New American Bible Revised Edition
Contents
Psalms 1
True Happiness in God’s Law
I
1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the way* of sinners, nor sit in company with scoffers.
2 Rather, the law of the Lord is his joy; and on his law he meditates day and night.
3 He is like a tree planted near streams of water, that yields its fruit in season; Its leaves never wither; whatever he does prospers.
II
4 But not so are the wicked, not so! They are like chaff driven by the wind.
5 Therefore the wicked will not arise at the judgment, nor will sinners in the assembly of the just.
6 Because the Lord knows the way of the just,e but the way of the wicked leads to ruin.
Psalms 2
A Psalm for A Royal Coronation
1 Why do the nations protest and the peoples conspire in vain?
2 Kings on earth rise up and princes plot together against the Lord and against his anointed one:
3 “Let us break their shackles and cast off their chains from us!”
4 The one enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord derides them,
5 Then he speaks to them in his anger, in his wrath he terrifies them:
6 “I myself have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain.”
7 I will proclaim the decree of the Lord, he said to me, “You are my son; today I have begotten you.
8 Ask it of me, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance, and, as your possession, the ends of the earth.
9 With an iron rod you will shepherd them, like a potter’s vessel you will shatter them.
10 And now, kings, give heed; take warning, judges on earth.
11 Serve the Lord with fear; exult with trembling, Accept correction lest he become angry and you perish along the way when his anger suddenly blazes up. Blessed are all who take refuge in him!
Psalms 3
Threatened But Trusting
1 A psalm of David, when he fled from his son Absalom.
I
2 How many are my foes, Lord! How many rise against me!
3 How many say of me, “There is no salvation for him in God.” Selah
4 But you, Lord, are a shield around me; my glory, you keep my head high.
II
5 With my own voice I will call out to the Lord, and he will answer me from his holy mountain. Selah
6 I lie down and I fall asleep, [and] I will wake up, for the Lord sustains me.
7 I do not fear, then, thousands of people arrayed against me on every side.
III
8 Arise, Lord! Save me, my God! For you strike the cheekbone of all my foes; you break the teeth of the wicked.
9 Salvation is from the Lord! May your blessing be upon your people! Selah
Psalms 4
Trust in God
1 For the leader; with stringed instruments. A psalm of David.
I
2Answer me when I call, my saving God. When troubles hem me in, set me free; take pity on me, hear my prayer.
II
3 How long, O people, will you be hard of heart? Why do you love what is worthless, chase after lies? Selah
4 Know that the Lord works wonders for his faithful one; the Lord hears when I call out to him.
5 Tremble* and sin no more; weep bitterly within your hearts, wail upon your beds,
6 Offer fitting sacrifices and trust in the Lord.
III
7 Many say, “May we see better times! Lord, show us the light of your face!” Selah
8 But you have given my heart more joy than they have when grain and wine abound.
9 In peace I will lie down and fall asleep, for you alone, Lord, make me secure.
Psalms 5
Prayer for Divine Help
1 For the leader; with wind instruments. A psalm of David.
I
2 Give ear to my words, O Lord; understand my sighing.
3Attend to the sound of my cry, my king and my God! For to you I will pray, Lord;
4 in the morning you will hear my voice; in the morning I will plead before you and wait.
II
5 You are not a god who delights in evil; no wicked person finds refuge with you;
6 the arrogant cannot stand before your eyes. You hate all who do evil;
7 you destroy those who speak falsely. A bloody and fraudulent man the Lord abhors.
III
8 But I, through the abundance of your mercy, will enter into your house. I will bow down toward your holy sanctuary out of fear of you.
9 Lord, guide me in your justice because of my foes; make straight your way before me.
IV
10 For there is no sincerity in their mouth; their heart is corrupt. Their throat is an open grave;f on their tongue are subtle lies.
11 Declare them guilty, God; make them fall by their own devices. Drive them out for their many sins; for they have rebelled against you.
V
12 Then all who trust in you will be glad and forever shout for joy. You will protect them and those will rejoice in you who love your name.
13 For you, Lord, bless the just one; you surround him with favor like a shield.
Psalms 6
Prayer in Distress
1 For the leader; with stringed instruments, “upon the eighth.”* A psalm of David.
I
2 Do not reprove me in your anger, Lord, nor punish me in your wrath.
3 Have pity on me, Lord, for I am weak; heal me, Lord, for my bones are shuddering.
4 My soul too is shuddering greatly- and you, Lord, how long…?
5 Turn back, Lord, rescue my soul; save me because of your mercy.
6 For in death there is no remembrance of you. Who praises you in Sheol?
II
7 I am wearied with sighing; all night long I drench my bed with tears; I soak my couch with weeping.
8 My eyes are dimmed with sorrow, worn out because of all my foes.
III
9 Away from me, all who do evil!f The Lord has heard the sound of my weeping.
10 The Lord has heard my plea; the Lord will receive my prayer.
11 My foes will all be disgraced and will shudder greatly; they will turn back in sudden disgrace.
Psalms 7
God The Vindicator
1 A plaintive song of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning Cush, the Benjaminite.
I
2 Lord my God, in you I trusted; save me; rescue me from all who pursue me,
3 Lest someone maul me like a lion, tear my soul apart with no one to deliver.
II
4 Lord my God, if I have done this, if there is guilt on my hands,
5 If I have maltreated someone treating me equitably- or even despoiled my oppressor without cause-
6 Then let my enemy pursue and overtake my soul, trample my life to the ground, and lay my honor in the dust. Selah
III
7 Rise up, Lord, in your anger; be aroused against the outrages of my oppressors. Stir up the justice, my God, you have commanded.
8 Have the assembly of the peoples gather about you; and return on high above them,
9 the Lord will pass judgment on the peoples. Judge me, Lord, according to my righteousness, and my integrity.
10 Let the malice of the wicked end. Uphold the just one, O just God, who tries hearts and minds.
IV
11 God is a shield above me saving the upright of heart.
12 God is a just judge, powerful and patient, not exercising anger every day.
13 If one does not repent, God sharpens his sword, strings and readies the bow,
14 Prepares his deadly shafts, makes arrows blazing thunderbolts.
V
15 Consider how one conceives iniquity; is pregnant with mischief, and gives birth to deception.
16 He digs a hole and bores it deep, but he falls into the pit he has made.
17 His malice turns back upon his head; his violence falls on his own skull.
VI
18 I will thank the Lord in accordance with his justice; I will sing the name of the Lord Most High.
Psalms 8
Divine Majesty And Human Dignity
1 For the leader; “upon the gittith.”* A psalm of David.
2 O Lord, our Lord, how awesome is your name through all the earth! I will sing of your majesty above the heavens
3 with the mouths of babesa and infants. You have established a bulwark against your foes, to silence enemy and avenger.
4 When I see your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and stars that you set in place-
5 What is man that you are mindful of him, and a son of man that you care for him?
6 Yet you have made him little less than a god, crowned him with glory and honor.
7 You have given him rule over the works of your hands, put all things at his feet:
8 All sheep and oxen, even the beasts of the field,
9 The birds of the air, the fish of the sea, and whatever swims the paths of the seas.
10 O Lord, our Lord, how awesome is your name through all the earth!
Psalms 9
Thanksgiving for Victory And Prayer for Justice
1For the leader; according to Muth Labben.
A psalm of David.
I
2 I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart; I will declare all your wondrous deeds.
3 I will delight and rejoice in you; I will sing hymns to your name, Most High.
4 When my enemies turn back, they stumble and perish before you.
II
5 For you upheld my right and my cause, seated on your throne, judging justly.
6 You rebuked the nations, you destroyed the wicked; their name you blotted out for all time.
7 The enemies have been ruined forever; you destroyed their cities; their memory has perished.
III
8 The Lord rules forever, has set up his throne for judgment.
9 It is he who judges the world with justice, who judges the peoples with fairness.
10 The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.
11 Those who know your name trust in you; you never forsake those who seek you, Lord.
IV
12 Sing hymns to the Lord enthroned on Zion; proclaim his deeds among the nations!
13 For the avenger of bloodshed remembers, does not forget the cry of the afflicted.
V
14 Be gracious to me, Lord; see how my foes afflict me! You alone can raise me from the gates of death.
15Then I will declare all your praises, sing joyously of your salvation in the gates of daughter Zion.
Vi
16 The nations fall into the pit they dig; in the snare they hide, their own foot is caught.
17 The Lord is revealed in making judgments: by the deeds they do the wicked are trapped. Higgaion. Selah
Vii
18 To Sheol the wicked will depart, all the nations that forget God.
19 For the needy will never be forgotten, nor will the hope of the afflicted ever fade.
20 Arise, Lord, let no mortal prevail; let the nations be judged in your presence.
21 Strike them with terror, Lord; show the nations they are only human. Selah
Psalms 10
I
1 Why, Lord, do you stand afar and pay no heed in times of trouble?
2 Arrogant scoundrels pursue the poor; they trap them by their cunning schemes.
II
3 The wicked even boast of their greed; these robbers curse and scorn the Lord.
4 In their insolence the wicked boast: “God does not care; there is no God.”
5 Yet their affairs always succeed; they ignore your judgment on high; they sneer at all who oppose them.
6 They say in their hearts, “We will never fall; never will we see misfortune.”
7 Their mouths are full of oaths, violence, and lies; discord and evil are under their tongues.
8 They wait in ambush near towns; their eyes watch for the helpless to murder the innocent in secret.
9 They lurk in ambush like lions in a thicket, hide there to trap the poor, snare them and close the net.
10 The helpless are crushed, laid low; they fall into the power of the wicked,
11 Who say in their hearts, “God has forgotten, shows no concern, never bothers to look.”
III
12 Rise up, Lord! God, lift up your hand! Do not forget the poor!
13 Why should the wicked scorn God, say in their hearts, “God does not care”?
14But you do see; you take note of misery and sorrow; you take the matter in hand. To you the helpless can entrust their cause; you are the defender of orphans.
15 Break the arm of the wicked and depraved; make them account for their crimes; let none of them survive.
IV
16 The Lord is king forever;j the nations have vanished from his land.
17 You listen, Lord, to the needs of the poor; you strengthen their heart and incline your ear.
18 You win justice for the orphaned and oppressed; no one on earth will cause terror again.
Psalms 11
Confidence in The Presence of God
1 For the leader. Of David.
I
1 In the Lord I take refuge; how can you say to me, “Flee like a bird to the mountains!
2 See how the wicked string their bows, fit their arrows to the string to shoot from the shadows at the upright of heart.
3 If foundations are destroyed, what can the just one do?”
II
4 The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord’s throne is in heaven. God’s eyes keep careful watch; they test the children of Adam.
5 The Lord tests the righteous and the wicked, hates those who love violence,
6 And rains upon the wicked fiery coals and brimstone, a scorching wind their allotted cup.
7 The Lord is just and loves just deeds; the upright will see his face.
Psalms 12
Prayer against Evil Tongues
1 For the leader; “upon the eighth.” A psalm of David.
I
2 Help, Lord, for no one loyal remains; the faithful have vanished from the children of men.
3 They tell lies to one another, speak with deceiving lips and a double heart.
II
4 May the Lord cut off all deceiving lips, and every boastful tongue,
5 Those who say, “By our tongues we prevail; when our lips speak, who can lord it over us?”
III
6 “Because they rob the weak, and the needy groan, I will now arise,” says the Lord; “I will grant safety to whoever longs for it.”
IV
7 The promises of the Lord are sure, silver refined in a crucible, silver purified seven times.
8 You, O Lord, protect us always; preserve us from this generation.
9 On every side the wicked roam; the shameless are extolled by the children of men.
Psalms 13
Prayer for Help
1 For the leader. A psalm of David.
I
2 How long, Lord? Will you utterly forget me? How long will you hide your face from me?
3 How long must I carry sorrow in my soul, grief in my heart day after day? How long will my enemy triumph over me?
II
4 Look upon me, answer me, Lord, my God! Give light to my eyes lest I sleep in death,
5 Lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed,” lest my foes rejoice at my downfall.
III
6 But I trust in your mercy. Grant my heart joy in your salvation, I will sing to the Lord, for he has dealt bountifully with me!
Psalms 14
A Lament Over Widespread Corruption
1 For the leader. Of David.
I
1 The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” Their deeds are loathsome and corrupt; not one does what is good.
2 The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men, To see if even one is wise, if even one seeks God.
3 All have gone astray; all alike are perverse. Not one does what is good, not even one.
II
4 Will these evildoers never learn? They devour my people as they devour bread;e they do not call upon the Lord.
5 They have good reason, then, to fear; God is with the company of the just.
6 They would crush the hopes of the poor, but the poor have the Lord as their refuge.
III
7 Oh, that from Zion might come the salvation of Israel! Jacob would rejoice, and Israel be glad when the Lord restores his people!
Psalms 15
The Righteous Israelite
A psalm of David.
I
1 Lord, who may abide in your tent? Who may dwell on your holy mountain?
II
2 Whoever walks without blame, doing what is right, speaking truth from the heart;
3 Who does not slander with his tongue, does no harm to a friend, never defames a neighbor;
4 Who disdains the wicked, but honors those who fear the Lord; Who keeps an oath despite the cost,
5 lends no money at interest, accepts no bribe against the innocent.
III
5 Whoever acts like this shall never be shaken.
Psalms 16
God The Supreme Good
Amiktam of David.
I
1 Keep me safe, O God; in you I take refuge.
2 I say to the Lord, you are my Lord, you are my only good.
3 As for the holy ones who are in the land, they are noble, in whom is all my delight.
4 They multiply their sorrows who court other gods. Blood libations to them I will not pour out, nor will I take their names upon my lips.
5 Lord, my allotted portion and my cup, you have made my destiny secure.
6 Pleasant places were measured out for me; fair to me indeed is my inheritance.
II
7 I bless the Lord who counsels me; even at night my heart exhorts me.
8 I keep the Lord always before me; with him at my right hand, I shall never be shaken.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, my soul rejoices; my body also dwells secure,
10 For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, nor let your devout one see the pit.
11 You will show me the path to life, abounding joy in your presence, the delights at your right hand forever.
Psalms 17
Prayer for Rescue From Persecutors
A prayer of David.
I
1 Hear, Lord, my plea for justice; pay heed to my cry; Listen to my prayer from lips without guile.
2 From you let my vindication come; your eyes see what is right.
3 You have tested my heart, searched it in the night. You have tried me by fire, but find no malice in me. My mouth has not transgressed
4 as others often do. As your lips have instructed me, I have kept from the way of the lawless.
5 My steps have kept to your paths; my feet have not faltered.
II
6 I call upon you; answer me, O God. Turn your ear to me; hear my speech.
7 Show your wonderful mercy, you who deliver with your right arm those who seek refuge from their foes.
8 Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings
9 from the wicked who despoil me.
III
9 My ravenous enemies press upon me;
10 they close their hearts, they fill their mouths with proud roaring.
11 Their steps even now encircle me; they watch closely, keeping low to the ground,
12 Like lions eager for prey, like a young lion lurking in ambush.
13 Rise, O Lord, confront and cast them down; rescue my soul from the wicked.
14 Slay them with your sword; with your hand, Lord, slay them; snatch them from the world in their prime. Their bellies are being filled with your friends; their children are satisfied too, for they share what is left with their young.
15 I am just-let me see your face; when I awake, let me be filled with your presence.
Psalms 18
A King’s Thanksgiving for Victory
1 For the leader. Of David, the servant of the Lord, who sang to the Lord the words of this song after the Lord had rescued him from the clutches of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.
2 He said:
I
2 I love you, Lord, my strength,
3 Lord, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer, My God, my rock of refuge, my shield, my saving horn,* my stronghold!b
4 Praised be the Lord, I exclaim! I have been delivered from my enemies.
II
5 The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of destruction terrified me.
6 The cords* of Sheol encircled me; the snares of death lay in wait for me.
7 In my distress I called out: Lord! I cried out to my God. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry to him reached his ears.
8 The earth rocked and shook; the foundations of the mountains trembled; they shook as his wrath flared up.
9 Smoke rose from his nostrils, a devouring fire from his mouth; it kindled coals into flame.
10 He parted the heavens and came down, a dark cloud under his feet.
11 Mounted on a cherub he flew, borne along on the wings of the wind.
12 He made darkness his cloak around him; his canopy, water-darkened stormclouds.
13 From the gleam before him, his clouds passed, hail and coals of fire.
14 The Lord thundered from heaven; the Most High made his voice resound.
15 He let fly his arrows* and scattered them; shot his lightning bolts and dispersed them.
16 Then the bed of the sea appeared; the world’s foundations lay bare, At your rebuke, O Lord, at the storming breath of your nostrils.
17 He reached down from on high and seized me; drew me out of the deep waters.
18 He rescued me from my mighty enemy, from foes too powerful for me.
19 They attacked me on my day of distress, but the Lord was my support.
20 He set me free in the open; he rescued me because he loves me.
III
21 The Lord acknowledged my righteousness, rewarded my clean hands.
22 For I kept the ways of the Lord; I was not disloyal to my God.
23 For his laws were all before me, his decrees I did not cast aside.
24 I was honest toward him; I was on guard against sin.
25 So the Lord rewarded my righteousness, the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
26 Toward the faithful you are faithful; to the honest man you are honest;m
27 Toward the pure, you are pure; but to the perverse you are devious.
28 For humble people you save; haughty eyes you bring low.
29 For you, Lord, give light to my lamp; my God brightens my darkness.
30 With you I can rush an armed band, with my God to help I can leap a wall.
31 God’s way is unerring; the Lord’s promise is refined; he is a shield for all who take refuge in him.
IV
32 Truly, who is God except the Lord? Who but our God is the rock?
33 This God who girded me with might, kept my way unerring,
34 Who made my feet like a deer’s, and set me on the heights,
35 Who trained my hands for war, my arms to string a bow of bronze.
V
36 You have given me your saving shield; your right hand has upheld me; your favor made me great.
37 You made room for my steps beneath me; my ankles never twisted.
38 I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back till I destroyed them.
39 I decimated them; they could not rise; they fell at my feet.
40 You girded me with valor for war, subjugated my opponents beneath me.
41 You made my foes expose their necks to me; those who hated me I silenced.
42 They cried for help, but no one saved them; cried to the Lord but received no answer.
43 I ground them to dust before the wind; I left them like mud in the streets.
44 You rescued me from the strife of peoples; you made me head over nations. A people I had not known served me;
45 as soon as they heard of me they obeyed. Foreigners submitted before me;
46 foreigners cringed; they came cowering from their dungeons.
Vi
47 The Lord lives! Blessed be my rock!v Exalted be God, my savior!
48 O God who granted me vengeance, made peoples subject to me,
49 and saved me from my enemies, Truly you have elevated me above my opponents, from a man of lawlessness you have rescued me.
50 Thus I will praise you, Lord, among the nations; I will sing praises to your name.
51 You have given great victories to your king, and shown mercy to his anointed, to David and his posterity forever.
Psalms 19
God’s Glory in The Heavens And in The Law
1 For the leader. A psalm of David.
I
2 The heavens declare the glory of God; the firmament proclaims the works of his hands.
3 Day unto day pours forth speech; night unto night whispers knowledge.
4 There is no speech, no words; their voice is not heard;
5 A report goes forth through all the earth, their messages, to the ends of the world. He has pitched in them a tent for the sun;
6 it comes forth like a bridegroom from his canopy, and like a hero joyfully runs its course.
7 From one end of the heavens it comes forth; its course runs through to the other; nothing escapes its heat.
II
8 The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The decree of the Lord is trustworthy, giving wisdom to the simple.
9 The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. The command of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eye.
10 The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The statutes of the Lord are true, all of them just;
11 More desirable than gold, than a hoard of purest gold, Sweeter also than honey or drippings from the comb.
12 By them your servant is warned; obeying them brings much reward.
III
13 Who can detect trespasses? Cleanse me from my inadvertent sins.
14 Also from arrogant ones restrain your servant; let them never control me. Then shall I be blameless, innocent of grave sin.
15 Let the words of my mouth be acceptable, the thoughts of my heart before you, Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
Psalms 20
Prayer for the King in Time of War
1 For the leader. A psalm of David.
I
2 The Lord answer you in time of distress; the name of the God of Jacob defend you!
3 May he send you help from the sanctuary, from Zion be your support.
4 May he remember your every offering, graciously accept your burnt offering, Selah
5 Grant what is in your heart, fulfill your every plan.
6 May we shout for joy at your victory, raise the banners in the name of our God. The Lord grant your every petition!
II
7 Now I know the Lord gives victory to his anointed. He will answer him from the holy heavens with a strong arm that brings victory.
8 Some rely on chariots, others on horses, but we on the name of the Lord our God.
9 They collapse and fall, but we stand strong and firm.
10 Lord, grant victory to the king; answer when we call upon you.
Psalms 21
Thanksgiving and Assurances for the King
1 For the leader. A psalm of David.
I
2 Lord, the king finds joy in your power;a in your victory how greatly he rejoices!
3 You have granted him his heart’s desire; you did not refuse the request of his lips. Selah
4 For you welcomed him with goodly blessings; you placed on his head a crown of pure gold.
5 He asked life of you; you gave it to him, length of days forever.
6 Great is his glory in your victory; majesty and splendor you confer upon him.
7 You make him the pattern of blessings forever, you gladden him with the joy of your face.
8 For the king trusts in the Lord, stands firm through the mercy of the Most High.
II
9 Your hand will find all your enemies; your right hand will find your foes!
10 At the time of your coming you will make them a fiery furnace. Then the Lord in his anger will consume them, devour them with fire.
11 Even their descendants you will wipe out from the earth, their offspring from the human race.
12 Though they intend evil against you, devising plots, they will not succeed,
13 For you will put them to flight; you will aim at their faces with your bow.
III
14 Arise, Lord, in your power!c We will sing and chant the praise of your might.
Psalms 22
The Prayer of an Innocent Person
1 For the leader; according to “The deer of the dawn.” A psalm of David.
I
2 My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why so far from my call for help, from my cries of anguish?
3 My God, I call by day, but you do not answer; by night, but I have no relief.
4 Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the glory of Israel.
5 In you our fathers trusted; they trusted and you rescued them.
6 To you they cried out and they escaped; in you they trusted and were not disappointed.
7 But I am a worm, not a man, scorned by men, despised by the people.
8 All who see me mock me; they curl their lips and jeer; they shake their heads at me:
9 “He relied on the Lord—let him deliver him; if he loves him, let him rescue him.”
10 For you drew me forth from the womb, made me safe at my mother’s breasts.
11 Upon you I was thrust from the womb; since my mother bore me you are my God.
12 Do not stay far from me, for trouble is near, and there is no one to help.
II
13 Many bulls surround me; fierce bulls of Bashan encircle me.
14 They open their mouths against me, lions that rend and roar.
15 Like water my life drains away; all my bones are disjointed. My heart has become like wax, it melts away within me.
16 As dry as a potsherd is my throat; my tongue cleaves to my palate; you lay me in the dust of death.
17 Dogs surround me; a pack of evildoers closes in on me. They have pierced my hands and my feet
18 I can count all my bones. They stare at me and gloat;
19 they divide my garments among them; for my clothing they cast lots.
20 But you, Lord, do not stay far off; my strength, come quickly to help me.
21 Deliver my soul from the sword, my life from the grip of the dog.
22 Save me from the lion’s mouth, my poor life from the horns of wild bulls.
III
23 Then I will proclaim your name to my brethren; in the assembly I will praise you:n
24 “You who fear the Lord, give praise! All descendants of Jacob, give honor; show reverence, all descendants of Israel!
