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Psalms 86:1-17
Bend down, O Lord, and hear my prayer; answer me, for I need your help.Protect me, for I am devoted to you. Save me, for I serve you and trust you. You are my God.Be merciful to me, O Lord, for I am calling on you constantly.Give me happiness, O Lord, for I give myself to you.O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help.Listen closely to my prayer, O Lord; hear my urgent cry.I will call to you whenever I’m in trouble, and you will answer me.No pagan god is like you, O Lord. None can do what you do!All the nations you made will come and bow before you, Lord; they will praise your holy name.For you are great and perform wonderful deeds. You alone are God.Teach me your ways, O Lord, that I may live according to your truth! Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honor you.With all my heart I will praise you, O Lord my God. I will give glory to your name forever,for your love for me is very great. You have rescued me from the depths of death.O God, insolent people rise up against me; a violent gang is trying to kill me. You mean nothing to them.But you, O Lord, are a God of compassion and mercy, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.Look down and have mercy on me. Give your strength to your servant; save me, the son of your servant.Send me a sign of your favor. Then those who hate me will be put to shame, for you, O Lord, help and comfort me.
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Psalms 7:1-17
I come to you for protection, O Lord my God. Save me from my persecutors— rescue me!If you don’t, they will maul me like a lion, tearing me to pieces with no one to rescue me.O Lord my God, if I have done wrong or am guilty of injustice,if I have betrayed a friend or plundered my enemy without cause,then let my enemies capture me. Let them trample me into the ground and drag my honor in the dust. InterludeArise, O Lord, in anger! Stand up against the fury of my enemies! Wake up, my God, and bring justice!Gather the nations before you. Rule over them from on high.The Lord judges the nations. Declare me righteous, O Lord, for I am innocent, O Most High!End the evil of those who are wicked, and defend the righteous. For you look deep within the mind and heart, O righteous God.God is my shield, saving those whose hearts are true and right.God is an honest judge. He is angry with the wicked every day.If a person does not repent, God will sharpen his sword; he will bend and string his bow.He will prepare his deadly weapons and shoot his flaming arrows.The wicked conceive evil; they are pregnant with trouble and give birth to lies.They dig a deep pit to trap others, then fall into it themselves.The trouble they make for others backfires on them. The violence they plan falls on their own heads.I will thank the Lord because he is just; I will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.
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Psalms 90:1-17
Lord, through all the generations you have been our home!Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from beginning to end, you are God.You turn people back to dust, saying,“ Return to dust, you mortals!”For you, a thousand years are as a passing day, as brief as a few night hours.You sweep people away like dreams that disappear. They are like grass that springs up in the morning.In the morning it blooms and flourishes, but by evening it is dry and withered.We wither beneath your anger; we are overwhelmed by your fury.You spread out our sins before you— our secret sins— and you see them all.We live our lives beneath your wrath, ending our years with a groan.Seventy years are given to us! Some even live to eighty. But even the best years are filled with pain and trouble; soon they disappear, and we fly away.Who can comprehend the power of your anger? Your wrath is as awesome as the fear you deserve.Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.O Lord, come back to us! How long will you delay? Take pity on your servants!Satisfy us each morning with your unfailing love, so we may sing for joy to the end of our lives.Give us gladness in proportion to our former misery! Replace the evil years with good.Let us, your servants, see you work again; let our children see your glory.And may the Lord our God show us his approval and make our efforts successful. Yes, make our efforts successful!
