Through the Bible – Day 208

₁I run to you, LORD,

for protection.

Don't disappoint me.

₂You do what is right,

so come to my rescue.

Listen to my prayer

and keep me safe.

₃Be my mighty rock, the place

where I can always run

for protection.

Save me by your command!

You are my mighty rock

and my fortress.

₄Come and save me, LORD God,

from vicious and cruel

and brutal enemies!

₅I depend on you,

and I have trusted you

since I was young.

₆I have relied on you

from the day I was born.

You brought me safely

through birth,

and I always praise you.

₇Many people think of me

as something evil.

But you are my mighty protector,

₈and I praise and honour you

all day long.

₉Don't throw me aside

when I am old;

don't desert me

when my strength is gone.

₁₀My enemies are plotting

because they want me dead.

₁₁They say, “Now we'll catch you!

God has deserted you,

and no one can save you.”

₁₂Come closer, God!

Please hurry and help.

₁₃Embarrass and destroy

all who want me dead;

disgrace and confuse

all who want to hurt me.

₁₄I will never give up hope

or stop praising you.

₁₅All day long I will tell

the wonderful things you do

to save your people.

But you have done much more

than I could possibly know.

₁₆I will praise you, LORD God,

for your mighty deeds

and your power to save.

₁₇You have taught me

since I was a child,

and I never stop telling about

your marvellous deeds.

₁₈Don't leave me when I am old

and my hair turns grey.

Let me tell future generations

about your mighty power.

₁₉Your deeds of kindness

are known in the heavens.

No one is like you!

₂₀You made me suffer a lot,

but you will bring me

back from this deep pit

and give me new life.

₂₁You will make me truly great

and take my sorrow away.

₂₂I will praise you, God,

the Holy One of Israel.

You are faithful.

I will play the harp

and sing your praises.

₂₃You have rescued me!

I will celebrate and shout,

singing praises to you

with all my heart.

₂₄All day long I will announce

your power to save.

I will tell how you disgraced

and disappointed those

who wanted to hurt me.

₁Please help the king

to be honest and fair

just like you, our God.

₂Let him be honest and fair

with all your people,

especially the poor.

₃Let peace and justice rule

every mountain and hill.

₄Let the king defend the poor,

rescue the homeless, and crush

everyone who hurts them.

₅Let the king live for ever

like the sun and the moon.

₆Let him be as helpful as rain

that refreshes the meadows

and the ground.

₇Let the king be fair

with everyone,

and let there be peace

until the moon

falls from the sky.

₈Let his kingdom reach

from sea to sea,

from the River Euphrates

across all the earth.

₉Force the desert tribes

to accept his rule,

and make his enemies

crawl in the dust.

₁₀Force the rulers of Tarshish

and of the islands

to pay taxes to him.

Make the kings of Sheba

and of Seba bring gifts.

₁₁Make other rulers bow down

and all nations serve him.

₁₂Do this because the king

rescues the homeless

when they cry out,

and he helps everyone

who is poor and in need.

₁₃The king has pity

on the weak and the helpless

and protects those in need.

₁₄He cares when they suffer,

and he saves them from cruel

and violent deaths.

₁₅Long live the king!

Give him gold from Sheba.

Always pray for the king

and praise him each day.

₁₆Let cities overflow with food

and hills be covered with grain,

just like Mount Lebanon.

Let the people in the cities

prosper like wild flowers.

₁₇May the glory of the king

shine brightly for ever

like the sun in the sky.

Let him make nations prosper

and learn to praise him.

₁₈LORD God of Israel,

we praise you.

Only you can work miracles.

₁₉We will always praise

your glorious name.

Let your glory be seen

everywhere on earth.

Amen and amen.

₂₀This ends the prayers

of David, the son of Jesse.

₁God is truly good to Israel,

especially to everyone

with a pure heart.

₂But I almost stumbled and fell,

₃because it made me jealous

to see proud and evil people

and to watch them prosper.

₄They never have to suffer,

they stay healthy,

₅and they don't have troubles

like everyone else.

₆Their pride is like a necklace,

and they commit sin more often

than they dress themselves.

₇Their eyes bulge with fat,

and their minds are flooded

with foolish thoughts.

₈They sneer and say cruel things,

and because of their pride,

they make violent threats.

₉They dare to speak against God

and to order others around.

₁₀God will bring his people back,

and they will drink the water

he so freely gives.

₁₁Only evil people would say,

“God Most High cannot

know everything!”

₁₂Yet all goes well for them,

and they live in peace.

₁₃What good did it do me

to keep my thoughts pure

and refuse to do wrong?

₁₄I am sick all day,

and I am punished

each morning.

₁₅If I had said evil things,

I would not have been loyal

to your people.

₁₆It was hard for me

to understand all this!

₁₇Then I went to your temple,

and there I understood

what will happen

to my enemies.

₁₈You will make them stumble,

never to get up again.

₁₉They will be terrified,

suddenly swept away

and no longer there.

₂₀They will disappear, Lord,

despised like a bad dream

the morning after.

₂₁Once I was bitter

and brokenhearted.

₂₂I was stupid and ignorant,

and I treated you

as a wild animal would.

₂₃But I never really left you,

and you hold my right hand.

₂₄Your advice has been my guide,

and later you will welcome me

in glory.

₂₅In heaven I have only you,

and on this earth

you are all I want.

₂₆My body and mind may fail,

but you are my strength

and my choice for ever.

₂₇Powerful LORD God,

all who stay far from you

will be lost,

and you will destroy those

who are unfaithful.

₂₈It is good for me

to be near you.

I choose you as my protector,

and I will tell about

your wonderful deeds.