Psalm 86; Psalm 87; Psalm 88; Psalm 89

1 Lord, hear me and answer me. I am poor and needy. 2 Keep my life safe. I am faithful to you. You are my God. Save me. I trust in you. 3 Lord, show me your favor. I call out to you all day long. 4 Bring joy to me. Lord, I worship you. 5 Lord, you are good. You are forgiving. You are full of love for all who call out to you. 6 Lord, hear my prayer. Listen to my cry for your favor. 7 When I'm in trouble, I will call out to you. And you will answer me. 8 Lord, there's no one like you among the gods. No one can do what you do. 9 Lord, all of the nations you have made will come and worship you. They will bring glory to you. 10 You are great. You do wonderful things. You alone are God. 11 Lord, teach me how you want me to live. Then I will follow your truth. Give me a heart that doesn't want anything more than to worship you. 12 Lord my God, I will praise you with all my heart. I will bring glory to you forever. 13 Great is your love for me. You have kept me from going down into the grave. 14 God, proud people are attacking me. A gang of mean people is trying to kill me. They don't care about you. 15 But Lord, you are a God who is tender and kind. You are gracious. You are slow to get angry. You are faithful and full of love. 16 Turn to me and show me your favor. Give me strength and save me. 17 Prove your goodness to me. Then my enemies will see it and be put to shame. Lord, you have helped me and given me comfort.

1 The LORD has built his city on the holy mountain. 2 He loves the city of Zion more than all of the other places where the people of Jacob live. 3 City of God, the LORD says glorious things about you. "Selah" 4 He says, "I will include Egypt and Babylon in a list of those who recognize me as king. I will also include Philistia and Tyre, along with Cush. I will say about them, 'They were born in Zion.' " 5 Certainly it will be said about Zion, "This nation and that nation were born in her. The Most High God himself will make her secure." 6 Here is what the LORD will write in his list of the nations. "Each of them was born in Zion." "Selah" 7 As they make music they will sing, "Zion, all of our blessings come from you."

1 Lord, you are the God who saves me. Day and night I cry out to you. 2 Please hear my prayer. Pay attention to my cry for help. 3 I have so many troubles I'm about to die. 4 People think my life is over. I'm like someone who doesn't have any strength. 5 People treat me as if I were dead. I'm like those who have been killed and are now in the grave. You don't even remember them anymore. They are cut off from your care. 6 It seems as if you have put me deep down in the grave, that deep and dark place. 7 Your burning anger lies heavy on me. All the waves of your anger have crashed over me. "Selah" 8 You have taken my closest friends away from me. You have made me sickening to them. I feel trapped. I can't escape. 9 I'm crying so much I can't see very well. Lord, I call out to you every day. I lift up my hands to you in prayer. 10 Do you work miracles for those who are dead? Do dead people rise up and praise you? "Selah" 11 Do those who are dead speak about your love? Do those who are in the grave tell how faithful you are? 12 Are your miracles known in that dark place? Are your holy acts known in that land where the dead are forgotten? 13 Lord, I cry out to you for help. In the morning I pray to you. 14 Lord, why do you say no to me? Why do you turn your face away from me? 15 I've been in pain ever since I was young. I've been close to death. You have made me suffer terrible things. I have lost all hope. 16 Your burning anger has swept over me. Your terrors have destroyed me. 17 All day long they surround me like a flood. They have closed in all around me. 18 You have taken my companions and loved ones away from me. The darkness is my closest friend.

1 Lord, I will sing about your great love forever. For all time to come, I will tell how faithful you are. 2 I will tell everyone that your love stands firm forever. I will tell them that you are always faithful, even in heaven itself. 3 You said, "Here is the covenant I have made with my chosen one. Here is the promise I have made to my servant David. 4 'I will make your family line continue forever. I will make your kingdom secure for all time to come.' " "Selah" 5 Lord, the heavens praise you for your miracles. When your holy angels gather together, they praise you for how faithful you are. 6 Who in the skies above can compare with the Lord? Who among the angels is like the Lord? 7 God is highly respected among his holy angels. He's more wonderful than all those who are around him. 8 LORD God who rules over all, who is like you? Lord, you are mighty. You are faithful in everything you do. 9 You rule over the stormy sea. When its waves rise up, you calm them down. 10 You crushed Egypt and killed her people. With your powerful arm you scattered your enemies. 11 The heavens belong to you. The earth is yours also. You made the world and everything that is in it. 12 You created everything from north to south. Mount Tabor and Mount Hermon sing to you with joy. 13 Your arm is powerful. Your hand is strong. Your right hand is mighty. 14 Your kingdom is built on what is right and fair. Your truth and faithful love lead the way in front of you. 15 Blessed are those who have learned to shout praise to you. Lord, they live in the light of your favor. 16 All day long they are full of joy because of who you are. They praise you because you do what is right. 17 You are their glory. You give them strength. You favor them by honoring our king. 18 Our king is like a shield that keeps us safe. He belongs to the Lord. He belongs to the Holy One of Israel. 19 You once spoke to your faithful people in a vision. You said, "I have given strength to a soldier. I have raised up a young man from among the people. 20 I have found my servant David. I have poured my sacred oil on his head. 21 My powerful hand will keep him going. My mighty arm will give him strength. 22 No enemies will require him to bring gifts to them. No evil person will beat him down. 23 I will crush the king's enemies. I will completely destroy them. 24 I will love him and be faithful to him. Because of me his power will increase. 25 I will give him a great kingdom. It will reach from the Mediterranean Sea to the Euphrates River. 26 He will call out to me, 'You are my Father. You are my God. You are my Rock and Savior.' 27 I will also make him my oldest son. Among all the kings of the earth, he will be the most important one. 28 I will continue to love him forever. I will never break my covenant with him. 29 I will make his family line continue forever. His kingdom will last as long as the heavens. 30 "What if his sons turn away from my laws and do not follow them? 31 What if they disobey my orders and fail to keep my commands? 32 Then I will punish them for their sins. I will strike them with the rod. I will whip them for their evil acts. 33 But I will not stop loving David. I will always be faithful to him. 34 I will not break my covenant. I will not go back on my word. 35 Once and for all, I have made a promise with an oath. It is based on my holiness. And I will not lie to David. 36 His family line will continue forever. His kingdom will last as long as the sun. 37 It will last forever like the moon, that faithful witness in the sky." "Selah" 38 But you have turned your back on your anointed king. You have been very angry with him. 39 You have broken the covenant you made with him. You have thrown your servant's crown into the dirt. 40 You have broken through the walls around his city. You have completely destroyed his secure places. 41 All those who pass by have carried off what belonged to him. His neighbors make fun of him. 42 You have made his enemies strong. You have made all of them happy. 43 You have made his sword useless. You have not helped him in battle. 44 You have put an end to his glory. You have knocked his throne to the ground. 45 You have cut short the days of his life. You have covered him with shame. "Selah" 46 Lord, how long will you hide yourself? Will it be forever? How long will your anger burn like fire? 47 Remember how short my life is. You have created all people for such a useless purpose! 48 What man can live and not die? Who can escape the power of the grave? "Selah" 49 Lord, where is the great love you used to have? You faithfully promised it to David. 50 Lord, remember how my enemies have made fun of me. I've had to put up with mean words from all of the nations. 51 Lord, your enemies have said mean things. They have laughed at everything your anointed king has done. 52 Give praise to the LORD forever! Amen and Amen.