The prayer of someone in the most dire poverty. This psalm is applicable to the passion of Christ and St. Francis of Assisi prayed it when he was dying.
1* 2I cry aloud to the Lord,
in a loud voice I beseech the Lord.
3Before him I pour out my sorrows,
before him I lay bare my troubles
4and my spirit grows faint.
But you know my path.
Along the way I walk
they have hidden a trap for me.
5Look to my right and see:
no one recognizes me.
I have lost all means of escape;
no one wants to help me.
6I cry to you, O Lord;
I say, “You are my refuge,
my portion in the land of the living.”
7Listen to my groaning,
for I am in deep despair.
Rescue me from my pursuers,
for they are too strong for me.
8O, set me free from captivity,
that I may praise your name!
Then the righteous will gather about me
when they see that you took care of me.
