Meet Jacy Witt

How Long, O LORD?

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

1  How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever?
    How long will you hide your face from me?
2  How long must I take counsel in my soul
    and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

3  Consider and answer me, O LORD my God;
    light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,
4  lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,”
    lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.

5  But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
    my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
6  I will sing to the LORD,
    because he has dealt bountifully with me.

The Fool Says, There Is No God

To the choirmaster. Of David.

1  The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
    They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds;
    there is none who does good.

2  The LORD looks down from heaven on the children of man,
    to see if there are any who understand, ^{1 14:2 Or that act wisely}
    who seek after God.

3  They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt;
    there is none who does good,
    not even one.

4  Have they no knowledge, all the evildoers
    who eat up my people as they eat bread
    and do not call upon the LORD?

5  There they are in great terror,
    for God is with the generation of the righteous.
6  You would shame the plans of the poor,
    but ^{2 14:6 Or for} the LORD is his refuge.

7  Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
    When the LORD restores the fortunes of his people,
    let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.

Who Shall Dwell on Your Holy Hill?

A Psalm of David.

1  O LORD, who shall sojourn in your tent?
    Who shall dwell on your holy hill?

2  He who walks blamelessly and does what is right
    and speaks truth in his heart;
3  who does not slander with his tongue
    and does no evil to his neighbor,
    nor takes up a reproach against his friend;
4  in whose eyes a vile person is despised,
    but who honors those who fear the LORD;
who swears to his own hurt and does not change;
5  who does not put out his money at interest
    and does not take a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things shall never be moved.

You Will Not Abandon My Soul

A Miktam ^{3 16:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term} of David.

1  Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
2  I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord;
    I have no good apart from you.”

3  As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones,
    in whom is all my delight. ^{4 16:3 Or To the saints in the land, the excellent in whom is all my delight, I say:}

4  The sorrows of those who run after ^{5 16:4 Or who acquire} another god shall multiply;
    their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out
    or take their names on my lips.

5  The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup;
    you hold my lot.
6  The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
    indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

7  I bless the LORD who gives me counsel;
    in the night also my heart instructs me. ^{6 16:7 Hebrew my kidneys instruct me}
8  I have set the LORD always before me;
    because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

9  Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being ^{7 16:9 Hebrew my glory} rejoices;
    my flesh also dwells secure.
10  For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
    or let your holy one see corruption. ^{8 16:10 Or see the pit}

11  You make known to me the path of life;
    in your presence there is fullness of joy;
    at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

In the Shadow of Your Wings

A Prayer of David.

1  Hear a just cause, O LORD; attend to my cry!
    Give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit!
2  From your presence let my vindication come!
    Let your eyes behold the right!

3  You have tried my heart, you have visited me by night,
    you have tested me, and you will find nothing;
    I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress.
4  With regard to the works of man, by the word of your lips
    I have avoided the ways of the violent.
5  My steps have held fast to your paths;
    my feet have not slipped.

6  I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God;
    incline your ear to me; hear my words.
7  Wondrously show ^{9 17:7 Or Distinguish me by} your steadfast love,
    O Savior of those who seek refuge
    from their adversaries at your right hand.

8  Keep me as the apple of your eye;
    hide me in the shadow of your wings,
9  from the wicked who do me violence,
    my deadly enemies who surround me.

10  They close their hearts to pity;
    with their mouths they speak arrogantly.
11  They have now surrounded our steps;
    they set their eyes to cast us to the ground.
12  He is like a lion eager to tear,
    as a young lion lurking in ambush.

13  Arise, O LORD! Confront him, subdue him!
    Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword,
14  from men by your hand, O LORD,
    from men of the world whose portion is in this life. ^{10 17:14 Or from men whose portion in life is of the world}
You fill their womb with treasure; ^{11 17:14 Or As for your treasured ones, you fill their womb}
    they are satisfied with children,
    and they leave their abundance to their infants.

15  As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness;
    when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness.

