Indeed, none of those who [expectantly] wait for You will be ashamed;
Those who turn away from what is right and deal treacherously without cause will be ashamed (humiliated, embarrassed).

All the paths of the Lord are lovingkindness and goodness and truth and faithfulness
To those who keep His covenant and His testimonies.

Who is the man who fears the Lord [with awe-inspired reverence and worships Him with submissive wonder]?
He will teach him [through His word] in the way he should choose.

The secret [of the wise counsel] of the Lord is for those who fear Him,
And He will let them know His covenant and reveal to them [through His word] its [deep, inner] meaning.

The Lord is my light and my salvation—
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the refuge and fortress of my life—
Whom shall I dread?

Do not hide Your face from me,
Do not turn Your servant away in anger;
You have been my help;
Do not abandon me nor leave me,
O God of my salvation!

Teach me Your way, O Lord,
And lead me on a level path
Because of my enemies [who lie in wait].

Do not drag me away with the wicked
And with those who do evil,
Who speak peace with their neighbors,
While malice and mischief are in their hearts.

I hate those who pay regard to vain (empty, worthless) idols;
But I trust in the Lord [and rely on Him with unwavering confidence].

Because of all my enemies I have become a reproach and disgrace,
Especially to my neighbors,
And an object of dread to my acquaintances;
Those who see me on the street run from me.

My times are in Your hands;
Rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from those who pursue and persecute me.

How great is Your goodness,
Which You have stored up for those who [reverently] fear You,
Which You have prepared for those who take refuge in You,
Before the sons of man!

O love the Lord, all you His godly ones!
The Lord preserves the faithful [those with moral and spiritual integrity]
And fully repays the [self-righteousness of the] arrogant.

Be strong and let your hearts take courage,
All you who wait for and confidently expect the Lord.

Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, favored by God] is he whose transgression is forgiven,
And whose sin is covered.

Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute wickedness,
And in whose spirit there is no deceit.

Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You [for forgiveness] in a time when You [are near and] may be found;
Surely when the great waters [of trial and distressing times] overflow they will not reach [the spirit in] him.

Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
But he who trusts in and relies on the Lord shall be surrounded with compassion and lovingkindness.

Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous [who actively seek right standing with Him];
Shout for joy, all you upright in heart.

Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous ones;
Praise is becoming and appropriate for those who are upright [in heart—those with moral integrity and godly character].

He who fashions the hearts of them all,
Who considers and understands all that they do.

Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon those who fear Him [and worship Him with awe-inspired reverence and obedience],
On those who hope [confidently] in His compassion and lovingkindness,

The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him [with awe-inspired reverence and worship Him with obedience],
And He rescues [each of] them.

O taste and see that the Lord [our God] is good;
How blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the man who takes refuge in Him.

O [reverently] fear the Lord, you His saints (believers, holy ones);
For to those who fear Him there is no want.

The young lions lack [food] and grow hungry,
But they who seek the Lord will not lack any good thing.

Who is the man who desires life
And loves many days, that he may see good?

The face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
To cut off the memory of them from the earth.

The Lord is near to the heartbroken
And He saves those who are crushed in spirit (contrite in heart, truly sorry for their sin).

Evil will cause the death of the wicked,
And those who hate the righteous will be held guilty and will be condemned.

The Lord redeems the soul of His servants,
And none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.

Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me;
Fight against those who fight against me.

Draw also the spear and javelin to meet those who pursue me.
Say to my soul, “I am your salvation.”

Let those be ashamed and dishonored who seek my life;
Let those be turned back [in defeat] and humiliated who plot evil against me.

All my bones will say, “Lord, who is like You,
Who rescues the afflicted from him who is too strong for him [to resist alone],
And the afflicted and the needy from him who robs him?”

I behaved as if grieving for my friend or my brother;
I bowed down in mourning, as one who sorrows for his mother.

Do not let those who are wrongfully my enemies rejoice over me;
Nor let those who hate me without cause wink their eye [maliciously].

For they do not speak peace,
But they devise deceitful words [half-truths and lies] against those who are quiet in the land.

Let those be ashamed and humiliated together who rejoice at my distress;
Let those be clothed with shame and dishonor who magnify themselves over me.

Let them shout for joy and rejoice, who favor my vindication and want what is right for me;
Let them say continually, “Let the Lord be magnified, who delights and takes pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.”

O continue Your lovingkindness to those who know You,
And Your righteousness (salvation) to the upright in heart.

Do not worry because of evildoers,
Nor be envious toward wrongdoers;

Be still before the Lord; wait patiently for Him and entrust yourself to Him;
Do not fret (whine, agonize) because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.

For those who do evil will be cut off,
But those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land.

The wicked have drawn the sword and bent their bow
To cast down the afflicted and the needy,
To slaughter those who are upright in conduct [those with personal integrity and godly character].

Better is the little of the righteous [who seek the will of God]
Than the abundance (riches) of many wicked (godless).

But I, like a deaf man, do not hear;
I am like a mute man who does not open his mouth.

Yes, I am like a man who does not hear,
In whose mouth are no arguments.

For I pray, “May they not rejoice over me,
Who, when my foot slips, would boast against me.”

But my [numerous] enemies are vigorous and strong,
And those who hate me without cause are many.

