Therefore You handed them over to their enemies who oppressed them.

But when they cried out to You in the time of their suffering and distress,

You heard them from heaven, and according to Your great compassion You gave them people to rescue them.

Who rescued them from the hand of their enemies.

When the righteous cry [for help], the Lord hears

And rescues them from all their distress and troubles.

The Lord is near to the heartbroken

And He saves those who are crushed in spirit (contrite in heart, truly sorry for their sin).

Many hardships and perplexing circumstances confront the righteous,

But the Lord rescues him from them all.

He keeps all his bones;

Not one of them is broken.

Evil will cause the death of the wicked,

And those who hate the righteous will be held guilty and will be condemned.

The Lord redeems the soul of His servants,

And none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.

Call on Me in the day of trouble;

I will rescue you, and you shall honor and glorify Me.”

They wander around for food [to devour]

And growl all night if they are not satisfied.

But as for me, I will sing of Your mighty strength and power;

Yes, I will sing joyfully of Your lovingkindness in the morning;

For You have been my stronghold

And a refuge in the day of my distress.

Before I was afflicted I went astray,

But now I keep and honor Your word [with loving obedience].

It is good for me that I have been afflicted,

That I may learn Your statutes.

I know, O Lord, that Your judgments are fair,

And that in faithfulness You have disciplined me.

The Lord upholds all those [of His own] who fall

And raises up all those who are bowed down.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

And through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you.

When you walk through fire, you will not be scorched,

Nor will the flame burn you.

And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose.

who comforts and encourages us in every trouble so that we will be able to comfort and encourage those who are in any kind of trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

For our momentary, light distress [this passing trouble] is producing for us an eternal weight of glory [a fullness] beyond all measure [surpassing all comparisons, a transcendent splendor and an endless blessedness]!

So we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are unseen; for the things which are visible are temporal [just brief and fleeting], but the things which are invisible are everlasting and imperishable.

For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize and understand our weaknesses and temptations, but One who has been tempted [knowing exactly how it feels to be human] in every respect as we are, yet without [committing any] sin.

Therefore let us [with privilege] approach the throne of grace [that is, the throne of God’s gracious favor] with confidence and without fear, so that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find [His amazing] grace to help in time of need [an appropriate blessing, coming just at the right moment].

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God [set aside self-righteous pride], so that He may exalt you [to a place of honor in His service] at the appropriate time,

casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully].

Be sober [well balanced and self-disciplined], be alert and cautious at all times. That enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion [fiercely hungry], seeking someone to devour.

But resist him, be firm in your faith [against his attack—rooted, established, immovable], knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being experienced by your brothers and sisters throughout the world. [You do not suffer alone.]