Psalms 55--71

Psalm 55

1 Hear my prayer, O God;*
do not hide yourself from my petition.
2 Listen to me and answer me;*
I have no peace, because of my cares.
3 I am shaken by the noise of the enemy*
and by the pressure of the wicked;
4 For they have cast an evil spell upon me*
and are set against me in fury.
5 My heart quakes within me,*
and the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
6 Fear and trembling have come over me,*
and horror overwhelms me.
7 And I said, ‘O that I had wings like a dove!*
I would fly away and be at rest.
8 ‘I would flee to a far-off place*
and make my lodging in the wilderness.
9 ‘I would hasten to escape*
from the stormy wind and tempest.’
10 Swallow them up, O Lord; confound their speech;*
for I have seen violence and strife in the city.
11 Day and night the watch make their rounds    upon her walls,*
but trouble and misery are in the midst of her.
12 There is corruption at her heart;*
her streets are never free of oppression and deceit.
13 For had it been an adversary who taunted me,
   then I could have borne it;*
or had it been an enemy who vaunted himself against me,
   then I could have hidden from him.
14 But it was you, one after my own heart,*
my companion, my own familiar friend.
15 We took sweet counsel together,*
and walked with the throng in the house of God.
[16 Let death come upon them suddenly;
   let them go down alive into the grave;*
for wickedness is in their dwellings, in their very midst.]
17 But I will call upon God,*
and the Lord will deliver me.
18 In the evening, in the morning and at noonday
   I will complain and lament,*
and he will hear my voice.
19 He will bring me safely back from the battle
   waged against me;*
for there are many who fight me.
20 God, who is enthroned of old,
   will hear me and bring them down;*
they never change; they do not fear God.
21 My companion stretched forth his hand against his comrade;*
he has broken his covenant.
22 His speech is softer than butter,*
but war is in his heart.
23 His words are smoother than oil,*
but they are drawn swords.
24 Cast your burden upon the Lord and he will sustain you;*
he will never let the righteous stumble.
25 For you will bring the bloodthirsty and deceitful*
down to the pit of destruction, O God.
26 They shall not live out half their days,*
but I will put my trust in you.
To you we come, O Lord,
from the noise of rebellion,
from the violence of the city,
from deceit and treachery,
to hear your voice
and to seek your sustaining care
in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
31

Psalm 56

1 Have mercy on me, O God,
   for my enemies are hounding me;*
all day long they assault and oppress me.
2 They hound me all the day long;*
truly there are many who fight against me, O Most High.
3 Whenever I am afraid,*
I will put my trust in you.
4 In God, whose word I praise,
   in God I trust and will not be afraid,*
for what can flesh do to me?
5 All day long they damage my cause;*
their only thought is to do me evil.
6 They band together; they lie in wait;*
they spy upon my footsteps; because they seek my life.
7 Shall they escape despite their wickedness?*
O God, in your anger, cast down the peoples.
8 You have noted my lamentation;
   put my tears into your bottle;*
are they not recorded in your book?
9 Whenever I call upon you,
   my enemies will be put to flight;*
this I know, for God is on my side.
10 In God the Lord, whose word I praise,
   in God I trust and will not be afraid,*
for what can mortals do to me?
11 I am bound by the vow I made to you, O God;*
I will present to you thank-offerings;
12 For you have rescued my soul from death
   and my feet from stumbling,*
that I may walk before God in the light of the living.
Faithful God,
your deliverance is near at hand:
keep us from fear
and help us to find courage and joy in your word;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
31

