Book of Common Prayer

⁴ You are not an El who takes pleasure in wickedness.
    Evil will never be your guest.
⁵         Those who brag cannot stand in your sight.
    You hate all troublemakers.
⁶ You destroy those who tell lies.
    Yahweh is disgusted with bloodthirsty and deceitful people.

⁷ But I will enter your house because of your great mercy.
    Out of reverence for you, I will bow toward your holy temple.
⁸ O Yahweh, lead me in your righteousness because of those who spy on me.
    Make your way in front of me smooth.

⁹ Nothing in their mouths is truthful.
    Destruction comes from their hearts.
        Their throats are open graves.
            They flatter with their tongues.

¹⁰ Condemn them, O Elohim.
    Let their own schemes be their downfall.
    Throw them out for their many crimes
        because they have rebelled against you.
¹¹ But let all who take refuge in you rejoice.
    Let them sing with joy forever.
    Protect them, and let those who love your name triumph in you.
¹² You bless righteous people, O Yahweh.
    Like a large shield, you surround them with your favor.

⁴ Come back, O Yahweh.
    Rescue me.
    Save me because of your mercy!
⁵ In death, no one remembers you.
    In the grave, who praises you?

⁶ I am worn out from my groaning.
    My eyes flood my bed every night.
    I soak my couch with tears.
⁷ My eyes blur from grief.
    They fail because of my enemies.

⁸ Get away from me, all you troublemakers,
    because Yahweh has heard the sound of my crying.
⁹         Yahweh has heard my plea for mercy.
        Yahweh accepts my prayer.
¹⁰ All my enemies will be put to shame and deeply shaken with terror.
    In a moment they will retreat and be put to shame.

² The wicked person arrogantly pursues oppressed people.
    He will be caught in the schemes that he planned.
³ The wicked person boasts about his selfish desires.
    He blesses robbers, but he curses Yahweh.
⁴ He turns up his nose and says, “Yahweh doesn’t care.”
    His every thought concludes, “There is no Elohim.”
⁵ He always seems to succeed.
    Your judgments are beyond his understanding.
    He spits at all his opponents.
⁶ He says to himself, “Nothing can shake me.
    I’ll never face any trouble.”
⁷ His mouth is full of cursing, deception, and oppression.
    Trouble and wrongdoing are on the tip of his tongue.
⁸ He waits in ambush in the villages.
    From his hiding places he kills innocent people.
    His eyes are on the lookout for victims.
⁹ He lies in his hiding place like a lion in his den.
    He hides there to catch oppressed people.
    He catches oppressed people when he draws them into his net.
¹⁰ His victims are crushed.
    They collapse,
        and they fall under the weight of his power.
¹¹ He says to himself,
    “El has forgotten.
        He has hidden his face.
            He will never see it!”

¹² Arise, O Yahweh!
    Lift your hand, O El.
    Do not forget oppressed people!
¹³ Why does the wicked person despise Elohim?
    Why does he say to himself, “Elohim doesn’t care”?
¹⁴ You have seen it; yes, you have taken note of trouble and grief
    and placed them under your control.
        The victim entrusts himself to you.
    You alone have been the helper of orphans.
¹⁵ Break the arm of the wicked and evil person.
    Punish his wickedness until you find no more.

¹⁶ Yahweh is Melek forever and ever.
    The nations have vanished from his land.
¹⁷ You have heard the desire of oppressed people, O Yahweh.
    You encourage them.
    You pay close attention to them
¹⁸ in order to provide justice for orphans and oppressed people
    so that no mere mortal will terrify them again.

⁴ Yahweh is in his holy temple.
    Yahweh’s throne is in heaven.
    His eyes see.
        They examine Adam’s descendants.
⁵ Yahweh tests righteous people,
    but he hates wicked people and the ones who love violence.
⁶         He rains down fire and burning sulfur upon wicked people.
        He makes them drink from a cup filled with scorching wind.
⁷ Yahweh is righteous.
    He loves a righteous way of life.
        Decent people will see his face.

²⁶ Look at the sky and see.
    Who created these things?
    Who brings out the stars one by one?
        He calls them all by name.
    Because of the greatness of his might and the strength of his power,
    not one of them is missing.
²⁷ Jacob, why do you complain?
    Israel, why do you say,
    “My way is hidden from Yahweh,
        and my rights are ignored by my Elohim”?
²⁸ Don’t you know?
    Haven’t you heard?
    El Olam, Yahweh, the Creator of the ends of the earth,
    doesn’t grow tired or become weary.
        His understanding is beyond reach.
²⁹ He gives strength to those who grow tired
    and increases the strength of those who are weak.
³⁰ Even young people grow tired and become weary,
    and young men will stumble and fall.
³¹ Yet, the strength of those who wait with hope in Yahweh
    will be renewed.
        They will soar on wings like eagles.
            They will run and won’t become weary.
            They will walk and won’t grow tired.