25 For he has not spurned or disdained the misery of this poor wretch, Did not turn away from me, but heard me when I cried out.
26 I will offer praise in the great assembly; my vows I will fulfill before those who fear him.
27 The poor will eat their fill; those who seek the Lord will offer praise. May your hearts enjoy life forever!”
IV
28 All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord; All the families of nations will bow low before him.p
29 For kingship belongs to the Lord, the ruler over the nations.
30 All who sleep in the earth will bow low before God; All who have gone down into the dust will kneel in homage.
31 And I will live for the Lord; my descendants will serve you.
32 The generation to come will be told of the Lord, that they may proclaim to a people yet unborn the deliverance you have brought.
Psalms 23
The Lord, Shepherd and Host
1 A psalm of David.
I
The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack.
2 In green pastures he makes me lie down; to still waters he leads me;
3 bhe restores my soul. He guides me along right paths for the sake of his name.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,c I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff comfort me.
II
5 You set a table before me in front of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil;d my cup overflows.
6 Indeed, goodness and mercy will pursue me all the days of my life; I will dwell in the house of the Lordf for endless days.
Psalms 24
The Glory of God in Procession to Zion
1 A psalm of David.
I
The earth is the Lord’s and all it holds,a the world and those who dwell in it.
2 For he founded it on the seas, established it over the rivers.
II
3 Who may go up the mountain of the Lord?c Who can stand in his holy place?
4 “The clean of hand and pure of heart, who has not given his soul to useless things, what is vain.
5 He will receive blessings from the Lord, and justice from his saving God.
6 Such is the generation that seeks him, that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.” Selah
III
7 Lift up your heads, O gates; be lifted, you ancient portals, that the king of glory may enter.
8 Who is this king of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in war.
9 Lift up your heads, O gates; rise up, you ancient portals, that the king of glory may enter.
10 Who is this king of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the king of glory. Selah
Psalms 25
Confident Prayer for Forgiveness and Guidance
1 Of David.
I
To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul,
2 amy God, in you I trust; do not let me be disgraced;b do not let my enemies gloat over me.
3 No one is disgraced who waits for you,c but only those who are treacherous without cause.
4 Make known to me your ways, Lord; teach me your paths.
5 Guide me by your fidelity and teach me, for you are God my savior, for you I wait all the day long.
6 Remember your compassion and your mercy, O Lord, for they are ages old.
7 Remember no more the sins of my youth;f remember me according to your mercy, because of your goodness, Lord.
II
8 Good and upright is the Lord, therefore he shows sinners the way,
9 He guides the humble in righteousness, and teaches the humble his way.
10 All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth toward those who honor his covenant and decrees.
11 For the sake of your name, Lord, pardon my guilt, though it is great.
12 Who is the one who fears the Lord? God shows him the way he should choose.
13 He will abide in prosperity, and his descendants will inherit the land.
14 The counsel of the Lord belongs to those who fear him; and his covenant instructs them.
15 My eyes are ever upon the Lord, who frees my feet from the snare.
III
16 Look upon me, have pity on me, for I am alone and afflicted.
17 Relieve the troubles of my heart; bring me out of my distress.
18 Look upon my affliction and suffering; take away all my sins.
19 See how many are my enemies, see how fiercely they hate me.
20 Preserve my soul and rescue me; do not let me be disgraced, for in you I seek refuge.
21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; I wait for you, O Lord.
22 Redeem Israel, O God, from all its distress!
Psalms 26
Prayer of Innocence
1 Of David.
I
Judge me, Lord! For I have walked in my integrity. In the Lord I trust; I do not falter.
2 Examine me, Lord, and test me; search my heart and mind.
3 Your mercy is before my eyes; I walk guided by your faithfulness.
II
4 I do not sit with worthless men, nor with hypocrites do I mingle.
5 I hate an evil assembly; with the wicked I do not sit.
6 I will wash my hands in innocenced so that I may process around your altar, Lord,
7 To hear the sound of thanksgiving, and recount all your wondrous deeds.
8 Lord, I love the refuge of your house, the site of the dwelling-place of your glory.
III
9 Do not take me away with sinners, nor my life with the men of blood,f
10 In whose hands there is a plot, their right hands full of bribery.
11 But I walk in my integrity;g redeem me, be gracious to me!h
12 My foot stands on level ground; in assemblies I will bless the Lord.
Psalms 27
Trust in God
1 Of David.
A
I
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear? The Lord is my life’s refuge; of whom should I be afraid?
2 When evildoers come at me to devour my flesh,b These my enemies and foes themselves stumble and fall.
3 Though an army encamp against me, my heart does not fear; Though war be waged against me, even then do I trust.
II
4 One thing I ask of the Lord; this I seek: To dwell in the Lord’s house all the days of my life, To gaze on the Lord’s beauty, to visit his temple.
5 For God will hide me in his shelter in time of trouble,d He will conceal me in the cover of his tent; and set me high upon a rock.
6 Even now my head is held high above my enemies on every side! I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and chant praise to the Lord.
B
I
7 Hear my voice, Lord, when I call; have mercy on me and answer me.
8 “Come,” says my heart, “seek his face”; your face, Lord, do I seek!e
9 Do not hide your face from me; do not repel your servant in anger. You are my salvation; do not cast me off; do not forsake me, God my savior!
10 Even if my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will take me in.
II
11 Lord, show me your way; lead me on a level path because of my enemies.
12 Do not abandon me to the desire of my foes; malicious and lying witnesses have risen against me.
13 I believe I shall see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the Lord, take courage; be stouthearted, wait for the Lord!
Psalms 28
Petition and Thanksgiving
1 Of David.
I
To you, Lord, I call; my Rock, do not be deaf to me,a Do not be silent toward me, so that I join those who go down to the pit.
2 Hear the sound of my pleading when I cry to you for help when I lift up my hands toward your holy place.
3 Do not drag me off with the wicked, with those who do wrong,d Who speak peace to their neighbors though evil is in their hearts.
4 Repay them for their deeds, for the evil that they do. For the work of their hands repay them; give them what they deserve.
5 Because they do not understand the Lord’s works, the work of his hands,g He will tear them down, never to rebuild them.
II
6 Blessed be the Lord, who has heard the sound of my pleading.
7 The Lord is my strength and my shield, in whom my heart trusts. I am helped, so my heart rejoices; with my song I praise him.
III
8 Lord, you are a strength for your people, the saving refuge of your anointed.
9 Save your people, bless your inheritance; pasture and carry them forever!
Psalms 29
The Lord of Majesty Acclaimed as King of the World
1 A psalm of David. I Give to the Lord, you sons of God, give to the Lord glory and might;
2 Give to the Lord the glory due his name. Bow down before the Lord’s holy splendor!a
II
3 The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord, over the mighty waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is power; the voice of the Lord is splendor.
5 The voice of the Lord cracks the cedars; the Lord splinters the cedars of Lebanon,
6 Makes Lebanon leap like a calf, and Sirion like a young bull.
7 The voice of the Lord strikes with fiery flame;
8 the voice of the Lord shakes the desert; the Lord shakes the desert of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the Lord makes the deer dance and strips the forests bare. All in his Temple say, “Glory!”
III
10 The Lord sits enthroned above the flood!c The Lord reigns as king forever!
11 May the Lord give might to his people; may the Lord bless his people with peace!d
Psalms 30
Thanksgiving for Deliverance
1 A psalm. A song for the dedication of the Temple Of David.
I
2 I praise you, Lord, for you raised me up and did not let my enemies rejoice over me.
3 O Lord, my God, I cried out to you for help and you healed me.
4 Lord, you brought my soul up from Sheol; you let me live, from going down to the pit.a
II
5 Sing praise to the Lord, you faithful; give thanks to his holy memory.
6 For his anger lasts but a moment; his favor a lifetime. At dusk weeping comes for the night; but at dawn there is rejoicing.
III
7 Complacent, I once said, “I shall never be shaken.”
8 Lord, you showed me favor, established for me mountains of virtue. But when you hid your face I was struck with terror.
9 To you, Lord, I cried out; with the Lord I pleaded for mercy:
10 “What gain is there from my lifeblood, from my going down to the grave? Does dust give you thanks or declare your faithfulness?
11 Hear, O Lord, have mercy on me; Lord, be my helper.”
IV
12 You changed my mourning into dancing; you took off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness.
13 So that my glory may praise you and not be silent. O Lord, my God, forever will I give you thanks.
Psalms 31
Prayer in Distress And Thanksgiving for Escape
1 For the leader. A psalm of David.
I
2 In you, Lord, I take refuge;a let me never be put to shame. In your righteousness deliver me;
3 incline your ear to me; make haste to rescue me! Be my rock of refuge, a stronghold to save me.
4 For you are my rock and my fortress;b for your name’s sake lead me and guide me.
5 Free me from the net they have set for me, for you are my refuge.
6 Into your hands I commend my spirit;c you will redeem me, Lord, God of truth.
7 You hate those who serve worthless idols, but I trust in the Lord.
8 I will rejoice and be glad in your mercy, once you have seen my misery, [and] gotten to know the distress of my soul.
9 You will not abandon me into enemy hands, but will set my feet in a free and open space.
II
10 Be gracious to me, Lord, for I am in distress; affliction is wearing down my eyes, my throat and my insides.
11 My life is worn out by sorrow, and my years by sighing. My strength fails in my affliction; my bones are wearing down.
12 To all my foes I am a thing of scorn, and especially to my neighbors a horror to my friends. When they see me in public, they quickly shy away.
13 I am forgotten, out of mind like the dead; I am like a worn-out tool.
14 I hear the whispers of the crowd; terrors are all around me. They conspire together against me; they plot to take my life.
15 But I trust in you, Lord; I say, “You are my God.”
16 My destiny is in your hands; rescue me from my enemies, from the hands of my pursuers.
17 Let your face shine on your servant;h save me in your mercy.
18 Do not let me be put to shame, for I have called to you, Lord. Put the wicked to shame; reduce them to silence in Sheol.
19 Strike dumb their lying lips, which speak arrogantly against the righteous in contempt and scorn.
III
20 How great is your goodness, Lord, stored up for those who fear you. You display it for those who trust you, in the sight of the children of Adam.
21 You hide them in the shelter of your presence, safe from scheming enemies. You conceal them in your tent, away from the strife of tongues.
22 Blessed be the Lord, marvelously he showed to me his mercy in a fortified city.
23 Though I had said in my alarm, “I am cut off from your eyes.”k Yet you heard my voice, my cry for mercy, when I pleaded with you for help.
24 Love the Lord, all you who are faithful to him. The Lord protects the loyal, but repays the arrogant in full.
25 Be strong and take heart, all who hope in the Lord.
Psalms 32
Remission of Sin
1 Of David. A maskil.
I
1 Blessed is the one whose fault is removed, whose sin is forgiven.
2 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputes no guilt, in whose spirit is no deceit.
II
3 Because I kept silent, my bones wasted away; I groaned all day long.
4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength withered as in dry summer heat. Selah
5Then I declared my sin to you; my guilt I did not hide. I said, “I confess my transgression to the Lord,” and you took away the guilt of my sin. Selah
6 Therefore every loyal person should pray to you in time of distress. Though flood waters threaten, they will never reach him.
7 You are my shelter; you guard me from distress; with joyful shouts of deliverance you surround me. Selah
III
8 I will instruct you and show you the way you should walk, give you counsel with my eye upon you.
9 Do not be like a horse or mule, without understanding; with bit and bridle their temper is curbed, else they will not come to you.
IV
10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked one, but mercy surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord.
11 Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous; exult, all you upright of heart.
Psalms 33
Praise of God’s Power And Providence
I
1 Rejoice, you righteous, in the Lord; praise from the upright is fitting.
2 Give thanks to the Lord on the harp; on the ten-stringed lyre offer praise.
3 Sing to him a new song; skillfully play with joyful chant.
4 For the Lord’s word is upright; all his works are trustworthy.
5 He loves justice and right. The earth is full of the mercy of the Lord.
II
6 By the Lord’s word the heavens were made; by the breath of his mouth all their host.d
7 He gathered the waters of the sea as a mound; he sets the deep into storage vaults.
III
8 Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all who dwell in the world show him reverence.
9 For he spoke, and it came to be, commanded, and it stood in place.
10 The Lord foils the plan of nations, frustrates the designs of peoples.
11 But the plan of the Lord stands forever, the designs of his heart through all generations.
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people chosen as his inheritance.
IV
13 From heaven the Lord looks down and observes the children of Adam,i
14 From his dwelling place he surveys all who dwell on earth.
15 The One who fashioned together their hearts is the One who knows all their works.
V
16 A king is not saved by a great army, nor a warrior delivered by great strength.
17 Useless is the horse for safety; despite its great strength, it cannot be saved.
18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon those who fear him, upon those who count on his mercy,
19 To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive through famine.
VI
20 Our soul waits for the Lord, he is our help and shield.
21 For in him our hearts rejoice; in his holy name we trust.
22 May your mercy, Lord, be upon us; as we put our hope in you.
Psalms 34
Thanksgiving to God Who Delivers the Just
1 Of David, when he feigned madness before Abimelech, who drove him out and he went away.
I
2 I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall be always in my mouth.
3 My soul will glory in the Lord; let the poor hear and be glad.
4 Magnify the Lord with me; and let us exalt his name together.
II
5 I sought the Lord, and he answered me, delivered me from all my fears.
6 Look to him and be radiant, and your faces may not blush for shame.
7 This poor one cried out and the Lord heard, and from all his distress he saved him.
8 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he saves them.
9 Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the stalwart one who takes refuge in him.
10 Fear the Lord, you his holy ones; nothing is lacking to those who fear him.
11 The rich grow poor and go hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
III
12 Come, children, listen to me;e I will teach you fear of the Lord.
13 Who is the man who delights in life,f who loves to see the good days?
14 Keep your tongue from evil, your lips from speaking lies.
15 Turn from evil and do good;g seek peace and pursue it.
16 The eyes of the Lord are directed toward the righteoush and his ears toward their cry.
17 The Lord’s face is against evildoers to wipe out their memory from the earth.
18 The righteous cry out, the Lord hears and he rescues them from all their afflictions.
19 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted, saves those whose spirit is crushed.
20 Many are the troubles of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him from them all.
21 He watches over all his bones; not one of them shall be broken.
22 Evil will slay the wicked; those who hate the righteous are condemned.
23 The Lord is the redeemer of the souls of his servants; and none are condemned who take refuge in him.
Psalms 35
Prayer for Help against Unjust Enemies
1 Of David.
I
1 Oppose, O Lord, those who oppose me; war upon those who make war upon me.
2 Take up the shield and buckler; rise up in my defense.
3 Brandish lance and battle-ax against my pursuers. Say to my soul, “I am your salvation.”
4 Let those who seek my life be put to shame and disgrace. Let those who plot evil against mea be turned back and confounded.
5 Make them like chaff before the wind,b with the angel of the Lord driving them on.
6 Make their way slippery and dark, with the angel of the Lord pursuing them.
II
7 Without cause they set their snare for me; without cause they dug a pit for me.
8 Let ruin overtake them unawares; let the snare they have set catch them; let them fall into the pit they have dug.
9 Then I will rejoice in the Lord, exult in God’s salvation.
10 My very bones shall say, “O Lord, who is like you,d Who rescue the afflicted from the powerful, the afflicted and needy from the despoiler?”
III
11 Malicious witnesses rise up, accuse me of things I do not know.
12 They repay me evil for good; my soul is desolate.
13 Yet I, when they were ill, put on sackcloth, afflicted myself with fasting, sobbed my prayers upon my bosom.
14 I went about in grief as for my brother, bent in mourning as for my mother.
15 Yet when I stumbled they gathered with glee, gathered against me and I did not know it. They slandered me without ceasing;
16 without respect they mocked me, gnashed their teeth against me.
IV
17 O Lord, how long will you look on? Restore my soul from their destruction, my very life from lions!
18 Then I will thank you in the great assembly; I will praise you before the mighty throng.
19 Do not let lying foes rejoice over me, my undeserved enemies wink knowingly.
20 They speak no words of peace, but against the quiet in the land they fashion deceitful speech.
21 They open wide their mouths against me. They say, “Aha! Good! Our eyes have seen it!”j
22 You see this, Lord; do not be silent;k Lord, do not withdraw from me.
23 Awake, be vigilant in my defense, in my cause, my God and my Lord.
24 Defend me because you are just, Lord; my God, do not let them rejoice over me.
25 Do not let them say in their hearts, “Aha! Our soul!” Do not let them say, “We have devoured that one!”
26 Put to shame and confound all who relish my misfortune. Clothe with shame and disgrace those who lord it over me.
27 But let those who favor my just cause shout for joy and be glad. May they ever say, “Exalted be the Lord who delights in the peace of his loyal servant.”
28 Then my tongue shall recount your justice, declare your praise, all the day long.
Psalms 36
Human Wickedness And Divine Providence
1 For the leader. Of David, the servant of the Lord.
I
2 Sin directs the heart of the wicked man; his eyes are closed to the fear of God.
3 For he lives with the delusion: his guilt will not be known and hated.
4 Empty and false are the words of his mouth; he has ceased to be wise and do good.
5 On his bed he hatches plots; he sets out on a wicked way; he does not reject evil.
II
6 Lord, your mercy reaches to heaven; your fidelity, to the clouds.
7 Your justice is like the highest mountains; your judgments, like the mighty deep; human being and beast you sustain, Lord.
8 How precious is your mercy, O God! The children of Adam take refuge in the shadow of your wings.d
9 They feast on the rich food of your house; from your delightful streame you give them drink.
10 For with you is the fountain of life,f and in your light we see light.
11 Show mercy on those who know you, your just defense to the upright of heart.
12 Do not let the foot of the proud overtake me, nor the hand of the wicked disturb me.
13 There make the evildoers fall; thrust them down, unable to rise.
Psalms 37
The Fate of Sinners And The Reward of The Just
1 Of David.
Aleph
1 Do not be provoked by evildoers; do not envy those who do wrong.
2 Like grass they wither quickly; like green plants they wilt away.
Beth
3 Trust in the Lord and do good that you may dwell in the land and live secure.
4 Find your delight in the Lord who will give you your heart’s desire.
Gimel
5 Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will acte
6 And make your righteousness shine like the dawn, your justice like noonday.
Daleth
7 Be still before the Lord; wait for him. Do not be provoked by the prosperous, nor by malicious schemers.
He
8 Refrain from anger; abandon wrath; do not be provoked; it brings only harm.
9 Those who do evil will be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord will inherit the earth.
Waw
10 Wait a little, and the wicked will be no more; look for them and they will not be there.
11 But the poor will inherit the earth,h will delight in great prosperity.
Zayin
12 The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them;
13 But my Lord laughs at them,i because he sees that their day is coming.
Heth
14 The wicked unsheath their swords; they string their bows To fell the poor and oppressed, to slaughter those whose way is upright.
15 Their swords will pierce their own hearts; their bows will be broken.
Teth
16 Better the meagerness of the righteous one than the plenty of the wicked.
17 The arms of the wicked will be broken, while the Lord will sustain the righteous.
Yodh
18 The Lord knows the days of the blameless; their heritage lasts forever.
19 They will not be ashamed when times are bad; in days of famine they will be satisfied.
Kaph
20 The wicked perish, enemies of the Lord; They shall be consumed like fattened lambs; like smoke they disappear.
Lamedh
21 The wicked one borrows but does not repay; the righteous one is generous and gives.
22 For those blessed by the Lord will inherit the earth, but those accursed will be cut off.
Mem
23 The valiant one whose steps are guided by the Lord, who will delight in his way,m
24 May stumble, but he will never fall, for the Lord holds his hand.
Nun
25 Neither in my youth, nor now in old age have I seen the righteous one abandonedn or his offspring begging for bread.
26 All day long he is gracious and lends, and his offspring become a blessing.
Samekh
27 Turn from evil and do good, that you may be settled forever.o
28 For the Lord loves justice and does not abandon the faithful.
Ayin
28 When the unjust are destroyed, and the offspring of the wicked cut off,
29 The righteous will inherit the earth and dwell in it forever.p
Pe
30 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom;q his tongue speaks what is right.
31 God’s teaching is in his heart;r his steps do not falter.
Sadhe
32 The wicked spies on the righteous and seeks to kill him.
33 But the Lord does not abandon him in his power, nor let him be condemned when tried.
Qoph
34 Wait eagerly for the Lord, and keep his way;s He will raise you up to inherit the earth; you will see when the wicked are cut off.
Resh
35 I have seen a ruthless scoundrel, spreading out like a green cedar.t
36 When I passed by again, he was gone; though I searched, he could not be found.
Shin
37 Observe the person of integrity and mark the upright; Because there is a future for a man of peace.u
38 Sinners will be destroyed together; the future of the wicked will be cut off.
Taw
39 The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord, their refuge in a time of distress.v
40 The Lord helps and rescues them, rescues and saves them from the wicked, because they take refuge in him.
Psalms 38
Prayer of An Afflicted Sinner
1 Psalm of David. for Remembrance.
I
2 Lord, do not punish me in your anger; in your wrath do not chastise me!a
3 Your arrows have sunk deep in me;b your hand has come down upon me.
4 There is no wholesomeness in my flesh because of your anger; there is no health in my bones because of my sin.
5 My iniquities overwhelm me, a burden too heavy for me.
II
6 Foul and festering are my sores because of my folly.
7 I am stooped and deeply bowed;e every day I go about mourning.
8 My loins burn with fever; there is no wholesomeness in my flesh.
9 I am numb and utterly crushed; I wail with anguish of heart.
10 My Lord, my deepest yearning is before you; my groaning is not hidden from you.
11 My heart shudders, my strength forsakes me; the very light of my eyes has failed.
12 Friends and companions shun my disease; my neighbors stand far off.
13 Those who seek my life lay snares for me; they seek my misfortune, they speak of ruin; they plot treachery every day.
III
14 But I am like the deaf, hearing nothing, like the mute, I do not open my mouth,
15 I am even like someone who does not hear, who has no answer ready.
16 Lord, it is for you that I wait; O Lord, my God, you respond.
17 For I have said that they would gloat over me, exult over me if I stumble.
IV
18 I am very near to falling; my wounds are with me always.
19 I acknowledge my guilt and grieve over my sin.
20 My enemies live and grow strong, those who hate me grow numerous fraudulently,
21 Repaying me evil for good, accusing me for pursuing good.
22 Do not forsake me, O Lord; my God, be not far from me!k
23 Come quickly to help me,l my Lord and my salvation!
Psalms 39
The Vanity of Life
1For the leader, for Jeduthun. A psalm of David.
I
2I said, “I will watch my ways, lest I sin with my tongue; I will keep a muzzle on my mouth.”
3 Mute and silent before the wicked, I refrain from good things. But my sorrow increases;
4 my heart smolders within me. In my sighing a fire blazes up, and I break into speech:
II
5 Lord, let me know my end, the number of my days, that I may learn how frail I am.
6 To be sure, you establish the expanse of my days; indeed, my life is as nothing before you. Every man is but a breath. Selah
III
7 Man goes about as a mere phantom; they hurry about, although in vain; he heaps up stores without knowing for whom.
8 And now, Lord, for what do I wait? You are my only hope.
9 From all my sins deliver me; let me not be the taunt of fools.
10 I am silent and do not open my mouth because you are the one who did this.
11 Take your plague away from me; I am ravaged by the touch of your hand.
12 You chastise man with rebukes for sin; like a moth you consume his treasures. Every man is but a breath. Selah
13 Listen to my prayer, Lord, hear my cry; do not be deaf to my weeping! For I am with you like a foreigner, a refugee, like my ancestors.
