Comfort from the Word – Day 41

₁Hear my cry, O God;

listen to my prayer!

₂In despair and far from home

I call to you!

Take me to a safe refuge,

₃for you are my protector,

my strong defence against my enemies.

₄Let me live in your sanctuary all my life;

let me find safety under your wings.

₅You have heard my promises, O God,

and you have given me what belongs to those who honour you.

₁Save me, O God!

The water is up to my neck;

₂I am sinking in deep mud,

and there is no solid ground;

I am out in deep water,

and the waves are about to drown me.

₃I am worn out from calling for help,

and my throat is aching.

I have strained my eyes,

looking for your help.

₄Those who hate me for no reason

are more numerous than the hairs of my head.

My enemies tell lies against me;

they are strong and want to kill me.

They made me give back things I did not steal.

₅My sins, O God, are not hidden from you;

you know how foolish I have been.

₆Don't let me bring shame on those who trust in you,

Sovereign LORD Almighty!

Don't let me bring disgrace to those who worship you,

O God of Israel!

₇It is for your sake that I have been insulted

and that I am covered with shame.

₈I am like a stranger to my relatives,

like a foreigner to my family.

₉My devotion to your Temple burns in me like a fire;

the insults which are hurled at you fall on me.

₁₀I humble myself by fasting,

and people insult me;

₁₁I dress myself in clothes of mourning,

and they laugh at me.

₁₂They talk about me in the streets,

and drunkards make up songs about me.

₁₃But as for me, I will pray to you, LORD;

answer me, God, at a time you choose.

Answer me because of your great love,

because you keep your promise to save.

₁₄Save me from sinking in the mud;

keep me safe from my enemies,

safe from the deep water.

₁₅Don't let the flood come over me;

don't let me drown in the depths

or sink into the grave.

₁₆Answer me, LORD, in the goodness of your constant love;

in your great compassion turn to me!

₁₇Don't hide yourself from your servant;

I am in great trouble — answer me now!

₁₈Come to me and save me;

rescue me from my enemies.

₁₉You know how I am insulted,

how I am disgraced and dishonoured;

you see all my enemies.

₂₀Insults have broken my heart,

and I am in despair.

I had hoped for sympathy, but there was none;

for comfort, but I found none.

₂₁When I was hungry, they gave me poison;

when I was thirsty, they offered me vinegar.

₂₂May their banquets cause their ruin;

may their sacred feasts cause their downfall.

₂₃Strike them with blindness!

Make their backs always weak!

₂₄Pour out your anger on them;

let your indignation overtake them.

₂₅May their camps be left deserted;

may no one be left alive in their tents.

₂₆They persecute those whom you have punished;

they talk about the sufferings of those you have wounded.

₂₇Keep a record of all their sins;

don't let them have any part in your salvation.

₂₈May their names be erased from the book of the living;

may they not be included in the list of your people.

₂₉But I am in pain and despair;

lift me up, O God, and save me!

₃₀I will praise God with a song;

I will proclaim his greatness by giving him thanks.

₃₁This will please the LORD more than offering him cattle,

more than sacrificing a full-grown bull.

₃₂When the oppressed see this, they will be glad;

those who worship God will be encouraged.

₃₃The LORD listens to those in need

and does not forget his people in prison.

₃₄Praise God, O heaven and earth,

seas and all creatures in them.

₃₅He will save Jerusalem

and rebuild the towns of Judah.

His people will live there and possess the land;

₃₆the descendants of his servants will inherit it,

and those who love him will live there.

₁I cry aloud to God;

I cry aloud, and he hears me.

₂In times of trouble I pray to the Lord;

all night long I lift my hands in prayer,

but I cannot find comfort.

₃When I think of God, I sigh;

when I meditate, I feel discouraged.

₄He keeps me awake all night;

I am so worried that I cannot speak.

₅I think of days gone by

and remember years of long ago.

₆I spend the night in deep thought;

I meditate, and this is what I ask myself:

₇“Will the Lord always reject us?

Will he never again be pleased with us?

₈Has he stopped loving us?

Does his promise no longer stand?

₉Has God forgotten to be merciful?

Has anger taken the place of his compassion?”

₁₀Then I said, “What hurts me most is this —

that God is no longer powerful.”

₁₁I will remember your great deeds, LORD;

I will recall the wonders you did in the past.

₁₂I will think about all that you have done;

I will meditate on all your mighty acts.

₁₃Everything you do, O God, is holy.

No god is as great as you.

₁₄You are the God who works miracles;

you showed your might among the nations.

₁₅By your power you saved your people,

the descendants of Jacob and of Joseph.

₁₆When the waters saw you, O God, they were afraid,

and the depths of the sea trembled.

₁₇The clouds poured down rain;

thunder crashed from the sky,

and lightning flashed in all directions.

₁₈The crash of your thunder rolled out,

and flashes of lightning lit up the world;

the earth trembled and shook.

₁₉You walked through the waves;

you crossed the deep sea,

but your footprints could not be seen.

₂₀You led your people like a shepherd,

with Moses and Aaron in charge.

₁Listen to me, LORD, and answer me,

for I am helpless and weak.

₂Save me from death, because I am loyal to you;

save me, for I am your servant and I trust in you.

₃You are my God, so be merciful to me;

I pray to you all day long.

₄Make your servant glad, O Lord,

because my prayers go up to you.

₅You are good to us and forgiving,

full of constant love for all who pray to you.

₆Listen, LORD, to my prayer;

hear my cries for help.

₇I call to you in times of trouble,

because you answer my prayers.

₈There is no god like you, O Lord,

not one has done what you have done.

₉All the nations that you have created

will come and bow down to you;

they will praise your greatness.

₁₀You are mighty and do wonderful things;

you alone are God.

₁₁Teach me, LORD, what you want me to do,

and I will obey you faithfully;

teach me to serve you with complete devotion.

₁₂I will praise you with all my heart, O Lord my God;

I will proclaim your greatness for ever.

₁₃How great is your constant love for me!

You have saved me from the grave itself.

₁₄The proud are coming against me, O God;

a cruel gang is trying to kill me —

people who pay no attention to you.

₁₅But you, O Lord, are a merciful and loving God,

always patient, always kind and faithful.

₁₆Turn to me and have mercy on me;

strengthen me and save me,

because I serve you, just as my mother did.

₁₇Show me proof of your goodness, LORD;

those who hate me will be ashamed

when they see that you have given me comfort and help.