How great is your favor, which you store up for your loyal followers! In plain sight of everyone you bestow it on those who take shelter in you.

You hide them with you, where they are safe from the attacks of men; you conceal them in a shelter, where they are safe from slanderous attacks.

The Lord deserves praise for he demonstrated his amazing faithfulness to me when I was besieged by enemies.

I jumped to conclusions and said, "I am cut off from your presence!" But you heard my plea for mercy when I cried out to you for help.

Love the Lord, all you faithful followers of his! The Lord protects those who have integrity, but he pays back in full the one who acts arrogantly.

Be strong and confident, all you who wait on the Lord!

By David; a well-written song. How blessed is the one whose rebellious acts are forgiven, whose sin is pardoned!

When I refused to confess my sin, my whole body wasted away, while I groaned in pain all day long.

For day and night you tormented me; you tried to destroy me in the intense heat of summer. (Selah)

Then I confessed my sin; I no longer covered up my wrongdoing. I said, "I will confess my rebellious acts to the Lord." And then you forgave my sins. (Selah)

For this reason every one of your faithful followers should pray to you while there is a window of opportunity. Certainly when the surging water rises, it will not reach them.

You are my hiding place; you protect me from distress. You surround me with shouts of joy from those celebrating deliverance. (Selah)

I will instruct and teach you about how you should live. I will advise you as I look you in the eye.

Do not be like an unintelligent horse or mule, which will not obey you unless they are controlled by a bridle and bit.

An evil person suffers much pain, but the Lord's faithfulness overwhelms the one who trusts in him.

Rejoice in the Lord and be happy, you who are godly! Shout for joy, all you who are morally upright!

You godly ones, shout for joy because of the Lord! It is appropriate for the morally upright to offer him praise.

Give thanks to the Lord with the harp! Sing to him to the accompaniment of a ten-stringed instrument!

Sing to him a new song! Play skillfully as you shout out your praises to him!

By the Lord's decree the heavens were made; by a mere word from his mouth all the stars in the sky were created.

Let the whole earth fear the Lord! Let all who live in the world stand in awe of him!

He is the one who forms every human heart, and takes note of all their actions.

No king is delivered by his vast army; a warrior is not saved by his great might.

A horse disappoints those who trust in it for victory; despite its great strength, it cannot deliver.

Look, the Lord takes notice of his loyal followers, those who wait for him to demonstrate his faithfulness

We wait for the Lord; he is our deliverer and shield.

For our hearts rejoice in him, for we trust in his holy name.

May we experience your faithfulness, O Lord, for we wait for you.

Written by David, when he pretended to be insane before Abimelech, causing the king to send him away. I will praise the Lord at all times; my mouth will continually praise him.

I will boast in the Lord; let the oppressed hear and rejoice!

I sought the Lord's help and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.

Those who look to him for help are happy; their faces are not ashamed.

Taste and see that the Lord is good! How blessed is the one who takes shelter in him!

Remain loyal to the Lord, you chosen people of his, for his loyal followers lack nothing!

Even young lions sometimes lack food and are hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

Come children! Listen to me! I will teach you what it means to fear the Lord.

Do you want to really live? Would you love to live a long, happy life?

Then make sure you don't speak evil words or use deceptive speech!

Turn away from evil and do what is right! Strive for peace and promote it!

The Lord is near the brokenhearted; he delivers those who are discouraged.

Evil people self-destruct; those who hate the godly are punished.

The Lord rescues his servants; all who take shelter in him escape punishment.

By David. O Lord, fight those who fight with me! Attack those who attack me!

Use your spear and lance against those who chase me! Assure me with these words: "I am your deliverer!"

May those who seek my life be embarrassed and humiliated! May those who plan to harm me be turned back and ashamed!

I did not harm them, but they hid a net to catch me and dug a pit to trap me.

Then I will rejoice in the Lord and be happy because of his deliverance.

With all my strength I will say, "O Lord, who can compare to you? You rescue the oppressed from those who try to overpower them; the oppressed and needy from those who try to rob them."

They repay me evil for the good I have done; I am overwhelmed with sorrow.

When they were sick, I wore sackcloth, and refrained from eating food. (If I am lying, may my prayers go unanswered!)

