Psalm 4–6

Evening Prayer for Help^e

4 Answer me when I pray,

O God, my defender!

When I was in trouble, you helped me.

Be kind to me now and hear my prayer.

²How long will you people insult me?

How long will you love what is worthless

and go after what is false?

³Remember that the Lord has chosen the righteous for his own,

and he hears me when I call to him.

^4*Tremble with fear and stop sinning;

think deeply about this,

when you lie in silence on your beds.

⁵Offer the right sacrifices to the Lord,

and put your trust in him.

⁶There are many who pray:

“Give us more blessings, O Lord.

Look on us with kindness!”

⁷But the joy that you have given me

is more than they will ever have

with all their corn and wine.

⁸When I lie down, I go to sleep in peace;

you alone, O Lord, keep me perfectly safe.

A Prayer for Protection^f

5 Listen to my words, O Lord,

and hear my sighs.

²Listen to my cry for help,

my God and king!

I pray to you, O Lord;

³you hear my voice in the morning;

at sunrise I offer my prayer^g

and wait for your answer.

⁴You are not a God who is pleased with wrongdoing;

you allow no evil in your presence.

⁵You cannot stand the sight of the proud;

you hate all wicked people.

⁶You destroy all liars

and despise violent, deceitful people.

⁷But because of your great love

I can come into your house;

I can worship in your holy Temple

and bow down to you in reverence.

⁸Lord, I have so many enemies!

Lead me to do your will;

make your way plain for me to follow.

^9*What my enemies say can never be trusted;

they only want to destroy.

Their words are flattering and smooth,

but full of deadly deceit.

¹⁰Condemn and punish them, O God;

may their own plots cause their ruin.

Drive them out of your presence because of their many sins

and their rebellion against you.

¹¹But all who find safety in you will rejoice;

they can always sing for joy.

Protect those who love you;

because of you they are truly happy.

¹²You bless those who obey you, Lord;

your love protects them like a shield.

A Prayer for Help in Time of Trouble^h

6^* Lord, don’t be angry and rebuke me!

Don’t punish me in your anger!

²I am worn out, O Lord; have pity on me!

Give me strength; I am completely exhausted

³and my whole being is deeply troubled.

How long, O Lord, will you wait to help me?

⁴Come and save me, Lord;

in your mercy rescue me from death.

⁵In the world of the dead you are not remembered; no one can praise you there.

⁶I am worn out with grief;

every night my bed is damp from my weeping;

my pillow is soaked with tears.

⁷I can hardly see;

my eyes are so swollen

from the weeping caused by my enemies.

^8*Keep away from me, you evil people!

The Lord hears my weeping;

⁹he listens to my cry for help

and will answer my prayer.

¹⁰My enemies will know the bitter shame of defeat;

in sudden confusion they will be driven away.