Psalms

Psalm 1
The Righteous And The Wicked Contrasted.
1Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked [following their advice and example],
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit [down to rest] in the seat of scoffers (ridiculers). 2But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And on His law [His precepts and teachings] he [habitually] meditates day and night. 3And he will be like a tree firmly planted [and fed] by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season;
Its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers [and comes to maturity]. 4The wicked [those who live in disobedience to God’s law] are not so,
But they are like the chaff [worthless and without substance] which the wind blows away. 5Therefore the wicked will not stand [unpunished] in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. 6For the LORD knows and fully approves the way of the righteous,
But the way of the wicked shall perish.

Psalm 2
The Reign Of The LORD’S Anointed.
1Why are the nations in an uproar [in turmoil against God],
And why do the people devise a vain and hopeless plot? 2The kings of the earth take their stand;
And the rulers take counsel together
Against the LORD and His Anointed (the Davidic King, the Messiah, the Christ), saying, 3“Let us break apart their [divine] bands [of restraint]
And cast away their cords [of control] from us.” 4He who sits [enthroned] in the heavens laughs [at their rebellion];
The [Sovereign] Lord scoffs at them [and in supreme contempt He mocks them]. 5Then He will speak to them in His [profound] anger
And terrify them with His displeasure, saying, 6“Yet as for Me, I have anointed and firmly installed My King
Upon Zion, My holy mountain.” 7“I will declare the decree of the LORD:
He said to Me, ‘You are My Son;
This day [I proclaim] I have begotten You. 8‘Ask of Me, and I will assuredly give [You] the nations as Your inheritance,
And the ends of the earth as Your possession. 9‘You shall break them with a rod of iron;
You shall shatter them [in pieces] like earthenware.’” 10Now therefore, O kings, act wisely;
Be instructed and take warning, O leaders (judges, rulers) of the earth. 11Worship the LORD and serve Him with reverence [with awe-inspired fear and submissive wonder];
Rejoice [yet do so] with trembling. 12Kiss (pay respect to) the Son, so that He does not become angry, and you perish in the way,
For His wrath may soon be kindled and set aflame.
How blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] are all those who take refuge in Him!

Psalm 3
Morning Prayer Of Trust In God.
A Psalm of David. When he fled from Absalom his son. 1O LORD, how my enemies have increased!
Many are rising up against me. 2Many are saying of me,
“There is no help [no salvation] for him in God.” Selah. 3But You, O LORD, are a shield for me,
My glory [and my honor], and the One who lifts my head. 4With my voice I was crying to the LORD,
And He answered me from His holy mountain. Selah. 5I lay down and slept [safely];
I awakened, for the LORD sustains me. 6I will not be intimidated or afraid of the ten thousands
Who have set themselves against me all around. 7Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God!
For You have struck all my enemies on the cheek;
You have shattered the teeth of the wicked. 8Salvation belongs to the LORD;
May Your blessing be upon Your people. Selah.

Psalm 4
Evening Prayer Of Trust In God.
To the Chief Musician; on stringed instruments. A Psalm of David. 1Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness!
You have freed me when I was hemmed in and relieved me when I was in distress;
Be gracious to me and hear [and respond to] my prayer. 2O sons of men, how long will my honor and glory be [turned into] shame?
How long will you [my enemies] love worthless (vain, futile) things and seek deception and lies? Selah. 3But know that the LORD has set apart for Himself [and dealt wonderfully with] the godly man [the one of honorable character and moral courage—the one who does right].
The LORD hears and responds when I call to Him. 4Tremble [with anger or fear], and do not sin;
Meditate in your heart upon your bed and be still [reflect on your sin and repent of your rebellion]. Selah. 5Offer righteous sacrifices;
Trust [confidently] in the LORD. 6Many are saying, “Oh, that we might see some good!”
Lift up the light of Your face upon us, O LORD. 7You have put joy in my heart,
More than [others know] when their wheat and new wine have yielded abundantly. 8In peace [and with a tranquil heart] I will both lie down and sleep,
For You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety and confident trust.

Psalm 5
Prayer For Protection From The Wicked.
To the Chief Musician; on wind instruments. A Psalm of David. 1Listen to my words, O LORD,
Consider my groaning and sighing. 2Heed the sound of my cry for help, my King and my God,
For to You I pray. 3In the morning, O LORD, You will hear my voice;
In the morning I will prepare [a prayer and a sacrifice] for You and watch and wait [for You to speak to my heart]. 4For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness;
No evil [person] dwells with You. 5The boastful and the arrogant will not stand in Your sight;
You hate all who do evil. 6You destroy those who tell lies;
The LORD detests and rejects the bloodthirsty and deceitful man. 7But as for me, I will enter Your house through the abundance of Your steadfast love and tender mercy;
At Your holy temple I will bow [obediently] in reverence for You. 😯 LORD, lead me in Your righteousness because of my enemies;
Make Your way straight (direct, right) before me. 9For there is nothing trustworthy or reliable or truthful in what they say;
Their heart is destruction [just a treacherous chasm, a yawning gulf of lies].
Their throat is an open grave;
They [glibly] flatter with their [silken] tongue. 10Hold them guilty, O God;
Let them fall by their own designs and councils!
Cast them out because of the abundance of their transgressions,
For they are mutinous and have rebelled against You. 11But let all who take refuge and put their trust in You rejoice,
Let them ever sing for joy;
Because You cover and shelter them,
Let those who love Your name be joyful and exult in You. 12For You, O LORD, bless the righteous man [the one who is in right standing with You];
You surround him with favor as with a shield.

Psalm 6
Prayer For Mercy In Time Of Trouble.
To the Chief Musician; on stringed instruments, set [possibly] an octave below. A Psalm of David. 1O LORD, do not rebuke or punish me in Your anger,
Nor discipline me in Your wrath. 2Have mercy on me and be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am weak (faint, frail);
Heal me, O LORD, for my bones are dismayed and anguished. 3My soul [as well as my body] is greatly dismayed.
But as for You, O LORD—how long [until You act on my behalf]? 4Return, O LORD, rescue my soul;
Save me because of Your [unfailing] steadfast love and mercy. 5For in death there is no mention of You;
In Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead) who will praise You and give You thanks? 6I am weary with my groaning;
Every night I soak my bed with tears,
I drench my couch with my weeping. 7My eye grows dim with grief;
It grows old because of all my enemies. 8Depart from me, all you who do evil,
For the LORD has heard the voice of my weeping. 9The LORD has heard my supplication [my plea for grace];
The LORD receives my prayer. 10Let all my enemies be ashamed and greatly horrified;
Let them turn back, let them suddenly be ashamed [of what they have done].

Psalm 7
The LORD Implored To Defend The Psalmist Against The Wicked.
An Ode of David, [perhaps in a wild, irregular, enthusiastic strain,] which he sang to the LORD concerning the words of Cush, a Benjamite. 1O LORD my God, in You I take refuge;
Save me and rescue me from all those who pursue me, 2So that my enemy will not tear me like a lion,
Dragging me away while there is no one to rescue [me]. 3O LORD my God, if I have done this,
If there is injustice in my hands, 4If I have done evil to him who was at peace with me,
Or without cause robbed him who was my enemy, 5Let the enemy pursue me and overtake me;
And let him trample my life to the ground
And lay my honor in the dust. Selah. 6Arise, O LORD, in Your anger;
Lift up Yourself against the rage of my enemies;
Rise up for me; You have commanded judgment and vindication. 7Let the assembly of the nations be gathered around You,
And return on high over them. 8The LORD judges the peoples;
Judge me, O LORD, and grant me justice according to my righteousness and according to the integrity within me. 9Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous [those in right standing with You];
For the righteous God tries the hearts and minds. 10My shield and my defense depend on God,
Who saves the upright in heart. 11God is a righteous judge,
And a God who is indignant every day. 12If a man does not repent, God will sharpen His sword;
He has strung and bent His [mighty] bow and made it ready. 13He has also prepared [other] deadly weapons for Himself;
He makes His arrows fiery shafts [aimed at the unrepentant]. 14Behold, the [wicked and irreverent] man is pregnant with sin,
And he conceives mischief and gives birth to lies. 15He has dug a pit and hollowed it out,
And has fallen into the [very] pit which he made [as a trap]. 16His mischief will return on his own head,
And his violence will come down on the top of his head [like loose dirt]. 17I will give thanks to the LORD according to His righteousness and justice,
And I will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.

Psalm 8
The LORD’S Glory And Man’s Dignity.
To the Chief Musician; set to a Philistine lute [or perhaps to a particular Hittite tune]. A Psalm of David. 1O LORD, our Lord,
How majestic and glorious and excellent is Your name in all the earth!
You have displayed Your splendor above the heavens. 2Out of the mouths of infants and nursing babes You have established strength
Because of Your adversaries,
That You might silence the enemy and make the revengeful cease. 3When I see and consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have established, 4What is man that You are mindful of him,
And the son of [earthborn] man that You care for him? 5Yet You have made him a little lower than God,
And You have crowned him with glory and honor. 6You made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things under his feet, 7All sheep and oxen,
And also the beasts of the field, 8The birds of the air, and the fish of the sea,
Whatever passes through the paths of the seas. 9O LORD, our Lord,
How majestic and glorious and excellent is Your name in all the earth!

Psalm 9
A Psalm Of Thanksgiving For God’s Justice.
To the Chief Musician; on Muth-labben. A Psalm of David. 1I will give thanks and praise the LORD, with all my heart;
I will tell aloud all Your wonders and marvelous deeds. 2I will rejoice and exult in you;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High. 3When my enemies turn back,
They stumble and perish before You. 4For You have maintained my right and my cause;
You have sat on the throne judging righteously. 5You have rebuked the nations, You have destroyed the wicked and unrepentant;
You have wiped out their name forever and ever. 6The enemy has been cut off and has vanished in everlasting ruins,
You have uprooted their cities;
The very memory of them has perished. 7But the LORD will remain and sit enthroned forever;
He has prepared and established His throne for judgment. 8And He will judge the world in righteousness;
He will execute judgment for the nations with fairness (equity). 9The LORD also will be a refuge and a stronghold for the oppressed,
A refuge in times of trouble; 10And those who know Your name [who have experienced Your precious mercy] will put their confident trust in You,
For You, O LORD, have not abandoned those who seek You. 11Sing praises to the LORD, who dwells in Zion;
Declare among the peoples His [great and wondrous] deeds. 12For He who avenges blood [unjustly shed] remembers them (His people);
He does not forget the cry of the afflicted and abused. 13Have mercy on me and be gracious to me, O LORD;
See how I am afflicted by those who hate me,
You who lift me up from the gates of death, 14That I may tell aloud all Your praises,
That in the gates of the daughter of Zion (Jerusalem)
I may rejoice in Your salvation and Your help. 15The nations have sunk down in the pit which they have made;
In the net which they hid, their own foot has been caught. 16The LORD has made Himself known;
He executes judgment;
The wicked are trapped by the work of their own hands. Higgaion (meditation) Selah. 17The wicked will turn to Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead),
Even all the nations who forget God. 18For the poor will not always be forgotten,
Nor the hope of the burdened perish forever. 19Arise, O LORD, do not let man prevail;
Let the nations be judged before You. 20Put them in [reverent] fear of You, O LORD,
So that the nations may know they are but [frail and mortal] men. Selah.

