Psalms 5

A Prayer for Guidance and Protection

For the music director; with the flutes. A psalm of David.
The Hebrew Bible counts the superscription as the first verse of the psalm; the English verse number is reduced by one

1Hear my words, O Yahweh.
Give heed to my sighing.
Or “murmuring”

2Listen to the sound of my pleading,
Or “cry for help”
my king and my God,
for to you I pray.
3O Yahweh, in the morning you will hear my voice.
In the morning I will set forth
Or “present”
my case to you and I will watch.
Or “look expectantly”

4For you are not a God who desires
Or “takes delight in”
wickedness.
Evil cannot dwell with you.
5The boastful do not stand before
Or “in front of”
your eyes.
You hate all evildoers.
6You destroy speakers of lies.
Hebrew “lie”

⌞A man of bloodshed⌟
Literally “a man of bloods”
and deceit Yahweh abhors.
7⌞But as for me⌟,
Literally “And I”
through the abundance of your steadfast love
Or “covenant love”

I will enter your house.
Or “temple”

I will bow down
Or “I will worship”
toward ⌞your holy temple⌟
Literally “the temple of your holiness”
in awe of you.
8O Yahweh, lead me in your righteousness because of my enemies;
make straight before me your way.
9For there is not anything reliable in his mouth;
their inner part is destruction.
Hebrew “destructions”

Their throat is an open grave;
with their tongue they speak deceit.
Or “flattery; smooth words”

10Treat them as guilty, O God;
let them fall because of their plans.
Because of the abundance of their transgressions cast them out,
for they have rebelled against you.
11But let all who take shelter in you rejoice.
Let them ever
Or “perpetually”
sing for joy,
⌞because⌟
Literally “and”
you spread protection over them;
And let those
Or “So that those”
who love your name exult in you.
12For you bless the righteous.
O Yahweh, like a
Hebrew “the”
shield you surround him with good favor.
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