Psalm 57

1 Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful,
   for I have taken refuge in you;*
in the shadow of your wings will I take refuge
   until this time of trouble has gone by.
2 I will call upon the Most High God,*
the God who maintains my cause.
3 He will send from heaven and save me;
   he will confound those who trample upon me;*
God will send forth his love and his faithfulness.
4 I lie in the midst of lions that devour the people;*
their teeth are spears and arrows,
   their tongue a sharp sword.
5 They have laid a net for my feet and I am bowed low;*
they have dug a pit before me
   but have fallen into it themselves.
6 Exalt yourself above the heavens, O God,*
and your glory over all the earth.
7 My heart is firmly fixed, O God, my heart is fixed;*
I will sing and make melody.
8 Wake up, my spirit; awake, lute and harp;*
I myself will waken the dawn.
9 I will confess you among the peoples, O Lord;*
I will sing praise to you among the nations.
10 For your loving-kindness is greater than the heavens,*
and your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
11 Exalt yourself above the heavens, O God,*
and your glory over all the earth.
Tender God,
gentle protector in time of trouble:
pierce the gloom of despair
and give us, with all your people,
the song of freedom and the shout of praise,
in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
31

Psalm 58

[1 Do you indeed decree righteousness, you rulers?*
do you judge the peoples with equity?
2 No; you devise evil in your hearts,*
and your hands deal out violence in the land.
3 The wicked are perverse from the womb;*
liars go astray from their birth.
4 They are as venomous as a serpent,*
they are like the deaf adder which stops its ears,
5 Which does not heed the voice of the charmer,*
no matter how skilful his charming.
6 O God, break their teeth in their mouths;*
pull the fangs of the young lions, O Lord.
7 Let them vanish like water that runs off;*
let them wither like trodden grass.
8 Let them be like the snail that melts away,*
like a stillborn child that never sees the sun.
9 Before they bear fruit, let them be cut down like a brier;*
like thorns and thistles let them be swept away.
10 The righteous will be glad when they see the vengeance;*
they will bathe their feet in the blood of the wicked.
11 And they will say,
   ‘Surely, there is a reward for the righteous;*
surely, there is a God who rules in the earth.’]
Do not face us, O living God,
with the choice of a world without justice
or a future without mercy;
in your mercy, establish justice
and in your justice, remember your overflowing mercy
in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
31

Psalm 59

1 Rescue me from my enemies, O God;*
protect me from those who rise up against me.
2 Rescue me from evildoers*
and save me from those who thirst for my blood.
3 See how they lie in wait for my life,
   how the mighty gather together against me;*
not for any offence or fault of mine, O Lord.
4 Not because of any guilt of mine*
they run and prepare themselves for battle.
5 Rouse yourself, come to my side and see;*
for you, Lord God of hosts, are Israel’s God.
[6 Awake, and punish all the ungodly;*
show no mercy to those who are faithless and evil.]
7 The ungodly go to and fro in the evening;*
they snarl like dogs and run about the city.
8 Behold, they boast with their mouths,
   and taunts are on their lips;*
‘For who’, they say, ‘will hear us?’
9 But you, O Lord, you laugh at them;*
you laugh all the ungodly to scorn.
10 My eyes are fixed on you, O my Strength;*
for you, O God, are my stronghold.
11 My merciful God comes to meet me;*
God will let me look in triumph on my enemies.
12 Slay them, O God, lest my people forget;*
send them reeling by your might
   and put them down, O Lord our shield.
13 For the sins of their mouths, for the words of their lips,
   for the cursing and lies that they utter,*
let them be caught in their pride.
[14 Make an end of them in your wrath;*
make an end of them and they shall be no more.]
15 Let everyone know that God rules in Jacob,*
and to the ends of the earth.
16 They go to and fro in the evening;*
they snarl like dogs and run about the city.
17 They forage for food,*
and if they are not filled, they howl.
18 For my part, I will sing of your strength;*
I will celebrate your love in the morning;
19 For you have become my stronghold,*
a refuge in the day of my trouble.
20 To you, O my Strength, will I sing;*
for you, O God, are my stronghold
   and my merciful God.
Stand, O strong and merciful God,
against all oppression
and with all who are oppressed;
against the triumph of evil
and against the complacency of your people;
establish in Jesus Christ
your new order of generosity and joy. Amen.
31

