Psalms
Book One
Psalm 1
1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the advice of the wicked,
or stand in the pathway with sinners,
or sit in the assembly of mockers.
2 But his delight is in the law of Yahweh,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
3 He will be like a tree planted by the streams of water
that produces its fruit in its season,
whose leaves do not wither;
whatever he does will prosper.
4 The wicked are not so,
but are instead like the chaff that the wind drives away.
5 So the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6 For Yahweh knows of the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.
Psalm 2
1 Why do the nations conspire,
and why do the peoples make plots in vain?
2 The kings of the earth take their stand,
and the rulers conspire together
against Yahweh and against his anointed,
3 “Let us break their bonds
and let us cast their cords away from us.”
4 He who sits in the heavens sneers;
the Lord mocks them.
5 Then he will speak to them in his anger
and terrify them in his fury,
6 “I myself have anointed my king
on Zion, my holy mountain.”
7 I will announce a decree of Yahweh.
He said to me, “You are my son!
Today I have fathered you.
8 Ask of me, and I will give the nations as your inheritance
and for your possession the farthermost regions of the earth.
9 You will break them with an iron rod;
like a jar of a potter, you will smash them to pieces.”
10 So now, you kings, act prudently;
be instructed, you rulers of the earth.
11 Serve Yahweh in fear
and rejoice with trembling.
12 Kiss the son lest he be angry,
and you die in the way because his anger burns for just a moment.
How blessed are all those who seek refuge in him.
Psalm 3
A psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son.1 Yahweh, how many are my enemies!
Many have risen against me.
2 Many say about me,
“There is no help for him from God.” Selah
3 But you, Yahweh, are a shield around me,
my glory, and the one who lifts up my head.
4 I lift up my voice to Yahweh,
and he answers me from his holy hill. Selah
5 I lay down and slept;
I awoke, for Yahweh protected me.
6 I will not be afraid of the multitudes of people
who have set themselves against me on every side.
7 Rise up, Yahweh! Save me, my God!
For you will hit all my enemies on the jaw;
you will break the teeth of the wicked.
8 Salvation comes from Yahweh.
May your blessings be on your people. Selah
Psalm 4
For the chief musician; on stringed instruments. A psalm of David.1 Answer me when I call, God of my righteousness;
give me room when I am hemmed in.
Have mercy on me and listen to my prayer.
2 You people, how long will you turn my honor into shame?
How long will you love that which is worthless and seek after lies? Selah
3 But know that Yahweh has set apart the faithful ones for himself.
Yahweh will hear when I call to him.
4 Tremble in fear, but do not sin!
Meditate in your heart on your bed and be silent. Selah
5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness
and put your trust in Yahweh.
6 Many say, “Who will show us anything good?”
Yahweh, lift up the light of your face on us.
7 You have given my heart more gladness
than others have when their grain and new wine abound.
8 It is in peace that I will lie down and sleep,
for you alone, Yahweh, make me safe and secure.
Psalm 5
For the chief musician; with wind instruments. A psalm of David.1 Listen to my call to you, Yahweh;
think about my groanings.
2 Listen to the sound of my call, my King and my God,
for it is to you that I pray.
3 Yahweh, in the morning you hear my cry;
in the morning I will bring my petition to you and wait expectantly.
4 Certainly you are not a God who approves of evil;
evil people will not be your guests.
5 The arrogant will not stand in your presence;
you hate all who behave wickedly.
6 You will destroy liars;
Yahweh despises violent and deceitful men.
7 But as for me, because of your great covenant faithfulness, I will come into your house;
in reverence I will bow down toward your holy temple.
8 Oh Lord, lead me in your righteousness because of my enemies;
make your path straight before me.
9 For there is no truth in their mouth;
their inward being is wicked;
their throat is an open tomb;
they flatter with their tongue.
10 Declare them guilty, God;
may their schemes be their downfall!
Drive them out for their many transgressions,
for they have rebelled against you.
11 But may all those who take refuge in you rejoice;
let them always shout for joy because you defend them;
let them be joyful in you, those who love your name.
12 For you will bless the righteous, Yahweh;
you will surround them with favor as with a shield.
Psalm 6
For the chief musician; on stringed instruments, set to the Sheminith style. A psalm of David.1 Yahweh, do not rebuke me in your anger
or discipline me in your wrath.
2 Have mercy on me, Yahweh, for I am frail;
heal me, Yahweh, for my bones are shaking.
3 My soul also is very troubled.
But you, Yahweh—how long will this continue?
4 Return, Yahweh! rescue me.
Save me because of your covenant faithfulness!
5 For in death there is no remembrance of you.
In Sheol who will give you thanks?
6 I am weary with my groaning.
All night I drench my bed with tears;
I wash my couch away with my tears.
7 My eyes grow dim from grief;
they grow weak because of all my adversaries.
8 Get away from me, all you who practice iniquity;
for Yahweh has heard the sound of my weeping.
9 Yahweh has heard my appeal for mercy;
Yahweh has accepted my prayer.
10 All my enemies will be ashamed and greatly troubled.
They will turn back and be suddenly humiliated.
Psalm 7
A musical composition of David, which he sang to Yahweh concerning the words of Cush the Benjamite.1 Yahweh my God, I take refuge in you!
Save me from all who chase me, and rescue me.
2 Otherwise, they will rip me apart like a lion,
tearing me in pieces with no one else able to bring me to safety.
3 Yahweh my God, if I have done this,
and there is guilt on my hands—
4 if I have done evil to him who was at peace with me,
or senselessly harmed my enemy without cause, then hear my words.
5 Then let my enemy pursue my life and overtake me;
let him trample my life to the ground
and lay my honor in the dust. Selah
6 Arise, Yahweh, in your anger;
stand up against the rage of my enemies;
wake up for my sake and carry out the righteous decrees that you have commanded for them.
7 The countries are assembled all around you;
take once more your rightful place over them.
8 Yahweh, judge the nations;
vindicate me, Yahweh, because I am righteous and innocent, Most High.
9 May the evil deeds of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous people,
righteous God, you who examine hearts and minds.
10 My shield comes from God,
the one who saves the upright in heart.
11 God is a righteous judge,
a God who is indignant each day.
12 If a person does not repent, God will sharpen his sword
and will prepare his bow for battle.
13 He prepares to use weapons against him;
he makes his arrows flaming shafts.
14 Think about the one who is pregnant with wickedness,
who conceives destructive plans, who gives birth to harmful lies.
15 He digs a pit and hollows it out
and then falls into the hole he has made.
16 His own destructive plans return to his own head,
for his violence comes down on his own head.
17 I will give thanks to Yahweh for his justice;
I will sing praise to Yahweh Most High.
Psalm 8
For the chief musician; set to the gittith style. A psalm of David.1 Yahweh our Lord, how magnificent is your name in all the earth,
you who reveal your glory in the heavens above.
2 Out of the mouth of babies and infants you have established praise [1]
because of your enemies,
so that you might silence both the enemy and the avenger.
3 When I look up at your heavens, which your fingers have made,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
4 Of what importance is the human race that you notice them,
or mankind that you pay attention to them?
5 Yet you have made them only a little lower than the heavenly beings
and have crowned them with glory and honor.
6 You make him to rule over the works of your hands;
you have put all things under his feet:
7 all sheep and oxen,
and even the animals of the field,
8 the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,
everything that passes through the currents of the seas.
9 Yahweh our Lord,
how magnificent is your name in all the earth!
Psalm 9
For the chief musician; set to Muth Labben style. A psalm of David.1 I will give thanks to Yahweh with my whole heart;
I will tell about all your marvelous deeds.
2 I will be glad and rejoice in you;
I will sing praise to your name, Most High!
3 When my enemies turn back,
they stumble and perish before you.
4 For you have defended my just cause;
you sit on your throne, a righteous judge!
5 You rebuked the nations;
you have destroyed the wicked;
you have blotted out their name forever and ever.
6 The enemy crumbled like ruins
when you overthrew their cities.
All remembrance of them has perished.
7 But Yahweh remains forever;
he has established his throne for justice.
8 He will judge the world with righteousness,
and he will execute judgment for the nations with fairness.
9 Yahweh also will be a stronghold for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
10 Those who know your name trust in you,
for you, Yahweh, do not abandon those who seek you.
11 Sing praises to Yahweh, who rules in Zion;
tell the nations what he has done.
12 For the God who avenges bloodshed remembers;
he does not forget the cry of the oppressed.
13 Have mercy on me, Yahweh; see how I am oppressed by those who hate me,
you who can snatch me from the gates of death.
14 Oh, that I might proclaim all your praise.
In the gates of the daughter of Zion
I will rejoice in your salvation!
15 The nations have sunk down into the pit that they made;
their feet are caught in the net that they hid.
16 Yahweh has made himself known; he has executed judgment;
the wicked is ensnared by his own actions. Selah
17 The wicked are turned back and sent to Sheol,
all the nations that forget God.
18 For the needy will not always be forgotten,
nor will the hope of the oppressed be forever dashed.
19 Arise, Yahweh; do not let man win against you;
may the nations be judged in your sight.
20 Terrify them, Yahweh;
may the nations know that they are mere men. Selah
Psalm 10
1 Why, Yahweh, do you stand far off?
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
2 Because of their arrogance, wicked people chase the oppressed;
but please let the wicked be trapped by their own schemes that they have devised.
3 For the wicked person boasts of his deepest desires;
he blesses the greedy and insults Yahweh.
4 The wicked man has a raised face; he does not seek God.
He never thinks about God because he does not care at all about him.
5 He is secure at all times,
but your righteous decrees are too high for him;
he snorts at all his enemies.
6 He says in his heart,” I will never fail;
throughout all generations I will not meet adversity.”
7 His mouth is full of curses and lies and oppression;
under his tongue are mischief and evil.
8 He waits in ambush near the villages;
in the secret places he murders the innocent;
his eyes look for some helpless victim.
9 He lurks in secret like a lion in the thicket;
he lies in wait to catch the oppressed.
He catches the oppressed when he pulls in his net.
10 His victims are crushed and beaten down;
they fall into his strong nets.
11 He says in his heart, “God has forgotten;
he covers his face; he will not bother to look.”
12 Arise, Yahweh! Lift up your hand, God!
Do not forget the oppressed.
13 Why does the wicked man reject God
and say in his heart, “You will not hold me accountable”?
14 You have taken notice, for you always see the one who inflicts the misery and sorrow.
The helpless entrusts himself to you;
you rescue the fatherless.
15 Break the arm of the wicked and evil man.
Make him account for his evil deeds,
which he thought you would not discover.
16 Yahweh is King forever and ever;
the nations are driven out of his land.
17 Yahweh, you have heard the needs of the oppressed;
you strengthen their heart, you listen to their prayer;
18 You defend the fatherless and the oppressed
so that no man on the earth will cause terror again.
Psalm 11
For the chief musician. A psalm of David.1 To the Chief Musician A psalm of David I take refuge in Yahweh;
how will you say to me,
“Flee like a bird to the mountain”?
2 For see! The wicked prepare their bows.
They make ready their arrows on the strings
to shoot in the darkness at the upright in heart.
3 For if the foundations are ruined,
what can the righteous do?
4 Yahweh is in his holy temple;
his eyes watch, his eyes examine the children of mankind.
5 Yahweh examines both the righteous and the wicked,
but he hates those who love to do violence.
6 He rains burning coals and brimstone upon the wicked;
a scorching wind will be their portion from his cup!
7 For Yahweh is righteous, and he loves righteousness;
the upright will see his face.
Psalm 12
For the chief musician; set to the Sheminith. A psalm of David.1 Help, Yahweh, for the faithful ones have disappeared;
those who have integrity have vanished from the children of men.
2 Everyone says empty words to his neighbor;
everyone speaks with flattering lips and a double heart.
3 Yahweh, cut off all flattering lips,
every tongue declaring great things.
4 These are those who have said, “With our tongues will we prevail.
When our lips speak, who can be master over us?”
5 “Because of violence against the poor, because of the groans of the needy,
I will arise,” says Yahweh.
“I will provide the safety for which they long.”
6 The words of Yahweh are pure words,
like silver purified in a furnace on the earth,
refined seven times.
7 You are Yahweh! You keep them.
You preserve the godly people from this wicked generation and forever.
8 The wicked walk on every side
when evil is exalted among the children of mankind.
Psalm 13
For the chief musician. A psalm of David.1 How long, Yahweh, will you keep forgetting about me?
How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I worry
and have grief in my heart all day?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?
3 Look at me and answer me, Yahweh my God!
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death.
4 Do not let my enemy say, “I have defeated him,”
so that my enemy may not say, “I have prevailed over my adversary”; otherwise, my enemies will rejoice when I am brought down.
5 But I have trusted in your covenant faithfulness;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
6 I will sing to Yahweh
because he has treated me very generously.
Psalm 14
For the chief musician. A psalm of David.1 To the chief musician A psalm of DavidA A fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt and have done abominable iniquity;
there is no one who does good.
2 Yahweh looks down from heaven on the children of mankind
to see if there are any who understand,
who seek after him.
3 They have all turned away. Together they have become corrupt.
There is no one who does good, no, not one.
4 Do they not know anything, those who commit iniquity,
those who eat up my people as they eat bread,
but who do not call on Yahweh?
5 They tremble with dread,
for God is with the righteous assembly!
6 You want to humiliate the poor person
even though Yahweh is his refuge.
7 Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come from Zion!
When Yahweh brings back his people from the captivity,
then Jacob will rejoice and Israel will be glad!
Psalm 15
A psalm of David.1 To the chief musician A psalm of David Yahweh, who may stay in your tabernacle?
Who may live on your holy hill?
2 Whoever walks blamelessly, does what is right
and speaks truth from his heart.
3 He does not slander with his tongue,
he does not harm others,
and he does not insult his neighbor.
4 The worthless person is despised in his eyes,
but he honors those who fear Yahweh.
He swears to his own disadvantage and does not take back his promises.
5 He does not charge interest when he lends money.
He does not take bribes to testify against the innocent.
He who does these things will never be shaken.
Psalm 16
A michtam of David.1 A song of David Protect me, God, for I take refuge in you.
2 You say to Yahweh, “You are my Lord; my goodness is nothing apart from you.
3 As for the holy ones who are in the land, they are noble people; all my delight is in them.
4 Their troubles will increase, those who seek out other gods. I will not pour out their drink offerings of blood
or lift up their names with my lips.
5 Yahweh is the portion of my inheritance and my cup. You hold onto my lot.
6 Measuring lines have been laid for me in pleasant places; surely a pleasing inheritance is mine.
7 I will bless Yahweh, who counsels me; even at night my mind instructs me.
8 I set Yahweh before me continually, for he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
9 Therefore my heart rejoices, and my glory is joyful. Surely my flesh will dwell in security.
10 For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol. You will not let your faithful one see the pit.
11 You teach me the path of life; abundant joy is in your face; pleasures are at your right hand forever!”
Psalm 17
A prayer of David.1 A prayer of David Listen to my plea for justice, Yahweh; pay attention to my call for help!
Give ear to my prayer from lips without deceit.
2 Let my vindication come from your presence; let your eyes see what is right!
3 If you test my heart, if you come to me in the night,
you will purify me and will not find any evil plans; my mouth will not transgress.
4 As for the deeds of mankind, it is at the word of your lips that I have kept myself from the ways of the lawless.
5 My steps have held firmly to your tracks; my feet have not slipped.
6 I call to you, for you answer me, God; turn your ear to me and listen when I speak.
7 Show your covenant faithfulness in a wonderful way, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their enemies!
8 Protect me like the apple of your eye; hide me under the shadow of your wings
9 from the presence of the wicked ones who assault me, my enemies who surround me.
10 They have no mercy on anyone; their mouths speak with pride.
11 They have surrounded my steps. They set their eyes to strike me to the ground.
12 They are like a lion eager for a victim, like a young lion crouching in hidden places.
13 Arise, Yahweh! Attack them! Throw them down on their faces! Rescue my life from the wicked by your sword!
14 Rescue me from men by your hand, Yahweh, from men of this world whose prosperity is in this life alone!
You will fill the bellies of your treasured ones with riches; they will have many children and will leave their wealth to their children.
15 As for me, I will see your face in righteousness; I will be satisfied, when I awake, with a sight of you.
Psalm 18
For the chief musician. A psalm of David, the servant of Yahweh, when he sang to Yahweh the words of this song on the day that Yahweh rescued him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He sang:1 I love you, Yahweh, my strength.
2 Yahweh is my rock, my fortress, the one who brings me to safety; he is my God, my rock; I take refuge in him.
He is my shield, the horn of my salvation, and my stronghold.
3 I will call on Yahweh who is worthy to be praised, and I will be saved from my enemies.
4 The cords of death surrounded me, and the rushing waters of worthlessness overwhelmed me.
5 The cords of Sheol surrounded me; the snares of death trapped me.
6 In my distress I called to Yahweh; I called for help to my God. He heard my voice from his temple;
my call for help went into his presence; it went into his ears.
7 Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of the mountains also trembled
and were shaken because God was angry.
8 Smoke went up from out of his nostrils, and blazing fire came out of his mouth. Coals were ignited by it.
9 He opened the heavens and came down, and thick darkness was under his feet.
10 He rode on a cherub and flew; he glided on the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness a tent around him, heavy rainclouds in the skies.
12 Hailstones and coals of fire fell from the lightning before him.
13 Yahweh thundered in the heavens! The voice of the Most High shouted hailstones and coals of fire [1]
14 He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies; many lightning bolts dispersed them.
15 Then the water channels appeared;
the foundations of the world were laid bare
at your rebuke, Yahweh,
at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.
16 He reached down from above; he took hold of me! He pulled me out of the surging water.
17 He rescued me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me, for they were too strong for me.
18 They came against me on the day of my distress but Yahweh was my support!
19 He set me free in a wide open place; he saved me because he was pleased with me.
20 Yahweh has rewarded me because of my righteousness; he has restored me because my hands were clean.
21 For I have kept the ways of Yahweh and have not wickedly turned away from my God.
22 For all his righteous decrees have been before me; as for his statutes, I have not turned away from them.
23 I have also been innocent before him, and I have kept myself from sin.
24 Therefore Yahweh has restored me because of my righteousness, because my hands were clean before his eyes.
25 To the one who is faithful, you show yourself to be faithful;
to a man who is blameless, you show yourself to be blameless.
26 To anyone who is pure, you show yourself pure; but you are clever toward anyone who is twisted.
27 For you save afflicted people, but you bring down those with proud, uplifted eyes!
28 For you give light to my lamp; Yahweh my God lights up my darkness.
29 For by you I can run over a barricade; by my God I can leap over a wall.
30 As for God—his way is perfect! The word of Yahweh is pure!
He is a shield to everyone who takes refuge in him.
31 For who is God except Yahweh? Who is a rock except our God?
32 It is God who puts strength on me like a belt, who places the blameless person on his path.
33 He makes my feet swift like a deer and places me on the heights!
34 He trains my hands for war and my arms to bend a bow of bronze.
35 You have given me the shield of your salvation. Your right hand has supported me, and your favor has made me great.
36 You have made a wide place for my feet beneath me so that my feet have not slipped.
37 I pursued my enemies and caught them; I did not turn back until they were destroyed.
38 I smashed them so that they were unable to rise; they have fallen under my feet.
39 For you put strength on me like a belt for battle; you put under me those who rise up against me.
40 You gave me the back of my enemies’ necks; I annihilated those who hated me.
41 They called for help, but no one saved them; they called out to Yahweh, but he did not answer them.
42 I beat them into fine pieces like dust before the wind; I threw them out like mud in the streets.
43 You rescued me from the disputes of people. You have made me the head over nations. People that I have not known serve me.
44 As soon as they heard of me, they obeyed me; foreigners were forced to bow to me.
45 The foreigners came trembling out of their strongholds.
46 Yahweh lives; may my rock be praised. May the God of my salvation be exalted.
47 He is the God who executes vengeance for me, who subdues the nations under me.
48 I am set free from my enemies! Indeed, you lifted me above the ones who rose against me! You rescued me from violent men.
49 Therefore I will give thanks to you, Yahweh, among the nations; I will sing praises to your name!
50 God gives great victory to his king, and he shows his covenant loyalty to his anointed one, to David and to his descendants forever.
Psalm 19
For the chief musician. A psalm of David.1 The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the skies make his handiwork known!
2 Day after day speech pours out;
night after night it reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech or spoken words;
their voice is not heard.
4 Yet their words go out over all the earth,
and their speech to the end of the world.
He has pitched a tent for the sun among them.
5 The sun is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber
and like a strong man who rejoices when he runs his race.
6 The sun rises from the one horizon
and crosses the sky to the other;
nothing escapes its heat.
7 The law of Yahweh is perfect, restoring the soul;
the testimony of Yahweh is reliable, making the simple wise.
8 The instructions of Yahweh are right, making the heart glad;
the commandment of Yahweh is pure, bringing light to the eyes.
9 The fear of Yahweh is pure, enduring forever;
the righteous decrees of Yahweh are true and altogether right!
10 They are of greater value than gold, even more than much fine gold;
they are sweeter than honey and the dripping honey from the honeycomb.
11 Yes, by them your servant is warned;
in obeying them there is great reward.
12 Who can discern all his own errors?
Cleanse me from hidden faults.
13 Keep your servant also from arrogant sins;
let them not rule over me.
Then I will be perfect,
and I will be innocent from many transgressions.
14 May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart
be acceptable in your sight,
Yahweh, my rock and my redeemer.
Psalm 20
For the chief musician. A psalm of David.1 May Yahweh help you in the day of trouble;
may the name of the God of Jacob protect you
2 and send help from the holy place
to support you from Zion.
3 May he call to mind all your offerings
and accept your burnt sacrifice. Selah
4 May he grant you your heart’s desire
and fulfill all your plans.
5 Then we will rejoice in your victory,
and, in the name of our God, we will raise banners.
May Yahweh grant all your petitions.
6 Now I know that Yahweh will rescue his anointed one;
he will answer him from his holy heaven
with the strength of his right hand that can rescue him.
7 These trust in chariots and others in horses,
but we will remember the name of Yahweh our God.
8 They will be brought down and fall,
but we will rise and stand upright!
9 Yahweh, rescue the king;
help us when we call.
Psalm 21
For the chief musician. A psalm of David.1 The king rejoices in your strength, Yahweh!
How greatly he rejoices in the salvation you provide!
2 You have given him his heart’s desire
and have not held back the request of his lips. Selah
3 For you bring him rich blessings;
you placed on his head a crown of purest gold.
4 He asked you for life; you gave it to him;
you gave him the length of his days forever and ever.
5 His glory is great because of your victory;
you have bestowed on him splendor and majesty.
6 For you grant him lasting blessings;
you make him glad with the joy of your presence.
7 For the king trusts in Yahweh;
through the covenant faithfulness of the Most High he will not be moved.
8 Your hand will seize all your enemies;
your right hand will seize those who hate you.
9 At the time of your anger, you will burn them up as in a fiery furnace.
Yahweh will consume them in his wrath,
and the fire will devour them.
10 You will destroy their offspring from the earth
and their descendants from among the human race.
11 For they intended evil against you;
they conceived a plot with which they will not succeed!
12 For you will turn them back;
you will draw your bow before them.
13 Be exalted, Yahweh, in your strength;
we will sing and praise your power.
Psalm 22
For the chief musician; set to “The rhythm of the deer.” A psalm of David.1 My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
Why are you so far from saving me and far from the words of my anguish?
2 My God, I cry out in the daytime, but you do not answer,
and at night I am not silent!
3 Yet you are holy;
you sit as king with the praises of Israel.
4 Our ancestors trusted in you;
they trusted in you, and you rescued them.
5 They cried to you and they were rescued.
They trusted in you and were not disappointed.
6 But I am a worm and not a man,
a disgrace to humanity and despised by the people.
7 All those who see me taunt me;
they mock me; they shake their heads at me.
8 They say, “He trusts in Yahweh;
let Yahweh rescue him.
Let him rescue him, for he delights in him.”
9 For you brought me from the womb;
you made me trust you when I was on my mother’s breasts.
10 I have been thrown on you from the womb;
you are my God since I was in my mother’s womb!
11 Do not be far away from me, for trouble is near;
there is no one to help.
12 Many bulls surround me;
strong bulls of Bashan surround me.
13 They open their mouths wide against me
like a roaring lion ripping its victim.
14 I am being poured out like water,
and all my bones are dislocated.
My heart is like wax;
it melts away within my inner parts.
15 My strength has dried up like a piece of pottery;
my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.
You have laid me in the dust of death.
16 For dogs have surrounded me;
a company of evildoers has encircled me;
they have pierced my hands and my feet.
17 I can count all my bones.
They look and stare at me.
18 They divide my garments among themselves,
they cast lots for my clothes.
19 Do not be far away, Yahweh;
please hurry to help me, my strength!
20 Rescue my soul from the sword,
my only life from the claws of wild dogs.
21 Save me from the lion’s mouth;
rescue me from the horns of the wild oxen.
22 I will declare your name to my brothers;
in the midst of the assembly I will praise you.
