Chronological

¹ O God, have mercy on me,
    for people are hounding me.
    My foes attack me all day long.
² I am constantly hounded by those who slander me,
    and many are boldly attacking me.
³ But when I am afraid,
    I will put my trust in you.
⁴ I praise God for what he has promised.
    I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?
    What can mere mortals do to me?

⁵ They are always twisting what I say;
    they spend their days plotting to harm me.
⁶ They come together to spy on me—
    watching my every step, eager to kill me.
⁷ Don’t let them get away with their wickedness;
    in your anger, O God, bring them down.

⁸ You keep track of all my sorrows.^[b]
    You have collected all my tears in your bottle.
    You have recorded each one in your book.

⁹ My enemies will retreat when I call to you for help.
    This I know: God is on my side!
¹⁰ I praise God for what he has promised;
    yes, I praise the Lord for what he has promised.
¹¹ I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?
    What can mere mortals do to me?

¹² I will fulfill my vows to you, O God,
    and will offer a sacrifice of thanks for your help.
¹³ For you have rescued me from death;
    you have kept my feet from slipping.
So now I can walk in your presence, O God,
    in your life-giving light.

¹ I took my troubles to the Lord;
    I cried out to him, and he answered my prayer.
² Rescue me, O Lord, from liars
    and from all deceitful people.
³ O deceptive tongue, what will God do to you?
    How will he increase your punishment?
⁴ You will be pierced with sharp arrows
    and burned with glowing coals.

⁵ How I suffer in far-off Meshech.
    It pains me to live in distant Kedar.
⁶ I am tired of living
    among people who hate peace.
⁷ I search for peace;
    but when I speak of peace, they want war!

¹ O Lord, rescue me from evil people.
    Protect me from those who are violent,
² those who plot evil in their hearts
    and stir up trouble all day long.
³ Their tongues sting like a snake;
    the venom of a viper drips from their lips. Interlude

⁴ O Lord, keep me out of the hands of the wicked.
    Protect me from those who are violent,
    for they are plotting against me.
⁵ The proud have set a trap to catch me;
    they have stretched out a net;
    they have placed traps all along the way. Interlude

⁶ I said to the Lord, “You are my God!”
    Listen, O Lord, to my cries for mercy!
⁷ O Sovereign Lord, the strong one who rescued me,
    you protected me on the day of battle.
⁸ Lord, do not let evil people have their way.
    Do not let their evil schemes succeed,
    or they will become proud. Interlude

⁹ Let my enemies be destroyed
    by the very evil they have planned for me.
¹⁰ Let burning coals fall down on their heads.
    Let them be thrown into the fire
    or into watery pits from which they can’t escape.
¹¹ Don’t let liars prosper here in our land.
    Cause great disasters to fall on the violent.

¹² But I know the Lord will help those they persecute;
    he will give justice to the poor.
¹³ Surely righteous people are praising your name;
    the godly will live in your presence.

¹ O Lord, I am calling to you. Please hurry!
    Listen when I cry to you for help!
² Accept my prayer as incense offered to you,
    and my upraised hands as an evening offering.

³ Take control of what I say, O Lord,
    and guard my lips.
⁴ Don’t let me drift toward evil
    or take part in acts of wickedness.
Don’t let me share in the delicacies
    of those who do wrong.

⁵ Let the godly strike me!
    It will be a kindness!
If they correct me, it is soothing medicine.
    Don’t let me refuse it.

But I pray constantly
    against the wicked and their deeds.
⁶ When their leaders are thrown down from a cliff,
    the wicked will listen to my words and find them true.
⁷ Like rocks brought up by a plow,
    the bones of the wicked will lie scattered without burial.^[a]

⁸ I look to you for help, O Sovereign Lord.
    You are my refuge; don’t let them kill me.
⁹ Keep me from the traps they have set for me,
    from the snares of those who do wrong.
¹⁰ Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
    but let me escape.

¹ I cry out to the Lord;
    I plead for the Lord’s mercy.
² I pour out my complaints before him
    and tell him all my troubles.
³ When I am overwhelmed,
    you alone know the way I should turn.
Wherever I go,
    my enemies have set traps for me.
⁴ I look for someone to come and help me,
    but no one gives me a passing thought!
No one will help me;
    no one cares a bit what happens to me.
⁵ Then I pray to you, O Lord.
    I say, “You are my place of refuge.
    You are all I really want in life.
⁶ Hear my cry,
    for I am very low.
Rescue me from my persecutors,
    for they are too strong for me.
⁷ Bring me out of prison
    so I can thank you.
The godly will crowd around me,
    for you are good to me.”