Psalms 86

A Prayer for Help against Ruthless Men

A prayer of David. ▼
▼The Hebrew Bible counts the superscription as the first verse of the psalm

1Incline, O Yahweh, your ear and answer me,
because I am poor and needy.
2Watch over my life because I am faithful.
You are my God; save your servant.
I am the one who trusts you.
3Be gracious to me, O Lord,
because I call to you ⌞all day long⌟. ▼
▼Literally “all the day”
4Make glad the soul of your servant,
because ⌞I desire you⌟, ▼
▼Literally “I lift up my soul to you”
 O Lord.
5For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
and abundant in loyal love ▼
▼Hebrew “and great with respect to loyal love”
 for all who call to you.
6Heed, O Yahweh, my prayer,
and attend to the voice of my supplications.
7In the day of my trouble I call to you,
because you answer me.
8There is none like you among the gods, O Lord,
and there are no works like yours.
9All the nations that you have made will come
and bow down ▼
▼Or “worship”
 before you, O Lord,
and glorify your name.
10For you are great and doing wondrous things;
you alone are God.
11Teach me, O Yahweh, your way,
that I may walk in your truth.
Unite my heart ▼
▼That is, give singleness of heart
 to fear your name.
12I will give you thanks, O Lord my God, with all my heart,
and glorify your name forever,
13because your loyal love is great toward me,
and you will have delivered my life from Sheol ▼
▼The nether world, the place of departed spirits.
 below.
14O God, arrogant men have risen up against me,
even a gang of ruthless men seek my life,
but they do not set you before them. ▼
▼That is, they do not factor God into their actions
15But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God,
⌞slow to anger⌟ ▼
▼Literally “long of nostrils”
 and abundant in loyal love and faithfulness.
16Turn to me and be gracious to me.
Give your strength to your servant,
and grant victory to the son ▼
▼Or “Save the son”
 of your maidservant.
17Do a sign that benefits me,
that those who hate me may see and be put to shame,
because you, O Yahweh, have helped me and comforted me.
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