(A psalm by David for the music leader. Use flutes.)
A Prayer for Help
1 Listen, Lord, as I pray!
Pay attention when I groan.
2 You are my King and my God.
Answer my cry for help
because I pray to you.
3 Each morning you listen
to my prayer,
as I bring my requests to you
and wait for your reply.
4 You are not the kind of God
who is pleased with evil.
Sinners can't stay with you.
5 No one who boasts can stand
in your presence, Lord,
and you hate evil people.
6 You destroy every liar,
and you despise violence
and deceit.
7 Because of your great mercy,
I come to your house, Lord,
and I am filled with wonder
as I bow down to worship
at your holy temple.
8 You do what is right,
and I ask you to guide me.
Make your teaching clear
because of my enemies.
9 Nothing they say is true!
They just want to destroy.
Their words are deceitful
like a hidden pit,
and their tongues are good
only for telling lies.
10 Punish them, God,
and let their own plans
bring their downfall.
Get rid of them!
They keep committing crimes
and turning against you.
11 Let all who run to you
for protection
always sing joyful songs.
Provide shelter for those
who truly love you
and let them rejoice.
12 Our Lord, you bless those
who live right,
and you shield them
with your kindness.
1 To him that excelleth upon Nehiloth. A Psalme of Dauid. Heare my wordes, O Lord: vnderstande my meditation. 2 Hearken vnto the voyce of my crie, my King and my God: for vnto thee doe I pray. 3 Heare my voyce in the morning, O Lord: for in the morning will I direct me vnto thee, and I will waite. 4 For thou art not a God that loueth wickednes: neither shall euill dwell with thee. 5 The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: for thou hatest all them that worke iniquitie. 6 Thou shalt destroy them that speake lyes: the Lord will abhorre the bloodie man and deceitfull. 7 But I wil come into thine house in the multitude of thy mercie: and in thy feare will I worship toward thine holy Temple. 8 Leade me, O Lord, in thy righteousnes, because of mine enemies: make thy way plaine before my face. 9 For no constancie is in their mouth: within, they are very corruption: their throte is an open sepulchre, and they flatter with their tongue. 10 Destroy them, O God: let them fall from their counsels: cast them out for the multitude of their iniquities, because they haue rebelled against thee. 11 And let all them that trust in thee, reioyce and triumph for euer, and couer thou them: and let them, that loue thy Name, reioyce in thee. 12 For thou Lord wilt blesse the righteous, and with fauour wilt compasse him, as with a shielde.