176I have strayed like a lost sheep;

seek Your servant, for I have not forgotten Your commandments.

In My Distress I Cried to the LORD

A song of ascents.

1In my distress I cried to the LORD,

and He answered me.

2Deliver my soul, O LORD,

from lying lips and a deceitful tongue.

3What will He do to you,

and what will be added to you,

O deceitful tongue?

4Sharp arrows will come from the warrior,

with burning coals of the broom tree!

5Woe to me that I dwell in Meshech,

that I live among the tents of Kedar!

6Too long have I dwelt

among those who hate peace.

7I am in favor of peace;

but when I speak, they want war.

I Lift Up My Eyes to the Hills

A song of ascents.

1I lift up my eyes to the hills.

From where does my help come?

2My help comes from the LORD,

the Maker of heaven and earth.

3He will not allow your foot to slip;

your Protector will not slumber.

4Behold, the Protector of Israel

will neither slumber nor sleep.

5The LORD is your keeper;

the LORD is the shade on your right hand.

6The sun will not strike you by day,

nor the moon by night.

7The LORD will guard you from all evil;

He will preserve your soul.

8The LORD will watch over your coming and going,

both now and forevermore.

Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem

A song of ascents. Of David.

1I was glad when they said to me,

“Let us go to the house of the LORD.”

2Our feet are standing in your gates,

O Jerusalem.

3Jerusalem is built up

as a city united together,

4where the tribes go up,

the tribes of the LORD,

as a testimony for Israel,

to give thanks to the name of the LORD.

5For there the thrones of judgment stand,

the thrones of the house of David.

6Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:

“May those who love you prosper.

7May there be peace within your walls,

and prosperity inside your fortresses.”

8For the sake of my brothers and friends,

I will say, “Peace be within you.”

9For the sake of the house of the LORD our God,

I will seek your prosperity.

I Lift Up My Eyes to You

A song of ascents.

1I lift up my eyes to You,

the One enthroned in heaven.

2As the eyes of servants

look to the hand of their master,

as the eyes of a maidservant

look to the hand of her mistress,

so our eyes are on the LORD our God

until He shows us mercy.

3Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy,

for we have endured much contempt.

4We have endured much scorn from the arrogant,

much contempt from the proud.

Our Help Is in the Name of the LORD

A song of ascents. Of David.

1If the LORD had not been on our side—

let Israel now declare—

2if the LORD had not been on our side

when men attacked us,

3when their anger flared against us,

then they would have swallowed us alive,

4then the floods would have engulfed us,

then the torrent would have overwhelmed us,

5then the raging waters

would have swept us away.

6Blessed be the LORD,

who has not given us as prey to their teeth.

7We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowler;

the net is torn, and we have slipped away.

8Our help is in the name of the LORD,

the Maker of heaven and earth.

The LORD Surrounds His People

A song of ascents.

1Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion.

It cannot be moved; it abides forever.

2As the mountains surround Jerusalem,

so the LORD surrounds His people,

both now and forevermore.

3For the scepter of the wicked will not rest

upon the land allotted to the righteous,

so that the righteous will not put forth

their hands to injustice.

4Do good, O LORD, to those who are good,

and to the upright in heart.

5But those who turn to crooked ways

the LORD will banish with the evildoers.

Peace be upon Israel.

Zion’s Captives Restored

A song of ascents.

1When the LORD restored the captives of Zion,

we were like dreamers.

2Then our mouths were filled with laughter,

our tongues with shouts of joy.

Then it was said among the nations,

“The LORD has done great things for them.”

3The LORD has done great things for us;

we are filled with joy.