23 You who fear Yahweh, praise him!
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
Stand in awe of him, all you descendants of Israel!
24 For he has not despised or abhorred the suffering of the afflicted one;
Yahweh has not hidden his face from him;
when the afflicted one cried to him, he heard.
25 My praise will be because of you in the great assembly;
I will fulfill my vows before those who fear him.
26 The oppressed will eat and be satisfied;
those who seek Yahweh will praise him.
May your hearts live forever.
27 All the peoples of the earth will remember and turn to Yahweh;
all the families of the nations will bow down before you.
28 For the kingdom is Yahweh’s;
he is the ruler over the nations.
29 All the prosperous people of the earth will feast and will worship;
all those who are descending into the dust will bow before him,
those who cannot preserve their own lives.
30 A generation to come will serve him;
they will tell the next generation of the Lord.
31 They will come and tell of his righteousness;
they will tell to a people not yet born what he has done!
Psalm 23
A psalm of David.1 [A Psalm of David] Yahweh is my shepherd; I will lack nothing.
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside tranquil water.
3 He brings back my life;
he guides me along right paths for the sake of his name.
4 Even though I walk through a valley of darkest shadow,
I will not fear harm since you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
you have anointed my head with oil;
my cup runs over.
6 Surely goodness and covenant faithfulness will pursue me all the days of my life;
and I will live in the house of Yahweh for the length of my days!
Psalm 24
A psalm of David.1 The earth is Yahweh’s, and its fullness,
the world, and all who live in it.
2 For he has founded it upon the seas
and established it on the rivers.
3 Who will ascend the mountain of Yahweh?
Who will stand in his holy place?
4 The one with clean hands and a pure heart;
who has not lifted up my life as a falsehood,
and has not sworn an oath in order to deceive.
5 He will receive a blessing from Yahweh
and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
6 Such is the generation of those who seek him,
those who seek the face of Jacob. Selah
7 Lift up your heads, you gates;
be lifted up, everlasting doors,
so that the King of glory may come in!
8 Who is this King of glory?
Yahweh, strong and mighty; Yahweh, mighty in battle.
9 Lift up your heads, you gates;
be lifted up, everlasting doors,
so that the King of glory may come in!
10 Who is this King of glory?
Yahweh of hosts,
he is the King of glory. Selah
Psalm 25
A psalm of David.
1 David To you, Yahweh, I lift up my life!
2 My God, I trust in you.
Do not let me be humiliated;
do not let my enemies rejoice triumphantly over me.
3 May no one who hopes in you be disgraced
may those who act treacherously without cause be ashamed!
4 Make known to me your ways, Yahweh;
teach me your paths.
5 Guide me into your truth and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
I hope in you all day long.
6 Call to mind, Yahweh, your acts of compassion and of covenant faithfulness;
for they have always existed.
7 Do not think about the sins of my youth or my rebelliousness;
Call me to mind with covenant faithfulness because of your goodness, Yahweh!
8 Yahweh is good and upright;
therefore he teaches sinners the way.
9 He guides the humble in what is right
and he teaches them his way.
10 All the paths of Yahweh are steadfast love and faithfulness
to those who keep his covenant and his solemn commands.
11 For your name’s sake, Yahweh,
pardon my sin, for it is great.
12 Who is the man who fears Yahweh?
The Lord will instruct him in the way that he should choose.
13 His life will go along in goodness;
and his descendants will inherit the land.
14 The friendship of Yahweh is for those who honor him,
and he makes his covenant known to them.
15 My eyes are always on Yahweh,
for he will free my feet from the net.
16 Turn toward me and have mercy on me;
for I am alone and afflicted.
17 The troubles of my heart are enlarged;
draw me out from my distress!
18 See my affliction and my toils;
forgive all my sins.
19 See my enemies, for they are many;
they hate me with cruel hatred.
20 Protect my life and rescue me;
do not let me be humiliated, for I take refuge in you!
21 May integrity and uprightness preserve me,
for I hope in you.
22 Rescue Israel, God,
from all of his troubles!
Psalm 26
A psalm of David.1 David Judge me, Yahweh, for I have walked with integrity;
I have trusted in Yahweh without wavering.
2 Examine me, Yahweh, and test me;
test the purity of my inner parts and my heart!
3 For your covenant faithfulness is before my eyes,
and I walk about in your faithfulness.
4 I do not associate with deceitful people,
nor do I mingle with dishonest people.
5 I hate the assembly of evildoers,
and I do not live with the wicked.
6 I wash my hands in innocence,
and I go around your altar, Yahweh,
7 to sing a loud song of praise
and report all your wonderful deeds.
8 Yahweh, I love the house where you live,
the place where your glory lives!
9 Do not sweep me away with sinners,
or my life with people who are bloodthirsty,
10 in whose hands there is a plot,
and whose right hand is full of bribes.
11 But as for me, I will walk in integrity;
redeem me and have mercy on me.
12 My foot stands on level ground;
in the assemblies will I bless Yahweh!
Psalm 27
A psalm of David.1 David Yahweh is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
Yahweh is my life’s refuge;
whom should I dread?
2 When evildoers approached me to devour my flesh,
my adversaries and my enemies stumbled and fell.
3 Though an army encamps against me,
my heart will not fear;
though war rises up against me,
even then I will remain confident.
4 One thing have I asked of Yahweh, and I will seek that:
that I may live in the house of Yahweh all the days of my life,
to see the beauty of Yahweh
and to meditate in his temple.
5 For in the day of trouble he will hide me in his shelter;
in the cover of his tent he will conceal me.
He will lift me high on a rock!
6 Then my head will be lifted up above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer sacrifices of joy in his tent!
I will sing and make songs to Yahweh!
7 Hear, Yahweh, my voice when I cry out!
Have mercy on me, and answer me!
8 My heart says about you,
“Seek his face!” I seek your face, Yahweh!
9 Do not hide your face from me;
do not turn your servant away in anger!
You have been my helper;
do not forsake me or abandon me, God of my salvation!
10 Even if my father and my mother forsake me,
Yahweh will take me in.
11 Teach me your way, Yahweh!
Lead me on a level path
because of my enemies.
12 Do not give me up to the desires of my enemies,
for false witnesses have risen up against me,
and they breathe out violence!
13 What would have happened to me if I had not believed that I would see the goodness of Yahweh in the land of the living?
14 Wait for Yahweh;
be strong, and let your heart be courageous!
Wait for Yahweh!
Psalm 28
A psalm of David.1 David To you, Yahweh, I cry out; my rock, do not ignore me.
If you do not respond to me, I will join those who go down to the grave.
2 Hear the sound of my pleading when I call for help from you,
when I lift up my hands toward your most holy place!
3 Do not drag me away with the wicked, those who do iniquity,
who speak peace with their neighbors but have evil in their hearts.
4 Give them what their deeds deserve and repay them what their wickedness demands,
repay them for the work of their hands and render to them their due.
5 Because they do not understand the deeds of Yahweh or the work of his hands,
he will tear them down and never rebuild them.
6 Blessed be Yahweh
because he has heard the sound of my pleading!
7 Yahweh is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.
Therefore my heart greatly rejoices,
and I will praise him with singing.
8 Yahweh is the strength of his people,
and he is the saving refuge of his anointed one.
9 Save your people and bless your inheritance.
Be their shepherd and carry them forever.
Psalm 29
A psalm of David.1 A Psalm of David Ascribe to Yahweh, you sons of God,
ascribe to Yahweh glory and strength!
2 Ascribe to Yahweh the glory his name deserves.
Bow down to Yahweh in the splendor of holiness!
3 The voice of Yahweh is heard over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
Yahweh thunders over many waters.
4 The voice of Yahweh is powerful;
the voice of Yahweh is majestic.
5 The voice of Yahweh breaks the cedars;
Yahweh breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf
and Sirion like a young ox.
7 The voice of Yahweh sends out flames of fire.
8 The voice of Yahweh shakes the wilderness;
Yahweh shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
9 The voice of Yahweh causes the oaks to twist
and strips the forests bare.
Everyone in his temple says, “Glory!”
10 Yahweh sits as king over the flood;
Yahweh sits as king forever.
11 Yahweh gives strength to his people;
Yahweh blesses his people with peace.
Psalm 30
A psalm; a song at the dedication of the temple. A psalm of David.1 I will exalt you, Yahweh, for you have raised me up and have not allowed my enemies to rejoice over me.
2 Yahweh my God, I cried to you for help, and you healed me.
3 Yahweh, you have brought up my soul from Sheol; you have kept me alive from going down to the grave.
4 Sing praises to Yahweh, you his faithful ones! Give thanks when you remember his holiness.
5 For his anger is only for a moment; but his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping comes for a night, but joy comes in the morning.
6 In confidence I said, “I will never be shaken.”
7 Yahweh, by your favor you established me as a strong mountain; but when you hid your face, I was troubled.
8 I cried to you, Yahweh, and sought favor from my Lord!
9 What advantage is there in my death, if I go down to the grave? Will the dust praise you? Will it declare your trustworthiness?
10 Hear, Yahweh, and have mercy on me! Yahweh, be my helper.
11 You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have removed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness.
12 So now my glory will sing praise to you and not be silent; Yahweh my God, I will give thanks to you forever!
Psalm 31
For the chief musician. A psalm of David.1 In you, Yahweh, I take refuge;
never let me be humiliated.
Rescue me in your righteousness.
2 Listen to me; rescue me quickly;
be my rock of refuge,
a stronghold to save me.
3 For you are my rock and my fortress;
therefore for your name’s sake, lead and guide me.
4 Pluck me out of the net that they have hidden for me,
for you are my refuge.
5 Into your hands I entrust my spirit;
you will redeem me, Yahweh, God of trustworthiness.
6 I hate those who serve worthless idols,
but I trust in Yahweh.
7 I will be glad and rejoice in your covenant faithfulness,
for you saw my affliction;
you knew the distress of my soul.
8 You have not given me into the hand of my enemy.
You have set my feet in a wide open place.
9 Have mercy upon me, Yahweh, for I am in distress;
my eyes grow weary with grief with my soul and my body.
10 For my life is weary with sorrow
and my years with groaning.
My strength fails because of my sin,
and my bones are wasting away.
11 Because of all my enemies, people disdain me;
my neighbors are appalled at my situation,
and those who know me are horrified.
Those who see me in the street run from me.
12 I am forgotten as a dead man whom no one thinks about.
I am like a broken pot.
13 For I have heard the whispering of many,
terrifying news from every side
as they plot together against me.
They plot to take away my life.
14 But I trust in you, Yahweh;
I say, “You are my God.”
15 My times are in your hand.
Rescue me from the hands of my enemies and from those who pursue me.
16 Make your face shine on your servant;
save me in your covenant faithfulness.
17 Do not let me be humiliated, Yahweh; for I call out to you!
May the wicked be humiliated! May they be silent in Sheol.
18 May lying lips be silenced
that speak against the righteous defiantly
with arrogance and contempt.
19 How great is your goodness
that you have stored up for those who revere you,
that you perform for those who take refuge in you
before all the children of mankind!
20 In the shelter of your presence, you hide them from the plots of men.
You hide them in a shelter from the violence of tongues.
21 Blessed be Yahweh,
for he showed me his marvelous covenant faithfulness when I was in a besieged city.
22 Though I said in my haste,
“I am cut off from your eyes,”
yet you heard my plea for help
when I cried to you.
23 Love Yahweh, all you faithful ones.
Yahweh protects the faithful,
but he pays back the arrogant in full.
24 Be strong and confident,
all you who trust in Yahweh for help.
Psalm 32
A psalm of David. A maschil.1 A writing of David Blessed is the person whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man to whom Yahweh reckons no guilt
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
3 When I remained silent, my bones were wasting away
while I groaned all day long.
4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me.
My strength withered as in summer drought. Selah
5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you,
and I no longer hid my iniquity.
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to Yahweh,”
and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah
6 For this reason every one of your faithful followers should pray to you at a time of great distress.
When the surging waters overflow, the waters will not reach them.
7 You are my hiding place; you will guard me from trouble.
You will surround me with the songs of victory. Selah
8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go.
I will instruct you with my eye upon you.
9 Do not be like a horse or like a mule, which have no understanding;
it is only with bridle and bit to control them
that they will go where you want them to.
10 The wicked have many sorrows,
but Yahweh’s covenant faithfulness will surround the one who trusts in him.
11 Be glad in Yahweh, and rejoice, you righteous;
shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.
Psalm 33
1 Rejoice in Yahweh, you righteous;
praise is appropriate for the upright.
2 Give thanks to Yahweh with the harp;
sing praises to him with the harp of ten strings.
3 Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully and sing with joy.
4 For Yahweh’s word is upright,
and everything he does is fair.
5 He loves righteousness and justice.
The earth is full of Yahweh’s covenant faithfulness.
6 By the word of Yahweh the heavens were made,
and all the stars were made by the breath of his mouth.
7 He gathers the waters of the sea together like a heap;
he puts the oceans in storehouses.
8 Let the whole earth fear Yahweh;
let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.
9 For he spoke, and it was done;
he commanded, and it stood in place.
10 Yahweh frustrates the alliances of nations;
he overrules the plans of the peoples.
11 The plans of Yahweh stand forever,
the plans of his heart for all generations.
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is Yahweh,
the people whom he has chosen as his own inheritance.
13 Yahweh looks from heaven;
he sees all the people.
14 From the place where he lives,
he looks down on all who live on the earth.
15 He who shapes the hearts of them all
observes all their deeds.
16 No king is saved by a vast army;
a warrior is not saved by his great strength.
17 A horse is a false hope for victory;
in spite of his great strength, he cannot rescue.
18 See, Yahweh’s eye is on those who fear him,
on those who hope in his covenant faithfulness
19 to deliver their lives from death
and to keep them alive in times of famine.
20 We wait for Yahweh;
he is our help and our shield.
21 Our hearts rejoice in him,
for we trust in his holy name.
22 Let your covenant faithfulness, Yahweh, be with us
as we put our hope in you.
Psalm 34
A psalm of David; when he pretended to be insane before Abimelech, who drove him out.1 I will praise Yahweh at all times,
his praise will always be in my mouth.
2 I will praise Yahweh!
May the oppressed hear and rejoice.
3 Praise Yahweh with me,
let us lift up his name together.
4 I sought Yahweh and he answered me,
and he gave me victory over all my fears.
5 Those who look to him are radiant,
and their faces are not ashamed.
6 This oppressed man cried and Yahweh heard him
and saved him from all his troubles.
7 The angel of Yahweh camps around those who fear him
and rescues them.
8 Taste and see that Yahweh is good.
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
9 Fear Yahweh, you his holy people.
There is no lack for those who fear him.
10 The young lions sometimes lack food and suffer hunger,
but those who seek Yahweh will not lack anything good.
11 Come, sons, listen to me.
I will teach you the fear of Yahweh.
12 What man is there who desires life
and loves many days,
that he may see good?
13 Then keep your tongue from evil
and keep your lips from speaking lies.
14 Turn away from evil and do good.
Seek peace and go after it.
15 The eyes of Yahweh are on the righteous
and his ears are directed toward their cry.
16 The face of Yahweh is against those who do evil,
to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
17 The righteous cry out and Yahweh hears
and he rescues them from all their troubles.
18 Yahweh is close to the brokenhearted,
and he saves those who are crushed in spirit.
19 Many are the troubles of the righteous,
but Yahweh delivers them out of them all.
20 He keeps all his bones,
not one of them will be broken.
21 Evil will kill the wicked.
Those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
22 Yahweh rescues the lives of his servants.
None of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.
Psalm 35
A psalm of David.1 David Yahweh, work against those who work against me;
fight against those who fight against me.
2 Grab your small shield and large shield;
rise up and help me.
3 Use your spear and battle ax against those who chase me;
say to my soul, “I am your salvation.”
4 May those who seek my life be shamed and dishonored.
May those who plan to harm me be turned back and confounded.
5 May they be as chaff before the wind,
as the angel of Yahweh drives them away.
6 May their way be dark and slippery,
as the angel of Yahweh chases them.
7 Without cause they set their net for me;
without cause they dug a pit for my life.
8 Let destruction overtake them by surprise.
Let the net that they have set catch them.
Let them fall into it, to their destruction.
9 But I will be joyful in Yahweh
and rejoice in his salvation.
10 All my bones will say, “Yahweh, who is like you,
who rescues the oppressed from those who are too strong for them
and the poor and needy from those who try to rob them?”
11 Unrighteous witnesses rise up;
they accuse me falsely.
12 They repay me evil for good.
I am sorrowful.
13 But, when they were sick, I wore sackcloth;
I fasted for them
with my head bowed on my chest.
14 I went about in grief as for my brother;
I bent down in mourning as for my mother.
15 But when I stumbled, they rejoiced and gathered together;
they gathered together against me, and I was surprised by them.
They tore at me without stopping.
16 With no respect at all they mocked me;
they grind their teeth at me in rage.
17 Lord, how long will you look on?
Rescue my soul from their destructive attacks,
my life from the lions.
18 Then I will thank you in the great assembly;
I will praise you among many people.
19 Do not let my deceitful enemies rejoice over me;
do not let them carry out their wicked schemes.
20 For they do not speak peace,
but they devise deceitful words against those in our land who live in peace.
21 They open their mouths wide against me;
they said, “Aha, Aha, our eyes have seen it.”
22 You have seen it, Yahweh, do not be silent;
Lord, do not be far from me.
23 Arouse yourself and awake to my defense;
My God and my Lord, defend my cause.
24 Defend me, Yahweh my God, because of your righteousness;
do not let them rejoice over me.
25 Do not let them say in their heart, “Aha, we have what we wanted.”
Do not let them say, “We have devoured him.”
26 May they be put to shame and may they be confounded who rejoice at my distress.
May those who exalt themselves over me be clothed with shame and dishonor.
27 Let those who desire my vindication shout for joy and be glad;
may they say continually, “Yahweh be praised,
he who delights in the welfare of his servant.”
28 Then I will tell of your justice
and praise you all day long.
Psalm 36
For the chief musician. A psalm of David the servant of Yahweh.1 An evil man speaks of his transgression from deep in his heart,
there is no fear of God before his eyes.
2 For he comforts himself,
thinking that his sin will not be discovered and be hated.
3 His words are sinful and deceitful;
he does not want to be wise and do good.
4 While he lies in bed, he plans ways to sin;
he sets out on an evil way;
he does not reject evil.
5 Your covenant faithfulness, Yahweh, reaches to the heavens;
your loyalty reaches to the clouds.
6 Your righteousness is like the mountains of God;
your judgments are like the great deep.
Yahweh, you preserve both mankind and the animals.
7 How precious is your covenant faithfulness, God!
Humanity takes refuge under the shadow of your wings.
8 They feast upon the abundance of your house;
you let them drink from the river of your delights.
9 For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light we will see light.
10 Extend your covenant faithfulness fully to those who know you,
your defense to the upright of heart.
11 Do not let the foot of the arrogant man come near to me.
Do not let the hand of the wicked drive me away.
12 Over there the evildoers have fallen;
they are knocked down and are not able to get up.
Psalm 37
A psalm of David.1 David Do not be irritated because of evildoers;
do not be envious of those who act unrighteously.
2 For they will soon dry up as the grass
and wither as the green plants.
3 Trust in Yahweh and do what is good;
settle in the land and graze in faithfulness.
4 Then delight yourself in Yahweh,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Give your ways to Yahweh;
trust in him, and he will act on your behalf.
6 He will display your justice like the daylight
and your innocence like the day at noon.
7 Be still before Yahweh and wait patiently for him.
Do not be angry if someone succeeds in what he does,
or when he makes evil plots.
8 Do not be angry and frustrated.
Do not worry. This only makes trouble.
9 Evildoers will be cut off,
but those who wait for Yahweh will inherit the land.
10 In a little while the evil man will disappear;
you will look at his place, but he will be gone.
11 But the meek will inherit the land
and will delight in great prosperity.
12 The wicked man plots against the righteous
and he grinds his teeth in rage against him.
13 The Lord laughs at him,
for he sees that his day is coming.
14 The wicked have drawn out their swords and have bent their bows
to cast down the oppressed and needy,
to kill those who are upright.
15 Their swords will pierce their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken.
16 Better is the little that the righteous has
than the abundance of many wicked people.
17 For the arms of the wicked people will be broken,
but Yahweh supports the righteous people.
18 Yahweh watches over the blameless day by day,
and their heritage will be forever.
19 They will not be ashamed when times are bad.
When famine comes, they will have enough to eat.
20 But evil men will perish.
Yahweh’s enemies will be like the glory of the pastures;
they will be consumed and disappear in the smoke.
21 The wicked person borrows but does not repay,
but the righteous person is generous and gives.
22 Those who are blessed by God will inherit the land;
those who are cursed by him will be cut off.
23 It is by Yahweh that a man’s steps are established,
the man whose way is commendable in God’s sight.
24 Though he stumbles, he will not fall down,
for Yahweh is holding him with his hand.
25 I was young and now am old;
I have never seen the righteous person abandoned
or his children begging for bread.
26 All the day long he is gracious and lends,
and his children become a blessing.
27 Turn away from evil and do what is right;
then you will be safe forever.
28 For Yahweh loves justice
and does not abandon his faithful ones.
They are preserved forever,
but the descendants of the wicked will be cut off.
29 The righteous will inherit the land
and live there forever.
30 The mouth of the righteous person speaks wisdom
and increases justice.
31 The law of his God is in his heart;
his feet will not slip.
32 The wicked person watches the righteous person
and seeks to kill him.
33 Yahweh will not abandon him into the evil person’s hand
or condemn him when he is judged.
34 Wait for Yahweh and keep his way,
and he will raise you up to possess the land.
You will see when the wicked are cut off.
35 I have seen the wicked and terrifying person
spread out like a green tree in its native soil.
36 But when I passed by again, he was not there.
I looked for him, but he could not be found.
37 Observe the man of integrity, and mark the upright;
there is a good future for a man of peace.
38 Sinners will be totally destroyed;
the future for the wicked man is cut off.
39 Salvation of the righteous comes from Yahweh;
he protects them in the times of trouble.
40 Yahweh helps them and rescues them.
He rescues them from evil men and saves them
because they have taken refuge in him.
Psalm 38
A psalm of David, to bring to remembrance.1 Yahweh, do not rebuke me in your anger;
do not punish me in your wrath.
2 For your arrows pierce me,
and your hand presses me down.
3 My whole body is sick because of your anger;
there is no health in my bones because of my sin.
4 For my iniquities overwhelm me;
they are a burden too heavy for me.
5 My wounds are infected and smell
because of my foolish sins.
6 I am stooped over and humiliated every day;
I go about mourning all day long.
7 For within me, I am filled with burning;
there is no health in my flesh.
8 I am numb and utterly crushed;
I groan because of the anguish of my heart.
9 Lord, you understand my heart’s deepest yearnings,
and my groanings are not hidden from you.
10 My heart pounds, my strength fades,
and my eyesight dims.
11 My friends and companions shun me because of my condition;
my neighbors stand far off.
12 Those who seek my life lay snares for me.
They who seek my harm speak destructive words
and say deceitful words all day long.
13 But I, I am like a deaf man and hear nothing;
I am like a mute man who says nothing.
14 I am like a man who does not hear
and who has no reply.
15 Surely I wait for you, Yahweh;
you will answer, Lord my God.
16 For I said "Hear me, so that they will not gloat over me.
If my foot slips, they will do terrible things to me.
17 For I am about to stumble,
and I am in constant pain.
18 I confess my guilt;
I am concerned about my sin.
19 But my enemies are numerous;
those who hate me wrongfully are many.
20 They repay me evil for good;
they hurl accusations at me although I have pursued what is good.
21 Do not abandon me, Yahweh;
my God, do not stay far away from me.
22 Come quickly to help me,
Lord, my salvation.
Psalm 39
For the chief musician, for Jeduthun. A psalm of David.1 I decided, “I will watch what I say
so that I do not sin with my tongue.
I will muzzle my mouth
while in the presence of an evil man.”
2 I kept silent; I kept back my words even from saying anything good,
and my pain grew worse.
3 My heart became hot;
when I thought about these things, it burned like a fire.
Then finally I spoke.
4 “Yahweh, make me know when will be the end of my life
and the extent of my days.
Show me how transient I am.
5 See, you have made my days only the width of my hand,
and my lifetime is like nothing before you.
Surely every man is a single breath. Selah
6 Surely every man walks about like a shadow.
Surely everyone hurries about
to accumulate riches although they do not know who will receive them.
7 Now, Lord, for what am I waiting?
You are my only hope.
8 Rescue me from my sins;
do not make me the reproach of fools.
9 I am silent and cannot open my mouth,
because it is you who has done it.
10 Stop wounding me;
I am overwhelmed by the blow of your hand.
11 When you discipline people for sin,
you consume the things they desire like a moth;
surely all people are nothing but vapor. Selah
12 Hear my prayer, Yahweh, and listen to me;
listen to my weeping!
Do not be deaf to me,
for I am like a foreigner with you, a refugee like all my ancestors were.
13 Turn your gaze from me so that I may smile again
before I die.”
