A Prayer for Protection
1 I am in trouble, God—listen to my prayer!
I am afraid of my enemies—save my life!
2 Protect me from the plots of the wicked,
from mobs of evil people.
3 They sharpen their tongues like swords
and aim cruel words like arrows.
4 They are quick to spread their shameless lies;
they destroy good people with cowardly slander.
5 They encourage each other in their evil plots;
they talk about where they will place their traps.
“No one can see them,” they say.
6 They make evil plans and say,
“We have planned a perfect crime.”
The human heart and mind are a mystery.
7 But God shoots his arrows at them,
and suddenly they are wounded.
8 He will destroy them because of those words;
all who see them will shake their heads.
9 They will all be afraid;
they will think about what God has done
and tell about his deeds.
10 All righteous people will rejoice
because of what the Lord has done.
They will find safety in him;
all good people will praise him.
1 To him that excelleth. A Psalme of David. Heare my voyce, O God, in my prayer: preserue my life from feare of the enemie. 2 Hide me from the conspiracie of the wicked, and from the rage of the workers of iniquitie. 3 Which haue whette their tongue like a sword, and shot for their arrowes bitter wordes. 4 To shoote at the vpright in secrete: they shoote at him suddenly, and feare not. 5 They encourage themselues in a wicked purpose: they commune together to lay snares priuilie, and say, Who shall see them? 6 They haue sought out iniquities, and haue accomplished that which they sought out, euen euery one his secret thoughtes, and the depth of his heart. 7 But God will shoote an arrowe at them suddenly: their strokes shalbe at once. 8 They shall cause their owne tongue to fall vpon them: and whosoeuer shall see them, shall flee away. 9 And all men shall see it, and declare the worke of God, and they shall vnderstand, what he hath wrought. 10 But the righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and trust in him: and all that are vpright of heart, shall reioyce.