Psalm 10
A Prayer For The Overthrow Of The Wicked.
1Why do You stand far away, O LORD?
Why do You hide [Yourself, veiling Your eyes] in times of trouble? 2In pride and arrogance the wicked hotly pursue and persecute the afflicted;
Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised. 3For the wicked boasts and sings the praises of his heart’s desire,
And the greedy man curses and spurns [and even despises] the LORD. 4The wicked, in the haughtiness of his face, will not seek nor inquire for Him;
All his thoughts are, “There is no God [so there is no accountability or punishment].” 5His ways prosper at all times;
Your judgments [LORD] are on high, out of his sight [so he never thinks about them];
As for all his enemies, he sneers at them. 6He says to himself, “I will not be moved;
For throughout all generations I will not be in adversity [for nothing bad will happen to me].” 7His mouth is full of curses and deceit (fraud) and oppression;
Under his tongue is mischief and wickedness [injustice and sin]. 8He lurks in ambush in the villages;
In hiding places he kills the innocent;
He lies in wait for the unfortunate [the unhappy, the poor, the helpless]. 9He lurks in a hiding place like a lion in his lair;
He lies in wait to catch the afflicted;
He catches the afflicted when he draws him into his net. 10He crushes [his prey] and crouches;
And the unfortunate fall by his mighty claws. 11He says to himself, “God has [quite] forgotten;
He has hidden His face; He will never see my deed.” 12Arise, O LORD! O God, lift up Your hand [in judgment];
Do not forget the suffering. 13Why has the wicked spurned and shown disrespect to God?
He has said to himself, “You will not require me to account.” 14You have seen it, for You have noted mischief and vexation (irritation) to take it into Your hand.
The unfortunate commits himself to You;
You are the helper of the fatherless. 15Break the arm of the wicked and the evildoer,
Seek out his wickedness until You find no more. 16The LORD is King forever and ever;
The nations will perish from His land. 17O LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble and oppressed;
You will strengthen their heart, You will incline Your ear to hear, 18To vindicate and obtain justice for the fatherless and the oppressed,
So that man who is of the earth will no longer terrify them.

Psalm 11
The LORD A Refuge And Defense.
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. 1In the LORD I take refuge [and put my trust];
How can you say to me, “Flee like a bird to your mountain; 2For look, the wicked are bending the bow;
They take aim with their arrow on the string
To shoot [by stealth] in darkness at the upright in heart. 3“If the foundations [of a godly society] are destroyed,
What can the righteous do?” 4The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD’S throne is in heaven.
His eyes see, His eyelids test the children of men. 5The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked,
And His soul hates the [malevolent] one who loves violence. 6Upon the wicked (godless) He will rain coals of fire;
Fire and brimstone and a dreadful scorching wind will be the portion of their cup [of doom]. 7For the LORD is [absolutely] righteous, He loves righteousness (virtue, morality, justice);
The upright shall see His face.

Psalm 12
God, A Helper Against The Treacherous.
To the Chief Musician; set an octave below. A Psalm of David. 1Save and help and rescue, LORD, for godly people cease to be,
For the faithful vanish from among the sons of men. 2They speak deceitful and worthless words to one another;
With flattering lips and a double heart they speak. 3May the LORD cut off all flattering lips,
The tongue that speaks great things [in boasting]; 4Who have said, “With our tongue we will prevail;
Our lips are our own; who is lord and master over us?” 5“Because of the devastation of the afflicted, because of the groaning of the needy,
Now I will arise,” says the LORD; “I will place him in the safety for which he longs.” 6The words and promises of the LORD are pure words,
Like silver refined in an earthen furnace, purified seven times. 7You, O LORD, will preserve and keep them;
You will protect him from this [evil] generation forever. 8The wicked strut about [in pompous self-importance] on every side,
As vileness is exalted and baseness is prized among the sons of men.

Psalm 13
Prayer For Help In Trouble.
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. 1How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever?
How long will You hide Your face from me? 2How long must I take counsel in my soul,
Having sorrow in my heart day after day?
How long will my enemy exalt himself and triumph over me? 3Consider and answer me, O LORD my God;
Give light (life) to my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death, 4And my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”
And my adversaries will rejoice when I am shaken. 5But I have trusted and relied on and been confident in Your lovingkindness and faithfulness;
My heart shall rejoice and delight in Your salvation. 6I will sing to the LORD,
Because He has dealt bountifully with me.

Psalm 14
Folly And Wickedness Of Men.
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. 1The [spiritually ignorant] fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, they have committed repulsive and unspeakable deeds;
There is no one who does good. 2The LORD has looked down from heaven upon the children of men
To see if there are any who understand (act wisely),
Who [truly] seek after God, [longing for His wisdom and guidance]. 3They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt;
There is no one who does good, not even one. 4Have all the workers of wickedness and injustice no knowledge,
Who eat up my people as they eat bread,
And do not call upon the LORD? 5There they tremble with great fear,
For God is with the [consistently] righteous generation. 6You [evildoers] shamefully plan against the poor,
But the LORD is his safe refuge. 7Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion!
When the LORD restores His captive people,
Then Jacob will rejoice, Israel will be glad.

Psalm 15
Description Of A Citizen Of Zion.
A Psalm of David. 1O LORD, who may lodge [as a guest] in Your tent?
Who may dwell [continually] on Your holy hill? 2He who walks with integrity and strength of character, and works righteousness,
And speaks and holds truth in his heart. 3He does not slander with his tongue,
Nor does evil to his neighbor,
Nor takes up a reproach against his friend; 4In his eyes an evil person is despised,
But he honors those who fear the LORD [and obediently worship Him with awe-inspired reverence and submissive wonder].
He keeps his word even to his own disadvantage and does not change it [for his own benefit]; 5He does not put out his money at interest [to a fellow Israelite],
And does not take a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things will never be shaken.

Psalm 16
The LORD The Psalmist’s Portion In Life And Deliverer In Death.
A Mikhtam of David [probably intended to record memorable thoughts]. 1Keep and protect me, O God, for in You I have placed my trust and found refuge. 2I said to the LORD, “You are my Lord;
I have no good besides You.” 3As for the saints (godly people) who are in the land,
They are the majestic and the noble and the excellent ones in whom is all my delight. 4The sorrows [pain and suffering] of those who have chosen another god will be multiplied [because of their idolatry];
I will not pour out their drink offerings of blood,
Nor will I take their names upon my lips. 5The LORD is the portion of my inheritance, my cup [He is all I need];
You support my lot. 6The [boundary] lines [of the land] have fallen for me in pleasant places;
Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me. 7I will bless the LORD who has counseled me;
Indeed, my heart (mind) instructs me in the night. 8I have set the LORD continually before me;
Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 9Therefore my heart is glad and my glory [my innermost self] rejoices;
My body too will dwell [confidently] in safety, 10For You will not abandon me to Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead),
Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay. 11You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
In Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.

Psalm 17
Prayer For Protection Against Oppressors.
A Prayer of David. 1Hear the just (righteous) cause, O LORD; listen to my loud [piercing] cry;
Listen to my prayer, that comes from guileless lips. 2Let my verdict of vindication come from Your presence;
May Your eyes look with equity and behold things that are just. 3You have tried my heart;
You have visited me in the night;
You have tested me and You find nothing [evil in me];
I intend that my mouth will not transgress. 4Concerning the deeds of men, by the word of Your lips
I have kept away from the paths of the violent. 5My steps have held closely to Your paths;
My feet have not staggered. 6I have called upon You, for You, O God, will answer me;
Incline Your ear to me, hear my speech. 7Wondrously show Your [marvelous and amazing] lovingkindness,
O Savior of those who take refuge at Your right hand
From those who rise up against them. 8Keep me [in Your affectionate care, protect me] as the apple of Your eye;
Hide me in the [protective] shadow of Your wings 9From the wicked who despoil and deal violently with me,
My deadly enemies who surround me. 10They have closed their unfeeling heart [to kindness and compassion];
With their mouths they speak proudly and make presumptuous claims. 11They track us down and have now surrounded us in our steps;
They set their eyes to force us to the ground, 12He is like a lion eager to tear [his prey],
And like a young lion lurking in hiding places. 13Arise, O LORD, confront him, cast him down;
Save my soul from the wicked with Your sword, 14From men with Your hand, O LORD,
From men of the world [these moths of the night] whose portion [of enjoyment] is in this life—idle and vain,
And whose belly You fill with Your treasure;
They are satisfied with children,
And they leave what they have left [of wealth] to their children. 15As for me, I shall see Your face in righteousness;
I will be [fully] satisfied when I awake [to find myself] seeing Your likeness.