Psalm 40
For the chief musician. A psalm of David.1 I waited patiently for Yahweh;
he listened to me and heard my cry.
2 He brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay,
and he set my feet on a rock and made my steps secure.
3 He has put a new song in my mouth, praise to our God.
Many will see it and honor him
and will trust in Yahweh.
4 Blessed is the man who makes Yahweh his trust
and does not honor the proud or those who turn away from him to lies.
5 Many, Yahweh my God, are the wonderful deeds that you have done,
and your thoughts which are about us cannot be numbered;
if I declared and spoke of them,
they would be more than could be counted.
6 You have no delight in sacrifice or offering,
but you have opened my ears;
you have not required burnt offerings or sin offerings.
7 Then said I, “See, I have come;
it is written about me in the scroll of the document.
8 I delight to do your will, my God;
your laws are in my heart.”
9 I have proclaimed good news of your righteousness in the great assembly;
Yahweh, you know that my lips have not kept back from doing this.
10 I have not concealed your righteousness in my heart;
I have declared your faithfulness and your salvation;
I have not concealed your covenant faithfulness or your trustworthiness from the great assembly.
11 Do not keep back your acts of mercy from me, Yahweh;
let your covenant faithfulness and your trustworthiness always preserve me.
12 Troubles that cannot be numbered surround me;
my iniquities have caught up with me so that I am no longer able to see anything;
they are more than the hairs on my head,
and my heart has failed me.
13 Be pleased, Yahweh, to rescue me;
hurry to help me, Yahweh.
14 Let them be ashamed and completely disappointed
who pursue my life to take it away.
Let them be turned back and brought to dishonor,
those who delight in hurting me.
15 Let them be shocked because of their shame,
those who say to me, “Aha, aha!”
16 But may all those who seek you rejoice and be glad in you;
let everyone who loves your salvation say continually,
“May Yahweh be praised.”
17 I am poor and needy;
yet the Lord thinks about me.
You are my help and you come to my rescue;
do not delay, my God.
Psalm 41
For the chief musician. A psalm of David.1 Blessed is he who is concerned for the weak;
in the day of trouble, Yahweh will rescue him.
2 Yahweh will preserve him and keep him alive,
and he will be blessed on the earth;
Yahweh will not turn him over to the will of his enemies.
3 Yahweh will support him on the bed of suffering;
you will make his bed of sickness into a bed of healing.
4 I said, “Yahweh, have mercy on me!
Heal me, for I have sinned against you.”
5 My enemies speak evil against me, saying,
‘When will he die and his name perish?’
6 If my enemy comes to see me, he says worthless things;
his heart gathers up my disaster for itself;
when he goes away from me, he tells others about it.
7 All who hate me whisper together against me;
against me they hope for my hurt.
8 They say, “An evil disease holds on tightly to him;
now that he is lying down, he will rise up no more.”
9 Indeed, even my own close friend, in whom I trusted,
who ate my bread,
has lifted up his heel against me.
10 But you, Yahweh, have mercy on me and raise me up
so that I may pay them back.
11 By this I know that you delight in me,
for my enemy does not triumph over me.
12 As for me, you support me in my integrity
and will keep me before your face forever.
13 May Yahweh, the God of Israel be praised
from everlasting to everlasting.
Amen and Amen.
Book Two
Psalm 42
For the chief musician. A maschil of the sons of Korah.1 As the deer pants after streams of water,
so I thirst for you, God.
2 I thirst for God, for the living God,
when will I come and appear before God?
3 My tears have been my food day and night,
while my enemies are always saying to me, “Where is your God?”
4 These things I call to mind as I pour out my soul:
how I went with the throng and led them to the house of God
with the voice of joy and praise, a multitude celebrating a festival.
5 Why are you bowed down, my soul?
Why are you upset within me?
Hope in God, for again I will praise him who is my salvation.
6 My God, my soul is bowed down within me,
therefore I call you to mind from the land of the Jordan,
from the three peaks of Mount Hermon, and from the hill of Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep at the noise of your waterfalls;
all your waves and your billows have gone over me.
8 Yet Yahweh will command his covenant faithfulness in the daytime;
in the night his song will be with me,
a prayer to the God of my life.
9 I will say to God, my rock, “Why have you forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?”
10 As with a sword in my bones, my adversaries rebuke me,
while they always say to me, “Where is your God?”
11 Why are you bowed down, my soul?
Why are you upset within me?
Hope in God, for again I will praise him who is my salvation and my God.
Psalm 43
1 Bring me justice, God, and plead my cause against a nation that is not faithful. Oh, deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man.
2 For you are the God of my strength. Why have you rejected me?
Why do I go about in mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?
3 Oh, send out your light and your truth, let them lead me.
Let them bring me to your holy hill
and to your dwelling.
4 Then I will go to the altar of God,
to God my exceeding joy.
I will praise you with the harp, God, my God.
5 Why are you bowed down, my soul?
Why are you upset within me?
Hope in God, for again I will praise him who is my salvation and my God.
Psalm 44
For the chief musician. A psalm of the sons of Korah. A maschil.1 We have heard with our ears, God,
our fathers have told us
what work you did in their days,
in the days of old.
2 You drove out the nations with your hand,
but you planted our people;
you afflicted the peoples,
but you spread our people out in the land.
3 For they did not obtain the land for their possession by their own sword,
neither did their own arm save them;
but your right hand, your arm, and the light of your face,
because you were favorable to them.
4 God, You are my King;
command victory for Jacob.
5 Through you we will push down our adversaries;
through your name we will tread them under, those who rise up against us.
6 For I will not trust in my bow,
neither will my sword save me.
7 But you have saved us from our adversaries,
and have put to shame those who hate us.
8 In God we have made our boast all the day long,
and we will give thanks to your name forever. Selah
9 But now you have thrown us off and brought us dishonor,
and you do not go out with our armies.
10 You make us turn back from the adversary;
and those who hate us take spoil for themselves.
11 You have made us like sheep to be slaughtered
and have scattered us among the nations.
12 You sell your people for nothing;
you have not increased your wealth by doing so.
13 You make us a rebuke to our neighbors,
scoffed and mocked by those around us.
14 You make us an insult among the nations,
a shaking of the head among the peoples.
15 All the day long my dishonor is before me,
and the shame of my face has covered me
16 because of the voice of him who rebukes and insults,
because of the enemy and the avenger.
17 All this has come on us; yet we have not forgotten you
or dealt falsely with your covenant.
18 Our heart has not turned back;
our steps have not gone from your way.
19 Yet you have severely broken us in the place of jackals
and covered us with the shadow of death.
20 If we have forgotten the name of our God
or spread out our hands to a strange god,
21 would not God search this out?
For he knows the secrets of the heart.
22 Indeed, for your sake we are being killed all day long;
we are considered to be sheep for the slaughter.
23 Awake, why do you sleep, Lord?
Arise, do not throw us off permanently.
24 Why do you hide your face
and forget our affliction and our oppression?
25 For we have sunk down into the dust;
our bodies cling to the earth.
26 Rise up for our help
and redeem us for the sake of your covenant faithfulness.
Psalm 45
For the chief musician; set to Shoshannim. A psalm of the sons of Korah. A maschil. A song of loves.1 My heart overflows on a good subject;
I will read aloud the words I have composed about the king;
my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.
2 You are fairer than the children of mankind;
grace is poured onto your lips;
therefore we know that God has blessed you forever.
3 Put your sword on your side, mighty one,
in your glory and your majesty.
4 In your majesty ride on triumphantly
because of trustworthiness, meekness, and righteousness;
your right hand will teach you fearful things.
5 Your arrows are sharp;
the peoples fall under you;
your arrows are in the hearts of the king’s enemies.
6 Your throne, God, is forever and ever;
a scepter of justice is the scepter of your kingdom.
7 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has anointed you
with the oil of gladness more than your companions.
8 All your garments smell of myrrh, aloes, and cassia;
out of ivory palaces stringed instruments have made you glad.
9 Kings’ daughters are among your honorable women;
at your right hand stands the queen clothed in gold of Ophir.
10 Listen, daughter, consider and incline your ear;
forget your own people and your father’s house.
11 In this way the king will desire your beauty;
he is your master; revere him.
12 The daughter of Tyre will be there with a gift;
the rich among the people will beg for your favor.
13 The royal daughter in the palace is all glorious;
her clothing is worked with gold.
14 She will be led to the king in embroidered dress;
the virgins, her companions who follow her,
will be brought to you.
15 They will be led by gladness and rejoicing;
they will enter into the king’s palace.
16 In the place of your fathers will be your children,
whom you will make princes in all the earth.
17 I will make your name to be remembered in all generations;
therefore the peoples will give you thanks forever and ever.
Psalm 46
For the chief musician. A psalm of the sons of Korah; set to Alamoth. A song.1 God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,
though the mountains should be shaken into the heart of the seas,
3 though its waters roar and rage, and
though the mountains tremble with their swelling. Selah
4 There is a river whose streams make the city of God happy,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
5 God is in the middle of her; she will not be moved;
God will help her, and he will do so at the dawn of morning.
6 The nations raged and the kingdoms were shaken;
he lifted up his voice, and the earth melted.
7 Yahweh of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah
8 Come, behold the deeds of Yahweh,
the destruction he has caused on earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth;
he breaks the bow and cuts the spear into pieces;
he burns up the shields.
10 Be quiet and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted on the earth.
11 Yahweh of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah
Psalm 47
For the chief musician. A psalm of the sons of Korah.1 Clap your hands, all you peoples;
shout to God with the sound of triumph.
2 For Yahweh Most High is terrifying;
he is a great King over all the earth.
3 He subdues peoples under us
and nations under our feet.
4 He chooses our inheritance for us,
the glory of Jacob whom he loved. Selah
5 God has gone up with a shout,
Yahweh with the sound of a trumpet.
6 Sing praises to God, sing praises;
sing praises to our King, sing praises.
7 For God is the King over all the earth;
sing praises with understanding.
8 God reigns over the nations;
God sits on his holy throne.
9 The princes of the peoples have gathered together
to the people of the God of Abraham;
for the shields of the earth belong to God;
he is greatly exalted.
Psalm 48
A song; a psalm of the sons of Korah.1 Great is Yahweh and greatly to be praised,
in the city of our God on his holy mountain.
2 Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth,
is Mount Zion, on the sides of the north,
the city of the great King.
3 God has made himself known in her palaces as a refuge.
4 For, see, the kings assembled themselves;
they passed by together.
5 They saw it, then they were amazed;
they were dismayed, and they hurried away.
6 Trembling took hold of them there,
pain as when a woman is in labor.
7 With the east wind
you break the ships of Tarshish.
8 As we have heard, so have we seen
in the city of Yahweh of hosts, in the city of our God;
God will establish it forever. Selah
9 We have thought about your covenant faithfulness, God,
in the middle of your temple.
10 As your name is, God,
so is your praise to the ends of the earth;
your right hand is full of righteousness.
11 Let Mount Zion be glad,
let the daughters of Judah rejoice
because of your righteous decrees.
12 Walk around Mount Zion, go round about her;
count her towers,
13 notice well her walls,
and look at her palaces
so that you may tell it to the next generation.
14 For this God is our God forever and ever;
he will be our guide to death.
Psalm 49
For the chief musician. A psalm of the sons of Korah.1 Hear this, all you peoples;
give ear, all you inhabitants of the world,
2 both low and high,
rich and poor together.
3 My mouth will speak wisdom
and the meditation of my heart will be of understanding.
4 I will incline my ear to a parable;
I will begin my parable with the harp.
5 Why should I fear the days of evil,
when iniquity surrounds me at my heels?
6 Why should I fear those who trust in their wealth
and boast about the amount of their riches?
7 It is certain that no one can redeem his brother
or give God a ransom for him,
8 For the redemption of one’s life is costly,
and no one can pay what we owe.
9 No one can live forever
so that his body should not decay.
10 For he will see decay. Wise men die;
the fool and the brute alike perish
and leave their wealth to others.
11 Their inner thought is that their families will continue forever,
and the places where they live, to all generations;
they call their lands after their own names.
12 But man, having wealth, does not remain alive;
he is like the beasts that perish.
13 This, their way, is their folly;
yet after them, men approve of their sayings. Selah
14 Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol,
and death will be their shepherd.
The upright will rule over them in the morning,
and their bodies will be consumed in Sheol,
with no place for them to live.
15 But God will redeem my life from the power of Sheol;
he will receive me. Selah
16 Do not be afraid when one becomes rich,
and the glory of his house increases.
17 For when he dies he will take nothing away;
his glory will not go down after him.
18 He blessed his soul while he lived—
and men praise you when you live for yourself—
19 he will go to the generation of his fathers
and they will never see the light again.
20 One who has wealth but no understanding
is like the beasts, which perish.
Psalm 50
A psalm of Asaph.1 A Psalm of Asaph The Mighty One, God, Yahweh, has spoken
and called the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting.
2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God has shone.
3 Our God comes and does not stay silent;
a fire devours before him,
and it is very stormy around him.
4 He calls to the heavens above
and to the earth so that he may judge his people:
5 “Gather my faithful ones together to me,
those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”
6 The heavens will declare his righteousness,
for God himself is judge. Selah
7 “Israel, I will testify against you. Hear, my people, and I will speak;
I am God, your God.
8 I will not reprove you for your sacrifices;
your burnt offerings are always before me.
9 I will take no bull out of your house,
or male goats out of your folds.
10 For every beast of the forest is mine,
and the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 I know all the birds of the mountains,
and the wild beasts of the field are mine.
12 If I were hungry, I would not tell you;
for the world is mine, and everything in it.
13 Will I eat the flesh of bulls
or drink the blood of goats?
14 Offer to God the sacrifice of thanksgiving,
and pay your vows to the Most High.
15 Call on me in the day of trouble;
I will rescue you, and you will glorify me.”
16 But to the wicked God says,
“What have you to do with declaring my statutes,
that you have taken my covenant in your mouth,
17 since you hate instruction
and throw my words away?
18 When you see a thief, you agree with him;
you participate with those who commit adultery.
19 You give your mouth to evil,
and your tongue expresses deceit.
20 You sit and speak against your brother;
you slander your own mother’s son.
21 You have done these things, but I have kept silent,
so you thought that I was someone just like yourself.
But I will reprove you and bring up, right before your eyes, all the things you have done.
22 Give this careful consideration, you who forget God,
otherwise I will tear you to pieces,
and there will be no one to come to help you!
23 The one who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving praises me,
and to anyone who plans his path in the right way
I will show God’s salvation.”
Psalm 51
For the chief musician. A psalm of David; when Nathan the prophet came to him after he had gone in to Bathsheba.1 Have mercy on me, God, because of your covenant faithfulness;
for the sake of the multitude of your merciful actions, blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.
4 Against you, you only, I have sinned
and done what is evil in your sight;
you are right when you speak;
you are correct when you judge.
5 See, I was born in iniquity;
as soon as my mother conceived me, I was in sin.
6 See, you desire trustworthiness in my inner self;
and you teach me wisdom in the secret place within.
7 Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 Make me hear joy and gladness
so that the bones that you have broken may rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
11 Do not drive me away from your presence,
and do not take your holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and sustain me with a willing spirit.
13 Then will I teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will be converted to you.
14 Forgive me for shedding blood, God of my salvation,
and I will shout for the joy of your righteousness.
15 Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will express your praise.
16 For you do not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it;
you have no pleasure in burnt offerings.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit.
You, God, will not despise a broken and a contrite heart.
18 Do good in your good pleasure to Zion;
rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then will you delight in the sacrifices of righteousness,
in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings;
then our people will offer bulls on your altar.
Psalm 52
For the chief musician. A maschil of David; when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul, and said to him, “David has come to the house of Ahimelech.”1 Why are you proud of making trouble, you mighty man?
The covenant faithfulness of God comes every day.
2 Your tongue plans destruction
like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.
3 You love evil more than good
and lying rather than speaking righteousness. Selah
4 You love all words that devour others,
you deceitful tongue.
5 God will likewise destroy you forever;
he will take you up and pluck you out of your tent
and root you out of the land of the living. Selah
6 The righteous will also see it and fear;
they will laugh at him and say,
7 “See, this is a man who did not make God his refuge,
but he trusted in the abundance of his wealth,
and he was strong when he destroyed others.”
8 But as for me, I am like a green olive tree in God’s house;
I will trust in the covenant faithfulness of God forever and ever.
9 I will give you thanks forever for what you have done.
I will wait for your name, because it is good,
in the presence of your faithful ones.
Psalm 53
For the chief musician; set to Mahalath. A maschil of David.1 A fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt and have done abominable iniquity;
there is no one who does good.
2 God looks down from heaven on the children of mankind
to see if there are any who understand,
who seek after him.
3 They have all turned away. Together they have become corrupt.
There is not one who does good, not even one.
4 Do those who commit iniquity have no understanding—
those who devour my people as if they were eating bread
and they do not call on God?
5 They were in great fear, although no reason to fear was there;
for God will scatter the bones of whoever will camp against you;
such people will be put to shame because God has rejected them.
6 Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come from Zion!
When God brings back his people from the captivity,
then Jacob will rejoice and Israel will be glad!
Psalm 54
For the chief musician; on stringed instruments. A maschil of David; when the Ziphites came and said to Saul, “Does David not hide himself with us?”1 Save me, God, by your name,
and judge me in your might.
2 Hear my prayer, God;
give ear to the words of my mouth.
3 For strangers have risen up against me,
and pitiless men have sought after my life;
they have not set God before them. Selah
4 See, God is my helper;
the Lord is the one who upholds me.
5 He will repay my enemies with evil;
in your faithfulness, destroy them!
6 I will sacrifice to you with a freewill offering;
I will give thanks to your name, Yahweh, for it is good.
7 For he has rescued me from every trouble;
my eye has looked in triumph on my enemies.
Psalm 55
For the chief musician; on stringed instruments. A maschil of David.1 Give ear to my prayer, God;
and do not hide yourself from my plea.
2 Pay attention to me and answer me;
I have no rest in my troubles
3 because of the voice of my enemies,
because of the oppression of the wicked;
for they bring trouble on me
and persecute me in anger.
4 My heart trembles within me,
and the terrors of death have fallen on me.
5 Fearfulness and trembling have come on me,
and horror has overwhelmed me.
6 I said, “Oh, if only I had wings like a dove!
Then would I fly away and be at rest.
7 See, then I would wander far away;
I would stay in the wilderness. Selah
8 I would hurry to a shelter
from the stormy wind and tempest.”
9 Devour them, Lord, confuse their language!
For I have seen violence and strife in the city.
10 Day and night they go about on its walls;
wickedness and trouble are in the middle of it.
11 Wickedness is in the middle of it;
oppression and deceit do not leave its streets.
12 For it was not an enemy who rebuked me,
then I could have borne it;
neither was it he who hated me who raised himself up against me,
then I would have hidden myself from him.
13 But it was you, a man equal to myself,
my companion and my close friend.
14 We had sweet fellowship together;
we walked in the house of God with the throng.
15 Let death come suddenly on them;
let them go down alive to Sheol,
for wickedness is where they live, right among them.
16 As for me, I will call on God,
and Yahweh will save me.
17 In the evening, morning and at noonday I complain and moan;
he will hear my voice.
18 He will safely rescue my life from the battle that was against me,
for those who fought against me were many.
19 God, the one who rules from eternity,
will hear them and humiliate them. Selah
They never change,
and they do not fear God.
20 My friend has raised his hands against those who were at peace with him;
he has not respected the covenant that he had.
21 His mouth was smooth as butter,
but his heart was hostile;
his words were softer than oil,
yet they were actually drawn swords.
22 Place your burdens on Yahweh, and he will sustain you;
he will never allow a righteous person to totter.
23 But you, God, will bring the wicked down into the pit of destruction;
bloodthirsty and deceitful men will not live even half as long as others,
but I will trust in you.
Psalm 56
For the chief musician; set to Jonath elem rehokim. A psalm of David. A michtam; when the Philistines took him in Gath.1 Be merciful to me, God, for men are attacking me!
All the day long those who fight me press their assault.
2 My enemies trample me all day long;
for there are many who arrogantly fight against me.
3 When I am afraid,
I will put my trust in you.
4 In God, whose word I praise—
in God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid;
what can mere man do to me?
5 All the day long they twist my words;
all their thoughts are against me for evil.
6 They gather themselves together, they hide themselves,
and they mark my steps,
just as they have waited for my life.
7 Do not let them escape doing iniquity.
Bring down the peoples in your anger, God.
8 You number my wanderings
and put my tears into your bottle;
are they not in your book?
9 Then my enemies will turn back on the day that I call to you;
this I know, that God is for me.
10 In God—whose word I praise,
in Yahweh—whose word I praise, 11 in God I trust,
I will not be afraid.
What can anyone do to me?
12 The duty to fulfill my vows to you is on me, God;
I will give thank offerings to you.
13 For you have rescued my life from death;
you have kept my feet from falling,
so that I may walk before God
in the light of the living.
Psalm 57
For the chief musician; set to Al Tashheth. A psalm of David. A michtam; when he fled from Saul, in the cave.1 Be merciful to me, God, be merciful to me,
for I take refuge in you until these troubles are over.
I stay under your wings for protection until this destruction is over.
2 I will cry to God Most High,
to God, who does all things for me.
3 He will send help from heaven and save me,
he is angry with those who crush me. Selah
God will send me his loving kindness and his faithfulness.
4 My life is among lions;
I am among those who are ready to devour me.
I am among people whose teeth are spears and arrows,
and whose tongues are sharp swords.
5 Be exalted, God, above the heavens;
let your glory be above all the earth.
6 They spread out a net for my feet;
I was distressed.
They dug a pit in front of me.
They themselves have fallen into the middle of it! Selah
7 My heart is fixed, God, my heart is fixed;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises.
8 Wake up, my honored heart; wake up, lute and harp;
I will wake up the dawn.
9 I will give thanks to you, Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing praises to you among the nations.
10 For great is your unfailing love, reaching to the heavens;
and your faithfulness to the clouds.
11 Be exalted, God, above the heavens;
may your glory be exalted over all the earth.
Psalm 58
For the chief musician; set to Al Tashheth. A psalm of David. A michtam.1 Do you indeed rulers speak righteousness you silent ones?
Do you judge uprightly, you people?
2 No, you commit wickedness in your heart;
you distribute violence throughout the land with your hands.
3 The wicked go astray even when they are in the womb;
they go astray from birth, speaking lies.
4 Their poison is like a snake’s poison;
they are like a deaf adder that stops up its ears,
5 that pays no attention to the voice of charmers,
no matter how skillful they are.
6 Break their teeth in their mouths, God;
break out the great teeth of the young lions, Yahweh.
7 Let them melt away as water that runs off;
when they shoot their arrows, let them be as though they had no points.
8 Let them be like a snail that melts and passes away,
like the untimely-born child of a woman that never sees the sunlight.
9 Before your pots can feel the thorn’s burning heat,
he will take them away with a whirlwind, the green thorns and the burning thorns alike.
10 The righteous will rejoice when he sees God’s vengeance;
he will wash his feet in the blood of the wicked,
11 so that men will say, “Truly, there is a reward for the righteous person;
truly there is a God who judges the earth.”
Psalm 59
For the chief musician; set to Al Tashheth. A psalm of David. A michtam; when Saul sent, and they watched the house to kill him.1 Rescue me from my enemies, my God;
set me on high away from those who rise up against me.
2 Keep me safe from the workers of iniquity,
and save me from the bloodthirsty men.
3 For, see, they wait in ambush to take my life.
The powerful men gather themselves together against me,
but not because of my transgression or my sin, Yahweh.
4 They prepare to run at me although I am without fault;
awake and help me and see.
5 You, Yahweh God of hosts, the God of Israel,
arise and punish all the nations;
do not be merciful to any wicked transgressors. Selah
6 They return at evening, they howl like dogs
and go around the city.
7 See, they belch out with their mouths;
swords are in their lips,
for they say, “Who hears us?”
8 But you, Yahweh, laugh at them;
you hold all the nations in derision.
9 God, my strength, I will pay attention to you;
you are my high tower.
10 My God will meet me with his covenant faithfulness;
God will let me see my desire on my enemies.
11 Do not kill them, or my people will forget.
Scatter them by your power and make them fall, Lord our shield.
12 For the sins of their mouths and the words of their lips,
let them be captured in their pride,
and for the curses and lies that they express.
13 Consume them in wrath, consume them so that they will be no more;
let them know that God rules in Jacob
and to the ends of the earth. Selah
14 At evening they return,
howling like dogs going around the city.
15 They wander about looking for food
and they growl like a dog if they are not satisfied.
16 But I will sing about your strength,
and in the morning I will sing about your steadfast love!
For you have been my high tower
and a refuge in the day of my distress.
17 To you, my strength, I will sing praises;
for God is my high tower, the God of covenant faithfulness.
Psalm 60
For the chief musician; set to Shushan Eduth. A michtam of David, for teaching. When he fought with Aram Naharaim and with Aram Zobah, and Joab returned and killed twelve thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.1 God, you have cast us off; you have broken through our defenses;
you have been angry; restore us again.
