Chronological

³ Lord my God, if I have done this
    and there is guilt on my hands^(G)—
⁴ if I have repaid my ally with evil
    or without cause^(H) have robbed my foe—
⁵ then let my enemy pursue and overtake^(I) me;
    let him trample my life to the ground^(J)
    and make me sleep in the dust.^[c](K)

⁶ Arise,^(L) Lord, in your anger;
    rise up against the rage of my enemies.^(M)
    Awake,^(N) my God; decree justice.
⁷ Let the assembled peoples gather around you,
    while you sit enthroned over them on high.^(O)
8     Let the Lord judge^(P) the peoples.
Vindicate me, Lord, according to my righteousness,^(Q)
    according to my integrity,^(R) O Most High.^(S)
9 Bring to an end the violence of the wicked
    and make the righteous secure—^(T)
you, the righteous God^(U)
    who probes minds and hearts.^(V)

¹⁰ My shield^[d](W) is God Most High,
    who saves the upright in heart.^(X)
11 God is a righteous judge,^(Y)
    a God who displays his wrath^(Z) every day.
¹² If he does not relent,^(AA)
    he^[e] will sharpen his sword;^(AB)
    he will bend and string his bow.^(AC)
13 He has prepared his deadly weapons;
    he makes ready his flaming arrows.^(AD)

¹⁴ Whoever is pregnant with evil
    conceives trouble and gives birth^(AE) to disillusionment.
¹⁵ Whoever digs a hole and scoops it out
    falls into the pit^(AF) they have made.^(AG)
16 The trouble they cause recoils on them;
    their violence comes down on their own heads.

¹⁷ I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness;^(AH)
    I will sing the praises^(AI) of the name of the Lord Most High.^(AJ)

² When the wicked advance against me
    to devour^[a] me,
it is my enemies and my foes
    who will stumble and fall.^(E)
3 Though an army besiege me,
    my heart will not fear;^(F)
though war break out against me,
    even then I will be confident.^(G)

⁴ One thing^(H) I ask from the Lord,
    this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
    all the days of my life,^(I)
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
    and to seek him in his temple.
⁵ For in the day of trouble^(J)
    he will keep me safe^(K) in his dwelling;
he will hide me^(L) in the shelter of his sacred tent
    and set me high upon a rock.^(M)

⁶ Then my head will be exalted^(N)
    above the enemies who surround me;^(O)
at his sacred tent I will sacrifice^(P) with shouts of joy;^(Q)
    I will sing^(R) and make music^(S) to the Lord.

⁷ Hear my voice^(T) when I call, Lord;
    be merciful to me and answer me.^(U)
8 My heart says of you, “Seek his face!^(V)”
    Your face, Lord, I will seek.
⁹ Do not hide your face^(W) from me,
    do not turn your servant away in anger;^(X)
    you have been my helper.^(Y)
Do not reject me or forsake^(Z) me,
    God my Savior.^(AA)
10 Though my father and mother forsake me,
    the Lord will receive me.
¹¹ Teach me your way,^(AB) Lord;
    lead me in a straight path^(AC)
    because of my oppressors.^(AD)
12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
    for false witnesses^(AE) rise up against me,
    spouting malicious accusations.

¹³ I remain confident of this:
    I will see the goodness of the Lord^(AF)
    in the land of the living.^(AG)
14 Wait^(AH) for the Lord;
    be strong^(AI) and take heart
    and wait for the Lord.

⁶ I hate those who cling to worthless idols;^(M)
    as for me, I trust in the Lord.^(N)
7 I will be glad and rejoice in your love,
    for you saw my affliction^(O)
    and knew the anguish^(P) of my soul.
⁸ You have not given me into the hands^(Q) of the enemy
    but have set my feet in a spacious place.^(R)

⁹ Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress;^(S)
    my eyes grow weak with sorrow,^(T)
    my soul and body^(U) with grief.
¹⁰ My life is consumed by anguish^(V)
    and my years by groaning;^(W)
my strength fails^(X) because of my affliction,^[b](Y)
    and my bones grow weak.^(Z)
11 Because of all my enemies,^(AA)
    I am the utter contempt^(AB) of my neighbors^(AC)
and an object of dread to my closest friends—
    those who see me on the street flee from me.
¹² I am forgotten as though I were dead;^(AD)
    I have become like broken pottery.
¹³ For I hear many whispering,^(AE)
    “Terror on every side!”^(AF)
They conspire against me^(AG)
    and plot to take my life.^(AH)