The LORD Is My Rock and My Fortress

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, the servant of the LORD, who addressed the words of this song to the LORD on the day when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. He said:

1  I love you, O LORD, my strength.
2  The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
    my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
    my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3  I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised,
    and I am saved from my enemies.

4  The cords of death encompassed me;
    the torrents of destruction assailed me; ^{12 18:4 Or terrified me}
5  the cords of Sheol entangled me;
    the snares of death confronted me.

6  In my distress I called upon the LORD;
    to my God I cried for help.
From his temple he heard my voice,
    and my cry to him reached his ears.

7  Then the earth reeled and rocked;
    the foundations also of the mountains trembled
    and quaked, because he was angry.
8  Smoke went up from his nostrils, ^{13 18:8 Or in his wrath}
    and devouring fire from his mouth;
    glowing coals flamed forth from him.
9  He bowed the heavens and came down;
    thick darkness was under his feet.
10  He rode on a cherub and flew;
    he came swiftly on the wings of the wind.
11  He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him,
    thick clouds dark with water.
12  Out of the brightness before him
    hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds.

13  The LORD also thundered in the heavens,
    and the Most High uttered his voice,
    hailstones and coals of fire.
14  And he sent out his arrows and scattered them;
    he flashed forth lightnings and routed them.
15  Then the channels of the sea were seen,
    and the foundations of the world were laid bare
at your rebuke, O LORD,
    at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.

16  He sent from on high, he took me;
    he drew me out of many waters.
17  He rescued me from my strong enemy
    and from those who hated me,
    for they were too mighty for me.
18  They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
    but the LORD was my support.
19  He brought me out into a broad place;
    he rescued me, because he delighted in me.

20  The LORD dealt with me according to my righteousness;
    according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me.
21  For I have kept the ways of the LORD,
    and have not wickedly departed from my God.
22  For all his rules ^{14 18:22 Or just decrees} were before me,
    and his statutes I did not put away from me.
23  I was blameless before him,
    and I kept myself from my guilt.
24  So the LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
    according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.

25  With the merciful you show yourself merciful;
    with the blameless man you show yourself blameless;
26  with the purified you show yourself pure;
    and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.
27  For you save a humble people,
    but the haughty eyes you bring down.
28  For it is you who light my lamp;
    the LORD my God lightens my darkness.
29  For by you I can run against a troop,
    and by my God I can leap over a wall.
30  This God—his way is perfect; ^{15 18:30 Or blameless}
    the word of the LORD proves true;
    he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.

31  For who is God, but the LORD?
    And who is a rock, except our God?—
32  the God who equipped me with strength
    and made my way blameless.
33  He made my feet like the feet of a deer
    and set me secure on the heights.
34  He trains my hands for war,
    so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35  You have given me the shield of your salvation,
    and your right hand supported me,
    and your gentleness made me great.
36  You gave a wide place for my steps under me,
    and my feet did not slip.
37  I pursued my enemies and overtook them,
    and did not turn back till they were consumed.
38  I thrust them through, so that they were not able to rise;
    they fell under my feet.
39  For you equipped me with strength for the battle;
    you made those who rise against me sink under me.
40  You made my enemies turn their backs to me, ^{16 18:40 Or You gave me my enemies' necks}
    and those who hated me I destroyed.
41  They cried for help, but there was none to save;
    they cried to the LORD, but he did not answer them.
42  I beat them fine as dust before the wind;
    I cast them out like the mire of the streets.

43  You delivered me from strife with the people;
    you made me the head of the nations;
    people whom I had not known served me.
44  As soon as they heard of me they obeyed me;
    foreigners came cringing to me.
45  Foreigners lost heart
    and came trembling out of their fortresses.

46  The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock,
    and exalted be the God of my salvation—
47  the God who gave me vengeance
    and subdued peoples under me,
48  who rescued me from my enemies;
    yes, you exalted me above those who rose against me;
    you delivered me from the man of violence.

49  For this I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations,
    and sing to your name.
50  Great salvation he brings to his king,
    and shows steadfast love to his anointed,
    to David and his offspring forever.