Psalm 142

A Maskil of David
(A Prayer when he was in the cave)

I cry aloud to Jehovah
I lift my voice to Jehovah
And to him make supplication.
Before him I pour out my complaint
And confide in him my troubles.

When my spirit grows faint within me,
You know the way I must travel,
For they have hidden snares for me.
Look to my right and you will see:
There is no one accompanying me;
There is no one who is my refuge;
There is no one who guards my life.

I cry out to you,  Jehovah,
Saying, “You are my place of refuge.
My inheritance here on earth.”

Heed my cry, for I am despairing —
Rescue me from my persecutors,
For they have become too strong for me,
Liberate me from this prison
That I may give praise to your name.
Because of your bounty to me,
The righteous will gather round me.

Psalm 139

By King David

O Jehovah, you have examined me.
You know me, know when I sit and when I stand
And from afar you understand my thoughts.
You watch me when I travel and when I rest;
With all my habits you are acquainted.
Even before a word comes to my tongue,
You know all about it, O Jehovah.

You guard my front and have my back
And have laid your hand upon my head.
Such knowledge is too deep for me;
It is too high for me to grasp.
Where can I be free from your spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I rise to heaven, you are there.
Or lie down in the grave, you are there.
If upon the wings of dawn I fly
And set down upon the farthest sea,
Even there your hand will guide me
And your power will protect me.
If I bid the darkness to hide me
And turn the light about me to night,
The darkness will not be dark to me,
For the night will shine like the day,
And darkness be as light to me.
For you formed my innermost being
And molded me in my mother’s womb.
I thank you that you have made me
An awesome and unique creation —
Full well I know how wondrous your works!
My body was not hidden from you
When I was secretly taking shape,
Woven in the depths of the earth:
Your eyes observed my embryo.
All my days were written in your book,
Before one of them could come to pass.

How profound I find your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the number of them!
If I were able to count them
They would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake I am still with you.

If only you, O God, would slay the wicked.
Get away from me, you bloodthirsty men,
For they speak against you blasphemously,
Enemies of yours that take your name in vain.
Do I not hate those who hate you, Jehovah,
And detest those who rise up against you?
With an absolute hatred I hate them
And number them among my enemies.
Examine me, O God, and know my mind.
Put me to the test and learn my concerns.
See if I am on any evil path
And guide me onto the way everlasting.

Psalm 138

By King David

I will give thanks to you, Jehovah, with all my heart
And sing your praises before the heavenly beings.
Toward your holy temple I will bow in worship
And praise your name for your devotion and faithfulness.
You have exalted your name and word above all.

When I called to you, you answered me
And gave me confidence and strength.
May all the kings on earth give you thanks,
Jehovah, when they hear your decrees.
May they sing of Jehovah’s ways,
For great is Jehovah’s glory.

Though Jehovah is exalted
He has regard for the lowly,
But from the haughty keeps his distance.

If I walk in the midst of trouble
You raise your had to protect me
And use your power to save me
From the anger of my enemies.

Jehovah will fulfill his purpose for me.
Your kindness lasts forever, O Jehovah.
Do not leave your handiwork unfinished.

Psalm 56

(Composed by David at the time that he was captured by the Philistines in Gath)

Be merciful to me, O God,
For man has trod me under foot
And harassed me each day with assaults.
Indeed, each day my enemies
Would consume me, for there are many
Who have the gall to fight against me.

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.

In God whose word I praise,
In God I put my trust.
Why then should I be afraid?
What can mortals do to me?

Whatever I say, they distort my words.
All their evil thoughts plot my ruination.
In secrecy they conspire against me.
They watch my every step, waiting in ambush.
Shall they get away with their iniquity?
In your wrath, O God, you must bring them down!

You have taken note of my tribulations
And have caught all my tears in your bottle.
Are they not inscribed in your book of records?
The day when I call out to you for help
And my enemies hasten to retreat,
Then I will know that God is on my side.

In God whose word I praise.
(Yes, in you, Jehovah)
In God I put my trust.
Why then should I be afraid?
What can mortals do to me?

I will fulfill my vows to you, O God.
I will make my thank offerings to you,
For you have rescued my body from death
And have prevented my feet from stumbling,
So I can may always walk in your presence,
O God, bathed in the light of the living.

Psalm 54

(A psalm of David composed when the Ziphites came to Saul and informed him that David was hiding amongst them)

Save me, O God, by your name
And defend me with your might.
Listen to my prayer, O God;
Lend an ear to my words.

Strangers have risen against me
And violent men seek my life.
No reverence do they have for God.
But God is my deliverer,
Jehovah who sustains my life.
Let evil recoil on my foes;
Destroy them as you have promised.
I will make sacrifice to you
And with it a free-will offering.
I will thank your name, Jehovah,
For the name of Jehovah is good.
You have saved me from all my troubles;
My eyes look down upon my foes
With triumphant satisfaction.

Psalm 20

May Jehovah answer your prayers in times of trouble;
May the name of the god of Jacob protect you;
From the Sanctum of the Temple may he send you aid,
From the Mount of Zion may he lend you support.
May he remember all your sacrifices of grain,
And look with favor upon your burnt offerings.

May he grant you all that your heart desires,
And bring the fulfillment of all your plans.
We will then sing with joy for your success
And fly a flag in honor of our god.
May Jehovah give to you all that you ask!

Now I know well that Jehovah will save
And make victorious his anointed king.
From holy Heaven he will answer him
And, with deeds of divine might, rescue him.
Some put their trust in battle chariots,
Some in horses of war, but we put our trust
In the power of Jehovah, our god.
They will be overcome and fall in defeat,
But we will rise up and stand straight and tall.

O Jehovah, grant victory to our king! 
May you answer us when we call upon you!