Psalm 138

The Lord Cares for the Humble

A psalm of David.

1I give you thanks, O Lord, with all my heart;

I will sing your praises before the gods.

2I bow before your holy Temple as I worship.

I praise your name for your unfailing love and faithfulness;

for your promises are backed

by all the honor of your name.

3As soon as I pray, you answer me;

you encourage me by giving me strength.

4Every king in all the earth will thank you, Lord,

for all of them will hear your words.

5Yes, they will sing about the Lord’s ways,

for the glory of the Lord is very great.

6Though the Lord is great, he cares for the humble,

but he keeps his distance from the proud.

7Though I am surrounded by troubles,

you will protect me from the anger of my enemies.

You reach out your hand,

and the power of your right hand saves me.

8The Lord will work out his plans for my life—

for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever.

Don’t abandon me, for you made me.

Psalm 139

The Lord’s Intimate Presence

For the choir director: A psalm of David.

1O Lord, you have examined my heart

and know everything about me.

2You know when I sit down or stand up.

You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.

3You see me when I travel

and when I rest at home.

You know everything I do.

4You know what I am going to say

even before I say it, Lord.

5You go before me and follow me.

You place your hand of blessing on my head.

6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,

too great for me to understand!

7I can never escape from your Spirit!

I can never get away from your presence!

8If I go up to heaven, you are there;

if I go down to the grave,*139:8 Hebrew to Sheol. you are there.

9If I ride the wings of the morning,

if I dwell by the farthest oceans,

10even there your hand will guide me,

and your strength will support me.

11I could ask the darkness to hide me

and the light around me to become night—

12but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.

To you the night shines as bright as day.

Darkness and light are the same to you.

13You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body

and knit me together in my mother’s womb.

14Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!

Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.

15You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,

as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.

16You saw me before I was born.

Every day of my life was recorded in your book.

Every moment was laid out

before a single day had passed.

17How precious are your thoughts about me,*139:17 Or How precious to me are your thoughts. O God.

They cannot be numbered!

18I can’t even count them;

they outnumber the grains of sand!

And when I wake up,

you are still with me!

19O God, if only you would destroy the wicked!

Get out of my life, you murderers!

20They blaspheme you;

your enemies misuse your name.

21O Lord, shouldn’t I hate those who hate you?

Shouldn’t I despise those who oppose you?

22Yes, I hate them with total hatred,

for your enemies are my enemies.

23Search me, O God, and know my heart;

test me and know my anxious thoughts.

24Point out anything in me that offends you,

and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

Psalm 140

A Plea for Rescue from Violence

For the choir director: A psalm of David.

1O Lord, rescue me from evil people.

Protect me from those who are violent,

2those who plot evil in their hearts

and stir up trouble all day long.

3Their tongues sting like a snake;

the venom of a viper drips from their lips.

Interlude

4O Lord, keep me out of the hands of the wicked.

Protect me from those who are violent,

for they are plotting against me.

5The proud have set a trap to catch me;

they have stretched out a net;

they have placed traps all along the way.

Interlude

6I said to the Lord, “You are my God!”

Listen, O Lord, to my cries for mercy!

7O Sovereign Lord, the strong one who rescued me,

you protected me on the day of battle.

8Lord, do not let evil people have their way.

Do not let their evil schemes succeed,

or they will become proud.

Interlude

9Let my enemies be destroyed

by the very evil they have planned for me.

10Let burning coals fall down on their heads.

Let them be thrown into the fire

or into watery pits from which they can’t escape.

11Don’t let liars prosper here in our land.

Cause great disasters to fall on the violent.

12But I know the Lord will help those they persecute;

he will give justice to the poor.

13Surely righteous people are praising your name;

the godly will live in your presence.

Lamedh

89Your eternal word, O Lord,

stands firm in heaven.

90Your faithfulness extends to every generation,

as enduring as the earth you created.

91Your regulations remain true to this day,

for everything serves your plans.

92If your instructions hadn’t sustained me with joy,

I would have died in my misery.

93I will never forget your commandments,

for by them you give me life.

94I am yours; rescue me!

For I have worked hard at obeying your commandments.

95Though the wicked hide along the way to kill me,

I will quietly keep my mind on your laws.

96Even perfection has its limits,

but your commands have no limit.