1 O God, hear my voice when I complain. Keep my life safe from the fear of those who hate me.

Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint; Preserve my life from dread of the enemy.

2 H ide me from the secret plans of the sinful and from the noise of those who do bad things.

Hide me from the secret counsel of evildoers, From the tumult of those who do iniquity,

3 T hey have made their tongues sharp like a sword. They use poison words like arrows.

Who have sharpened their tongue like a sword. They aimed bitter speech as their arrow,

4 T hey shoot at the man without blame from their hiding place. They are quick to shoot at him and are not afraid.

To shoot from concealment at the blameless; Suddenly they shoot at him, and do not fear.

5 T hey talk each other into doing sinful things. They talk about setting hidden traps. They say, “Who will see them?”

They hold fast to themselves an evil purpose; They talk of laying snares secretly; They say, “ Who can see them?”

6 T hey think of ways to do bad things, and say, “We have made a perfect plan!” For the inside thoughts and the heart of a man are deep.

They devise injustices, saying, “We are ready with a well-conceived plot”; For the inward thought and the heart of a man are deep.

7 B ut God will shoot at them with an arrow. They will be hurt very soon.

But God will shoot at them with an arrow; Suddenly they will be wounded.

8 T hey will be made to trip and fall. Their own tongue is against them. All who see them will shake their heads.

So they will make him stumble; Their own tongue is against them; All who see them will shake the head.

9 T hen all men will be afraid. They will tell about the work of God. And they will think about what He has done.

Then all men will fear, And they will declare the work of God, And will consider what He has done.

10 T he man who is right and good will be glad in the Lord and go to Him to be safe. All those whose hearts are right will give Him praise.

The righteous man will be glad in the Lord and will take refuge in Him; And all the upright in heart will glory.