| Psalm 31 | |||
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1
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In you, O Lord, have I taken refuge; | ||
| let me never be put to
shame; • deliver me in your righteousness. |
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2
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Incline your ear to
me; • make haste to deliver me. |
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3
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Be my strong rock, a fortress to save me, | ||
| for you are my rock and my
stronghold; • guide me, and lead me for your name's sake. |
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4
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Take me out of the net | ||
| that they have laid secretly for
me, • for you are my strength. |
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5
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Into your hands I commend my
spirit, • for you have redeemed me, O Lord God of truth. |
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6
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I hate those who cling to
worthless idols; • I put my trust in the Lord. |
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7
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I will be glad and rejoice in
your mercy, • for you have seen my affliction |
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| and known my soul in adversity. | |||
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8
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You have not shut me up in the
hand of the enemy; • you have set my feet in an open place. |
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9
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Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am
in trouble; • my eye is consumed with sorrow, |
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| my soul and my body also. | |||
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10
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For my life is wasted with grief, | ||
| and my years with
sighing; • my strength fails me because of my affliction, |
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| and my bones are consumed. | |||
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11
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I have become a reproach to all my enemies | ||
| and even to my neighbours, | |||
| an object of dread to my
acquaintances; • when they see me in the street they flee from me. |
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12
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I am forgotten like one that is
dead, out of mind; • I have become like a broken vessel. |
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13
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For I have heard the whispering of the crowd; | ||
| fear is on every
side; • they scheme together against me, |
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| and plot to take my life. | |||
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14
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But my trust is in you, O
Lord. • I have said, 'You are my God. |
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15
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'My times are in your
hand; • deliver me from the hand of my enemies, |
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| and from those who persecute me. | |||
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16
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'Make your face to shine upon
your servant, • and save me for your mercy's sake.' |
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17
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Lord, let me not be confounded | ||
| for I have called upon
you; • but let the wicked be put to shame; |
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| let them be silent in the grave. | |||
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18
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Let the lying lips be put to
silence • that speak against the righteous |
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| with arrogance, disdain and contempt. | |||
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19
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How abundant is your goodness, O Lord, | ||
| which you have laid up for those
who fear you; • which you have prepared in the sight of all |
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| for those who put their trust in you. | |||
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20
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You hide them in the shelter of your presence | ||
| from those who slander
them; • you keep them safe in your refuge from the strife of tongues. |
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21
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Blessed be the Lord! • For he has shown me his steadfast love |
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| when I was as a city besieged. | |||
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22
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I had said in my alarm, | ||
| 'I have been cut off from the
sight of your eyes.' • Nevertheless, you heard the voice of my prayer |
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| when I cried out to you. | |||
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23
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Love the Lord, all you his
servants; • for the Lord protects the faithful, |
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| but repays to the full the proud. | |||
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24
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Be strong and let your heart
take courage, • all you who wait in hope for the Lord. |
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| Psalm 32 | |||
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1
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Happy the one whose
transgression is forgiven, • and whose sin is covered. |
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2
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Happy the one to whom the Lord
imputes no guilt, • and in whose spirit there is no guile. |
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3
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For I held my tongue; • my bones wasted away |
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| through my groaning all the day long. | |||
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4
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Your hand was heavy upon me day
and night; • my moisture was dried up like the drought in summer. |
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5
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Then I acknowledged my sin to
you • and my iniquity I did not hide. |
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6
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I said, 'I will confess my
transgressions to the Lord,' • and you forgave the guilt of my sin. |
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7
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Therefore let all the faithful make their prayers to you | ||
| in time of trouble; • in the great water flood, it shall not reach them. |
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8
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You are a place for me to hide in; | ||
| you preserve me from
trouble; • you surround me with songs of deliverance. |
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9
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'I will instruct you and teach you | ||
| in the way that you should
go; • I will guide you with my eye. |
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10
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'Be not like horse and mule
which have no understanding; • whose mouths must be held with bit and bridle, |
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| or else they will not stay near you.' | |||
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11
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Great tribulations remain for
the wicked, • but mercy embraces those who trust in the Lord. |
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12
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Be glad, you righteous, and
rejoice in the Lord; • shout for joy, all who are true of heart. |
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| Psalm 33 | |||
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1
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Rejoice in the Lord, O you
righteous, • for it is good for the just to sing praises. |
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2
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Praise the Lord with the
lyre; • on the ten-stringed harp sing his praise. |
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3
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Sing for him a new
song; • play skilfully, with shouts of praise. |
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4
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For the word of the Lord is
true • and all his works are sure. |
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5
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He loves righteousness and
justice; • the earth is full of the loving-kindness of the Lord. |
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6
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By the word of the Lord were the
heavens made • and all their host by the breath of his mouth. |
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7
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He gathers up the waters of the
sea as in a waterskin • and lays up the deep in his treasury. |
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8
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Let all the earth fear the
Lord; • stand in awe of him, all who dwell in the world. |
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9
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For he spoke, and it was
done; • he commanded, and it stood fast. |
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10
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The Lord brings the counsel of
the nations to naught; • he frustrates the designs of the peoples. |
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11
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But the counsel of the Lord
shall endure for ever • and the designs of his heart from generation to generation. |
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12
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Happy the nation whose God is
the Lord • and the people he has chosen for his own. |
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13
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The Lord looks down from
heaven • and beholds all the children of earth. |
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14
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From where he sits enthroned he
turns his gaze • on all who dwell on the earth. |
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15
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He fashions all the hearts of
them • and understands all their works. |
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16
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No king is saved by the might of
his host; • no warrior delivered by his great strength. |
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17
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A horse is a vain hope for