2 You have made the land tremble; you have torn it apart;
heal its fissures, for it is shaking.
3 You have made your people see difficult things;
you have made us drink the wine of staggering.
4 For those who honor you,
you have set up a banner
to be displayed against those who carry the bow. Selah
5 So that those you love may be rescued,
rescue us with your right hand and answer me.
6 God has spoken in his holiness, “I will rejoice;
I will divide Shechem and apportion out the Valley of Succoth.
7 Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine;
Ephraim also is my helmet;
Judah is my scepter.
8 Moab is my washbasin;
over Edom I will throw my shoe;
I will shout in triumph because of Philistia.”
9 Who will bring me into the strong city?
Who will lead me to Edom?
10 But you, God, have you not rejected us?
You do not go into battle with our army.
11 Give us help against the enemy,
for man’s help is futile.
12 We will triumph with God’s help;
he will trample down our enemies.
Psalm 61
For the chief musician; on a stringed instrument. A psalm of David.1 Hear my cry, God;
attend to my prayer.
2 From the ends of the earth will I call to you when my heart is faint;
lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
3 For you have been a refuge for me,
a strong tower from the enemy.
4 Let me live in your tabernacle forever!
Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings. Selah
5 For you, God, have heard my vows,
you have given me the inheritance of those who honor your name.
6 You will prolong the king’s life;
his years will be like many generations.
7 Oh prepare mercy and truth which may preserve him. He will remain before God forever.
8 I will sing praise to your name forever
so that I may perform my vows every day.
Psalm 62
For the chief musician; after the manner of Jeduthun. A psalm of David.1 I wait in silence for God alone;
my salvation comes from him.
2 He alone is my rock and my salvation;
he is my high tower; I will not be greatly moved.
3 How long, all of you, will you attack a man,
that you may tip him over
like a leaning wall or a shaky fence?
4 They consult with him only to bring him down from his honorable position;
they love to tell lies;
they bless him with their mouths, but in their hearts they curse him. Selah
5 I wait in silence for God alone;
for my hope is set on him.
6 He alone is my rock and my salvation;
he is my high tower; I will not be moved.
7 With God is my salvation and my glory;
the rock of my strength and my refuge are in God.
8 Trust in him at all times, you people;
pour out your heart before him;
God is a refuge for us. Selah
9 Surely men of low standing are vanity, and men of high standing are a lie;
they will weigh lightly in the scales;
weighed together, they are lighter than nothing.
10 Do not trust in oppression or robbery;
and do not hope uselessly in riches,
for they will bear no fruit; do not fix your heart on them.
11 God has spoken once,
twice have I heard this:
power belongs to God.
12 Also to you, Lord, belongs covenant faithfulness,
for you pay back every person for what he has done.
Psalm 63
A psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.1 God, you are my God! I earnestly search for you,
my soul thirsts for you, and my flesh longs for you,
in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
2 So I have looked on you in the sanctuary,
to see your power and your glory.
3 Because your covenant faithfulness is better than life,
my lips will praise you.
4 So I will bless you with my life;
I will lift up my hands in your name.
5 It will be like when my throat is satisfied with fatty meats and rich foods;
with joyful lips my mouth will praise you,
6 when I remember you on my bed
and meditate on you in the night hours.
7 For you have been my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I rejoice.
8 My soul clings to you;
your right hand supports me.
9 But those who seek to destroy my life
will go down into the lowest parts of the earth; 10 they will be given over to the power of the sword,
and they will become food for the jackals.
11 But the king will rejoice in God;
everyone who swears by him will exult,
but the mouth of those who speak lies will be shut.
Psalm 64
For the chief musician. A psalm of David.1 Hear my voice, God, listen to my complaint;
preserve my life from fear of my enemies.
2 Hide me from the secret plotting of evildoers,
from the commotion of the doers of iniquity.
3 They have sharpened their tongues like swords;
they have aimed their arrows, bitter words,
4 so that they may shoot from secret places at someone who is innocent;
suddenly they shoot at him and fear nothing.
5 They encourage themselves in an evil plan;
they consult privately together in order to set traps;
they say, “Who will see us?”
6 They invent sinful plans;
“We have finished,” they say, “a careful plan.”
The inner thoughts and hearts of man are deep.
7 But God will shoot them;
suddenly they will be wounded with his arrows.
8 They will be made to stumble, since their own tongues are against them;
all who see them will wag their heads.
9 All people will fear
and will declare God’s deeds.
They will wisely think about what he has done.
10 The righteous will be glad about Yahweh and will take refuge in him;
all the upright in heart will take pride in him.
Psalm 65
For the chief musician. A psalm. A song of David.1 For you, God in Zion, our praise waits;
our vows will be carried out to you.
2 You who hear prayer,
to you all flesh will come.
3 Iniquities prevail against us;
as for our transgressions, you will forgive them.
4 Blessed is the man whom you choose to bring near to you
so that he may live in your courts.
We will be satisfied with the goodness of your house,
your holy temple.
5 In righteousness you will answer us by doing amazing things,
God of our salvation;
you who are hope of all the ends of the earth
and of those who are far across the sea.
6 For it is you who made the mountains firm,
you who are belted with strength.
7 It is you who quiet the roaring of the seas,
the roaring of their waves,
and the commotion of the peoples.
8 Those who live in the uttermost parts of the earth are afraid of the evidence of your deeds;
you make the east and the west rejoice.
9 You come to help the earth; you water it;
you greatly enrich it;
the river of God is full of water;
you provide mankind grain when you have prepared the earth.
10 You water its furrows abundantly;
you settle down the furrows’ ridges;
you make them soft with rain showers;
you bless the sprouts between them.
11 You crown the year with your goodness,
and your wagon tracks overflow with abundance.
12 The pastures in the wilderness drip with dew,
and the hills are clothed with joy.
13 The pastures are clothed with flocks;
the valleys also are covered over with grain;
they shout for joy, and they sing.
Psalm 66
For the chief musician. A song, a psalm.1 To the chief musician. A song. A psalm. Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth;
2 Sing out the glory of his name;
make his praise glorious.
3 Say to God, “How terrifying are your deeds!
By the greatness of your power your enemies will submit to you.
4 All the earth will worship you
and will sing to you;
they will sing to your name.” Selah
5 Come and see the works of God;
he is fearsome in his deeds toward the sons of mankind.
6 He turned the sea into dry land;
they went through the river on foot;
there we rejoiced in him.
7 He rules forever by his might;
his eyes observe the nations;
let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah
8 Give blessing to God, you people,
let the sound of his praise be heard.
9 He keeps us among the living,
and he does not permit our feet to slip.
10 For you, God, have tested us;
you have tested us as silver is tested.
11 You brought us into a net;
you laid a heavy burden on our backs.
12 You made people ride over our heads;
we went through fire and water,
but you brought us out into a spacious place.
13 I will come into your house with burnt offerings;
I will pay you my vows
14 which my lips promised
and my mouth spoke when I was in distress.
15 I will offer to you burnt offerings of fat animals
with the sweet aroma of rams;
I will offer bulls and goats. Selah
16 Come and listen, all you who fear God,
and I will declare what he has done for my soul.
17 I cried to him with my mouth,
and he was praised with my tongue.
18 If I had seen sin within my heart,
the Lord would not have listened to me.
19 But God has truly heard;
he has paid attention to the voice of my prayer.
20 Blessed be God,
who has not turned away my prayer
or his covenant faithfulness from me.
Psalm 67
For the chief musician; on stringed instruments. A psalm, a song.1 May God be gracious to us and bless us
and cause his face to shine on us Selah
2 so that your ways may be known on earth,
your salvation among all nations.
3 Let the peoples praise you, God;
let all the peoples praise you.
4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you will judge the peoples with uprightness
and govern the nations on earth. Selah
5 Let the peoples praise you, God;
let all the peoples praise you.
6 The earth has yielded its harvest;
God, our God, will bless us.
7 May God bless us,
and may all the ends of the earth fear him.
Psalm 68
For the chief musician; A psalm of David, a song.1 Let God arise; let his enemies be scattered;
let those also who hate him flee before him.
2 As smoke is driven away, so drive them away;
as wax melts before the fire,
so let the wicked perish in the presence of God.
3 But let the righteous be glad; let them exult before God;
may they rejoice and be happy.
4 Sing to God! Sing praises to his name!
Praise the one who rides through the plains of the Jordan River valley!
Yahweh is his name! Rejoice before him!
5 A father of the fatherless, a judge of the widows,
is God in the holy place where he lives.
6 God puts the lonely into families;
he brings out the prisoners to live in prosperity;
but the rebellious live in a parched land.
7 God, when you went out before your people,
when you marched through the wilderness, Selah
8 The earth trembled;
the heavens also dropped rain in God’s presence,
in the presence of God when he came to Sinai, in the presence of God, the God of Israel.
9 You, God, sent a plentiful rain;
you strengthened your inheritance when it was weary.
10 Your people lived in it;
You, God, gave from your goodness to the poor.
11 The Lord gave the orders,
and those who announced them were a great army.
12 Kings of armies flee, they flee,
and the women waiting at home divide the plunder:
13
Though you lie down among the sheepfolds, You will be like the wings of a dove covered with silver, And her feathers with yellow gold
14 The Almighty scattered kings there,
it was as when it snowed on Mount Zalmon.
15 A mighty mountain is the hill country of Bashan;
a high mountain is the hill country of Bashan.
16 Why do you look in envy, you high hill country,
at the mountain which God desires for the place he will live?
Indeed, Yahweh will live in it forever.
17 The chariots of God are twenty thousand, thousands upon thousands;
the Lord is among them in the holy place, as at Sinai.
18 You have ascended on high; you have led away captives;
you have received gifts from among men,
even from those who fought against you,
so that you, Yahweh God, might live there.
19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burdens,
the God who is our salvation. Selah
20 Our God is a God who saves;
Yahweh the Lord is the one who is able to rescue us from death.
21 But God will strike through the heads of his enemies,
through the hairy scalps of those who walk in offenses against him.
22 The Lord said, “I will bring my enemies back from Bashan;
I will bring them back from the depths of the sea
23 so that you may crush your enemies, dipping your foot in blood,
and so that the tongues of your dogs may have their share from your enemies.”
24 They have seen your processions, God,
the processions of my God, my King, into the holy place.
25 The singers went first, the minstrels followed after,
and in the middle were the unmarried girls playing tambourines.
26 Bless God in the assemblies;
praise Yahweh, you who are from the fountain [1] of Israel.
27 There is first Benjamin, the smallest tribe,
then the leaders of Judah and their multitudes,
the leaders of Zebulun and the leaders of Naphtali.
28 Your God, Israel, has decreed your strength;
reveal to us your power, God, as you have revealed it in times past.
29 Reveal your power to us from your temple at Jerusalem,
where kings bring gifts to you.
30 Shout in battle against the wild beasts in the reeds,
against the peoples, that multitude of bulls and calves.
Humiliate them and make them bring you gifts;
scatter the peoples who love to wage war.
31 Princes will come out of Egypt;
Cush will hurry to reach out with her hands to God.
32 Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth; Selah
Sing praises to Yahweh.
33 To him who rides on the heaven of heavens, which exist from ancient times;
see, he lifts up his voice with power.
34 Ascribe strength to God;
his majesty is over Israel,
and his strength is in the skies.
35 God, you are fearsome in your holy place;
the God of Israel—he gives strength and power to his people.
Blessed be God.
Psalm 69
For the chief musician; set to Shoshannim. A psalm of David.1 Save me, God;
for the waters have put my life in danger.
2 I sink in deep mire, where there is no place to stand;
I have come into deep waters, where the floods flow over me.
3 I am weary with my crying; my throat is dry;
my eyes fail while I wait for my God.
4 Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs on my head;
those who would cut me off, being my enemies for wrong reasons, are mighty;
what I did not steal, I have to give back.
5 God, you know my foolishness,
and my sins are not hidden from you.
6 Let not those who hope in you be put to shame because of me, Lord Yahweh of hosts;
let not those who seek you be brought to dishonor because of me, God of Israel.
7 For your sake I have borne rebuke;
shame has covered my face.
8 I have become a stranger to my brothers,
an alien to my mother’s children.
9 For the zeal of your house has eaten me up,
and the rebukes of those who rebuke you have fallen on me.
10 When I wept and did not eat food,
they insulted me.
11 When I made sackcloth my clothing,
I became the object of a proverb to them.
12 Those who sit in the city gate talk about me;
I am a song of drunkards.
13 But as for me, my prayer is to you, Yahweh, in the acceptable time;
in the multitude of your mercy, hear me in the truth of your salvation.
14 Pull me out of the mire, and do not let me sink;
let me be taken away from those who hate me and rescued out of the deep waters.
15 Do not let the floods of water overwhelm me,
neither let the deep swallow me up.
Do not let the pit shut its mouth on me.
16 Answer me, Yahweh, for your covenant faithfulness is good;
because your mercies for me are many, turn to me.
17 Do not hide your face from your servant,
for I am in distress; answer me quickly.
18 Come to me and redeem me.
Because of my enemies, ransom me.
19 You know my rebuke, my shame, and my dishonor;
my adversaries are all before you.
20 Rebuke has broken my heart; I am full of heaviness;
I looked for someone to take pity, but there was none;
I looked for comforters, but I found none.
21 They gave me poison for my food;
in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
22 Let their table before them become a snare;
when they think they are in safety, let it become a trap.
23 Let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see;
and always make their loins shake.
24 Pour out your indignation on them,
and let the fierceness of your anger overtake them.
25 Let their place be a desolation;
let no one live in their tents.
26 For they persecuted the one you struck down.
They repeated the account of the pain of those you have wounded.
27 Accuse them of having committed iniquity after iniquity;
do not let them come into your righteous victory.
28 Let them be blotted out of the Book of Life
and not be written down along with the righteous.
29 But I am poor and sorrowful;
let your salvation, God, set me up on high.
30 I will praise the name of God with a song
and will exalt him with thanksgiving.
31 That will please Yahweh better than an ox
or a bull that has horns and hooves.
32 The meek have seen it and are glad;
you who seek after God, let your hearts live.
33 For Yahweh hears the needy
and does not despise his prisoners.
34 Let heaven and earth praise him,
the seas and everything that moves in them.
35 For God will save Zion and will rebuild the cities of Judah;
the people will live there and have it as a possession.
36 His servants’ descendants will inherit it;
and those who love his name will live there.
Psalm 70
For the chief musician. A psalm of David; to bring to remembrance.1 Save me, God!
Yahweh, come quickly and help me.
2 Let those who try to take my life
be ashamed and humiliated;
let them be turned back and brought to dishonor,
those who take pleasure in my pain.
3 Let them be turned back because of their shame,
those who say, “Aha, aha.”
4 Let all those who seek you rejoice and be glad in you;
let those who love your salvation always say,
“May God be praised.”
5 But I am poor and needy;
hurry to me, God;
you are my help and you rescue me.
Yahweh, do not delay.
Psalm 71
1 In you, Yahweh, I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
2 Rescue me and make me safe in your righteousness;
turn your ear to me and save me.
3 Be to me a rock for refuge where I may always go;
you have given a command to save me,
for you are my rock and my fortress.
4 Rescue me, my God, out of the hand of the wicked,
out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel.
5 For you are my hope, Lord Yahweh.
I have trusted in you ever since I was a child.
6 By you I have been supported from the womb;
you are he who took me out of my mother’s belly;
my praise will be always about you.
7 I am an example to many people;
you are my strong refuge.
8 My mouth will be filled with your praise,
all the day with your honor.
9 Do not throw me away in my time of old age;
do not abandon me when my strength fails.
10 For my enemies are talking about me;
those who watch for my life are plotting together.
11 They say, “God has forsaken him;
pursue and take him, for there is no one to save him.”
12 God, do not be far from me;
my God, hurry to help me.
13 Let them be put to shame and destroyed, those who are hostile to my life;
let them be covered with rebuke and dishonor, those who seek my hurt.
14 But I will always hope in you
and will praise you more and more.
15 My mouth will tell about your righteousness
and your salvation all the day,
although I cannot understand it.
16 I will come with the mighty acts of the Lord Yahweh;
I will make mention of your righteousness, yours alone.
17 God, you have taught me from my youth;
even now I declare your wonderful deeds.
18 Indeed, even when I am old and gray-headed, God, do not forsake me,
as I have been declaring your strength to the next generation,
your power to everyone who is to come.
19 Your righteousness also, God, is very high;
you who have done great things, God, who is like you?
20 You who made me see many troubles
will revive us again
and will bring us up again from the depths of the earth.
21 May you increase my honor;
turn again and comfort me.
22 I will also give thanks to you with the harp
for your trustworthiness, my God;
to you I will sing praises with the harp,
Holy One of Israel.
23 My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to you—
even my soul, which you have redeemed.
24 My tongue will also talk about your righteousness all day long;
for they have been put to shame and are confused, those who sought my hurt.
Psalm 72
A psalm of Solomon.1 A Psalm of Solomon Give the king your righteous decrees, God,
your righteousness to the king’s son.
2 May he judge your people with righteousness
and your poor with justice.
3 May the mountains produce peace for the people;
may the hills produce righteousness.
4 May he judge the poor of the people;
may he save the children of the needy
and break in pieces the oppressor.
5 May they honor you while the sun endures,
and as long as the moon lasts throughout all generations.
6 May he come down like rain on the mown grass,
like showers that water the earth.
7 May the righteous flourish in his days,
and may there be an abundance of peace till the moon is no more.
8 May he have dominion from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
9 May those who live in the wilderness bow down before him;
may his enemies lick the dust.
10 May the kings of Tarshish and of the islands render tribute;
may the kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts.
11 Indeed, may all kings fall down before him;
may all nations serve him.
12 For he helps the needy person who cries out
and the poor person who has no other helper.
13 He has pity on the poor and needy,
and he saves the lives of needy people.
14 He redeems their lives from oppression and violence,
and their blood is precious in his sight.
15 May he live! May the gold of Sheba be given to him.
May people always pray for him;
may God bless him all day long.
16 May there be abundance of grain in the land;
on the mountaintops may their crops wave.
May the fruit of it be like Lebanon;
may the people flourish in the cities like the grass of the field.
17 May his name endure forever;
may his name continue as long as the sun;
may people be blessed in him;
may all nations call him blessed.
18 May Yahweh God, the God of Israel, be blessed,
who alone does wonderful things.
19 May his glorious name be blessed forever,
and may the whole earth be filled with his glory.
Amen and Amen.
20 The prayers of David son of Jesse are finished.
Book Three
Psalm 73
A psalm of Asaph.1 A Psalm of Asaph Surely God is good to Israel,
to those with a pure heart.
2 But as for me, my feet almost slipped;
my feet almost slipped out from under me
3 because I was envious of the arrogant
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4 For they have no pain until their death,
but they are strong and well fed.
5 They are free from the burdens of other men;
they are not afflicted like other men.
6 Pride adorns them like a necklace around their neck;
violence clothes them like a robe.
7 Out of such blindness comes sin;
evil thoughts pass through their hearts.
8 They mock and speak wickedly;
in their arrogance they threaten oppression.
9 They set their mouth against the heavens,
and their tongues march through the earth.
10 Therefore his people turn to them
and abundant waters are drained out.
11 They say, “How does God know?
Is there knowledge with the Most High?”
12 Take notice: these people are wicked;
they are always carefree, becoming richer and richer.
13 Surely it is in vain that I have guarded my heart
and washed my hands in innocence.
14 For all the day long I have been afflicted
and disciplined every morning.
15 If I had said, “I will say these things,”
then I would have betrayed this generation of your children.
16 Though I tried to understand these things,
it was too difficult for me.
17 Then I went into God’s sanctuary
and came to understand their fate.
18 Surely you put them in slippery places;
you bring them down to ruin.
19 How they become a wilderness in a moment!
They come to an end and are finished in awful terrors.
20 They are like a dream after one wakes up;
Lord, when you arise, you will think nothing of those dreams.
21 For my heart was grieved,
and I was deeply wounded.
22 I was ignorant and lacked insight;
I was like a senseless animal before you.
23 Yet I am always with you;
you hold my right hand.
24 You will guide me with your advice
and afterward receive me to glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
There is no one on earth that I desire but you.
26 My flesh and my heart grow weak,
but God is the strength of my heart forever.
27 Those indeed who are far from you will perish;
you will destroy all those who are unfaithful to you.
28 But as for me, all I need to do is to approach God.
I have made the Lord Yahweh my refuge.
I will declare all your deeds.
Psalm 74
A maschil of Asaph.1 A writing of Asaph God, why have you rejected us forever?
Why does your anger burn against the sheep of your pasture?
2 Call to mind your people, whom you purchased in ancient times,
the tribe whom you have redeemed to be your own heritage,
and Mount Zion, where you live.
3 Come look at the complete ruins,
all the damage that the enemy has done in the holy place.
4 Your adversaries roared in the middle of your appointed place;
they set up their battle flags.
5 They seem like men who lift up Axes among the thick trees.
6 They smashed and broke down all the engravings;
they broke them with axes and hammers.
7 They set your sanctuary on fire;
they desecrated where you live, knocking it to the ground.
8 They said in their hearts, “We will destroy them all.”
They burned up all of your meeting places in the land.
9 We do not see any more signs;
there is no prophet any more,
and no one among us knows how long this will last.
10 How long, God, will the enemy throw insults at you?
Will the enemy blaspheme your name forever?
11 Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand?
Take your right hand from your garment and destroy them.
12 Yet God has been my king from ancient times,
bringing salvation on the earth.
13 You divided the sea by your strength;
you smashed the heads of the sea monsters in the waters.
14 You crushed the heads of leviathan;
you fed him to those living in the wilderness.
15 You broke open springs and streams;
you dried up flowing rivers.
16 The day is yours, and the night is yours also;
you set the sun and moon in place.
17 You have set all the borders of the earth;
you have made summer and winter.
18 Call to mind how the enemy hurled insults at you, Yahweh,
and that a foolish people has blasphemed your name.
19 Do not give the life of your dove to a wild animal.
Do not forget forever the life of your oppressed people.
20 Remember your covenant,
for the dark regions of the land are full of places of violence.
21 Do not let the oppressed be turned back in shame;
let the poor and oppressed praise your name.
22 Arise, God; defend your own honor;
call to mind how fools insult you all day long.
23 Do not forget the voice of your adversaries
or the uproar of those who continually defy you.
Psalm 75
For the chief musician; set to Al Tashheth. A psalm of Asaph, a song.1 We give thanks to you, God;
we give thanks, for you reveal your presence;
people tell of your wondrous works.
2 At the appointed time I will judge fairly.
3 Though the earth and all the inhabitants shake in fear,
I make steady the earth’s pillars. Selah
4 I said to the arrogant, “Do not be arrogant,”
and to the wicked, “Do not lift up the horn.
5 Do not lift up your horn to the heights;
do not speak with an insolent neck.”
6 It is not from the east or from the west,
and it is not from the wilderness that lifting up comes.
7 But God is the judge;
he brings down one and he lifts up another.
8 For Yahweh holds in his hand a cup full of foaming wine,
which is mixed with spices, and pours it out.
Surely all the wicked of the earth will drink it to the last drop.
9 But I will continually tell what you have done;
I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
10 He says, “I will cut off all the horns of the wicked,
but the horns of the righteous will be raised up.”
Psalm 76
For the chief musician, on stringed instruments. A psalm of Asaph, a song.1 God has made himself known in Judah;
his name is great in Israel.
2 His tent is in Salem;
his dwelling place is in Zion.
3 There he broke the arrows of the bow,
the shield, the sword, and the other weapons of war. Selah
4 You shine brightly and reveal your glory,
as you descend from the mountains, where you killed your victims.
5 The bravehearted were plundered;
they fell asleep.
All the warriors were helpless.
6 At your rebuke, God of Jacob,
both rider and horse fell asleep.
7 You, yes you, are to be feared;
who can stand in your sight when you are angry?
8 From heaven you made your judgment heard;
the earth was afraid and silent
9 when you, God, arose to execute judgment
and to save all the oppressed of the earth. Selah
10 Surely your angry judgment against humanity will bring you praise;
you gird yourself with what is left of your anger.
11 Make vows to Yahweh your God and keep them.
May all who surround him bring gifts to him who is to be feared.
12 He cuts off the spirit of the princes;
he is feared by the kings of the earth.
Psalm 77
For the chief musician; after the manner of Jeduthun. A psalm of Asaph.1 I will call out with my voice to God;
I will call with my voice to God, and my God will hear me.
2 In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord;
at night I stretched my hands out, and they would not become tired.
My soul refused to be comforted.
3 I thought of God as I groaned;
I thought about him as I grew faint. Selah
4 You held my eyes open;
I was too troubled to speak.
5 I thought about the days of old,
about times long past.
6 I call to remembrance my song in the night; I meditate within my heart, And my spirit makes diligent search.
7 Will the Lord reject me forever?
Will he never again show me favor?
8 Was his covenant faithfulness gone forever?
Had his promise failed forever?
