He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord scoffs at them.

You people, how long will you malign my reputation? How long will you love what is vain and what is false? Interlude

But understand this: the LORD has set apart the godly for himself! The LORD will hear me when I cry out to him!

Be angry, yet do not sin. Think about this when upon your beds, and be silent. Interlude

You have given me more joy in my heart than at harvest times, when grain and wine abound.

But as for the wicked, they do not speak truth at all. Inside them there is only wickedness. Their throat is an open grave, on their tongue is deceitful flattery.

Indeed, you will bless the righteous one, LORD, like a large shield, you will surround him with favor. To the Director: With stringed instruments. On an eight-stringed harp. A Davidic Psalm

And my soul is deeply distressed. But you, LORD, how long do I wait?

My eyesight has faded because of grief, it has dimmed because of all my enemies.

If the ungodly one doesn't repent, God will sharpen his sword; he will string his bow and prepare it.

He digs a pit, even excavates it; then he fell into the hole that he had made.

Out of the mouths of infants and nursing babies you have established strength on account of your adversaries, in order to silence the enemy and vengeful foe.

When I look at the heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you established

what is man that you take notice of him, or the son of man that you pay attention to him?

You rebuked the nations, you destroyed the wicked, you wiped out their name forever and ever.

The LORD has made himself known, executing judgment. The wicked are ensnared by what their hands have made. Interlude

Their ways always seem prosperous. Your judgments are on high, far away from them. They scoff at all their enemies.

They wait in ambush in the villages, they kill the innocent in secret.

Their eyes secretly watch the helpless, lying in wait like a lion in his den. They lie in wait to catch the afflicted. They catch the afflicted when they pull him into their net.

The wicked say to themselves, "God has forgotten, he has hidden his face, he will never see it."

Break the arm of the wicked and evil man; so that when you seek out his wickedness you will find it no more.

Look, the wicked have bent their bow and placed their arrow on the string, to shoot from the darkness at the upright in heart.

When the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?

Indeed, the LORD is righteous; he loves righteousness; the upright will see him face-to-face. To the Director: On an eight stringed harp. A Davidic Psalm.

"Because the poor are being oppressed, because the needy are sighing, I will now arise," says the LORD, "I will establish in safety those who yearn for it."

How long must I struggle in my soul at night and have sorrow in my heart during the day? How long will my enemy rise up against me?

Look at me! Answer me, LORD, my God! Give light to my eyes! Otherwise, I will sleep in death;

Fools say to themselves, "There is no God." They are corrupt and commit evil deeds; not one of them practices what is good.

All have turned away, together they have become corrupt; no one practices what is good, not even one.

The one who despises those who are utterly wicked, but who honors the one who fears the LORD, who keeps his word even when it hurts and does not change,

I have set the LORD before me continuously; because he stands at my right hand, I will stand firm.

You cause me to know the path of life; in your presence is joyful abundance, at your right hand there are pleasures forever. A Davidic Prayer.

LORD, hear my just plea! Pay attention to my cry! Listen to my prayer, since it does not come from lying lips.

Justice for me will come from your presence; your eyes see what is right.

When you probe my heart, and examine me at night; when you refine me, you will find nothing wrong, for I have determined that I will not transgress with my mouth.

I cried out to the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I was delivered from my enemies.

In his anger smoke poured out of his nostrils, and consuming fire from his mouth; coals were lit from it.

He brought me out to a spacious place; he delivered me, for in me he takes delight.

They cried out for deliverance, but there was no one to deliver; they cried out to the LORD, but he did not answer them.

I ground them like wind-swept dust; I emptied them out like dirt in the street.

Foreigners will wilt away; they will come trembling out of their stronghold.

yet their message goes out into all the world, and their words to the ends of the earth. He has set up a tent for the sun in the heavens,

which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, or like a champion who rejoices at the beginning of a race.

May he give you what your heart desires, and may he fulfill all your plans.

May we shout for joy at your deliverance and unfurl our banners in the name of our God. May the LORD fulfill all your petitions.

Deliver us, LORD! Answer us, our King, on the day we cry out! To the Director: A Davidic Psalm.