deliverance; • for all its strength it cannot save. |
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18
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Behold, the eye of the Lord | ||
| is upon those who fear
him, • on those who wait in hope for his steadfast love, |
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19
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To deliver their soul from
death • and to feed them in time of famine. |
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20
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Our soul waits longingly for the
Lord; • he is our help and our shield. |
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21
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Indeed, our heart rejoices in
him; • in his holy name have we put our trust. |
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22
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Let your loving-kindness, O
Lord, be upon us, • as we have set our hope on you. |
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| Psalm 34 | |||
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1
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I will bless the Lord at all
times; • his praise shall ever be in my mouth. |
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2
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My soul shall glory in the
Lord; • let the humble hear and be glad. |
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3
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O magnify the Lord with
me; • let us exalt his name together. |
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4
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I sought the Lord and he
answered me • and delivered me from all my fears. |
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5
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Look upon him and be
radiant • and your faces shall not be ashamed. |
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6
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This poor soul cried, and the
Lord heard me • and saved me from all my troubles. |
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7
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The angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear him • and delivers them. |
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8
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O taste and see that the Lord is
gracious; • blessed is the one who trusts in him. |
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9
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Fear the Lord, all you his holy
ones, • for those who fear him lack nothing. |
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10
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Lions may lack and suffer
hunger, • but those who seek the Lord |
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| lack nothing that is good. | |||
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11
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Come, my children, and listen to
me; • I will teach you the fear of the Lord. |
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12
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Who is there who delights in
life • and longs for days to enjoy good things? |
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13
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Keep your tongue from
evil • and your lips from lying words. |
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14
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Turn from evil and do
good; • seek peace and pursue it. |
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15
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The eyes of the Lord are upon
the righteous • and his ears are open to their cry. |
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16
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The face of the Lord is against
those who do evil, • to root out the remembrance of them from the earth. |
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17
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The righteous cry and the Lord
hears them • and delivers them out of all their troubles. |
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18
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The Lord is near to the
brokenhearted • and will save those who are crushed in spirit. |
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19
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Many are the troubles of the
righteous; • from them all will the Lord deliver them. |
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20
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He keeps all their
bones, • so that not one of them is broken. |
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21
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But evil shall slay the
wicked • and those who hate the righteous will be condemned. |
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22
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The Lord ransoms the life of his
servants • and will condemn none who seek refuge in him. |
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| Psalm 35 | |||
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1
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Contend, O Lord, with those that
contend with me; • fight against those that fight against me. |
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2
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Take up shield and
buckler • and rise up to help me. |
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3
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Draw the spear and bar the way | ||
| against those who pursue
me; • say to my soul, 'I am your salvation.' |
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4
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Let those who seek after my life
be shamed and disgraced; • let those who plot my ruin fall back and be put to confusion. |
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5
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Let them be as chaff before the
wind, • with the angel of the Lord thrusting them down. |
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6
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Let their way be dark and
slippery, • with the angel of the Lord pursuing them. |
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7
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For they have secretly spread a
net for me without a cause; • without any cause they have dug a pit for my soul. |
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8
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Let ruin come upon them
unawares; • let them be caught in the net they laid; |
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| let them fall in it to their destruction. | |||
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9
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Then will my soul be joyful in
the Lord • and glory in his salvation. |
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10
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My very bones will say, 'Lord,
who is like you? • You deliver the poor from those that are too strong for them, |
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| the poor and needy from those who would despoil them.' | |||
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11
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False witnesses rose up against
me; • they charged me with things I knew not. |
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12
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They rewarded me evil for
good, • to the desolation of my soul. |
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13
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But as for me, when they were
sick I put on sackcloth • and humbled myself with fasting; |
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14
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When my prayer returned empty to
my bosom, • it was as though I grieved for my friend or brother; |
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15
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I behaved as one who mourns for
his mother, • bowed down and brought very low. |
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16
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But when I stumbled, they gathered in delight; | ||
| they gathered together against
me; • as if they were strangers I did not know |
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| they tore at me without ceasing. | |||
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17
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When I fell they mocked
me; • they gnashed at me with their teeth. |
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18
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O Lord, how long will you look
on? • Rescue my soul from their ravages, |
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| and my poor life from the young lions. | |||
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19
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I will give you thanks in the
great congregation; • I will praise you in the mighty throng. |
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20
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Do not let my treacherous foes
rejoice over me, • or those who hate me without a cause |
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| mock me with their glances. | |||
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21
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For they do not speak of
peace, • but invent deceitful schemes against those that are quiet in the land. |
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22
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They opened wide their mouths
and derided me, saying • 'We have seen it with our very eyes.' |
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23
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This you have seen, O Lord; do
not keep silent; • go not far from me, O Lord. |
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24
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Awake, arise, to my
cause, • to my defence, my God and my Lord! |
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25
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Give me justice, O Lord my God, | ||
| according to your
righteousness; • let them not triumph over me. |
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26
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Let them not say to themselves, | ||
| 'Our heart's desire!' • Let them not say, 'We have swallowed him up.' |
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27
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Let all who rejoice at my
trouble be put to shame and confusion; • let those who boast against me |
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| be clothed with shame and dishonour. | |||
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28
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Let those who favour my cause
rejoice and be glad; • let them say always, |
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| 'Great is the Lord, who delights in his servant's well-being.' | |||
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29
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So shall my tongue be talking of
your righteousness • and of your praise all the day long. |
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