14 Turn your gaze from me, that I may smile before I depart to be no more.
Psalms 40
Gratitude And Prayer for Help
1 For the leader. A Psalm of David.
A
2 Surely, I wait for the Lord; who bends down to me and hears my cry,a
3 Draws me up from the pit of destruction, out of the muddy clay,b Sets my feet upon rock, steadies my steps,
4 And puts a new song in my mouth,c a hymn to our God. Many shall look on in fear and they shall trust in the Lord.
5 Blessed the man who sets his security in the Lord, who turns not to the arrogant or to those who stray after falsehood.
6 You, yes you, O Lord, my God, have done many wondrous deeds! And in your plans for us there is none to equal you. Should I wish to declare or tell them, too many are they to recount.
7 Sacrifice and offering you do not want;g you opened my ears. Holocaust and sin-offering you do not request;
8 so I said, “See; I come with an inscribed scroll written upon me.
9 I delight to do your will, my God; your law is in my inner being!”h
10 When I sing of your righteousness in a great assembly, See, I do not restrain my lips; as you, Lord, know.
11 I do not conceal your righteousness within my heart; I speak of your loyalty and your salvation. I do not hide your mercy or faithfulness from a great assembly.
12 Lord, may you not withhold your compassion from me; May your mercy and your faithfulness continually protect me.
B
13 But evils surround me until they cannot be counted. My sins overtake me, so that I can no longer see. They are more numerous than the hairs of my head; my courage fails me.
14 Lord, graciously rescue me!l Come quickly to help me, Lord!
15 May those who seek to destroy my life be shamed and confounded. Turn back in disgrace those who desire my ruin.
16 Let those who say to me “Aha!”n Be made desolate on account of their shame.
17 While those who seek you rejoice and be glad in you. May those who long for your salvation always say, “The Lord is great.”o
18 Though I am afflicted and poor, my Lord keeps me in mind. You are my help and deliverer; my God, do not delay!
Psalms 41
Thanksgiving after Sickness
1 For the leader. A Psalm of David.
I
2 Blessed the one concerned for the poor; on a day of misfortune, the Lord delivers him.
3 The Lord keeps and preserves him, makes him blessed in the land, and does not betray him to his enemies.
4 The Lord sustains him on his sickbed, you turn down his bedding whenever he is ill.
II
5 Even I have said, “Lord, take note of me; heal me, although I have sinned against you.
6 My enemies say bad things against me: ‘When will he die and his name be forgotten?’
7 When someone comes to visit me, he speaks without sincerity. His heart stores up malice; when he leaves, he gossips.
8 All those who hate me whisper together against me; they imagine the worst about me:
9 ‘He has had ruin poured over him; that one lying down will never rise again.’
10 Even my trusted friend, who ate my bread, has raised his heel against me.
III
11 “But you, Lord, take note of me to raise me up that I may repay them.”
12 By this I will know you are pleased with me, that my enemy no longer shouts in triumph over me.
13 In my integrity may you support me and let me stand in your presence forever.
14 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from all eternity and forever. Amen. Amen.
Psalms 42
Second Book-##psalms
Longing for God’s Presence in The Temple
1 For the leader. A maskil of the Korahites.
I
2 As the deer longs for streams of water,a so my soul longs for you, O God.
3 My soul thirsts for God, the living God. When can I enter and see the face of God?b
4 My tears have been my bread day and night,c as they ask me every day, “Where is your God?”d
5 Those times I recall as I pour out my soul,e When I would cross over to the shrine of the Mighty One, to the house of God, Amid loud cries of thanksgiving, with the multitude keeping festival.
6 Why are you downcast, my soul; why do you groan within me? Wait for God, for I shall again praise him, my savior and my God.
II
7 My soul is downcast within me; therefore I remember you From the land of the Jordan and Hermon, from Mount Mizar,g
8 Deep calls to deep in the roar of your torrents, and all your waves and breakers sweep over me.
9 By day may the Lord send his mercy, and by night may his righteousness be with me! I will pray to the God of my life,
10 I will say to God, my rock: “Why do you forget me?i Why must I go about mourning with the enemy oppressing me?”
11 It shatters my bones, when my adversaries reproach me, when they say to me every day: “Where is your God?”
12 Why are you downcast, my soul, why do you groan within me? Wait for God, for I shall again praise him, my savior and my God.
Psalms 43
1 Grant me justice, O God; defend me from a faithless people; from the deceitful and unjust rescue me.
2 You, O God, are my strength. Why then do you spurn me? Why must I go about mourning, with the enemy oppressing me?
3 bSend your light and your fidelity, that they may be my guide;c Let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place of your dwelling,
4 That I may come to the altar of God, to God, my joy, my delight. Then I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God.
5 Why are you downcast, my soul? Why do you groan within me? Wait for God, for I shall again praise him, my savior and my God.
Psalms 44
God’s Past Favor And Israel’s Present Need
1 For the leader. A maskil of the Korahites.
I
2 O God, we have heard with our own ears; our ancestors have told usa The deeds you did in their days, with your own hand in days of old:
3 You rooted out nations to plant them,b crushed peoples and expelled them.
4 Not with their own swords did they conquer the land,c nor did their own arms bring victory; It was your right hand, your own arm, the light of your face for you favored them.
5 You are my king and my God,e who bestows victories on Jacob.
6 Through you we batter our foes; through your name we trample our adversaries.
7 Not in my bow do I trust, nor does my sword bring me victory.
8 You have brought us victory over our enemies, shamed those who hate us.
9 In God we have boasted all the day long; your name we will praise forever. Selah
II
10 fBut now you have rejected and disgraced us; you do not march out with our armies.
11 You make us retreat before the foe; those who hate us plunder us at will.
12 You hand us over like sheep to be slaughtered, scatter us among the nations.
13 You sell your people for nothing; you make no profit from their sale.
14 You make us the reproach of our neighbors,k the mockery and scorn of those around us.
15 You make us a byword among the nations; the peoples shake their heads at us.
16 All day long my disgrace is before me; shame has covered my face
17 At the sound of those who taunt and revile, at the sight of the enemy and avenger.
III
18 All this has come upon us, though we have not forgotten you, nor been disloyal to your covenant.
19 Our hearts have not turned back, nor have our steps strayed from your path.
20 Yet you have left us crushed, desolate in a place of jackals;l you have covered us with a shadow of death.
21 If we had forgotten the name of our God, stretched out our hands to another god,
22 Would not God have discovered this, God who knows the secrets of the heart?
23 For you we are slain all the day long, considered only as sheep to be slaughtered.
IV
24 Awake! Why do you sleep, O Lord? Rise up! Do not reject us forever!n
25 Why do you hide your face;o why forget our pain and misery?
26 For our soul has been humiliated in the dust;p our belly is pressed to the earth.
27 Rise up, help us! Redeem us in your mercy.
Psalms 45
Song for A Royal Wedding
1 For the leader; according to “Lilies.” A maskil of the Korahites. A love song.
I
2My heart is stirred by a noble theme, as I sing my ode to the king. My tongue is the pen of a nimble scribe.
II
3 You are the most handsome of men; fair speech has graced your lips, for God has blessed you forever.
4 Gird your sword upon your hip, mighty warrior! In splendor and majesty ride on triumphant!b
5 In the cause of truth, meekness, and justice may your right hand show your wondrous deeds.
6 Your arrows are sharp; peoples will cower at your feet; the king’s enemies will lose heart.
7 Your throne, O God, stands forever;c your royal scepter is a scepter for justice.
8 You love justice and hate wrongdoing; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellow kings.
9 With myrrh, aloes, and cassia your robes are fragrant. From ivory-paneled palaces stringed instruments bring you joy.
10 Daughters of kings are your lovely wives; a princess arrayed in Ophir’s gold comes to stand at your right hand.
III
11 Listen, my daughter, and understand; pay me careful heed. Forget your people and your father’s house,
12 that the king might desire your beauty. He is your lord;
13 dhonor him, daughter of Tyre. Then the richest of the people will seek your favor with gifts.
14 All glorious is the king’s daughter as she enters,e her raiment threaded with gold;
15 In embroidered apparel she is led to the king. The maids of her train are presented to the king.
16 They are led in with glad and joyous acclaim; they enter the palace of the king.
IV
17 The throne of your fathers your sons will have; you shall make them princes through all the land.
18 I will make your name renowned through all generations; thus nations shall praise you forever.
Psalms 46
God, The Protector of Zion
1 For the leader. A song of the Korahites. According to alamoth.
I
2 God is our refuge and our strength, an ever-present help in distress.
3 Thus we do not fear, though earth be shaken and mountains quake to the depths of the sea,
4 Though its waters rage and foam and mountains totter at its surging. Selah
II
5 Streams of the river gladden the city of God, the holy dwelling of the Most High.
6 God is in its midst; it shall not be shaken; God will help it at break of day.
7 Though nations rage and kingdoms totter, he utters his voice and the earth melts.
8 The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob. Selah
III
9 Come and see the works of the Lord, who has done fearsome deeds on earth;f
10 Who stops wars to the ends of the earth, breaks the bow, splinters the spear, and burns the shields with fire;g
11 “Be still and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth.”
12 The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob. Selah
Psalms 47
The Ruler of All The Nations
1 For the leader. A Psalm of the Korahites.
I
2 All you peoples, clap your hands; shout to God with joyful cries.
3 For the Lord, the Most High, is to be feared, the great king over all the earth,b
4 Who made people subject to us, nations under our feet,c
5 Who chose our heritage for us, the glory of Jacob, whom he loves. Selah
II
6 God has gone up with a shout; the Lord, amid trumpet blasts.
7 Sing praise to God, sing praise; sing praise to our king, sing praise.
III
8 For God is king over all the earth;f sing hymns of praise.
9 God rules over the nations; God sits upon his holy throne.
10 The princes of the peoples assemble with the people of the God of Abraham. For the shields of the earth belong to God, highly exalted.
Psalms 48
The Splendor of The Invincible City
1 A Psalm of the Korahites. A song.
I
2 Great is the Lord and highly praised in the city of our God:a His holy mountain,
3 fairest of heights, the joy of all the earth,b Mount Zion, the heights of Zaphon,c the city of the great king.
II
4 God is in its citadel, renowned as a stronghold.
5 See! The kings assembled, together they advanced.
6 When they looked they were astounded; terrified, they were put to flight!d
7 Trembling seized them there, anguish, like a woman’s labor,e
8 As when the east wind wrecks the ships of Tarshish!
III
9 What we had heard we have now seen in the city of the Lord of hosts, In the city of our God, which God establishes forever. Selah
10 We ponder, O God, your mercy within your temple
11 Like your name, O God, so is your praise to the ends of the earth. Your right hand is fully victorious.
12 Mount Zion is glad! The daughters of Judah rejoice because of your judgments!g
IV
13 Go about Zion, walk all around it, note the number of its towers.
14 Consider the ramparts, examine its citadels, that you may tell future generations:h
15 That this is God, our God for ever and ever. He will lead us until death.
Psalms 49
Confidence in God Rather Than in Riches
1 For the leader. A Psalm of the Korahites.
2 Hear this, all you peoples! Give ear, all who inhabit the world,
3 You of lowly birth or high estate, rich and poor together.
4 My mouth shall speak words of wisdom, my heart shall offer insights.
5 I will turn my ear to a riddle, expound my question on a lyre.
I
6 Why should I fear in evil days, with the iniquity of my assailants surrounding me,
7 Of those who trust in their wealth and boast of their abundant riches?b
8 No man can ransom even a brother, or pay to God his own ransom.
9 The redemption of his soul is costly; and he will pass away forever.
10 Will he live on forever, then, and never see the Pit of Corruption?
11 Indeed, he will see that the wise die, and the fool will perish together with the senseless,d and they leave their wealth to others.
12 Their tombs are their homes forever, their dwellings through all generations, “They named countries after themselves”
13 -but man does not abide in splendor. He is like the beasts-they perish.
II
14 This is the way of those who trust in themselves, and the end of those who take pleasure in their own mouth. Selah
15 Like a herd of sheep they will be put into Sheol, and Death will shepherd them. Straight to the grave they descend, where their form will waste away, Sheol will be their palace.
16 But God will redeem my life, will take me from the hand of Sheol. Selah
17 Do not fear when a man becomes rich, when the wealth of his house grows great.
18 At his death he will not take along anything, his glory will not go down after him.
19 During his life his soul uttered blessings; “They will praise you, for you do well for yourself.”
20 But he will join the company of his fathers, never again to see the light.
21 In his prime, man does not understand. He is like the beasts-they perish.
Psalms 50
The Acceptable Sacrifice
1 A Psalm of Asaph.
I
1 The God of gods, the Lord, has spoken and summoned the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting.
2 From Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth.
3 Our God comes and will not be silent! Devouring fire precedes him, it rages strongly around him.
4 He calls to the heavens above and to the earth to judge his people:
5 “Gather my loyal ones to me, those who made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”
6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness, for God himself is the judge. Selah
II
7 “Listen, my people, I will speak; Israel, I will testify against you; God, your God, am I.
8 Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you, your burnt offerings are always before me.
9 I will not take a bullock from your house, or he-goats from your folds.
10 For every animal of the forest is mine, beasts by the thousands on my mountains.
11 I know every bird in the heights; whatever moves in the wild is mine.
12 Were I hungry, I would not tell you, for mine is the world and all that fills it.
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of he-goats?
14 Offer praise as your sacrifice to God;g fulfill your vows to the Most High.
15 Then call on me on the day of distress;h I will rescue you, and you shall honor me.”
III
16 But to the wicked God says: “Why do you recite my commandments and profess my covenant with your mouth?
17 You hate discipline; you cast my words behind you!
18 If you see a thief, you run with him; with adulterers you throw in your lot.
19 You give your mouth free rein for evil; you yoke your tongue to deceit.
20 You sit and speak against your brother, slandering your mother’s son.
21 When you do these things should I be silent? Do you think that I am like you? I accuse you, I lay out the matter before your eyes.
IV
22 “Now understand this, you who forget God, lest I start ripping apart and there be no rescuer.
23 Those who offer praise as a sacrifice honor me; I will let him whose way is steadfast look upon the salvation of God.”i
Psalms 51
The Miserere: Prayer of Repentance
1 For the leader. A Psalm of David,
2 when Nathan the prophet came to him after he had gone in to Bathsheba.
I
3 Have mercy on me, God, in accord with your merciful love; in your abundant compassion blot out my transgressions.
4 Thoroughly wash away my guilt; and from my sin cleanse me.
5 For I know my transgressions; my sin is always before me.
6 Against you, you alone have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your eyes So that you are just in your word, and without reproach in your judgment.
7 Behold, I was born in guilt, in sin my mother conceived me.
8 Behold, you desire true sincerity; and secretly you teach me wisdom.
9 Cleanse me with hyssop, that I may be pure; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
10 You will let me hear gladness and joy; the bones you have crushed will rejoice.
II
11 Turn away your face from my sins; blot out all my iniquities.
12 A clean heart create for me, God; renew within me a steadfast spirit.
13 Do not drive me from before your face, nor take from me your holy spirit.
14 Restore to me the gladness of your salvation; uphold me with a willing spirit.
15 I will teach the wicked your ways, that sinners may return to you.
16 Rescue me from violent bloodshed, God, my saving God, and my tongue will sing joyfully of your justice.
17 Lord, you will open my lips; and my mouth will proclaim your praise.
18 For you do not desire sacrifice or I would give it; a burnt offering you would not accept.
19 My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit; a contrite, humbled heart, O God, you will not scorn.
III
20 Treat Zion kindly according to your good will; build up the walls of Jerusalem.
21 Then you will desire the sacrifices of the just, burnt offering and whole offerings; then they will offer up young bulls on your altar.
Psalms 52
The Deceitful Tongue
1 For the leader. A maskil of David,
2 when Doeg the Edomite entered and reported to Saul, saying to him: “David has entered the house of Ahimelech.”a
I
3 Why do you glory in what is evil, you who are mighty by the mercy of God? All day long
4 you are thinking up intrigues; your tongue is like a sharpened razor, you worker of deceit.
5 You love evil more than good, lying rather than saying what is right. Selah
6 You love all the words that create confusion, you deceitful tongue.
II
7 God too will strike you down forever, he will lay hold of you and pluck you from your tent, uproot you from the land of the living. Selah
8 The righteous will see and they will fear; but they will laugh at him:f
9 “Behold the man! He did not take God as his refuge, but he trusted in the abundance of his wealth, and grew powerful through his wickedness.”g
III
10 But I, like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God,h I trust in God’s mercy forever and ever.
11 I will thank you forever for what you have done. I will put my hope in your name-for it is good,i -in the presence of those devoted to you.
Psalms 53
A Lament Over Widespread Corruption
1 For the leader; according to Mahalath. A maskil of David.
I
2 The fool says in his heart,a “There is no God.”b They act corruptly and practice injustice; there is none that does good.
3 God looks out from the heavens upon the children of Adam,c To see if there is a discerning persond who is seeking God.
4 All have gone astray; each one is altogether perverse. There is not one who does what is good, not even one.
II
5 fDo they not know better, those who do evil, who feed upon my people as they feed upon bread?g Have they not called upon God?
6 They are going to fear his name with great fear, though they had not feared it before. For God will scatter the bones of those encamped against you. They will surely be put to shame, for God has rejected them.
III
7 Who will bring forth from Zion the salvation of Israel? When God reverses the captivity of his people Jacob will rejoice and Israel will be glad.
Psalms 54
Confident Prayer in Great Peril
1 For the leader. On stringed instruments. A maskil of David,
2 when the Ziphites came and said to Saul, “David is hiding among us.”a
I
3 O God, by your name save me. By your strength defend my cause.
4 O God, hear my prayer. Listen to the words of my mouth.
5 Strangers have risen against me; the ruthless seek my life; they do not keep God before them. Selah
II
6 God is present as my helper;c the Lord sustains my life.
7 Turn back the evil upon my foes; in your faithfulness, destroy them.
8 Then I will offer you generous sacrifice and give thanks to your name, Lord, for it is good.
9 Because it has rescued me from every trouble, and my eyes look down on my foes.
Psalms 55
A Lament Over Betrayal
1 For the leader. On stringed instruments. A maskil of David.
I
2 Listen, God, to my prayer;a do not hide from my pleading;
3 hear me and give answer. I rock with grief; I groan
4 at the uproar of the enemy, the clamor of the wicked. They heap trouble upon me, savagely accuse me.
5 My heart pounds within me; death’s terrors fall upon me.
6 Fear and trembling overwhelm me; shuddering sweeps over me.
7 I say, “If only I had wings like a dove that I might fly away and find rest.
8 Far away I would flee; I would stay in the desert. Selah
9 “I would soon find a shelter from the raging wind and storm.”
II
10 Lord, check and confuse their tongues. For I see violence and strife in the city
11 making rounds on its walls day and night. Within are mischief and trouble;
12 treachery is in its midst; oppression and fraud never leave its streets.
13 For it is not an enemy that reviled me- that I could bear- Not a foe who viewed me with contempt, from that I could hide.
14 But it was you, my other self, my comrade and friend,e
15 You, whose company I enjoyed, at whose side I walked in the house of God.
III
16 Let death take them; let them go down alive to Sheol,f for evil is in their homes and bellies.
17 But I will call upon God, and the Lord will save me.
18 At dusk, dawn, and noon I will grieve and complain, and my prayer will be heard.
19 He will redeem my soul in peace from those who war against me, though there are many who oppose me.
20 God, who sits enthroned forever,h will hear me and afflict them. Selah For they will not mend their ways; they have no fear of God.
21 He stretched out his hand at his friends and broke his covenant.
22 Softer than butter is his speech, but war is in his heart. Smoother than oil are his words, but they are unsheathed swords.
23 Cast your care upon the Lord, who will give you support. He will never allow the righteous to stumble.
24 But you, God, will bring them down to the pit of destruction. These bloodthirsty liars will not live half their days, but I put my trust in you.
Psalms 56
Trust in God
1 For the director. According to Yonath elem rehoqim. A miktam of David, when the Philistines seized him at Gath.
I
2 Have mercy on me, God, for I am treated harshly; attackers press me all the day.
3 My foes treat me harshly all the day; yes, many are my attackers. O Most High,
4 when I am afraid, in you I place my trust.
5 I praise the word of God; I trust in God, I do not fear. What can mere flesh do to me?c
II
6 All the day they foil my plans; their every thought is of evil against me.
7 They hide together in ambush; they watch my every step; they lie in wait for my life.
8 They are evil; watch them, God! Cast the nations down in your anger!
9 My wanderings you have noted; are my tears not stored in your flask, recorded in your book?e
10 My foes turn back when I call on you. This I know: God is on my side.
11 I praise the word of God, I praise the word of the Lord.
12 In God I trust, I do not fear. What can man do to me?
III
13 I have made vows to you, God; with offerings I will fulfill them,f
14 For you have snatched me from death, kept my feet from stumbling, That I may walk before God in the light of the living.
Psalms 57
Confident Prayer for Deliverance
1 For the director. Do not destroy. A miktam of David, when he fled from Saul into a cave.
I
2 Have mercy on me, God, have mercy on me. In you I seek refuge. In the shadow of your wings I seek refuge till harm pass by.
3 I call to God Most High, to God who provides for me.
4 May God send help from heaven to save me, shame those who trample upon me. May God send fidelity and mercy. Selah
5 I must lie down in the midst of lions hungry for human prey. Their teeth are spears and arrows; their tongue, a sharpened sword.
6 Be exalted over the heavens, God; may your glory appear above all the earth.
II
7 They have set a trap for my feet; my soul is bowed down; They have dug a pit before me. May they fall into it themselves!f Selah
8 My heart is steadfast, God, my heart is steadfast. I will sing and chant praise.
9 Awake, my soul; awake, lyre and harp! I will wake the dawn.
10 I will praise you among the peoples, Lord; I will chant your praise among the nations.
11 For your mercy towers to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
12 Exalt yourself over the heavens, God; may your glory appear above all the earth.
Psalms 58
The Dethroning of Unjust Rulers
1 For the leader. Do not destroy. A miktam of David.
I
2 Do you indeed pronounce justice, O gods; do you judge fairly you children of Adam?a
3 No, you freely engage in crime; your hands dispense violence to the earth.
II
4 The wicked have been corrupt since birth; liars from the womb, they have gone astray.
5 Their venom is like the venom of a snake, like that of a serpent stopping its ears,b
6 So as not to hear the voice of the charmer or the enchanter with cunning spells.
III
7 O God, smash the teeth in their mouths; break the fangs of these lions, Lord!c
8 Make them vanish like water flowing away;d trodden down, let them wither like grass.
9 Let them dissolve like a snail that oozes away, like an untimely birth that never sees the sun.
10 Suddenly, like brambles or thistles, have the whirlwind snatch them away.
11 Then the just shall rejoice to see the vengeance and bathe their feet in the blood of the wicked.
12 Then people will say: “Truly there is a reward for the just; there is a God who is judge on earth!”
Psalms 59
Complaint against Bloodthirsty Enemies
1 For the director. Do not destroy. A miktam of David, when Saul sent people to watch his house and kill him.
I
2 Rescue me from my enemies, my God; lift me out of reach of my foes.
3 Deliver me from evildoers; from the bloodthirsty save me.
4 They have set an ambush for my life; the powerful conspire against me. For no offense or misdeed of mine, Lord,
5 for no fault they hurry to take up arms. Come near and see my plight!
