<p class="poetry">I will sharpen my lightning-like sword,p> <p class="poetry">and my hand will grasp hold of the weapon of judgment;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">I will execute vengeance on my foes,p> <p class="poetry">and repay those who hate me!<n id="2" />p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">These are the men David put in charge of music in the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s sanctuary,<n id="1" /> after the ark was placed there.

They talked about the God of Jerusalem as if he were one of the man-made gods of the nations of the earth.p>

Then the local people<n id="1" /> began to discourage<n id="2" /> the people of Judah and to dishearten them from building.

<p class="bodytext">From the descendants of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah.p>

<p class="poetry">if I have raised my hand<n id="1" /> to vote against the orphan,p> <p class="poetry">when I saw my support in the court,<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">if I have rejoiced because of the extent of my wealth,p> <p class="poetry">or because of the great wealth my hand had gained,p>

<p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> rewarded me for my godly deeds;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">he took notice of my blameless behavior.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">Yes,<n id="1" /> wild dogs surround me &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">a gang of evil men crowd around me;p> <p class="poetry">like a lion they pin my hands and feet.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">Hear my plea for mercy when I cry out to you for help,p> <p class="poetry">when I lift my hands<n id="1" /> toward your holy temple!<n id="2" />p>

<t /><p class="psasuper">By David.p> <p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc>, my protector,<n id="2" /> deserves praise<n id="3" /> &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">the one who trains my hands for battle,<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">and my fingers for war,p>

<p class="poetry">A person will be satisfied with good from the fruit of his words,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and the work of his hands<n id="2" /> will be rendered to<n id="3" /> him.p>

<p class="poetry">I will attack you;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">I will purify your metal with flux.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">I will remove all your slag.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Yes, my hand founded the earth;p> <p class="poetry">my right hand spread out the sky.p> <p class="poetry">I summon them;p> <p class="poetry">they stand together.p>

<p class="poetry">All of your people will be godly;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">they will possess the land permanently.p> <p class="poetry">I will plant them like a shoot;p> <p class="poetry">they will be the product of my labor,p> <p class="poetry">through whom I reveal my splendor.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="lamhebrew">&#1489; (<i>Beti>)p> <p class="poetry">The precious sons of Zionp> <p class="poetry">were worth their weight in gold &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">Alas! &#8211; but now they are treated like<n id="1" /> broken clay pots,p> <p class="poetry">made by a potter.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="lamhebrew">&#1497; (<i>Yodi>)p> <p class="poetry">The hands of tenderhearted women<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">cooked their own children,p> <p class="poetry">who became their food,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">when my people<n id="3" /> were destroyed.<n id="4" />p>

Each had four faces; each had four wings and the form of human hands under the wings.

Then<n id="1" /> a hand touched me and set me on my hands and knees.<n id="2" />

<p class="poetry">Even if they could dig down into the netherworld,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">my hand would pull them up from there.p> <p class="poetry">Even if they could climb up to heaven,p> <p class="poetry">I would drag them down from there.p>