Psalm 18
David Praises The LORD For Rescuing Him.
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David, the servant of the LORD, who spoke the words of this song to the LORD on the day when the LORD rescued him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. And he said: 1“I love You [fervently and devotedly], O LORD, my strength.” 2The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and the One who rescues me;
My God, my rock and strength in whom I trust and take refuge;
My shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower—my stronghold. 3I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised;
And I am saved from my enemies. 4The cords of death surrounded me,
And the streams of ungodliness and torrents of destruction terrified me. 5The cords of Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead) surrounded me;
The snares of death confronted me. 6In my distress [when I seemed surrounded] I called upon the LORD
And cried to my God for help;
He heard my voice from His temple,
And my cry for help came before Him, into His very ears. 7Then the earth shook and quaked,
The foundations of the mountains trembled;
They were shaken because He was indignant and angry. 8Smoke went up from His nostrils,
And fire from His mouth devoured;
Coals were kindled by it. 9He bowed the heavens also and came down;
And thick darkness was under His feet. 10And He rode upon a cherub (storm) and flew;
And He sped on the wings of the wind. 11He made darkness His hiding place (covering); His pavilion (canopy) around Him,
The darkness of the waters, the thick clouds of the skies. 12Out of the brightness before Him passed His thick clouds,
Hailstones and coals of fire. 13The LORD also thundered in the heavens,
And the Most High uttered His voice,
Hailstones and coals of fire. 14He sent out His arrows and scattered them;
And He sent an abundance of lightning flashes and confused and routed them [in defeat]. 15Then the stream beds of the waters appeared,
And the foundations of the world were laid bare
At Your rebuke, O LORD,
At the blast of the breath of Your nostrils. 16He reached from on high, He took me;
He drew me out of many waters. 17He rescued me from my strong enemy,
And from those who hated me, for they were too strong for me. 18They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
But the LORD was my support. 19He brought me out into a broad place;
He rescued me because He was pleased with me and delighted in me. 20The LORD dealt with me according to my righteousness (moral character, spiritual integrity);
According to the cleanness of my hands He has rewarded me. 21For I have kept the ways of the LORD,
And have not wickedly departed from my God. 22For all His ordinances were before me,
And I did not put away His statutes from me. 23I was blameless before Him,
And I kept myself free from my sin. 24Therefore the LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness (moral character, spiritual integrity),
According to the cleanness of my hands in His sight. 25With the kind (merciful, faithful, loyal) You show Yourself kind,
With the blameless You show Yourself blameless, 26With the pure You show Yourself pure,
And with the crooked You show Yourself astute. 27For You save an afflicted and humble people,
But bring down those [arrogant fools] with haughty eyes. 28For You cause my lamp to be lighted and to shine;
The LORD my God illumines my darkness. 29For by You I can crush a troop,
And by my God I can leap over a wall. 30As for God, His way is blameless.
The word of the LORD is tested [it is perfect, it is faultless];
He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him. 31For who is God, but the LORD?
Or who is a rock, except our God, 32The God who encircles me with strength
And makes my way blameless? 33He makes my feet like hinds’ feet [able to stand firmly and tread safely on paths of testing and trouble];
He sets me [securely] upon my high places. 34He trains my hands for war,
So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. 35You have also given me the shield of Your salvation,
And Your right hand upholds and sustains me;
Your gentleness [Your gracious response when I pray] makes me great. 36You enlarge the path beneath me and make my steps secure,
So that my feet will not slip. 37I pursued my enemies and overtook them;
And I did not turn back until they were consumed. 38I shattered them so that they were not able to rise;
They fell [wounded] under my feet. 39For You have encircled me with strength for the battle;
You have subdued under me those who rose up against me. 40You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me [in defeat],
And I silenced and destroyed those who hated me. 41They cried for help, but there was no one to save them—
Even to the LORD [they cried], but He did not answer them. 42Then I beat them fine as the dust before the wind;
I emptied them out as the dirt of the streets. 43You have rescued me from the contentions of the people;
You have placed me as the head of the nations;
A people whom I have not known serve me. 44As soon as they hear me, they respond and obey me;
Foreigners feign obedience to me. 45Foreigners lose heart,
And come trembling out of their strongholds. 46The LORD lives, blessed be my rock;
And may the God of my salvation be exalted, 47The God who avenges me,
And subdues peoples (nations) under me. 48He rescues me from my enemies;
Yes, You lift me up above those who rise up against me;
You deliver me from the man of violence. 49Therefore will I give thanks and praise You, O LORD, among the nations,
And sing praises to Your name. 50He gives great triumphs to His king,
And shows steadfast love and mercy to His anointed,
To David and his descendants forever.

Psalm 19
The Works And The Word Of God.
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. 1The heavens are telling of the glory of God;
And the expanse [of heaven] is declaring the work of His hands. 2Day after day pours forth speech,
And night after night reveals knowledge. 3There is no speech, nor are there [spoken] words [from the stars];
Their voice is not heard. 4Yet their voice [in quiet evidence] has gone out through all the earth,
Their words to the end of the world.
In them and in the heavens He has made a tent for the sun, 5Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber;
It rejoices as a strong man to run his course. 6The sun’s rising is from one end of the heavens,
And its circuit to the other end of them;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat. 7The law of the LORD is perfect (flawless), restoring and refreshing the soul;
The statutes of the LORD are reliable and trustworthy, making wise the simple. 8The precepts of the LORD are right, bringing joy to the heart;
The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. 9The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the LORD are true, they are righteous altogether. 10They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. 11Moreover, by them Your servant is warned [reminded, illuminated, and instructed];
In keeping them there is great reward. 12Who can understand his errors or omissions? Acquit me of hidden (unconscious, unintended) faults. 13Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous (deliberate, willful) sins;
Let them not rule and have control over me.
Then I will be blameless (complete),
And I shall be acquitted of great transgression. 14Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable and pleasing in Your sight,
O LORD, my [firm, immovable] rock and my Redeemer.

Psalm 20
Prayer For Victory Over Enemies.
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. 1May the LORD answer you (David) in the day of trouble!
May the name of the God of Jacob set you securely on high [and defend you in battle]! 2May He send you help from the sanctuary (His dwelling place)
And support and strengthen you from Zion! 3May He remember all your meal offerings
And accept your burnt offering. Selah. 4May He grant you your heart’s desire
And fulfill all your plans. 5We will sing joyously over your victory,
And in the name of our God we will set up our banners.
May the LORD fulfill all your petitions. 6Now I know that the LORD saves His anointed;
He will answer him from His holy heaven
With the saving strength of His right hand. 7Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
But we will remember and trust in the name of the LORD our God. 8They have bowed down and fallen,
But we have risen and stood upright. 9O LORD, save [the king];
May the King answer us in the day we call.

Psalm 21
Praise For Help.
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. 1O LORD the king will delight in Your strength,
And in Your salvation how greatly will he rejoice! 2You have given him his heart’s desire,
And You have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah. 3For You meet him with blessings of good things;
You set a crown of pure gold on his head. 4He asked life of You,
And You gave it to him,
Long life forever and evermore. 5His glory is great because of Your victory;
Splendor and majesty You bestow upon him. 6For You make him most blessed [and a blessing] forever;
You make him joyful with the joy of Your presence. 7For the king [confidently] trusts in the LORD,
And through the lovingkindness (faithfulness, goodness) of the Most High he will never be shaken. 8Your hand will reach out and defeat all your enemies;
Your right hand will reach those who hate you. 9You will make them as [if in] a blazing oven in the time of your anger;
The LORD will swallow them up in His wrath,
And the fire will devour them. 10Their offspring You will destroy from the earth,
And their descendants from the sons of men. 11For they planned evil against You;
They devised a [malevolent] plot
And they will not succeed. 12For You will make them turn their backs [in defeat];
You will aim Your bowstring [of divine justice] at their faces. 13Be exalted, LORD, in Your strength;
We will sing and praise Your power.

Psalm 22
A Cry Of Anguish And A Song Of Praise.
To the Chief Musician; set to [the tune of] Aijeleth Hashshahar (The Doe of the Dawn). A Psalm of David. 1My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?
Why are You so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning? 2O my God, I call out by day, but You do not answer;
And by night, but I find no rest nor quiet. 3But You are holy,
O You who are enthroned in [the holy place where] the praises of Israel [are offered]. 4In You our fathers trusted [leaned on, relied on, and were confident];
They trusted and You rescued them. 5They cried out to You and were delivered;
They trusted in You and were not disappointed or ashamed. 6But I am [treated as] a worm [insignificant and powerless] and not a man;
I am the scorn of men and despised by the people. 7All who see me laugh at me and mock me;
They [insultingly] open their lips, they shake their head, saying, 8“He trusted and committed himself to the LORD, let Him save him.
Let Him rescue him, because He delights in him.” 9Yet You are He who pulled me out of the womb;
You made me trust when on my mother’s breasts. 10I was cast upon You from birth;
From my mother’s womb You have been my God. 11Do not be far from me, for trouble is near;
And there is no one to help. 12Many [enemies like] bulls have surrounded me;
Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me. 13They open wide their mouths against me,
Like a ravening and a roaring lion. 14I am poured out like water,
And all my bones are out of joint.
My heart is like wax;
It is melted [by anguish] within me. 15My strength is dried up like a fragment of clay pottery;
And my [dry] tongue clings to my jaws;
And You have laid me in the dust of death. 16For [a pack of] dogs have surrounded me;
A gang of evildoers has encircled me,
They pierced my hands and my feet. 17I can count all my bones;
They look, they stare at me. 18They divide my clothing among them
And cast lots for my garment. 19But You, O LORD, do not be far from me;
O You my help, come quickly to my assistance. 20Rescue my life from the sword,
My only life from the paw of the dog (the executioner). 21Save me from the lion’s mouth;
From the horns of the wild oxen You answer me. 22I will tell of Your name to my countrymen;
In the midst of the congregation I will praise You. 23You who fear the LORD [with awe-inspired reverence], praise Him!
All you descendants of Jacob, honor Him.
Fear Him [with submissive wonder], all you descendants of Israel. 24For He has not despised nor detested the suffering of the afflicted;
Nor has He hidden His face from him;
But when he cried to Him for help, He listened. 25My praise will be of You in the great assembly.
I will pay my vows [made in the time of trouble] before those who [reverently] fear Him. 26The afflicted will eat and be satisfied;
Those who [diligently] seek Him and require Him [as their greatest need] will praise the LORD.
May your hearts live forever! 27All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD,
And all the families of the nations will bow down and worship before You, 28For the kingship and the kingdom are the LORD’S
And He rules over the nations. 29All the prosperous of the earth will eat and worship;
All those who go down to the dust (the dead) will bow before Him,
Even he who cannot keep his soul alive. 30Posterity will serve Him;
They will tell of the Lord to the next generation. 31They will come and declare His righteousness
To a people yet to be born—that He has done it [and that it is finished].

Psalm 23
The LORD, The Psalmist’s Shepherd.
A Psalm of David. 1The LORD is my Shepherd [to feed, to guide and to shield me],
I shall not want. 2He lets me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still and quiet waters. 3He refreshes and restores my soul (life);
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
for His name’s sake. 4Even though I walk through the [sunless] valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort and console me. 5You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You have anointed and refreshed my head with oil;
My cup overflows. 6Surely goodness and mercy and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life,
And I shall dwell forever [throughout all my days] in the house and in the presence of the LORD.

Psalm 24
The King Of Glory Entering Zion.
A Psalm of David. 1The earth is the LORD’S, and the fullness of it,
The world, and those who dwell in it. 2For He has founded it upon the seas
And established it upon the streams and the rivers. 3Who may ascend onto the mountain of the LORD?
And who may stand in His holy place? 4He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
Who has not lifted up his soul to what is false,
Nor has sworn [oaths] deceitfully. 5He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,
And righteousness from the God of his salvation. 6This is the generation (description) of those who diligently seek Him and require Him as their greatest need,
Who seek Your face, even [as did] Jacob. Selah. 7Lift up your heads, O gates,
And be lifted up, ancient doors,
That the King of glory may come in. 8Who is the King of glory?
The LORD strong and mighty,
The LORD mighty in battle. 9Lift up your heads, O gates,
And lift them up, ancient doors,
That the King of glory may come in. 10Who is [He then] this King of glory?
The LORD of hosts,
He is the King of glory [who rules over all creation with His heavenly armies]. Selah.

