Hear, O Lord, and have mercy on me! O Lord, deliver me!”

Come children! Listen to me! I will teach you what it means to fear the Lord.

I mourned for them as I would for a friend or my brother. I bowed down in sorrow as if I were mourning for my mother.

Vindicate me by your justice, O Lord my God! Do not let them gloat over me!

He says: “Assemble my covenant people before me, those who ratified a covenant with me by sacrifice!”

For every wild animal in the forest belongs to me, as well as the cattle that graze on a thousand hills.

Let me again experience the joy of your deliverance! Sustain me by giving me the desire to obey!

Look, God is my deliverer! The Lord is among those who support me.

Pay attention to me and answer me! I am so upset and distressed, I am beside myself,

I will hurry off to a place that is safe from the strong wind and the gale.”

For you are my deliverer; under your wings I rejoice.

which my lips uttered and my mouth spoke when I was in trouble.

I weep and refrain from eating food, which causes others to insult me.

For my enemies talk about me; those waiting for a chance to kill me plot my demise.

Whom do I have in heaven but you? I desire no one but you on earth.

If only my people would obey me! If only Israel would keep my commands!

If the Lord had not helped me, I would have laid down in the silence of death.

But the Lord will protect me, and my God will shelter me.

Open for me the gates of the just king’s temple! I will enter through them and give thanks to the Lord.

It was good for me to suffer, so that I might learn your statutes.