^4 (L)The cords of death encompassed me;
    ^(M)the torrents of destruction assailed me;^[a]
5 (N)the cords of Sheol entangled me;
    the snares of death confronted me.

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

⁷ Then the earth ^(Q)reeled and rocked;
    the foundations also of the mountains trembled
    and quaked, because he was angry.
⁸ Smoke went up from his nostrils,^[b]
    and devouring ^(R)fire from his mouth;
    glowing coals flamed forth from him.
⁹ He ^(S)bowed the heavens and ^(T)came down;
    ^(U)thick darkness was under his feet.
¹⁰ He rode on a cherub and flew;
    he came swiftly on ^(V)the wings of the wind.
¹¹ He made darkness his covering, his ^(W)canopy around him,
    thick clouds ^(X)dark with water.
¹² Out of the brightness before him
    ^(Y)hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds.

¹³ The Lord also ^(Z)thundered in the heavens,
    and the Most High uttered his ^(AA)voice,
    hailstones and coals of fire.
¹⁴ And he sent out his ^(AB)arrows and scattered them;
    he flashed forth lightnings and ^(AC)routed them.
¹⁵ Then ^(AD)the channels of the sea were seen,
    and the foundations of the world were laid bare
at your ^(AE)rebuke, O Lord,
    at the blast of ^(AF)the breath of your nostrils.

¹⁶ He ^(AG)sent from on high, he took me;
    he ^(AH)drew me out of ^(AI)many waters.
¹⁷ He rescued me from my strong enemy
    and from those who hated me,
    for they were ^(AJ)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 ^(AK)a broad place;
    he rescued me, because he ^(AL)delighted in me.

²⁰ The Lord dealt with me ^(AM)according to my righteousness;
    according to ^(AN)the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me.
²¹ For I have ^(AO)kept the ways of the Lord,
    and have not wickedly departed from my God.
²² For ^(AP)all his rules^[c] were before me,
    and his statutes I did not put away from me.
²³ I was ^(AQ)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 ^(AR)the merciful you show yourself merciful;
    with the blameless man you show yourself blameless;
²⁶ with the purified you show yourself pure;
    and with ^(AS)the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.
²⁷ For you save ^(AT)a humble people,
    but ^(AU)the haughty eyes you bring down.
²⁸ For it is you who light my ^(AV)lamp;
    the Lord my God lightens my darkness.
²⁹ For by you I can run against a troop,
    and by my God I can ^(AW)leap over ^(AX)a wall.
³⁰ This God—his way is ^(AY)perfect;^[d]
    the word of the Lord ^(AZ)proves true;
    he is ^(BA)a shield for all those who ^(BB)take refuge in him.

³¹ For ^(BC)who is God, but the Lord?
    And who is ^(BD)a rock, except our God?—
³² the God who ^(BE)equipped me with strength
    and made my way ^(BF)blameless.
³³ He made my feet like the feet of a ^(BG)deer
    and set me secure on ^(BH)the heights.
³⁴ He ^(BI)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 ^(BJ)supported me,
    and your ^(BK)gentleness made me great.
³⁶ You ^(BL)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 ^(BM)turn their backs to me,^[e]
    and those who hated me I destroyed.
^41 (BN)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 ^(BO)dust before the wind;
    I cast them out like ^(BP)the mire of the streets.

⁴³ You delivered me from ^(BQ)strife with the people;
    you made me ^(BR)the head of the nations;
    ^(BS)people whom I had not known served me.
⁴⁴ As soon as they heard of me they obeyed me;
    ^(BT)foreigners ^(BU)came cringing to me.
^45 (BV)Foreigners lost heart
    and ^(BW)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 ^(BX)subdued peoples under me,
⁴⁸ who rescued me from my enemies;
    yes, you ^(BY)exalted me above those who rose against me;
    you delivered me from ^(BZ)the man of violence.

^49 (CA)For this I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations,
    and ^(CB)sing to your name.
⁵⁰ Great ^(CC)salvation he brings to his king,
    and shows steadfast love to his ^(CD)anointed,
    to ^(CE)David and his offspring forever.

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

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

^8 (N)Good and upright is the Lord;
    therefore he ^(O)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 ^(P)steadfast love and faithfulness,
    for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.

¹¹ For your ^(Q)name's sake, O Lord,
    pardon my guilt, for it is ^(R)great.
¹² Who is the man who fears the Lord?
    Him ^(S)will he instruct in the way that he should choose.
¹³ His soul shall ^(T)abide in well-being,
    and his ^(U)offspring ^(V)shall inherit the land.
^14 (W)The friendship^[b] of the Lord is for those who fear him,
    and he makes known to them his covenant.
¹⁵ My ^(X)eyes are ever toward the Lord,
    for he will ^(Y)pluck my feet out of the net.

^16 (Z)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 (AA)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!
    ^(AB)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 (AC)Redeem Israel, O God,
    out of all his troubles.

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

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

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

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

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

^7 (N)Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud;
    be gracious to me and answer me!
⁸ You have said, ^(O)“Seek^[d] my face.”
My heart says to you,
    “Your face, Lord, do I seek.”^{[e]
9     (P)}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,
    ^(Q)O God of my salvation!
¹⁰ For ^(R)my father and my mother have forsaken me,
    but the Lord will ^(S)take me in.

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

¹³ I believe that I shall look^[f] upon ^(Y)the goodness of the Lord
    in ^(Z)the land of the living!
^14 (AA)Wait for the Lord;
    ^(AB)be strong, and let your heart take courage;
    wait for the Lord!

