cried for help, but there was none to save;
    they cried to the Lord, but he did not answer them.
⁴² I beat them fine as ^(CO)dust before the wind;
    I cast them out like ^(CP)the mire of the streets.

⁴³ You delivered me from ^(CQ)strife with the people;
    you made me ^(CR)the head of the nations;
    ^(CS)people whom I had not known served me.
⁴⁴ As soon as they heard of me they obeyed me;
    ^(CT)foreigners ^(CU)came cringing to me.
^45 (CV)Foreigners lost heart
    and ^(CW)came trembling out of their fortresses.

⁴⁶ The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock,
    and exalted be the God of my salvation—
⁴⁷ the God who gave me vengeance
    and ^(CX)subdued peoples under me,
⁴⁸ who rescued me from my enemies;
    yes, you ^(CY)exalted me above those who rose against me;
    you delivered me from ^(CZ)the man of violence.

^49 (DA)For this I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations,
    and ^(DB)sing to your name.
⁵⁰ Great ^(DC)salvation he brings to his king,
    and shows steadfast love to his ^(DD)anointed,
    to ^(DE)David and his offspring forever.

^7 (DL)The law of the Lord is perfect,^{[k]
    (DM)}reviving the soul;
^(DN)the testimony of the Lord is ^(DO)sure,
    ^(DP)making wise ^(DQ)the simple;
^8 (DR)the precepts of the Lord are right,
    rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is ^(DS)pure,
    ^(DT)enlightening the eyes;
⁹ the fear of the Lord is clean,
    enduring forever;
the rules^[l] of the Lord are ^(DU)true,
    and righteous altogether.
¹⁰ More to be desired are they than ^(DV)gold,
    even much ^(DW)fine gold;
^(DX)sweeter also than honey
    and drippings of ^(DY)the honeycomb.
¹¹ Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
    ^(DZ)in keeping them there is great reward.

^12 (EA)Who can discern his errors?
    ^(EB)Declare me innocent from ^(EC)hidden faults.
^13 (ED)Keep back your servant also from ^(EE)presumptuous sins;
    let them not have ^(EF)dominion over me!
Then I shall be blameless,
    and innocent of great transgression.

¹⁴ Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
    be acceptable in your sight,
    O Lord, my ^(EG)rock and my ^(EH)redeemer.

⁴ May he ^(EO)grant you your heart's desire
    and fulfill all your plans!
⁵ May we shout for joy over ^(EP)your salvation,
    and in the name of our God set up our ^(EQ)banners!
May the Lord fulfill all your petitions!

⁶ Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed;
    he will answer him from his holy heaven
    with ^(ER)the saving might of his right hand.
⁷ Some trust in ^(ES)chariots and some in ^(ET)horses,
    ^(EU)but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
⁸ They collapse and fall,
    but we rise and stand upright.

⁹ O Lord, save ^(EV)the king!
    May he answer us when we call.

⁸ Your hand will ^(FI)find out all your enemies;
    your right hand will find out those who hate you.
⁹ You will make them as ^(FJ)a blazing oven
    when you appear.
The Lord will swallow them up in his ^(FK)wrath,
    and ^(FL)fire will consume them.
¹⁰ You ^(FM)will destroy their ^(FN)descendants from the earth,
    and their offspring from among the children of man.
¹¹ Though they plan evil against you,
    though they ^(FO)devise mischief, they will not succeed.
¹² For you will put them ^(FP)to flight;
    you will ^(FQ)aim at their faces with your bows.

¹³ Be exalted, O Lord, in your strength!
    We will sing and praise your power.

³ Yet you are ^(FV)holy,
    ^(FW)enthroned on ^(FX)the praises^[n] of Israel.
⁴ In you our fathers trusted;
    they trusted, and you delivered them.
⁵ To you they ^(FY)cried and were rescued;
    in you they ^(FZ)trusted and were not put to shame.

⁶ But I am ^(GA)a worm and not a man,
    ^(GB)scorned by mankind and ^(GC)despised by the people.
⁷ All who see me ^(GD)mock me;
    they make mouths at me; they ^(GE)wag their heads;
^8 (GF)“He trusts in the Lord; let him ^(GG)deliver him;
    let him rescue him, for he ^(GH)delights in him!”

⁹ Yet you are he who ^(GI)took me from the womb;
    you made me trust you at my mother's breasts.
¹⁰ On you was I cast from my birth,
    and from ^(GJ)my mother's womb you have been my God.
¹¹ Be not ^(GK)far from me,
    for trouble is near,
    and there is ^(GL)none to help.

¹² Many bulls encompass me;
    ^(GM)strong bulls of ^(GN)Bashan surround me;
¹³ they ^(GO)open wide their mouths at me,
    like a ravening and roaring lion.