Psalm 25
Prayer For Protection, Guidance And Pardon.
A Psalm of David. 1To You, O LORD, I lift up my soul. 2O my God, in You I [have unwavering] trust [and I rely on You with steadfast confidence],
Do not let me be ashamed or my hope in You be disappointed;
Do not let my enemies triumph over me. 3Indeed, none of those who [expectantly] wait for You will be ashamed;
Those who turn away from what is right and deal treacherously without cause will be ashamed (humiliated, embarrassed). 4Let me know Your ways, O LORD;
Teach me Your paths. 5Guide me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
For You [and only You] I wait [expectantly] all the day long. 6Remember, O LORD, Your [tender] compassion and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they have been from of old. 7Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
According to Your lovingkindness remember me,
For Your goodness’ sake, O LORD. 8Good and upright is the LORD;
Therefore He instructs sinners in the way. 9He leads the humble in justice,
And He teaches the humble His way. 10All the paths of the LORD are lovingkindness and goodness and truth and faithfulness
To those who keep His covenant and His testimonies. 11For Your name’s sake, O LORD,
Pardon my wickedness and my guilt, for they are great. 12Who is the man who fears the LORD [with awe-inspired reverence and worships Him with submissive wonder]?
He will teach him [through His word] in the way he should choose. 13His soul will dwell in prosperity and goodness,
And his descendants will inherit the land. 14The secret [of the wise counsel] of the LORD is for those who fear Him,
And He will let them know His covenant and reveal to them [through His word] its [deep, inner] meaning. 15My eyes are continually toward the LORD,
For He will bring my feet out of the net. 16Turn to me [LORD] and be gracious to me,
For I am alone and afflicted. 17The troubles of my heart are multiplied;
Bring me out of my distresses. 18Look upon my affliction and my trouble,
And forgive all my sins. 19Look upon my enemies, for they are many;
They hate me with cruel and violent hatred. 20Guard my soul and rescue me;
Do not let me be ashamed or disappointed,
For I have taken refuge in You. 21Let integrity and uprightness protect me,
For I wait [expectantly] for You. 22O God, redeem Israel,
Out of all his troubles.

Psalm 26
Protestation Of Integrity And Prayer For Protection.
A Psalm of David. 1Vindicate me, O LORD, for I have walked in my integrity;
I have [relied on and] trusted [confidently] in the LORD without wavering and I shall not slip. 2Examine me, O LORD, and try me;
Test my heart and my mind. 3For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes,
And I have walked [faithfully] in Your truth. 4I do not sit with deceitful or unethical or worthless men,
Nor seek companionship with pretenders (self-righteous hypocrites). 5I hate the company of evildoers,
And will not sit with the wicked. 6I will wash my hands in innocence,
And I will go about Your altar, O LORD, 7That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving
And declare all Your wonders. 😯 LORD, I love the habitation of Your house
And the place where Your glory dwells. 9Do not sweep my soul away with sinners,
Nor [sweep away] my life with men of bloodshed, 10In whose hands is a wicked scheme,
And whose right hand is full of bribes. 11But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity;
Redeem me and be merciful and gracious to me. 12My foot stands on a level place;
In the congregations I will bless the LORD.

Psalm 27
A Psalm Of Fearless Trust In God.
A Psalm of David. 1The LORD is my light and my salvation—
Whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the refuge and fortress of my life—
Whom shall I dread? 2When the wicked came against me to eat up my flesh,
My adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell. 3Though an army encamp against me,
My heart will not fear;
Though war arise against me,
Even in this I am confident. 4One thing I have asked of the LORD, and that I will seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the LORD [in His presence] all the days of my life,
To gaze upon the beauty [the delightful loveliness and majestic grandeur] of the LORD
And to meditate in His temple. 5For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter;
In the secret place of His tent He will hide me;
He will lift me up on a rock. 6And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me,
In His tent I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD. 7Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud;
Be gracious and compassionate to me and answer me. 8When You said, “Seek My face [in prayer, require My presence as your greatest need],” my heart said to You,
“Your face, O LORD, I will seek [on the authority of Your word].” 9Do not hide Your face from me,
Do not turn Your servant away in anger;
You have been my help;
Do not abandon me nor leave me,
O God of my salvation! 10Although my father and my mother have abandoned me,
Yet the LORD will take me up [adopt me as His child]. 11Teach me Your way, O LORD,
And lead me on a level path
Because of my enemies [who lie in wait]. 12Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries,
For false witnesses have come against me;
They breathe out violence. 13I would have despaired had I not believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD
In the land of the living. 14Wait for and confidently expect the LORD;
Be strong and let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait for and confidently expect the LORD.

Psalm 28
A Prayer For Help, And Praise For Its Answer.
A Psalm of David. 1To you I call, O LORD,
My rock, do not be deaf to me,
For if You are silent to me,
I will become like those who go down to the pit (grave). 2Hear the voice of my supplication (specific requests, humble entreaties) as I cry to You for help,
As I lift up my hands and heart toward Your innermost sanctuary (Holy of Holies). 3Do not drag me away with the wicked
And with those who do evil,
Who speak peace with their neighbors,
While malice and mischief are in their hearts. 4Repay them according to their work and according to the evil of their practices;
Repay them according to the deeds of their hands;
Repay them what they deserve. 5Because they have no regard for the works of the LORD
Nor the deeds of His hands,
He will tear them down and not rebuild them. 6Blessed be the LORD,
Because He has heard the voice of my supplication. 7The LORD is my strength and my [impenetrable] shield;
My heart trusts [with unwavering confidence] in Him, and I am helped;
Therefore my heart greatly rejoices,
And with my song I shall thank Him and praise Him. 8The LORD is their [unyielding] strength,
And He is the fortress of salvation to His anointed. 9Save Your people and bless Your inheritance;
Be their shepherd also, and carry them forever.

Psalm 29
The Voice Of The LORD In The Storm.
A Psalm of David. 1Ascribe to the LORD, O sons of the mighty,
Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. 2Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name;
Worship the LORD in the beauty and majesty of His holiness [as the creator and source of holiness]. 3The voice of the LORD is upon the waters;
The God of glory thunders;
The LORD is over many waters. 4The voice of the LORD is powerful;
The voice of the LORD is full of majesty. 5The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars;
Yes, the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon. 6He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,
And Sirion (Mount Hermon) like a young, wild ox. 7The voice of the LORD rakes flames of fire (lightning). 8The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness;
The LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. 9The voice of the LORD makes the doe labor and give birth
And strips the forests bare;
And in His temple all are saying, “Glory!” 10The LORD sat as King at the flood;
Yes, the LORD sits as King forever. 11The LORD will give [unyielding and impenetrable] strength to His people;
The LORD will bless His people with peace.

Psalm 30
Thanksgiving For Deliverance From Death.
A Psalm; a Song at the Dedication of the House (Temple). A Psalm of David. 1I will extol and praise You, O LORD, for You have lifted me up,
And have not let my enemies rejoice over me. 2O LORD my God,
I cried to You for help, and You have healed me. 3O LORD, You have brought my life up from Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead);
You have kept me alive, so that I would not go down to the pit (grave). 4Sing to the LORD, O you His godly ones,
And give thanks at the mention of His holy name. 5For His anger is but for a moment,
His favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may endure for a night,
But a shout of joy comes in the morning. 6As for me, in my prosperity I said,
“I shall never be moved.” 7By Your favor and grace, O LORD, you have made my mountain stand strong;
You hid Your face, and I was horrified. 8I called to You, O LORD,
And to the Lord I made supplication (specific request). 9“What profit is there in my blood (death), if I go down to the pit (grave)?
Will the dust praise You? Will it declare Your faithfulness [to man]? 10“Hear, O LORD, be gracious and show favor to me;
O LORD, be my helper.” 11You have turned my mourning into dancing for me;
You have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, 12That my soul may sing praise to You and not be silent.
O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever.

Psalm 31
A Psalm Of Complaint And Of Praise.
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. 1In You, O LORD, I have placed my trust and taken refuge;
Let me never be ashamed;
In Your righteousness rescue me. 2Incline Your ear to me, deliver me quickly;
Be my rock of refuge,
And a strong fortress to save me. 3Yes, You are my rock and my fortress;
For Your name’s sake You will lead me and guide me. 4You will draw me out of the net that they have secretly laid for me,
For You are my strength and my stronghold. 5Into Your hand I commit my spirit;
You have redeemed me, O LORD, the God of truth and faithfulness. 6I hate those who pay regard to vain (empty, worthless) idols;
But I trust in the LORD [and rely on Him with unwavering confidence]. 7I will rejoice and be glad in Your steadfast love,
Because You have seen my affliction;
You have taken note of my life’s distresses, 8And You have not given me into the hand of the enemy;
You have set my feet in a broad place. 9Be gracious and compassionate to me, O LORD, for I am in trouble;
My eye is clouded and weakened by grief, my soul and my body also. 10For my life is spent with sorrow
And my years with sighing;
My strength has failed because of my iniquity,
And even my body has wasted away. 11Because of all my enemies I have become a reproach and disgrace,
Especially to my neighbors,
And an object of dread to my acquaintances;
Those who see me on the street run from me. 12I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind;
I am like a broken vessel. 13For I have heard the slander and whispering of many,
Terror is on every side;
While they schemed together against me,
They plotted to take away my life. 14But as for me, I trust [confidently] in You and Your greatness, O LORD;
I said, “You are my God.” 15My times are in Your hands;
Rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from those who pursue and persecute me. 16Make Your face shine upon Your servant;
Save me in Your lovingkindness. 17Let me not be put to shame, O LORD, for I call on You;
Let the wicked (godless) be put to shame, let them be silent in Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead). 18Let the lying lips be mute,
Which speak insolently and arrogantly against the [consistently] righteous
With pride and contempt. 19How great is Your goodness,
Which You have stored up for those who [reverently] fear You,
Which You have prepared for those who take refuge in You,
Before the sons of man! 20In the secret place of Your presence You hide them from the plots and conspiracies of man;
You keep them secretly in a shelter (pavilion) from the strife of tongues. 21Blessed be the LORD,
For He has shown His marvelous favor and lovingkindness to me [when I was assailed] in a besieged city. 22As for me, I said in my alarm,
“I am cut off from Your eyes.”
Nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplications (specific requests)
When I cried to You [for help]. 23O love the LORD, all you His godly ones!
The LORD preserves the faithful [those with moral and spiritual integrity]
And fully repays the [self-righteousness of the] arrogant. 24Be strong and let your hearts take courage,
All you who wait for and confidently expect the LORD.

Psalm 32
Blessedness Of Forgiveness And Of Trust In God.
A Psalm of David. A skillful song, or a didactic or reflective poem. 1Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, favored by God] is he whose transgression is forgiven,
And whose sin is covered. 2Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute wickedness,
And in whose spirit there is no deceit. 3When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away
Through my groaning all the day long. 4For day and night Your hand [of displeasure] was heavy upon me;
My energy (vitality, strength) was drained away as with the burning heat of summer. Selah. 5I acknowledged my sin to You,
And I did not hide my wickedness;
I said, “I will confess [all] my transgressions to the LORD”;
And You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah. 6Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You [for forgiveness] in a time when You [are near and] may be found;
Surely when the great waters [of trial and distressing times] overflow they will not reach [the spirit in] him. 7You are my hiding place; You, LORD, protect me from trouble;
You surround me with songs and shouts of deliverance. Selah. 8I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you [who are willing to learn] with My eye upon you. 9Do not be like the horse or like the mule which have no understanding,
Whose trappings include bridle and rein to hold them in check,
Otherwise they will not come near to you. 10Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
But he who trusts in and relies on the LORD shall be surrounded with compassion and lovingkindness. 11Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous [who actively seek right standing with Him];
Shout for joy, all you upright in heart.

