<p class="poetry">may an enemy relentlessly chase<n id="1" /> me<n id="2" /> and catch me;<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">may he trample me to death<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">and leave me lying dishonored in the dust.<n id="5" /> (Selah)p>

<p class="poetry">You lead me in<n id="1" /> the path of life;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">I experience absolute joy in your presence;<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">you always give me sheer delight.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">He asked you to sustain his life,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and you have granted him long life and an enduring dynasty.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">Surely your goodness and faithfulness<n id="1" /> will pursue<n id="2" /> me all my days,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">and I will live in<n id="4" /> the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s house<n id="5" /> for the rest of my life.<n id="6" />p>

<p class="poetry">Do not sweep me away<n id="1" /> with sinners,p> <p class="poetry">or execute me along with violent people,<n id="2" />p>

<t /><p class="psasuper">By David.p> <p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> delivers and vindicates me!<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">I fear no one!<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> protects my life!p> <p class="poetry">I am afraid of no one!<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">For his anger lasts only a brief moment,p> <p class="poetry">and his good favor restores one&#8217;s life.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">One may experience sorrow during the night,p> <p class="poetry">but joy arrives in the morning.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">For my life nears its end in pain;p> <p class="poetry">my years draw to a close as I groan.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">My strength fails me because of<n id="2" /> my sin,p> <p class="poetry">and my bones become brittle.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Do you want to really live?<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Would you love to live a long, happy life?<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">I thirst<n id="1" /> for God,p> <p class="poetry">for the living God.p> <p class="poetry">I say,<n id="2" /> &#8220;When will I be able to go and appear in God&#8217;s presence?&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">By day the <sc>Lordsc> decrees his loyal love,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and by night he gives me a song,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">a prayer<n id="3" /> to the living God.p>

<p class="poetry">He pronounces this blessing on himself while he is alive:p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;May men praise you, for you have done well!&#8221;p>

<p class="poetry">Yet<n id="1" /> God will make you a permanent heap of ruins.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">He will scoop you up<n id="3" /> and remove you from your home;<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">he will uproot you from the land of the living. (Selah)p>

<p class="poetry">May death destroy them!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">May they go down alive into Sheol!<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">For evil is in their dwelling place and in their midst.p>

<p class="poetry">Before the kindling is even placed under your pots,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">he<n id="2" /> will sweep it away along with both the raw and cooked meat.<n id="3" />p>

<t /><p class="psasuper">For the music director; a psalm of David.p> <p class="poetry">Listen to me,<n id="2" /> O God, as I offer my lament!p> <p class="poetry">Protect<n id="3" /> my life from the enemy&#8217;s terrifying attacks.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">He sent his anger in full force;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">he did not spare them from death;p> <p class="poetry">he handed their lives over to destruction.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">They have given the corpses of your servantsp> <p class="poetry">to the birds of the sky;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">the flesh of your loyal followersp> <p class="poetry">to the beasts of the earth.p>

<p class="poetry">You make it dark and night comes,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">during which all the beasts of the forest prowl around.p>

<p class="poetry">May the <sc>Lordsc> bless you<n id="1" /> from Zion,p> <p class="poetry">that you might see<n id="2" /> Jerusalem<n id="3" /> prosperp> <p class="poetry">all the days of your life,p>