¹⁴ I am ^(GP)poured out like water,
    and all my bones are ^(GQ)out of joint;
my ^(GR)heart is like ^(GS)wax;
    it is melted within my breast;
¹⁵ my strength is ^(GT)dried up like a potsherd,
    and my ^(GU)tongue sticks to my jaws;
    you lay me in the dust of death.

¹⁶ For ^(GV)dogs encompass me;
    a company of evildoers ^(GW)encircles me;
they have ^(GX)pierced my hands and feet^[o]—
¹⁷ I can count all my bones—
they ^(GY)stare and gloat over me;
^18 (GZ)they divide my garments among them,
    and for my clothing they cast lots.

¹⁹ But you, O Lord, ^(HA)do not be far off!
    O you my help, ^(HB)come quickly to my aid!
²⁰ Deliver my soul from the sword,
    my precious life from the power of ^(HC)the dog!
²¹     Save me from ^(HD)the mouth of the lion!
You have rescued^[p] me from the horns of ^(HE)the wild oxen!

^22 (HF)I will tell of your name to my ^(HG)brothers;
    in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:
²³ You who ^(HH)fear the Lord, praise him!
    All you offspring of Jacob, ^(HI)glorify him,
    and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
²⁴ For he has not despised or abhorred
    the affliction of ^(HJ)the afflicted,
and he has not ^(HK)hidden his face from him,
    but has heard, when he ^(HL)cried to him.

²⁵ From you comes my praise in the great ^(HM)congregation;
    my ^(HN)vows I will ^(HO)perform before those who fear him.
^26 (HP)The afflicted^[q] shall ^(HQ)eat and be satisfied;
    those who seek him shall praise the Lord!
    May your hearts ^(HR)live forever!

²⁷ All ^(HS)the ends of the earth shall remember
    and turn to the Lord,
and all ^(HT)the families of the nations
    shall worship before you.
²⁸ For ^(HU)kingship belongs to the Lord,
    and he rules over the nations.

²⁹ All ^(HV)the prosperous of the earth eat and worship;
    before him shall ^(HW)bow all who go down to the dust,
    even the one who could not ^(HX)keep himself alive.
³⁰ Posterity shall serve him;
    it shall be told of the Lord to the coming ^(HY)generation;
³¹ they shall ^(HZ)come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet ^(IA)unborn,
    that he has done it.

⁴ Even though I ^(II)walk through the valley of ^(IJ)the shadow of death,^[t]
    I will ^(IK)fear no evil,
for ^(IL)you are with me;
    your ^(IM)rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

⁵ You ^(IN)prepare a table before me
    in ^(IO)the presence of my enemies;
you ^(IP)anoint my head with oil;
    my ^(IQ)cup overflows.
⁶ Surely^[u] goodness and mercy^[v] shall follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I shall ^(IR)dwell^[w] in the house of the Lord
    ^(IS)forever.^[x]

^3 (IW)Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?
    And who shall stand in his ^(IX)holy place?
^4 (IY)He who has ^(IZ)clean hands and ^(JA)a pure heart,
    who does not ^(JB)lift up his soul to ^(JC)what is false
    and does not swear deceitfully.
⁵ He will receive ^(JD)blessing from the Lord
    and ^(JE)righteousness from ^(JF)the God of his salvation.
⁶ Such is ^(JG)the generation of those who seek him,
    who ^(JH)seek the face of the God of Jacob.^[z] Selah

^7 (JI)Lift up your heads, O gates!
    And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
    that ^(JJ)the King of glory may come in.
⁸ Who is this King of glory?
    The Lord, strong and mighty,
    the Lord, ^(JK)mighty in battle!
⁹ Lift up your heads, O gates!
    And lift them up, O ancient doors,
    that the King of glory may come in.
¹⁰ Who is this King of glory?
    ^(JL)The Lord of hosts,
    he is the King of glory! Selah

^4 (JT)Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
    teach me your paths.
⁵ Lead me in your ^(JU)truth and teach me,
    for you are the God of my salvation;
    for you I wait all the day long.

⁶ Remember your ^(JV)mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love,
    ^(JW)for they have been from of old.
⁷ Remember not ^(JX)the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
    according to your ^(JY)steadfast love remember me,
    for the sake of your goodness, O Lord!

^8 (JZ)Good and upright is the Lord;
    therefore he ^(KA)instructs sinners in the way.
⁹ He leads the humble in what is right,
    and teaches the humble his way.
¹⁰ All the paths of the Lord are ^(KB)steadfast love and faithfulness,
    for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.

