Certainly the Lord guards the way of the godly, but the way of the wicked ends in destruction.

They say, "Let's tear off the shackles they've put on us! Let's free ourselves from their ropes!"

But you, Lord, are a shield that protects me; you are my glory and the one who restores me.

Tremble with fear and do not sin! Meditate as you lie in bed, and repent of your ways! (Selah)

But as for me, because of your great faithfulness I will enter your house; I will bow down toward your holy temple as I worship you.

But may all who take shelter in you be happy! May they continually shout for joy! Shelter them so that those who are loyal to you may rejoice!

I am exhausted as I groan; all night long I drench my bed in tears; my tears saturate the cushion beneath me.

May the evil deeds of the wicked come to an end! But make the innocent secure, O righteous God, you who examine inner thoughts and motives!

he digs a pit and then falls into the hole he has made.

From the mouths of children and nursing babies you have ordained praise on account of your adversaries, so that you might put an end to the vindictive enemy.

But the Lord rules forever; he reigns in a just manner.

The nations fell into the pit they had made; their feet were caught in the net they had hidden.

For look, the wicked prepare their bows, they put their arrows on the strings, to shoot in the darkness at the morally upright.

The Lord approves of the godly, but he hates the wicked and those who love to do violence.

But I trust in your faithfulness. May I rejoice because of your deliverance!

He despises a reprobate, but honors the Lord's loyal followers. He makes firm commitments and does not renege on his promise.

You will not abandon me to Sheol; you will not allow your faithful follower to see the Pit.

You have scrutinized my inner motives; you have examined me during the night. You have carefully evaluated me, but you find no sin. I am determined I will say nothing sinful.

They confronted me in my day of calamity, but the Lord helped me.

You prove to be reliable to one who is blameless, but you prove to be deceptive to one who is perverse.

For you deliver oppressed people, but you bring down those who have a proud look.

I beat them to death; they fall at my feet.

They cry out, but there is no one to help them; they cry out to the Lord, but he does not answer them.

I grind them as fine windblown dust; I beat them underfoot like clay in the streets.

Some trust in chariots and others in horses, but we depend on the Lord our God.

They will fall down, but we will stand firm.

Yes, they intend to do you harm; they dream up a scheme, but they do not succeed.

For the music director; according to the tune "Morning Doe;" a psalm of David. My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? I groan in prayer, but help seems far away.

My God, I cry out during the day, but you do not answer, and during the night my prayers do not let up.

But I am a worm, not a man; people insult me and despise me.

But you, O Lord, do not remain far away! You are my source of strength! Hurry and help me!

But I have integrity! Rescue me and have mercy on me!

For his anger lasts only a brief moment, and his good favor restores one's life. One may experience sorrow during the night, but joy arrives in the morning.

"What profit is there in taking my life, in my descending into the Pit? Can the dust of the grave praise you? Can it declare your loyalty?

I hate those who serve worthless idols, but I trust in the Lord.

But I trust in you, O Lord! I declare, "You are my God!"

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.

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.

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

But the Lord opposes evildoers and wipes out all memory of them from the earth.

The godly face many dangers, but the Lord saves them from each one of them.

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

But the oppressed will possess the land and enjoy great prosperity.

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

for evil men will lose their power, but the Lord sustains the godly.

But evil men will die; the Lord's enemies will be incinerated -- they will go up in smoke.

Evil men borrow, but do not repay their debt, but the godly show compassion and are generous.

Surely those favored by the Lord will possess the land, but those rejected by him will be wiped out.

For the Lord promotes justice, and never abandons his faithful followers. They are permanently secure, but the children of evil men are wiped out.

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

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

But the Lord delivers the godly; he protects them in times of trouble.

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

But those who are my enemies for no reason are numerous; those who hate me without cause outnumber me.

For the music director, Jeduthun; a psalm of David. I decided, "I will watch what I say and make sure I do not sin with my tongue. I will put a muzzle over my mouth while in the presence of an evil man."

Look, you make my days short-lived, and my life span is nothing from your perspective. Surely all people, even those who seem secure, are nothing but vapor.

But now, O Lord, upon what am I relying? You are my only hope!

He lifted me out of the watery pit, out of the slimy mud. He placed my feet on a rock and gave me secure footing.

O Lord, my God, you have accomplished many things; you have done amazing things and carried out your purposes for us. No one can thwart you! I want to declare them and talk about them, but they are too numerous to recount!

They say, 'An awful disease overwhelms him, and now that he is bed-ridden he will never recover.'

For they did not conquer the land by their swords, and they did not prevail by their strength, but rather by your power, strength and good favor, for you were partial to them.

But you rejected and embarrassed us! You did not go into battle with our armies.

but, despite their wealth, people do not last, they are like animals that perish.

But God will rescue my life from the power of Sheol; certainly he will pull me to safety. (Selah)

But he will join his ancestors; they will never again see the light of day.

When you did these things, I was silent, so you thought I was exactly like you. But now I will condemn you and state my case against you!

But I am like a flourishing olive tree in the house of God; I continually trust in God's loyal love.

But it is you, a man like me, my close friend in whom I confided.

His words are as smooth as butter, but he harbors animosity in his heart. His words seem softer than oil, but they are really like sharp swords.

But you, O God, will bring them down to the deep Pit. Violent and deceitful people will not live even half a normal lifespan. But as for me, I trust in you.

You keep track of my misery. Put my tears in your leather container! Are they not recorded in your scroll?

They have prepared a net to trap me; I am discouraged. They have dug a pit for me. They will fall into it! (Selah)

For look, they wait to ambush me; powerful men stalk me, but not because I have rebelled or sinned, O Lord.

But you, O Lord, laugh in disgust at them; you taunt all the nations.

They spend all their time planning how to bring him down. They love to use deceit; they pronounce blessings with their mouths, but inwardly they utter curses. (Selah)

Men are nothing but a mere breath; human beings are unreliable. When they are weighed in the scales, all of them together are lighter than air.

Do not trust in what you can gain by oppression! Do not put false confidence in what you can gain by robbery! If wealth increases, do not become attached to it!

whenever I remember you on my bed, and think about you during the nighttime hours.

Enemies seek to destroy my life, but they will descend into the depths of the earth.

But the king will rejoice in God; everyone who takes oaths in his name will boast, for the mouths of those who speak lies will be shut up.

But God will shoot at them; suddenly they will be wounded by an arrow.

Our record of sins overwhelms me, but you forgive our acts of rebellion.

You allowed men to ride over our heads; we passed through fire and water, but you brought us out into a wide open place.

But the godly are happy; they rejoice before God and are overcome with joy.

God settles those who have been deserted in their own homes; he frees prisoners and grants them prosperity. But sinful rebels live in the desert.

Don't let the current overpower me! Don't let the deep swallow me up! Don't let the pit devour me!

Their insults are painful and make me lose heart; I look for sympathy, but receive none, for comforters, but find none.

They put bitter poison into my food, and to quench my thirst they give me vinegar to drink.

Many are appalled when they see me, but you are my secure shelter.

But as for me, my feet almost slipped; my feet almost slid out from under me.

Surely you put them in slippery places; you bring them down to ruin.