For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David.

• ¹Hear my voice, God, in my complaint.
• Preserve my life from fear of the enemy.

• ²Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked,
• from the noisy crowd of the ones doing evil;

• ³who sharpen their tongue like a sword,
• and aim their arrows, deadly words,
• ⁴to shoot innocent men from ambushes.
• They shoot at him suddenly and fearlessly.

• ⁵They encourage themselves in evil plans.
• They talk about laying snares secretly.
• They say, “Who will see them?”

• ⁶They plot injustice, saying, “We have made a perfect plan!”
• Surely man’s mind and heart are cunning.

• ⁷But God will shoot at them.
• They will be suddenly struck down with an arrow.

• ⁸Their own tongues shall ruin them.
• All who see them will shake their heads.

• ⁹All mankind shall be afraid.
• They shall declare the work of God,
• and shall wisely ponder what he has done.

• ¹⁰The righteous shall be glad in Yahweh,
• and shall take refuge in him.
• All the upright in heart shall praise him!