9 Had God forgotten to be gracious?
Had his anger shut off his compassion? Selah
10 I said, “This is my sorrow:
the changing of the right hand of the Most High toward us.”
11 But I will call to mind your deeds, Yahweh;
I will think about your wonderful deeds of old.
12 I will ponder all your deeds
and will reflect on them.
13 Your way, God, is holy;
what god compares to our great God?
14 You are the God who does wonders;
you have revealed your strength among the peoples.
15 You gave your people victory by your great power—
the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. Selah
16 The waters saw you, God;
the waters saw you, and they were afraid;
the depths trembled.
17 The clouds poured down water;
the cloudy skies also gave voice;
your arrows flew about.
18 Your thunderous voice was heard in the wind;
the lightning lit up the world;
the earth trembled and shook.
19 Your path went through the sea
and your way through the surging waters,
but your footprints were not seen.
20 You led your people like a flock
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
Psalm 78
A maschil of Asaph.1 A writing of Asaph Hear my teaching, my people,
listen to the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth in parables;
I will sing about hidden things about the past.
3 These are things that we have heard and learned,
things that our ancestors have told us.
4 We will not keep them from their descendants.
We will tell the next generation about the praiseworthy deeds of Yahweh,
his strength, and the wonders that he has done.
5 For he established covenant decrees in Jacob
and appointed a law in Israel.
He commanded our ancestors
that they were to teach them to their children.
6 He commanded this so that the generation to come might know his decrees, the children not yet born,
who should tell them in turn to their own children.
7 Then they would place their hope in God
and not forget his deeds
but keep his commandments.
8 Then they would not be like their ancestors,
who were a stubborn and rebellious generation,
a generation whose hearts were not right,
and whose spirits were not committed and faithful to God.
9 The Ephraimites were armed with bows,
but they turned back on the day of battle.
10 They did not keep the covenant with God,
and they refused to obey his law.
11 They forgot his deeds,
the wonderful things that he had shown them.
12 They forgot the marvelous things he did in the sight of their ancestors
in the land of Egypt, in the land of Zoan.
13 He divided the sea and led them across it;
he made the waters to stand like walls.
14 In the daytime he led them with a cloud
and all the night with the light of fire.
15 He split the rocks in the wilderness,
and he gave them water abundantly, enough to fill the depths of the sea.
16 He made streams flow out of the rock
and made the water flow like rivers.
17 Yet they continued to sin against him,
rebelling against the Most High in the wilderness.
18 They challenged God in their hearts
by asking for food to satisfy their appetites.
19 They spoke against God;
they said, “Can God really lay out a table for us in the wilderness?
20 See, when he struck the rock, waters gushed out
and streams overflowed.
But can he give bread also?
Will he provide meat for his people?”
21 When Yahweh heard this, he was angry;
so his fire burned against Jacob,
and his anger attacked Israel,
22 because they did not believe in God
and did not trust in his salvation.
23 Yet he commanded the skies above
and opened the doors of the sky.
24 He rained down manna for them to eat,
and gave them the grain from heaven.
25 People ate the bread of angels.
He sent them food in abundance.
26 He caused the east wind to blow in the sky,
and by his power he guided the south wind.
27 He rained down meat on them like dust,
birds as numerous as the sands of the sea.
28 They fell in the middle of their camp,
all around their tents.
29 So they ate and were full.
He gave them what they craved.
30 But they had not yet filled up;
their food was still in their mouths.
31 Then God’s anger attacked them
and killed the strongest of them.
He brought down the young men of Israel.
32 Despite this, they continued to sin
and did not believe his wonderful deeds.
33 Therefore God cut short their days;
their years were filled with terror.
34 Whenever God afflicted them, they would start to seek him,
and they would return and look earnestly for him.
35 They would call to mind that God was their rock
and that the Most High God was their rescuer.
36 But they would flatter him with their mouth
and lie to him with their words.
37 For their hearts were not firmly fixed on him,
and they were not faithful to his covenant.
38 Yet he, being merciful, forgave their iniquity and did not destroy them.
Yes, many times he held back his anger
and did not stir up all his wrath.
39 He called to mind that they were made of flesh,
a wind that passes away and does not return.
40 How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness
and grieved him in the barren regions!
41 Again and again they challenged God
and offended the Holy One of Israel.
42 They did not think about his power,
how he had rescued them from the enemy
43 when he performed his terrifying signs in Egypt
and his wonders in the region of Zoan.
44 He turned the Egyptians’ rivers to blood
so that they could not drink from their streams.
45 He sent swarms of flies that devoured them
and frogs that overran their land.
46 He gave their crops to the grasshopper
and their labor to the locust.
47 He destroyed their vines with hail
and their sycamore trees with more hail.
48 He rained hail on their cattle
and hurled lightning bolts at their livestock.
49 The fierceness of his anger lashed out against them.
He sent wrath, fury, and trouble
like agents who bring disaster.
50 He leveled a path for his anger;
he did not spare them from death
but gave them over to the plague.
51 He killed all the firstborn in Egypt,
the firstborn of their strength in the tents of Ham.
52 He led his own people out like sheep
and guided them through the wilderness like a flock.
53 He led them secure and unafraid,
but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
54 Then he brought them to the border of his holy land,
to this mountain that his right hand acquired.
55 He drove out the nations from before them
and assigned them their inheritance.
He settled the tribes of Israel in their tents.
56 Yet they challenged and defied the Most High God
and did not keep his solemn commands.
57 They were unfaithful and acted treacherously like their fathers;
they were as undependable as a faulty bow.
58 For they made him angry with their high places
and provoked him to jealous anger with their idols.
59 When God heard this, he was angry
and completely rejected Israel.
60 He abandoned the sanctuary of Shiloh,
the tent where he had lived among people.
61 He allowed his strength to be captured
and gave his glory into the enemy’s hand.
62 He handed his people over to the sword,
and he was angry with his heritage.
63 Fire devoured their young men,
and their young women had no wedding songs.
64 Their priests fell by the sword,
and their widows could not weep.
65 Then the Lord awakened as one from sleep,
like a warrior who shouts because of wine.
66 He drove his adversaries back;
he put them to everlasting shame.
67 He rejected the tent of Joseph,
and he did not chose the tribe of Ephraim.
68 He chose the tribe of Judah
and Mount Zion that he loved.
69 He built his sanctuary like the heavens,
like the earth that he has established forever.
70 He chose David, his servant,
and took him from the sheepfolds.
71 He took him from following the ewes with their young, and he brought him
to be shepherd of Jacob, his people, and of Israel, his heritage.
72 David shepherded them with the integrity of his heart,
and he guided them with the skill of his hands.
Psalm 79
A psalm of Asaph.1 A Psalm of Asaph God, foreign nations have come into your inheritance;
they have defiled your holy temple;
they have turned Jerusalem into a heap of ruins.
2 They have given the dead bodies of your servants as food to the birds of the skies,
the bodies of your faithful ones to the beasts of the earth.
3 They have shed their blood like water around Jerusalem,
and there was none to bury them.
4 We have become a reproach for our neighbors,
mocking and derision to those who are around us.
5 How long, Yahweh? Will you stay angry forever?
How long will your jealous anger burn like fire?
6 Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not know you
and on the kingdoms that do not call upon your name.
7 For they have devoured Jacob
and destroyed his villages.
8 Do not hold the sins of our forefathers against us;
may your merciful actions come to us,
for we are very low.
9 Help us, God of our salvation, for the sake of the glory of your name;
save us and forgive our sins for your name’s sake.
10 Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?”
May the blood of your servants that was shed
be avenged on the nations before our eyes.
11 May the groans of the prisoners come before you;
with the greatness of your power keep the children of death alive.
12 Pay back into the laps of our neighboring countries seven times as much
as the insults with which they have insulted you, Lord.
13 So we your people and sheep of your pasture
will give you thanks forever.
We will tell your praises to all generations.
Psalm 80
For the chief musician, set to the Shoshannim Eduth style. A psalm of Asaph.1 Pay attention, Shepherd of Israel,
you who lead Joseph like a flock;
you who sit above the cherubim, shine on us!
2 In the sight of Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh, stir up your power;
come and save us.
3 God, restore us;
make your face shine on us, and we will be saved.
4 Yahweh God of hosts,
how long will you be angry at your people when they pray?
5 You have fed them with the bread of tears
and given them tears to drink in great quantities.
6 You make us something for our neighbors to argue over,
and our enemies laugh about us among themselves.
7 God of hosts, restore us;
make your face shine on us, and we will be saved.
8 You brought a vine out of Egypt;
you drove out nations and transplanted it.
9 You cleared the land for it;
it took root and filled the land.
10 The mountains were covered with its shade,
the cedars of God by its branches.
11 It sent out its branches as far as the sea
and its shoots to the Euphrates River.
12 Why have you broken down its walls
so that all who pass by along the road pluck its fruit?
13 The boars out of the forest ruin it,
and the beasts of the field feed on it.
14 Turn back, God of hosts;
look down from heaven and take notice and take care of this vine.
15 This is the root that your right hand planted,
the shoot that you made to grow.
16 It has been burned and cut down;
they perish because of your rebuke.
17 May your hand be on the man of your right hand,
on the son of man whom you made strong for yourself.
18 Then we will not turn away from you;
revive us, and we will call on your name.
19 Yahweh God of hosts, restore us;
make your face shine on us, and we will be saved.
Psalm 81
For the chief musician; set to the Gittith style. A psalm of Asaph.1 Sing aloud to God our strength;
shout out for joy to the God of Jacob.
2 Sing a song and play the tambourine,
the pleasant lyre with the harp.
3 Blow the trumpet on the day of the new moon,
on the day of the full moon, when our feast day begins.
4 For it is a statute for Israel,
a decree given by the God of Jacob.
5 He issued it as a regulation in Joseph
when he went against the land of Egypt,
where I heard a voice that I did not recognize:
6 “I removed the burden from his shoulder;
his hands were freed from holding the basket.
7 In your distress you called out, and I helped you;
I answered you from a dark thundercloud.
I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah
8 Listen, my people, for I will warn you,
Israel, if you would only listen to me!
9 There must be no foreign god among you;
you must not worship any foreign god.
10 I am Yahweh your God,
who brought you out of the land of Egypt.
Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.
11 But my people did not listen to my words;
Israel did not obey me.
12 So I gave them over to their own stubborn way
so that they might do what seemed right to them.
13 Oh, that my people would listen to me;
oh, that my people would walk in my paths.
14 Then I would quickly subdue their enemies
and turn my hand against their oppressors.
15 May those who hate Yahweh cringe in fear before him!
May they be humiliated forever.
16 I would feed Israel with the finest wheat;
I would satisfy you with honey out of the rock.”
Psalm 82
A psalm of Asaph.1 A Psalm of Asaph God stands in the divine assembly;
in the midst of the gods he renders judgment.
2 How long will you judge unjustly
and show favoritism to the wicked? Selah
3 Defend the poor and fatherless;
maintain the rights of the afflicted and destitute.
4 Rescue the poor and needy;
take them out of the hand of the wicked.
5 They neither know nor understand;
they wander around in the darkness;
all the foundations of the earth crumble.
6 I said, “You are gods,
and all of you sons of the Most High.
7 Nevertheless you will die like men
and fall like one of the princes.”
8 Arise, God, judge the earth,
for you have an inheritance in all the nations.
Psalm 83
A song. A psalm of Asaph.1 God, do not be silent!
Do not ignore us and remain unmoved, God.
2 Look, your enemies are making a commotion,
and those who hate you have raised their heads.
3 They conspire against your people
and plan together against your protected ones.
4 They have said, “Come, and let us destroy them as a nation.
Then the name of Israel will no longer be remembered.”
5 They schemed together with one strategy;
they made an alliance against you—
6 the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,
of Moab and the Hagrites, 7 Gebal, Ammon, Amalek;
and also Philistia and the inhabitants of Tyre.
8 Assyria also has joined with them;
they have become an arm for the descendants of Lot. Selah
9 Do to them as you did to Midian,
as you did to Sisera and to Jabin at the Kishon River.
10 They perished at Endor
and became like manure for the earth.
11 Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb,
and all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna.
12 They said, “Let us take for ourselves
the pastures of God.”
13 My God, make them like the whirling dust,
like chaff before the wind,
14 like the fire that burns the forest,
and like the flame that sets the mountains on fire.
15 Chase them with your strong wind,
and terrify them with your windstorm.
16 Fill their faces with shame
so that they might seek your name, Yahweh.
17 May they be put to shame and be terrified forever;
may they perish in disgrace.
18 Then they will know that you alone, Yahweh,
are honored as the Most High over all the earth.
Psalm 84
For the chief musician; set to the Gittith style. A psalm of the sons of Korah.1 How lovely is the place where you live,
Yahweh of hosts!
2 I long for the courts of Yahweh, my desire for it has made me exhausted.
My heart and all of my being call out to the living God.
3 Even the sparrow has found her a house
and the swallow a nest for herself where she may lay her young
near your altars, Yahweh of hosts,
my King, and my God.
4 Blessed are they who live in your house;
they praise you continually. Selah
5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in you,
in whose heart are the highways up to Zion.
6 Passing through the Valley of Tears, they find springs of water to drink.
The early rains cover it with blessings. [1]
7 They go from strength to strength;
every one of them appears before God in Zion.
8 Yahweh God of hosts, hear my prayer;
God of Jacob, listen to what I am saying! Selah
9 God, watch over our shield;
show concern for your anointed.
10 For one day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God,
than to live within the tents of the wicked.
11 For Yahweh God is our sun and shield;
Yahweh will give grace and glory;
he does not withhold any good thing from those who walk in integrity.
12 Yahweh of hosts,
blessed is the man who trusts in you.
Psalm 85
For the chief musician. A psalm of the sons of Korah.1 Yahweh, you have showed favor to your land;
you have restored the well-being of Jacob.
2 You have forgiven the sin of your people;
you have covered all their sin. Selah
3 You have withdrawn all your wrath;
you have turned back from your hot anger.
4 Restore us, God of our salvation,
and let go of your displeasure with us.
5 Will you be angry with us forever?
Will you remain angry throughout future generations?
6 Will you not revive us again?
Then your people will rejoice in you.
7 Show us your covenant faithfulness, Yahweh,
grant us your salvation.
8 I will listen to what Yahweh God says,
for he will make peace with his people, his faithful ones.
Yet they must not turn again to foolish ways.
9 Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him;
then glory will remain in our land.
10 Covenant faithfulness and trustworthiness have met together;
righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
11 Trustworthiness springs up from the ground,
and righteousness looks down from the sky.
12 Yes, Yahweh will give his good blessings,
and our land will yield its crops.
13 Righteousness will go before him
and make a way for his footsteps.
Psalm 86
A prayer of David.1 A Prayer of David. Incline your ear and listen, Yahweh, and answer me,
for I am poor and needy.
2 Protect me, for I am faithful;
my God, save your servant who trusts in you.
3 Be merciful to me, Lord,
for I cry out to you all day long.
4 Make your servant glad,
for to you, Lord, I lift up my soul.
5 You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive,
and you show great mercy to all those who cry out to you.
6 Yahweh, listen to my prayer;
hear the sound of my pleas.
7 In the day of my trouble I call on you,
for you will answer me.
8 There is no one who compares to you among the gods, Lord.
There are no deeds like your deeds.
9 All the nations that you have made will come and bow before you, Lord.
They will honor your name.
10 For you are great and do wonderful things;
you only are God.
11 Teach me your ways, Yahweh. Then I will walk in your truth.
Unite my heart to reverence you.
12 Lord my God, I will praise you with my whole heart;
I will glorify your name forever.
13 For great is your covenant faithfulness toward me;
you have rescued my life from the depths of Sheol.
14 God, the arrogant have risen up against me.
A gang of violent men seek my life.
They have no regard for you.
15 But you, Lord, are a merciful and gracious God,
slow to anger, and abundant in covenant faithfulness and trustworthiness.
16 Turn toward me and have mercy on me;
give your strength to your servant;
save the son of your servant woman.
17 Show me a sign of your favor.
Then those who hate me will see it and be put to shame
because you, Yahweh, have helped me and comforted me.
Psalm 87
A psalm of the sons of Korah; a song.1 A Psalm of the sons of Korah A Song On the holy mount stands the city he founded;
2 Yahweh loves the gates of Zion
more than all the tents of Jacob.
3 Glorious things are said of you, city of God. Selah
4 “I mention Rahab and Babylon to my followers.
See, there are Philistia, and Tyre, along with Cush—
and will say, ‘This one was born there.’”
5 Of Zion it will be said, “Each of these was born in her;
and the Most High himself will establish her.”
6 Yahweh writes in the census book of the nations,
“This one was born there.” Selah
7 So also the singers and the dancers say together,
“All my fountains are in you.”
Psalm 88
A song, a psalm of the sons of Korah; for the chief musician; set to the Mahalath Leannoth style. A maschil of Heman the Ezrahite.1 Yahweh, God of my salvation,
I cry out day and night before you.
2 Let my prayer come before you;
pay attention to my cry.
3 For I am filled with troubles,
and my life has reached Sheol.
4 People treat me like those who go down into the pit;
I am a man with no strength.
5 I am abandoned among the dead;
I am like the dead who lie in the grave,
about whom you care no more
because they are cut off from your power.
6 You place me in the lowest part of the pit,
in the dark and deep places.
7 Your wrath lies heavy on me,
and all your waves crash over me. Selah
8 Because of you, my acquaintances avoid me.
You have made me a shocking sight to them.
I am hemmed in and I cannot escape.
9 My eyes grow weary from trouble;
All day long I call out to you, Yahweh;
I spread out my hands to you.
10 Will you do wonders for the dead?
Will those who have died rise and praise you? Selah
11 Will your covenant faithfulness be proclaimed in the grave,
your loyalty in the place of the dead?
12 Will your wonderful deeds be known in the darkness,
or your righteousness in the place of forgetfulness?
13 But I cry to you, Yahweh;
in the morning my prayer comes before you.
14 Yahweh, why do you reject me?
Why do you hide your face from me?
15 I have always been afflicted and on the verge of death since my youth.
I have suffered from your terrors; I am in despair.
16 Your angry actions have passed over me,
and your terrifying deeds have annihilated me.
17 They surround me like water all the day long;
they have all encircled me.
18 You have removed every friend and acquaintance from me.
My only acquaintance is the darkness.
Psalm 89
A maschil of Ethan the Ezrahite.1 I will sing of Yahweh’s acts of covenant faithfulness forever.
I will proclaim your truthfulness to future generations.
2 For I have said, “Covenant faithfulness has been established forever;
your truthfulness you have established in the heavens.”
3 “I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
I have made an oath to David my servant.
4 I will establish your descendants forever,
and I will establish your throne through all generations.” Selah
5 The heavens praise your wonders, Yahweh;
your truthfulness is praised in the assembly of the holy ones.
6 For who in the skies can be compared to Yahweh?
Who among the sons of the gods is like Yahweh?
7 He is a God who is greatly honored in the council of the holy ones
and is awesome among all who surround him.
8 Yahweh God of hosts,
who is strong like you, Yahweh?
Your truthfulness surrounds you.
9 You rule the raging sea;
when the waves surge, you calm them.
10 You crushed Rahab as one who is killed.
You scattered your enemies with your strong arm.
11 The heavens belong to you, and the earth also.
You made the world and all it contains.
12 You created the north and the south.
Tabor and Hermon rejoice in your name.
13 You have a mighty arm
and a strong hand, and your right hand is high.
14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne.
Covenant faithfulness and trustworthiness come before you.
15 Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound!
Yahweh, they walk in the light of your face.
16 They rejoice in your name all day long,
and in your righteousness they exalt you.
17 You are their majestic strength,
and by your favor our strength is made victorious.
18 For our shield belongs to Yahweh;
our king belongs to the Holy One of Israel.
19 Long ago you spoke in a vision to your faithful ones; [1]
you said, “I have set a crown on a mighty one.” [2]
I have raised up one chosen from among the people.
20 I have chosen David my servant;
with my holy oil have I anointed him.
21 My hand will support him.
Also my arm will be with him to strengthen him.
22 No enemy will deceive him;
no son of wickedness will oppress him.
23 I will crush his enemies before him;
I will kill those who hate him.
24 My truth and my covenant faithfulness will be with him;
by my name he will win victories.
25 I will place his hand over the sea
and his right hand over the rivers.
26 He will call out to me, ‘You are my Father,
my God, and the rock of my salvation.’
27 I also will place him as my firstborn son,
the most exalted of the kings of the earth.
28 I will extend my covenant faithfulness to him forever;
and my covenant with him will be secure.
29 I will make his descendants endure forever
and his throne as enduring as the skies above.
30 If his children forsake my law
and do not walk in my regulations,
31 if they break my rules
and do not keep my commands,
32 then will I punish their rebellion with a rod
and their iniquity with blows.
33 But I will not remove my steadfast love from him
or be unfaithful to my promise.
34 I will not break my covenant
or change the words of my lips.
35 Once and for all I have sworn by my holiness—
I will not lie to David:
36 his descendants will continue forever
and his throne as long as the sun before me.
37 It will be established forever like the moon,
the faithful witness in the sky.” Selah
38 But you have refused and rejected;
you have been angry with your anointed king.
39 You have renounced the covenant of your servant.
You have desecrated his crown on the ground.
40 You have broken down all his walls.
You have ruined his strongholds.
41 All who pass by have robbed him.
He has become an object of disgust to his neighbors.
42 You have raised the right hand of his enemies;
you have made all his enemies rejoice.
43 You turn back the edge of his sword
and have not made him stand when in battle.
44 You have brought his splendor to an end;
you have brought down his throne to the ground.
45 You have shortened the days of his youth.
You have covered him with shame. Selah
46 How long, Yahweh? Will you hide yourself, forever?
How long will your anger burn like fire?
47 Oh, think about how short my time is,
and for what uselessness you have created all the children of mankind!
48 Who can live and not see death,
or rescue his own life from the hand of Sheol? Selah
49 Lord, where are your former acts of covenant faithfulness
that you swore to David in your truthfulness?
50 Call to mind, Lord, the mocking directed against your servants
and how I bear in my heart so many insults from the nations.
51 Your enemies hurl insults, Yahweh;
they mock the footsteps of your anointed one.
52 Blessed be Yahweh forever.
Amen and Amen.
Book Four
Psalm 90
A prayer of Moses the man of God.1 A Prayer of Moses a man of God Lord, you have been our refuge
throughout all generations.
2 Before the mountains were formed,
or you formed the earth and the world,
from everlasting to everlasting, you are God.
3 You return man to dust,
and you say, “Return, you descendants of mankind.”
4 For a thousand years in your sight
are as yesterday when it is past,
and as a watch in the night.
5 You sweep them away as with a flood and they sleep;
in the morning they are like the grass that sprouts up.
6 In the morning it blooms and grows up;
in the evening it withers and dries up.
7 Truly, we are consumed in your anger,
and in your wrath we are terrified.
8 You have set our iniquities before you,
our hidden sins in the light of your presence.
9 For our life passes away under your wrath;
our years quickly pass like a sigh.
10 Our years are seventy,
or even eighty if we are healthy;
but even our best years are marked by trouble and sorrow.
Yes, they pass quickly, and we fly away.
11 Who knows the intensity of your anger,
and your wrath that is equal to the fear of you?
12 So teach us to consider our life
so that we might live wisely.
13 Turn back, Yahweh! How long will it be?
Have pity on your servants.
14 Satisfy us in the morning with your covenant faithfulness
so that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
15 Make us glad in proportion to the days you afflicted us
and to the years we have experienced trouble.
16 Let your servants see your work,
and let our children see your majesty.
17 May the favor of the Lord our God be ours;
prosper the work of our hands;
indeed, prosper the work of our hands.
Psalm 91
1 He who lives in the shelter of the Most High
will stay in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of Yahweh, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
3 For he will rescue you from the snare of the hunter
and from the deadly plague.
4 He will cover you with his wings,
and under his wings you will find refuge.
His trustworthiness is a shield and protection.
5 You will not be afraid of terror in the night,
or of the arrow that flies by day,
6 or of the plague that roams around in the darkness,
or of the disease that comes at noontime.
7 A thousand may fall at your side
and ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not reach you.
8 You will only observe
and see the punishment of the wicked.
9 For Yahweh is my refuge!
Make the Most High your refuge also.
10 No evil will overtake you;
no affliction will come near your home.
11 For he will direct his angels to protect you,
to guard you in all your ways.
12 They will lift you up with their hand
so that you will not hit your foot on a stone.
13 You will crush lions and adders under your feet;
you will trample on young lions and serpents.
14 Because he is devoted to me, I will rescue him.
I will protect him because he is loyal to me.
15 When he calls to me, I will answer him.
I will be with him in trouble;
I will give him victory and will honor him.
16 I will satisfy him with the length of his days,
and show him my salvation.
Psalm 92
A psalm, a song for the Sabbath day.1 It is a good thing to give thanks to Yahweh
and to sing praises to your name, Most High,
2 to proclaim your covenant faithfulness in the morning
and your truthfulness every night,
3 with a harp of ten strings
and with the melody of the lyre.
