Psalm 86

Lament and Petition

A Davidic prayer.

Listen, Lord, and answer me,
for I am poor and needy.(A)
Protect my life, for I am faithful.(B)
You are my God; save Your servant who trusts in You.(C)
Be gracious to me, Lord,
for I call to You all day long.(D)
Bring joy to Your servant’s life,
because I turn to You, Lord.(E)

For You, Lord, are kind and ready to forgive,(F)
rich in faithful love to all who call on You.(G)
Lord, hear my prayer;
listen to my plea for mercy.(H)
I call on You in the day of my distress,
for You will answer me.(I)

Lord, there is no one like You among the gods,
and there are no works like Yours.(J)
All the nations You have made
will come and bow down before You, Lord,
and will honor Your name.(K)
10 For You are great and perform wonders;
You alone are God.(L)

11 Teach me Your way, Yahweh,
and I will live by Your truth.
Give me an undivided mind to fear Your name.(M)
12 I will praise You with all my heart, Lord my God,
and will honor Your name forever.(N)
13 For Your faithful love for me is great,
and You deliver my life from the depths of Sheol.(O)

14 God, arrogant people have attacked me;
a gang of ruthless men seeks my life.
They have no regard for You.(P)
15 But You, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God,
slow to anger and rich in faithful love and truth.(Q)
16 Turn to me and be gracious to me.
Give Your strength to Your servant;
save the son of Your female servant.(R)
17 Show me a sign of Your goodness;
my enemies will see and be put to shame
because You, Lord, have helped and comforted me.(S)

Psalm 86

A prayer of David.

86 Lord, listen closely to me and answer me,
    because I am poor and in need.
Guard my life because I am faithful.
    Save your servant who trusts in you—you! My God!
Have mercy on me, Lord,
    because I cry out to you all day long.
Make your servant’s life[a] happy again
    because, my Lord, I offer my life to you,
    because, my Lord, you are good and forgiving,
    full of faithful love for all those who cry out to you.
Listen closely to my prayer, Lord;
    pay close attention to the sound of my requests for mercy.
Whenever I am in trouble, I cry out to you,
    because you will answer me.

My Lord! There is no one like you among the gods!
    There is nothing that can compare to your works!
All the nations that you’ve made will come
        and bow down before you, Lord;
    they will glorify your name,
10     because you are awesome
    and a wonder-worker.
        You are God. Just you.

11 Teach me your way, Lord,
        so that I can walk in your truth.
    Make my heart focused
        only on honoring your name.
12 I give thanks to you, my Lord, my God,
    with all my heart,
    and I will glorify your name forever,
13     because your faithful love toward me is awesome
    and because you’ve rescued my life
        from the lowest part of hell.[b]

14 The arrogant rise up against me, God.
    A gang of violent people want me dead.
    They don’t give a thought for you.
15 But you, my Lord,
    are a God of compassion and mercy;
    you are very patient and full of faithful love.
16 Come back to me! Have mercy on me!
    Give your servant your strength;
    save this child of your servant!
17 Show me a sign of your goodness
    so that those who hate me will see it and be put to shame—
        show a sign that you, Lord,
        have helped me and comforted me.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 86:4 Or soul; also in 86:4b, 13
  2. Psalm 86:13 Heb Sheol