Psalm 33
Praise To The Creator And Preserver.
1Rejoice in the LORD, you righteous ones;
Praise is becoming and appropriate for those who are upright [in heart—those with moral integrity and godly character]. 2Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre;
Sing praises to Him with the harp of ten strings. 3Sing to Him a new song;
Play skillfully [on the strings] with a loud and joyful sound. 4For the word of the LORD is right;
And all His work is done in faithfulness. 5He loves righteousness and justice;
The earth is full of the lovingkindness of the LORD. 6By the word of the LORD were the heavens made,
And all their host by the breath of His mouth. 7He gathers the waters of the sea together as in a wineskin;
He puts the deeps in storehouses. 8Let all the earth fear and worship the LORD;
Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. 9For He spoke, and it was done;
He commanded, and it stood fast. 10The LORD nullifies the counsel of the nations;
He makes the thoughts and plans of the people ineffective. 11The counsel of the LORD stands forever,
The thoughts and plans of His heart through all generations. 12Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the nation whose God is the LORD,
The people whom He has chosen as His own inheritance. 13The LORD looks [down] from heaven;
He sees all the sons of man; 14From His dwelling place He looks closely
Upon all the inhabitants of the earth— 15He who fashions the hearts of them all,
Who considers and understands all that they do. 16The king is not saved by the great size of his army;
A warrior is not rescued by his great strength. 17A horse is a false hope for victory;
Nor does it deliver anyone by its great strength. 18Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon those who fear Him [and worship Him with awe-inspired reverence and obedience],
On those who hope [confidently] in His compassion and lovingkindness, 19To rescue their lives from death
And keep them alive in famine. 20We wait [expectantly] for the LORD;
He is our help and our shield. 21For in Him our heart rejoices,
Because we trust [lean on, rely on, and are confident] in His holy name. 22Let Your [steadfast] lovingkindness, O LORD, be upon us,
In proportion as we have hoped in You.

Psalm 34
The LORD, A Provider And The One Who Rescues Me.
A Psalm of David; when he pretended to be insane before Abimelech, who drove him out, and he went away. 1I will bless the LORD at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2My soul makes its boast in the LORD;
The humble and downtrodden will hear it and rejoice. 3O magnify the LORD with me,
And let us lift up His name together. 4I sought the LORD [on the authority of His word], and He answered me,
And delivered me from all my fears. 5They looked to Him and were radiant;
Their faces will never blush in shame or confusion. 6This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him
And saved him from all his troubles. 7The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him [with awe-inspired reverence and worship Him with obedience],
And He rescues [each of] them. 😯 taste and see that the LORD [our God] is good;
How blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the man who takes refuge in Him. 9O [reverently] fear the LORD, you His saints (believers, holy ones);
For to those who fear Him there is no want. 10The young lions lack [food] and grow hungry,
But they who seek the LORD will not lack any good thing. 11Come, you children, listen to me;
I will teach you to fear the LORD [with awe-inspired reverence and worship Him with obedience]. 12Who is the man who desires life
And loves many days, that he may see good? 13Keep your tongue from evil
And your lips from speaking deceit. 14Turn away from evil and do good;
Seek peace and pursue it. 15The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous [those with moral courage and spiritual integrity]
And His ears are open to their cry. 16The face of the LORD is against those who do evil,
To cut off the memory of them from the earth. 17When the righteous cry [for help], the LORD hears
And rescues them from all their distress and troubles. 18The LORD is near to the heartbroken
And He saves those who are crushed in spirit (contrite in heart, truly sorry for their sin). 19Many hardships and perplexing circumstances confront the righteous,
But the LORD rescues him from them all. 20He keeps all his bones;
Not one of them is broken. 21Evil will cause the death of the wicked,
And those who hate the righteous will be held guilty and will be condemned. 22The LORD redeems the soul of His servants,
And none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.

Psalm 35
Prayer For Rescue From Enemies.
A Psalm of David. 1Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me;
Fight against those who fight against me. 2Take hold of shield and buckler (small shield),
And stand up for my help. 3Draw also the spear and javelin to meet those who pursue me.
Say to my soul, “I am your salvation.” 4Let those be ashamed and dishonored who seek my life;
Let those be turned back [in defeat] and humiliated who plot evil against me. 5Let them be [blown away] like chaff before the wind [worthless, without substance],
With the angel of the LORD driving them on. 6Let their way be dark and slippery,
With the angel of the LORD pursuing and harassing them. 7For without cause they hid their net for me;
Without cause they dug a pit [of destruction] for my life. 8Let destruction come upon my enemy by surprise;
Let the net he hid for me catch him;
Into that very destruction let him fall. 9Then my soul shall rejoice in the LORD;
It shall rejoice in His salvation. 10All my bones will say, “LORD, who is like You,
Who rescues the afflicted from him who is too strong for him [to resist alone],
And the afflicted and the needy from him who robs him?” 11Malicious witnesses rise up;
They ask me of things that I do not know. 12They repay me evil for good,
To the sorrow of my soul. 13But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth (mourning garment);
I humbled my soul with fasting,
And I prayed with my head bowed on my chest. 14I behaved as if grieving for my friend or my brother;
I bowed down in mourning, as one who sorrows for his mother. 15But in my stumbling they rejoiced and gathered together [against me];
The slanderers whom I did not know gathered against me;
They slandered and reviled me without ceasing. 16Like godless jesters at a feast,
They gnashed at me with their teeth [in malice]. 17LORD, how long will You look on [without action]?
Rescue my life from their destructions,
My only life from the young lions. 18I will give You thanks in the great congregation;
I will praise You among a mighty people. 19Do not let those who are wrongfully my enemies rejoice over me;
Nor let those who hate me without cause wink their eye [maliciously]. 20For they do not speak peace,
But they devise deceitful words [half-truths and lies] against those who are quiet in the land. 21They open their mouths wide against me;
They say, “Aha, aha, our eyes have seen it!” 22You have seen this, O LORD; do not keep silent.
O Lord, do not be far from me. 23Wake Yourself up, and arise to my right
And to my cause, my God and my Lord. 24Judge me, O LORD my God, according to Your righteousness and justice;
And do not let them rejoice over me. 25Do not let them say in their heart, “Aha, that is what we wanted!”
Do not let them say, “We have swallowed him up and destroyed him.” 26Let those be ashamed and humiliated together who rejoice at my distress;
Let those be clothed with shame and dishonor who magnify themselves over me. 27Let them shout for joy and rejoice, who favor my vindication and want what is right for me;
Let them say continually, “Let the LORD be magnified, who delights and takes pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.” 28And my tongue shall declare Your righteousness (justice),
And Your praise all the day long.

Psalm 36
Wickedness Of Men And Lovingkindness Of God.
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David the servant of the LORD. 1Transgression speaks [like an oracle] to the wicked (godless) [deep] within his heart;
There is no fear (dread) of God before his eyes. 2For he flatters and deceives himself in his own eyes
Thinking that his sinfulness will not be discovered and hated [by God]. 3The words of his mouth are wicked and deceitful;
He has ceased to be wise and to do good. 4He plans wrongdoing on his bed;
He sets himself on a path that is not good;
He does not reject or despise evil. 5Your lovingkindness and graciousness, O LORD, extend to the skies,
Your faithfulness [reaches] to the clouds. 6Your righteousness is like the mountains of God,
Your judgments are like the great deep.
O LORD, You preserve man and beast. 7How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God!
The children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings. 8They drink their fill of the abundance of Your house;
And You allow them to drink from the river of Your delights. 9For with You is the fountain of life [the fountain of life-giving water];
In Your light we see light. 10O continue Your lovingkindness to those who know You,
And Your righteousness (salvation) to the upright in heart. 11Do not let the foot of the proud [person] overtake me,
And do not let the hand of the wicked drive me away. 12There those who [are perverse and] do evil have fallen;
They have been thrust down and cannot rise.

Psalm 37
Security Of Those Who Trust In The LORD, And Insecurity Of The Wicked.
A Psalm of David. 1Do not worry because of evildoers,
Nor be envious toward wrongdoers; 2For they will wither quickly like the grass,
And fade like the green herb. 3Trust [rely on and have confidence] in the LORD and do good;
Dwell in the land and feed [securely] on His faithfulness. 4Delight yourself in the LORD,
And He will give you the desires and petitions of your heart. 5Commit your way to the LORD;
Trust in Him also and He will do it. 6He will make your righteousness [your pursuit of right standing with God] like the light,
And your judgment like [the shining of] the noonday [sun]. 7Be still before the LORD; wait patiently for Him and entrust yourself to Him;
Do not fret (whine, agonize) because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes. 8Cease from anger and abandon wrath;
Do not fret; it leads only to evil. 9For those who do evil will be cut off,
But those who wait for the LORD, they will inherit the land. 10For yet a little while and the wicked one will be gone [forever];
Though you look carefully where he used to be, he will not be [found]. 11But the humble will [at last] inherit the land
And will delight themselves in abundant prosperity and peace. 12The wicked plots against the righteous
And gnashes at him with his teeth. 13The Lord laughs at him [the wicked one—the one who oppresses the righteous],
For He sees that his day [of defeat] is coming. 14The wicked have drawn the sword and bent their bow
To cast down the afflicted and the needy,
To slaughter those who are upright in conduct [those with personal integrity and godly character]. 15The sword [of the ungodly] will enter their own heart,
And their bow will be broken. 16Better is the little of the righteous [who seek the will of God]
Than the abundance (riches) of many wicked (godless). 17For the arms of the wicked will be broken,
But the LORD upholds and sustains the righteous [who seek Him]. 18The LORD knows the days of the blameless,
And their inheritance will continue forever. 19They will not be ashamed in the time of evil,
And in the days of famine they will have plenty and be satisfied. 20But the wicked (ungodly) will perish,
And the enemies of the LORD will be like the glory of the pastures and like the fat of lambs [that is consumed in smoke],
They vanish—like smoke they vanish away. 21The wicked borrows and does not pay back,
But the righteous is gracious and kind and gives. 22For those blessed by God will [at last] inherit the land,
But those cursed by Him will be cut off. 23The steps of a [good and righteous] man are directed and established by the LORD,
And He delights in his way [and blesses his path]. 24When he falls, he will not be hurled down,
Because the LORD is the One who holds his hand and sustains him. 25I have been young and now I am old,
Yet I have not seen the righteous (those in right standing with God) abandoned
Or his descendants pleading for bread. 26All day long he is gracious and lends,
And his descendants are a blessing. 27Depart from evil and do good;
And you will dwell [securely in the land] forever. 28For the LORD delights in justice
And does not abandon His saints (faithful ones);
They are preserved forever,
But the descendants of the wicked will [in time] be cut off. 29The righteous will inherit the land
And live in it forever. 30The mouth of the righteous proclaims wisdom,
And his tongue speaks justice and truth. 31The law of his God is in his heart;
Not one of his steps will slip. 32The wicked lies in wait for the righteous
And seeks to kill him. 33The LORD will not leave him in his hand
Or let him be condemned when he is judged. 34Wait for and expect the LORD and keep His way,
And He will exalt you to inherit the land;
[In the end] when the wicked are cut off, you will see it. 35I have seen a wicked, violent man [with great power]
Spreading and flaunting himself like a cedar in its native soil, 36Yet he passed away, and lo, he was no more;
I sought him, but he could not be found. 37Mark the blameless man [who is spiritually complete], and behold the upright [who walks in moral integrity];
There is a [good] future for the man of peace [because a life of honor blesses one’s descendants]. 38As for transgressors, they will be completely destroyed;
The future of the wicked will be cut off. 39But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD;
He is their refuge and stronghold in the time of trouble. 40The LORD helps them and rescues them;
He rescues them from the wicked and saves them,
Because they take refuge in Him.