Psalm 60

1 O God, you have cast us off and broken us;*
you have been angry;
   O take us back to you again.
2 You have shaken the earth and split it open;*
repair the cracks in it, for it totters.
3 You have made your people know hardship;*
you have given us wine that makes us stagger.
4 You have set up a banner for those who fear you,*
to be a refuge from the power of the bow.
5 Save us by your right hand and answer us,*
that those who are dear to you may be delivered.
6 God spoke from his holy place and said:*
‘I will exult and parcel out Shechem;
   I will divide the valley of Succoth.
7 ‘Gilead is mine and Manasseh is mine;*
Ephraim is my helmet and Judah my sceptre.
8 ‘Moab is my wash-basin,
   on Edom I throw down my sandal to claim it,*
and over Philistia will I shout in triumph.’
9 Who will lead me into the strong city?*
who will bring me into Edom?
10 Have you not cast us off, O God?*
you no longer go out, O God, with our armies.
11 Grant us your help against the enemy,*
for vain is human help.
12 With God we will do valiant deeds,*
and he shall tread our enemies under foot.
Risen Christ, loving Saviour,
you claim your gracious inheritance among the nations:
mend what is broken among your people,
do not abandon us in hardship and failure
but grant us daring and love in your service. Amen.
31

Psalm 61

1 Hear my cry, O God,*
and listen to my prayer.
2 I call upon you from the ends of the earth
   with heaviness in my heart;*
set me upon the rock that is higher than I.
3 For you have been my refuge,*
a strong tower against the enemy.
4 I will dwell in your house for ever;*
I will take refuge under the cover of your wings.
5 For you, O God, have heard my vows;*
you have granted me the heritage
   of those who fear your name.
6 Add length of days to the king’s life;*
let his years extend over many generations.
7 Let him sit enthroned before God for ever;*
bid love and faithfulness watch over him.
8 So will I always sing the praise of your name,*
and day by day I will fulfil my vows.
O God, our rock and our refuge,
as Jesus knew the discipline of suffering
and the victory that brings us salvation,
so grant us his fellowship in our weakness
and a place in his unending kingdom. Amen.
31

Psalm 62

1 For God alone my soul in silence waits;*
from him comes my salvation.
2 He alone is my rock and my salvation,*
my stronghold, so that I shall not be greatly shaken.
3 How long will you assail me to crush me,
   all of you together,*
as if you were a leaning fence, a toppling wall?
4 They seek only to bring me down
   from my place of honour;*
lies are their chief delight.
5 They bless with their lips,*
but in their hearts they curse.
6 For God alone my soul in silence waits;*
truly, my hope is in him.
7 He alone is my rock and my salvation,*
my stronghold, so that I shall not be shaken.
8 In God is my safety and my honour;*
God is my strong rock and my refuge.
9 Put your trust in him always, O people,*
pour out your hearts before him, for God is our refuge.
10 Those of high degree are but a fleeting breath,*
even those of low estate cannot be trusted.
11 On the scales they are lighter than a breath,*
all of them together.
12 Put no trust in extortion;
   in robbery take no empty pride;*
though wealth increase, set not your heart upon it.
13 God has spoken once, twice have I heard it,*
that power belongs to God.
14 Steadfast love is yours, O Lord,*
for you repay everyone according to his deeds.
O God, we seek security and deliverance
not in money or theft,
not in human ambition or malice,
not in our own ability or power,
but in you, the only God,
our rock and our salvation. Amen.
31

Psalm 63

1 O God, you are my God; eagerly I seek you;*
my soul thirsts for you, my flesh faints for you,
   as in a barren and dry land where there is no water;
2 Therefore I have gazed upon you in your holy place,*
that I might behold your power and your glory.
3 For your loving-kindness is better than life itself;*
my lips shall give you praise.
4 So will I bless you as long as I live*
and lift up my hands in your name.
5 My soul is content, as with marrow and fatness,*
and my mouth praises you with joyful lips,
6 When I remember you upon my bed,*
and meditate on you in the night watches.
7 For you have been my helper,*
and under the shadow of your wings I will rejoice.
8 My soul clings to you;*
your right hand holds me fast.
9 May those who seek my life to destroy it*
go down into the depths of the earth;
10 Let them fall upon the edge of the sword,*
and let them be food for jackals.
11 But the king will rejoice in God;
   all those who swear by him will be glad,*
for the mouth of those who speak lies shall be stopped.
To you we come, O Lord,
the true goal of all human desiring,
beyond all earthly beauty,
gentle protector, strong deliverer;
in the night you are our confidence:
from first light be our joy. Amen.
31