4 For you, Yahweh, have made me glad through your deeds.
I will sing for joy because of the deeds of your hands.
5 How great are your deeds, Yahweh!
Your thoughts are very deep.
6 A brutish person does not know,
nor does a fool understand this:
7 When the wicked sprout like the grass,
and even when all the evildoers thrive,
still they are doomed to eternal destruction.
8 But you, Yahweh, will reign forever.
9 Indeed, look at your enemies, Yahweh!
Indeed, look at your enemies. They will perish!
All those who do evil will be scattered.
10 You have lifted up my horn like the horn of the wild ox;
I am anointed with fresh oil.
11 My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies;
my ears have heard of the doom of my evil foes.
12 The righteous will flourish like the palm tree;
they will grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
13 They are planted in the house of Yahweh;
they flourish in the courts of our God.
14 They bear fruit even when they are old;
they stay fresh and green,
15 to proclaim that Yahweh is just.
He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.
Psalm 93
1 Yahweh reigns; he is robed in majesty;
Yahweh has clothed and girded himself with strength.
The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved.
2 Your throne is established from ancient times;
you are from everlasting.
3 The oceans rise, Yahweh;
they have lifted up their voice;
the oceans’ waves crash and roar.
4 Above the crashing of many waves,
the mighty breakers of the sea,
Yahweh on high is mighty.
5 Your solemn commands are very trustworthy;
holiness adorns your house,
Yahweh, for the length of your days.
Psalm 94
1 Yahweh, God who avenges,
God who avenges, shine over us.
2 Rise up, judge of the earth,
give to the proud what they deserve.
3 How long will the wicked, Yahweh,
how long will the wicked rejoice?
4 They pour out their arrogant words;
all those who do evil boast.
5 They crush your people, Yahweh;
they afflict the nation that belongs to you.
6 They kill the widow and foreigner who lives in their country,
and they murder the fatherless.
7 They say, “Yahweh will not see,
the God of Jacob does not take notice of it.”
8 Understand, you stupid people!
You fools, when will you ever learn?
9 He who made the ear, does he not hear?
He who formed the eye, does he not see?
10 He who disciplines the nations, does he not correct?
He is the one who gives knowledge to man.
11 Yahweh knows the thoughts of men,
that they are vapor.
12 Blessed is the one whom you instruct, Yahweh,
the one whom you teach from your law.
13 You give him rest in times of trouble
until a pit is dug for the wicked.
14 For Yahweh will not forsake his people
or abandon his inheritance.
15 For judgment will again be righteous;
and all the upright in heart will follow it.
16 Who will rise up to defend me against the evildoers?
Who will stand up for me against the wicked?
17 Unless Yahweh had been my help,
I would soon be lying down in the place of silence.
18 When I said, “My foot is slipping,”
Your covenant faithfulness, Yahweh, held me up.
19 When cares within me are many, your consolations make me happy.
20 Can a throne of destruction be allied with you,
one who creates injustice by statute?
21 They conspire together to take the life of the righteous
and they condemn the innocent to death.
22 But Yahweh has been my high tower,
and my God has been the rock of my refuge.
23 He will bring on them their own iniquity
and will cut them off in their own wickedness.
Yahweh our God will cut them off.
Psalm 95
1 Oh come, let us sing to Yahweh;
let us sing joyfully to the rock of our salvation.
2 Let us enter his presence with thanksgiving;
let us sing to him with psalms of praise.
3 For Yahweh is a great God
and a great King superior to all gods.
4 In his hand are the depths of the earth;
the heights of the mountains are his.
5 The sea is his, for he made it,
and his hands formed the dry land.
6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
let us kneel before Yahweh, our Creator:
7 For he is our God,
and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand.
Today—oh, that you would hear his voice!
8 “Do not harden your heart, as at Meribah,
or as on the day of Massah in the wilderness,
9 where your forefathers tested me
and tried me, though they had seen my deeds.
10 For forty years I was angry with that generation
and said, ‘This is a people whose hearts wander astray;
they have not known my ways.’
11 Therefore I vowed in my anger
that they would never enter into my resting place.”
Psalm 96
1 Oh, sing to Yahweh a new song;
sing to Yahweh, all the earth.
2 Sing to Yahweh, bless his name;
announce his salvation day after day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous deeds among all the nations.
4 For Yahweh is great and is to be praised greatly.
He is to be feared above all other gods.
5 For all the gods of the nations are idols,
but it is Yahweh who made the heavens.
6 Splendor and majesty are in his presence.
Strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
7 Ascribe to Yahweh, you clans of peoples,
ascribe praise to Yahweh for his glory and strength.
8 Give to Yahweh the glory that his name deserves.
Bring an offering and come into his courts.
9 Bow down to Yahweh in the splendor of holiness;
tremble before him, all the earth.
10 Say among the nations, “Yahweh reigns.”
The world also is established; it cannot be shaken.
He judges the peoples fairly.
11 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
let the sea roar and that which fills it shout with joy.
12 Let the fields rejoice and all that is in them.
Then let all the trees in the forest shout for joy
13 before Yahweh, for he is coming.
He is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness
and the peoples with his faithfulness.
Psalm 97
1 Yahweh reigns; let the earth rejoice;
let the many coastlands be glad.
2 Clouds and darkness surround him.
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
3 Fire goes before him
and consumes his adversaries on every side.
4 His lightning lights up the world;
the earth sees and trembles.
5 The mountains melt like wax before Yahweh,
the Lord of the whole earth.
6 The skies declare his justice,
and all the nations see his glory.
7 All those who worship carved figures will be shamed,
those who boast in worthless idols—
bow down to him, all you gods!
8 Zion heard and was glad,
and the towns of Judah rejoiced
because of your righteous decrees, Yahweh.
9 For you, Yahweh, are most high above all the earth.
You are exalted far above all gods.
10 You who love Yahweh, hate evil!
He protects the lives of his faithful ones,
and he takes them out of the hand of the wicked.
11 Light is sown for the righteous
and gladness for those with honest hearts.
12 Be glad in Yahweh, you righteous;
and give thanks when you remember his holiness.
Psalm 98
A psalm.1 Oh, sing to Yahweh a new song,
for he has done marvelous things;
his right hand and his holy arm have given him victory.
2 Yahweh has made known his salvation;
he has openly showed his justice to all the nations.
3 He calls to mind his covenant loyalty and faithfulness for the house of Israel;
all the ends of the earth will see the victory of our God.
4 Shout for joy to Yahweh, all the earth;
burst into song, sing for joy, and sing praises.
5 Sing praises to Yahweh with the harp,
with the harp and melodious song.
6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn,
make a joyful noise before the King, Yahweh.
7 Let the sea shout and everything in it,
the world and those who live in it!
8 Let the rivers clap their hands,
and let the mountains shout for joy.
9 Yahweh is coming to judge the earth;
he will judge the world with righteousness
and the nations with fairness.
Psalm 99
1 Yahweh reigns; let the nations tremble.
He sits enthroned above the cherubim; the earth quakes.
2 Yahweh is great in Zion;
he is exalted above all the nations.
3 Let them praise your great and awesome name;
he is holy.
4 The king is strong, and he loves justice.
You have established fairness;
you have done righteousness and justice in Jacob.
5 Praise Yahweh our God
and worship at his footstool.
He is holy.
6 Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
and Samuel was among those who called on his name.
They called to Yahweh, and he answered them.
7 He spoke to them from the pillar of cloud.
They kept his solemn commands
and the statutes that he gave them.
8 You answered them, Yahweh our God.
A forgiving God you were to them,
but one who punished their sinful deeds.
9 Praise Yahweh our God,
and worship at his holy hill,
for Yahweh our God is holy.
Psalm 100
A psalm of thanksgiving.1 Shout joyfully to Yahweh, all the earth.
2 Serve Yahweh with gladness;
come before his presence with joyful singing.
3 Know that Yahweh is God;
he made us, and we are his.
We are his people and the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving
and into his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him and bless his name.
5 For Yahweh is good; his covenant faithfulness endures forever
and his truthfulness through all generations.
Psalm 101
A psalm of David.1 A Psalm of David I will sing of covenant faithfulness and justice;
to you, Yahweh, I will sing praises.
2 I will walk in the way of integrity.
Oh, when will you come to me?
I will walk with integrity within my house.
3 I will not put wrongdoing before my eyes;
I hate worthless evil;
it will not cling to me.
4 Perverse people will leave me;
I am not loyal to evil.
5 I will destroy whoever secretly slanders his neighbor.
I will not tolerate anyone who has a proud demeanor and an arrogant attitude.
6 I will look to the faithful of the land to sit at my side.
Those who walk in the way of integrity may serve me.
7 Deceitful people will not remain within my house;
liars will not be welcome before my eyes.
8 Morning by morning I will destroy all the wicked from the land;
I will remove all evildoers from the city of Yahweh.
Psalm 102
A prayer of the afflicted when he is faint and pours out his lament before Yahweh.1 Hear my prayer, Yahweh;
let my cry come near to you.
2 Do not hide your face from me in my time of trouble.
Listen to me.
When I call out to you, answer me quickly.
3 For my days pass away like smoke,
and my bones burn like fire.
4 My heart is crushed, and I am like grass that has withered.
I forget to eat any food.
5 With my continual groaning,
I have become very thin.
6 I am like a pelican of the wilderness;
I have become like an owl in the ruins.
7 I lie awake like a solitary bird,
alone on the housetop.
8 My enemies taunt me all day long;
those who mock me use my name in curses.
9 I eat ashes like bread
and mix my drink with tears.
10 Because of your raging anger,
you have lifted me up to throw me down.
11 My days are like a shadow that fades,
and I have withered like grass.
12 But you, Yahweh, live forever,
and your fame is for all generations.
13 You will rise up and have mercy on Zion.
Now is the time to have mercy upon her;
the appointed time has come.
14 For your servants hold her stones dear
and feel compassion for the dust of her ruins.
15 The nations will respect your name, Yahweh,
and all the kings of the earth will honor your glory.
16 Yahweh will rebuild Zion
and will appear in his glory.
17 At that time, he will respond to the prayer of the destitute;
he will not reject their prayer.
18 This will be written for future generations,
and a people not yet born will praise Yahweh.
19 For he has looked down from the holy heights;
from heaven Yahweh has viewed the earth,
20 to hear the groaning of the prisoners,
to release those who were condemned to death.
21 Then men will proclaim the name of Yahweh in Zion
and his praise in Jerusalem
22 when the peoples and kingdoms gather together
to serve Yahweh.
23 He has taken away my strength in the middle of life.
He has shortened my days.
24 I said, “My God, do not take me away in the middle of life;
you are here throughout all generations.
25 In ancient times you set the earth in place;
the heavens are the work of your hands.
26 They will perish, but you will remain;
they will all grow old like a garment;
like clothing, you will remove them, and they will disappear.
27 But you are the same,
and your years will have no end.
28 The children of your servants will live on,
and their descendants will live in your presence.”
Psalm 103
A psalm of David.1 Of David Bless Yahweh, my inner being!
and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
2 Bless Yahweh, my soul!
and do not forget all of his rewards.
3 He pardons all your sins;
he heals all your diseases.
4 He redeems your life from destruction;
he crowns you with steadfastness and mercy.
5 He satisfies you with good things;
your youth is renewed like the eagle.
6 Yahweh does what is right and what is just for all the oppressed.
7 He made known his ways to Moses,
his deeds to the children of Israel.
8 Yahweh is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love.
9 He will not always discipline,
and he will not keep his anger forever.
10 He does not deal with us according to our sins,
and he does not treat us according to our iniquities.
11 For as the skies are high above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him.
12 As far as the east is from the west,
this is how far he has removed our transgressions from us.
13 As a father has compassion on his children,
so Yahweh has compassion on those who fear him.
14 For he knows our form;
remembering that we are dust.
15 As for man, his days are like grass;
like the flower of the field he flourishes so.
16 For the wind blows over it, and it is no more,
and its place does not acknowledge it again.
17 But the covenant faithfulness of Yahweh is from everlasting to everlasting on those who honor him,
and His righteousness is to their children's children.
18 To the ones who keep his covenant,
and to the ones who remember his precepts in order to do them.
19 Yahweh has established his throne in the heavens,
and his kingdom rules over all.
20 Bless Yahweh, you his angels,
you mighty warriors who do his word,
obeying the voice of his word.
21 Bless Yahweh, all his hosts,
his ministers who do his pleasure.
22 Bless Yahweh, all his works,
in all the places where he reigns.
Bless Yahweh, my inner being!
Psalm 104
1 I give praise to Yahweh with all my life,
Yahweh my God, you are very magnificent;
you are clothed with splendor and majesty.
2 You cover yourself with light as with a garment;
you spread out the heavens like a tent curtain.
3 You lay the beams of your chambers on the clouds;
you make the clouds your chariot;
you walk on the wings of the wind.
4 He makes the winds his messengers,
flames of fire his servants.
5 He laid the foundations of the earth,
and it will never be moved.
6 You covered the earth with water like a garment;
the water covered the mountains.
7 Your rebuke made the waters recede;
at the sound of your thunderous voice they fled.
8 The mountains rose, and the valleys spread out
into the places that you had appointed for them.
9 You have set a boundary for them that they will not cross;
they will not cover the earth again.
10 He made springs flow into the valleys;
the streams flow between the mountains.
11 They supply water for all the animals of the field;
the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
12 By the heavens the birds build their nests;
they sing among the branches.
13 He waters the mountains from his water chambers in the sky.
The earth is filled with the fruit of his labor.
14 He makes the grass grow for the cattle
and plants for man to cultivate
so that man may produce food from the earth.
15 He makes wine to make man happy,
oil to make his face shine,
and food to sustain his life.
16 The trees of Yahweh get plenty of rain;
the cedars of Lebanon which he planted.
17 There the birds make their nests.
The stork makes the cypress tree her home.
18 The wild goats live on the high mountains;
the mountain heights are a refuge for the hyraxes.
19 He appointed the moon to mark the seasons;
the sun knows its time for setting.
20 You make the darkness of the night
when all the beasts of the forest come out.
21 The young lions roar for their prey
and seek their food from God.
22 When the sun rises, they retreat
and sleep in their dens.
23 Meanwhile, people go out to their work
and labor away until the evening.
24 Yahweh, how many and varied are your works!
With wisdom you made them all;
the earth overflows with your works.
25 Over there is the sea, deep and wide,
teeming with innumerable creatures,
both small and great.
26 The ships travel there,
and Leviathan is also there, which you formed to play in the sea.
27 All these look to you to give them
their food on time.
28 When you give to them, they gather;
when you open your hand, they are satisfied.
29 When you hide your face, they are troubled;
if you take away their breath, they die
and return to dust.
30 When you send out your Spirit, they are created,
and you renew the countryside.
31 May the glory of Yahweh last forever;
may Yahweh enjoy his creation.
32 He looks down on the earth, and it shakes;
he touches the mountains, and they smoke.
33 I will sing to Yahweh all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
34 May my thoughts be sweet to him;
I will rejoice in Yahweh.
35 May sinners vanish from the earth,
and let the wicked be no more.
I give praise to Yahweh with all my life.
Praise Yahweh.
Psalm 105
1 Give thanks to Yahweh, call on his name;
make known his deeds among the nations.
2 Sing to him, sing praises to him;
speak of all his marvelous deeds.
3 Boast in his holy name;
let the heart of those who seek Yahweh rejoice.
4 Seek Yahweh and his strength;
seek his presence continually.
5 Recall the marvelous things he has done,
his miracles and the decrees from his mouth,
6 you descendants of Abraham his servant,
you people of Jacob, his chosen ones.
7 He is Yahweh, our God.
His decrees are on all the earth.
8 He keeps in mind his covenant forever,
the word that he commanded for a thousand generations.
9 He calls to mind the covenant that he made with Abraham
and his oath to Isaac.
10 This is what he confirmed to Jacob as a statute
and to Israel as an everlasting covenant.
11 He said, “I will give you the land of Canaan
as your share of your inheritance.”
12 He said this when they were only few in number,
so very few, and were strangers in the land.
13 They went from nation to nation
and from one kingdom to another.
14 He did not allow anyone to oppress them;
he rebuked kings for their sakes.
15 He said, “Do not touch my anointed ones,
and do not harm my prophets.”
16 He called for a famine on the land;
he cut off the whole supply of bread.
17 He sent a man ahead of them;
Joseph was sold as a servant.
18 His feet were bound by shackles;
on his neck was put an iron collar,
19 until what he had said came to pass.
The word of Yahweh tested him.
20 The king sent servants to release him;
the ruler of the people set him free.
21 He put him in charge of his house
as ruler of all his possessions
22 to instruct his princes as he wished
and to teach his elders wisdom.
23 Then Israel came into Egypt,
and Jacob lived for a time in the land of Ham.
24 Yahweh made his people fruitful,
and made them stronger greatly than their enemies.
25 He caused their enemies to hate his people,
to mistreat his servants.
26 He sent Moses, his servant,
and Aaron, whom he had chosen.
27 They performed his signs among the Egyptians,
his wonders in the land of Ham.
28 He sent darkness and made that land dark,
but its people did not obey his commands.
29 He turned their water into blood
and killed their fish.
30 Their land swarmed with frogs,
even in the rooms of their rulers.
31 He spoke, and swarms of flies and gnats came
throughout their country.
32 He turned their rain into hail,
with fire flaming on their land.
33 He destroyed their vines and fig trees;
he broke the trees of their country.
34 He spoke, and the locusts came,
young locusts, without number.
35 The locusts ate up all of the vegetation in their land;
They ate up all the crops of the ground.
36 He killed every firstborn in their land,
the firstfruits of all their strength.
37 He brought the Israelites out with silver and gold;
none of his tribes stumbled on the way.
38 Egypt was glad when they went away,
for the fear of them had fallen upon them.
39 He spread a cloud for a covering
and made a fire to light up the night.
40 The Israelites asked for food, and he brought quail
and satisfied them with bread from heaven.
41 He split the rock, and waters gushed from it;
they flowed in the wilderness like a river.
42 For he called to mind his holy promise
that he made to Abraham his servant.
43 He led his people out with joy,
his chosen with shouts of triumph.
44 He gave them the lands of the nations;
they took possession of the wealth of the peoples
45 so that they might keep his statutes
and obey his laws.
Praise Yahweh.
Psalm 106
1 Praise Yahweh.
Give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good,
for his covenant faithfulness endures forever.
2 Who can recount the mighty acts of Yahweh
or proclaim in full all his praiseworthy deeds?
3 Blessed are those who do what is right,
and whose deeds are always just.
4 Call me to mind, Yahweh, when you show favor to your people;
help me when you save them.
5 Then I will see the prosperity of your chosen,
rejoice in the gladness of your nation,
and glory with your inheritance.
6 We have sinned like our ancestors;
we have done wrong, and we have done evil.
7 Our fathers did not appreciate your marvelous deeds in Egypt;
they ignored your many acts of covenant faithfulness;
they were rebellious at the sea, the Sea of Reeds.
8 Nevertheless, he saved them for his name’s sake
so that he might reveal his power.
9 He rebuked the Sea of Reeds, and it dried up.
Then he led them through the depths, as through a wilderness.
10 He saved them from the hand of those who hated them,
and he rescued them from the hand of the enemy.
11 But the waters covered their adversaries;
not one of them survived.
12 Then they believed his words,
and they sang his praise.
13 But they quickly forgot what he had done;
they did not wait for his instructions.
14 They had insatiable cravings in the wilderness,
and they challenged God in the desert.
15 So he gave them what they requested,
but he sent a horrible disease upon them.
16 In the camp they became jealous of Moses
and Aaron, the holy priest of Yahweh.
17 The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan
and covered the followers of Abiram.
18 Fire broke out among them;
the fire consumed the wicked.
19 They made a calf at Horeb
and worshiped a cast metal figure.
20 They traded the glory of God
for the image of a bull that eats grass.
21 They forgot God their Savior,
who had done great deeds in Egypt.
22 He had done wonderful things in the land of Ham
and mighty acts at the Sea of Reeds.
23 So he said he would destroy them—
had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him,
to turn away his anger from destroying them.
24 Then they despised the fruitful land;
they did not believe his promise,
25 but grumbled in their tents,
and did not obey Yahweh.
26 Therefore he raised his hand and swore to them
that he would let them die in the desert,
27 scatter their descendants among the nations,
and scatter them in foreign lands.
28 They worshiped the Baal of Peor
and ate the sacrifices offered to the dead.
29 They provoked him to anger with their actions,
and a plague broke out among them.
30 Then Phinehas rose to intervene,
and the plague subsided.
31 It was counted to him as a righteous deed
to all generations forever.
32 They also angered Yahweh at the waters of Meribah,
and Moses suffered because of them.
33 They made Moses bitter,
and he spoke rashly.
34 They did not destroy the nations
as Yahweh had commanded them,
35 but they mingled with the nations
and learned their ways
36 and worshiped their idols,
which became a snare to them.
37 They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons.
38 They shed innocent blood,
the blood of their sons and of their daughters,
whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan,
desecrating the land with blood.
39 They were defiled by their deeds;
in their actions they were like prostitutes.
40 So Yahweh was angry with his people,
and he despised his own people.
41 He gave them into the hand of the nations,
and those who hated them ruled over them.
42 Their enemies oppressed them,
and they were brought into subjection to their authority.
43 Many times he came to help them,
but they kept rebelling
and were brought low by their own sin.
44 Nevertheless, he paid attention to their distress
when he heard their cry for help.
45 He called to mind his covenant with them
and relented because of his steadfast love.
46 He caused all their conquerers
to have pity on them.
47 Save us, Yahweh, our God.
Gather us from among the nations
so that we may give thanks to your holy name
and glory in your praises.
48 May Yahweh, the God of Israel, be praised
from everlasting to everlasting.
All the people said, “Amen.”
Praise Yahweh.
Book Five
Psalm 107
1 Give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good,
and his covenant faithfulness endures forever.
2 Let the redeemed of Yahweh speak out,
those he has rescued from the hand of the enemy.
3 He has gathered them out of foreign lands,
from the east and from the west,
from the north and from the south.
4 They wandered in the wilderness on a desert road
and found no city in which to live.
5 Because they were hungry and thirsty,
they fainted from exhaustion.
6 Then they called out to Yahweh in their trouble,
and he rescued them out of their distress.
7 He led them by a direct path
so that they would go to a city to live in.
8 Oh that people would praise Yahweh for his covenant faithfulness
and for the amazing things he has done for humanity!
9 For he satisfies the longings of those who are thirsty,
and the desires of those who are hungry he fills up with good things.
10 Some sat in darkness and in gloom,
prisoners in affliction and chains.
11 This was because they had rebelled against God’s word
and rejected the instruction of the Most High.
12 He humbled their hearts through hardship;
they stumbled and there was no one to help them up.
13 Then they called out to Yahweh in their trouble,
and he brought them out of their distress.
14 He brought them out of darkness and gloom
and broke their bonds.
15 Oh that people would praise Yahweh for his covenant faithfulness
and for the amazing things he has done for humanity!
16 For he has broken the gates of bronze
and cut through the bars of iron.
17 They were foolish in their rebellious ways
and afflicted because of their sins.
18 They lost their desire to eat any food,
and they came close to the gates of death.
19 Then they called out to Yahweh in their trouble,
and he brought them out of their distress.
20 He sent his word and healed them,
and he rescued them from their destruction.
21 Oh that people would praise Yahweh for his covenant faithfulness
and for the amazing things he has done for humanity!
22 Let them offer the sacrifices of thanksgiving
and proclaim his deeds in singing.
23 Some travel on the sea in ships
and do business overseas.
24 These saw the deeds of Yahweh
and his wonders on the seas.
25 For he commanded and aroused the windstorm
that stirs up the seas.
26 They reached up to the sky; they went down to the depths.
Their lives melted away in distress.
27 They swayed and staggered like drunkards
and were at their wits’ end.
28 Then they called out to Yahweh in their trouble,
and he brought them out of their distress.
29 He calmed the storm,
and the waves were stilled.
30 Then they rejoiced because they are quiet,
so he brought them to their desired harbor.
31 Oh that people would praise Yahweh for his covenant faithfulness
and for the amazing things he has done for humanity!
32 Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people
and praise him in the council of the elders.
33 He turns rivers into a wilderness,
springs of water into dry land,
34 and a fruitful land into a barren place
because of the wickedness of those who dwell in it.
35 He turns the wilderness into a pool of water
and dry land into springs of water.
36 He settles the hungry there,
and they build a city to live in.
37 They sow fields and plant vineyards,
that they may bring in a fruitful harvest.
38 He blesses them so they are very numerous.
He does not let their cattle decrease in number.
39 They were diminished and brought low
by painful distress and suffering.
40 He pours contempt on the leaders
and causes them to wander in the wilderness, where there are no roads.
41 But he protects the needy from affliction
and cares for his families like a flock.
42 The upright will see this and rejoice,
and all wickedness shuts its mouth.
43 Whoever is wise should take note of these things
and meditate on Yahweh’s acts of covenant faithfulness.
Psalm 108
A song, a psalm of David.1 My heart is fixed, God;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises also with my honored heart.