6 You, Lord God of hosts, are the God of Israel! Awake! Punish all the nations. Have no mercy on these worthless traitors. Selah
7 Each evening they return, growling like dogs, prowling the city.
8 Their mouths pour out insult; sharp words are on their lips. They say: “Who is there to hear?”
9 But you, Lord, laugh at them; you deride all the nations.
10 My strength, for you I watch; you, God, are my fortress,
11 my loving God.
II
11 May God go before me, and show me my fallen foes.
12 Slay them not, God, lest they deceive my people. Shake them by your power; Lord, our shield, bring them down.
13 For the sinful words of their mouths and lips let them be caught in their pride. For the lies they have told under oathd
14 destroy them in anger, destroy till they are no more. Then people will know God rules over Jacob, yes, even to the ends of the earth. Selah
15 Each evening they return, growling like dogs, prowling the city.
16 They roam about as scavengers; if they are not filled, they howl.
III
17 But I shall sing of your strength, extol your mercy at dawn, For you are my fortress, my refuge in time of trouble.
18 My strength, your praise I will sing; you, God, are my fortress, my loving God.
Psalms 60
Lament after Defeat in Battle
1 For the leader; according to “The Lily of.…” A miktam of David (for teaching),
2 when he fought against Aram-Naharaim and Aram-Zobah; and Joab, coming back, killed twelve thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.
I
3 O God, you rejected us, broke our defenses; you were angry but now revive us.
4 You rocked the earth, split it open;b repair the cracks for it totters.
5 You made your people go through hardship, made us stagger from the wine you gave us.
6 Raise up a banner for those who revere you, a refuge for them out of bow shot. Selah
7 Help with your right hand and answer us that your loved ones may escape.
II
8 In the sanctuary God promised: “I will exult, will apportion Shechem; the valley of Succoth I will measure out.
9 Gilead is mine, mine is Manasseh; Ephraim is the helmet for my head, Judah, my own scepter.
10 Moab is my washbowl; upon Edom I cast my sandal. I will triumph over Philistia.”
III
11 Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me into Edom?
12 Was it not you who rejected us, God? Do you no longer march with our armies?e
13 Give us aid against the foe; worthless is human help.
14 We will triumph with the help of God, who will trample down our foes.
Psalms 61
Prayer of The King in Time of Danger
1 For the leader; with stringed instruments. Of David.
I
2 Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer!
3 From the ends of the earth I call; my heart grows faint. Raise me up, set me on a rock,
4 for you are my refuge, a tower of strength against the foe.
5 Let me dwell in your tent forever, take refuge in the shelter of your wings. Selah
II
6 For you, O God, have heard my vows, you have granted me the heritage of those who revere your name.
7 Add days to the life of the king; may his years be as from generation to generation;c
8 May he reign before God forever; send your love and fidelity to preserve him-e
9 I will duly sing to your name forever, fulfill my vows day after day.
Psalms 62
Trust in God Alone
1 For the leader; ‘al Jeduthun. A psalm of David.
I
2 My soul rests in God alone,a from whom comes my salvation.
3 God alone is my rock and salvation, my fortress; I shall never fall.
4 How long will you set yourself against a man? You shall all be destroyed, Like a sagging wall or a tumbled down fence!
5 Even highly placed people plot to overthrow him. They delight in lies; they bless with their mouths, but inwardly they curse. Selah
II
6 My soul, be at rest in God alone, from whom comes my hope.
7 God alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not fall.
8 My deliverance and honor are with God,c my strong rock; my refuge is with God.
9 Trust God at all times, my people! Pour out your hearts to God our refuge! Selah
III
10 Mortals are a mere breath, the sons of man but an illusion;d On a balance they rise; together they weigh nothing.
11 Do not trust in extortion; in plunder put no empty hope. On wealth that increases, do not set your heart.
12 One thing God has said; two things I have heard:f Strength belongs to God;
13 so too, my Lord, does mercy, For you repay each man according to his deeds.
Psalms 63
Ardent Longing for God
1 A psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.
I
2 O God, you are my God- it is you I seek! For you my body yearns; for you my soul thirsts, In a land parched, lifeless, and without water.
3 I look to you in the sanctuary to see your power and glory.
4 For your love is better than life; my lips shall ever praise you!
II
5 I will bless you as long as I live; I will lift up my hands, calling on your name.
6 My soul shall be sated as with choice food, with joyous lips my mouth shall praise you!
7 I think of you upon my bed, I remember you through the watches of the night
8 You indeed are my savior, and in the shadow of your wings I shout for joy.
9 My soul clings fast to you; your right hand upholds me.
III
10 But those who seek my life will come to ruin; they shall go down to the depths of the netherworld!
11 Those who would hand over my life to the sword shall become the prey of jackals!
12 But the king shall rejoice in God; all who swear by the Lord shall exult, but the mouths of liars will be shut!d
Psalms 64
Treacherous Conspirators Punished by God
1 For the leader. A psalm of David.
I
2 O God, hear my anguished voice; from a dreadful foe protect my life.
3 Hide me from the malicious crowd, the mob of evildoers.
4 They sharpen their tongues like swords, bend their bows of poison words.
5 They shoot at the innocent from ambush, they shoot him in a moment and do not fear.
6 They resolve on their wicked plan; they conspire to set snares; they say: “Who will see us?”
7 They devise wicked schemes, conceal the schemes they devise; the designs of their hearts are hidden.
II
8 God shoots an arrow at them; in a moment they are struck down.
9 They are brought down by their own tongues; all who see them flee.
10 Every person fears and proclaims God’s actions, they ponder his deeds.
11 The righteous rejoices and takes refuge in the Lord; all the upright give praise.
Psalms 65
Thanksgiving for God’s Blessings
1 For the leader. A psalm of David. A song.
I
2 To you we owe our hymn of praise, O God on Zion; To you our vows must be fulfilled,
3 you who hear our prayers. To you all flesh must comea
4 with its burden of wicked deeds. We are overcome by our sins; only you can pardon them.
5 Blessed the one whom you will choose and bring to dwell in your courts. May we be filled with the good things of your house, your holy temple!
II
6 You answer us with awesome deeds of justice, O God our savior, The hope of all the ends of the earth and of those far off across the sea.
7 You are robed in power, you set up the mountains by your might.
8 You still the roaring of the seas,d the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples.
9 Distant peoples stand in awe of your marvels; the places of morning and evening you make resound with joy.
10 You visit the earth and water it, make it abundantly fertile. God’s stream is filled with water; you supply their grain. Thus do you prepare it:
11 you drench its plowed furrows, and level its ridges. With showers you keep it soft, blessing its young sprouts.
12 You adorn the year with your bounty; your paths drip with fruitful rain.
13 The meadows of the wilderness also drip; the hills are robed with joy.
14 The pastures are clothed with flocks, the valleys blanketed with grain; they cheer and sing for joy.
Psalms 66
Praise of God, Israel’s Deliverer
1 For the leader. A song; a psalm.
I
2 Shout joyfully to God, all the earth; sing of his glorious name; give him glorious praise.
3 Say to God: “How awesome your deeds! Before your great strength your enemies cringe.
4 All the earth falls in worship before you;b they sing of you, sing of your name!” Selah
II
5 Come and see the works of God, awesome in deeds before the children of Adam.
6 He changed the sea to dry land; through the river they passed on foot. There we rejoiced in him,
7 who rules by his might forever, His eyes are fixed upon the nations. Let no rebel rise to challenge! Selah
8 Bless our God, you peoples; loudly sound his praise,
9 Who has kept us alive and not allowed our feet to slip.
10 You tested us, O God, tried us as silver tried by fire.
11 You led us into a snare; you bound us at the waist as captives.
12 You let captors set foot on our neck; we went through fire and water; then you led us out to freedom.
III
13 I will bring burnt offerings to your house; to you I will fulfill my vows,
14 Which my lips pronounced and my mouth spoke in my distress.
15 Burnt offerings of fatlings I will offer you and sacrificial smoke of rams; I will sacrifice oxen and goats. Selah
16 Come and hear, all you who fear God, while I recount what has been done for me.
17 I called to him with my mouth; praise was upon my tongue.
18 Had I cherished evil in my heart, the Lord would not have heard.
19 But God did hear and listened to my voice in prayer.
20 Blessed be God, who did not reject my prayer and refuse his mercy.
Psalms 67
Harvest Thanks And Petition
1 For the leader; with stringed instruments. A psalm; a song.
I
2 May God be gracious to us and bless us; may his face shine upon us. Selah
3 So shall your way be known upon the earth, your victory among all the nations.
4 May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you!
II
5 May the nations be glad and rejoice; for you judge the peoples with fairness, you guide the nations upon the earth. Selah
6 May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you!
III
7 The earth has yielded its harvest; God, our God, blesses us.
8 May God bless us still; that the ends of the earth may revere him.
Psalms 68
The Exodus And Conquest, Pledge of Future Help
1 For the leader. A psalm of David; a song.
I
2 May God arise; may his enemies be scattered; may those who hate him flee before him.
3 As the smoke is dispersed, disperse them; as wax is melted by fire, so may the wicked perish before God.
4 Then the just will be glad; they will rejoice before God; they will celebrate with great joy.
II
5 Sing to God, praise his name; exalt the rider of the clouds. Rejoice before him whose name is the Lord.
6 Father of the fatherless, defender of widowsd- God in his holy abode,
7 God gives a home to the forsaken, who leads prisoners out to prosperity, while rebels live in the desert.
III
8 God, when you went forth before your people,e when you marched through the desert, Selah
9 The earth quaked, the heavens poured, before God, the One of Sinai, before God, the God of Israel.
10 You poured abundant rains, God, your inheritance was weak and you repaired it.
11 Your creatures dwelt in it; you will establish it in your goodness for the poor, O God.
IV
12 The Lord announced: “Those bringing news are a great Army.
13 The kings of the armies are in desperate flight. Every household will share the spoil,
14 though you lie down among the sheepfolds,g you shall be covered with silver as the wings of a dove, her feathers bright as fine gold.”
15 When the Almighty routs the kings there, it will be as when snow fell on Zalmon.
V
16 You mountain of God, mountain of Bashan, you rugged mountain, mountain of Bashan,
17 You rugged mountains, why look with envy at the mountain where God has chosen to dwell, where the Lord resides forever?h
18 God’s chariots were myriad, thousands upon thousands; from Sinai the Lord entered the holy place.
19 You went up to its lofty height; you took captives, received slaves as tribute,i even rebels, for the Lord God to dwell.
VI
20 Blessed be the Lord day by day, God, our salvation, who carries us. Selah
21 Our God is a God who saves; escape from death is the Lord God’s.
22 God will crush the heads of his enemies, the hairy scalp of the one who walks in sin.
23 The Lord has said: “Even from Bashan I will fetch them, fetch them even from the depths of the sea.
24 You will wash your feet in your enemy’s blood; the tongues of your dogs will lap it up.”
VII
25 Your procession comes into view, O God, your procession into the holy place, my God and king.
26 The singers go first, the harpists follow; in their midst girls sound the timbrels.
27 In your choirs, bless God; Lord, Israel’s fountain.
28 In the lead is Benjamin, few in number; there the princes of Judah, a large throng, the princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali, too.
VIII
29 Summon again, O God, your power, the divine power you once showed for us,
30 From your temple on behalf of Jerusalem, that kings may bring you tribute.
31 Roar at the wild beast of the reeds, the herd of mighty bulls, the calves of the peoples; trampling those who lust after silver scatter the peoples that delight in war.
32 Let bronze be brought from Egypt,o Ethiopia hurry its hands to God.
IX
33 You kingdoms of the earth, sing to God;q chant the praises of the Lord, Selah
34 Who rides the heights of the ancient heavens, Who sends forth his voice as a mighty voice?
35 Confess the power of God, whose majesty protects Israel, whose power is in the sky.
36 Awesome is God in his holy place, the God of Israel, who gives power and strength to his people. Blessed be God!
Psalms 69
A Cry of Anguish in Great Distress
1 For the leader; according to “Lilies.” Of David.
I
2 Save me, God, for the waters have reached my neck.
3 I have sunk into the mire of the deep, where there is no foothold. I have gone down to the watery depths; the flood overwhelms me.
4 I am weary with crying out; my throat is parched. My eyes fail, from looking for my God.
5 More numerous than the hairs of my head are those who hate me without cause. Those who would destroy me are mighty, my enemies without reason. Must I now restore what I did not steal?
II
6 God, you know my folly; my faults are not hidden from you.
7 Let those who wait in hope for you, Lord of hosts, not be shamed because of me. Let those who seek you, God of Israel,e not be disgraced because of me.
8 For it is on your account I bear insult, that disgrace covers my face.
9 I have become an outcast to my kindred, a stranger to my mother’s children.
10 Because zeal for your house has consumed me, I am scorned by those who scorn you.
11 When I humbled my spirit with fasting,i this led only to scorn.
12 When I clothed myself in sackcloth; I became a byword for them.
13 Those who sit in the gate gossip about me; drunkards make me the butt of songs.
III
14 But I will pray to you, Lord, at a favorable time. God, in your abundant kindness, answer me with your sure deliverance.
15 Rescue me from the mire,k and do not let me sink. Rescue me from those who hate me and from the watery depths.
16 Do not let the flood waters overwhelm me, nor the deep swallow me, nor the pit close its mouth over me.
17 Answer me, Lord, in your generous love; in your great mercy turn to me.
18 Do not hide your face from your servant; hasten to answer me, for I am in distress.
19 Come and redeem my life; because of my enemies ransom me.
20 You know my reproach, my shame, my disgrace; before you stand all my foes.
21 Insult has broken my heart, and I despair; I looked for compassion, but there was none,m for comforters, but found none.
22 Instead they gave me poison for my food; and for my thirst they gave me vinegar.
IV
23 May their own table be a snare for them, and their communion offerings a trap.
24 Make their eyes so dim they cannot see; keep their backs ever feeble.
25 Pour out your wrath upon them; let the fury of your anger overtake them.
26 Make their camp desolate, with none to dwell in their tents.
27 For they pursued the one you struck, added to the pain of the one you wounded.
28 Heap punishment upon their punishment; let them gain from you no vindication.
29 May they be blotted from the book of life; not registered among the just!
V
30 But here I am miserable and in pain; let your saving help protect me, God,
31 That I may praise God’s name in song and glorify it with thanksgiving.
32 That will please the Lord more than oxen, more than bulls with horns and hooves:r
33 “See, you lowly ones, and be glad; you who seek God, take heart!s
34 For the Lord hears the poor, and does not spurn those in bondage.
35 Let the heaven and the earth praise him, the seas and whatever moves in them!”
Vi
36 For God will rescue Zion, and rebuild the cities of Judah. They will dwell there and possess it;
37 the descendants of God’s servants will inherit it; those who love God’s name will dwell in it.
Psalms 70
Prayer for Divine Help
1 For the leader; of David. For remembrance.
2 Graciously rescue me, God!a Come quickly to help me, Lord!b
3 Let those who seek my life be confused and put to shame. Let those who desire my ruin turn back in disgrace.
4 Let those who say “Aha!”d turn back in their shame.
5 But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you, Those who long for your help always say, “God be glorified!”e
6 I am miserable and poor. God, come to me quickly! You are my help and deliverer. Lord, do not delay!
Psalms 71
Prayer in Time of Old Age
I
1 In you, Lord, I take refuge;a let me never be put to shame.
2 In your justice rescue and deliver me; listen to me and save me!
3 Be my rock of refuge, my stronghold to give me safety; for you are my rock and fortress.
4 My God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked, from the clutches of the evil and violent.
5 You are my hope, Lord; my trust, God, from my youth.
6 On you I have depended since birth; from my mother’s womb you are my strength;e my hope in you never wavers.
7 I have become a portent to many, but you are my strong refuge!
8 My mouth shall be filled with your praise, shall sing your glory every day.
II
9 Do not cast me aside in my old age; as my strength fails, do not forsake me.
10 For my enemies speak against me; they watch and plot against me.
11 They say, “God has abandoned him. Pursue, and seize him! No one will come to the rescue!”
12 God, be not far from me; my God, hasten to help me.
13 Bring to a shameful end those who attack me; Cover with contempt and scorn those who seek my ruin.
14 I will always hope in you and add to all your praise.
15 My mouth shall proclaim your just deeds, day after day your acts of deliverance, though I cannot number them all.
16 I will speak of the mighty works of the Lord; O God, I will tell of your singular justice.
III
17 God, you have taught me from my youth; to this day I proclaim your wondrous deeds.
18 Now that I am old and gray,j do not forsake me, God, That I may proclaim your might to all generations yet to come,k Your power
19 and justice, God, to the highest heaven. You have done great things;l O God, who is your equal?
20 Whatever bitter afflictions you sent me, you would turn and revive me. From the watery depths of the earth once more raise me up.
21 Restore my honor; turn and comfort me,
22 That I may praise you with the lyre for your faithfulness, my God, And sing to you with the harp, O Holy One of Israel!
23 My lips will shout for joy as I sing your praise; my soul, too, which you have redeemed.
24 Yes, my tongue shall recount your justice day by day. For those who sought my ruin have been shamed and disgraced.
Psalms 72
A Prayer for The King
1 Of Solomon.
I
2 O God, give your judgment to the king; your justice to the king’s son; a That he may govern your people with justice, your oppressed with right judgment,b
3 That the mountains may yield their bounty for the people, and the hills great abundance,c
4 That he may defend the oppressed among the people, save the children of the poor and crush the oppressor.
II
5 May they fear you with the sun, and before the moon, through all generations.
6 May he be like rain coming down upon the fields, like showers watering the earth,e
7 That abundance may flourish in his days, great bounty, till the moon be no more.
III
8 May he rule from sea to sea, from the river to the ends of the earth.
9 May his foes kneel before him, his enemies lick the dust.
10 May the kings of Tarshish and the islands bring tribute, the kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts.
11 May all kings bow before him, all nations serve him.
12 For he rescues the poor when they cry out, the oppressed who have no one to help.
13 He shows pity to the needy and the poor and saves the lives of the poor.
14 From extortion and violence he redeems them, for precious is their blood in his sight.
IV
15 Long may he live, receiving gold from Sheba, prayed for without cease, blessed day by day.
16 May wheat abound in the land, flourish even on the mountain heights. May his fruit be like that of Lebanon, and flourish in the city like the grasses of the land.
17 May his name be forever; as long as the sun, may his name endure. May the tribes of the earth give blessings with his name; may all the nations regard him as favored.
18 Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone does wonderful deeds.
19 Blessed be his glorious name forever; may he fill all the earth with his glory. Amen and amen.
20 The end of the psalms of David, son of Jesse.
Psalms 73
Third Book-psalms 73 –89
The Trial of The Just
A psalm of Asaph.
1 How good God is to the upright, to those who are pure of heart!
I
2 But, as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; my steps had nearly slipped,
3 Because I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4 For they suffer no pain; their bodies are healthy and sleek.
5 They are free of the burdens of life; they are not afflicted like others.
6 Thus pride adorns them as a necklace; violence clothes them as a robe.
7 Out of such blindness comes sin; evil thoughts flood their hearts.
8 They scoff and spout their malice; from on high they utter threats.
9 They set their mouths against the heavens, their tongues roam the earth.
10 So my people turn to them and drink deeply of their words.
11 They say, “Does God really know?” “Does the Most High have any knowledge?”d
12 Such, then, are the wicked, always carefree, increasing their wealth.
II
13 Is it in vain that I have kept my heart pure, washed my hands in innocence?e
14 For I am afflicted day after day, chastised every morning.
15 Had I thought, “I will speak as they do,” I would have betrayed this generation of your children.
16 Though I tried to understand all this, it was too difficult for me,
17 Till I entered the sanctuary of God and came to understand their end.
III
18 You set them, indeed, on a slippery road; you hurl them down to ruin.
19 How suddenly they are devastated; utterly undone by disaster!
20 They are like a dream after waking, Lord, dismissed like shadows when you arise.
IV
21 Since my heart was embittered and my soul deeply wounded,
22 I was stupid and could not understand; I was like a brute beast in your presence.
23 Yet I am always with you; you take hold of my right hand.
24 With your counsel you guide me, and at the end receive me with honor.
25 Whom else have I in the heavens? None beside you delights me on earth.
26 Though my flesh and my heart fail, God is the rock of my heart, my portion forever.
27 But those who are far from you perish; you destroy those unfaithful to you.
28 As for me, to be near God is my good, to make the Lord God my refuge. I shall declare all your works in the gates of daughter Zion.
Psalms 74
Prayer at The Destruction of The Temple
1 A maskil of Asaph.
I
1 Why, God, have you cast us off forever?a Why does your anger burn against the sheep of your pasture?
2 Remember your people, whom you acquired of old, the tribe you redeemed as your own heritage, Mount Zion where you dwell.
3 Direct your steps toward the utter destruction, everything the enemy laid waste in the sanctuary.
4 Your foes roared triumphantly in the place of your assembly; they set up their own tokens of victory.
5 They hacked away like a forester gathering boughs, swinging his ax in a thicket of trees.
6 They smashed all its engraved work, struck it with ax and pick.
7 They set your sanctuary on fire, profaned your name’s abode by razing it to the ground.
8 They said in their hearts, “We will destroy them all! Burn all the assembly-places of God in the land!”
9 Even so we have seen no signs for us, there is no prophet any more,e no one among us who knows for how long.
10 How long, O God, will the enemy jeer?f Will the enemy revile your name forever?
11 Why draw back your hand, why hold back your right hand within your bosom?
II
12 Yet you, God, are my king from of old, winning victories throughout the earth.
13 You stirred up the sea by your might;g you smashed the heads of the dragons on the waters.
14 You crushed the heads of Leviathan,i gave him as food to the sharks.
15 You opened up springs and torrents, brought dry land out of the primeval waters.
16 Yours the day and yours the night too; you set the moon and sun in place.
17 You fixed all the limits of the earth; summer and winter you made.
18 Remember how the enemy has jeered, Lord, how a foolish people has reviled your name.
19 Do not surrender to wild animals those who praise you; do not forget forever the life of your afflicted.
20 Look to your covenant, for the recesses of the land are full of the haunts of violence.
21 Let not the oppressed turn back in shame; may the poor and needy praise your name.
22 Arise, God, defend your cause; remember the constant jeering of the fools.
23 Do not forget the clamor of your foes, the unceasing uproar of your enemies.
Psalms 75
God The Judge of The World
1 For the leader. Do not destroy! A psalm of Asaph; a song.
I
2 We thank you, God, we give thanks; we call upon your name, we declare your wonderful deeds. [You said:]
3 “I will choose the time; I will judge fairly.
4 Though the earth and all its inhabitants quake, I make steady its pillars.”a Selah
II
5 So I say to the boastful: “Do not boast!”b to the wicked: “Do not raise your horns!
6 Do not raise your horns against heaven! Do not speak with a stiff neck!”c
7 For judgment comes not from east or from west, not from the wilderness or the mountains,d
8 But from God who decides, who brings some low and raises others high.
9 Yes, a cup is in the Lord’s hand, foaming wine, fully spiced. When God pours it out, they will drain it even to the dregs; all the wicked of the earth will drink.
10 But I will rejoice forever; I will sing praise to the God of Jacob,
11 g[Who has said:] “I will cut off all the horns of the wicked, but the horns of the righteous will be exalted.”
Psalms 76
God Defends Zion
1 For the leader; a psalm with stringed instruments.
A song of Asaph.