¹¹ For your ^(KC)name's sake, O Lord,
    pardon my guilt, for it is ^(KD)great.
¹² Who is the man who fears the Lord?
    Him ^(KE)will he instruct in the way that he should choose.
¹³ His soul shall ^(KF)abide in well-being,
    and his ^(KG)offspring ^(KH)shall inherit the land.
^14 (KI)The friendship^[ab] of the Lord is for those who fear him,
    and he makes known to them his covenant.
¹⁵ My ^(KJ)eyes are ever toward the Lord,
    for he will ^(KK)pluck my feet out of the net.

^16 (KL)Turn to me and be gracious to me,
    for I am lonely and afflicted.
¹⁷ The troubles of my heart are enlarged;
    bring me out of my distresses.
^18 (KM)Consider my affliction and my trouble,
    and forgive all my sins.

¹⁹ Consider how many are my foes,
    and with what violent hatred they hate me.
²⁰ Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me!
    ^(KN)Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.
²¹ May integrity and uprightness preserve me,
    for I wait for you.

^22 (KO)Redeem Israel, O God,
    out of all his troubles.

⁴ I do not ^(KX)sit with men of ^(KY)falsehood,
    nor do I consort with hypocrites.
⁵ I ^(KZ)hate the assembly of evildoers,
    and I will not sit with the wicked.

⁶ I ^(LA)wash my hands in innocence
    and go around your altar, O Lord,
⁷ proclaiming thanksgiving aloud,
    and telling all your ^(LB)wondrous deeds.

⁸ O Lord, I ^(LC)love the habitation of your house
    and the place where your glory dwells.
^9 (LD)Do not sweep my soul away with sinners,
    nor my life with bloodthirsty men,
¹⁰ in whose hands are evil devices,
    and whose right hands are full of ^(LE)bribes.

¹¹ But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity;
    redeem me, and be gracious to me.
¹² My foot stands on ^(LF)level ground;
    in ^(LG)the great assembly I will bless the Lord.

² When evildoers assail me
    to ^(LK)eat up my flesh,
my adversaries and foes,
    it is they who stumble and fall.

^3 (LL)Though an army encamp against me,
    my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me,
    yet^[ae] I will be confident.

^4 (LM)One thing have I asked of the Lord,
    that will I seek after:
that I may ^(LN)dwell in the house of the Lord
    all the days of my life,
to gaze upon ^(LO)the beauty of the Lord
    and to inquire^[af] in his temple.

⁵ For he will ^(LP)hide me in his shelter
    in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
    he will ^(LQ)lift me high upon a rock.

⁶ And now my ^(LR)head shall be lifted up
    above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
    sacrifices with shouts of ^(LS)joy;
^(LT)I will sing and make melody to the Lord.

^7 (LU)Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud;
    be gracious to me and answer me!
⁸ You have said, ^(LV)“Seek^[ag] my face.”
My heart says to you,
    “Your face, Lord, do I seek.”^{[ah]
9     (LW)}Hide not your face from me.
Turn not your servant away in anger,
    O you who have been my help.
Cast me not off; forsake me not,
    ^(LX)O God of my salvation!
¹⁰ For ^(LY)my father and my mother have forsaken me,
    but the Lord will ^(LZ)take me in.

^11 (MA)Teach me your way, O Lord,
    and lead me on ^(MB)a level path
    because of my enemies.
^12 (MC)Give me not up to the will of my adversaries;
    for ^(MD)false witnesses have risen against me,
    and they ^(ME)breathe out violence.

¹³ I believe that I shall look^[ai] upon ^(MF)the goodness of the Lord
    in ^(MG)the land of the living!
^14 (MH)Wait for the Lord;
    ^(MI)be strong, and let your heart take courage;
    wait for the Lord!

³ Do not ^(MP)drag me off with the wicked,
    with the workers of evil,
^(MQ)who speak peace with their neighbors
    while evil is in their hearts.
^4 (MR)Give to them according to their work
    and according to the evil of their deeds;
give to them according to the work of their hands;
    ^(MS)render them their due reward.
⁵ Because they ^(MT)do not regard the works of the Lord
    or the work of his hands,
he will tear them down and build them up no more.

⁶ Blessed be the Lord!
    For he has ^(MU)heard the voice of my pleas for mercy.
⁷ The Lord is my strength and ^(MV)my shield;
    in him my heart ^(MW)trusts, and I am helped;
my heart exults,
    and with my ^(MX)song I give thanks to him.

⁸ The Lord is the strength of his people;^[ak]
    he is ^(MY)the saving refuge of his anointed.
⁹ Oh, save your people and bless ^(MZ)your heritage!
    ^(NA)Be their shepherd and ^(NB)carry them forever.