Psalm 38
Prayer In Time Of Discipline.
A Psalm of David; to bring to remembrance. 1O LORD, do not rebuke me in Your wrath,
Nor discipline me in Your burning anger. 2For Your arrows have sunk into me and penetrate deeply,
And Your hand has pressed down on me and greatly disciplined me. 3There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your indignation;
There is no health in my bones because of my sin. 4For my iniquities have gone over my head [like the waves of a flood];
As a heavy burden they weigh too much for me. 5My wounds are loathsome and foul
Because of my foolishness. 6I am bent over and greatly bowed down;
I go about mourning all day long. 7For my sides are filled with burning,
And there is no health in my flesh. 8I am numb and greatly bruised [deadly cold and completely worn out];
I groan because of the disquiet and moaning of my heart. 9Lord, all my desire is before You;
And my sighing is not hidden from You. 10My heart throbs violently, my strength fails me;
And as for the light of my eyes, even that has also gone from me. 11My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague;
And my neighbors stand far away. 12Those who seek my life lay snares for me,
And those who seek to injure me threaten mischievous things and destruction;
They devise treachery all the day long. 13But I, like a deaf man, do not hear;
I am like a mute man who does not open his mouth. 14Yes, I am like a man who does not hear,
In whose mouth are no arguments. 15For in You, O LORD, I hope;
You will answer, O Lord my God. 16For I pray, “May they not rejoice over me,
Who, when my foot slips, would boast against me.” 17For I am ready to fall;
My sorrow is continually before me. 18For I do confess my guilt and iniquity;
I am filled with anxiety because of my sin. 19But my [numerous] enemies are vigorous and strong,
And those who hate me without cause are many. 20They repay evil for good, they attack and try to kill me,
Because I follow what is good. 21Do not abandon me, O LORD;
O my God, do not be far from me. 22Make haste to help me,
O Lord, my Salvation.

Psalm 39
The Vanity Of Life.
To the Chief Musician; for Jeduthun. A Psalm of David. 1I said, “I will guard my ways
That I may not sin with my tongue;
I will muzzle my mouth
While the wicked are in my presence.” 2I was mute and silent [before my enemies],
I refrained even from good,
And my distress grew worse. 3My heart was hot within me.
While I was musing the fire burned;
Then I spoke with my tongue: 4“LORD, let me know my [life’s] end
And [to appreciate] the extent of my days;
Let me know how frail I am [how transient is my stay here]. 5“Behold, You have made my days as [short as] hand widths,
And my lifetime is as nothing in Your sight.
Surely every man at his best is a mere breath [a wisp of smoke, a vapor that vanishes]! Selah. 6“Surely every man walks around like a shadow [in a charade];
Surely they make an uproar for nothing;
Each one builds up riches, not knowing who will receive them. 7“And now, Lord, for what do I expectantly wait?
My hope [my confident expectation] is in You. 8“Save me from all my transgressions;
Do not make me the scorn and reproach of the [self-righteous, arrogant] fool. 9“I am mute, I do not open my mouth,
Because it is You who has done it. 10“Remove Your plague from me;
I am wasting away because of the conflict and opposition of Your hand. 11“With rebukes You discipline man for sin;
You consume like a moth what is precious to him;
Surely every man is a mere breath [a wisp of smoke, a vapor that vanishes]. Selah. 12“Hear my prayer, O LORD, and listen to my cry;
Do not be silent at my tears;
For I am Your temporary guest,
A sojourner like all my fathers. 13“O look away from me, that I may smile and again know joy
Before I depart and am no more.”

Psalm 40
God Sustains His Servant.
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. 1I waited patiently and expectantly for the LORD;
And He inclined to me and heard my cry. 2He brought me up out of a horrible pit [of tumult and of destruction], out of the miry clay,
And He set my feet upon a rock, steadying my footsteps and establishing my path. 3He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;
Many will see and fear [with great reverence]
And will trust confidently in the LORD. 4Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the man who makes the LORD his trust,
And does not regard the proud nor those who lapse into lies. 5Many, O LORD my God, are the wonderful works which You have done,
And Your thoughts toward us;
There is none to compare with You.
If I would declare and speak of your wonders,
They would be too many to count. 6Sacrifice and meal offering You do not desire, nor do You delight in them;
You have opened my ears and given me the capacity to hear [and obey Your word];
Burnt offerings and sin offerings You do not require. 7Then I said, “Behold, I come [to the throne];
In the scroll of the book it is written of me. 8“I delight to do Your will, O my God;
Your law is within my heart.” 9I have proclaimed good news of righteousness [and the joy that comes from obedience to You] in the great assembly;
Behold, I will not restrain my lips [from proclaiming Your righteousness],
As You know, O LORD. 10I have not concealed Your righteousness within my heart;
I have proclaimed Your faithfulness and Your salvation.
I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth from the great assembly. 11Do not withhold Your compassion and tender mercy from me, O LORD;
Your lovingkindness and Your truth will continually preserve me. 12For innumerable evils have encompassed me;
My sins have overtaken me, so that I am not able to see.
They are more numerous than the hairs of my head,
And my heart has failed me. 13Be pleased, O LORD, to save me;
O LORD, make haste to help me. 14Let those be ashamed and humiliated together
Who seek my life to destroy it;
Let those be turned back [in defeat] and dishonored
Who delight in my hurt. 15Let those be appalled and desolate because of their shame
Who say to me, “Aha, aha [rejoicing in my misfortune]!” 16Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
Let those who love Your salvation say continually,
“The LORD be magnified!” 17Even though I am afflicted and needy,
Still the Lord takes thought and is mindful of me.
You are my help and my rescuer.
O my God, do not delay.

Psalm 41
The Psalmist In Sickness Complains Of Enemies And False Friends.
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. 1Blessed [by God’s grace and compassion] is he who considers the helpless;
The LORD will save him in the day of trouble. 2The LORD will protect him and keep him alive;
And he will be called blessed in the land;
You do not hand him over to the desire of his enemies. 3The LORD will sustain and strengthen him on his sickbed;
In his illness, You will restore him to health. 4As for me, I said, “O LORD, be gracious to me;
Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You.” 5My enemies speak evil of me, saying,
“When will he die and his name perish?” 6And when one comes to see me, he speaks empty words,
While his heart gathers malicious gossip [against me];
When he goes away, he tells it [everywhere]. 7All who hate me whisper together about me;
Against me they devise my hurt [imagining the worst for me], saying, 8“A wicked thing is poured out upon him and holds him;
And when he lies down, he will not rise up again.” 9Even my own close friend in whom I trusted,
Who ate my bread,
Has lifted up his heel against me [betraying me]. 10But You, O LORD, be gracious to me and restore me [to health],
So that I may repay them. 11By this I know that You favor and delight in me,
Because my enemy does not shout in triumph over me. 12As for me, You uphold me in my integrity,
And You set me in Your presence forever. 13Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
From everlasting to everlasting [from this age to the next, and forever].
Amen and Amen (so be it).

Psalm 42
Thirsting For God In Trouble And Exile.
To the Chief Musician. A skillful song, or a didactic or reflective poem, of the sons of Korah. 1As the deer pants [longingly] for the water brooks,
So my soul pants [longingly] for You, O God. 2My soul (my life, my inner self) thirsts for God, for the living God.
When will I come and see the face of God? 3My tears have been my food day and night,
While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” 4These things I [vividly] remember as I pour out my soul;
How I used to go along before the great crowd of people and lead them in procession to the house of God [like a choirmaster before his singers, timing the steps to the music and the chant of the song],
With the voice of joy and thanksgiving, a great crowd keeping a festival. 5Why are you in despair, O my soul?
And why have you become restless and disturbed within me?
Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall again praise Him
For the help of His presence. 6O my God, my soul is in despair within me [the burden more than I can bear];
Therefore I will [fervently] remember You from the land of the Jordan
And the peaks of [Mount] Hermon, from Mount Mizar. 7Deep calls to deep at the [thundering] sound of Your waterfalls;
All Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me. 8Yet the LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime,
And in the night His song will be with me,
A prayer to the God of my life. 9I will say to God my rock, “Why have You forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?” 10As a crushing of my bones [with a sword], my adversaries taunt me,
While they say continually to me, “Where is your God?” 11Why are you in despair, O my soul?
Why have you become restless and disquieted within me?
Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God.

Psalm 43
Prayer For Rescue.
1Judge and vindicate me, O God; plead my case against an ungodly nation.
O rescue me from the deceitful and unjust man! 2For You are the God of my strength [my stronghold—in whom I take refuge]; why have You rejected me?
Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? 3O send out Your light and Your truth, let them lead me;
Let them bring me to Your holy hill
And to Your dwelling places. 4Then I will go to the altar of God,
To God, my exceeding joy;
With the lyre I will praise You, O God, my God! 5Why are you in despair, O my soul?
And why are you restless and disturbed within me?
Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall again praise Him,
The help of my [sad] countenance and my God.

Psalm 44
Former Times Of Help And Present Troubles.
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. A skillful song, or a didactic or reflective poem. 1We have heard with our ears, O God,
Our fathers have told us
The work You did in their days,
In the days of old. 2You drove out the [pagan] nations with Your own hand;
Then you planted and established them (Israel);
[It was by Your power that] You uprooted the [pagan] peoples,
Then You spread them abroad. 3For our fathers did not possess the land [of Canaan] by their own sword,
Nor did their own arm save them,
But Your right hand and Your arm and the light of Your presence,
Because You favored and delighted in them. 4You are my King, O God;
Command victories and deliverance for Jacob (Israel). 5Through You we will gore our enemies [like a bull];
Through Your name we will trample down those who rise up against us. 6For I will not trust in my bow,
Nor will my sword save me. 7But You have saved us from our enemies,
And You have put them to shame and humiliated those who hate us. 8In God we have boasted all the day long,
And we will praise and give thanks to Your name forever. Selah. 9But now You have rejected us and brought us to dishonor,
And You do not go out with our armies [to lead us to victory]. 10You make us turn back from the enemy,
And those who hate us have taken spoil for themselves. 11You have made us like sheep to be eaten [as mutton]
And have scattered us [in exile] among the nations. 12You sell Your people cheaply,
And have not increased Your wealth by their sale. 13You have made us the reproach and taunt of our neighbors,
A scoffing and a derision to those around us. 14You make us a byword among the nations,
A laughingstock among the people. 15My dishonor is before me all day long,
And humiliation has covered my face, 16Because of the voice of the taunter and reviler,
Because of the presence of the enemy and the avenger. 17All this has come upon us, yet we have not forgotten You,
Nor have we been false to Your covenant [which You made with our fathers]. 18Our heart has not turned back,
Nor have our steps wandered from Your path, 19Yet You have [distressingly] crushed us in the place of jackals
And covered us with [the deep darkness of] the shadow of death. 20If we had forgotten the name of our God
Or stretched out our hands to a strange god, 21Would not God discover this?
For He knows the secrets of the heart. 22But for Your sake we are killed all the day long;
We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. 23Awake! Why do You sleep, O Lord?
Awaken, do not reject us forever. 24Why do You hide Your face
And forget our affliction and our oppression? 25For our life has melted away into the dust;
Our body clings to the ground. 26Rise up! Come be our help,
And ransom us for the sake of Your steadfast love.

Psalm 45
A Song Celebrating The King’s Marriage.
To the Chief Musician; set to the [tune of] “Lilies.” A Psalm of the sons of Korah. A skillful song, or a didactic or reflective poem. A Song of Love. 1My heart overflows with a good theme;
I address my psalm to the King.
My tongue is like the pen of a skillful writer. 2You are fairer than the sons of men;
Graciousness is poured upon Your lips;
Therefore God has blessed You forever. 3Strap Your sword on Your thigh, O mighty One,
In Your splendor and Your majesty! 4And in Your majesty ride on triumphantly
For the cause of truth and humility and righteousness;
Let Your right hand guide You to awesome things. 5Your arrows are sharp;
The peoples (nations) fall under You;
Your arrows pierce the hearts of the King’s enemies. 6Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;
The scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Your kingdom. 7You have loved righteousness (virtue, morality, justice) and hated wickedness;
Therefore God, your God, has anointed You
Above Your companions with the oil of jubilation. 8All Your garments are fragrant with myrrh, aloes and cassia;
From ivory palaces stringed instruments have made You glad. 9Kings’ daughters are among Your noble ladies;
At Your right hand stands the queen in gold from Ophir. 10Hear, O daughter, consider and incline your ear [to my instruction]:
Forget your people and your father’s house; 11Then the King will desire your beauty;
Because He is your Lord, bow down and honor Him. 12The daughter of Tyre will come with a gift;
The rich among the people will seek your favor. 13Glorious is the King’s daughter within [the palace];
Her robe is interwoven with gold. 14She will be brought to the King in embroidered garments;
The virgins, her companions who follow her,
Will be brought to You. 15With gladness and rejoicing will they be led;
They will enter into the King’s palace. 16In place of your fathers will be your sons;
You shall make princes in all the land. 17I will make Your name to be remembered in all generations;
Therefore the peoples will praise and give You thanks forever and ever.

Psalm 46
God The Refuge Of His People.
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah, set to soprano voices. A Song. 1God is our refuge and strength [mighty and impenetrable],
A very present and well-proved help in trouble. 2Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change
And though the mountains be shaken and slip into the heart of the seas, 3Though its waters roar and foam,
Though the mountains tremble at its roaring. Selah. 4There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
The holy dwelling places of the Most High. 5God is in the midst of her [His city], she will not be moved;
God will help her when the morning dawns. 6The nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered and were moved;
He raised His voice, the earth melted. 7The LORD of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold [our refuge, our high tower]. Selah. 8Come, behold the works of the LORD,
Who has brought desolations and wonders on the earth. 9He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth;
He breaks the bow into pieces and snaps the spear in two;
He burns the chariots with fire. 10“Be still and know (recognize, understand) that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations! I will be exalted in the earth.” 11The LORD of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold [our refuge, our high tower]. Selah.

Psalm 47
God The King Of The Earth.
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. 1O clap your hands, all you people;
Shout to God with the voice of triumph and songs of joy. 2For the LORD Most High is to be feared [and worshiped with awe-inspired reverence and obedience];
He is a great King over all the earth. 3He subdues peoples under us
And nations under our feet. 4He chooses our inheritance for us,
The glory and excellence of Jacob whom He loves. Selah. 5God has ascended amid shouting,
The LORD with the sound of a trumpet. 6Sing praises to God, sing praises;
Sing praises to our King, sing praises. 7For God is the King of all the earth;
Sing praises in a skillful psalm and with understanding. 8God reigns over the nations;
God sits on His holy throne. 9The princes of the people have gathered together as the people of the God of Abraham,
For the shields of the earth belong to God;
He is highly exalted.

Psalm 48
The Beauty And Glory Of Zion.
A Song; a Psalm of the sons of Korah. 1Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised,
In the city of our God, His holy mountain. 2Fair and beautiful in elevation, the joy of all the earth,
Is Mount Zion [the City of David] in the far north,
The city of the great King. 3God, in her palaces,
Has made Himself known as a stronghold. 4For, lo, the kings assembled themselves,
They [came and] passed by together. 5They saw it, then they were amazed;
They were stricken with terror, they fled in alarm. 6Panic seized them there,
And pain, as that of a woman in childbirth. 7With the east wind
You shattered the ships of Tarshish. 8As we have heard, so have we seen
In the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God:
God will establish her forever. Selah. 9We have thought of Your lovingkindness, O God,
In the midst of Your temple. 10As is Your name, O God,
So is Your praise to the ends of the earth;
Your right hand is full of righteousness (rightness, justice). 11Let Mount Zion be glad,
Let the daughters of Judah rejoice
Because of Your [righteous] judgments. 12Walk about Zion, go all around her;
Count her towers, 13Consider her ramparts,
Go through her palaces,
That you may tell the next generation [about her glory]. 14For this is God,
Our God forever and ever;
He will be our guide even until death.

Psalm 49
The Folly Of Trusting In Riches.
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. 1Hear this, all peoples;
Listen carefully, all inhabitants of the world, 2Both low and high,
Rich and poor together: 3My mouth will speak wisdom,
And the meditation of my heart will be understanding. 4I will incline my ear and consent to a proverb;
On the lyre I will unfold my riddle. 5Why should I fear in the days of evil,
When the wickedness of those who would betray me surrounds me [on every side], 6Even those who trust in and rely on their wealth
And boast of the abundance of their riches? 7None of them can by any means redeem [either himself or] his brother,
Nor give to God a ransom for him— 8For the ransom of his soul is too costly,
And he should cease trying forever— 9So that he should live on eternally,
That he should never see the pit (grave) and undergo decay. 10For he sees that even wise men die;
The fool and the stupid alike perish
And leave their wealth to others. 11Their inward thought is that their houses will continue forever,
And their dwelling places to all generations;
They have named their lands after their own names [ignoring God]. 12But man, with all his [self] honor and pomp, will not endure;
He is like the beasts that perish. 13This is the fate of those who are foolishly confident,
And of those after them who approve [and are influenced by] their words. Selah. 14Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead);
Death will be their shepherd;
And the upright shall rule over them in the morning,
And their form and beauty shall be for Sheol to consume,
So that they have no dwelling [on earth]. 15But God will redeem my life from the power of Sheol,
For He will receive me. Selah. 16Be not afraid when [an ungodly] man becomes rich,
When the wealth and glory of his house are increased; 17For when he dies he will carry nothing away;
His glory will not descend after him. 18Though while he lives he counts himself happy and prosperous—
And though people praise you when you do well for yourself— 19He shall go to the generation of his fathers;
They shall never again see the light. 20A man [who is held] in honor,
Yet who lacks [spiritual] understanding and a teachable heart, is like the beasts that perish.

Psalm 50
God The Judge Of The Righteous And The Wicked.
A Psalm of Asaph 1The mighty One, God, the LORD, has spoken,
And summoned the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting [from east to west]. 2Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God has shone forth. 3May our God come and not keep silent;
Fire devours before Him,
And around Him a mighty tempest rages. 4He summons the heavens above,
And the earth, to judge His people: 5“Gather My godly ones to Me,
Those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.” 6And the heavens declare His righteousness,
For God Himself is judge. Selah. 7“Hear, O My people, and I will speak;
O Israel, I will testify against you:
I am God, your God. 8“I do not reprove you for your sacrifices;
Your burnt offerings are continually before Me. 9“I will accept no young bull from your house
Nor male goat from your folds. 10“For every beast of the forest is Mine,
And the cattle on a thousand hills. 11“I know every bird of the mountains,
And everything that moves in the field is Mine. 12“If I were hungry, I would not tell you,
For the world and all it contains are Mine. 13“Shall I eat the flesh of bulls
Or drink the blood of male goats? 14“Offer to God the sacrifice of thanksgiving
And pay your vows to the Most High; 15Call on Me in the day of trouble;
I will rescue you, and you shall honor and glorify Me.” 16But to the wicked God says:
“What right have you to recite My statutes
Or to take My covenant on your lips? 17“For you hate instruction and discipline
And cast My words behind you [discarding them]. 18“When you see a thief, you are pleased with him and condone his behavior,
And you associate with adulterers. 19“You give your mouth to evil
And your tongue frames deceit. 20“You sit and speak against your brother;
You slander your own mother’s son. 21“These things you have done and I kept silent;
You thought that I was just like you.
Now I will reprimand and denounce you and state the case in order before your eyes. 22“Now consider this, you who forget God,
Or I will tear you in pieces, and there will be no one to rescue [you]. 23“He who offers a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving honors Me;
And to him who orders his way rightly [who follows the way that I show him],
I shall show the salvation of God.”

Psalm 51
A Contrite Sinner’s Prayer For Pardon.
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David; when Nathan the prophet came to him after he had sinned with Bathsheba. 1Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness;
According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions. 2Wash me thoroughly from my wickedness and guilt
And cleanse me from my sin. 3For I am conscious of my transgressions and I acknowledge them;
My sin is always before me. 4Against You, You only, have I sinned
And done that which is evil in Your sight,
So that You are justified when You speak [Your sentence]
And faultless in Your judgment. 5I was brought forth in [a state of] wickedness;
In sin my mother conceived me [and from my beginning I, too, was sinful]. 6Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being,
And in the hidden part [of my heart] You will make me know wisdom. 7Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. 8Make me hear joy and gladness and be satisfied;
Let the bones which You have broken rejoice. 9Hide Your face from my sins
And blot out all my iniquities. 10Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a right and steadfast spirit within me. 11Do not cast me away from Your presence
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. 12Restore to me the joy of Your salvation
And sustain me with a willing spirit. 13Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted and return to You. 14Rescue me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation;
Then my tongue will sing joyfully of Your righteousness and Your justice. 15O Lord, open my lips,
That my mouth may declare Your praise. 16For You do not delight in sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You are not pleased with burnt offering. 17My [only] sacrifice [acceptable] to God is a broken spirit;
A broken and contrite heart [broken with sorrow for sin, thoroughly penitent], such, O God, You will not despise. 18By Your favor do good to Zion;
May You rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. 19Then will You delight in the sacrifices of righteousness,
In burnt offering and whole burnt offering;
Then young bulls will be offered on Your altar.