I
2 Renowned in Judah is God,a whose name is great in Israel.
3 On Salem is God’s tent, his shelter on Zion.
4 There the flashing arrows were shattered, shield, sword, and weapons of war. Selah
II
5 Terrible and awesome are you, stronger than the ancient mountains.
6 Despoiled are the stouthearted; they sank into sleep; the hands of all the men of valor have failed.
7 At your roar, O God of Jacob, chariot and steed lay still.
8 You, terrible are you; who can stand before you and your great anger?d
9 From the heavens you pronounced sentence; the earth was terrified and reduced to silence,
10 When you arose, O God, for judgment to save the afflicted of the land. Selah
11 Surely the wrath of man will give you thanks; the remnant of your furor will keep your feast.
III
12 Make and keep vows to the Lord your God. May all around him bring gifts to the one to be feared,
13 Who checks the spirit of princes, who is fearful to the kings of earth.
Psalms 77
Confidence in God during National Distress
1 For the leader; According to Jeduthun.
A psalm of Asaph.
I
2 I cry aloud to God, I cry to God to hear me.
3 On the day of my distress I seek the Lord; by night my hands are stretched out unceasingly;a I refuse to be consoled.
4 When I think of God, I groan; as I meditate, my spirit grows faint. Selah
5 You have kept me from closing my eyes in sleep; I am troubled and cannot speak.
6 I consider the days of old; the years long past
7 I remember. At night I ponder in my heart; and as I meditate, my spirit probes:
8 “Will the Lord reject us forever,d never again show favor?
9 Has God’s mercy ceased forever? The promise to go unfulfilled for future ages?
10 Has God forgotten how to show mercy, in anger withheld his compassion?” Selah
11 I conclude: “My sorrow is this, the right hand of the Most High has abandoned us.”
II
12 I will recall the deeds of the Lord; yes, recall your wonders of old.
13 I will ponder all your works; on your exploits I will meditate.
14 Your way, God, is holy; what god is as great as our God?g
15 You are the God who does wonders; among the peoples you have revealed your might.
16 With your mighty arm you redeemed your people, the children of Jacob and Joseph. Selah
17 The waters saw you, God; the waters saw you and lashed about, even the deeps of the sea trembled.
18 The clouds poured down their rains; the thunderheads rumbled; your arrows flashed back and forth.
19 The thunder of your chariot wheels resounded; your lightning lit up the world; the earth trembled and quaked.
20 Through the sea was your way; your path, through the mighty waters, though your footsteps were unseen.
21 You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
Psalms 78
A New Beginning in Zion And David
Amaskil of Asaph.
I
1 Attend, my people, to my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth in a parable, unfold the puzzling events of the past.
3 What we have heard and know; things our ancestors have recounted to us.
4 We do not keep them from our children; we recount them to the next generation, The praiseworthy deeds of the Lord and his strength, the wonders that he performed.
5 God made a decree in Jacob, established a law in Israel:d Which he commanded our ancestors, they were to teach their children;
6 That the next generation might come to know, children yet to be born. In turn they were to recount them to their children,
7 that they too might put their confidence in God, And not forget God’s deeds, but keep his commandments.
8 They were not to be like their ancestors, a rebellious and defiant generation,f A generation whose heart was not constant,g and whose spirit was not faithful to God.
9 The ranks of Ephraimite archers, retreated on the day of battle.
10 They did not keep God’s covenant; they refused to walk according to his law.
11 They forgot his deeds, the wonders that he had shown them.
II
A
12 In the sight of their ancestors God did wonders, in the land of Egypt, the plain of Zoan.
13 He split the sea and led them across,i making the waters stand like walls.
14 He led them with a cloud by day, all night with the light of fire.
15 He split rocks in the desert, gave water to drink, abundant as the deeps of the sea.
16 He made streams flow from crags, caused rivers of water to flow down.
B
17 But they went on sinning against him, rebelling against the Most High in the desert.
18 They tested God in their hearts, demanding the food they craved.
19 They spoke against God, and said, “Can God spread a table in the wilderness?
20 True, when he struck the rock, water gushed forth, the wadies flooded. But can he also give bread, or provide meat to his people?”
C
21 The Lord heard and grew angry;p fire blazed up against Jacob; anger flared up against Israel.
22 For they did not believe in God, did not trust in his saving power.
23 So he commanded the clouds above; and opened the doors of heaven.
24 God rained manna upon them for food; grain from heaven he gave them.
25 Man ate the bread of the angels; food he sent in abundance.
26 He stirred up the east wind in the skies; by his might God brought on the south wind.
27 He rained meat upon them like dust, winged fowl like the sands of the sea,
28 They fell down in the midst of their camp, all round their dwellings.
29 They ate and were well filled; he gave them what they had craved.
30 But while they still wanted more, and the food was still in their mouths,
31 God’s anger flared up against them, and he made a slaughter of their strongest, laying low the youth of Israel.
32 In spite of all this they went on sinning, they did not believe in his wonders.
D
33 God ended their days abruptly, their years in sudden death.
34 When he slew them, they began to seek him; they again looked for God.
35 They remembered that God was their rock, God Most High, their redeemer.
36 But they deceived him with their mouths, lied to him with their tongues.
37 Their hearts were not constant toward him; they were not faithful to his covenant.
38 But God being compassionate forgave their sin; he did not utterly destroy them. Time and again he turned back his anger, unwilling to unleash all his rage.
39 He remembered that they were flesh, a breath that passes on and does not return.
III
A
40 How often they rebelled against God in the wilderness, grieved him in the wasteland.
41 Again and again they tested God, provoked the Holy One of Israel.
42 They did not remember his power, the day he redeemed them from the foe,
43 When he performed his signs in Egypt, his wonders in the plain of Zoan.
44 God turned their rivers to blood; their streams they could not drink.
45 He sent swarms of insects that devoured them,x frogs that destroyed them.
46 He gave their harvest to the caterpillar, the fruits of their labor to the locust.
47 He killed their vines with hail,y their sycamores with frost.
48 He exposed their cattle to plague, their flocks to pestilence.
49 He let loose against them the heat of his anger, wrath, fury, and distress, a band of deadly messengers.
50 He cleared a path for his anger; he did not spare them from death, but delivered their animals to the plague.
51 He struck all the firstborn of Egypt,a the first fruits of their vigor in the tents of Ham.
52 Then God led forth his people like sheep, guided them like a flock through the wilderness.
53 He led them on secure and unafraid, while the sea enveloped their enemies.
54 And he brought them to his holy mountain, the hill his right hand had won.
55 He drove out the nations before them, allotted them as their inherited portion, and settled in their tents the tribes of Israel.
B
56 But they tested and rebelled against God Most High, his decrees they did not observe.
57 They turned disloyal, faithless like their ancestors; they proved false like a slack bow.
58 They enraged him with their high places, and with their idols provoked him to jealous anger.
C
59 God heard and grew angry; he rejected Israel completely.
60 He forsook the shrine at Shiloh,f the tent he set up among human beings.
61 He gave up his might into captivity, his glorious ark into the hands of the foe.
62 God delivered his people to the sword; he was enraged against his heritage.
63 Fire consumed their young men; their young women heard no wedding songs.
64 Their priests fell by the sword; their widows made no lamentation.
D
65 Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, like a warrior shouting from the effects of wine.
66 He put his foes to flight; everlasting shame he dealt them.
67 He rejected the tent of Joseph, chose not the tribe of Ephraim.
68 God chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion which he loved.
69 He built his shrine like the heavens, like the earth which he founded forever.
70 He chose David his servant, took him from the sheepfolds.
71 From tending ewes God brought him, to shepherd Jacob, his people, Israel, his heritage.
72 He shepherded them with a pure heart; with skilled hands he guided them.
Psalms 79
A Prayer for Jerusalem
1 A psalm of Asaph.
I
O God, the nations have invaded your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple; they have laid Jerusalem in ruins.
2 They have left the corpses of your servants as food for the birds of the sky, the flesh of those devoted to you for the beasts of the earth.
3 They have poured out their blood like water all around Jerusalem, and no one is left to do the burying.
4 We have become the reproach of our neighbors, the scorn and derision of those around us.
II
5 How long, Lord? Will you be angry forever? Will your jealous anger keep burning like fire?e
6 Pour out your wrath on nations that do not recognize you, on kingdoms that do not call on your name,f
7 For they have devoured Jacob, laid waste his dwelling place.
8 Do not remember against us the iniquities of our forefathers; let your compassion move quickly ahead of us, for we have been brought very low.
III
9 Help us, God our savior, on account of the glory of your name. Deliver us, pardon our sins for your name’s sake.
10 Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?”i Before our eyes make known to the nations that you avenge the blood of your servants which has been poured out.
IV
11 Let the groaning of the imprisoned come in before you; in accord with the greatness of your arm preserve those doomed to die.
12 Turn back sevenfold into the bosom of our neighbors the insult with which they insulted you, Lord.
13 Then we, your people, the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise.
Psalms 80
Prayer To Restore God’s Vineyard
1 For the leader; according to “Lilies.” Eduth.
A psalm of Asaph.
I
2 O Shepherd of Israel, lend an ear, you who guide Joseph like a flock! Seated upon the cherubim, shine fortha
3 upon Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh. Stir up your power, and come to save us.
4 O God, restore us; light up your face and we shall be saved.
II
5 Lord of hosts, how long will you smolder in anger while your people pray?c
6 You have fed them the bread of tears, made them drink tears in great measure.
7 You have left us to be fought over by our neighbors; our enemies deride us.
8 O God of hosts, restore us; light up your face and we shall be saved.
III
9 You brought a vine out of Egypt; you drove out nations and planted it.
10 You cleared out what was before it; it took deep root and filled the land.
11 The mountains were covered by its shadow, the cedars of God by its branches.
12 It sent out its boughs as far as the sea, its shoots as far as the river.
13 Why have you broken down its walls, so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit?
14 The boar from the forest strips the vine; the beast of the field feeds upon it.
15 Turn back again, God of hosts; look down from heaven and see; Visit this vine,
16 the stock your right hand has planted, and the son whom you made strong for yourself.
17 Those who would burn or cut it down- may they perish at your rebuke.
18 May your hand be with the man on your right, with the son of man whom you made strong for yourself.
19 Then we will not withdraw from you; revive us, and we will call on your name.
20 Lord God of hosts, restore us; light up your face and we shall be saved.
Psalms 81
An Admonition To Fidelity
1 For the leader; “upon the gittith.” Of Asaph.
I
2 Sing joyfully to God our strength;a raise loud shouts to the God of Jacob!
3 Take up a melody, sound the timbrel, the pleasant lyre with a harp.
4 Blow the shofar at the new moon, at the full moon, on our solemn feast.
5 For this is a law for Israel, an edict of the God of Jacob,c
6 He made it a decree for Joseph when he came out of the land of Egypt.
II
7 I heard a tongue I did not know: “I removed his shoulder from the burden; his hands moved away from the basket.
8 In distress you called and I rescued you; I answered you in secret with thunder; At the waters of Meribah I tested you:e
9 ‘Listen, my people, I will testify against you Selah If only you will listen to me, Israel!f
10 There shall be no foreign god among you;g you shall not bow down to an alien god.
11 ‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt. Open wide your mouth that I may fill it.’
12 But my people did not listen to my words; Israel would not submit to me.
13 So I thrust them away to the hardness of their heart; ‘Let them walk in their own machinations.’
14 O that my people would listen to me, that Israel would walk in my ways,i
15 In a moment I would humble their foes, and turn back my hand against their oppressors.
16 Those who hate the Lord will try flattering him, but their fate is fixed forever.
17 But Israel I will feed with the finest wheat, I will satisfy them with honey from the rock.”
Psalms 82
The Downfall of Unjust Gods
1 A psalm of Asaph.
I
1 God takes a stand in the divine council, gives judgment in the midst of the gods.
2 “How long will you judge unjustly and favor the cause of the wicked?b Selah
3 “Defend the lowly and fatherless; render justice to the afflicted and needy.
4 Rescue the lowly and poor; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”c II
5 The gods neither know nor understand, wandering about in darkness, and all the world’s foundations shake.
6 I declare: “Gods though you be,d offspring of the Most High all of you,
7 Yet like any mortal you shall die; like any prince you shall fall.”
8 Arise, O God, judge the earth, for yours are all the nations.
Psalms 83
Prayer against A Hostile Alliance
1 A song; a psalm of Asaph.
I
2 God, do not be silent; God, do not be deaf or remain unmoved!a
3 See how your enemies rage; your foes proudly raise their heads.
4 They conspire against your people, plot against those you protect.
5 They say, “Come, let us wipe them out as a nation; let Israel’s name be remembered no more!”
6 They scheme with one mind, they have entered into a covenant against you:c
7 The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, of Moab and the Hagrites,d
8 Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek,e Philistia and the inhabitants of Tyre.
9 Assyria, too, in league with them, backs the descendants of Lot. Selah
II
10 Deal with them as with Midian; as with Sisera and Jabin at the wadi Kishon,g
11 Those destroyed at Endor, who became dung for the ground.
12 Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,
13 Who made a plan together, “Let us take for ourselves the pastures of God.”
14 My God, make them like tumbleweed, into chaff flying before the wind.
15 As a fire raging through a forest, a flame setting mountains ablaze,j
16 Pursue them with your tempest; terrify them with your storm-wind.
17 Cover their faces with shame, till they seek your name, Lord.
18 Let them be ashamed and terrified forever; let them perish in disgrace.
19 Let them know that your name is Lord, you alone are the Most High over all the earth.
Psalms 84
Prayer of A Pilgrim To Jerusalem
1 for The Leader; “upon The Gittith.” A Psalm of The Korahites.
I
2 How lovely your dwelling, O Lord of hosts!a
3 My soul yearns and pines for the courts of the Lord. My heart and flesh cry out for the living God.
4 As the sparrow finds a home and the swallow a nest to settle her young, My home is by your altars, Lord of hosts, my king and my God!c
5 Blessed are those who dwell in your house! They never cease to praise you. Selah
II
6 Blessed the man who finds refuge in you, in their hearts are pilgrim roads.
7 As they pass through the Baca valley, they find spring water to drink. The early rain covers it with blessings.
8 They will go from strength to strength and see the God of gods on Zion.
III
9 Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; listen, God of Jacob. Selah
10 O God, watch over our shield; look upon the face of your anointed.
IV
11 Better one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere. Better the threshold of the house of my God than a home in the tents of the wicked.
12 For a sun and shield is the Lord God, bestowing all grace and glory. The Lord withholds no good thing from those who walk without reproach.
13 O Lord of hosts, blessed the man who trusts in you!
Psalms 85
Prayer for Divine Favor
1 For the leader.
A psalm of the Korahites.
I
2 You once favored, Lord, your land, restored the captives of Jacob.
3 You forgave the guilt of your people, pardoned all their sins. Selah
4 You withdrew all your wrath, turned back from your burning anger.
II
5 Restore us, God of our salvation; let go of your displeasure with us.
6 Will you be angry with us forever, prolong your anger for all generations?d
7 Certainly you will again restore our life, that your people may rejoice in you.
8 Show us, Lord, your mercy; grant us your salvation.
III
9 I will listen for what God, the Lord, has to say; surely he will speak of peace To his people and to his faithful. May they not turn to foolishness!
10 Near indeed is his salvation for those who fear him; glory will dwell in our land.
11 Love and truth will meet; justice and peace will kiss.
12 Truth will spring from the earth; justice will look down from heaven.
13 Yes, the Lord will grant his bounty; our land will yield its produce.
14 Justice will march before him, and make a way for his footsteps.
Psalms 86
Prayer in Time of Distress
A prayer of David.
I
1 Incline your ear, Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and oppressed.
2 Preserve my life, for I am devoted; save your servant who trusts in you. You are my God;
3 be gracious to me, Lord; to you I call all the day.
4 Gladden the soul of your servant; to you, Lord, I lift up my soul.
5 Lord, you are good and forgiving, most merciful to all who call on you.
6 Lord, hear my prayer; listen to my cry for help.
7 On the day of my distress I call to you, for you will answer me.
II
8 None among the gods can equal you, O Lord; nor can their deeds compare to yours.
9 All the nations you have made shall come to bow before you, Lord, and give honor to your name.
10 For you are great and do wondrous deeds; and you alone are God.
III
11 Teach me, Lord, your way that I may walk in your truth,f single-hearted and revering your name.
12 I will praise you with all my heart, glorify your name forever, Lord my God.
13 Your mercy to me is great; you have rescued me from the depths of Sheol.
14 O God, the arrogant have risen against me; a ruthless band has sought my life; to you they pay no heed.
15 But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in mercy and truth.
16 Turn to me, be gracious to me; give your strength to your servant; save the son of your handmaid.
17 Give me a sign of your favor: make my enemies see, to their confusion, that you, Lord, help and comfort me.
Psalms 87
Zion The True Birthplace
A psalm of the Korahites. A song.
I
1 His foundation is on holy mountains,
2 The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than any dwelling in Jacob.
3 Glorious things are said of you, O city of God! Selah
II
4 Rahab and Babylon I count among those who know me. See, Philistia and Tyre, with Ethiopia, “This one was born there.”
5 And of Zion it will be said: “Each one was born in it.”b The Most High will establish it;c
6 the Lord notes in the register of the peoples: “This one was born there.”d Selah
7 So singers and dancers: “All my springs are in you.”e
Psalms 88
A Despairing Lament
1 A song; a psalm of the Korahites. For the leader; according to Mahalath. For singing; a maskil of Heman the Ezrahite.
I
2 Lord, the God of my salvation, I call out by day; at night I cry aloud in your presence.
3 Let my prayer come before you; incline your ear to my cry.
4 For my soul is filled with troubles;c my life draws near to Sheol.
5 I am reckoned with those who go down to the pit; I am like a warrior without strength.
6 My couch is among the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave. You remember them no more; they are cut off from your influence.
7 You plunge me into the bottom of the pit, into the darkness of the abyss.
8 Your wrath lies heavy upon me; all your waves crash over me. Selah
II
9 Because of you my acquaintances shun me; you make me loathsome to them;e Caged in, I cannot escape;
10 my eyes grow dim from trouble. All day I call on you, Lord; I stretch out my hands to you.
11 Do you work wonders for the dead? Do the shades arise and praise you?f Selah
III
12 Is your mercy proclaimed in the grave, your faithfulness among those who have perished?
13 Are your marvels declared in the darkness, your righteous deeds in the land of oblivion?
IV
14 But I cry out to you, Lord; in the morning my prayer comes before you.
15 Why do you reject my soul, Lord, and hide your face from me?
16 I have been mortally afflicted since youth; I have borne your terrors and I am made numb.
17 Your wrath has swept over me; your terrors have destroyed me.
18 All day they surge round like a flood; from every side they encircle me.
19 Because of you friend and neighbor shun me;h my only friend is darkness.
Psalms 89
A Lament Over God’s Promise To David
1 A maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite.
A
I
2 I will sing of your mercy forever, Lorda proclaim your faithfulness through all ages.
3 For I said, “My mercy is established forever; my faithfulness will stand as long as the heavens.
4 I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant:
5 I will make your dynasty stand forever and establish your throne through all ages.”b Selah
II
6 The heavens praise your marvels, Lord, your loyalty in the assembly of the holy ones.
7 Who in the skies ranks with the Lord? Who is like the Lord among the sons of the gods?d
8 A God dreaded in the council of the holy ones, greater and more awesome than all those around him!
9 Lord, God of hosts, who is like you? Mighty Lord, your faithfulness surrounds you.
10 You rule the raging sea;e you still its swelling waves.
11 You crush Rahab with a mortal blow; with your strong arm you scatter your foes.
12 Yours are the heavens, yours the earth; you founded the world and everything in it.
13 Zaphon and Amanus you created; Tabor and Hermon rejoice in your name.
14 You have a mighty arm. Your hand is strong; your right hand is ever exalted.
15 Justice and judgment are the foundation of your throne; mercy and faithfulness march before you.
16 Blessed the people who know the war cry, who walk in the radiance of your face, Lord.
17 In your name they sing joyfully all the day; they rejoice in your righteousness.
18 You are their majestic strength; by your favor our horn is exalted.
19 Truly the Lord is our shield, the Holy One of Israel, our king!
III
20 Then you spoke in vision;k to your faithful ones you said: “I have set a leader over the warriors; I have raised up a chosen one from the people.
21 I have chosen David, my servant; with my holy oil I have anointed him.
22 My hand will be with him;l my arm will make him strong.
23 No enemy shall outwit him, nor shall the wicked defeat him.
24 I will crush his foes before him, strike down those who hate him.
25 My faithfulness and mercy will be with him; through my name his horn will be exalted.
26 I will set his hand upon the sea, his right hand upon the rivers.
27 He shall cry to me, ‘You are my father,m my God, the Rock of my salvation!’
28 I myself make him the firstborn, Most High over the kings of the earth.
29 Forever I will maintain my mercy for him;n my covenant with him stands firm.
30 I will establish his dynasty forever, his throne as the days of the heavens.
31 If his descendants forsake my teaching,o do not follow my decrees,
32 If they fail to observe my statutes, do not keep my commandments,
33 I will punish their crime with a rod and their guilt with blows.
34 But I will not take my mercy from him, nor will I betray my bond of faithfulness.
35 I will not violate my covenant; the promise of my lips I will not alter.
36 By my holiness I swore once for all:r I will never be false to David.
37 His dynasty will continue forever,s his throne, like the sun before me.
38 Like the moon it will stand eternal, forever firm like the sky!” Selah
B
IV
39 But now you have rejected and spurned,t been enraged at your anointed.
40 You renounced the covenant with your servant, defiled his crown in the dust.
41 You broke down all city walls,u left his strongholds in ruins.
42 All who pass through seize plunder; his neighbors deride him.
43 You have exalted the right hand of his foes, have gladdened all his enemies.
44 You turned back his sharp sword, did not support him in battle.
45 You brought to an end his splendor, hurled his throne to the ground.
46 You cut short the days of his youth, covered him with shame. Selah
V
47 How long, Lord? Will you hide forever? Must your wrath smolder like fire?
48 Remember how brief life is, how frail the sons of man you have created!x
49 What is man, that he should live and not see death? Who can deliver his soul from the power of Sheol?y Selah
Vi
50 Where are your former mercies, Lord, that you swore to David in your faithfulness?
51 Remember, Lord, the insults to your servants, how I have borne in my bosom the slander of the nations.z
52 Your enemies, Lord, insult; they insult each step of your anointed.
53 Blessed be the Lord forever! Amen and amen!
Psalms 90
Fourth Book-psalms 90–106
God’s Eternity And Human Frailty
1 A prayer of Moses, the man of God.
I
1 Lord, you have been our refuge through all generations.
2 Before the mountains were born, the earth and the world brought forth, from eternity to eternity you are God.
3 You turn humanity back into dust, saying, “Return, you children of Adam!”
4 A thousand years in your eyes are merely a day gone by,c Before a watch passes in the night,
5 you wash them away;d They sleep, and in the morning they sprout again like an herb.
6 In the morning it blooms only to pass away; in the evening it is wilted and withered.
II
7 Truly we are consumed by your anger, filled with terror by your wrath.
8 You have kept our faults before you, our hidden sins in the light of your face.
9 Our life ebbs away under your wrath;g our years end like a sigh.
10 Seventy is the sum of our years, or eighty, if we are strong; Most of them are toil and sorrow; they pass quickly, and we are gone.
11 Who comprehends the strength of your anger? Your wrath matches the fear it inspires.
12 Teach us to count our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart.
III
13 Relent, O Lord! How long? Have pity on your servants!
14 Fill us at daybreak with your mercy,h that all our days we may sing for joy.
15 Make us glad as many days as you humbled us, for as many years as we have seen trouble.
16 Show your deeds to your servants, your glory to their children.
17 May the favor of the Lord our God be ours. Prosper the work of our hands! Prosper the work of our hands!
Psalms 91
Security under God’s Protection
I
1 You who dwell in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shade of the Almighty,
2 Say to the Lord, “My refuge and fortress, my God in whom I trust.”a
3 He will rescue you from the fowler’s snare, from the destroying plague,
4 He will shelter you with his pinions, and under his wings you may take refuge;b his faithfulness is a protecting shield.
5 You shall not fear the terror of the night nor the arrow that flies by day,c
6 Nor the pestilence that roams in darkness, nor the plague that ravages at noon.
7 Though a thousand fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, near you it shall not come.
8 You need simply watch; the punishment of the wicked you will see.
9 Because you have the Lord for your refuge and have made the Most High your stronghold,
10 No evil shall befall you, no affliction come near your tent.
11 For he commands his angels with regard to you,g to guard you wherever you go.
12 With their hands they shall support you, lest you strike your foot against a stone.
13 You can tread upon the asp and the viper, trample the lion and the dragon.
II
14 Because he clings to me I will deliver him; because he knows my name I will set him on high.
15 He will call upon me and I will answer;l I will be with him in distress;m I will deliver him and give him honor.
16 With length of days I will satisfy him, and fill him with my saving power.
Psalms 92
A Hymn of Thanksgiving for God’s Fidelity
1 A psalm.
A sabbath song.
I
2 It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praise to your name, Most High,a
3 To proclaim your love at daybreak, your faithfulness in the night,
4 With the ten-stringed harp, with melody upon the lyre.
5 For you make me jubilant, Lord, by your deeds; at the works of your hands I shout for joy.
II
6 How great are your works, Lord!c How profound your designs!
7 A senseless person cannot know this; a fool cannot comprehend.
8 Though the wicked flourish like grass and all sinners thrive, They are destined for eternal destruction;
9 but you, Lord, are forever on high.
10 Indeed your enemies, Lord, indeed your enemies shall perish; all sinners shall be scattered.
III
11 You have given me the strength of a wild ox;f you have poured rich oil upon me.
12 My eyes look with glee on my wicked enemies; my ears shall hear what happens to my wicked foes.
13 The just shall flourish like the palm tree, shall grow like a cedar of Lebanon.
14 Planted in the house of the Lord, they shall flourish in the courts of our God.
15 They shall bear fruit even in old age, they will stay fresh and green,
16 To proclaim: “The Lord is just; my rock, in whom there is no wrong.”
Psalms 93
God Is A Mighty King
1 The Lord is king, robed with majesty; the Lord is robed, girded with might. The world will surely stand in place, never to be moved.
2 Your throne stands firm from of old; you are from everlasting.
3 The flood has raised up, Lord; the flood has raised up its roar; the flood has raised its pounding waves.
4 More powerful than the roar of many waters, more powerful than the breakers of the sea, powerful in the heavens is the Lord.
5 Your decrees are firmly established; holiness befits your house, Lord, for all the length of days.
Psalms 94
A Prayer for Deliverance From The Wicked
I
1 Lord, avenging God, avenging God, shine forth!a
2 Rise up, O judge of the earth; give the proud what they deserve!b
II
3 How long, Lord, shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked glory?c
4 How long will they mouth haughty speeches, go on boasting, all these evildoers?d
5 They crush your people, Lord, torment your very own.
6 They kill the widow and alien; the orphan they murder.
7 They say, “The Lord does not see; the God of Jacob takes no notice.”f
III
8 Understand, you stupid people! You fools, when will you be wise?g
9 Does the one who shaped the ear not hear? The one who formed the eye not see?h
10 Does the one who guides nations not rebuke? The one who teaches man not have knowledge?
11 The Lord knows the plans of man; they are like a fleeting breath.
IV
12 Blessed the one whom you guide, Lord,j whom you teach by your instruction,
13 To give rest from evil days, while a pit is being dug for the wicked.
14 For the Lord will not forsake his people, nor abandon his inheritance.
15 Judgment shall again be just, and all the upright of heart will follow it.
V
16 Who will rise up for me against the wicked? Who will stand up for me against evildoers?
17 If the Lord were not my help, I would long have been silent in the grave.
18 When I say, “My foot is slipping,” your mercy, Lord, holds me up.
19 When cares increase within me, your comfort gives me joy.
VI
20 Can unjust judges be your allies, those who create burdens by decree,
21 Those who conspire against the just and condemn the innocent to death?
22 No, the Lord is my secure height, my God, my rock of refuge,
23 nWho will turn back their evil upon themo and destroy them for their wickedness. Surely the Lord our God will destroy them!
Psalms 95
A Call To Praise And Obedience
I
1 Come, let us sing joyfully to the Lord; cry out to the rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come before him with a song of praise, joyfully sing out our psalms.
3 For the Lord is the great God, the great king over all gods,b
4 Whose hand holds the depths of the earth; who owns the tops of the mountains.
5 The sea and dry land belong to God, who made them, formed them by hand.
II
6 Enter, let us bow down in worship; let us kneel before the Lord who made us.
7 For he is our God, we are the people he shepherds, the sheep in his hands.
III
7 Oh, that today you would hear his voice:e
8 Do not harden your hearts as at Meribah, as on the day of Massah in the desert.
9 There your ancestors tested me; they tried me though they had seen my works.
10 Forty years I loathed that generation; I said: “This people’s heart goes astray; they do not know my ways.”g
11 Therefore I swore in my anger: “They shall never enter my rest.”
Psalms 96
God of The Universe
I
1 Sing to the Lord a new song;a sing to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Sing to the Lord, bless his name; proclaim his salvation day after day.
3 Tell his glory among the nations; among all peoples, his marvelous deeds.
II
4 For great is the Lord and highly to be praised, to be feared above all gods.
5 For the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens.
6 Splendor and power go before him; power and grandeur are in his holy place.
III
7 Give to the Lord, you families of nations, give to the Lord glory and might;
8 give to the Lord the glory due his name!e Bring gifts and enter his courts;
9 bow down to the Lord, splendid in holiness. Tremble before him, all the earth;
10 fdeclare among the nations: The Lord is king. The world will surely stand fast, never to be shaken. He rules the peoples with fairness.
IV
11 Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice; let the sea and what fills it resound;g
12 let the plains be joyful and all that is in them. Then let all the trees of the forest rejoice
13 before the Lord who comes, who comes to govern the earth,h To govern the world with justice and the peoples with faithfulness.
Psalms 97
The Divine Ruler of All
I
1 The Lord is king; let the earth rejoice; let the many islands be glad.
2 Cloud and darkness surround him; justice and right are the foundation of his throne.
3 Fire goes before him, consuming his foes on every side.
4 His lightning illumines the world; the earth sees and trembles.
5 The mountains melt like wax before the Lord, before the Lord of all the earth.
6 The heavens proclaim his justice; all peoples see his glory.
II
7 All who serve idols are put to shame, who glory in worthless things; all gods bow down before him.
8 Zion hears and is glad, and the daughters of Judah rejoice because of your judgments, O Lord.
9 For you, Lord, are the Most High over all the earth,h exalted far above all gods.
10 You who love the Lord, hate evil, he protects the souls of the faithful,i rescues them from the hand of the wicked.
11 Light dawns for the just, and gladness for the honest of heart.
12 Rejoice in the Lord, you just, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.
Psalms 98
The Coming of God
1 A psalm.
I
1 Sing a new song to the Lord, for he has done marvelous deeds. His right hand and holy arm have won the victory.
2 The Lord has made his victory known; has revealed his triumph in the sight of the nations,
3 He has remembered his mercy and faithfulness toward the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.
II
4 Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth; break into song; sing praise.
5 Sing praise to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and melodious song.
6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn shout with joy to the King, the Lord.
III
7 Let the sea and what fills it resound,d the world and those who dwell there.
8 Let the rivers clap their hands, the mountains shout with them for joy,e
9 fBefore the Lord who comes, who comes to govern the earth,g To govern the world with justice and the peoples with fairness.
Psalms 99
The Holy King
I
1 The Lord is king, the peoples tremble; he is enthroned on the cherubim, the earth quakes.
2 Great is the Lord in Zion, exalted above all the peoples.
3 Let them praise your great and awesome name: Holy is he!b
II
4 O mighty king, lover of justice, you have established fairness; you have created just rule in Jacob.
5 Exalt the Lord, our God; bow down before his footstool;d holy is he!
III
6 Moses and Aaron were among his priests, Samuel among those who called on his name; they called on the Lord, and he answered them.
7 From the pillar of cloud he spoke to them; they kept his decrees, the law he had given them.
8 O Lord, our God, you answered them; you were a forgiving God to them, though you punished their offenses.
9 Exalt the Lord, our God; bow down before his holy mountain; holy is the Lord, our God.
Psalms 100
Processional Hymn
1 A psalm of thanksgiving. Shout joyfully to the Lord, all you lands;
2 serve the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful song.
3 Know that the Lord is God, he made us, we belong to him, we are his people, the flock he shepherds.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, bless his name;
5 good indeed is the Lord, His mercy endures forever, his faithfulness lasts through every generation.
Psalms 101
Norm of Life for Rulers
1 A psalm of David.
I
1 I sing of mercy and justice; to you, Lord, I sing praise.
2 I study the way of integrity;a when will you come to me? I act with integrity of heart within my household.
3 I do not allow into my presence anything base. I hate wrongdoing; I will have no part of it.
4 May the devious heart keep far from me; the wicked I will not acknowledge.
5 Whoever slanders a neighbor in secret I will reduce to silence. Haughty eyes and arrogant hearts I cannot endure.
II
6 I look to the faithful of the land to sit at my side. Whoever follows the way of integrity is the one to enter my service.
7 No one who practices deceit can remain within my house. No one who speaks falsely can last in my presence.
8 Morning after morning I clear all the wicked from the land, to rid the city of the Lord of all doers of evil.
Psalms 102
Prayer in Time of Distress
1 The prayer of one afflicted and wasting away whose anguish is poured out before the Lord.
I
2 Lord, hear my prayer; let my cry come to you.
3 Do not hide your face from me in the day of my distress. Turn your ear to me; when I call, answer me quickly.
4 For my days vanish like smoke;b my bones burn away as in a furnace.
5 My heart is withered, dried up like grass, too wasted to eat my food.
6 From my loud groaning I become just skin and bones.
7 I am like a desert owl, like an owl among the ruins.
8 I lie awake and moan, like a lone sparrow on the roof.
9 All day long my enemies taunt me; in their rage, they make my name a curse.
10 I eat ashes like bread, mingle my drink with tears.
11 Because of your furious wrath, you lifted me up just to cast me down.
12 My days are like a lengthening shadow;e I wither like the grass.
II
13 But you, Lord, are enthroned forever; your renown is for all generations.
14 You will again show mercy to Zion; now is the time for pity; the appointed time has come.
15 Its stones are dear to your servants; its dust moves them to pity.
16 The nations shall fear your name, Lord, all the kings of the earth, your glory,
17 Once the Lord has rebuilt Zion and appeared in glory,
18 Heeding the plea of the lowly, not scorning their prayer.
19 Let this be written for the next generation, for a people not yet born, that they may praise the Lord:
20 “The Lord looked down from the holy heights, viewed the earth from heaven,
21 To attend to the groaning of the prisoners, to release those doomed to die.”
22 Then the Lord’s name will be declared on Zion, his praise in Jerusalem,
23 When peoples and kingdoms gather to serve the Lord.
III
24 He has shattered my strength in mid-course, has cut short my days.
25 I plead, O my God, do not take me in the midst of my days. Your years last through all generations.
26 Of old you laid the earth’s foundations;m the heavens are the work of your hands.
27 They perish, but you remain; they all wear out like a garment; Like clothing you change them and they are changed,
28 but you are the same, your years have no end.
29 May the children of your servants live on; may their descendants live in your presence.
Psalms 103
Praise of Divine Goodness
1 Of David.
I
1 Bless the Lord, my soul; all my being, bless his holy name!
2 Bless the Lord, my soul; and do not forget all his gifts,
3 Who pardons all your sins, and heals all your ills,
4 Who redeems your life from the pit,a and crowns you with mercy and compassion,
5 Who fills your days with good things, so your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
II
6 The Lord does righteous deeds, brings justice to all the oppressed.
7 He made known his ways to Moses, to the Israelites his deeds.
8 Merciful and gracious is the Lord, slow to anger, abounding in mercy.
9 He will not always accuse, and nurses no lasting anger;
10 He has not dealt with us as our sins merit, nor requited us as our wrongs deserve.
III
11 For as the heavens tower over the earth, so his mercy towers over those who fear him.
12 As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our sins from us.
13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.
14 For he knows how we are formed, remembers that we are dust.
15 As for man, his days are like the grass; he blossoms like a flower in the field.
16 A wind sweeps over it and it is gone; its place knows it no more.
17 But the Lord’s mercy is from age to age, toward those who fear him. His salvation is for the children’s children
18 of those who keep his covenant, and remember to carry out his precepts.
IV
19 The Lord has set his throne in heaven; his dominion extends over all.
20 Bless the Lord, all you his angels,g mighty in strength, acting at his behest, obedient to his command.
21 Bless the Lord, all you his hosts, his ministers who carry out his will.
22 Bless the Lord, all his creatures, everywhere in his domain. Bless the Lord, my soul!
Psalms 104
Praise of God The Creator
I
1 Bless the Lord, my soul! Lord, my God, you are great indeed! You are clothed with majesty and splendor,
2 robed in light as with a cloak. You spread out the heavens like a tent;a
3 setting the beams of your chambers upon the waters. You make the clouds your chariot; traveling on the wings of the wind.
4 You make the winds your messengers; flaming fire, your ministers.
II
5 You fixed the earth on its foundation, so it can never be shaken.
6 The deeps covered it like a garment; above the mountains stood the waters.
7 At your rebuke they took flight; at the sound of your thunder they fled.
8 They rushed up the mountains, down the valleys to the place you had fixed for them.
9 You set a limit they cannot pass; never again will they cover the earth.
III
10 You made springs flow in wadies that wind among the mountains.
11 They give drink to every beast of the field;e here wild asses quench their thirst.
12 Beside them the birds of heaven nest; among the branches they sing.
13 You water the mountains from your chambers; from the fruit of your labor the earth abounds.
14 You make the grass grow for the cattle and plants for people’s work to bring forth food from the earth,
15 wine to gladden their hearts, oil to make their faces shine, and bread to sustain the human heart.
16 The trees of the Lord drink their fill, the cedars of Lebanon, which you planted.
17 There the birds build their nests; the stork in the junipers, its home.
18 The high mountains are for wild goats; the rocky cliffs, a refuge for badgers.
IV
19 You made the moon to mark the seasons,g the sun that knows the hour of its setting.
20 You bring darkness and night falls, then all the animals of the forest wander about.
21 Young lions roar for prey; they seek their food from God.
22 When the sun rises, they steal away and settle down in their dens.
23 People go out to their work, to their labor till evening falls.
V
24 How varied are your works, Lord! In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.
25 There is the sea, great and wide! It teems with countless beings, living things both large and small.
26 There ships ply their course and Leviathan, whom you formed to play with.
Vi
27 All of these look to you to give them food in due time.
28 When you give it to them, they gather; when you open your hand, they are well filled.
29 When you hide your face, they panic. Take away their breath, they perish and return to the dust.
30 Send forth your spirit, they are created and you renew the face of the earth.
VII
31 May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord be glad in his works!
32 Who looks at the earth and it trembles, touches the mountains and they smoke!n
33 I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God while I live.
34 May my meditation be pleasing to him; I will rejoice in the Lord.
35 May sinners vanish from the earth, and the wicked be no more. Bless the Lord, my soul! Hallelujah!
Psalms 105
God’s Fidelity To The Promise
I
1 Give thanks to the Lord, invoke his name;a make known among the peoples his deeds!
2 Sing praise to him, play music; proclaim all his wondrous deeds!
3 Glory in his holy name; let hearts that seek the Lord rejoice!
4 Seek out the Lord and his might; constantly seek his face.
5 Recall the wondrous deeds he has done, his wonders and words of judgment,
6 You descendants of Abraham his servant, offspring of Jacob the chosen one!
II
7 He the Lord, is our God whose judgments reach through all the earth.
8 He remembers forever his covenant, the word he commanded for a thousand generations,
9 Which he made with Abraham, and swore to Isaac,d
10 And ratified in a statute for Jacob, an everlasting covenant for Israel:
11 “To you I give the land of Canaan, your own allotted inheritance.”
III
12 When they were few in number,f a handful, and strangers there,
13 Wandering from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people,
14 He let no one oppress them; for their sake he rebuked kings:
15 “Do not touch my anointed ones, to my prophets do no harm.”
IV
16 Then he called down a famine on the land, destroyed the grain that sustained them.
17 He had sent a man ahead of them, Joseph, sold as a slave.
18 They shackled his feet with chains; collared his neck in iron,i
19 Till his prediction came to pass, and the word of the Lord proved him true.
20 The king sent and released him; the ruler of peoples set him free.
21 He made him lord over his household, ruler over all his possessions,
22 To instruct his princes as he desired, to teach his elders wisdom.
V
23 Then Israel entered Egypt;m Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham.
24 God greatly increased his people, made them more numerous than their foes.
25 He turned their hearts to hate his people, to treat his servants deceitfully.
26 He sent his servant Moses, and Aaron whom he had chosen.
27 They worked his signs in Egypt and wonders in the land of Ham.
28 He sent darkness and it grew dark, but they rebelled against his word.
29 He turned their waters into blood and killed their fish.
30 Their land swarmed with frogs, even the chambers of their kings.
31 He spoke and there came swarms of flies, gnats through all their country.
32 For rain he gave them hail, flashes of lightning throughout their land.
33 He struck down their vines and fig trees, shattered the trees of their country.
34 He spoke and the locusts came, grasshoppers without number.
35 They devoured every plant in the land; they devoured the crops of their fields.
36 He struck down every firstborn in the land, the first fruits of all their vigor.
37 He brought his people out, laden with silver and gold;s no one among the tribes stumbled.
38 Egypt rejoiced when they left, for fear had seized them.
Vi
39 He spread a cloud out as a cover, and made a fire to light up the night.
40 They asked and he brought them quail; with bread from heaven he filled them.
41 He split the rock and water gushed forth; it flowed through the desert like a river.
42 For he remembered his sacred promise to Abraham his servant.
43 He brought his people out with joy, his chosen ones with shouts of triumph.
44 He gave them the lands of the nations, they took possession of the wealth of the peoples,
45 That they might keep his statutes and observe his teachings. Hallelujah!
Psalms 106
Israel’s Confession of Sin
1 Hallelujah!
A
1 Give thanks to the Lord, who is good, whose mercy endures forever.
2 Who can recount the mighty deeds of the Lord, proclaim in full God’s praise?
3 Blessed those who do what is right, whose deeds are always just.
4 Remember me, Lord, as you favor your people; come to me with your saving help,c
5 That I may see the prosperity of your chosen ones, rejoice in the joy of your people, and glory with your heritage.
B
6 We have sinned like our ancestors;d we have done wrong and are guilty.
I
7 Our ancestors in Egypt did not attend to your wonders. They did not remember your manifold mercy; they defied the Most High at the Red Sea.
8 Yet he saved them for his name’s sake to make his power known.
9 He roared at the Red Sea and it dried up. He led them through the deep as through a desert.
10 He rescued them from hostile hands, freed them from the power of the enemy.
11 The waters covered their oppressors; not one of them survived.
12 Then they believed his words and sang his praise.
II
13 But they soon forgot all he had done; they had no patience for his plan.
14 In the desert they gave in to their cravings, tempted God in the wasteland.
15 So he gave them what they asked and sent a wasting disease against them.
III
16 In the camp they challenged Moses and Aaron, the holy one of the Lord.
17 The earth opened and swallowed Dathan, it closed on the followers of Abiram.
18 Against their company the fire blazed; flames consumed the wicked.
IV
19 At Horeb they fashioned a calf,k worshiped a metal statue.
20 They exchanged their glory for the image of a grass-eating bull.
21 They forgot the God who had saved them, who had done great deeds in Egypt,
22 Amazing deeds in the land of Ham, fearsome deeds at the Red Sea.
23 He would have decreed their destruction, had not Moses, his chosen one, Withstood him in the breach to turn back his destroying anger.
V
24 Next they despised the beautiful land;n they did not believe the promise.
25 In their tents they complained; they did not heed the voice of the Lord.
26 So with raised hand he swore he would destroy them in the desert,
27 And scatter their descendants among the nations, disperse them in foreign lands.
Vi
28 They joined in the rites of Baal of Peor ate food sacrificed to the dead.
29 They provoked him by their actions, and a plague broke out among them.
30 Then Phinehas rose to intervene, and the plague was brought to a halt.
31 This was counted for him as a righteous deed for all generations to come.
VII
32 At the waters of Meribah they angered God,p and Moses suffered because of them.
33 They so embittered his spirit that rash words crossed his lips.
VIII
34 They did not destroy the peoples as the Lord had commanded them,
35 But mingled with the nations and imitated their ways.
36 They served their idols and were ensnared by them.
37 They sacrificed to demons their own sons and daughters,
38 Shedding innocent blood, the blood of their own sons and daughters, Whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, desecrating the land with bloodshed.
39 They defiled themselves by their actions, became adulterers by their conduct.
40 So the Lord grew angry with his people, abhorred his own heritage.
41 He handed them over to the nations, and their adversaries ruled over them.
42 Their enemies oppressed them, kept them under subjection.
43 Many times did he rescue them, but they kept rebelling and scheming and were brought low by their own guilt.
44 Still God had regard for their affliction when he heard their wailing.
45 For their sake he remembered his covenant and relented in his abundant mercy,
46 Winning for them compassion from all who held them captive.
C
47 Save us, Lord, our God; gather us from among the nations That we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in praising you.
48 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! Let all the people say, Amen!Hallelujah!
Psalms 107
God The Savior of Those in Distress
1 “Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his mercy endures forever!”a
2 Let that be the prayer of the Lord’s redeemed, those redeemed from the hand of the foe,
3 Those gathered from foreign lands, from east and west, from north and south.
I
4 Some had lost their way in a barren desert; found no path toward a city to live in.
5 They were hungry and thirsty; their life was ebbing away.
6 In their distress they cried to the Lord, who rescued them in their peril,
7 Guided them by a direct path so they reached a city to live in.
8 Let them thank the Lord for his mercy, such wondrous deeds for the children of Adam.
9 For he satisfied the thirsty, filled the hungry with good things.
II
10 Some lived in darkness and gloom, imprisoned in misery and chains.
11 Because they rebelled against God’s word, and scorned the counsel of the Most High,
12 He humbled their hearts through hardship; they stumbled with no one to help.
13 In their distress they cried to the Lord, who saved them in their peril;
14 He brought them forth from darkness and the shadow of death and broke their chains asunder.
15 Let them thank the Lord for his mercy, such wondrous deeds for the children of Adam.
16 For he broke down the gates of bronze and snapped the bars of iron.
III
17 Some fell sick from their wicked ways, afflicted because of their sins.
18 They loathed all manner of food;k they were at the gates of death.
19 In their distress they cried to the Lord, who saved them in their peril,
20 Sent forth his word to heal them,l and snatched them from the grave.
21 Let them thank the Lord for his mercy, such wondrous deeds for the children of Adam.
22 Let them offer a sacrifice in thanks, recount his works with shouts of joy.
IV
23 Some went off to sea in ships, plied their trade on the deep waters.
24 They saw the works of the Lord, the wonders of God in the deep.
25 He commanded and roused a storm wind; it tossed the waves on high.
26 They rose up to the heavens, sank to the depths; their hearts trembled at the danger.
27 They reeled, staggered like drunkards; their skill was of no avail.
28 In their distress they cried to the Lord, who brought them out of their peril;
29 He hushed the storm to silence, the waves of the sea were stilled.
30 They rejoiced that the sea grew calm, that God brought them to the harbor they longed for.
31 Let them thank the Lord for his mercy, such wondrous deeds for the children of Adam.
32 Let them extol him in the assembly of the people, and praise him in the council of the elders.
V
33 God changed rivers into desert, springs of water into thirsty ground,q
34 Fruitful land into a salty waste, because of the wickedness of its people.
35 He changed the desert into pools of water, arid land into springs of water,s
36 And settled the hungry there; they built a city to live in.
37 They sowed fields and planted vineyards, brought in an abundant harvest.
38 God blessed them, and they increased greatly, and their livestock did not decrease.
39 But he poured out contempt on princes, made them wander trackless wastes,
40 Where they were diminished and brought low through misery and cruel oppression.
41 While he released the poor man from affliction, and increased their families like flocks.
42 The upright saw this and rejoiced;y all wickedness shut its mouth.
43 Whoever is wise will take note of these things,z and ponder the merciful deeds of the Lord.
Psalms 108
Prayer for Victory
1 A song; a psalm of David.
I
2 My heart is steadfast, God;a my heart is steadfast. Let me sing and chant praise.
3 Awake, lyre and harp! I will wake the dawn.
4 I will praise you among the peoples, Lord; I will chant your praise among the nations.
5 For your mercy is greater than the heavens; your faithfulness, to the skies.
II
6 Appear on high over the heavens, God; your glory above all the earth.
7 Help with your right hand and answer us that your loved ones may escape.
8 God speaks in his holiness:e “I will exult, I will apportion Shechem; the valley of Succoth I will measure out.
9 Gilead is mine, mine is Manasseh; Ephraim is the helmet for my head, Judah, my scepter.
10 Moab is my washbowl; upon Edom I cast my sandal;f I will shout in triumph over Philistia.”
11 Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me into Edom?
12 Was it not you who rejected us, God? Do you no longer march with our armies?
13 Give us aid against the foe; worthless is human help.
14 We will triumph with the help of God, who will trample down our foes.
Psalms 109
Prayer of A Person Falsely Accused
1 For the leader. A psalm of David.
I
2 O God, whom I praise, do not be silent,a for wicked and treacherous mouths attack me. They speak against me with lying tongues;
3 with hateful words they surround me, attacking me without cause.
4 In return for my love they slander me, even though I prayed for them.
5 They repay me evil for good, hatred for my love.
II
6 Appoint an evil one over him, an accuser to stand at his right hand,
7 That he may be judged and found guilty, that his plea may be in vain.
8 May his days be few; may another take his office.
9 May his children be fatherless, his wife, a widow.
10 May his children wander and beg, driven from their hovels.
11 May the usurer snare all he owns, strangers plunder all he earns.
12 May no one treat him with mercy or pity his fatherless children.
13 May his posterity be destroyed,e their name rooted out in the next generation.
14 May his fathers’ guilt be mentioned to the Lord; his mother’s sin not rooted out.
15 May their guilt be always before the Lord,g till their memory is banished from the earth,
16 For he did not remember to show mercy, but hounded the wretched poor and brought death to the brokenhearted.
17 He loved cursing; may it come upon him; he hated blessing; may none come to him.
18 May cursing clothe him like a robe; may it enter his belly like water, his bones like oil.
19 May it be near as the clothes he wears, as the belt always around him.
20 May this be the reward for my accusers from the Lord, for those speaking evil against me.
III
21 But you, Lord, are my Lord, deal kindly with me for your name’s sake; in your great mercy rescue me.
22 For I am poor and needy; my heart is pierced within me.
23 Like a lengthening shadow I am gone, I am shaken off like the locust.
24 My knees totter from fasting;i my flesh has wasted away.
25 I have become a mockery to them; when they see me, they shake their heads.
26 Help me, Lord, my God; save me in your mercy.
27 Make them know this is your hand, that you, Lord, have done this.
28 Though they curse, may you bless; arise, shame them, that your servant may rejoice.
29 Clothe my accusers with disgrace; make them wear their shame like a mantle.
30 I will give fervent thanks to the Lord; before a crowd I will praise him.
31 For he stands at the right hand of the poor to save him from those who pass judgment on him.
Psalms 110
God Appoints The King Both King And Priest
1 A psalm of David. The Lord says to my lord: “Sit at my right hand, while I make your enemies your footstool.”
2 The scepter of your might: the Lord extends your strong scepter from Zion. Have dominion over your enemies!
3 Yours is princely power from the day of your birth. In holy splendor before the daystar, like dew I begot you.
4 The Lord has sworn and will not waver: “You are a priest forever in the manner of Melchizedek.”
5 At your right hand is the Lord, who crushes kings on the day of his wrath,
6 Who judges nations, heaps up corpses, crushes heads across the wide earth,
7 Who drinks from the brook by the wayside and thus holds high his head.
Psalms 111
Praise of God for Goodness To Israel
1 Hallelujah! I will praise the Lord with all my heart in the assembled congregation of the upright.
2 Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them.
3 Majestic and glorious is his work, his righteousness endures forever.
4 He won renown for his wondrous deeds; gracious and merciful is the Lord.
5 He gives food to those who fear him, he remembers his covenant forever.
6 He showed his powerful deeds to his people, giving them the inheritance of the nations.
7 The works of his hands are true and just, reliable all his decrees,
8 Established forever and ever, to be observed with truth and equity.
9 He sent release to his people, decreed his covenant forever; holy and fearsome is his name.
10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;c prudent are all who practice it. His praise endures forever.
Psalms 112
The Blessings of The Just
1 Hallelujah! Blessed the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in his commands.
2 His descendants shall be mighty in the land, a generation of the upright will be blessed.
3 Wealth and riches shall be in his house; his righteousness shall endure forever.
4 Light shines through the darkness for the upright;b gracious, compassionate, and righteous.
5 It is good for the man gracious in lending, who conducts his affairs with justice.
6 For he shall never be shaken; the righteous shall be remembered forever.
7 He shall not fear an ill report; his heart is steadfast, trusting the Lord.
8 His heart is tranquil, without fear, till at last he looks down on his foes.
9 Lavishly he gives to the poor; his righteousness shall endure forever;d his horn shall be exalted in honor.
10 The wicked sees and is angry; gnashes his teeth and wastes away; the desire of the wicked come to nothing.
Psalms 113
Praise of God’s Care for The Poor
1 Hallelujah!
I
1 Praise, you servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord.
2 Blessed be the name of the Lord both now and forever.
3 From the rising of the sun to its setting let the name of the Lord be praised.
II
4 High above all nations is the Lord; above the heavens his glory.
5 Who is like the Lord our God, enthroned on high,
6 looking down on heaven and earth?
7 He raises the needy from the dust, lifts the poor from the ash heap,
8 Seats them with princes, the princes of the people,
9 Gives the childless wife a home, the joyful mother of children. Hallelujah!
Psalms 114
The Lord’s Wonders at The Exodus
1 When Israel came forth from Egypt, the house of Jacob from an alien people,
2 Judah became God’s sanctuary, Israel, God’s domain.
3 The sea saw and fled; the Jordan turned back.
4 The mountains skipped like rams; the hills, like lambs.
5 Why was it, sea, that you fled? Jordan, that you turned back?
6 Mountains, that you skipped like rams? You hills, like lambs?
7 Tremble, earth, before the Lord,d before the God of Jacob,
8 Who turned the rock into pools of water, flint into a flowing spring.
Psalms 115
The Greatness of The True God
I
1 Not to us, Lord, not to us but to your name give glory because of your mercy and faithfulness.
2 Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?”
3 Our God is in heaven and does whatever he wills.
II
4 Their idols are silver and gold,d the work of human hands.
5 They have mouths but do not speak, eyes but do not see.
6 They have ears but do not hear, noses but do not smell.
7 They have hands but do not feel, feet but do not walk; they produce no sound from their throats.
8 Their makers will be like them, and anyone who trusts in them.
III
9 The house of Israel trusts in the Lord,f who is their help and shield.
10 The house of Aaron trusts in the Lord, who is their help and shield.
11 Those who fear the Lord trust in the Lord, who is their help and shield.
12 The Lord remembers us and will bless us, will bless the house of Israel, will bless the house of Aaron,
13 Will bless those who fear the Lord, small and great alike.
14 May the Lord increase your number, yours and your descendants.
15 May you be blessed by the Lord, maker of heaven and earth.
16 The heavens belong to the Lord, but he has given the earth to the children of Adam.
17 The dead do not praise the Lord, not all those go down into silence.
18 It is we who bless the Lord, both now and forever. Hallelujah!
Psalms 116
Thanksgiving To God Who Saves From Death
I
1 I love the Lord, who listened to my voice in supplication,
2 Who turned an ear to me on the day I called.
3 I was caught by the cords of death;a the snares of Sheol had seized me; I felt agony and dread.
4 Then I called on the name of the Lord, “O Lord, save my life!”
II
5 Gracious is the Lord and righteous; yes, our God is merciful.
6 The Lord protects the simple; I was helpless, but he saved me.
7 Return, my soul, to your rest; the Lord has been very good to you.
8 For my soul has been freed from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling.
9 I shall walk before the Lord in the land of the living.
III
10 I kept faith, even when I said, “I am greatly afflicted!”f
11 I said in my alarm, “All men are liars!”
12 How can I repay the Lord for all the great good done for me?
13 I will raise the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord.
14 I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people.
15 Dear in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his devoted.
16 Lord, I am your servant, your servant, the child of your maidservant;i you have loosed my bonds.
17 I will offer a sacrifice of praise and call on the name of the Lord.
18 I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people,
19 In the courts of the house of the Lord, in your midst, O Jerusalem. Hallelujah!
Psalms 117
The Nations Called To Praise
1 Praise the Lord, all you nations! Extol him, all you peoples!a
2 His mercy for us is strong; the faithfulness of the Lord is forever. Hallelujah!
Psalms 118
Hymn of Thanksgiving
I
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,a his mercy endures forever.
2 Let Israel say: his mercy endures forever.
3 Let the house of Aaron say, his mercy endures forever.
4 Let those who fear the Lord say,b his mercy endures forever.
II
5 In danger I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free.
6 The Lord is with me; I am not afraid; what can mortals do against me?c
7 The Lord is with me as my helper; I shall look in triumph on my foes.
8 Better to take refuge in the Lord than to put one’s trust in mortals.
9 Better to take refuge in the Lord than to put one’s trust in princes.
III
10 All the nations surrounded me; in the Lord’s name I cut them off.
11 They surrounded me on every side; in the Lord’s name I cut them off.
12 They surrounded me like bees;e they burned up like fire among thorns; in the Lord’s name I cut them off.
13 I was hard pressed and falling, but the Lord came to my help.
14 The Lord, my strength and might, has become my savior.
IV
15 The joyful shout of deliverance is heard in the tents of the righteous: “The Lord’s right hand works valiantly;
16 the Lord’s right hand is raised; the Lord’s right hand works valiantly.”
17 I shall not die but live and declare the deeds of the Lord.
18 The Lord chastised me harshly, but did not hand me over to death.
V
19 Open the gates of righteousness; I will enter and thank the Lord.
20 This is the Lord’s own gate, through it the righteous enter.
21 I thank you for you answered me; you have been my savior.
22 The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
23 By the Lord has this been done; it is wonderful in our eyes.
24 This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice in it and be glad.
25 Lord, grant salvation! Lord, grant good fortune!
Vi
26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. We bless you from the house of the Lord.
27 The Lord is God and has enlightened us. Join in procession with leafy branches up to the horns of the altar.
VII
28 You are my God, I give you thanks; my God, I offer you praise.
29 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, his mercy endures forever.
Psalms 119
A Prayer To God, The Lawgiver
Aleph
1 Blessed those whose way is blameless, who walk by the law of the Lord.
2 Blessed those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with all their heart.
3 They do no wrong; they walk in his ways.
4 You have given them the command to observe your precepts with care.
5 May my ways be firm in the observance of your statutes!
6 Then I will not be ashamed to ponder all your commandments.
7 I will praise you with sincere heart as I study your righteous judgments.
8 I will observe your statutes; do not leave me all alone.
Beth
9 How can the young keep his way without fault? Only by observing your words.
10 With all my heart I seek you; do not let me stray from your commandments.
11 In my heart I treasure your promise, that I may not sin against you.
12 Blessed are you, O Lord; teach me your statutes.
13 With my lips I recite all the judgments you have spoken.
14 I find joy in the way of your testimonies more than in all riches.
15 I will ponder your precepts and consider your paths.
16 In your statutes I take delight; I will never forget your word.
Gimel
17 Be kind to your servant that I may live, that I may keep your word.
18 Open my eyes to see clearly the wonders of your law.
19 I am a sojourner in the land;d do not hide your commandments from me.
20 At all times my soul is stirred with longing for your judgments.
21 With a curse you rebuke the proud who stray from your commandments.
22 Free me from disgrace and contempt, for I keep your testimonies.
23 Though princes meet and talk against me, your servant meditates on your statutes.
24 Your testimonies are my delight; they are my counselors.
Daleth
25 My soul clings to the dust;e give me life in accord with your word.
26 I disclosed my ways and you answered me; teach me your statutes.
27 Make me understand the way of your precepts; I will ponder your wondrous deeds.
28 My soul is depressed; lift me up according to your word.
29 Lead me from the way of deceit; favor me with your law.
30 The way of loyalty I have chosen; I have kept your judgments.
31 I cling to your testimonies, Lord; do not let me come to shame.
32 I will run the way of your commandments, for you will broaden my heart.
He
33 Lord, teach me the way of your statutes; I shall keep them with care.
34 Give me understanding to keep your law, to observe it with all my heart.
35 Lead me in the path of your commandments,g for that is my delight.
36 Direct my heart toward your testimonies and away from gain.
37 Avert my eyes from what is worthless; by your way give me life.
38 For your servant, fulfill your promise made to those who fear you.
39 Turn away from me the taunts I dread, for your judgments are good.
40 See how I long for your precepts; in your righteousness give me life.
Waw
41 Let your mercy come to me, Lord, salvation in accord with your promise.
42 Let me answer my taunters with a word, for I trust in your word.
43 Do not take the word of truth from my mouth, for in your judgments is my hope.
44 I will keep your law always, for all time and forever.
45 I will walk freely in an open space because I cherish your precepts.
46 I will speak openly of your testimonies without fear even before kings.
47 I delight in your commandments, which I dearly love.
48 I lift up my hands to your commandments; I study your statutes, which I love.
Zayin
49 Remember your word to your servant by which you give me hope.
50 This is my comfort in affliction, your promise that gives me life.
51 Though the arrogant utterly scorn me, I do not turn from your law.
52 When I recite your judgments of old I am comforted, Lord.
53 Rage seizes me because of the wicked; they forsake your law.
54 Your statutes become my songs wherever I make my home.
55 Even at night I remember your name in observance of your law, Lord.
56 This is my good fortune, for I have kept your precepts.
Heth
57 My portion is the Lord; I promise to observe your words.
58 I entreat you with all my heart: have mercy on me in accord with your promise.
59 I have examined my ways and turned my steps to your testimonies.
60 I am prompt, I do not hesitate in observing your commandments.
61 Though the snares of the wicked surround me, your law I do not forget.
62 At midnight I rise to praise you because of your righteous judgments.
63 I am the friend of all who fear you, of all who observe your precepts.
64 The earth, Lord, is filled with your mercy;h teach me your statutes.
Teth
65 You have treated your servant well, according to your word, O Lord.
66 Teach me wisdom and knowledge, for in your commandments I trust.
67 Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I hold to your promise.
68 You are good and do what is good; teach me your statutes.
69 The arrogant smear me with lies, but I keep your precepts with all my heart.
70 Their hearts are gross and fat;i as for me, your law is my delight.
71 It was good for me to be afflicted, in order to learn your statutes.
72 The law of your mouth is more precious to me than heaps of silver and gold.
Yodh
73 Your hands made me and fashioned me; give me understanding to learn your commandments.
74 Those who fear you rejoice to see me, because I hope in your word.
75 I know, Lord, that your judgments are righteous; though you afflict me, you are faithful.
76 May your mercy comfort me in accord with your promise to your servant.
77 Show me compassion that I may live, for your law is my delight.
78 Shame the proud for leading me astray with falsehood, that I may study your testimonies.
79 Let those who fear you turn to me, those who acknowledge your testimonies.
80 May I be wholehearted toward your statutes, that I may not be put to shame.
Kaph
81 My soul longs for your salvation; I put my hope in your word.
82 My eyes long to see your promise. When will you comfort me?
83 I am like a wineskin shriveled by smoke,l but I have not forgotten your statutes.
84 How long can your servant survive? When will your judgment doom my foes?
85 The arrogant have dug pits for me; defying your law.
86 All your commandments are steadfast. Help me! I am pursued without cause.
87 They have almost put an end to me on earth, but I do not forsake your precepts.
88 In your mercy give me life, to observe the testimonies of your mouth.
Lamedh
89 Your word, Lord, stands forever;m it is firm as the heavens.
90 Through all generations your truth endures; fixed to stand firm like the earth.
91 By your judgments they stand firm to this day, for all things are your servants.
92 Had your law not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction.
93 I will never forget your precepts; through them you give me life.
94 I am yours; save me, for I cherish your precepts.
95 The wicked hope to destroy me, but I seek to understand your testimonies.
96 I have seen the limits of all perfection, but your commandment is without bounds.
Mem
97 How I love your law, Lord! I study it all day long.
98 Your commandment makes me wiser than my foes, as it is forever with me.
99 I have more insight than all my teachers, because I ponder your testimonies.
100 I have more understanding than my elders, because I keep your precepts.
101 I keep my steps from every evil path, that I may observe your word.
102 From your judgments I do not turn, for you have instructed me.
103 How sweet to my tongue is your promise, sweeter than honey to my mouth!o
104 Through your precepts I gain understanding; therefore I hate all false ways.
Nun
105 Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light for my path.
106 I make a solemn vow to observe your righteous judgments.
107 I am very much afflicted, Lord; give me life in accord with your word.
108 Accept my freely offered praise;q Lord, teach me your judgments.
109 My life is always at risk, but I do not forget your law.
110 The wicked have set snares for me, but from your precepts I do not stray.
111 Your testimonies are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart.
112 My heart is set on fulfilling your statutes; they are my reward forever.
Samekh
113 I hate every hypocrite; your law I love.
114 You are my refuge and shield; in your word I hope.
115 Depart from me, you wicked,r that I may keep the commandments of my God.
116 Sustain me by your promise that I may live; do not disappoint me in my hope.
117 Strengthen me that I may be safe, ever to contemplate your statutes.
118 You reject all who stray from your statutes, for vain is their deceit.
119 Like dross you regard all the wicked on earth; therefore I love your testimonies.
120 My flesh shudders with dread of you; I fear your judgments.
Ayin
121 I have fulfilled your righteous judgment; do not abandon me to my oppressors.
122 Guarantee your servant’s welfare; do not let the arrogant oppress me.
123 My eyes long to see your salvation and the promise of your righteousness.
124 Act with mercy toward your servant; teach me your statutes.
125 I am your servant; give me discernment that I may know your testimonies.
126 It is time for the Lord to act; they have disobeyed your law.
127 Truly I love your commandments more than gold, more than the finest gold.
128 Thus, I follow all your precepts; every wrong way I hate.
Pe
129 Wonderful are your testimonies; therefore I keep them.
130 The revelation of your words sheds light, gives understanding to the simple.
131 I sigh with open mouth, yearning for your commandments.
132 Turn to me and be gracious,s according to your judgment for those who love your name.
133 Steady my feet in accord with your promise; do not let iniquity lead me.
134 Free me from human oppression, that I may observe your precepts.
135 Let your face shine upon your servant; teach me your statutes.
136 My eyes shed streams of tears because your law is not observed.
Sadhe
137 You are righteous, Lord, and just are your judgments.
138 You have given your testimonies in righteousness and in surpassing faithfulness.
139 I am consumed with rage, because my foes forget your words.
140 Your servant loves your promise; it has been proved by fire.
141 Though belittled and despised, I do not forget your precepts.
142 Your justice is forever right, your law true.
143 Though distress and anguish come upon me, your commandments are my delight.
144 Your testimonies are forever righteous; give me understanding that I may live.
Qoph
145 I call with all my heart, O Lord; answer me that I may keep your statutes.
146 I call to you to save me that I may observe your testimonies.
147 I rise before dawn and cry out; I put my hope in your words.
148 My eyes greet the night watches as I meditate on your promise.
149 Hear my voice in your mercy, O Lord; by your judgment give me life.
150 Malicious persecutors draw near me; they are far from your law.
151 You are near, O Lord; reliable are all your commandments.
152 Long have I known from your testimonies that you have established them forever.
Resh
153 Look at my affliction and rescue me, for I have not forgotten your law.
154 Take up my cause and redeem me;v for the sake of your promise give me life.
155 Salvation is far from sinners because they do not cherish your statutes.
156 Your compassion is great, O Lord; in accord with your judgments, give me life.
157 Though my persecutors and foes are many, I do not turn from your testimonies.
158 I view the faithless with loathing because they do not heed your promise.
159 See how I love your precepts, Lord; in your mercy give me life.
160 Your every word is enduring; all your righteous judgments are forever.
Shin
161 Princes persecute me without reason, but my heart reveres only your word.
162 I rejoice at your promise, as one who has found rich spoil.
163 Falsehood I hate and abhor; your law I love.
164 Seven times a day I praise you because your judgments are righteous.
165 Lovers of your law have much peace;x for them there is no stumbling block.
166 I look for your salvation, Lord, and I fulfill your commandments.
167 I observe your testimonies; I love them very much.
168 I observe your precepts and testimonies; all my ways are before you.
Taw
169 Let my cry come before you, Lord;y in keeping with your word, give me understanding.
170 Let my prayer come before you; rescue me according to your promise.
171 May my lips pour forth your praise, because you teach me your statutes.
172 May my tongue sing of your promise, for all your commandments are righteous.
173 Keep your hand ready to help me, for I have chosen your precepts.
174 I long for your salvation, Lord; your law is my delight.
175 Let my soul live to praise you; may your judgments give me help.
176 I have wandered like a lost sheep; seek out your servant, for I do not forget your commandments.
Psalms 120
Prayer of A Returned Exile
1 A song of ascents. The Lord answered me when I called in my distress:
2 Lord, deliver my soul from lying lips, from a treacherous tongue.
3 What will he inflict on you, O treacherous tongue, and what more besides?
4 A warrior’s arrows sharpened with coals of brush wood!c
5 Alas, I am a foreigner in Meshech, I live among the tents of Kedar!
6 Too long do I live among those who hate peace.
7 When I speak of peace, they are for war.
Psalms 121
The Lord My Guardian
1 A song of ascents. I raise my eyes toward the mountains. From whence shall come my help?a
2 My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not allow your foot to slip;c or your guardian to sleep.
4 Behold, the guardian of Israel never slumbers nor sleeps.
5 The Lord is your guardian; the Lord is your shade at your right hand.
6 By day the sun will not strike you, nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord will guard you from all evil; he will guard your soul.
