[To the Chief Musician. With stringed instruments. A Psalm of David.] Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: you have delivered me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.

If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me; (yea, I have delivered him that without cause is my enemy:)

Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was angry.

He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet.

At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, with hailstones and coals of fire.

They confronted me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay.

I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from my iniquity.

They cried, but there was none to save them: even unto the LORD, but he answered them not.

But you are he that took me out of the womb: you did make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts.

I was cast upon you from birth: you are my God from my mother's womb.

I will wash my hands in innocence: so will I go about your altar, O LORD:

LORD, by your favor you have made my mountain to stand strong: you did hide your face, and I was troubled.

I was a reproach among all my enemies, but especially among my neighbors, and a horror to my acquaintance: they that did see me outside fled from me.

For I have heard the slander of many: fear was on every side: while they took counsel together against me, they devised to take away my life.

For day and night your hand was heavy upon me: my strength is turned into the drought of summer. Selah.

For he spoke, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.

But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into my own bosom.

Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.

But I, as a deaf man, heard not; and I was as a dumb man that opens not his mouth.

Thus I was as a man that hears not, and in whose mouth are no reproofs.

I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good; and my sorrow was stirred.

My heart was hot within me, while I was meditating the fire burned: then spoke I with my tongue,

I was dumb, I opened not my mouth; because you did it.

These things have you done, and I kept silence; you thought that I was altogether such a one as yourself: but I will rebuke you, and set them in order before your eyes.

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

There were they in great fear, where no fear was: for God has scattered the bones of him that encamps against you: you have put them to shame, because God has despised them.

For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him:

But it was you, a man my equal, my guide, and my close friend.

He has delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me: for there were many against me.

The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.

The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.

[A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.] O God, you are my God; early will I seek you: my soul thirsts for you, my flesh longs for you in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;

Which my lips have uttered, and my mouth has spoken, when I was in trouble.

I cried unto him with my mouth, and he was extolled with my tongue.

The earth shook, the heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God: even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel.

You, O God, did send a plentiful rain, by which you did confirm your inheritance, when it was weary.

The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it.

When the Almighty scattered kings in it, it was white as snow in Zalmon.

When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach.

They that sit in the gate speak against me; and I was the song of the drunkards.

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

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

When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me;

Thus my soul was grieved, and I was pierced in my heart.

So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before you.

A man was famous according as he had lifted up axes upon the thick trees.

You did cause judgment to be heard from heaven; the earth feared, and was still,

I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah.

The voice of your thunder was in the heaven: the lightnings lighted up the world: the earth trembled and shook.

And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not steadfast with God.

Therefore the LORD heard this, and was angry: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel;

They were not separated from their desire. But while their food was yet in their mouths,

And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer.

For their heart was not right with him, neither were they steadfast in his covenant.

When God heard this, he was full of anger, and greatly abhorred Israel:

He gave his people over also unto the sword; and was angry with his inheritance.

Their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem; and there was none to bury them.

For this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob.

I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that know me: behold Philistia, and Tyre, with Ethiopia; this man was born there.

And of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her: and the highest himself shall establish her.

The LORD shall count, when he registers the people, that this man was born there. Selah.

Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways:

Zion heard, and was glad; and the daughters of Judah rejoiced because of your judgments, O LORD.

He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant:

Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in irons:

He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes.

Egypt was glad when they departed: for the fear of them fell upon them.

He rebuked the Red sea also, and it was dried up: so he led them through the depths, as through the wilderness.

And the waters covered their enemies: there was not one of them left.

And a fire was kindled in their company; the flame burned up the wicked.

Then stood up Phinehas, and executed judgment: and so the plague was stayed.

And that was counted unto him for righteousness unto all generations forevermore.

And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood.

Therefore was the wrath of the LORD kindled against his people, so much that he abhorred his own inheritance.

Therefore he brought down their heart with labor; they fell down, and there was none to help.

Judah was his sanctuary, and Israel his dominion.

The sea saw it, and fled: Jordan was driven back.

The LORD preserves the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me.

I believed, therefore have I spoken: I was greatly afflicted:

Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept your word.

I beheld the transgressors, and was grieved; because they kept not your word.

[A song of ascents. Of David.] I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.

[A song of ascents. Of David.] If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, now may Israel say;

If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us:

Then they would have swallowed us up alive, when their wrath was kindled against us:

Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the nations, The LORD has done great things for them.

My frame was not hid from you, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

[A maschil of David. A prayer when he was in the cave.] I cried unto the LORD with my voice; with my voice unto the LORD did I make my supplication.

When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then you knew my path. In the way in which I walked have they secretly laid a snare for me.

I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would acknowledge me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul.