Psalms

¹ I run to you, God; I run for dear life. Don't let me down! Take me seriously this time!

² and please—no procrastination! Your granite cave a hiding place, your high cliff aerie a place of safety.

³ my cliff to climb. Be my safe leader, be my true mountain guide.

⁴ I want to hide in you.

⁵ You won't drop me, you'll never let me down.

⁶ but you, God, I trust.

⁷ you saw my pain, you disarmed my tormentors,

⁸ but gave me room to breathe.

⁹ I'm in deep, deep trouble again. I've cried my eyes out; I feel hollow inside.

¹⁰ my years fade out in sighs. My troubles have worn me out, turned my bones to powder.

¹¹ I'm ridiculed by the neighbors. My friends are horrified; they cross the street to avoid me.

¹² forget me like a corpse in a grave, discard me like a broken dish in the trash.

¹³ "criminally insane"! Behind locked doors they plot how to ruin me for good.

¹⁴ you are my God!

¹⁵ safe from the hands out to get me.

¹⁶ save me because you love me.

¹⁷ I've given you plenty of notice. Embarrass the wicked, stand them up, leave them stupidly shaking their heads as they drift down to hell.

¹⁸ who heckle me, your follower, with jeers and catcalls.

¹⁹ for those who worship you, Ready and waiting for all who run to you to escape an unkind world.

²⁰ from the opposition. As you slam the door on those oily, mocking faces, you silence the poisonous gossip.

²¹ His love is the wonder of the world. Trapped by a siege,

²² "Out of sight, out of mind," I said. But you heard me say it, you heard and listened.

²³ God takes care of all who stay close to him, But he pays back in full those arrogant enough to go it alone.

²⁴ Expect God to get here soon.