¹⁴ But I trust^(AI) in you, Lord;
    I say, “You are my God.”
¹⁵ My times^(AJ) are in your hands;
    deliver me from the hands of my enemies,
    from those who pursue me.
¹⁶ Let your face shine^(AK) on your servant;
    save me in your unfailing love.^(AL)
17 Let me not be put to shame,^(AM) Lord,
    for I have cried out to you;
but let the wicked be put to shame
    and be silent^(AN) in the realm of the dead.
¹⁸ Let their lying lips^(AO) be silenced,
    for with pride and contempt
    they speak arrogantly^(AP) against the righteous.

¹⁹ How abundant are the good things^(AQ)
    that you have stored up for those who fear you,
that you bestow in the sight of all,^(AR)
    on those who take refuge^(AS) in you.
²⁰ In the shelter^(AT) of your presence you hide^(AU) them
    from all human intrigues;^(AV)
you keep them safe in your dwelling
    from accusing tongues.

²¹ Praise be to the Lord,^(AW)
    for he showed me the wonders of his love^(AX)
    when I was in a city under siege.^(AY)
22 In my alarm^(AZ) I said,
    “I am cut off^(BA) from your sight!”
Yet you heard my cry^(BB) for mercy
    when I called to you for help.

²³ Love the Lord, all his faithful people!^(BC)
    The Lord preserves those who are true to him,^(BD)
    but the proud he pays back^(BE) in full.
²⁴ Be strong and take heart,^(BF)
    all you who hope in the Lord.

⁴ I sought the Lord,^(G) and he answered me;
    he delivered^(H) me from all my fears.
⁵ Those who look to him are radiant;^(I)
    their faces are never covered with shame.^(J)
6 This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;
    he saved him out of all his troubles.^(K)
7 The angel of the Lord^(L) encamps around those who fear him,
    and he delivers^(M) them.

⁸ Taste and see that the Lord is good;^(N)
    blessed is the one who takes refuge^(O) in him.
⁹ Fear the Lord,^(P) you his holy people,
    for those who fear him lack nothing.^(Q)
10 The lions may grow weak and hungry,
    but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.^(R)
11 Come, my children, listen^(S) to me;
    I will teach you^(T) the fear of the Lord.^(U)
12 Whoever of you loves life^(V)
    and desires to see many good days,
¹³ keep your tongue^(W) from evil
    and your lips from telling lies.^(X)
14 Turn from evil and do good;^(Y)
    seek peace^(Z) and pursue it.

¹⁵ The eyes of the Lord^(AA) are on the righteous,^(AB)
    and his ears are attentive^(AC) to their cry;
¹⁶ but the face of the Lord is against^(AD) those who do evil,^(AE)
    to blot out their name^(AF) from the earth.

¹⁷ The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears^(AG) them;
    he delivers them from all their troubles.
¹⁸ The Lord is close^(AH) to the brokenhearted^(AI)
    and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

¹⁹ The righteous person may have many troubles,^(AJ)
    but the Lord delivers him from them all;^(AK)
20 he protects all his bones,
    not one of them will be broken.^(AL)

²¹ Evil will slay the wicked;^(AM)
    the foes of the righteous will be condemned.
²² The Lord will rescue^(AN) his servants;
    no one who takes refuge^(AO) in him will be condemned.

⁵ Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin:
    He will snatch you up and pluck^(J) you from your tent;
    he will uproot^(K) you from the land of the living.^(L)
6 The righteous will see and fear;
    they will laugh^(M) at you, saying,
⁷ “Here now is the man
    who did not make God his stronghold^(N)
but trusted in his great wealth^(O)
    and grew strong by destroying others!”

⁸ But I am like an olive tree^(P)
    flourishing in the house of God;
I trust^(Q) in God’s unfailing love
    for ever and ever.
⁹ For what you have done I will always praise you^(R)
    in the presence of your faithful people.^(S)
And I will hope in your name,^(T)
    for your name is good.^(U)