Through the Bible – Day 190

₁I am innocent, LORD!

Won't you listen as I pray

and beg for help?

I am honest!

Please hear my prayer.

₂Only you can say

that I am innocent,

because only your eyes

can see the truth.

₃You know my heart,

and even during the night

you have tested me

and found me innocent.

I have made up my mind

never to tell a lie.

₄I don't do like others.

I obey your teachings

and am not cruel.

₅I have followed you,

without ever stumbling.

₆I pray to you, God,

because you will help me.

Listen and answer my prayer!

₇Show your wonderful love.

Your mighty arm protects those

who run to you for safety

from their enemies.

₈Protect me as you would

your very own eyes;

hide me in the shadow

of your wings.

₉Don't let my brutal enemies

attack from all sides

and kill me.

₁₀They refuse to show mercy,

and they keep boasting.

₁₁They have caught up with me!

My enemies are everywhere,

eagerly hoping to pull me

to the ground.

₁₂They are like hungry lions

hunting for food,

or like young lions

hiding in ambush.

₁₃Do something, LORD!

Attack and defeat them.

Take your sword and save me

from those evil people.

₁₄Use your powerful arm

and rescue me

from the hands of mere humans

whose world won't last.

You provide food

for those you love.

Their children have plenty,

and their grandchildren

will have more than enough.

₁₅I am innocent, LORD,

and I will see your face!

When I awake, all I want

is to see you as you are.

₁I love you, LORD God,

and you make me strong.

₂You are my mighty rock,

my fortress, my protector,

the rock where I am safe,

my shield, my powerful weapon,

and my place of shelter.

₃I praise you, LORD!

I prayed, and you rescued me

from my enemies.

₄Death had wrapped

its ropes around me,

and I was almost swallowed

by its flooding waters.

₅Ropes from the world

of the dead

had coiled around me,

and death had set a trap

in my path.

₆I was in terrible trouble

when I called out to you,

but from your temple

you heard me

and answered my prayer.

₇The earth shook and shivered,

and the mountains trembled

down to their roots.

You were angry

₈and breathed out smoke.

Scorching heat and fiery flames

spewed from your mouth.

₉You opened the heavens

like curtains,

and you came down

with storm clouds

under your feet.

₁₀You rode on the backs

of flying creatures

and swooped down

with the wind as wings.

₁₁Darkness was your robe;

thunderclouds filled the sky,

hiding you from sight.

₁₂Hailstones and fiery coals

lit up the sky

in front of you.

₁₃LORD Most High, your voice

thundered from the heavens,

as hailstones and fiery coals

poured down like rain.

₁₄You scattered your enemies

with arrows of lightning.

₁₅You roared at the sea,

and its deepest channels

could be seen.

You snorted,

and the earth shook

to its foundations.

₁₆You reached down from heaven,

and you lifted me

from deep in the ocean.

₁₇You rescued me from enemies,

who were hateful

and too powerful for me.

₁₈On the day disaster struck,

they came and attacked,

but you defended me.

₁₉When I was fenced in,

you freed and rescued me

because you love me.

₂₀You are good to me, LORD,

because I do right,

and you reward me

because I am innocent.

₂₁I do what you want

and never turn to do evil.

₂₂I keep your laws in mind

and never look away

from your teachings.

₂₃I obey you completely

and guard against sin.

₂₄You have been good to me

because I do right;

you have rewarded me

for being innocent

by your standards.

₂₅You are always loyal

to your loyal people,

and you are faithful

to the faithful.

₂₆With all who are sincere,

you are sincere,

but you treat the unfaithful

as their deeds deserve.

₂₇You rescue the humble,

but you put down all

who are proud.

₂₈You, the LORD God,

keep my lamp burning

and turn darkness to light.

₂₉You help me defeat armies

and capture cities.

₃₀Your way is perfect, LORD,

and your word is correct.

You are a shield for those

who run to you for help.

₃₁You alone are God!

Only you are a mighty rock.

₃₂You give me strength

and guide me right.

₃₃You make my feet run as fast

as those of a deer,

and you help me stand

on the mountains.

₃₄You teach my hands to fight

and my arms to use

a bow of bronze.

₃₅You alone are my shield.

Your right hand supports me,

and by coming to help me,

you have made me famous.

₃₆You clear the way for me,

and now I won't stumble.

₃₇I kept chasing my enemies,

until I caught them

and destroyed them.

₃₈I stuck my sword

through my enemies,

and they were crushed

under my feet.

₃₉You helped me win victories,

and you forced my attackers

to fall victim to me.

₄₀You made my enemies run,

and I killed them.

₄₁They cried out for help,

but no one saved them;

they called out to you,

but there was no answer.

₄₂I ground them to dust

blown by the wind,

and I poured them out

like mud in the streets.

₄₃You rescued me

from stubborn people,

and you made me the leader

of foreign nations,

who are now my slaves.

₄₄They obey and come crawling.

₄₅They have lost all courage,

and from their fortresses,

they come trembling.

₄₆You are the living LORD!

I will praise you.

You are a mighty rock.

I will honour you

for keeping me safe.

₄₇You took revenge for me,

and you put nations

in my power.

₄₈You protected me

from violent enemies

and made me much greater

than all of them.

₄₉I will praise you, LORD,

and I will honour you

among the nations.

₅₀You give glorious victories

to your chosen king.

Your faithful love for David

and for his descendants

will never end.