Through the Bible – Day 202

₁Listen, God, to my prayer!

Don't reject my request.

₂Please listen and help me.

My thoughts are troubled,

and I keep groaning

₃because my loud enemies

shout and attack.

They treat me terribly

and hold angry grudges.

₄My heart is racing fast,

and I am afraid of dying.

₅I am trembling with fear,

completely terrified.

₆I wish I had wings

like a dove,

so I could fly far away

and be at peace.

₇I would go and live

in some distant desert.

₈I would quickly find shelter

from howling winds

and raging storms.

₉Confuse my enemies, Lord!

Upset their plans.

Cruelty and violence

are all I see in the city,

₁₀and they are like guards

on patrol day and night.

The city is full of trouble,

evil, ₁₁and corruption.

Troublemakers and liars

freely roam the streets.

₁₂My enemies are not the ones

who sneer and make fun.

I could put up with that

or even hide from them.

₁₃But it was my closest friend,

the one I trusted most.

₁₄We enjoyed being together,

and we went with others

to your house, our God.

₁₅All who hate me are controlled

by the power of evil.

Sentence them to death

and send them down alive

to the world of the dead.

₁₆I ask for your help, LORD God,

and you will keep me safe.

₁₇Morning, noon, and night

you hear my concerns

and my complaints.

₁₈I am attacked from all sides,

but you will rescue me

unharmed by the battle.

₁₉You have always ruled,

and you will hear me.

You will defeat my enemies

because they won't turn

and worship you.

₂₀My friend turned against me

and broke his promise.

₂₁His words were smoother

than butter, and softer

than olive oil.

But hatred filled his heart,

and he was ready to attack

with a sword.

₂₂Our LORD, we belong to you.

We tell you what worries us,

and you won't let us fall.

₂₃But what about those people

who are cruel and brutal?

You will throw them down

into the deepest pit

long before their time.

I trust you, LORD!

₁Have pity, God Most High!

My enemies chase me all day.

₂Many of them are pursuing

and attacking me,

₃but even when I am afraid,

I keep on trusting you.

₄I praise your promises!

I trust you and am not afraid.

No one can harm me.

₅Enemies spend the whole day

finding fault with me;

all they think about

is how to do me harm.

₆They attack from ambush,

watching my every step

and hoping to kill me.

₇They won't get away

with these crimes, God,

because when you get angry,

you destroy people.

₈You have kept record

of my days of wandering.

You have stored my tears

in your bottle

and counted each of them.

₉When I pray, LORD God,

my enemies will retreat,

because I know for certain

that you are with me.

₁₀I praise your promises!

₁₁I trust you and am not afraid.

No one can harm me.

₁₂I will keep my promises

to you, my God,

and bring you gifts.

₁₃You protected me from death

and kept me from stumbling,

so that I would please you

and follow the light

that leads to life.

₁God Most High, have pity on me!

Have mercy. I run to you

for safety.

In the shadow of your wings,

I seek protection

till danger dies down.

₂I pray to you, my protector.

₃You will send help from heaven

and save me,

but you will bring trouble

on my attackers.

You are faithful,

and you can be trusted.

₄I live among lions,

who gobble up people!

They have spears and arrows

instead of teeth,

and they have sharp swords

instead of tongues.

₅May you, my God, be honoured

above the heavens;

may your glory be seen

everywhere on earth.

₆Enemies set traps for my feet

and struck me down.

They dug a pit in my path,

but fell in it themselves.

₇I am faithful to you,

and you can trust me.

I will sing and play music

for you, my God.

₈I feel wide awake!

I will wake up my harp

and wake up the sun.

₉I will praise you, Lord,

for everyone to hear,

and I will sing hymns to you

in every nation.

₁₀Your love reaches higher

than the heavens;

your loyalty extends

beyond the clouds.

₁₁May you, my God, be honoured

above the heavens;

may your glory be seen

everywhere on earth.