A Prayer for Safety
1Save me from my enemies, my God;
protect me from those who attack me!
2Save me from those evil people;
rescue me from those murderers!
3Look! They are waiting to kill me;
cruel people are gathering against me.
It is not because of any sin or wrong I have done,
4nor because of any fault of mine, O Lord,
that they hurry to their places.
5Rise, Lord God Almighty, and come to my aid;
see for yourself, God of Israel!
Wake up and punish the heathen;
show no mercy to evil traitors!
6They come back in the evening,
snarling like dogs as they go about the city.
7Listen to their insults and threats.
Their tongues are like swords in their mouths,
yet they think that no one hears them.
8But you laugh at them, Lord;
you mock all the heathen.
9I have confidence in your strength;
you are my refuge, O God.
10My God loves me and will come to me;
he will let me see my enemies defeated.
11Do not kill them, O God, or my people may forget.
Scatter them by your strength and defeat them,
O Lord, our protector.
12Sin is on their lips; all their words are sinful;
may they be caught in their pride!
Because they curse and lie,
13destroy them in your anger;
destroy them completely.
Then everyone will know that God rules in Israel,
that his rule extends over all the earth.
14My enemies come back in the evening,
snarling like dogs as they go about the city,
15like dogs roaming about for food
and growling if they do not find enough.
16But I will sing about your strength;
every morning I will sing aloud of your constant love.
You have been a refuge for me,
a shelter in my time of trouble.
17I will praise you, my defender.
My refuge is God,
the God who loves me.