I mourned for them as I would for a friend or my brother. I bowed down in sorrow as if I were mourning for my mother.

But when I stumbled, they rejoiced and gathered together; they gathered together to ambush me. They tore at me without stopping to rest.

When I tripped, they taunted me relentlessly, and tried to bite me.

O Lord, how long are you going to just stand there and watch this? Rescue me from their destructive attacks; guard my life from the young lions!

Then I will give you thanks in the great assembly; I will praise you before a large crowd of people!

Do not let those who are my enemies for no reason gloat over me! Do not let those who hate me without cause carry out their wicked schemes!

For they do not try to make peace with others, but plan ways to deceive those who are unsuspecting.

They are ready to devour me; they say, "Aha! Aha! We've got you!"

But you take notice, Lord! O Lord, do not remain far away from me!

Vindicate me by your justice, O Lord my God! Do not let them gloat over me!

Do not let them say to themselves, "Aha! We have what we wanted!" Do not let them say, "We have devoured him!"

May those who want to harm me be totally embarrassed and ashamed! May those who arrogantly taunt me be covered with shame and humiliation!

May those who desire my vindication shout for joy and rejoice! May they continually say, "May the Lord be praised, for he wants his servant to be secure."

Then I will tell others about your justice, and praise you all day long.

He plans ways to sin while he lies in bed; he is committed to a sinful lifestyle; he does not reject what is evil.

O Lord, your loyal love reaches to the sky; your faithfulness to the clouds.

Your justice is like the highest mountains, your fairness like the deepest sea; you preserve mankind and the animal kingdom.

How precious is your loyal love, O God! The human race finds shelter under your wings.

They are filled with food from your house, and you allow them to drink from the river of your delicacies.

For you are the one who gives and sustains life.

I can see the evildoers! They have fallen! They have been knocked down and are unable to get up!

For they will quickly dry up like grass, and wither away like plants.

Then you will take delight in the Lord, and he will answer your prayers.

He will vindicate you in broad daylight, and publicly defend your just cause.

Wait patiently for the Lord! Wait confidently for him! Do not fret over the apparent success of a sinner, a man who carries out wicked schemes!

Wicked men will be wiped out, but those who rely on the Lord are the ones who will possess the land.

Evil men will soon disappear; you will stare at the spot where they once were, but they will be gone.

Evil men draw their swords and prepare their bows, to bring down the oppressed and needy, and to slaughter those who are godly.

The little bit that a godly man owns is better than the wealth of many evil men,

The Lord watches over the innocent day by day and they possess a permanent inheritance.

I was once young, now I am old. I have never seen a godly man abandoned, or his children forced to search for food.

Turn away from evil! Do what is right! Then you will enjoy lasting security.

But the Lord does not surrender the godly, or allow them to be condemned in a court of law.

Rely on the Lord! Obey his commands! Then he will permit you to possess the land; you will see the demise of evil men.

I have seen ruthless evil men growing in influence, like a green tree grows in its native soil.

But then one passes by, and suddenly they have disappeared! I looked for them, but they could not be found.

Take note of the one who has integrity! Observe the godly! For the one who promotes peace has a future.

A psalm of David, written to get God's attention. O Lord, do not continue to rebuke me in your anger! Do not continue to punish me in your raging fury!

My whole body is sick because of your judgment; I am deprived of health because of my sin.

For my sins overwhelm me; like a heavy load, they are too much for me to bear.

I am dazed and completely humiliated; all day long I walk around mourning.

For I am overcome with shame and my whole body is sick.

I am numb with pain and severely battered; I groan loudly because of the anxiety I feel.

O Lord, you understand my heart's desire; my groaning is not hidden from you.

My heart beats quickly; my strength leaves me; I can hardly see.

Because of my condition, even my friends and acquaintances keep their distance; my neighbors stand far away.

Those who seek my life try to entrap me; those who want to harm me speak destructive words; all day long they say deceitful things.

But I am like a deaf man -- I hear nothing; I am like a mute who cannot speak.

I am like a man who cannot hear and is incapable of arguing his defense.

Yet I wait for you, O Lord! You will respond, O Lord, my God!