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64. Psalm 64

¹ Hear me, my God, as I voice my complaint;
protect my life from the threat of the enemy.

    ² Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked,
   from the plots of evildoers.
³ They sharpen their tongues like swords
   and aim cruel words like deadly arrows.
⁴ They shoot from ambush at the innocent;
   they shoot suddenly, without fear.

    ⁵ They encourage each other in evil plans,
   they talk about hiding their snares;
   they say, “Who will see it Or us?”
⁶ They plot injustice and say,
   “We have devised a perfect plan!”
   Surely the human mind and heart are cunning.

    ⁷ But God will shoot them with his arrows;
   they will suddenly be struck down.
⁸ He will turn their own tongues against them
   and bring them to ruin;
   all who see them will shake their heads in scorn.
⁹ All people will fear;
   they will proclaim the works of God
   and ponder what he has done.

    ¹⁰ The righteous will rejoice in the LORD
   and take refuge in him;
   all the upright in heart will glory in him!

7 And God shall shoot an arrow at them The Psalmist now congratulates himself in the confident persuasion that his prayers have not been without effect, but already answered. Though there was no appearance of God’s approaching judgment, he declares that it would suddenly be executed; and in this he affords a remarkable proof of his faith. He saw the wicked hardening themselves in their prosperity, and presuming upon impunity from the divine connivance and forbearance; but instead of yielding to discouragement, he was borne up by the belief that God, according to his usual mode of procedure with the wicked, would visit them at an unexpected moment, when they were flattering themselves with having escaped, and indulging in extravagant confidence. It is a consideration which should comfort us, when subjected to long-continued trial, that God, in delaying to punish the ungodly, does so with the express design of afterwards inflicting judgments of a more condign description upon them, and when they shall say, “Peace and safety,” overwhelming them with sudden destruction, (Jeremiah 8:11 ⁴⁴³⁴⁴³ In the French version the reference is changed to 1 Thessalonians 5:3. )