Add parallel Print Page Options

A Prayer for Guidance and Protection

For the music director; with the flutes. A psalm of David.[a]

Hear my words, O Yahweh.
Give heed to my sighing.[b]
Listen to the sound of my pleading,[c] my king and my God,
for to you I pray.
O Yahweh, in the morning you will hear my voice.
In the morning I will set forth[d] my case to you and I will watch.[e]
For you are not a God who desires[f] wickedness.
Evil cannot dwell with you.
The boastful do not stand before[g] your eyes.
You hate all evildoers.
You destroy speakers of lies.[h]
A man of bloodshed[i] and deceit Yahweh abhors.
But as for me,[j] through the abundance of your steadfast love[k]
I will enter your house.[l]
I will bow down[m] toward your holy temple[n] in awe of you.
O Yahweh, lead me in your righteousness because of my enemies;
make straight before me your way.
For there is not anything reliable in his mouth;
their inner part is destruction.[o]
Their throat is an open grave;
with their tongue they speak deceit.[p]
10 Treat them as guilty, O God;
let them fall because of their plans.
Because of the abundance of their transgressions cast them out,
for they have rebelled against you.
11 But let all who take shelter in you rejoice.
Let them ever[q] sing for joy,
because[r] you spread protection over them;
And let those[s] who love your name exult in you.
12 For you bless the righteous.
O Yahweh, like a[t] shield you surround him with good favor.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 5:1 The Hebrew Bible counts the superscription as the first verse of the psalm; the English verse number is reduced by one
  2. Psalm 5:1 Or “murmuring”
  3. Psalm 5:2 Or “cry for help”
  4. Psalm 5:3 Or “present”
  5. Psalm 5:3 Or “look expectantly”
  6. Psalm 5:4 Or “takes delight in”
  7. Psalm 5:5 Or “in front of”
  8. Psalm 5:6 Hebrew “lie”
  9. Psalm 5:6 Literally “a man of bloods”
  10. Psalm 5:7 Literally “And I”
  11. Psalm 5:7 Or “covenant love”
  12. Psalm 5:7 Or “temple”
  13. Psalm 5:7 Or “I will worship”
  14. Psalm 5:7 Literally “the temple of your holiness”
  15. Psalm 5:9 Hebrew “destructions”
  16. Psalm 5:9 Or “flattery; smooth words”
  17. Psalm 5:11 Or “perpetually”
  18. Psalm 5:11 Literally “and”
  19. Psalm 5:11 Or “So that those”
  20. Psalm 5:12 Hebrew “the”

Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my meditation.

Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray.

My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.

For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee.

The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.

Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the Lord will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.

But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.

Lead me, O Lord, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face.

For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue.

10 Destroy thou them, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions; for they have rebelled against thee.

11 But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.

12 For thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.

Psalm 5

The Refuge of the Righteous

For the choir director: with the flutes. A psalm of David.

Listen to my words, Lord;
consider my sighing.(A)
Pay attention to the sound of my cry,(B)
my King and my God,(C)
for I pray to you.

In the morning,(D) Lord, you hear my voice;
in the morning I plead my case to you(E) and watch expectantly.

For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;
evil cannot dwell with you.(F)
The boastful cannot stand in your sight;(G)
you hate all evildoers.(H)
You destroy those who tell lies;(I)
the Lord abhors violent and treacherous people.(J)

But I enter your house
by the abundance of your faithful love;(K)
I bow down toward your holy temple
in reverential awe of you.(L)
Lord, lead me in your righteousness(M)
because of my adversaries;
make your way straight before me.(N)

For there is nothing reliable in what they say;(O)
destruction is within them;
their throat is an open grave;
they flatter with their tongues.(P)
10 Punish them, God;
let them fall by their own schemes.(Q)
Drive them out(R) because of their many crimes,
for they rebel against you.(S)

11 But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;(T)
let them shout for joy forever.
May you shelter them,(U)
and may those who love your name boast about you.(V)
12 For you, Lord, bless the righteous one;
you surround him with favor like a shield.(W)