You have granted him the desire of his heart, and have not withheld what his lips requested. Interlude

He asked life from you, and you gave it to him a long life for ever and ever.

Indeed, you will make them retreat, when you aim your bow at their faces.

My God, I cry out to you throughout the day, but you do not answer; and throughout the night, but I have no rest.

They cried out to you and escaped; they trusted in you and were not put to shame.

Everyone who sees me mocks me; they gape at me with open mouths and shake their heads at me.

Yet, you are the one who took me from the womb, and kept me safe on my mother's breasts.

Do not be so distant from me, for trouble is at hand; indeed, there is no deliverer.

Their mouths are opened wide toward me, like roaring and attacking lions.

I am poured out like water; all my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax, melting within me.

I can count all my bones. They look at me; they stare at me.

For he does not despise nor detest the afflicted person; he does not hide his face from him, but he hears him when he cries out to him."

The afflicted will eat and be satisfied; those who seek the LORD will praise him, "May you live forever!"

All the prosperous people will eat and bow down in submission. All those who are about to go down to the grave will bow down in submission, along with the one who can no longer keep himself alive.

They will come and declare his righteousness to a people yet to be born; indeed, he has accomplished it! A Davidic Psalm.

The earth and everything in it exists for the LORD the world and those who live in it.

Indeed, he founded it upon the seas, he established it upon deep waters.

The one who has innocent hands and a pure heart; the person who does not delight in what is false and does not swear an oath deceitfully.

For the sake of your name, LORD, forgive my sin, for it is great.

The troubles of my heart have increased; bring me out of my distress!

Integrity and justice will preserve me, because I wait on you.

I do not sit with those committed to what is false, nor do I travel with hypocrites.

I have asked one thing from the LORD; it is what I really seek: that I may remain in the LORD's Temple all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD; and to inquire in his Temple.

Hear my voice, LORD, when I cry out! Be gracious to me and answer me.

Do not hand me over to the desires of my enemies; for false witnesses have risen up against me; even the one who breathes out violence.

Wait on the LORD. Be courageous, and he will strengthen your heart. Wait on the LORD! Davidic

To you, LORD, I cry out! My Rock, do not refuse to answer me. If you remain silent, I will become like those who descend into the Pit.

Reward them according to their deeds; according to the evil of their actions. Reward them based on what they do; give them what they deserve.

The voice of the LORD shoots out flashes of fire.

LORD, my God! I cried out to you for help and you healed me.

You, his godly ones, sing to the LORD, give thanks at the mention of his holiness.

For his wrath is only momentary; yet his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may lodge for the night, but shouts of joy will come in the morning.

I cried out to you, LORD, and I make supplication to the Lord:

"What profit is there in my death if I go down to the Pit? Can dust worship you? Can it proclaim your faithfulness?"

I have heard the slander of many; it is like terror all around me, as they conspire together and plot to take my life.

Therefore every godly person should pray to you at such a time. Surely a flood of great waters will not reach him.

because he spoke and it came to be, because he commanded, it stood firm.

It is vain to trust in a horse for deliverance, even with its great strength, it cannot deliver.

We wait on the LORD; he is our help and our shield.

I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise will be in my mouth continuously.

My soul will glorify the LORD; the humble will hear about it and rejoice.

This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard and delivered him from all of his distress.

Avoid evil and do good! Seek peace and pursue it!

The LORD hears those who cry out, and he delivers them from all their distress.

Take out the spear and the ax to confront the one who pursues me; say to me, "I am your deliverer!"

They open their mouth wide against me, claiming, "Yes! Yes! We saw him do it with our own eyes!"

Don't let them say in their hearts, "Yes! We got what we wanted." Don't let them say, "We have swallowed him up."

He flatters himself too much to discover his transgression and hate it.

Be silent in the LORD's presence and wait patiently for him. Don't be angry because of the one whose way prospers or the one who implements evil schemes.

Calm your anger and abandon wrath. Don't be angry it only leads to evil.

Those who do evil will perish. But those who wait on the LORD will inherit the land.

Yet a little while longer, and the wicked will be no more. You will search for his place, but he will not be there.

The wicked person plots against the righteous, and grinds his teeth at him.

But the Lord laughs at him because he sees that his day is coming!