A Prayer for Guidance

To the Chief Musician. With flutes.^[a] A Psalm of David.

5 Give ear to my words, O Lord,Consider my meditation.² Give heed to the voice of my cry,My King and my God,For to You I will pray.³ My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord;In the morning I will direct it to You,And I will look up.

⁴ For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness,Nor shall evil dwell with You.⁵ The boastful shall not stand in Your sight;You hate all workers of iniquity.⁶ You shall destroy those who speak falsehood;The Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.

⁷ But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy;In fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple.⁸ Lead me, O Lord, in Your righteousness because of my enemies;Make Your way straight before my face.

⁹ For there is no faithfulness in their mouth;Their inward part is destruction;Their throat is an open tomb;They flatter with their tongue.¹⁰ Pronounce them guilty, O God!Let them fall by their own counsels;Cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions,For they have rebelled against You.

¹¹ But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them;Let those also who love Your nameBe joyful in You.¹² For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous;With favor You will surround him as with a shield.