Psalms 56; Psalms 120; Psalms 140; Psalms 141; Psalms 142

1 God, be merciful to me because people are chasing me; the battle has pressed me all day long.

2 My enemies have chased me all day; there are many proud people fighting me.

3 When I am afraid, I will trust you.

4 I praise God for his word. I trust God, so I am not afraid. What can human beings do to me?

5 All day long they twist my words; all their evil plans are against me.

6 They wait. They hide. They watch my steps, hoping to kill me.

7 God, do not let them escape; punish the foreign nations in your anger.

8 You have recorded my troubles. You have kept a list of my tears. Aren't they in your records?

9 On the day I call for help, my enemies will be defeated. I know that God is on my side.

10 I praise God for his word to me; I praise the Lord for his word.

11 I trust in God. I will not be afraid. What can people do to me?

12 God, I must keep my promises to you. I will give you my offerings to thank you,

13 because you have saved me from death. You have kept me from being defeated. in light among the living.

1 When I was in trouble, I called to the Lord, and he answered me.

2 Lord, save me from liars and from those who plan evil.

3 You who plan evil, what will God do to you? How will he punish you?

4 He will punish you with the sharp arrows of a warrior and with burning coals of wood.

5 How terrible it is for me to live in the land of Meshech, to live among the people of Kedar.

6 I have lived too long with people who hate peace.

7 When I talk peace, they want war. A song for going up to worship.

1 Lord, rescue me from evil people; protect me from cruel people

2 who make evil plans, who always start fights.

3 They make their tongues sharp as a snake's; their words are like snake poison.Selah

4 Lord, guard me from the power of wicked people; protect me from cruel people who plan to trip me up.

5 The proud hid a trap for me. They spread out a net beside the road; they set traps for me.Selah

6 I said to the Lord, "You are my God." Lord, listen to my prayer for help.

7 Lord God, my mighty savior, you protect me in battle.

8 Lord, do not give the wicked what they want. Don't let their plans succeed, or they will become proud.Selah

9 Those around me have planned trouble. Now let it come to them.

10 Let burning coals fall on them. Throw them into the fire or into pits from which they cannot escape.

11 Don't let liars settle in the land. Let evil quickly hunt down cruel people.

12 I know the Lord will get justice for the poor and will defend the needy in court.

13 Good people will praise his name; honest people will live in his presence. A psalm of David.

1 Lord, I call to you. Come quickly. Listen to me when I call to you.

2 Let my prayer be like incense placed before you, and my praise like the evening sacrifice.

3 Lord, help me control my tongue; help me be careful about what I say.

4 Take away my desire to do evil or to join others in doing wrong. Don't let me eat tasty food with those who do evil.

5 If a good person punished me, that would be kind. If he corrected me, that would be like perfumed oil on my head. I shouldn't refuse it. But I pray against those who do evil.

6 Let their leaders be thrown down the cliffs. Then people will know that I have spoken correctly:

7 "The ground is plowed and broken up. In the same way, our bones have been scattered at the grave."

8 God, I look to you for help. I trust in you, Lord. Don't let me die.

9 Protect me from the traps they set for me and from the net that evil people have spread.

10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets, but let me pass by safely. A maskil of David when he was in the cave. A prayer.

1 I cry out to the Lord; I pray to the Lord for mercy.

2 I pour out my problems to him; I tell him my troubles.

3 When I am afraid, you, Lord, know the way out. In the path where I walk, a trap is hidden for me.

4 Look around me and see. No one cares about me. I have no place of safety; no one cares if I live.

5 Lord, I cry out to you. I say, "You are my protection. You are all I want in this life."

6 Listen to my cry, because I am helpless. Save me from those who are chasing me, because they are too strong for me.

7 Free me from my prison, and then I will praise your name. Then good people will surround me, because you have taken care of me. A psalm of David.