<p class="poetry">Hear my prayer, O <sc>Lordsc>!p> <p class="poetry">Listen to my cry for help!p> <p class="poetry">Do not ignore my sobbing!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">For I am dependent on you, like one residing outside his native land;p> <p class="poetry">I am at your mercy, just as all my ancestors were.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">I am oppressed and needy!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">May the Lord pay attention to me!<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">You are my helper and my deliverer!p> <p class="poetry">O my God, do not delay!p>

<p class="poetry">You, O <sc>Lordsc> God, the invincible warrior,<n id="1" /> the God of Israel,p> <p class="poetry">rouse yourself and punish<n id="2" /> all the nations!p> <p class="poetry">Have no mercy on any treacherous evildoers! (Selah)p>

<p class="poetry">I am oppressed and needy!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">O God, hurry to me!<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">You are my helper and my deliverer!p> <p class="poetry">O <sc>Lordsc>,<n id="3" /> do not delay!p>

<p class="poetry">Even when I am old and gray,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">O God, do not abandon me,p> <p class="poetry">until I tell the next generation about your strength,p> <p class="poetry">and those coming after me about your power.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">I will listen to what God the <sc>Lordsc> says.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">For he will make<n id="2" /> peace with his people, his faithful followers.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">Yet they must not<n id="4" /> return to their foolish ways.p>

<p class="poetry">Do not ignore me in my time of trouble!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Listen to me!<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">When I call out to you, quickly answer me!p>

<p class="poetry">Do not let me have evil desires,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">or participate in sinful activitiesp> <p class="poetry">with men who behave wickedly.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">I will not eat their delicacies.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">May the godly strike me in love and correct me!p> <p class="poetry">May my head not refuse<n id="1" /> choice oil!<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Indeed, my prayer is a witness against their evil deeds.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Answer me quickly, <sc>Lordsc>!p> <p class="poetry">My strength is fading.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Do not reject me,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">or I will join<n id="3" /> those descending into the grave.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">Remove falsehood and lies<n id="1" /> far from me;p> <p class="poetry">do not give me poverty or riches,p> <p class="poetry">feed me with my allotted portion<n id="2" /> of bread,<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">When you make a vow<n id="1" /> to God, do not delay in paying it.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">For God<n id="3" /> takes no pleasure in fools:p> <p class="poetry">Pay what you vow!p>

<p class="poetry">Do not say, &#8220;Why were the old days better than these days?&#8221;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">for it is not wise to ask that.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">It is best to take hold of one warning<n id="1" /> without letting go of the other warning;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">for the one who fears God will follow<n id="3" /> both warnings.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">Also, do not pay attention to everything that people<n id="1" /> say;p> <p class="poetry">otherwise,<n id="2" /> you might even hear<n id="3" /> your servant cursing you.p>

<p class="poetry">If the anger<n id="1" /> of the ruler flares up<n id="2" /> against you, do not resign<n id="3" /> from your position,<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">for a calm<n id="5" /> response<n id="6" /> can undo<n id="7" /> great offenses.p>

<p class="poetry">Do not stare at me because<n id="1" /> I am dark,p> <p class="poetry">for<n id="2" /> the sun has burned my skin.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">My brothers<n id="4" /> were angry<n id="5" /> with me;p> <p class="poetry">they made me the keeper of the vineyards.p> <p class="poetry">Alas, my own vineyard<n id="6" /> I could not keep!<n id="7" />p>

<p class="poetry">Don&#8217;t be so happy, all you Philistines,p> <p class="poetry">just because the club that beat you has been broken!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">For a viper will grow out of the serpent&#8217;s root,p> <p class="poetry">and its fruit will be a darting adder.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">&#8220;Bring a plan, make a decision!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Provide some shade in the middle of the day!<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Hide the fugitives! Do not betray<n id="3" /> the one who tries to escape!p>

<p class="poetry">So I say:p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Don&#8217;t look at me!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">I am weeping bitterly.p> <p class="poetry">Don&#8217;t try<n id="2" /> to console mep> <p class="poetry">concerning the destruction of my defenseless people.&#8221;<n id="3" />p>