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1Listen to what I say, Lord ![#tn Heb “my words.”]
Carefully consider my complaint!
2Pay attention to my cry for help,
my king and my God,
for I am praying to you!
3Lord , in the morning you will hear me;[#sn In the morning is here viewed as the time of prayer (Pss 59:16; 88:13) and/or of deliverance (Ps 30:5).; #tn The imperfect is here understood in a specific future sense; the psalmist is expressing his confidence that God will be willing to hear his request. Another option is to understand the imperfect as expressing the psalmist’s wish or request. In this case one could translate, “Lord, in the morning hear me.”; #tn Heb “my voice.”]
in the morning I will present my case to you and then wait expectantly for an answer.
4Certainly you are not a God who approves of evil;[#tn Or “for.”; #tn Heb “not a God [who] delights [in] wickedness [are] you.”]
evil people cannot dwell with you.
5Arrogant people cannot stand in your presence;[#tn Heb “before your eyes.”]
you hate all who behave wickedly.
6You destroy liars;[#tn The imperfect verbal form indicates God’s typical response to such individuals. Another option is to translate the verb as future (“You will destroy”); the psalmist may be envisioning a time of judgment when God will remove the wicked from the scene.; #tn Heb “those who speak a lie.” In the OT a “lie” does not refer in a general philosophical sense to any statement that fails to correspond to reality. Instead it refers more specifically to a slanderous and/or deceitful statement that promotes one’s own selfish, sinful interests and/or exploits or harms those who are innocent. Note the emphasis on violence and deceit in the following line.]
the Lord despises violent and deceitful people.
7But as for me, because of your great faithfulness I will enter your house;[#sn But as for me. By placing the first person pronoun at the beginning of the verse, the psalmist highlights the contrast between the evildoers’ actions and destiny, outlined in the preceding verses, with his own.; #sn I will enter your house. The psalmist is confident that God will accept him into his presence, in contrast to the evildoers (see v. 5).]
I will bow down toward your holy temple as I worship you.
8Lord , lead me in your righteousness[#tn God’s providential leading is in view. His צְדָקָה (tsÿdaqah, “righteousness”) includes here the deliverance that originates in his righteousness; he protects and vindicates the one whose cause is just. For other examples of this use of the word, see BDB 842 s.v.]
because of those who wait to ambush me,
remove the obstacles in the way in which you are guiding me!
9For they do not speak the truth;[#tn Or “certainly.”; #tn Heb “for there is not in his mouth truthfulness.” The singular pronoun (“his”) probably refers back to the “man of bloodshed and deceit” mentioned in v. 6. The singular is collective or representative, as the plural in the next line indicates, and so has been translated “they.”]
their stomachs are like the place of destruction,
their throats like an open grave,
their tongues like a steep slope leading into it.
10Condemn them, O God![#tn Heb “declare/regard them as guilty.” Declaring the psalmist’s adversaries guilty is here metonymic for judging them or paying them back for their wrongdoing.]
May their own schemes be their downfall!
Drive them away because of their many acts of insurrection,
for they have rebelled against you.
11But may all who take shelter in you be happy![#sn Take shelter. “Taking shelter” in the Lord is an idiom for seeking his protection. Seeking his protection presupposes and even demonstrates the subject’s loyalty to the Lord. In the psalms those who “take shelter” in the Lord are contrasted with the wicked and equated with those who love, fear and serve the Lord (Pss 5:11-12; 31:17-20; 34:21-22).; #tn The prefixed verbal form is a jussive of wish or prayer. The psalmist calls on God to reward his faithful followers.]
May they continually shout for joy!
Shelter them so that those who are loyal to you may rejoice!
12Certainly you reward the godly, Lord .[#tn Or “For.”; #tn Or “bless.” The imperfect verbal forms here and in the next line highlight how God characteristically rewards and protects the godly.; #tn Or “innocent.” The singular form is used here in a collective or representative sense.]
Like a shield you protect them in your good favor.