Psalm 86–87

Psalm 86

A prayer of David.

¹Bend down, O Lord, and hear my prayer;

answer me, for I need your help.

²Protect me, for I am devoted to you.

Save me, for I serve you and trust you.

You are my God.

³Be merciful to me, O Lord,

for I am calling on you constantly.

⁴Give me happiness, O Lord,

for I give myself to you.

⁵O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive,

so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help.

⁶Listen closely to my prayer, O Lord;

hear my urgent cry.

⁷I will call to you whenever I’m in trouble,

and you will answer me.

⁸No pagan god is like you, O Lord.

None can do what you do!

⁹All the nations you made

will come and bow before you, Lord;

they will praise your holy name.

¹⁰For you are great and perform wonderful deeds.

You alone are God.

¹¹Teach me your ways, O Lord,

that I may live according to your truth!

Grant me purity of heart,

so that I may honor you.

¹²With all my heart I will praise you, O Lord my God.

I will give glory to your name forever,

¹³for your love for me is very great.

You have rescued me from the depths of death.

¹⁴O God, insolent people rise up against me;

a violent gang is trying to kill me.

You mean nothing to them.

¹⁵But you, O Lord,

are a God of compassion and mercy,

slow to get angry

and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.

¹⁶Look down and have mercy on me.

Give your strength to your servant;

save me, the son of your servant.

¹⁷Send me a sign of your favor.

Then those who hate me will be put to shame,

for you, O Lord, help and comfort me.

Psalm 87

A song. A psalm of the descendants of Korah.

¹On the holy mountain

stands the city founded by the Lord.

²He loves the city of Jerusalem

more than any other city in Israel.

³O city of God,

what glorious things are said of you!

Interlude

⁴I will count Egypt and Babylon among those who know me—

also Philistia and Tyre, and even distant Ethiopia.

They have all become citizens of Jerusalem!

⁵Regarding Jerusalem it will be said,

“Everyone enjoys the rights of citizenship there.”

And the Most High will personally bless this city.

⁶When the Lord registers the nations, he will say,

“They have all become citizens of Jerusalem.”

Interlude

⁷The people will play flutes and sing,

“The source of my life springs from Jerusalem!”