2 Wake up, lute and harp;
I will wake up the dawn.
3 I will give thanks to you, Yahweh, among the peoples;
I will sing praises to you among the nations.
4 For your covenant faithfulness is great above the heavens;
and your trustworthiness reaches to the skies.
5 Be exalted, God, above the heavens,
and may your glory be exalted over all the earth.
6 So that those you love may be rescued,
rescue us with your right hand and answer me.
7 God has spoken in his holiness; “I will rejoice;
I will divide Shechem and apportion out the Valley of Succoth.
8 Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine;
Ephraim also is my helmet;
Judah is my scepter.
9 Moab is my washbasin;
over Edom I will throw my shoe;
I will shout in triumph because of Philistia.
10 Who will bring me into the strong city?
Who will lead me to Edom?”
11 God, have you not rejected us?
You do not go into battle with our army.
12 Give us help against the enemy,
for man’s help is futile.
13 We will triumph with God’s help;
he will trample down our enemies.
Psalm 109
For the chief musician. A psalm of David.1 To the chief musician. A Psalm of David. God whom I praise, do not be silent,
2 For the wicked and deceitful attack me;
they speak lies against me.
3 They surround me and say hateful things,
and they attack me without cause.
4 In return for my love they accuse me,
but I pray for them.
5 They repay me evil for good,
and they hate my love.
6 Appoint a wicked man over such an enemy as these people;
appoint an accuser to stand at his right hand.
7 When he is judged, may he be found guilty;
may his prayer be considered sinful.
8 May his days be few;
may another take his office.
9 May his children be fatherless,
and may his wife be a widow.
10 May his children wander about and beg,
asking for handouts as they leave their ruined home.
11 May the creditor take all he owns;
may strangers plunder what he earns.
12 May no one extend any kindness to him;
may no one have pity on his fatherless children.
13 May his children be cut off;
may their name be blotted out in the next generation.
14 May his ancestors’ sins be mentioned to Yahweh;
and may the sin of his mother not be forgotten.
15 May their guilt always be before Yahweh;
may Yahweh cut off their memory from the earth.
16 May Yahweh do this because this man never bothered to show any covenant faithfulness,
but instead harassed the oppressed, the needy,
and the disheartened to death.
17 He loved cursing; may it come back upon him.
He had no desire for blessing; may no blessing come to him.
18 He clothed himself with cursing as his garment,
and his curse came into his inner being like water,
like oil into his bones.
19 May his curses be to him like the clothes he wears to cover himself,
like the belt he always wears.
20 May this be the reward of my accusers from Yahweh,
of those who say evil things about me.
21 Yahweh my Lord, deal kindly with me for your name’s sake.
Because your covenant faithfulness is good, save me.
22 For I am oppressed and needy,
and my heart is wounded within me.
23 I am fading away like the shadow of the evening;
I am shaken off like a locust.
24 My knees are weak from fasting;
My flesh is feeble from lack of fatness.
25 I am disdained by my accusers;
when they see me, they shake their heads.
26 Help me, Yahweh my God;
save me by your covenant faithfulness.
27 May they know that this is your hand,
that you, Yahweh, have done this.
28 Though they curse me, please bless me;
when they attack, may they be put to shame,
but may your servant rejoice.
29 May my adversaries be clothed with shame;
may they wear their shame like a robe.
30 With my mouth I give great thanks to Yahweh;
I will praise him in the midst of a crowd.
31 For he will stand at the right hand of the one who is needy,
to save him from those who judge him.
Psalm 110
A psalm of David.1 Of David, a song. The declaration of Yahweh to my lord, “Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”
2 Yahweh will stretch out the scepter of your strength from Zion;
rule in the midst of your enemies.
3 Your people voluntarily follow in holy splendor
in the day of your strength;
from the womb of the dawn your youth will be to you as dew.
4 Yahweh has sworn, and will not change his mind:
“You are a priest forever,
after the manner of Melchizedek.”
5 The Lord is at your right hand.
He will crush kings on the day of his anger.
6 He will judge the nations;
he will fill corpses;
he will crush the heads of many lands.
7 He will drink from the stream along the path,
Therefore, he will lift up the head.
Psalm 111
1 Praise Yahweh.
I will give thanks to Yahweh with my whole heart
in the assembly of the upright, in their gathering.
2 The works of Yahweh are great,
eagerly awaited by all those who desire them.
3 His work is majestic and glorious,
and his righteousness endures forever.
4 He does wonderful things that will be remembered;
Yahweh is gracious and merciful.
5 He gives food to his faithful followers.
He will always call to mind his covenant.
6 He showed his powerful works to his people
in giving them the inheritance of the nations.
7 The works of his hands are trustworthy and just;
all his instructions are reliable.
8 They are established forever,
to be observed faithfully and properly.
9 He has sent redemption to his people;
he ordained his covenant forever;
holy and awesome is his name.
10 To honor Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom;
those who carry out his instructions have good understanding.
His praise endures forever.
Psalm 112
1 Praise Yahweh.
Blessed is the man who fears Yahweh,
who greatly delights in his commandments.
2 His descendants will be powerful on earth;
the descendants of the godly man will be blessed.
3 Wealth and riches are in his house;
his righteousness will endure forever.
4 Light shines in the darkness for the godly person;
he is gracious, merciful, and just.
5 It goes well for the man who deals graciously and lends money,
who conducts his affairs with honesty.
6 For he will never be moved;
the righteous person will be remembered forever.
7 He does not fear bad news;
his heart is sure, trusting in Yahweh.
8 His heart is tranquil, without fear,
until he looks in triumph over his adversaries.
9 He generously gives to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever;
he will be exalted with honor.
10 The wicked person will see this and be angry;
he will grind his teeth in rage and he will melt away;
the desire of the wicked people will perish.
Psalm 113
1 Praise Yahweh.
Praise him, you servants of Yahweh;
praise the name of Yahweh.
2 Blessed be the name of Yahweh,
both now and forevermore.
3 From the rising of the sun to its setting,
Yahweh’s name should be praised.
4 Yahweh is exalted above all nations,
and his glory reaches above the skies.
5 Who is like Yahweh our God,
who has his seat on high,
6 who looks down
at the sky and at the earth?
7 He raises up the poor out of the dirt
and lifts up the needy from the ash heap,
8 so that he may seat him with princes,
with the princes of his people.
9 He gives a home to the barren woman of the house,
he makes her a joyful mother of children.
Praise Yahweh!
Psalm 114
1 When Israel left Egypt,
the house of Jacob from a people who spoke a foreign language,
2 Judah became his holy place,
Israel his kingdom.
3 The sea looked and fled;
the Jordan turned back.
4 The mountains skipped like rams,
the little hills like lambs.
5 Why did you flee, sea?
Jordan, why did you turn back?
6 Mountains, why did you skip like rams?
You little hills, why did you skip like lambs?
7 Tremble, earth, before the Lord,
at the presence of the God of Jacob.
8 He turned the rock into a pool of water,
the hard rock into a spring of water.
Psalm 115
1 Not to us, Yahweh, not to us,
but to your name bring honor,
for your covenant faithfulness and for your trustworthiness.
2 Why should the nations say,
“Where is their God?”
3 Our God is in heaven;
he does whatever he pleases.
4 The nations’ idols are silver and gold,
the work of men’s hands.
5 Those idols have mouths, but they do not speak;
they have eyes, but they do not see;
6 they have ears, but they do not hear;
they have noses, but they do not smell.
7 Those idols have hands, but do not feel;
they have feet, but they cannot walk;
nor do they speak from their mouths.
8 Those who make them are like them,
as is everyone who trusts in them.
9 Israel, trust in Yahweh;
he is your help and shield.
10 House of Aaron, trust in Yahweh;
he is your help and shield.
11 You who honor Yahweh, trust in him;
he is your help and shield.
12 Yahweh takes notice of us and will bless us;
he will bless the family of Israel;
he will bless the family of Aaron.
13 He will bless those who honor him,
both young and old.
14 May Yahweh increase your numbers more and more,
yours and your descendants’.
15 May you be blessed by Yahweh,
who made heaven and earth.
16 The heavens, even the heavens belong to Yahweh;
but the earth he has given to the sons of men.
17 The dead do not praise Yahweh,
nor do any who go down into silence;
18 But we will bless Yahweh
now and forevermore.
Praise Yahweh.
Psalm 116
1 I love Yahweh because he hears
my voice and my pleas for mercy.
2 Because he listened to me,
I will call on him as long as I live.
3 The cords of death surrounded me,
and the snares of Sheol confronted me;
I felt anguish and sorrow.
4 Then I called on the name of Yahweh:
“Please Yahweh, rescue my life.”
5 Yahweh is merciful and fair;
our God is compassionate.
6 Yahweh protects the naive;
I was brought low, and he saved me.
7 My soul can return to its resting place,
for Yahweh has been good to me.
8 For you rescued my life from death,
my eyes from tears,
and my feet from stumbling.
9 I will walk before Yahweh
in the land of the living.
10 I believed in him, even when I said,
“I am greatly afflicted.”
11 In my confusion I said,
“All men are liars.”
12 How can I repay Yahweh
for all his kindnesses to me?
13 I will raise the cup of salvation,
and call on the name of Yahweh.
14 I will fulfill my vows to Yahweh
now in the presence of all his people.
15 Precious in the sight of Yahweh
is the death of his faithful ones.
16 Yahweh, indeed, I am your servant;
I am your servant, the son of your servant woman;
you have taken away my bonds.
17 I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving
and will call on the name of Yahweh.
18 I will fulfill my vows to Yahweh
now in the presence of all his people,
19 in the courts of Yahweh’s house,
in your midst, Jerusalem.
Praise Yahweh.
Psalm 117
1 Praise Yahweh, all you nations;
exalt him, all you peoples.
2 For his covenant faithfulness is great toward us,
and the trustworthiness of Yahweh endures forever.
Praise Yahweh.
Psalm 118
1 Give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good,
for his covenant faithfulness endures forever.
2 Let Israel now say,
“His covenant faithfulness endures forever.”
3 Let the house of Aaron now say,
“His covenant faithfulness endures forever.”
4 Let the loyal followers of Yahweh say,
“His covenant faithfulness endures for ever.”
5 In my distress I called out to Yahweh;
Yahweh answered me and set me free.
6 Yahweh is with me; I will not be afraid;
what can man do to me?
7 Yahweh is on my side as my helper;
I will look in triumph on those who hate me.
8 It is better to take shelter in Yahweh
than to put confidence in man.
9 It is better to take refuge in Yahweh
than to put one’s trust in a princes.
10 All the nations surrounded me;
in Yahweh’s name I cut them off.
11 They surrounded me; yes, they surrounded me;
in Yahweh’s name I cut them off.
12 They surrounded me like bees;
they disappeared as quickly as fire among thorns;
in Yahweh’s name I cut them off.
13 They attacked me to knock me down,
but Yahweh helped me.
14 Yahweh is my strength and song,
and he is the one who rescues me.
15 The joyful shout of victory is heard in the tents of the righteous;
the right hand of Yahweh does valiantly.
16 The right hand of Yahweh is exalted;
the right hand of Yahweh does valiantly.
17 I will not die, but live
and declare the deeds of Yahweh.
18 Yahweh has punished me harshly;
but he has not handed me over to death.
19 Open to me the gates of righteousness;
I will enter them and I will give thanks to Yahweh.
20 This is the gate of Yahweh;
the righteous enter through it.
21 I will give thanks to you, for you answered me,
and you have become my salvation.
22 The stone that the builders rejected
has become the chief cornerstone.
23 This is Yahweh’s doing;
it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day on which Yahweh has acted;
we will rejoice and be glad in it.
25 Please, Yahweh, give us victory!
Please, Yahweh, send now success!
26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of Yahweh;
we bless you from the house of Yahweh.
27 Yahweh is God, and he has given us light;
bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar.
28 You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;
you are my God; I will exalt you.
29 Oh, give thanks to Yahweh; for he is good;
for his covenant faithfulness endures forever.
Psalm 119
ALEPH1 Blessed are those whose ways are blameless,
who walk in the teaching of Yahweh.
2 Blessed are they who keep his testimonies,
who seek him with all their heart.
3 Surely they do not practice injustice;
they walk in his ways.
4 You have commanded your instructions
so that we should carefully observe them.
5 Oh, that my path would be firmly established,
keeping your statutes!
6 Then I would not be ashamed
when I look to all of your commandments.
7 I will give thanks to you with an upright heart
when I learn the judgments of your righteousness.
8 I will keep your statutes;
do not utterly leave me. 9 BETH How can a young man keep his path pure?
By keeping your word.
10 With my whole heart I seek you;
Do not let me stray from your commandments.
11 I have hidden your word in my heart
so that I might not sin against you.
12 Blessed you are, Yahweh;
teach me your statutes.
13 With my lips I have announced
all the judgments of your mouth.
14 I rejoice in the way of your testimonies
more than in all riches.
15 I will meditate on your instructions
and I will consider your paths.
16 I delight in your statutes;
I will not forget your word. 17 GIMEL Deal kindly with your servant
so that I may live and keep your word.
18 Uncover my eyes so that I may gaze
on the marvelous works from your teaching.
19 I am a foreigner in the land;
do not hide your commandments from me.
20 My inner being is crushed with longing
for your judgments at all times.
21 You rebuke the proud, who are cursed,
who wander from your commandments.
22 Spare me from disgrace and humiliation,
for I have kept your testimonies.
23 Even though rulers sit against me and slander,
your servant meditates on your statutes.
24 Also, your testimonies are my pleasure.
They are my counselors. 25 DALETH My inner being clings to the dust!
Give me life according to your word.
26 I recounted my ways, and you answered me.
Teach me your statutes.
27 Make me understand the way of your instructions,
so that I can meditate on your wondrous works.
28 My inner being melts away from grief
Lift me up by your word.
29 Turn from me the path of deceit;
graciously give me your teaching.
30 I have chosen the way of faithfulness;
I have desired your judgments.
31 I cling to your testimonies;
Yahweh, do not let me be shamed.
32 I run in the way of your commandments, for you enlarge my heart. 33 Teach me, Yahweh, the way of your statutes,
and I will keep it to the end.
34 Give me understanding, and I will keep your teaching;
I will observe it with all my heart.
35 Guide me in the way of your commandments,
for I delight in it.
36 Incline my heart toward your testimonies
and not toward unrighteous gain.
37 Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things;
in your ways, revive me.
38 Fulfill for your servant your promises.
that he may fear you.
39 Turn away the reproach that I dread,
for your judgments are good.
40 Look, I long for your precepts;
in your righteousness, revive me. 41 May your steadfast love come, oh Yahweh—
your salvation, according to your promise;
42 then I will answer the one who mocks me with a word,
for I trust in your word.
43 Do not utterly take the word of truth from my mouth,
for I hope in your judgments.
44 I will observe your teaching continually,
forever and ever.
45 I will walk in a broad path,
for I seek your precepts.
46 I will speak of your testimonies before kings,
and I will not be ashamed.
47 I delight in your commandments,
which I love.
48 I will lift up my hands to your commandments, which I love;
I will meditate on your statutes. 49 Remember your word to your servant
because you have given me hope.
50 This is my comfort in my affliction:
that your promise keeps me alive.
51 The proud utterly scoff at me,
from your teaching I do not turned aside.
52 I remember your judgments from ancient times, Yahweh,
and I comfort myself.
53 Hot anger has seized me
because of the wicked who reject your teaching.
54 Your statutes are songs for me
in the house where I temporarily live.
55 I remember your name during the night, Yahweh,
and I observe your teaching.
56 This is for me
because I keep your precepts. 57 Yahweh is my portion;
I promise to observe your words.
58 I entreat your favor with my whole heart;
be merciful to me according to your promises.
59 I examine my ways
and turn my feet to your testimonies.
60 I hurry and do not delay
to observe your commandments.
61 The cords of the wicked ensnare me;
I do not forget your teaching.
62 In the middle of the night I rise to bring praise to you
because of the judgments of your righteousness.
63 I am a companion to all who fear you,
and observe your precepts.
64 The earth is full of your steadfast love, Yahweh; teach me your statutes. 65 You do good to your servant,
Yahweh, according to your word.
66 Teach me good discernment and understanding,
for I trust in your commandments.
67 Before I was afflicted I went astray,
but now I observe your promises.
68 You are good, and you do good.
Teach me your statutes.
69 The arrogant smear me with lies,
but I myself keep your precepts with my whole heart.
70 Their hearts are unfeeling like fat,
but I myself delight in your teaching.
71 It is good for me that I have suffered
so that I would learn your statutes.
72 The teaching of your mouth is good to me,
more than thousands of pieces of gold and silver. 73 Your hands have made me and fashioned me;
give me understanding so that I may learn your commandments.
74 May those who fear you see me and rejoice
because I hope in your word.
75 Yahweh, I know that your judgments are just,
and in faithfulness you humble me.
76 Let your steadfast love be my comfort,
just as your promises to your servant.
77 May your grace come to me so that I may live,
for your teaching is my delight.
78 Let the proud be put to shame,
for they have accused me falsely;
but as for me, I will meditate on your precepts.
79 May those who fear you turn to me,
also those who know your testimonies.
80 May my heart be blameless with respect to your statutes, so that I may not be put to shame. 81 My inner being faints with longing for your salvation!
I hope for your word.
82 My eyes faint with longing for your promise;
saying, "When will you comfort me?"
83 For I have become like a wineskin in the smoke;
I do not forget your statutes.
84 How long must your servant endure this;
when will you act in pursuit of justice for me?
85 The proud have dug pits for me,
which is not according to your teaching.
86 All your commandments are true;
they pursue me deceifully; help me.
87 They have almost made an end to me in the land,
but as for me, I do not reject your instructions.
88 According to your steadfast love, keep me alive,
so that I may observe the testimonies of your mouth. 89 Forever, Yahweh,
your word stands in the heavens.
90 Your faithfulness lasts from generation to generation;
you have established the earth, and it stands.
91 They stand for your judgments today,
for all things are your servants.
92 If your teaching had not been my delight,
then I would have perished in my affliction.
93 I will not forget your precepts forever,
for through them you have preserved me alive.
94 I am yours; save me,
for I seek your precepts.
95 The wicked wait for me in order to destroy me,
but I seek to understand your testimonies.
96 I have seen an end for all perfection;
your commandments are very broad. 97 Oh how I love your teaching!
It is my meditation all day long.
98 Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies,
for it is with me forever.
99 I have more understanding than all my teachers,
for your testimonies are my meditation.
100 I understand more than the elders;
for I have kept your precepts.
101 I have restrained my feet from every path of evil
so that I might observe your word.
102 I have not turned aside from your judgments,
for you alone have instructed me.
103 How sweet are your promises to my taste,
yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
104 Through your precepts I gain understanding;
therefore I hate every path of falsehood. 105 Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light for my path.
106 I have sworn and have confirmed it,
that I will observe your righteous judgments.
107 I am very afflicted;
keep me alive, Yahweh, according to your word.
108 Yahweh, please accept the freewill offerings of my mouth,
and teach me your judgments.
109 My life is in my palm continually,
yet I do not forget your teaching.
110 The wicked have set a snare for me,
but I have not strayed from your precepts.
111 I claim your testimonies as my heritage forever,
for they are the joy of my heart.
112 I incline my heart to do your statutes
forever, to the end! 113 I hate double-minded people,
but I love your teaching.
114 You are my hiding place and my shield;
I hope in your word.
115 Get away from me, you evil doers,
so that I may observe the commandments of my God.
116 Sustain me by your word so that I may live
and do not make me ashamed of my expectation.
117 Sustain me, and I will be saved;
And, I will gaze on your statutes continually.
118 You reject all those who stray from your statutes,
for their deception is in vain.
119 You remove all the wicked of the earth like dross;
therefore I love your testimonies.
120 My body trembles in fear of you,
and I fear of your judgments. 121 I do justice and righteousness;
do not abandon me to my oppressors.
122 Ensure goodness for your servant;
do not let the proud oppress me.
123 My eyes faint for your salvation
and for the promise of your righteousness.
124 Deal with your servant according to your steadfast love,
and teach me your statutes.
125 I am your servant; give me understanding
so that I may know your testimonies.
126 It is time for Yahweh to act,
they break your teaching.
127 Therefore, I love your commandments
more than gold, more than fine gold.
128 Therefore I consider all your precepts to be right in everything.
I hate every path of falsehood. 129 Your testimonies are wonderful.
Therefore, I obey them.
130 The unfolding of your words gives light;
it gives understanding to the untrained.
131 I open my mouth and pant,
for I long for your commandments.
132 Turn to me and be gracious to me according to justice,
to those who love your name.
133 Establish my footsteps in your promises;
and do not let any iniquity rule over me.
134 Ransom me from the oppression of man
so that I may observe your precepts.
135 Let your face shine on your servant,
and teach me your statutes.
136 Channels of water run down from my eyes
because they do not observe your teaching. 137 You are righteous, Yahweh,
and your judgments are upright.
138 You command your testimonies righteously
and very faithfully.
139 My jealousy has destroyed me
because my adversaries forget your words.
140 Your promise is well refined,
and your servant loves it.
141 I am little and despised.
I do not forget your instructions.
142 Your righteousness is right forever,
and your instruction is true.
143 Distress and anguish have found me.
your commandments are my delight.
144 Your testimonies are righteous forever;
give me understanding that I may live. 145 I cried out with my whole heart, “Answer me, Yahweh,
I will keep your statutes.
146 I call to you; save me,
so that I may observe your testimonies.
147 I rise before the dawn and cry for help.
I hope in your words.
148 My eyes are open during the night watches
in order to meditate on your promise.
149 Hear my voice according to your steadfast love;
Yahweh, according to your judgment preserve my life.
150 Those pursuing wickedness are coming near.
They wander far from your teaching.
151 You are near, Yahweh,
and all your commandments are true.
152 Long ago I learned from your testimonies
that you had established them forever. 153 Look on my affliction and rescue me,
for I do not forget your teaching.
154 Plead my cause and redeem me;
preserve me for your promise.
155 Salvation is far from the wicked,
for they do not pursue your statutes.
156 Your mercies are many, Yahweh;
according to your judgments, preserve me.
157 My pursuers and my adversaries are many;
from your testimonies I have not turned.
158 I see the treacherous and I despise it
because they do not observe your promise.
159 See that I love your precepts;
Yahweh, according to your steadfast love, preserve me.
160 The head of your word is truth,
and all of your righteous judgments lasts forever. 161 Commanders pursue me without cause,
but from your word my heart trembles
162 I rejoice on account of your promise,
like one who finds great plunder.
163 I hate falsehood, and I loathe it.
I love your instruction.
164 Seven times in a day I praise you
on account of your righteous judgments.
165 Great peace is for those who love your instruction;
there is no stumbling for them.
166 I wait for your salvation, Yahweh,
and I do your commandments.
167 My life keeps your testimonies,
and I love them greatly.
168 I keep your precepts and your testimonies,
for all my ways are before you. 169 My plea comes near to your face, Yahweh;
give me understanding into your word.
170 May my supplication come before your face;
according to your promise, rescue me.
171 May my lips pour out praise,
for you teach me your statutes.
172 Let my tongue sing about your promise,
for all your commandments are right.
173 Let your hand be for my help,
for I have chosen your precepts.
174 I long for your salvation, Yahweh,
and your teaching is my delight.
175 May I live and praise you,
and may your judgments help me.
176 I have wandered off like a lost sheep;
seek your servant,
for I have not forgotten your commandments.
Psalm 120
A song of ascents.1 A Song of Ascents In my distress I called out to Yahweh,
and he answered me.
2 Rescue my life, Yahweh, from those who lie with their lips
and deceive with their tongues.
3 What shall be given to you, and what more will he do to you,
you who have a lying tongue?
4 He will punish you with the arrows of a warrior
sharpened over burning coals of the broom tree.
5 Woe is me because I temporarily live in Meshech;
I lived previously among the tents of Kedar.
6 For too long I have lived
with those who hate peace.
7 I am for peace,
but when I speak, they are for war.
Psalm 121
A song of ascents.1 A Song of Ascents I will lift up my eyes to the mountains.
From where will my help come?
2 My help comes from Yahweh,
who made heaven and earth.
3 He will not allow your foot to slip;
he who protects you will not slumber.
4 See, the guardian of Israel
never slumbers or sleeps.
5 Yahweh is your guardian;
Yahweh is the shade at your right hand.
6 The sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 Yahweh will protect you from all harm,
and he will protect your life.
8 Yahweh will protect you in your going out and your coming in
now and forevermore.
Psalm 122
A song of ascents, of David.1 A Song of Ascents of David I was glad when they said to me,
“Let us go to the house of Yahweh.”
2 Jerusalem, our feet are standing
within your gates!
3 Jerusalem, they have built
as a city unitedly together.
4 The tribes go up to Jerusalem—the tribes of Yahweh—
as a testimony for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of Yahweh.
5 For there thrones of judgment were set,
thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
“May those who love you have peace.
7 May there be peace within the walls that defend you,
and may they have peace within your fortresses.”
