{To the Chanter in Neginoth, a Psalm of David} Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness! Thou hast set me at liberty when I was in trouble; have mercy upon me, and hearken unto my prayer.

I am weary of my groaning; every night wash I my bed, and water my couch with my tears.

There were they brought in great fear, even where no fear was; for God is in the generation of the righteous.

The earth trembled and quaked; the very foundations also of the hills shook and were removed, because he was wroth. {TYNDALE: And the earth trembled and quoke, and the foundations of heaven moved and shook, because he was angry.}

He bowed the heavens, also, and came down, and it was dark under his feet. {TYNDALE: And he bowed heaven and came down, and darkness underneath his feet.}

At the brightness of his presence, his clouds removed hailstones and coals of fire. {TYNDALE: Of the brightness that was before him, coals were set on fire.}

They prevented me in the day of my trouble, but the LORD was my upholder. {TYNDALE: When they had compassed me in the day of my tribulation, the LORD stayed me up.}

I was also uncorrupt before him, and eschewed my own wickedness. {TYNDALE: But was pure unto him ward, and kept myself from wickedness.}

But thou art he that took me out of my mother's womb; thou wast my hope, when I hanged yet upon my mother's breasts.

I have been left unto thee ever since I was born; thou art my God, even from my mother's womb.

I wash my hands with innocency, O LORD, and so will I go to thine altar,

But as soon as thou didst turn thy face from me, I was troubled.

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

But when I went by, lo, he was gone; I sought him, but his place could nowhere be found.

As for me, I was like a deaf man and heard not; as one that were dumb, not opening his mouth.

I held my tongue; I was dumb. I kept silence, yea even from good words, but it was pain and grief to me.

My heart was hot within me, and while I was thus musing, the fire kindled, and at the last I spoke with my tongue,

I became dumb, and opened not my mouth; for it was thy doing.

For they got not the land in possession through their own sword, neither was it their own arm that helped them - But thy righthand, thine arm and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them.

{To the chanter, a Psalm of David, when the Prophet Nathan came unto him, after he was gone in to Bathsheba} Have mercy upon me, O God, after thy great goodness; according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences.

Wash me well from my wickedness, and cleanse me from my sin.

Behold, I was born in wickedness, and in sin hath my mother conceived me.

Thou shalt purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; thou shalt wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

"Lo, this is the man that took not God for his strength, but trusted unto the multitude of his riches, and was mighty in his wickedness!"

But it was even thou, my companion, my guide, and mine own familiar friend.

The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance, and shall wash his feet in the blood of the ungodly.

{A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah} O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee. My soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh also longeth after thee, in a barren and dry land where no water is.

Have I not remembered thee in my bed, and thought upon thee when I was waking?

which I promised with my lips, and spake with my mouth, when I was in trouble.

the earth shook, and the heavens dropped at the presence of God, even as Sinai also was moved at the presence of God, who is the God of Israel.

The LORD gave the word; great was the company of the preachers.

I wept, and chastened myself with fasting, and that was turned to my reproof.

They gave me gall to eat, and when I was thirsty they gave me vinegar to drink.

I have leaned upon thee ever since I was born; thou art he that took me out of my mother's womb, therefore is my praise always of thee.

And why? I was grieved at the wicked, to see the ungodly in such prosperity.

Then thought I to understand this; but it was too hard for me,

Thus my heart was grieved, and it went even through my veins.

So foolish was I, and ignorant, even as it were a beast before thee.

He that hewed timber afore out of the thick trees was known to bring it to an excellent work.

When I was in heaviness, I thought upon God: when my heart was vexed, then did I speak. Selah.

Thou heldest mine eyes waking, I was so feeble, that I could not speak.

The voice of thy thunder was heard round about; the lightnings shone upon the ground. The earth was moved, and shook withal.

And not to be as their forefathers, a faithless and stubborn generation, a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not true toward God.

When the LORD heard this, he was wroth: so the fire was kindled in Jacob, and heavy displeasure against Israel,

And they were not disappointed of their lust. But while their meat was yet in their mouths,

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

For their heart was not whole with him, neither continued they steadfast in his covenant.

But he was so merciful, that he forgave their misdeeds, and destroyed them not. Yea, many a time turned he his wrath away, and would not suffer his whole displeasure to arise.

When God heard this, he was wroth, and took sore displeasure at Israel,

He gave his people over unto the sword, for he was wroth with his inheritance.

As he was following the ewes great with young, he took him, that he might feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.

Their blood have they shed like water on every side of Jerusalem, and there was no man to bury them.

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

I will think upon Rahab and Babylon, with them that know me. Behold ye the Philistines also, and they of Tyre, with they of the Ethiopians; lo, there was he born.

And of Zion it shall be reported, that he was born in her; and the most high shall establish her.

The LORD shall cause it to be preached and written among the people, that he was born there. Selah.

Forty years long was I grieved with that generation, and said, "They ever err in their hearts, they verily have not known my ways."

{A prayer of the afflicted, when he was in woe, and poured out his complaint before the Lord} Hear my prayer, O LORD, and let my crying come unto thee.

When there was yet but a few of them - and they strangers in the land -

But he had sent a man before them, even Joseph which was sold to be a bond servant,

Israel also came into Egypt, and Jacob was a stranger in the land of Ham.

He sent darkness, and it was dark; for they were not obedient unto his word.

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

Egypt was glad at their departing: for they were afraid of them.

He rebuked the reed sea, and it was dried up: so he led them through the deep, as through a wilderness.

As for those that troubled them, the waters overwhelmed them; there was not one of them left.

The fire was kindled in their company; the flame burnt up the ungodly.

Thus they provoked him unto anger with their own inventions; and the plague was great among them.

And that was counted unto him for righteousness, among all posterities for evermore.

and shed the innocent blood of their sons and of their daughters; whom they offered unto the idols of Canaan, so that the land was defiled with blood.

Therefore was the wrath of the LORD kindled against his people, insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance;

They fell down, and there was none to help them.

and that, because his mind was not to do good, but persecuted the poor helpless, and him that was vexed at the heart, to slay him.

His delight was in cursing, and therefore shall it happen unto him; he loved not blessing, therefore shall it be far from him.

Judah was his sanctuary, Israel his dominion.

The LORD preserveth the simple; I was brought down in misery and he helped me.

I believed, and therefore will I speak; but I was sore troubled.

They thrust at me, that I might fall; but the LORD was my help.

Before I was troubled, I went wrong, but now I keep thy word.

{A song of the stairs} I was glad when they said unto me, "We will go in to the house of the LORD."

Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with joy. Then said they among the heathen, "The LORD hath done great things for them."

Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being imperfect; and in thy book were all my members written, which day by day were fashioned, when as yet there was not one of them.

{The Instruction of David, a prayer when he was in the cave} I cry unto the LORD with my voice; yea, even unto the LORD do I make my supplication.