Psalm 64

1 Hear my voice, O God, when I complain;*
protect my life from fear of the enemy.
2 Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked,*
from the mob of evildoers.
3 They sharpen their tongue like a sword,*
and aim their bitter words like arrows,
4 That they may shoot down the blameless from ambush;*
they shoot without warning and are not afraid.
5 They hold fast to their evil course;*
they plan how they may hide their snares.
6 They say, ‘Who will see us?
   who will find out our crimes?*
we have thought out a perfect plot.’
7 The human mind and heart are a mystery;*
but God will loose an arrow at them,
   and suddenly they will be wounded.
8 He will make them trip over their tongues,*
and all who see them will shake their heads.
9 Everyone will stand in awe and declare God’s deeds;*
they will recognise his works.
10 The righteous will rejoice in the Lord
   and put their trust in him,*
and all who are true of heart will glory.
Cut through the malice of our hearts
with the sword of your word;
unmask the conspiracy of our evil
with the light of your goodness;
wound the pride of our rebellion
with the grace that makes righteous;
and bring near the day
when love shall reign in joy. Amen.
31

Psalm 65

1 You are to be praised, O God, in Zion;*
to you shall vows be performed in Jerusalem.
2 To you that hear prayer shall all flesh come,*
because of their transgressions.
3 Our sins are stronger than we are,*
but you will blot them out.
4 Happy are they whom you choose
   and draw to your courts to dwell there!*
they will be satisfied by the beauty of your house,
   by the holiness of your temple.
5 Awesome things will you show us in your righteousness,
   O God of our salvation,*
O Hope of all the ends of the earth
   and of the seas that are far away.
6 You make fast the mountains by your power;*
they are girded about with might.
7 You still the roaring of the seas,*
the roaring of their waves,
   and the clamour of the peoples.
8 Those who dwell at the ends of the earth
   will tremble at your marvellous signs;*
you make the dawn and the dusk to sing for joy.
9 You visit the earth and water it abundantly;
   you make it very plenteous;*
the river of God is full of water.
10 You prepare the grain,*
for so you provide for the earth.
11 You drench the furrows and smooth out the ridges;*
with heavy rain you soften the ground
   and bless its increase.
12 You crown the year with your goodness,*
and your paths overflow with plenty.
13 May the fields of the wilderness be rich for grazing,*
and the hills be clothed with joy.
14 May the meadows cover themselves with flocks
   and the valleys cloak themselves with grain;*
let them shout for joy and sing.
May the richness of your creation, O God,
and the mystery of your sovereign rule,
lead us to that heavenly city
where all peoples will bring their wealth,
forsake their sins and find their true joy
in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
31