“Surely every man walks around like a shadow [in a charade];
Surely they make an uproar for nothing;
Each one builds up riches, not knowing who will receive them.

“I am mute, I do not open my mouth,
Because it is You who has done it.

Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the man who makes the Lord his trust,
And does not regard the proud nor those who lapse into lies.

Let those be ashamed and humiliated together
Who seek my life to destroy it;
Let those be turned back [in defeat] and dishonored
Who delight in my hurt.

Let those be appalled and desolate because of their shame
Who say to me, “Aha, aha [rejoicing in my misfortune]!”

Blessed [by God’s grace and compassion] is he who considers the helpless;
The Lord will save him in the day of trouble.

All who hate me whisper together about me;
Against me they devise my hurt [imagining the worst for me], saying,

Even my own close friend in whom I trusted,
Who ate my bread,
Has lifted up his heel against me [betraying me].

Why are you in despair, O my soul?
Why have you become restless and disquieted within me?
Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God.

For You are the God of my strength [my stronghold—in whom I take refuge]; why have You rejected me?
Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?

Why are you in despair, O my soul?
And why are you restless and disturbed within me?
Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall again praise Him,
The help of my [sad] countenance and my God.

Through You we will gore our enemies [like a bull];
Through Your name we will trample down those who rise up against us.

But You have saved us from our enemies,
And You have put them to shame and humiliated those who hate us.

You make us turn back from the enemy,
And those who hate us have taken spoil for themselves.

You have made us the reproach and taunt of our neighbors,
A scoffing and a derision to those around us.

In place of your fathers will be your sons;
You shall make princes in all the land.

Come, behold the works of the Lord,
Who has brought desolations and wonders on the earth.

He chooses our inheritance for us,
The glory and excellence of Jacob whom He loves. Selah.

Why should I fear in the days of evil,
When the wickedness of those who would betray me surrounds me [on every side],

Even those who trust in and rely on their wealth
And boast of the abundance of their riches?

This is the fate of those who are foolishly confident,
And of those after them who approve [and are influenced by] their words. Selah.

He shall go to the generation of his fathers;
They shall never again see the light.

A man [who is held] in honor,
Yet who lacks [spiritual] understanding and a teachable heart, is like the beasts that perish.

“Gather My godly ones to Me,
Those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.”

“Now consider this, you who forget God,
Or I will tear you in pieces, and there will be no one to rescue [you].

“He who offers a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving honors Me;
And to him who orders his way rightly [who follows the way that I show him],
I shall show the salvation of God.”

I was brought forth in [a state of] wickedness;
In sin my mother conceived me [and from my beginning I, too, was sinful].

“Look, [this is] the man who would not make God his strength [his stronghold and fortress],
But trusted in the abundance of his riches,
Taking refuge in his wealth.”

The [empty-headed] fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt and evil, and have committed repulsive injustice;
There is no one who does good.

God has looked down from heaven upon the children of men
To see if there is anyone who understands,
Who seeks after God [who requires Him, who longs for Him as essential to life].

Every one of them has turned aside and fallen away;
Together they have become filthy and corrupt;
There is no one who does good, no, not even one.

Have workers of wickedness no knowledge or no understanding?
They eat up My people as though they ate bread
And have not called upon God.

There they were, in great terror and dread, where there had been no terror or dread;
For God scattered the bones of him who besieged you;
You have put them to shame, because God has rejected them.

Behold, God is my helper and ally;
The Lord is the sustainer of my soul [my upholder].

For it is not an enemy who taunts me—
Then I could bear it;
Nor is it one who has hated me who insolently exalts himself against me—
Then I could hide from him.

He has redeemed my life in peace from the battle that was against me,
For there were many against me.

God will hear and humble them,
Even He who sits enthroned from old— Selah.
Because in them there has been no change [of heart],
And they do not fear God [at all].

He [my companion] has put out his hands against those who were at peace with him;
He has broken his covenant [of friendship and loyalty].

My enemies have trampled upon me all day long,
For they are many who fight proudly against me.

In God, whose word I praise;
In God I have put my trust;
I shall not fear.
What can mere man do to me?

I will cry to God Most High,
Who accomplishes all things on my behalf [for He completes my purpose in His plan].

He will send from heaven and save me;
He calls to account him who tramples me down. Selah.
God will send out His lovingkindness and His truth.

My life is among lions;
I must lie among those who breathe out fire—
The sons of men whose teeth are spears and arrows,
And their tongue a sharp sword.

Men will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous;
Surely there is a God who judges on the earth.”

Deliver me from my enemies, O my God;
Set me securely on an inaccessibly high place away from those who rise up against me.

Deliver me from those who practice wrongdoing,
And save me from bloodthirsty men.

You, O Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel,
Arise to punish all the nations;
Spare no one and do not be merciful to any who treacherously plot evil. Selah.

Look how they belch out [insults] with their mouths;
Swords [of sarcasm, ridicule, slander, and lies] are in their lips,
For they say, “Who hears us?”

My God in His [steadfast] lovingkindness will meet me;
God will let me look triumphantly on my enemies [who lie in wait for me].

To You, O [God] my strength, I will sing praises;
For God is my stronghold [my refuge, my protector, my high tower], the God who shows me [steadfast] lovingkindness.