Beginning

⁹ Don’t destroy me together with sinners.
    Don’t take away my life along with murderers.
¹⁰ Their hands are always planning to do evil.
    Their right hands are full of money that has bought their help.
¹¹ But I live without blame.
    Save me from harm and treat me with kindness.

¹² My feet stand on level ground.
    In the whole community I will praise the Lord.

⁴ I’m asking the Lord for only one thing.
    Here is what I want.
I want to live in the house of the Lord
    all the days of my life.
I want to look at the beauty of the Lord.
    I want to worship him in his temple.
⁵ When I’m in trouble,
    he will keep me safe in his house.
He will hide me in the safety of his holy tent.
    He will put me on a rock that is very high.
⁶ Then I will win the battle
    over my enemies who are all around me.
At his holy tent I will offer my sacrifice with shouts of joy.
    I will sing and make music to the Lord.

⁷ Lord, hear my voice when I call out to you.
    Treat me with kindness and answer me.
⁸ My heart says, “Seek him!”
    Lord, I will seek you.
⁹ Don’t turn your face away from me.
    Don’t turn me away because you are angry.
    You have helped me.
God my Savior, don’t say no to me.
    Don’t desert me.
¹⁰ My father and mother may desert me,
    but the Lord will accept me.
¹¹ Lord, teach me your ways.
    Lead me along a straight path.
    There are many people who treat me badly.
¹² My enemies want to harm me. So don’t turn me over to them.
    Witnesses who tell lies are rising up against me.
    They say all sorts of evil things about me.

¹³ Here is something I am still sure of.
    I will see the Lord’s goodness
    while I’m still alive.
¹⁴ Wait for the Lord.
    Be strong and don’t lose hope.
    Wait for the Lord.

³ Don’t drag me away with sinners.
    Don’t drag me away with those who do evil.
They speak in a friendly way to their neighbors.
    But their hearts are full of hate.
⁴ Pay them back for their evil actions.
    Pay them back for what their hands have done.
    Give them exactly what they should get.
⁵ They don’t care about the Lord’s mighty acts.
    They don’t care about what his hands have done.
So he will tear them down.
    He will never build them up again.

⁶ Give praise to the Lord.
    He has heard my cry for his favor.
⁷ The Lord gives me strength. He is like a shield that keeps me safe.
    My heart trusts in him, and he helps me.
My heart jumps for joy.
    With my song I praise him.

⁸ The Lord gives strength to his people.
    He guards and saves his anointed king.
⁹ Save your people. Bless those who belong to you.
    Be their shepherd. Take care of them forever.

³ The voice of the Lord is heard over the waters.
    The God of glory thunders.
    The Lord thunders over the mighty waters.
⁴ The voice of the Lord is powerful.
    The voice of the Lord is majestic.
⁵ The voice of the Lord breaks the cedar trees.
    The Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon into pieces.
⁶ He makes the mountains of Lebanon leap like a calf.
    He makes Mount Hermon jump like a young wild ox.
⁷ The voice of the Lord strikes
    with flashes of lightning.
⁸ The voice of the Lord shakes the desert.
    The Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh.
⁹ The voice of the Lord twists the oak trees.
    It strips the forests bare.
    And in his temple everyone cries out, “Glory!”

¹⁰ The Lord on his throne rules over the flood.
    The Lord rules from his throne as King forever.
¹¹ The Lord gives strength to his people.
    The Lord blesses his people with peace.

⁴ Sing the praises of the Lord, you who are faithful to him.
    Praise him, because his name is holy.
⁵ His anger lasts for only a moment.
    But his favor lasts for a person’s whole life.
Weeping can stay for the night.
    But joy comes in the morning.

⁶ When I felt safe, I said,
    “I will always be secure.”
⁷ Lord, when you gave me your help,
    you made Mount Zion stand firm.
But when you took away your help,
    I was terrified.

⁸ Lord, I called out to you.
    I cried to you for mercy.
⁹ I said, “What good will come if I become silent in death?
    What good will come if I go down into the grave?
Can the dust of my dead body praise you?
    Can it tell how faithful you are?
¹⁰ Lord, hear me. Have mercy on me.
    Lord, help me.”

¹¹ You turned my loud crying into dancing.
    You removed my clothes of sadness and dressed me with joy.
¹² So my heart will sing your praises. I can’t keep silent.
    Lord, my God, I will praise you forever.

⁶ I hate those who worship worthless statues of gods.
    But I trust in the Lord.
⁷ I will be glad and full of joy because you love me.
    You saw that I was hurting.
    You took note of my great pain.
⁸ You have not handed me over to the enemy.
    You have put me in a wide and safe place.

⁹ Lord, have mercy on me. I’m in deep trouble.
    I’m so sad I can hardly see.
    My whole body grows weak with sadness.
¹⁰ Pain has taken over my life.
    My years are spent in groaning.
I have no strength because I’m hurting so much.
    My body is getting weaker and weaker.
¹¹ My neighbors make fun of me
    because I have so many enemies.
My closest friends are afraid of me.
    People who see me on the street run away from me.
¹² No one remembers me. I might as well be dead.
    I have become like broken pottery.
¹³ I hear many people whispering,
    “There is terror all around him!”
Many have joined together against me.
    They plan to kill me.

¹⁴ But I trust in you, Lord.
    I say, “You are my God.”
¹⁵ My whole life is in your hands.
    Save me from the hands of my enemies.
    Save me from those who are chasing me.
¹⁶ May you look on me with favor.
    Save me because your love is faithful.
¹⁷ Lord, I have cried out to you.
    Don’t let me be put to shame.
But let sinners be put to shame.
    Let them lie silent in the place of the dead.
¹⁸ Their lips tell lies. Let them be silenced.
    They speak with pride against those who do right.
    They make fun of them.

¹⁹ You have stored up so many good things.
    You have stored them up for those who have respect for you.
You give those things while everyone watches.
    You give them to people who run to you for safety.
²⁰ They are safe because you are with them.
    You hide them from the evil plans of their enemies.
In your house you keep them safe
    from those who bring charges against them.

²¹ Give praise to the Lord.
    He showed me his wonderful love
    when my enemies attacked the city I was in.
²² I was afraid and said,
    “I’ve been cut off from you!”
But you heard my cry for your favor.
    You heard me when I called out to you for help.

²³ Love the Lord, all you who are faithful to him!
    The Lord keeps safe those who are faithful to him.
    But he completely pays back those who are proud.
²⁴ Be strong, all you who put your hope in the Lord.
    Never give up.