8 For the sake of my brothers and my friends
I will say, “May there be peace within you.”
9 For the sake of the house of Yahweh our God,
I will seek good for you.
Psalm 123
A song of ascents.1 A Song of Ascents To you I lift up my eyes,
you who are enthroned in the heavens.
2 See, as the eyes of servants look to their master’s hand,
as the eyes of a maid look to her mistress’s hand,
so our eyes look to Yahweh our God
until he has mercy on us.
3 Have mercy on us, Yahweh, have mercy on us,
for we are exceedingly filled with humiliation.
4 We are more than full
of the scoffing of the insolent
and with the contempt of the proud.
Psalm 124
A song of ascents; of David.1 A Song of Ascents of David “If Yahweh had not been on our side,”
let Israel say now,
2 “if it had not been Yahweh who was on our side
when men rose up against us,
3 then they would have swallowed us up alive
when their anger raged against us.
4 Then the water would have swept us away;
the torrent would have gone over us.
5 Then the raging waters would have gone over us.”
6 Blessed be Yahweh,
who has not allowed us to be torn by their teeth.
7 We have escaped like a bird out of the snare of the fowlers;
the snare has been broken, and we have escaped.
8 Our help is in the name of Yahweh,
who made heaven and earth.
Psalm 125
A song of ascents.1 A Song of Ascents Those who trust in Yahweh
are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken, forever enduring.
2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
so the Lord surrounds his people
now and forever.
3 The scepter of wickedness must not rest on the land alloted to the righteous.
Otherwise the righteous might reach out their hands to do what is wrong.
4 Do good, Yahweh, to those who are good
and to those who are upright in their hearts.
5 But as for those who turn aside to their crooked ways,
Yahweh will lead them away with those who do evil.
May peace be on Israel.
Psalm 126
A song of ascents.1 A Song of Ascents When Yahweh restored the fortunes of Zion,
we were like those who dream.
2 Then our mouths were filled with laughter
and our tongues with singing.
Then they said among the nations,
“Yahweh has done great things for them.”
3 Yahweh did great things for us;
how glad we were!
4 Restore our fortunes, Yahweh,
like the streams in the Negev.
5 Those who sow in tears will reap with shouts of joy.
6 He who goes out weeping, carrying seed for sowing,
will return again with shouts of joy, bringing his bundles of grain with him.
Psalm 127
A song of ascents, of Solomon.1 A Song of Ascents of Solomon If Yahweh is not the builder of the house,
they work uselessly, those who build it.
If it is not Yahweh who guards the city,
the watchman stands guard uselessly.
2 It is useless for you to rise up early,
to come home late,
or to eat the bread of hard work,
for Yahweh provides for his beloved as they sleep.
3 See, children are a heritage from Yahweh,
and the fruit of the womb is a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
so are the children of one’s youth.
5 How blessed is the man that has his quiver full of them.
He will not be put to shame
when he confronts his enemies in the gate.
Psalm 128
A song of ascents.1 A Song of Ascents Blessed is everyone who honors Yahweh,
who walks in his ways.
2 When you eat the labor of your hands, you will enjoy;
you will be blessed and prosper.
3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
in your house;
your children will be like olive plants
as they sit around your table.
4 Yes, indeed, the man will be blessed
who honors Yahweh.
5 May Yahweh bless you from Zion;
may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life.
6 May you live to see your children’s children.
May peace be on Israel.
Psalm 129
A song of ascents.1 A Song of Ascents “Often since my youth they have attacked me,”
let Israel say.
2 “Often since my youth they have attacked me,
yet they have not defeated me.
3 The plowers plowed on my back;
they made their furrows long.
4 Yahweh is righteous;
he has cut the ropes of the wicked.”
5 May they all be put to shame and turned back,
those who hate Zion.
6 May they be like the grass on the housetops
that withers before it grows up,
7 that cannot fill the reaper’s hand
or the chest of the one who binds bundles of grain together.
8 May those who pass by not say,
“May the blessing of Yahweh be on you;
we bless you in the name of Yahweh.”
Psalm 130
A song of ascents.1 A Song of Ascents Out of the depths I cry to you, Yahweh.
2 Lord, hear my voice;
let your ears be attentive
to my pleas for mercy.
3 If you, Yahweh, would mark iniquities,
Lord, who could stand?
4 But there is forgiveness with you,
that you may be revered.
5 I wait for Yahweh, my soul waits,
and in his word I hope.
6 My soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen wait for the morning.
7 Israel, hope in Yahweh.
Yahweh is merciful,
for with Yahweh is abundant redemption.
8 It is he who will redeem Israel
from all his sins.
Psalm 131
A song of ascents; of David.1 [A Song of the Ascents, of David] Yahweh, my heart does not boast nor do my eyes look too high,
nor do I walk in great and marvelous things beyond me. 2 Have I not stilled and quieted my inner being
like a weaned child with his mother,
my inner being within me is like a weaned child.
3 Israel, hope in Yahweh
from now on and forevermore.
Psalm 132
A song of ascents.1 A Song of Ascents Yahweh, for David’s sake, remember all his afflictions.
2 how he swore to Yahweh,
how he vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob.
3 Surely I will not enter the tent of my house
nor go up to the spread of my bed,
4 Nor will I give sleep to my eyes
or rest to my eyelids
5 until I find a place for Yahweh,
a tabernacle for the Mighty One of Jacob.”
6 Look, we heard about it in Ephrathah;
we found it in the fields of Jaar.
7 We will go into his tabernacle;
we will worship at the footstool of his feet.
8 Arise, Yahweh, to your resting place,
you and the ark of your strength!
9 May your priests be clothed with righteousness;
may your faithful ones shout for joy.
10 For your servant David’s sake,
do not turn away from the face of your anointed one.
11 Yahweh swore a sure oath to David,
he will not turn from it:
“From the fruit of your belly I will set on your throne.
12 If your sons keep my covenant
and the laws that I will teach them,
their children also will sit on your throne forevermore.”
13 For Yahweh has chosen Zion,
he has desired her as a dwelling for him.
14 “This is my resting place forever.
I will dwell here, for I desire her.
15 With wild game I will abundantly bless her.
I will satisfy her poor with bread.
16 I will clothe her priests with salvation,
her faithful ones will shout aloud for joy.
17 There I will make a horn to sprout for David
and set up a lamp for my anointed one.
18 I will clothe his enemies with shame,
but on him his crown will shine.”
Psalm 133
A song of ascents, of David.1 [A Song of the Ascents, Of David] Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
for brothers to live together!
2 It is like fine oil on the head
pouring down on the beard—
Aaron’s beard,
which pours down on the collar of his robes.
3 It is like the dew of Hermon
which falls on the mountains of Zion.
For there Yahweh commanded the blessing—
life forevermore.
Psalm 134
A song of ascents.1 A Song of the Ascents Behold, bless Yahweh, all you servants of Yahweh,
you who stand in the night in the house of Yahweh.
2 Lift up your hands to the holy place
and bless Yahweh.
3 May Yahweh bless you from Zion,
he who made heaven and earth.
Psalm 135
1 Praise Yahweh.
Praise the name of Yahweh.
Praise him, you servants of Yahweh,
2 you who stand in the house of Yahweh,
in the courtyards of the house of our God.
3 Praise Yahweh, for Yahweh is good;
sing praises to his name, for it is pleasant.
4 For Yahweh has chosen Jacob for himself,
Israel as his possession.
5 For I myself know that Yahweh is great,
and our Lord is greater than all other gods.
6 All that Yahweh desires, he does
in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all the ocean depths.
7 Causing the clouds to rise from the end of the earth,
he makes lightning accompany the rain
and bringing the wind out of his storehouse.
8 He struck the firstborn of Egypt,
from man to beast.
9 He sent signs and wonders into your midst, Egypt,
against Pharaoh and all his servants.
10 He struck many nations
and killed mighty kings,
11 Sihon king of the Amorites
and Og king of Bashan
and all the kingdoms of Canaan.
12 And he gave their land as an inheritance,
an inheritance to Israel his people.
13 Your name, Yahweh, endures forever;
your renown, Yahweh, endures from generation to generation.
14 For Yahweh judges his people,
and he shows compassion on his servants.
15 The nations’ idols are silver and gold,
the work of men’s hands.
16 Those idols have mouths, but they do not speak;
they have eyes, but they do not see;
17 they have ears, but they do not hear,
nor is there breath in their mouths.
18 Those who make them are like them,
as is everyone who trusts in them.
19 House of Israel, bless Yahweh;
house of Aaron, bless Yahweh.
20 House of Levi, bless Yahweh;
you who fear Yahweh, bless Yahweh.
21 Blessed be Yahweh in Zion,
he who lives in Jerusalem.
Praise Yahweh.
Psalm 136
1 Oh, give thanks to Yahweh; for he is good,
for his covenant faithfulness endures forever.
2 Oh, give thanks to the God of gods,
for his covenant faithfulness endures forever.
3 Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords,
for his covenant faithfulness endures forever.
4 To him who alone does great wonders,
for his covenant faithfulness endures forever—
5 to him who by wisdom made the heavens,
for his covenant faithfulness endures forever.
6 To him who spread out the earth above the waters,
for his covenant faithfulness endures forever—
7 to him who made great lights,
for his covenant faithfulness endures forever.
8 the sun to rule by day,
for his covenant faithfulness endures forever—
9 the moon and stars to rule by night,
for his covenant faithfulness endures forever.
10 to him who struck Egypt in their firstborn,
for his covenant faithfulness endures forever—
11 and brought out Israel from among them,
for his covenant faithfulness endures forever—
12 with a strong hand and a raised arm,
for his covenant faithfulness endures forever.
13 to him who divided the Sea of Reeds into parts,
for his covenant faithfulness endures forever—
14 and made Israel to pass through the middle of it,
for his covenant faithfulness endures forever—
15 and threw down Pharaoh and his army in the Sea of Reeds,
for his covenant faithfulness endures forever.
16 to him who led his people through the wilderness,
for his covenant faithfulness endures forever—
17 to him who struck down great kings,
for his covenant faithfulness endures forever.
18 to him who killed powerful kings,
for his covenant faithfulness endures forever—
19 Sihon king of the Amorites,
for his covenant faithfulness endures forever—
20 and Og king of Bashan,
for his covenant faithfulness endures forever.
21 to him who gave their land as an inheritance,
for his covenant faithfulness endures forever—
22 an inheritance to Israel his servant,
for his covenant faithfulness endures forever—
23 who remembered us in our low estate,
for his covenant faithfulness endures forever.
24 and he rescued us from our adversaries,
for his covenant faithfulness endures forever—
25 giving bread to all flesh,
for his covenant faithfulness endures forever.
26 Oh, give thanks to the God of heaven,
for his covenant faithfulness endures forever.
Psalm 137
1 Beside the rivers of Babylon
there we sat and wept
when we remembered Zion.
2 On the poplars there
we hung our harps.
3 For there our captors demanded that we sing songs,
and those who relentlessly mocked us said,
“Sing to us from the songs of Zion.”
4 How could we sing a song about Yahweh
in a foreign land?
5 If I forget you, Jerusalem,
let my right hand forget
6 Let my tongue cling to my palate
if I do not remember you,
if I do not lift up Jerusalem
over my chief pleasure.
7 Remember, Yahweh, the sons of Edom,
on the day of Jerusalem,
saying, “Tear it down, tear it down
to its foundations.”
8 Daughter of Babylon, who will be destroyed—
blessed be the one who repays you
for what you have done to us.
9 Blessed be the one who seizes and dashes your little ones
against the rocks.
Psalm 138
A psalm of David.1 Of David I will give you thanks with my whole heart;
before the gods I will sing praises to you.
2 I will bow down toward the temple of your holiness,
and I will give thanks to your name for your covenant faithfulness and for your trustworthiness.
For you have exalted above all things your name and your word.
3 On the day that I called and you answered me;
you emboldened my life with power.
4 All the kings of the earth will give you thanks, Yahweh,
for they will hear the words from your mouth.
5 Indeed, they will sing of the ways of Yahweh,
for great is the glory of Yahweh.
6 For though Yahweh is high, yet he sees the lowly,
but the proud he knows from far off.
7 Though I walk in the middle of danger, you will preserve my life;
you will reach out with your hand against the anger of my enemies,
and your right hand will save me.
8 Yahweh is with me to the end;
your covenant faithfulness, Yahweh, endures forever.
Do not forsake the ones whom your hands have made.
Psalm 139
For the chief musician. A psalm of David.1 For the choir director, a psalm of David. Yahweh, you have examined me, and you know.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you understand my thoughts from far away.
3 You have measured my path and my resting places;
and you are familiar with all my ways.
4 For there is not a word on my tongue ...,
See, you know it completely, Yahweh.
5 Behind and before you encircle me
and you place your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me!
it is high; I cannot reach it.
7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the morning
or dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 even there your hand will lead me,
your right hand will hold on to me.
11 If I said, “Surely the darkness will cover me,
and the light will become night around me,”
12 even the darkness would not be dark to you,
and night would shine like the day.
The darkness is like the light to you!
13 For You created my inner parts;
you wove me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I will praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful. My inner being knows this very well.
15 My bones were not hidden from you
when I was made in private,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days formed for me were recorded
in your book even before the first of them was.
17 How precious are your thoughts to me, God!
How vast is their sum!
18 If I counted them, they would be more numberous than the sand.
When I awake, I am still with you.
19 If only you would kill the wicked, God;
and you men of bloodshed, get away from me.
20 For they speak against you with evil intent;
your enemies abuse your character
21 Do I not hate those, Yahweh, who hate you?
Do I not despise those who rise up against you?
22 I hate them completely;
they have become my enemies.
23 Examine me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my thoughts.
24 See if there is any wicked way in me,
and lead me in the path of forever.
Psalm 140
For the chief musician. A psalm of David.1 Yahweh, rescue me from men of wickedness;
preserve me from men of violence.
2 For they plan evil in their hearts;
they assemble for battles every day.
3 Their tongues pierce like a serpent;
vipers’ poison is on their lips. Selah
4 Keep me from the hands of the wicked, Yahweh;
preserve me from men of violence
who plan to push down my step.
5 The proud have set a trap for me;
and with ropes they have spread a net by hand along the path;
they have set snares for me. Selah
6 I said to Yahweh, “You are my God;
Yahweh, give ear to my cries for mercy.”
7 Yahweh, my Lord, you are the strength of my salvation;
you shield my head in the day of battle.
8 Yahweh, do not grant the desires of the wicked;
do not promote their plots, they rise up Selah
9 Those who surround me raise their heads;
let the mischief of their own lips cover them.
10 Let burning coals fall on them;
throw them into the fire,
into bottomless pits, never again will they rise.
11 May men of tongues not be established in the land;
may evil hunt down the man of violence speedily.
12 I know that Yahweh will act with favor for the poor,
justice to the needy.
13 Surely the righteous will praise your name;
the upright will dwell before your face.
Psalm 141
A psalm of David.1 A song of David Yahweh, I called out to you, "Come quickly to me. Give ear to my voice when I call to you."
2 May my prayer rise like incense to your face;
may my lifted hands be like the evening sacrifice.
3 Yahweh, place a guard over my mouth;
guard the door of my lips.
4 Do not let my heart bend toward any evil thing
or participate in sinful activities
with men who behave wickedly.
May I not eat any of their delicacies.
5 Let a righteous person hit me; it will be a kindness.
Let him correct me; it will be like oil on my head.
May my head not refuse.
For my prayer is always against their wicked deeds.
6 Their judges will stumble into the hands of craggy rocks;
they will hear that my own words are pleasant.
7 “As when one plows and breaks up the ground,
so our bones have been scattered at the mouth of Sheol.”
8 For my eyes are on you, Yahweh, Lord;
in you I take refuge; do not abandon my life.
9 Keep me from the hands of the snare that they have laid for me,
from the traps of evildoers.
10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets
while I escape.
Psalm 142
A maschil of David, when he was in the cave; a prayer.1 With my voice I cry out to Yahweh;
with my voice I plead to Yahweh for favor.
2 I pour out my lament before him;
I declare my troubles before him.
3 When my spirit is weak within me,
you yourself know my path.
Along this path I walk
they have hidden a trap for me.
4 I look to my right and see
that there is no one who cares for me.
there is no refuge for me;
no one looks after my life.
5 I called out to you, Yahweh;
I said, “You are my refuge,
my portion in the land of the living.
6 Listen to my cries,
for I have been brought very low;
rescue me from my pursuers,
for they are stronger than I.
7 Bring my life out of prison
in order to praise your name.
The righteous will gather around me
because you have been good to me.”
Psalm 143
A psalm of David.1 A song of David Hear my prayer, Yahweh; listen to my pleas.
On account of your faithfulness answer me in your righteousness!
2 Do not enter into judgment with your servant,
for no one living is righteous before you.
3 For the enemy has pursued my being;
he has crushed my life to the ground;
he has made me to live in dark places
like those dead a long time.
4 My breath is faint in me;
my heart despairs within me.
5 I remember days from old;
I meditate on all your works;
I reflect on the works of your hands.
6 I spread my hands out to you;
my soul thirsts for you as in a parched land. Selah
7 Answer me quickly, Yahweh, because my spirit faints.
Do not hide your face from me,
or I will become like those who go down into the pit.
8 Let me hear your covenant faithfulness in the morning,
for I trust in you.
Make known to me the way where I should walk,
for I lift up my soul to you.
9 Rescue me from my enemies, Yahweh;
I hide in you.
10 Teach me to do your good pleasures,
for you are my God.
May your spirit of goodness
lead me in the land of uprightness.
11 Yahweh, for the sake of your name, keep me alive;
in your righteousness bring my life out of trouble.
12 In your covenant faithfulness cut off my enemies
and destroy all the enemies of my life,
for I am your servant.
Psalm 144
A psalm of David.1 Of David. Blessed be Yahweh, my rock,
who trains my hands for war
and my fingers for battle.
2 You are my steadfast love and my fortress,
my high tower and the one who rescues me,
my shield and the one in whom I take refuge,
the one who subdues nations under me.
3 Yahweh, what is man that you take notice of him,
the son of man that you think about him?
4 Man is like a breath;
his days are like a passing shadow.
5 Yahweh, cause your sky to spread wide and come down;
touch the mountains and make them smoke.
6 Shoot lightning and scatter them;
send your bolts and disturb them.
7 Reach out your hand from above,
deliver me and rescue me out of many waters,
from the hand of sons of foreigners.
8 For their mouths speak lies,
and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
9 I will sing a new song to you, God;
on a lute of ten strings I will play for you,
10 who gives salvation to kings,
who rescues David your servant from an evil sword.
11 Rescue me and deliver me from the hand of sons of foreigners.
For their mouths speak lies,
and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
12 May our sons be like plants who grow large in their youth
and our daughters like carved corner pillars, resembling a palace.
13 May our storehouses be full with every kind of produce,
and may our sheep produce thousands and ten thousands in our fields.
14 May our oxen have many young.
No one will break through, no one will go out,
and no one will cry in our streets.
15 Blessed is the people for whom this is so;
blessed is the people for whom Yahweh is his God.
Psalm 145
A psalm of praise. Of David.1 A song of David I will extol you, my God, the King;
I will bless your name forever and ever.
2 Every day will I bless you;
I will praise your name forever and ever.
3 Great is Yahweh and greatly to be praised;
and his greatness cannot be measured.
4 Generation to generation will rejoice because of your deeds
and they will proclaim your mighty actions.
5 On the glorious splendor of your majesty
and on your marvelous deeds, I will meditate.
6 They will speak of the power of your awesome works,
and I will declare your greatness.
7 They will celebrate the fame of your abounding goodness,
and they will sing about your righteousness.
8 Yahweh is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and great in steadfast love.
9 Yahweh is good to all;
and his abundant mercies are over all his works.
10 All you have made will give thanks to you, Yahweh;
your faithful ones will bless you.
11 They will speak of the glory of your kingdom,
and they will tell of your power.
12 Making known to the children of mankind his mighty deeds
and the glorious splendor of his kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures throughout all generations.
14 Yahweh supports all who are falling
and raises up all who are bent over.
15 The eyes of all wait for you;
you give them their food in its time.
16 You open your hand
and satisfy the desire of every living thing.
17 Yahweh is righteous in all his ways
and faithful in all he does.
18 Yahweh is near to all who call to him,
to all who call to him in truth.
19 He does the desire of those who fear him,
and he hears their cry and saves them.
20 Yahweh keeps all those who love him,
but he will destroy all the wicked.
21 My mouth speaks the praise of Yahweh;
let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.
Psalm 146
1 Praise Yahweh.
Praise Yahweh, my soul.
2 I will praise Yahweh with my life;
I will sing praises to my God as long as I live.
3 Do not trust in nobles
Nor in men, in whom there is no salvation.
4 When his breath ceases, he returns to the ground;
on that day his plans perish.
5 Blessed is the one who has the God of Jacob for his help,
whose hope is in Yahweh his God.
6 The one who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them;
The one who keeps faithfulness forever.
7 The one who executes justice for the oppressed
The one who gives bread to the hungry.
Yahweh liberates the prisoners;
8 Yahweh opens the eyes of the blind;
Yahweh raises up those who are bowed down;
Yahweh loves those who are righteous.
9 Yahweh guards the refugees;
he sustains the orphan and the widow,
but he subverts the way of the wicked.
10 Yahweh reigns forever,
your God, Zion, reigns from generation to generation.
Praise Yahweh.
Psalm 147
1 Praise Yahweh!
How good it is to sing praises to our God,
how pleasant and suitable is a song of praise.
2 Yahweh builds up Jerusalem,
he gathers the scattered people of Israel.
3 He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.
4 He counts the number of the stars;
he gives names to all of them.
5 Great is our Lord and abounding in power,
his understanding is without measure.
6 Yahweh lifts up the oppressed,
he brings the wicked down to the ground.
7 Sing to Yahweh with thanksgiving,
sing praises to our God with a harp.
8 He is the one who covers the heavens with clouds;
he is the one who prepares rain for the earth;
he is the one who causes the mountains to sprout with grass.
9 He gives food to the animals
and to the children of the ravens when they call.
10 He does not delight in the strength of a horse,
he does not enjoy the strong legs of a man.
11 Yahweh enjoys those who fear him,
those who hope for his steadfast love.
12 Extol Yahweh, Jerusalem,
praise your God, Zion.
13 For he strengthens the bars of your gates,
he blesses your children in your midst.
14 He sets your borders with peace,
he satisfies you with the finest of wheat.
15 He sends out his word to the land,
his command runs with swiftness.
16 He makes the snow like wool,
he scatters the frost like ashes.
17 He sends out his hail like crumbs,
who can stand before his cold?
18 He sends out his command and melts them;
he makes his wind blow, and the waters flow.
19 He proclaimed his word to Jacob,
his statutes and his righteous decrees to Israel.
20 He has not done so with any other nation,
and as for his judgments, they do not know them.
Praise Yahweh.
Psalm 148
1 Praise Yahweh.
Praise Yahweh from the heavens;
praise him in the heights.
2 Praise him, all his angels;
praise him, all his hosts.
3 Praise him, sun and moon;
praise him, all you shining stars.
4 Praise him, highest heavens
and the waters that are above the heavens.
5 Let them praise the name of Yahweh,
for he commanded, and they were created.
6 He has established them forever and ever;
he given a decree and it will not pass away.
7 Praise Yahweh from the earth,
sea monsters and all ocean depths,
8 fire and hail, snow and clouds,
stormy winds doing his word.
9 The mountains and all the hills,
The fruit trees and all the cedars,
10 animals and all the beasts,
reptiles and winged birds.
11 kings of the earth and all the peoples,
princes and all judges of the earth,
12 Young men and also young women,
the elderly along with the children.
13 let them all praise the name of Yahweh,
for his name alone is exalted;
his glory extends over the earth and the heavens.
14 He has raised up the horn of his people
praise from all his faithful ones,
from the children of Israel, the people near to him.
Praise Yahweh.
Psalm 149
1 Praise Yahweh.
Sing to Yahweh a new song – his praise in the assembly of the faithful ones.
2 Let Israel rejoice in the one who made them;
let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.
3 Let them praise his name with dancing;
let them play for him with tambourine and harp.
4 For Yahweh takes pleasure in his people;
he glorifies the humble with salvation.
5 Let the faithful ones rejoice in this honor;
let them shout for joy on their beds.
6 May the exaltation of God be in their throats
and two-edged swords in their hands
7 to do vengeance on the nations
– acts of punishment on the peoples.
8 to bind their kings with chains
and their honored ones with iron shackles.
9 to do the judgment against them that is written.
This will be an honor for all his faithful ones.
Praise Yahweh.
Psalm 150
1 Praise Yahweh.
Praise God in his holy place;
praise him in the mighty heavens.
2 Praise him for his mighty acts;
praise him for his surpassing greatness.
3 Praise him with the blast of the horn;
praise him with lute and harp.
4 Praise him with tambourines and dancing;
praise him with stringed instruments and wind instruments.
5 Praise him with loud cymbals;
praise him with high sounding cymbals.
6 Let everything that has breath praise Yahweh.
Praise Yahweh.