Psalm 5[a]

For the director of music. For pipes. A psalm of David.

Listen(A) to my words, Lord,
    consider my lament.(B)
Hear my cry for help,(C)
    my King and my God,(D)
    for to you I pray.

In the morning,(E) Lord, you hear my voice;
    in the morning I lay my requests before you
    and wait expectantly.(F)
For you are not a God who is pleased with wickedness;
    with you, evil people(G) are not welcome.
The arrogant(H) cannot stand(I)
    in your presence.
You hate(J) all who do wrong;
    you destroy those who tell lies.(K)
The bloodthirsty and deceitful
    you, Lord, detest.
But I, by your great love,
    can come into your house;
in reverence(L) I bow down(M)
    toward your holy temple.(N)

Lead me, Lord, in your righteousness(O)
    because of my enemies—
    make your way straight(P) before me.
Not a word from their mouth can be trusted;
    their heart is filled with malice.
Their throat is an open grave;(Q)
    with their tongues they tell lies.(R)
10 Declare them guilty, O God!
    Let their intrigues be their downfall.
Banish them for their many sins,(S)
    for they have rebelled(T) against you.
11 But let all who take refuge in you be glad;
    let them ever sing for joy.(U)
Spread your protection over them,
    that those who love your name(V) may rejoice in you.(W)

12 Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous;(X)
    you surround them(Y) with your favor as with a shield.(Z)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 5:1 In Hebrew texts 5:1-12 is numbered 5:2-13.

A Prayer for Guidance

To the Chief Musician. With [a]flutes. A Psalm of David.

Give (A)ear to my words, O Lord,
Consider my [b]meditation.
Give heed to the voice of my cry,
My King and my God,
For to You I will pray.
My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord;
(B)In the morning I will direct it to You,
And I will look up.

For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness,
Nor shall evil [c]dwell with You.
The (C)boastful shall not (D)stand in Your sight;
You hate all workers of iniquity.
You shall destroy those who speak falsehood;
The Lord abhors the (E)bloodthirsty and deceitful man.

But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy;
In fear of You I will worship toward [d]Your holy temple.
(F)Lead me, O Lord, in Your righteousness because of my enemies;
Make Your way straight before my face.

For there is no [e]faithfulness in their mouth;
Their inward part is destruction;
(G)Their throat is an open tomb;
They flatter with their tongue.
10 Pronounce them guilty, O God!
Let them fall by their own counsels;
Cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions,
For they have rebelled against You.

11 But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;
Let them ever shout for joy, because You [f]defend them;
Let those also who love Your name
Be joyful in You.
12 For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous;
With favor You will surround him as with a shield.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 5:1 Heb. nehiloth
  2. Psalm 5:1 Lit. groaning
  3. Psalm 5:4 Lit. sojourn
  4. Psalm 5:7 Lit. the temple of Your holiness
  5. Psalm 5:9 uprightness
  6. Psalm 5:11 protect, lit. cover

To the overcomer, on the heritages, the psalm of David. Lord, perceive thou my words with ears; understand thou my cry. (To the overcomer, for the inheritance, the song of David. Lord, hear thou my words; understand my cry.)

My king (My King), and my God; give thou attention to the voice of my prayer. For, Lord, I shall pray to thee;

hear thou early my voice. Early I shall stand nigh to thee, and I shall see; (hear thou my voice in the morning. Early in the morning I shall stand near to thee, and I shall see thee;)

for thou art God not desiring wickedness. Neither an evil-willed man shall dwell beside thee; (for thou art not a God who desireth wickedness. No one with an evil will shall stand beside thee;)

neither unjust men shall dwell before thine eyes. Thou hatest all them that work wickedness; (nor shall the unrighteous stand before thine eyes. Thou hatest all those who do evil;)

thou shalt lose them that speak leasing. The Lord shall hold abominable a man-queller, and a guileful man. (thou shalt destroy those who tell lies. And the Lord shall hold as abominable man-killers, that is, murderers, and liars.)

But Lord, in the multitude of thy mercy, I shall enter into thine house; I shall worship to(ward) thine holy temple in thy dread. (But Lord, because of thy great love, I shall enter into thy House; I shall bow toward thy holy Temple in reverence for thee.)

Lord, lead thou forth me in thy rightwiseness for mine enemies; (ad)dress thou my way in thy sight. (Lord, lead thou me forth in thy righteousness, because my enemies be all around me; direct thou my way before thee/direct thou me along thy way.)

For truth is not in their mouth; their heart is vain. Their throat is an open sepulchre, they did guilefully with their tongues; (For truth is not in their mouths; their hearts be empty. Their throats be an open tomb, or an open grave, and everything they say is deceitful, or corrupt;)

10 God, deem thou them. Fall they down from their thoughts; after the multitude of their wickednesses, or unpiousnesses, cast thou them down; for, Lord, they have stirred thee to wrath. (God, judge thou them. Let them fall by their own thoughts; throw thou them down after all their wickednesses; for, Lord, they have rebelled against thee.)

11 And all that hope in thee, be they glad; they shall make full out joy [into] without end, and thou shalt dwell in them. And all that love thy name shall have glory in thee; (But all who hope in thee, be they glad; they shall rejoice forever, and thou shalt live with them. And all who love thy name shall have glory in thee;)

12 for thou shalt bless the just man. Lord, thou hast crowned us, as with a shield of thy good will. (for thou shalt bless the righteous. Lord, thou hast surrounded us with thy favour, yea, like with a shield.)