8 The Lord will guard your coming and going both now and forever.
Psalms 122
A Pilgrim’s Prayer for Jerusalem
A song of ascents. Of David.
I
I rejoiced when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”
2 And now our feet are standing within your gates, Jerusalem.
3 Jerusalem, built as a city, walled round about.
4 There the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, As it was decreed for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the Lord.
5 There are the thrones of justice, the thrones of the house of David.
II
6 For the peace of Jerusalem pray: “May those who love you prosper!
7 May peace be within your ramparts, prosperity within your towers.”
8 For the sake of my brothers and friends I say, “Peace be with you.”
9 For the sake of the house of the Lord, our God, I pray for your good.
Psalms 123
Reliance on The Lord
1 A song of ascents. To you I raise my eyes, to you enthroned in heaven.
2 Yes, like the eyes of servants on the hand of their masters, Like the eyes of a maid on the hand of her mistress, So our eyes are on the Lord our God, till we are shown favor.
3 Show us favor, Lord, show us favor, for we have our fill of contempt.
4 Our souls are more than sated with mockery from the insolent, with contempt from the arrogant.
Psalms 124
God, The Rescuer of The People
1 A song of ascents. Of David. Had not the Lord been with us, let Israel say,
2 Had not the Lord been with us, when people rose against us,
3 Then they would have swallowed us alive,b for their fury blazed against us.
4 Then the waters would have engulfed us, the torrent overwhelmed us;c
5 then seething water would have drowned us.
6 Blessed is the Lord, who did not leave us to be torn by their teeth.
7 We escaped with our lives like a bird from the fowler’s snare; the snare was broken, and we escaped.
8 Our help is in the name of the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.
Psalms 125
Israel’s Protector
1 A song of ascents. Those trusting in the Lord are like Mount Zion, unshakable, forever enduring.
2 As mountains surround Jerusalem, the Lord surrounds his people both now and forever.
3 The scepter of the wicked will not prevail in the land allotted to the just, Lest the just themselves turn their hands to evil.
4 Do good, Lord, to the good, to those who are upright of heart.
5 But those who turn aside to crooked ways may the Lord send down with the evildoers. Peace upon Israel!e
Psalms 126
The Reversal of Zion’s Fortunes
A song of ascents.
I
1 When the Lord restored the captives of Zion,a we thought we were dreaming.
2 Then our mouths were filled with laughter; our tongues sang for joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord had done great things for them.”
3 The Lord has done great things for us; Oh, how happy we were!
4 Restore our captives, Lord, like the dry stream beds of the Negeb.
II
5 Those who sow in tears will reap with cries of joy.
6 Those who go forth weeping, carrying sacks of seed, Will return with cries of joy, carrying their bundled sheaves.
Psalms 127
The Need of God’s Blessing
A song of ascents. Of Solomon.
I
1 Unless the Lord build the house, they labor in vain who build. Unless the Lord guard the city, in vain does the guard keep watch.
2 It is vain for you to rise early and put off your rest at night, To eat bread earned by hard toil- all this God gives to his beloved in sleep.
II
3 Certainly sons are a gift from the Lord, the fruit of the womb, a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the sons born in one’s youth.
5 Blessed is the man who has filled his quiver with them. He will never be shamed for he will destroy his foes at the gate.
Psalms 128
The Blessed Home of The Just
1 A song of ascents.
I
1 Blessed are all who fear the Lord, and who walk in his ways.
2 What your hands provide you will enjoy; you will be blessed and prosper:
3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your home, Your children like young olive plants around your table.
4 Just so will the man be blessed who fears the Lord.
II
5 May the Lord bless you from Zion; may you see Jerusalem’s prosperity all the days of your life,
6 and live to see your children’s children. Peace upon Israel!
Psalms 129
Against Israel’s Enemies
1 A song of ascents.
I
1 Viciously have they attacked me from my youth, let Israel say now.
2 Viciously have they attacked me from my youth,b yet they have not prevailed against me.
3 Upon my back the plowers plowed, as they traced their long furrows.
4 But the just Lord cut me free from the ropes of the wicked.
II
5 May they recoil in disgrace, all who hate Zion.
6 May they be like grass on the rooftops withered in early growth,
7 Never to fill the reaper’s hands, nor the arms of the binders of sheaves,
8 And with none passing by to call out: “The blessing of the Lord be upon you! We bless you in the name of the Lord!”
Psalms 130
Prayer for Pardon And Mercy
1 A song of ascents.
I
1 Out of the depths I call to you, Lord;
2 Lord, hear my cry! May your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.
3 If you, Lord, keep account of sins, Lord, who can stand?
4 But with you is forgiveness and so you are revered.
II
5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits and I hope for his word.
6 My soul looks for the Lord more than sentinels for daybreak. More than sentinels for daybreak,
7 let Israel hope in the Lord, For with the Lord is mercy, with him is plenteous redemption,
8 And he will redeem Israel from all its sins.
Psalms 131
Humble Trust in God
1 A song of ascents. Of David. Lord, my heart is not proud; nor are my eyes haughty. I do not busy myself with great matters, with things too sublime for me.
2 Rather, I have stilled my soul, Like a weaned child to its mother, weaned is my soul.
3 Israel, hope in the Lord, now and forever.
Psalms 132
The Covenant Between David And God
1A song of ascents.
I
1 Remember, O Lord, for David all his hardships;
2 How he swore an oath to the Lord, vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob:
3 “I will not enter the house where I live,a nor lie on the couch where I sleep;
4 I will give my eyes no sleep, my eyelids no rest,
5 Till I find a place for the Lord, a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.”
6 “We have heard of it in Ephrathah; we have found it in the fields of Jaar.
7 Let us enter his dwelling; let us worship at his footstool.”
8 “Arise, Lord, come to your resting place,c you and your mighty ark.
9 Your priests will be clothed with justice; your devout will shout for joy.”
10 For the sake of David your servant, do not reject your anointed.
II
11 The Lord swore an oath to David in truth, he will never turn back from it:d “Your own offspring I will set upon your throne.
12 If your sons observe my covenant, and my decrees I shall teach them, Their sons, in turn, shall sit forever on your throne.”
13 Yes, the Lord has chosen Zion, desired it for a dwelling:
14 “This is my resting place forever; here I will dwell, for I desire it.
15 I will bless Zion with provisions; its poor I will fill with bread.
16 I will clothe its priests with salvation; its devout shall shout for joy.
17 There I will make a horn sprout for David;g I will set a lamp for my anointed.
18 His foes I will clothe with shame, but on him his crown shall shine.”
Psalms 133
A Vision of A Blessed Community
1 A song of ascents. Of David. How good and how pleasant it is, when brothers dwell together as one!
2 Like fine oil on the head,a running down upon the beard, Upon the beard of Aaron, upon the collar of his robe.
3 Like dew of Hermon coming down upon the mountains of Zion. There the Lord has decreed a blessing, life for evermore!c
Psalms 134
Exhortation To The Night Watch To Bless God
1 A song of ascents. O come, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord You who stand in the house of the Lord throughout the nights.
2 Lift up your hands toward the sanctuary,b and bless the Lord.
3 May the Lord bless you from Zion, the Maker of heaven and earth.
Psalms 135
Praise of God, The Ruler And Benefactor of Israel
1 Hallelujah!
I
1 Praise the name of the Lord! Praise, you servants of the Lord,a
2 Who stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God!b
3 Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good! Sing to his name, for it brings joy!
4 For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself, Israel as his treasured possession.
II
5 For I know that the Lord is great, that our Lord is greater than all gods.
6 Whatever the Lord desires he does in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all the depths.
7 It is he who raises storm clouds from the end of the earth, makes lightning for the rain, and brings forth wind from his storehouse.
III
8 He struck down Egypt’s firstborn,g of human being and beast alike,
9 And sent signs and wonders against you, Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants.
10 It is he who struck down many nations,h and slew mighty kings-
11 Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, king of Bashan, all the kings of Canaan-
12 And made their land a heritage, a heritage for Israel his people.
13 O Lord, your name is forever, your renown, from generation to generation!i
14 For the Lord defends his people, shows mercy to his servants.
IV
15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold,k the work of human hands.
16 They have mouths but do not speak; they have eyes but do not see;
17 They have ears but do not hear; nor is there breath in their mouths.
18 Their makers will become like them, and anyone who trusts in them.
V
19 House of Israel, bless the Lord!l House of Aaron, bless the Lord!
20 House of Levi, bless the Lord! You who fear the Lord, bless the Lord!
21 Blessed be the Lord from Zion, who dwells in Jerusalem! Hallelujah!
Psalms 136
Hymn of Thanksgiving for God’s Everlasting Mercy
I
1 Praise the Lord, for he is good;a for his mercy endures forever;
2 Praise the God of gods; for his mercy endures forever;
3 Praise the Lord of lords; for his mercy endures forever;
II
4 Who alone has done great wonders,b for his mercy endures forever;
5 Who skillfully made the heavens,c for his mercy endures forever;
6 Who spread the earth upon the waters,d for his mercy endures forever;
7 Who made the great lights, for his mercy endures forever;
8 The sun to rule the day, for his mercy endures forever;
9 The moon and stars to rule the night,e for his mercy endures forever;
III
10 Who struck down the firstborn of Egypt,f for his mercy endures forever;
11 And led Israel from their midst, for his mercy endures forever;
12 With mighty hand and outstretched arm,g for his mercy endures forever;
13 Who split in two the Red Sea, for his mercy endures forever;
14 And led Israel through its midst, for his mercy endures forever;
15 But swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea,h for his mercy endures forever;
16 Who led the people through the desert,i for his mercy endures forever;
IV
17 Who struck down great kings,j for his mercy endures forever;
18 Slew powerful kings, for his mercy endures forever;
19 Sihon, king of the Amorites, for his mercy endures forever;
20 Og, king of Bashan, for his mercy endures forever;
21 And made their lands a heritage, for his mercy endures forever;
22 A heritage for Israel, his servant, for his mercy endures forever.
V
23 The Lord remembered us in our low estate, for his mercy endures forever;
24 Freed us from our foes, for his mercy endures forever;
25 And gives bread to all flesh, for his mercy endures forever.
VI
26 Praise the God of heaven, for his mercy endures forever.
Psalms 137
Sorrow And Hope in Exile
I
1 By the rivers of Babylon there we sat weeping when we remembered Zion.
2 On the poplars in its midst we hung up our harps.
3 For there our captors asked us for the words of a song; Our tormentors, for joy: “Sing for us a song of Zion!”
4 But how could we sing a song of the Lord in a foreign land?
II
5 If I forget you, Jerusalem, may my right hand forget.
6 May my tongue stick to my palate if I do not remember you, If I do not exalt Jerusalem beyond all my delights.
III
7 Remember, Lord, against Edom that day at Jerusalem. They said: “Level it, level it down to its foundations!”
8 Desolate Daughter Babylon, you shall be destroyed, blessed the one who pays you back what you have done us!e
9 Blessed the one who seizes your children and smashes them against the rock.
Psalms 138
Hymn of A Grateful Heart
1 Of David.
I
I thank you, Lord, with all my heart;a in the presence of the angels to you I sing.
2 I bow low toward your holy temple; I praise your name for your mercy and faithfulness. For you have exalted over all your name and your promise.
3 On the day I cried out, you answered; you strengthened my spirit.
II
4 All the kings of earth will praise you, Lord, when they hear the words of your mouth.
5 They will sing of the ways of the Lord: “How great is the glory of the Lord!”
6 The Lord is on high, but cares for the lowly and knows the proud from afar.
7 Though I walk in the midst of dangers, you guard my life when my enemies rage. You stretch out your hand; your right hand saves me.
8 The Lord is with me to the end. Lord, your mercy endures forever. Never forsake the work of your hands!
Psalms 139
The All-knowing And Ever-present God
For the leader. A psalm of David.
I
1 Lord, you have probed me, you know me:
2 you know when I sit and stand;a you understand my thoughts from afar.
3 You sift through my travels and my rest; with all my ways you are familiar.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue, Lord, you know it all.
5 Behind and before you encircle me and rest your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, far too lofty for me to reach.
7 Where can I go from your spirit? From your presence, where can I flee?
8 If I ascend to the heavens, you are there; if I lie down in Sheol, there you are.
9 If I take the wings of dawn and dwell beyond the sea,
10 Even there your hand guides me, your right hand holds me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely darkness shall hide me, and night shall be my light”-
12 Darkness is not dark for you, and night shines as the day. Darkness and light are but one.
II
13 You formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you, because I am wonderfully made; wonderful are your works! My very self you know.
15 My bones are not hidden from you, When I was being made in secret, fashioned in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw me unformed; in your book all are written down;f my days were shaped, before one came to be.
III
17 How precious to me are your designs, O God; how vast the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the sands; when I complete them, still you are with me.
19 When you would destroy the wicked, O God, the bloodthirsty depart from me!h
20 Your foes who conspire a plot against you are exalted in vain.
IV
21 Do I not hate, Lord, those who hate you? Those who rise against you, do I not loathe?
22 With fierce hatred I hate them, enemies I count as my own.
23 Probe me, God, know my heart; try me, know my thoughts.
24 See if there is a wicked path in me; lead me along an ancient path.
Psalms 140
Prayer for Deliverance From The Wicked
1 For the leader. A psalm of David.
I
2 Deliver me, Lord, from the wicked; preserve me from the violent,a
3 From those who plan evil in their hearts, who stir up conflicts every day,
4 Who sharpen their tongue like a serpent, venom of asps upon their lips. Selah
II
5 Keep me, Lord, from the clutches of the wicked; preserve me from the violent, who plot to trip me up.
6 The arrogant have set a trap for me; they have spread out ropes for a net, laid snares for me by the wayside. Selah
7 I say to the Lord: You are my God;d listen, Lord, to the words of my pleas.
8 Lord, my master, my strong deliverer, you cover my head on the day of armed conflict.
9 Lord, do not grant the desires of the wicked one; do not let his plot succeed. Selah
III
10 Those who surround me raise their heads; may the mischief they threaten overwhelm them.
11 Drop burning coals upon them;e cast them into the watery pit never more to rise.
12 Slanderers will not survive on earth; evil will hunt down the man of violence to overthrow him.
13 For I know the Lord will take up the cause of the needy, justice for the poor.
14 Then the righteous will give thanks to your name; the upright will dwell in your presence.
Psalms 141
Prayer for Deliverance From The Wicked
1 A psalm of David. Lord, I call to you; hasten to me; listen to my plea when I call.
2 Let my prayer be incense before you; my uplifted hands an evening offering.
3 Set a guard, Lord, before my mouth, keep watch over the door of my lips.
4 Do not let my heart incline to evil, to perform deeds in wickedness. On the delicacies of evildoers let me not feast.
5 Let a righteous person strike me; it is mercy if he reproves me. Do not withhold oil from my head while my prayer opposes their evil deeds.
6 May their leaders be cast over the cliff, so that they hear that my speeches are pleasing.
7 Like the plowing and breaking up of the earth, our bones are strewn at the mouth of Sheol.
8 For my eyes are upon you, O Lord, my Lord;d in you I take refuge; do not take away my soul.
9 Guard me from the trap they have set for me, from the snares of evildoers.
10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while only I pass over them safely.
Psalms 142
A Prayer in Time of Trouble
1 Amaskil of David, when he was in the cave. A prayer.
2 With my own voice I cry to the Lord; with my own voice I beseech the Lord.
3 Before him I pour out my complaint, tell of my distress in front of him.
4 When my spirit is faint within me,a you know my path. As I go along this path, they have hidden a trap for me.
5 I look to my right hand to seed that there is no one willing to acknowledge me. My escape has perished; no one cares for me.
6 I cry out to you, Lord, I say, You are my refuge,e my portion in the land of the living.
7 Listen to my cry for help, for I am brought very low. Rescue me from my pursuers, for they are too strong for me.
8 Lead my soul from prison, that I may give thanks to your name. Then the righteous shall gather around me because you have been good to me.
Psalms 143
A Prayer in Distress
1 A psalm of David. Lord, hear my prayer; in your faithfulness listen to my pleading; answer me in your righteousness.
2 Do not enter into judgment with your servant; before you no one can be just.
3 The enemy has pursued my soul; he has crushed my life to the ground. He has made me dwell in darkness like those long dead.
4 My spirit is faint within me; my heart despairs.
5 I remember the days of old; I ponder all your deeds; the works of your hands I recall.
6 I stretch out my hands toward you, my soul to you like a parched land. Selah
7 Hasten to answer me, Lord; for my spirit fails me. Do not hide your face from me, lest I become like those descending to the pit.
8 In the morning let me hear of your mercy, for in you I trust. Show me the path I should walk, for I entrust my life to you.
9 Rescue me, Lord, from my foes, for I seek refuge in you.
10 Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your kind spirit guide me on ground that is level.
11 For your name’s sake, Lord, give me life; in your righteousness lead my soul out of distress.
12 In your mercy put an end to my foes; all those who are oppressing my soul, for I am your servant.
Psalms 144
A Prayer for Victory And Prosperity of David.
I
1 Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for battle, my fingers for war;
2 My safeguard and my fortress, my stronghold, my deliverer, My shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me.
II
3 Lord, what is man that you take notice of him; the son of man, that you think of him?a
4 Man is but a breath, his days are like a passing shadow.
5 Lord, incline your heavens and come down; touch the mountains and make them smoke.
6 Flash forth lightning and scatter my foes; shoot your arrows and rout them.
7 Reach out your hand from on high; deliver me from the many waters; rescue me from the hands of foreign foes.
8 Their mouths speak untruth; their right hands are raised in lying oaths.
9 O God, a new song I will sing to you; on a ten-stringed lyre I will play for you.
10 You give victory to kings; you delivered David your servant. From the menacing sword
11 deliver me; rescue me from the hands of foreign foes. Their mouths speak untruth; their right hands are raised in lying oaths.
III
12 May our sons be like plants well nurtured from their youth, Our daughters, like carved columns, shapely as those of the temple.
13 May our barns be full with every kind of store. May our sheep increase by thousands, by tens of thousands in our fields; may our oxen be well fattened.
14 May there be no breach in the walls, no exile, no outcry in our streets.
15 Blessed the people so fortunate; blessed the people whose God is the Lord.
Psalms 145
The Greatness And Goodness of God
1 Praise. Of David. I will extol you, my God and king; I will bless your name forever and ever.
2 Every day I will bless you; I will praise your name forever and ever.
3 Great is the Lord and worthy of much praise,b whose grandeur is beyond understanding.
4 One generation praises your deeds to the next and proclaims your mighty works.
5 They speak of the splendor of your majestic glory, tell of your wonderful deeds.
6 They speak of the power of your awesome acts and recount your great deeds.
7 They celebrate your abounding goodness and joyfully sing of your justice.
8 The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in mercy.
9 The Lord is good to all, compassionate toward all your works.
10 All your works give you thanks, Lord and your faithful bless you.
11 They speak of the glory of your reign and tell of your mighty works,
12 Making known to the sons of men your mighty acts, the majestic glory of your rule.
13 Your reign is a reign for all ages, your dominion for all generations. The Lord is trustworthy in all his words, and loving in all his works.
14 The Lord supports all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all look hopefully to you; you give them their food in due season.
16 You open wide your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.
17 The Lord is just in all his ways, merciful in all his works.
18 The Lord is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth.
19 He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.
20 The Lord watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he destroys.
21 My mouth will speak the praises of the Lord; all flesh will bless his holy name forever and ever.
Psalms 146
Trust in God The Creator And Redeemer
1 Hallelujah!
2 Praise the Lord, my soul; I will praise the Lord all my life, sing praise to my God while I live.
I
3 Put no trust in princes, in children of Adam powerless to save.
4 Who breathing his last, returns to the earth; that day all his planning comes to nothing.
II
5 Blessed the one whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord, his God,
6 The maker of heaven and earth, the seas and all that is in them,d Who keeps faith forever,
7 secures justice for the oppressed,e who gives bread to the hungry. The Lord sets prisoners free;
8 the Lord gives sight to the blind. The Lord raises up those who are bowed down;g the Lord loves the righteous.
9 The Lord protects the resident alien, comes to the aid of the orphan and the widow,h but thwarts the way of the wicked.
10 The Lord shall reign forever, your God, Zion, through all generations!i Hallelujah!
Psalms 147
God’s Word Restores Jerusalem
Hallelujah!
I
1 How good to sing praise to our God; how pleasant to give fitting praise.
2 The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem, and gathers the dispersed of Israel,
3 Healing the brokenhearted, and binding up their wounds.
4 He numbers the stars, and gives to all of them their names.
5 Great is our Lord, vast in power, with wisdom beyond measure.
6 The Lord gives aid to the poor, but casts the wicked to the ground.
II
7 Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; with the lyre make music to our God,
8 Who covers the heavens with clouds, provides rain for the earth, makes grass sprout on the mountains,h
9 Who gives animals their food and young ravens what they cry for.
10 He takes no delight in the strength of horses, no pleasure in the runner’s stride.
11 Rather the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, those who put their hope in his mercy.
III
12 Glorify the Lord, Jerusalem; Zion, offer praise to your God,
13 For he has strengthened the bars of your gates, blessed your children within you.
14 He brings peace to your borders, and satisfies you with finest wheat.
15 He sends his command to earth; his word runs swiftly!m
16 Thus he makes the snow like wool, and spreads the frost like ash;n
17 He disperses hail like crumbs. Who can withstand his cold?
18 Yet when again he issues his command, it melts them; he raises his winds and the waters flow.
19 He proclaims his word to Jacob, his statutes and laws to Israel.
20 He has not done this for any other nation; of such laws they know nothing. Hallelujah!
Psalms 148
All Creation Summoned To Praise
Hallelujah!
I
1 Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights.
2 Praise him, all you his angels; give praise, all you his hosts.
3 Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all shining stars.
4 Praise him, highest heavens, you waters above the heavens.
5 Let them all praise the Lord’s name; for he commanded and they were created,
6 Assigned them their station forever, set an order that will never change.
II
7 Praise the Lord from the earth, you sea monsters and all the deeps of the sea;c
8 Lightning and hail, snow and thick clouds, storm wind that fulfills his command;
9 Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars;
10 Animals wild and tame, creatures that crawl and birds that fly;
11 Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all who govern on earth;
12 Young men and women too, old and young alike.
13 Let them all praise the Lord’s name, for his name alone is exalted, His majesty above earth and heaven.
14 He has lifted high the horn of his people; to the praise of all his faithful, the Israelites, the people near to him. Hallelujah!
Psalms 149
Praise God with Song And Sword
1 Hallelujah! Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the faithful.
2 Let Israel be glad in its maker, the people of Zion rejoice in their king.
3 Let them praise his name in dance, make music with tambourine and lyre.
4 For the Lord takes delight in his people, honors the poor with victory.
5 Let the faithful rejoice in their glory, cry out for joy on their couches,
6 With the praise of God in their mouths, and a two-edged sword in their hands,
7 To bring retribution on the nations, punishment on the peoples,
8 To bind their kings in shackles, their nobles in chains of iron,
9 To execute the judgments decreed for them- such is the glory of all God’s faithful. Hallelujah!
Psalms 150
Final Doxology
1 Hallelujah! Praise God in his holy sanctuary;a give praise in the mighty dome of heaven.
2 Give praise for his mighty deeds,b praise him for his great majesty.
3 Give praise with blasts upon the horn,c praise him with harp and lyre.
4 Give praise with tambourines and dance, praise him with strings and pipes.
5 Give praise with crashing cymbals, praise him with sounding cymbals.
6 Let everything that has breath give praise to the Lord!e Hallelujah!
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