The Cords of the Wicked

¹Many a time they have persecuted me from my youth—let Israel now declare—

²many a time they have persecuted me from my youth,but they have not prevailed against me.

³The plowmen plowed over my back;they made their furrows long.

⁴The LORD is righteous;He has cut me from the cords of the wicked.

⁵May all who hate Zionbe turned back in shame.

⁶May they be like grass on the rooftops,which withers before it can grow,

⁷unable to fill the hands of the reaper,or the arms of the binder of sheaves.

⁸May none who pass by say to them,“The blessing of the LORD be on you;we bless you in the name of the LORD.”

Do Not Rebuke Me in Your Anger

¹O LORD, do not rebuke me in Your angeror discipline me in Your wrath.

²Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am frail;heal me, O LORD, for my bones are in agony.

³My soul is deeply distressed.How long, O LORD, how long?

⁴Turn, O LORD, and deliver my soul;save me because of Your loving devotion.

⁵For there is no mention of You in death;who can praise You from Sheol?

⁶I am weary from groaning;all night I flood my bed with weepingand drench my couch with tears.

⁷My eyes fail from grief;they grow dim because of all my foes.

⁸Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity,for the LORD has heard my weeping.

⁹The LORD has heard my cry for mercy;the LORD accepts my prayer.

¹⁰All my enemies will be ashamed and dismayed;they will turn back in sudden disgrace.

Do Not Rebuke Me in Your Anger

¹O LORD, do not rebuke me in Your angeror discipline me in Your wrath.

²For Your arrows have pierced me deeply,and Your hand has pressed down on me.

³There is no soundness in my bodybecause of Your anger;there is no rest in my bonesbecause of my sin.

⁴For my iniquities have overwhelmed me;they are a burden too heavy to bear.

⁵My wounds are foul and festeringbecause of my sinful folly.

⁶I am bent and brought low;all day long I go about mourning.

⁷For my loins are full of burning pain,and no soundness remains in my body.

⁸I am numb and badly crushed;I groan in anguish of heart.

⁹O Lord, my every desire is before You;my groaning is not hidden from You.

¹⁰My heart pounds, my strength fails,and even the light of my eyes has faded.

¹¹My beloved and friends shun my disease,and my kinsmen stand at a distance.

¹²Those who seek my life lay snares;those who wish me harm speak destruction,plotting deceit all day long.

¹³But like a deaf man, I do not hear;and like a mute man, I do not open my mouth.

¹⁴I am like a man who cannot hear,whose mouth offers no reply.

¹⁵I wait for You, O LORD;You will answer, O Lord my God.

¹⁶For I said, “Let them not gloat over me—those who taunt me when my foot slips.”

¹⁷For I am ready to fall,and my pain is ever with me.

¹⁸Yes, I confess my iniquity;I am troubled by my sin.

¹⁹Many are my enemies without cause,and many hate me without reason.

²⁰Those who repay my good with evilattack me for pursuing the good.

²¹Do not forsake me, O LORD;be not far from me, O my God.

²²Come quickly to help me,O Lord my Savior.

Be My Rock of Refuge

¹In You, O LORD, I have taken refuge;let me never be put to shame.

²In Your justice, rescue and deliver me;incline Your ear and save me.

³Be my rock of refuge,where I can always go.Give the command to save me,for You are my rock and my fortress.

⁴Deliver me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked,from the grasp of the unjust and ruthless.

⁵For You are my hope, O Lord GOD,my confidence from my youth.

⁶I have leaned on You since birth;You pulled me from my mother’s womb.My praise is always for You.

⁷I have become a portent to many,but You are my strong refuge.

⁸My mouth is filled with Your praiseand with Your splendor all day long.

⁹Do not discard me in my old age;do not forsake me when my strength fails.

¹⁰For my enemies speak against me,and those who lie in wait for my life conspire,

¹¹saying, “God has forsaken him;pursue him and seize him,for there is no one to rescue him.”

¹²Be not far from me, O God.Hurry, O my God, to help me.

¹³May the accusers of my soulbe ashamed and consumed;may those who seek my harmbe covered with scorn and disgrace.

¹⁴But I will always hopeand will praise You more and more.

¹⁵My mouth will declare Your righteousnessand Your salvation all day long,though I cannot know their full measure.

¹⁶I will come in the strength of the Lord GOD;I will proclaim Your righteousness—Yours alone.

¹⁷O God, You have taught me from my youth,and to this day I proclaim Your marvelous deeds.

¹⁸Even when I am old and gray,do not forsake me, O God,until I proclaim Your power to the next generation,Your might to all who are to come.

¹⁹Your righteousness reaches to the heavens, O God,You who have done great things.Who, O God, is like You?

²⁰Though You have shown me many troubles and misfortunes,You will revive me once again.Even from the depths of the earthYou will bring me back up.

²¹You will increase my honorand comfort me once again.

²²So I will praise You with the harpfor Your faithfulness, O my God;I will sing praise to You with the lyre,O Holy One of Israel.

²³When I sing praise to Youmy lips will shout for joy,along with my soul,which You have redeemed.

²⁴My tongue will indeed proclaimYour righteousness all day long,for those who seek my harmare disgraced and confounded.