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Save me, God, for the waters have come up to my neck!

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I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold. I have come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.

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I am weary with my crying. My throat is dry. My eyes fail, looking for my God.

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Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head. Those who want to cut me off, being my enemies wrongfully, are mighty. I have to restore what I didn’t take away.

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God, you know my foolishness. My sins aren’t hidden from you.

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Don’t let those who wait for you be shamed through me, Lord Yahweh of Armies. Don’t let those who seek you be brought to dishonor through me, God of Israel.

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Because for your sake, I have borne reproach. Shame has covered my face.

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I have become a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my mother’s children.

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For the zeal of your house consumes me. The reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me.

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When I wept and I fasted, that was to my reproach.

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When I made sackcloth my clothing, I became a byword to them.

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Those who sit in the gate talk about me. I am the song of the drunkards.

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But as for me, my prayer is to you, Yahweh, in an acceptable time. God, in the abundance of your loving kindness, answer me in the truth of your salvation.

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Deliver me out of the mire, and don’t let me sink. Let me be delivered from those who hate me, and out of the deep waters.

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Don’t let the flood waters overwhelm me, neither let the deep swallow me up. Don’t let the pit shut its mouth on me.

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Answer me, Yahweh, for your loving kindness is good. According to the multitude of your tender mercies, turn to me.

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Don’t hide your face from your servant, for I am in distress. Answer me speedily!

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Draw near to my soul, and redeem it. Ransom me because of my enemies.

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You know my reproach, my shame, and my dishonor. My adversaries are all before you.

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Reproach has broken my heart, and I am full of heaviness. I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; for comforters, but I found none.

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They also gave me gall for my food. In my thirst, they gave me vinegar to drink.

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Let their table before them become a snare. May it become a retribution and a trap.

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Let their eyes be darkened, so that they can’t see. Let their backs be continually bent.

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Pour out your indignation on them. Let the fierceness of your anger overtake them.

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Let their habitation be desolate. Let no one dwell in their tents.

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For they persecute him whom you have wounded. They tell of the sorrow of those whom you have hurt.

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Charge them with crime upon crime. Don’t let them come into your righteousness.

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Let them be blotted out of the book of life, and not be written with the righteous.

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But I am in pain and distress. Let your salvation, God, protect me.

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I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.

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It will please Yahweh better than an ox, or a bull that has horns and hoofs.

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The humble have seen it, and are glad. You who seek after God, let your heart live.

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For Yahweh hears the needy, and doesn’t despise his captive people.

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Let heaven and earth praise him; the seas, and everything that moves therein!

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For God will save Zion, and build the cities of Judah. They shall settle there, and own it.

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The children also of his servants shall inherit it. Those who love his name shall dwell therein.

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For the Chief Musician. By David. A reminder.

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Hurry, God, to deliver me. Come quickly to help me, Yahweh.

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Let them be disappointed and confounded who seek my soul. Let those who desire my ruin be turned back in disgrace.

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Let them be turned because of their shame Who say, “Aha! Aha!”

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Let all those who seek you rejoice and be glad in you. Let those who love your salvation continually say, “Let God be exalted!”

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But I am poor and needy. Come to me quickly, God. You are my help and my deliverer. Yahweh, don’t delay.

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In you, Yahweh, I take refuge. Never let me be disappointed.

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Deliver me in your righteousness, and rescue me. Turn your ear to me, and save me.

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Be to me a rock of refuge to which I may always go. Give the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.

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Rescue me, my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.

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For you are my hope, Lord Yahweh; my confidence from my youth.

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I have relied on you from the womb. You are he who took me out of my mother’s womb. I will always praise you.

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I am a marvel to many, but you are my strong refuge.

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My mouth shall be filled with your praise, with your honor all the day.

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Don’t reject me in my old age. Don’t forsake me when my strength fails.

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For my enemies talk about me. Those who watch for my soul conspire together,

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saying, “God has forsaken him. Pursue and take him, for no one will rescue him.”

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God, don’t be far from me. My God, hurry to help me.

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Let my accusers be disappointed and consumed. Let them be covered with disgrace and scorn who want to harm me.

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But I will always hope, and will add to all of your praise.

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My mouth will tell about your righteousness, and of your salvation all day, though I don’t know its full measure.

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I will come with the mighty acts of the Lord Yahweh. I will make mention of your righteousness, even of yours alone.

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God, you have taught me from my youth. Until now, I have declared your wondrous works.

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Yes, even when I am old and gray-haired, God, don’t forsake me, until I have declared your strength to the next generation, your might to everyone who is to come.

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Your righteousness also, God, reaches to the heavens; you have done great things. God, who is like you?

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You, who have shown us many and bitter troubles, you will let me live. You will bring us up again from the depths of the earth.

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Increase my honor, and comfort me again.

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I will also praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, my God. I sing praises to you with the lyre, Holy One of Israel.

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My lips shall shout for joy! My soul, which you have redeemed, sings praises to you!

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My tongue will also talk about your righteousness all day long, for they are disappointed, and they are confounded, who want to harm me.

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By Solomon.

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God, give the king your justice; your righteousness to the royal son.

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He will judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice.

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The mountains shall bring prosperity to the people. The hills bring the fruit of righteousness.

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He will judge the poor of the people. He will save the children of the needy, and will break the oppressor in pieces.

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They shall fear you while the sun endures; and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.

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He will come down like rain on the mown grass, as showers that water the earth.

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In his days, the righteous shall flourish, and abundance of peace, until the moon is no more.

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He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, from the River to the ends of the earth.

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Those who dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him. His enemies shall lick the dust.

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The kings of Tarshish and of the islands will bring tribute. The kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.

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Yes, all kings shall fall down before him. All nations shall serve him.

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For he will deliver the needy when he cries; the poor, who has no helper.

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He will have pity on the poor and needy. He will save the souls of the needy.

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He will redeem their soul from oppression and violence. Their blood will be precious in his sight.

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They shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba. Men shall pray for him continually. They shall bless him all day long.

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Abundance of grain shall be throughout the land. Its fruit sways like Lebanon. Let it flourish, thriving like the grass of the field.

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His name endures forever. His name continues as long as the sun. Men shall be blessed by him. All nations will call him blessed.

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Praise be to Yahweh God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds.

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Blessed be his glorious name forever! Let the whole earth be filled with his glory! Amen and amen.

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This ends the prayers by David, the son of Jesse.

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BOOK III A Psalm by Asaph.

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Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.

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But as for me, my feet were almost gone. My steps had nearly slipped.

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For I was envious of the arrogant, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

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For there are no struggles in their death, but their strength is firm.

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They are free from burdens of men, neither are they plagued like other men.

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Therefore pride is like a chain around their neck. Violence covers them like a garment.

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Their eyes bulge with fat. Their minds pass the limits of conceit.

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They scoff and speak with malice. In arrogance, they threaten oppression.

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They have set their mouth in the heavens. Their tongue walks through the earth.

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Therefore their people return to them, and they drink up waters of abundance.

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They say, “How does God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?”

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Behold, these are the wicked. Being always at ease, they increase in riches.