⁴ I ^(G)sought the Lord, and he answered me
    and delivered me from all my fears.
⁵ Those who look to him are ^(H)radiant,
    and their faces shall never be ashamed.
^6 (I)This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
    and ^(J)saved him out of all his troubles.
^7 (K)The angel of the Lord ^(L)encamps
    around those who fear him, and delivers them.

⁸ Oh, ^(M)taste and see that ^(N)the Lord is good!
    ^(O)Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
⁹ Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints,
    for those who fear him have no lack!
^10 (P)The young lions suffer want and hunger;
    but those who ^(Q)seek the Lord lack no good thing.

^11 (R)Come, O children, listen to me;
    ^(S)I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
^12 (T)What man is there who desires life
    and loves many days, that he may ^(U)see good?
^13 (V)Keep your tongue from evil
    and your lips from ^(W)speaking deceit.
^14 (X)Turn away from evil and do good;
    seek peace and ^(Y)pursue it.

^15 (Z)The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous
    ^(AA)and his ears toward their cry.
^16 (AB)The face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
    to ^(AC)cut off the memory of them from the earth.
^17 (AD)When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears
    and delivers them out of all their troubles.
¹⁸ The Lord is near to ^(AE)the brokenhearted
    and saves ^(AF)the crushed in spirit.

^19 (AG)Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
    ^(AH)but the Lord delivers him out of them all.
²⁰ He keeps all his bones;
    ^(AI)not one of them is broken.
^21 (AJ)Affliction will slay the wicked,
    and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
²² The Lord ^(AK)redeems the life of his servants;
    none of those who take refuge in him will be ^(AL)condemned.

^3 (F)Trust in the Lord, and do good;
    ^(G)dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.^[b]
4 (H)Delight yourself in the Lord,
    and he will ^(I)give you the desires of your heart.

^5 (J)Commit your way to the Lord;
    ^(K)trust in him, and he will act.
^6 (L)He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
    and your justice as ^(M)the noonday.

^7 (N)Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
    ^(O)fret not yourself over the one who ^(P)prospers in his way,
    over the man who carries out evil devices!

^8 (Q)Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
    ^(R)Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
^9 (S)For the evildoers shall be cut off,
    but those who wait for the Lord shall ^(T)inherit the land.

¹⁰ In ^(U)just a little while, the wicked will be no more;
    though you look carefully at ^(V)his place, he will not be there.
¹¹ But ^(W)the meek shall inherit the land
    and delight themselves in ^(X)abundant peace.

¹² The wicked ^(Y)plots against the righteous
    and ^(Z)gnashes his teeth at him,
¹³ but the Lord ^(AA)laughs at the wicked,
    for he sees that his ^(AB)day is coming.

¹⁴ The wicked draw the sword and ^(AC)bend their bows
    to bring down the poor and needy,
    to slay those whose ^(AD)way is upright;
¹⁵ their sword shall enter their own heart,
    and their ^(AE)bows shall be broken.

^16 (AF)Better is the little that the righteous has
    than the abundance of many wicked.
¹⁷ For ^(AG)the arms of the wicked shall be broken,
    but the Lord ^(AH)upholds the righteous.

¹⁸ The Lord ^(AI)knows the days of the blameless,
    and their ^(AJ)heritage will remain forever;
¹⁹ they are not put to shame in evil times;
    in ^(AK)the days of famine they have abundance.

²⁰ But the wicked will perish;
    the enemies of the Lord are like ^(AL)the glory of the pastures;
    they vanish—like ^(AM)smoke they vanish away.

²¹ The wicked borrows but does not pay back,
    but the righteous ^(AN)is generous and gives;
²² for those blessed by the Lord^[c] shall ^(AO)inherit the land,
    but those cursed by him ^(AP)shall be cut off.

²³ The ^(AQ)steps of a man are ^(AR)established by the Lord,
    when he delights in his way;
^24 (AS)though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong,
    for the Lord ^(AT)upholds his hand.

²⁵ I have been young, and now am old,
    yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
    or his children ^(AU)begging for bread.
²⁶ He is ever ^(AV)lending generously,
    and his children become a blessing.

^27 (AW)Turn away from evil and do good;
    so shall you ^(AX)dwell forever.
²⁸ For the Lord ^(AY)loves justice;
    he will not forsake his ^(AZ)saints.
They are preserved forever,
    but the children of the wicked shall be ^(BA)cut off.
²⁹ The righteous shall inherit the land
    and ^(BB)dwell upon it forever.

³⁰ The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,
    and his tongue speaks justice.
^31 (BC)The law of his God is in his heart;
    his ^(BD)steps do not slip.

³² The wicked ^(BE)watches for the righteous
    and seeks to put him to death.
³³ The Lord will not ^(BF)abandon him to his power
    or let him ^(BG)be condemned when he is brought to trial.

^34 (BH)Wait for the Lord and keep his way,
    and he will exalt you to inherit the land;
    you will look on ^(BI)when the wicked are cut off.

^35 (BJ)I have seen a wicked, ruthless man,
    spreading himself like ^(BK)a green laurel tree.^[d]
36 But he passed away,^[e] and behold, ^(BL)he was no more;
    though I sought him, he could not be found.

³⁷ Mark the blameless and behold the upright,
    for there is a future for the man of ^(BM)peace.
³⁸ But ^(BN)transgressors shall be altogether destroyed;
    the future of the wicked ^(BO)shall be cut off.

^39 (BP)The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;
    he is their stronghold in ^(BQ)the time of trouble.
⁴⁰ The Lord helps them and ^(BR)delivers them;
    ^(BS)he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
    because they ^(BT)take refuge in him.