³ The voice of the Lord is over ^(NE)the waters;
    the God of glory ^(NF)thunders,
    the Lord, over many waters.
⁴ The voice of the Lord is ^(NG)powerful;
    the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.

⁵ The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
    the Lord breaks ^(NH)the cedars of Lebanon.
⁶ He makes Lebanon to ^(NI)skip like a calf,
    and ^(NJ)Sirion like a young ^(NK)wild ox.

⁷ The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.
⁸ The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
    the Lord shakes the wilderness of ^(NL)Kadesh.

⁹ The voice of the Lord makes ^(NM)the deer give birth^[an]
    and strips the forests bare,
    and in his temple all cry, “Glory!”

¹⁰ The Lord sits enthroned over ^(NN)the flood;
    the Lord sits enthroned ^(NO)as king forever.
¹¹ May the Lord give ^(NP)strength to his people!
    May the Lord bless^[ao] his people with ^(NQ)peace!

⁴ Sing praises to the Lord, O you ^(NY)his saints,
    and ^(NZ)give thanks to his holy name.^[aq]
5 (OA)For his anger is but for a moment,
    and ^(OB)his favor is for a lifetime.^[ar]
(OC)Weeping may tarry for the night,
    but ^(OD)joy comes with the morning.

⁶ As for me, I said in my ^(OE)prosperity,
    “I shall never be ^(OF)moved.”
⁷ By your favor, O Lord,
    you made my ^(OG)mountain stand strong;
you ^(OH)hid your face;
    I was ^(OI)dismayed.

⁸ To you, O Lord, I cry,
    and ^(OJ)to the Lord I plead for mercy:
⁹ “What profit is there in my death,^[as]
    if I go down to the pit?^[at]
Will ^(OK)the dust praise you?
    Will it tell of your faithfulness?
^10 (OL)Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me!
    O Lord, be my helper!”

¹¹ You have turned for me my mourning into ^(OM)dancing;
    you have loosed my sackcloth
    and clothed me with gladness,
¹² that my ^(ON)glory may sing your praise and not be silent.
    O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!

³ For you are my rock and my fortress;
    and for your ^(OU)name's sake you lead me and guide me;
⁴ you ^(OV)take me out of ^(OW)the net they have hidden for me,
    for you are my ^(OX)refuge.
^5 (OY)Into your hand I commit my spirit;
    you have redeemed me, O Lord, ^(OZ)faithful God.

⁶ I ^(PA)hate^[au] those who pay ^(PB)regard to worthless ^(PC)idols,
    but I trust in the Lord.
⁷ I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love,
    because you have seen my affliction;
    you have ^(PD)known the distress of my soul,
⁸ and you have not ^(PE)delivered me into the hand of the enemy;
    you have set my feet in ^(PF)a broad place.

⁹ Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am ^(PG)in distress;
    ^(PH)my eye is wasted from grief;
    my soul and my body also.
¹⁰ For my life is spent with sorrow,
    and my years with sighing;
my strength fails because of my iniquity,
    and ^(PI)my bones waste away.

¹¹ Because of all my adversaries I have become ^(PJ)a reproach,
    especially to my ^(PK)neighbors,
and an object of dread to my acquaintances;
    those who see me in the street ^(PL)flee from me.
¹² I have been ^(PM)forgotten like one who is dead;
    I have become like ^(PN)a broken vessel.
¹³ For I ^(PO)hear the whispering of many—
    terror on every side!—
^(PP)as they scheme together against me,
    as they plot to take my life.

¹⁴ But I ^(PQ)trust in you, O Lord;
    I say, “You are my God.”
¹⁵ My ^(PR)times are in your hand;
    ^(PS)rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!
^16 (PT)Make your face shine on your servant;
    save me in your steadfast love!
¹⁷ O Lord, ^(PU)let me not be put to shame,
    for I call upon you;
let the wicked be put to shame;
    let them go ^(PV)silently to Sheol.
¹⁸ Let the lying lips be mute,
    which ^(PW)speak ^(PX)insolently against the righteous
    in pride and contempt.

¹⁹ Oh, how abundant is your goodness,
    which you have stored up for those who fear you
and worked for those who take refuge in you,
    ^(PY)in the sight of the children of mankind!
²⁰ In ^(PZ)the cover of your presence you hide them
    from the plots of men;
you ^(QA)store them in your shelter
    from the strife of tongues.

²¹ Blessed be the Lord,
    for he has wondrously ^(QB)shown his steadfast love to me
    when I was in ^(QC)a besieged city.
²² I had said in my ^(QD)alarm,^[av]
    “I am ^(QE)cut off from ^(QF)your sight.”
But you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy
    when I cried to you for help.