Psalm 66

1 Be joyful in God, all you lands;*
sing the glory of his name;
   sing the glory of his praise.
2 Say to God, ‘How awesome are your deeds!*
because of your great strength
   your enemies cringe before you.
3 ‘All the earth bows down before you,*
sings to you, sings out your name.’
4 Come now and see the works of God,*
how wonderful he is in his doing towards all people.
5 He turned the sea into dry land,
   so that they went through the water on foot,*
and there we rejoiced in him.
6 In his might he rules for ever;
   his eyes keep watch over the nations;*
let no rebel rise up against him.
7 Bless our God, you peoples;*
make the voice of his praise to be heard;
8 Who holds our souls in life,*
and will not allow our feet to slip.
9 For you, O God, have proved us;*
you have tried us just as silver is tried.
10 You brought us into the snare;*
you laid heavy burdens upon our backs.
11 You let enemies ride over our heads;
   we went through fire and water;*
but you brought us out into a place of refreshment.
12 I will enter your house with burnt-offerings
   and will pay you my vows,*
which I promised with my lips
   and spoke with my mouth when I was in trouble.
13 I will offer you sacrifices of fat beasts
   with the smoke of rams;*
I will give you oxen and goats.
14 Come and listen, all you who fear God,*
and I will tell you what he has done for me.
15 I called out to him with my mouth,*
and his praise was on my tongue.
16 If I had found evil in my heart,*
the Lord would not have heard me;
17 But in truth God has heard me;*
he has attended to the voice of my prayer.
18 Blessèd be God, who has not rejected my prayer,*
nor withheld his love from me.
How generous is your goodness, O God,
how great is your salvation,
how faithful is your love!
Help us to trust in you in trial,
to praise you in deliverance
and to rejoice before you with overflowing hearts;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
31

Psalm 67

1 May God be merciful to us and bless us,*
show us the light of his countenance and come to us.
2 Let your ways be known upon earth,*
your saving health among all nations.
3 Let the peoples praise you, O God;*
let all the peoples praise you.
4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,*
for you judge the peoples with equity
   and guide all the nations upon earth.
5 Let the peoples praise you, O God;*
let all the peoples praise you.
6 The earth has brought forth her increase;*
may God, our own God, give us his blessing.
7 May God give us his blessing,*
and may all the ends of the earth stand in awe of him.
In the face of Jesus Christ,
your light and glory have blazed forth
to all the nations, O God;
with all your people,
may we make known your grace
and live out your ways of peace. Amen.
31

Psalm 68

1 Let God arise and let his enemies be scattered;*
let those who hate him flee before him.
2 Let them vanish like smoke
   when the wind drives it away;*
as the wax melts at the fire,
   so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.
3 But let the righteous be glad and rejoice before God;*
let them also be merry and joyful.
4 Sing to God, sing praises to his name;
   exalt him who rides upon the heavens;*
Yahweh is his name, rejoice before him!
5 Father of orphans, defender of widows,*
God in his holy habitation!
6 God gives the solitary a home
   and brings forth prisoners into freedom;*
but the rebels shall live in dry places.
7 O God, when you went forth before your people,*
when you marched through the wilderness,
8 The earth shook and the skies poured down rain,
   at the presence of God, the God of Sinai,*
at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
9 You sent a gracious rain, O God, upon your inheritance;*
you refreshed the land when it was weary.
10 Your people found their home in it;*
in your goodness, O God,
   you have made provision for the poor.
11 The Lord gave the word;*
great was the company of women who bore the tidings:
12 ‘Kings with their armies are fleeing away;*
the women at home are dividing the spoils.’
13 Though you lingered among the sheepfolds,*
you shall be like a dove
   whose wings are covered with silver,
   whose feathers are like green gold.
14 When the Almighty scattered kings,*
it was like snow falling in Zalmon.
15 O mighty mountain, O hill of Bashan!*
O rugged mountain, O hill of Bashan!
16 Why do you look with envy, O rugged mountain,
   at the hill which God chose for his resting place?*
truly, the Lord will dwell there for ever.
17 The chariots of God are twenty thousand,
   even thousands of thousands;*
the Lord comes in holiness from Sinai.
18 You have gone up on high and led captivity captive;
   you have received gifts even from your enemies,*
that the Lord God might dwell among them.
19 Blessèd be the Lord day by day,*
the God of our salvation, who bears our burdens.
20 He is our God, the God of our salvation;*
God is the Lord, by whom we escape death.
[21 God shall crush the heads of his enemies,*
and the hairy scalp of those
   who go on still in their wickedness.
22 The Lord has said, ‘I will bring them back from Bashan;*
I will bring them back from the depths of the sea;
23 ‘That your foot may be dipped in blood,*
the tongues of your dogs in the blood of your enemies.’]
24 Your procession is seen, O God,*
your procession into the sanctuary, my God and my King.
25 The singers go before, musicians follow after,*
in the midst of maidens playing upon the hand-drums.
26 Bless God in the congregation;*
bless the Lord, you that are of the fountain of Israel.
27 There is Benjamin, least of the tribes, at the head;
   the princes of Judah in a company;*
and the princes of Zebulon and Naphtali.
28 Send forth your strength, O God;*
establish, O God, what you have wrought for us.
29 Kings shall bring gifts to you,*
for your temple’s sake at Jerusalem.
30 Rebuke the wild beast of the reeds,*
and the peoples, a herd of wild bulls with its calves.
31 Trample down those who lust after silver;*
scatter the peoples that delight in war.
32 Let tribute be brought out of Egypt;*
let Ethiopia stretch out her hands to God.
33 Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth;*
sing praises to the Lord.
34 He rides in the heavens, the ancient heavens;*
he sends forth his voice, his mighty voice.
35 Ascribe power to God;*
his majesty is over Israel;
   his strength is in the skies.
36 How wonderful is God in his holy places!*
the God of Israel giving strength and power to his people!
   Blessèd be God!
Blessèd be God
whose victory creates a new people,
who makes his home among the weak,
who delivers us from death,
and who brings joy and blessings beyond our imagining.
Blessèd be God for ever. Amen.
31

