Psalms 86:1-13

Psalm 86 ¹ 

A prayer of David.

86:1 Listen ²  O Lord! Answer me!

For I am oppressed and needy.

86:2 Protect me, ³  for I am loyal!

O my God, deliver your servant, who trusts in you!

86:3 Have mercy on me, ⁴  O Lord,

for I cry out to you all day long!

86:4 Make your servant ⁵  glad,

for to you, O Lord, I pray! ⁶ 

86:5 Certainly ⁷  O Lord, you are kind ⁸  and forgiving,

and show great faithfulness to all who cry out to you.

86:6 O Lord, hear my prayer!

Pay attention to my plea for mercy!

86:7 In my time of trouble I cry out to you,

for you will answer me.

86:8 None can compare to you among the gods, O Lord!

Your exploits are incomparable! ⁹ 

86:9 All the nations, whom you created,

will come and worship you, ¹⁰  O Lord.

They will honor your name.

86:10 For you are great and do amazing things.

You alone are God.

86:11 O Lord, teach me how you want me to live! ¹¹ 

Then I will obey your commands. ¹² 

Make me wholeheartedly committed to you! ¹³ 

86:12 O Lord, my God, I will give you thanks with my whole heart!

I will honor your name continually! ¹⁴ 

86:13 For you will extend your great loyal love to me, ¹⁵ 

and will deliver my life ¹⁶  from the depths of Sheol. ¹⁷ 

¹ sn Psalm 86. The psalmist appeals to God’s mercy as he asks for deliverance from his enemies.

² tn Heb “turn your ear.”

³ tn Heb “my life.”

⁴ tn Or “show me favor.”

⁵ tn Heb “the soul of your servant.”

⁶ tn Heb “I lift up my soul.”

⁷ tn Or “for.”

⁸ tn Heb “good.”

⁹ tn Heb “and there are none like your acts.”

¹⁰ tn Or “bow down before you.”

¹¹ tn Heb “teach me your way.” The Lord’s “way” refers here to the moral principles he expects the psalmist to follow. See Pss 25:4; 27:11.

¹² tn Heb “I will walk in your truth.” The Lord’s commandments are referred to as “truth” here because they are a trustworthy and accurate expression of the divine will. See Ps 25:5.

¹³ tn Heb “Bind my heart to the fearing of your name.” The verb translated “bind” occurs only here in the Piel stem. It appears twice in the Qal, meaning “be joined” in both cases (Gen 49:6; Isa 14:20). To “fear” God’s name means to have a healthy respect for him which in turn motivates one to obey his commands (see Pss 61:5; 102:15).

¹⁴ tn Or “forever.”

¹⁵ tn Heb “for your loyal love [is] great over me.”

¹⁶ tn Or “for he will have delivered my life.” The verb form indicates a future perfect here.

¹⁷ tn Or “lower Sheol.”