Psalms 7; Psalms 27; Psalms 31; Psalms 34; Psalms 52

1 O LORD my God, I have taken refuge in you. Save me, and rescue me from all who are pursuing me.

2 Like a lion they will tear me to pieces and drag me off with no one to rescue me.

3 O LORD my God, if I have done this-- if my hands are stained with injustice,

4 if I have paid back my friend with evil or rescued someone who has no reason to attack me--

5 then let the enemy chase me and catch me. Let him trample my life into the ground. Let him lay my honor in the dust. Selah

6 Arise in anger, O LORD. Stand up against the fury of my attackers. Wake up, my God. You have already pronounced judgment.

7 Let an assembly of people gather around you. Take your seat high above them.

8 The LORD judges the people of the world. Judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, according to my integrity.

9 Let the evil within wicked people come to an end, but make the righteous person secure, O righteous God who examines thoughts and emotions.

10 My shield is God above, who saves those whose motives are decent.

11 God is a fair judge, a God who is angered by injustice every day.

12 If a person does not change, God sharpens his sword. By bending his bow, he makes it ready [to shoot].

13 He prepares his deadly weapons and turns them into flaming arrows.

14 See how that person conceives evil, is pregnant with harm, and gives birth to lies.

15 He digs a pit and shovels it out. Then he falls into the hole that he made [for others].

16 His mischief lands back on his own head. His violence comes down on top of him.

17 I will give thanks to the LORD for his righteousness. I will make music to praise the name of the LORD Most High.

1 The LORD is my light and my salvation. Who is there to fear? The LORD is my life's fortress. Who is there to be afraid of?

2 Evildoers closed in on me to tear me to pieces. My opponents and enemies stumbled and fell.

3 Even though an army sets up camp against me, my heart will not be afraid. Even though a war breaks out against me, I will still have confidence [in the LORD].

4 I have asked one thing from the LORD. This I will seek: to remain in the LORD's house all the days of my life in order to gaze at the LORD's beauty and to search for an answer in his temple.

5 He hides me in his shelter when there is trouble. He keeps me hidden in his tent. He sets me high on a rock.

6 Now my head will be raised above my enemies who surround me. I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy in his tent. I will sing and make music to praise the LORD.

7 Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud. Have pity on me, and answer me.

8 [When you said,] "Seek my face," my heart said to you, "O LORD, I will seek your face."

9 Do not hide your face from me. Do not angrily turn me away. You have been my help. Do not leave me! Do not abandon me, O God, my savior!

10 Even if my father and mother abandon me, the LORD will take care of me.

11 Teach me your way, O LORD. Lead me on a level path because I have enemies who spy on me.

12 Do not surrender me to the will of my opponents. False witnesses have risen against me. They breathe out violence.

13 I believe that I will see the goodness of the LORD in this world of the living.

14 Wait with hope for the LORD. Be strong, and let your heart be courageous. Yes, wait with hope for the LORD.

1 I have taken refuge in you, O LORD. Never let me be put to shame. Save me because of your righteousness.

2 Turn your ear toward me. Rescue me quickly. Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me.

3 Indeed, you are my rock and my fortress. For the sake of your name, lead me and guide me.

4 You are my refuge, so pull me out of the net that they have secretly laid for me.

5 Into your hands I entrust my spirit. You have rescued me, O LORD, God of truth.

6 I hate those who cling to false gods, but I trust the LORD.

7 I will rejoice and be glad because of your mercy. You have seen my misery. You have known the troubles in my soul.

8 You have not handed me over to the enemy. You have set my feet in a place where I can move freely.

9 Have pity on me, O LORD, because I am in distress. My eyes, my soul, and my body waste away from grief.

10 My life is exhausted from sorrow, my years from groaning. My strength staggers under [the weight of] my guilt, and my bones waste away.

11 I have become a disgrace because of all my opponents. I have become someone dreaded by my friends, even by my neighbors. Those who see me on the street run away from me.

12 I have faded from memory as if I were dead and have become like a piece of broken pottery.

13 I have heard the whispering of many people-- terror on every side-- while they made plans together against me. They were plotting to take my life.

14 I trust you, O LORD. I said, "You are my God."

15 My future is in your hands. Rescue me from my enemies, from those who persecute me.

16 Smile on me. Save me with your mercy.

17 O LORD, I have called on you, so do not let me be put to shame, Let wicked people be put to shame. Let them be silent in the grave.

18 Let [their] lying lips be speechless, since they speak against righteous people with arrogance and contempt.

19 Your kindness is so great! You reserve it for those who fear you. Adam's descendants watch as you show it to those who take refuge in you.

20 You hide them in the secret place of your presence from those who scheme against them. You keep them in a shelter, safe from quarrelsome tongues.

21 Thank the LORD! He has shown me the miracle of his mercy in a city under attack.

22 When I was panic-stricken, I said, "I have been cut off from your sight." But you heard my pleas for mercy when I cried out to you for help.

23 Love the LORD, all you godly ones! The LORD protects faithful people, but he pays back in full those who act arrogantly.

24 Be strong, all who wait with hope for the LORD, and let your heart be courageous.

1 I will thank the LORD at all times. My mouth will always praise him.

2 My soul will boast about the LORD. Those who are oppressed will hear it and rejoice.

3 Praise the LORD's greatness with me. Let us highly honor his name together.

4 I went to the LORD for help. He answered me and rescued me from all my fears.

5 All who look to him will be radiant. Their faces will never be covered with shame.

6 Here is a poor man who called out. The LORD heard him and saved him from all his troubles.

7 The Messenger of the LORD camps around those who fear him, and he rescues them.

8 Taste and see that the LORD is good. Blessed is the person who takes refuge in him.

9 Fear the LORD, you holy people who belong to him. Those who fear him are never in need.

10 Young lions go hungry and may starve, but those who seek the LORD's help have all the good things they need.

11 Come, children, listen to me. I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

12 Which of you wants a full life? Who would like to live long enough to enjoy good things?

13 Keep your tongue from saying evil things and your lips from speaking deceitful things.

14 Turn away from evil, and do good. Seek peace, and pursue it!

15 The LORD's eyes are on righteous people. His ears hear their cry for help.

16 The LORD confronts those who do evil in order to wipe out all memory of them from the earth.

17 [Righteous people] cry out. The LORD hears and rescues them from all their troubles.

18 The LORD is near to those whose hearts are humble. He saves those whose spirits are crushed.

19 The righteous person has many troubles, but the LORD rescues him from all of them.

20 The LORD guards all of his bones. Not one of them is broken.

21 Evil will kill wicked people, and those who hate righteous people will be condemned.

22 The LORD protects the souls of his servants. All who take refuge in him will never be condemned.

1 Why do you brag about the evil you've done, you hero? The mercy of God lasts all day long!

2 Your tongue makes up threats. It's like a sharp razor, you master of deceit.

3 You prefer evil to good. You prefer lying to speaking the truth. Selah

4 You love every destructive accusation, you deceitful tongue!

5 But God will ruin you forever. He will grab you and drag you out of your tent. He will pull your roots out of this world of the living. Selah

6 Righteous people will see [this] and be struck with fear. They will laugh at you and say,

7 "Look at this person who refused to make God his fortress! Instead, he trusted his great wealth and became strong through his greed."

8 But I am like a large olive tree in God's house. I trust the mercy of God forever and ever.

9 I will give thanks to you forever for what you have done. In the presence of your godly people, I will wait with hope in your good name.