Psalm 69

1 Save me, O God,*
for the waters have risen up to my neck.
2 I am sinking in deep mire,*
and there is no firm ground for my feet.
3 I have come into deep waters,*
and the torrent washes over me.
4 I have grown weary with my crying;
   my throat is inflamed;*
my eyes have failed from looking for my God.
5 Those who hate me without a cause
   are more than the hairs of my head;
   my lying foes who would destroy me are mighty.*
Must I then give back what I never stole?
6 O God, you know my foolishness,*
and my faults are not hidden from you.
7 Let not those who hope in you
   be put to shame through me, Lord God of hosts;*
let not those who seek you be disgraced because of me,
   O God of Israel.
8 Surely, for your sake have I suffered reproach,*
and shame has covered my face.
9 I have become a stranger to my own kindred,*
an alien to my mother’s children.
10 Zeal for your house has eaten me up;*
the scorn of those who scorn you has fallen upon me.
11 I humbled myself with fasting,*
but that was turned to my reproach.
12 I put on sack-cloth also,*
and became a byword among them.
13 Those who sit at the gate murmur against me,*
and the drunkards make songs about me.
14 But as for me, this is my prayer to you,*
at the time you have set, O Lord:
15 ‘In your great mercy, O God,*
answer me with your unfailing help.
16 ‘Save me from the mire; do not let me sink;*
let me be rescued from those who hate me
   and out of the deep waters.
17 ‘Let not the torrent of waters wash over me,
   neither let the deep swallow me up;*
do not let the Pit shut its mouth upon me.
18 ‘Answer me, O Lord, for your love is kind;*
in your great compassion, turn to me.
19 ‘Hide not your face from your servant;*
be swift and answer me, for I am in distress.
20 ‘Draw near to me and redeem me;*
because of my enemies deliver me.
21 ‘You know my reproach, my shame and my dishonour;*
my adversaries are all in your sight.’
22 Reproach has broken my heart and it cannot be healed;*
I looked for sympathy, but there was none,
   for comforters, but I could find no one.
23 They gave me gall to eat,*
and when I was thirsty, they gave me vinegar to drink.
[24 Let the table before them be a trap*
and their sacred feasts a snare.
25 Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see,*
and give them continual trembling in their loins.
26 Pour out your indignation upon them,*
and let the fierceness of your anger overtake them.
27 Let their camp be desolate,*
and let there be none to dwell in their tents.
28 For they persecute him whom you have stricken*
and add to the pain of those whom you have pierced.
29 Lay to their charge guilt upon guilt,*
and let them not receive your vindication.
30 Let them be wiped out of the book of the living*
and not be written among the righteous.]
31 As for me, I am afflicted and in pain;*
your help, O God, will lift me up on high.
32 I will praise the name of God in song;*
I will proclaim his greatness with thanksgiving.
33 This will please the Lord more than an offering of oxen,*
more than bullocks with horns and hoofs.
34 The afflicted shall see and be glad;*
you who seek God, your heart shall live.
35 For the Lord listens to the needy,*
and his prisoners he does not despise.
36 Let the heavens and the earth praise him,*
the seas and all that moves in them;
37 For God will save Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah;*
they shall live there and have it in possession.
38 The children of his servants will inherit it,*
and those who love his name will dwell therein.
Thirsting on the cross,
your Son shared the reproach of the oppressed
and carried the sins of all:
in him, O God, may the despairing find you,
the afflicted gain life
and the whole creation know its true king. Amen.
31

