Psalms 5–6

Lead Me in Your Righteousness

To the choirmaster: for the flutes. A Psalm of David.

5:1   Give ear to my words, O LORD;
    consider my groaning.
2   Give attention to the sound of my cry,
    my King and my God,
    for to you do I pray.
3   O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice;
    in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you¹ and watch.
4   For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;
    evil may not dwell with you.
5   The boastful shall not stand before your eyes;
    you hate all evildoers.
6   You destroy those who speak lies;
    the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.
7   But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love,
    will enter your house.
  I will bow down toward your holy temple
    in the fear of you.
8   Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness
    because of my enemies;
    make your way straight before me.
9   For there is no truth in their mouth;
    their inmost self is destruction;
  their throat is an open grave;
    they flatter with their tongue.
10   Make them bear their guilt, O God;
    let them fall by their own counsels;
  because of the abundance of their transgressions cast them out,
    for they have rebelled against you.
11   But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
    let them ever sing for joy,
  and spread your protection over them,
    that those who love your name may exult in you.
12   For you bless the righteous, O LORD;
    you cover him with favor as with a shield.

O Lord, Deliver My Life

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments; according to The Sheminith.² A Psalm of David.

6:1   O LORD, rebuke me not in your anger,
    nor discipline me in your wrath.
2   Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am languishing;
    heal me, O LORD, for my bones are troubled.
3   My soul also is greatly troubled.
    But you, O LORD—how long?
4   Turn, O LORD, deliver my life;
    save me for the sake of your steadfast love.
5   For in death there is no remembrance of you;
    in Sheol who will give you praise?
6   I am weary with my moaning;
    every night I flood my bed with tears;
    I drench my couch with my weeping.
7   My eye wastes away because of grief;
    it grows weak because of all my foes.
8   Depart from me, all you workers of evil,
    for the LORD has heard the sound of my weeping.
9   The LORD has heard my plea;
    the LORD accepts my prayer.
10   All my enemies shall be ashamed and greatly troubled;
    they shall turn back and be put to shame in a moment.

Footnotes

[1] 5:3 Or I direct my prayer to you
[2] 6:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term

(ESV)