Psalm 4
The appointed Psalm for this past Sunday was Psalm 4; the God Word translation puts the first verse this way:
Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness.
You have freed me from my troubles.
Have pity on me, and hear my prayer!
From <https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+4&version=GW>
This is from the EHV:
My righteous God, answer me when I call.
When I was under pressure, you gave me relief.
Be merciful to me and hear my prayer.
From <https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+4&version=EHV>
How about from the ESV:
Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness!
You have given me relief when I was in distress.
Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!
From <https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+4&version=ESV>
And the KJV:
Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.
From <https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+4&version=KJV>
The Complete Jewish Bible (CJB) give this:
O God, my vindicator!
Answer me when I call!
When I was distressed, you set me free;
now have mercy on me, and hear my prayer.
From <https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+4&version=CJB>
Here’s the Hebrew:
BHS – לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ בִּנְגִינֹ֗ות מִזְמֹ֥ור לְדָוִֽד׃ בְּקָרְאִ֡י עֲנֵ֤נִי׀ אֱלֹ֘הֵ֤י צִדְקִ֗י בַּ֭צָּר הִרְחַ֣בְתָּ לִּ֑י חָ֝נֵּ֗נִי וּשְׁמַ֥ע תְּפִלָּתִֽי׃
All these translations have a slightly different “flavor”; they all still convey the psalmist’s (and our) deepest longing and plea, “Hear my prayer.” The image of our prayer rising like incense before our God comes from Revelation. Where does our doubt about prayer come from? Yet we persist in prayer. Jesus told a parable about the need to always pray and not lose heart (read it here). There are no easy answers, yet we act in the joy of faith. As David concludes Psalm 4:
You have placed joy in my heart greater than the joy
when grain and new wine are plentiful.
In complete peace I will lie down, and I will sleep,
for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.
From <https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+4&version=EHV>
Pray. Continue to pray. With His joy and in peace
Trust the Promises,
Steve Skiver