Psalm 70

1 Be pleased, O God, to deliver me;*
O Lord, make haste to help me.
2 Let those who seek my life
   be ashamed and altogether dismayed;*
let those who take pleasure in my misfortune
   draw back and be disgraced.
3 Let those who say to me ‘Aha!’
   and gloat over me turn back,*
because they are ashamed.
4 Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you;*
let those who love your salvation say for ever,
   ‘Great is the Lord!’
5 But as for me, I am poor and needy;*
come to me speedily, O God.
6 You are my helper and my deliverer;*
O Lord, do not tarry.
O God, our helper and defender,
deliver us in our weakness,
answer our longings
and vindicate our faith,
that we may see your glory
in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Psalm 71

1 In you, O Lord, have I taken refuge;*
let me never be ashamed.
2 In your righteousness, deliver me and set me free;*
incline your ear to me and save me.
3 Be my strong rock, a castle to keep me safe;*
you are my crag and my stronghold.
4 Deliver me, my God, from the hand of the wicked,*
from the clutches of the evildoer and the oppressor.
5 For you are my hope, O Lord God,*
my confidence since I was young.
6 I have been sustained by you ever since I was born;
   from my mother’s womb you have been my strength;*
my praise shall be always of you.
7 I have become a portent to many;*
but you are my refuge and my strength.
8 Let my mouth be full of your praise*
and your glory all the day long.
9 Do not cast me off in my old age;*
forsake me not when my strength fails.
10 For my enemies are talking against me,*
and those who lie in wait for my life
   take counsel together.
11 They say, ‘God has forsaken him;
   go after him and seize him;*
because there is none who will save.’
12 O God, be not far from me;*
come quickly to help me, O my God.
13 Let those who set themselves against me
   be put to shame and be disgraced;*
let those who seek to do me evil
   be covered with scorn and reproach.
14 But I shall always wait in patience,*
and shall praise you more and more.
15 My mouth shall recount your mighty acts
   and saving deeds all day long;*
though I cannot know the number of them.
16 I will begin with the mighty works of the Lord God;*
I will recall your righteousness, yours alone.
17 O God, you have taught me since I was young,*
and to this day I tell of your wonderful works.
18 And now that I am old and grey-headed, O God,
   do not forsake me,*
till I make known your strength to this generation
   and your power to all who are to come.
19 Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the heavens;*
you have done great things; who is like you, O God?
20 You have showed me great troubles and adversities,*
but you will restore my life and bring me up again
   from the deep places of the earth.
21 You strengthen me more and more;*
you enfold and comfort me,
22 Therefore I will praise you upon the lyre
   for your faithfulness, O my God;*
I will sing to you with the harp, O Holy One of Israel.
23 My lips will sing with joy when I play to you,*
and so will my soul, which you have redeemed.
24 My tongue will proclaim your righteousness all day long,*
for they are ashamed and disgraced
   who sought to do me harm.
Faithful God, living Saviour,
in youth and old age,
in weakness and adversity,
from the womb to the grave,
may we know your protection
and proclaim your great salvation
in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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