Psalm 17; Psalm 35; Psalm 54; Psalm 63

1 Lord, hear me when I ask you to treat me fairly. Listen to my cry for help. Hear my prayer. It doesn't come from lips that tell lies. 2 When you hand down your sentence, may it be in my favor. May your eyes see what is right. 3 Look deep down into my heart. Study me carefully at night. Put me to the test. You won't find anything wrong. I have made up my mind that my mouth won't say sinful things. 4 I don't do the things other people do. By obeying your word I have kept myself from acting like those who try to hurt others. 5 My steps have stayed on your paths. My feet have not slipped. 6 God, I call out to you because you will answer me. Listen to me. Hear my prayer. 7 Show the wonder of your great love. By using your powerful right hand, you save those who go to you for safety from their enemies. 8 Take good care of me, just as you would take care of your own eyes. Hide me in the shadow of your wings. 9 Save me from the sinful people who attack me. Save me from my deadly enemies who are all around me. 10 They make their hearts hard and stubborn. Their mouths speak with pride. 11 They have tracked me down. They are all around me. Their eyes watch for a chance to throw me to the ground. 12 They are like a hungry lion, waiting to attack. They are like a powerful lion, hiding in the bushes. 13 Lord, rise up. Oppose them and bring them down. With your sword, save me from those evil people. 14 Lord, by your power save me from people like that. They belong to this world. They get their reward in this life. You satisfy the hunger of those you love. Their children have plenty. And those children store up wealth for their children. 15 Because I do what is right, I will enjoy your blessing. When I wake up, I will be satisfied because I will see you.

1 Lord, stand up against those who stand up against me. Fight against those who fight against me. 2 Pick up your large shields and your small shields. Rise up and help me. 3 Get your spear and javelin ready to fight against those who are chasing me. Say to me, "I will save you." 4 Let those who are trying to kill me be brought down in dishonor. Let those who plan to destroy me be turned back in terror. 5 Let them be like straw blowing in the wind, while the angel of the LORD drives them away. 6 Let their path be dark and slippery, while the angel of the LORD chases them. 7 They set a trap for me without any reason. Without any reason they dug a pit to catch me. 8 So let them be destroyed without warning. Let the trap they set for me catch them. Let them fall into the pit and be destroyed. 9 Then I will be full of joy because of what the LORD has done. I will be glad because he has saved me. 10 My whole being will cry out, "Who is like you, Lord? You save poor people from those who are too strong for them. You save poor and needy people from those who rob them." 11 Mean people come forward to give witness against me. They ask me things I don't know anything about. 12 They pay me back with evil, even though I was good to them. They leave me without hope. 13 But when they were sick, I put on black clothes. I made myself low by going without food. My prayers for them weren't always answered. 14 So I went around crying as if I were crying over my friend or relative. I bowed my head in sadness as if I were sobbing over my mother. 15 But when I tripped and fell, they were all very happy. Attackers gathered against me when I didn't even know it. They kept on telling lies about me. 16 They were like ungodly people. They made fun of me. They ground their teeth at me in hate. 17 Lord, how much longer will you just look on? Save me from their deadly attacks. Save the only life I have. Save me from those lions. 18 I will give you thanks in the whole community. Among all of your people I will praise you. 19 Don't let those who are my enemies without any reason laugh at me and make fun of me. Don't let those who hate me without any reason wink at me with an evil purpose. 20 They don't speak words of peace. They make up false charges against those who live quietly in the land. 21 They open their mouths wide at me. They make fun of me. They say, "With our own eyes we have seen what you did." 22 Lord, you have seen this. Don't be silent. Lord, don't be far away from me. 23 Wake up! Rise up to help me! My God and Lord, stand up for me. 24 LORD my God, when you hand down your sentence, let it be in my favor. You always do what is right. Don't let my enemies have the joy of seeing me fall. 25 Don't let them think, "That's exactly what we wanted!" Don't let them say, "We have swallowed him up." 26 Let all those who laugh at me because I'm in trouble be ashamed and bewildered. Let all who think they are better than I am put on shame and dishonor as if they were clothes. 27 Let those who are happy when my name is cleared shout with joy and gladness. Let them always say, "May the LORD be honored. He is pleased when everything goes well with the one who serves him." 28 You always do what is right. My tongue will speak about it and praise you all day long.

1 God, save me by your power. Set me free by your might. 2 God, hear my prayer. Listen to what I'm saying. 3 Strangers are attacking me. Mean people are trying to kill me. They don't care about God. "Selah" 4 But I know that God helps me. The Lord is the one who keeps me going. 5 My enemies tell lies about me. Do to them the evil things they planned against me. God, be faithful and destroy them. 6 I will sacrifice an offering to you just because I choose to. Lord, I will praise your name because it is good. 7 You have saved me from all of my troubles. With my own eyes I have seen you win the battle over my enemies.

1 God, you are my God. I greatly long for you. With all my heart I thirst for you in this dry desert where there isn't any water. 2 I have seen you in the sacred tent. There I have seen your power and your glory. 3 Your love is better than life. I will bring glory to you with my lips. 4 I will praise you as long as I live. I will lift up my hands when I pray to you. 5 I will be as satisfied as if I had eaten the best food there is. I will sing praise to you with my mouth. 6 As I lie on my bed I remember you. I think of you all night long. 7 Because you have helped me, I sing in the shadow of your wings. 8 I hold on to you. Your powerful right hand takes good care of me. 9 Those who are trying to kill me will be destroyed. They will go down into the grave. 10 They will be killed with swords. They will become food for wild dogs. 11 But the king will be filled with joy because of what God has done. All those who take an oath in God's name will praise him. But the mouths of liars will be shut.