Why are you so far away, O LORD? Why do you hide yourself when we are in trouble?

So all your loyal people should pray to you in times of need; when a great flood of trouble comes rushing in, it will not reach them.

You are my hiding place; you will save me from trouble. I sing aloud of your salvation, because you protect me.

God is our shelter and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.

Call to me when trouble comes; I will save you, and you will praise me."

In times of trouble I pray to the Lord; all night long I lift my hands in prayer, but I cannot find comfort.

When they call to me, I will answer them; when they are in trouble, I will be with them. I will rescue them and honor them.

When I am surrounded by troubles, you keep me safe. You oppose my angry enemies and save me by your power.

I have been calling you, inviting you to come, but you would not listen. You paid no attention to me.

So when you get into trouble, I will laugh at you. I will make fun of you when terror strikes---

Then you will call for wisdom, but I will not answer. You may look for me everywhere, but you will not find me.

You punished your people, LORD, and in anguish they prayed to you.

You will all be disgraced---you that say that a tree is your father and that a rock is your mother. This will happen because you turned away from me instead of turning to me. But when you are in trouble, you ask me to come and save you.

"Where are the gods that you made for yourselves? When you are in trouble, let them save you---if they can! Judah, you have as many gods as you have cities.

Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful, because I come to you for safety. In the shadow of your wings I find protection until the raging storms are over.

They are making secret plans against your people; they are plotting against those you protect.

You are my defender and protector; I put my hope in your promise.

The LORD is like a strong tower, where the righteous can go and be safe.

Then over Mount Zion and over all who are gathered there, the LORD will send a cloud in the daytime and smoke and a bright flame at night. God's glory will cover and protect the whole city.

His glory will shade the city from the heat of the day and make it a place of safety, sheltered from the rain and storm.

Go into your houses, my people, and shut the door behind you. Hide yourselves for a little while until God's anger is over.

Each of them will be like a shelter from the wind and a place to hide from storms. They will be like streams flowing in a desert, like the shadow of a giant rock in a barren land.

"Jerusalem, Jerusalem! You kill the prophets and stone the messengers God has sent you! How many times I wanted to put my arms around all your people, just as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would not let me!

For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

You hide them in the safety of your presence from the plots of others; in a safe shelter you hide them from the insults of their enemies.

Whoever goes to the LORD for safety, whoever remains under the protection of the Almighty,

For six years he remained there in hiding, while Athaliah ruled as queen.

About this time I went to visit Shemaiah, the son of Delaiah and grandson of Mehetabel, who was unable to leave his house. He said to me, "You and I must go and hide together in the Holy Place of the Temple and lock the doors, because they are coming to kill you. Any night now they will come to kill you."

I answered, "I'm not the kind of person that runs and hides. Do you think I would try to save my life by hiding in the Temple? I won't do it."

He makes me sure-footed as a deer; he keeps me safe on the mountains.

He pulled me out of a dangerous pit, out of the deadly quicksand. He set me safely on a rock and made me secure.

In despair and far from home I call to you! Take me to a safe refuge,

I will still be joyful and glad, because the LORD God is my savior.

The Sovereign LORD gives me strength. He makes me sure-footed as a deer and keeps me safe on the mountains.

"So then, anyone who hears these words of mine and obeys them is like a wise man who built his house on rock.

The rain poured down, the rivers flooded over, and the wind blew hard against that house. But it did not fall, because it was built on rock.

Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."

And so I tell you, Peter: you are a rock, and on this rock foundation I will build my church, and not even death will ever be able to overcome it.