Psalm 52
Futility Of Boastful Wickedness.
To the Chief Musician. A skillful song, or a didactic or reflective poem. A Psalm of David, when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul, “David has come to the house of Ahimelech.” 1Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man?
The lovingkindness of God endures all day long. 2Your tongue devises destruction,
Like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. 3You love evil more than good,
And falsehood more than speaking what is right. Selah. 4You love all words that devour,
O deceitful tongue. 5But God will break you down forever;
He will take you away and tear you away from your tent,
And uproot you from the land of the living. Selah. 6The righteous will see it and fear,
And will [scoffingly] laugh, saying, 7“Look, [this is] the man who would not make God his strength [his stronghold and fortress],
But trusted in the abundance of his riches,
Taking refuge in his wealth.” 8But as for me, I am like a green olive tree in the house of God;
I trust [confidently] in the lovingkindness of God forever and ever. 9I will thank You forever, because You have done it, [You have rescued me and kept me safe].
I will wait on Your name, for it is good, in the presence of Your godly ones.

Psalm 53
Folly And Wickedness Of Men.
To the Chief Musician; in a mournful strain. A skillful song, or didactic or reflective poem of David. 1The [empty-headed] fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt and evil, and have committed repulsive injustice;
There is no one who does good. 2God has looked down from heaven upon the children of men
To see if there is anyone who understands,
Who seeks after God [who requires Him, who longs for Him as essential to life]. 3Every one of them has turned aside and fallen away;
Together they have become filthy and corrupt;
There is no one who does good, no, not even one. 4Have workers of wickedness no knowledge or no understanding?
They eat up My people as though they ate bread
And have not called upon God. 5There they were, in great terror and dread, where there had been no terror or dread;
For God scattered the bones of him who besieged you;
You have put them to shame, because God has rejected them. 6Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion!
When God restores [the fortunes of] His people,
Let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.

Psalm 54
Prayer For Defense Against Enemies.
To the Chief Musician; with stringed instruments. A skillful song, or a didactic or reflective poem, of David, when the Ziphites went and told Saul, “David is hiding among us.” 1Save me, O God, by Your name;
And vindicate me by Your [wondrous] power. 2Hear my prayer, O God;
Listen to the words of my mouth. 3For strangers have risen against me
And violent men have sought my life;
They have not set God before them. Selah. 4Behold, God is my helper and ally;
The Lord is the sustainer of my soul [my upholder]. 5He will pay back the evil to my enemies;
In Your faithfulness destroy them. 6With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to You;
I will give thanks and praise Your name, O LORD, for it is good. 7For He has rescued me from every trouble,
And my eye has looked with satisfaction (triumph) on my enemies.

Psalm 55
Prayer For The Destruction Of The Treacherous.
To the Chief Musician; with stringed instruments. A skillful song, or a didactic or reflective poem, of David. 1Listen to my prayer, O God,
And do not hide Yourself from my plea. 2Listen to me and answer me;
I am restless and distraught in my complaint and distracted 3Because of the voice of the enemy,
Because of the pressure of the wicked;
For they bring down trouble on me,
And in anger they persecute me. 4My heart is in anguish within me,
And the terrors of death have fallen upon me. 5Fear and trembling have come upon me;
Horror has overwhelmed me. 6And I say, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove!
I would fly away and be at rest. 7“I would wander far away,
I would lodge in the [peace of the] wilderness. Selah. 8“I would hurry to my refuge [my tranquil shelter far away]
From the stormy wind and from the tempest.” 9Confuse [my enemies], O Lord, divide their tongues [destroying their schemes],
For I have seen violence and strife in the city. 10Day and night they go around her walls;
Wickedness and mischief are in her midst. 11Destruction is within her;
Oppression and deceit do not depart from her streets and market places. 12For it is not an enemy who taunts me—
Then I could bear it;
Nor is it one who has hated me who insolently exalts himself against me—
Then I could hide from him. 13But it is you, a man my equal and my counsel,
My companion and my familiar friend; 14We who had sweet fellowship together,
Who walked to the house of God in company. 15Let death come deceitfully upon them;
Let them go down alive to Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead),
For evil [of every kind] is in their dwelling and in their hearts, in their midst. 16As for me, I shall call upon God,
And the LORD will save me. 17Evening and morning and at noon I will complain and murmur,
And He will hear my voice. 18He has redeemed my life in peace from the battle that was against me,
For there were many against me. 19God will hear and humble them,
Even He who sits enthroned from old— Selah.
Because in them there has been no change [of heart],
And they do not fear God [at all]. 20He [my companion] has put out his hands against those who were at peace with him;
He has broken his covenant [of friendship and loyalty]. 21The words of his mouth were smoother than butter,
But his heart was hostile;
His words were softer than oil,
Yet they were drawn swords. 22Cast your burden on the LORD [release it] and He will sustain and uphold you;
He will never allow the righteous to be shaken (slip, fall, fail). 23But You, O God, will bring down the wicked to the pit of destruction;
Men of blood and treachery will not live out half their days.
But I will [boldly and unwaveringly] trust in You.

Psalm 56
Supplication For Rescue And Grateful Trust In God.
To the Chief Musician; set to [the tune of] “Silent Dove Among Those Far Away.” A Mikhtam of David. [A record of memorable thoughts] when the Philistines seized him in Gath. 1Be gracious to me, O God, for man has trampled on me;
All day long the adversary oppresses and torments me. 2My enemies have trampled upon me all day long,
For they are many who fight proudly against me. 3When I am afraid,
I will put my trust and faith in You. 4In God, whose word I praise;
In God I have put my trust;
I shall not fear.
What can mere man do to me? 5All day long they twist my words and say hurtful things;
All their thoughts are against me for evil. 6They attack, they hide and lurk,
They watch my steps,
As they have [expectantly] waited to take my life. 7Cast them out because of their wickedness.
In anger bring down the peoples, O God! 8You have taken account of my wanderings;
Put my tears in Your bottle.
Are they not recorded in Your book? 9Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call;
This I know, that God is for me. 10In God, whose word I praise,
In the LORD, whose word I praise, 11In God have I put my trust and confident reliance; I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me? 12Your vows are binding upon me, O God;
I will give thank offerings to You. 13For You have rescued my soul from death,
Yes, and my feet from stumbling,
So that I may walk before God
In the light of life.

Psalm 57
Prayer For Rescue From Persecutors.
To the Chief Musician; set to [the tune of] “Do Not Destroy.” A Mikhtam of David. [A record of memorable thoughts of David] when he fled from Saul in the cave. 1Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious and merciful to me,
For my soul finds shelter and safety in You,
And in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge and be confidently secure
Until destruction passes by. 2I will cry to God Most High,
Who accomplishes all things on my behalf [for He completes my purpose in His plan]. 3He will send from heaven and save me;
He calls to account him who tramples me down. Selah.
God will send out His lovingkindness and His truth. 4My life is among lions;
I must lie among those who breathe out fire—
The sons of men whose teeth are spears and arrows,
And their tongue a sharp sword. 5Be exalted above the heavens, O God;
Let Your glory and majesty be over all the earth. 6They set a net for my steps;
My very life was bowed down.
They dug a pit before me;
Into the midst of it they themselves have fallen. Selah. 7My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast and confident!
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises [to You]! 8Awake, my glory!
Awake, harp and lyre!
I will awaken the dawn. 9I will praise and give thanks to You, O Lord, among the people;
I will sing praises to You among the nations. 10For Your faithfulness and lovingkindness are great, reaching to the heavens,
And Your truth to the clouds. 11Be exalted above the heavens, O God;
Let Your glory and majesty be over all the earth.

Psalm 58
Prayer For The Punishment Of The Wicked.
To the Chief Musician; set to [the tune of] “Do Not Destroy.” A Mikhtam of David. [A record of memorable thoughts of David]. 1Do you indeed speak righteousness, O gods (heavenly beings)?
Do you judge fairly, O sons of men? 2No, in your heart you devise wrongdoing;
On earth you deal out the violence of your hands. 3The wicked are estranged from the womb;
These go astray from birth, speaking lies [even twisted partial truths]. 4Their poison is like the venom of a serpent;
They are like the deaf horned viper that stops up its ear, 5So that it does not listen to the voice of charmers,
Or of the skillful enchanter casting [cunning] spells. 6O God, break their teeth in their mouth;
Break out the fangs of the young lions, O LORD. 7Let them flow away like water that runs off;
When he aims his arrows, let them be as headless shafts. 8Let them be as a snail which melts away (secretes slime) as it goes along,
Like the miscarriage of a woman which never sees the sun. 9Before your cooking pots can feel the fire of thorns [burning under them as fuel],
He will sweep them away with a whirlwind, the green and the burning ones alike. 10The [unyieldingly] righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance [of God];
He will wash his feet in the blood of the wicked. 11Men will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous;
Surely there is a God who judges on the earth.”

Psalm 59
Prayer For Rescue From Enemies.
To the Chief Musician; set to [the tune of] “Do Not Destroy.” A Mikhtam of David, [a record of memorable thoughts] when Saul sent men to watch his house in order to kill him. 1Deliver me from my enemies, O my God;
Set me securely on an inaccessibly high place away from those who rise up against me. 2Deliver me from those who practice wrongdoing,
And save me from bloodthirsty men. 3Look! They lie in wait for my life;
Fierce and powerful men [are uniting together to] launch an attack against me,
Not for my wrongdoing nor for any sin of mine, O LORD. 4They run and set themselves against me though there is no guilt in me;
Stir Yourself to meet and help me, and see [what they are doing]! 5You, O LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel,
Arise to punish all the nations;
Spare no one and do not be merciful to any who treacherously plot evil. Selah. 6They return at evening, they howl and snarl like dogs,
And go [prowling] around the city. 7Look how they belch out [insults] with their mouths;
Swords [of sarcasm, ridicule, slander, and lies] are in their lips,
For they say, “Who hears us?” 8But You, O LORD, will laugh at them [in scorn];
You scoff at and deride all the nations. 9O [God] my strength, I will watch for You;
For God is my stronghold [my refuge, my protector, my high tower]. 10My God in His [steadfast] lovingkindness will meet me;
God will let me look triumphantly on my enemies [who lie in wait for me]. 11Do not kill them, or my people will forget;
Scatter them and make them wander [endlessly] back and forth by Your power, and bring them down,
O Lord our shield! 12For the sin of their mouths and the words of their lips,
Let them even be trapped in their pride,
And on account of the curses and lies which they tell. 13Destroy them in wrath, destroy them so that they may be no more;
Let them know that God rules over Jacob (Israel)
To the ends of the earth. Selah. 14They return at evening, they howl and snarl like dogs,
And go [prowling] around the city. 15They wander around for food [to devour]
And growl all night if they are not satisfied. 16But as for me, I will sing of Your mighty strength and power;
Yes, I will sing joyfully of Your lovingkindness in the morning;
For You have been my stronghold
And a refuge in the day of my distress. 17To You, O [God] my strength, I will sing praises;
For God is my stronghold [my refuge, my protector, my high tower], the God who shows me [steadfast] lovingkindness.

Psalm 60
Lament Over Defeat In Battle, And Prayer For Help.
To the Chief Musician; set to [the tune of] “The Lily of the Testimony.” A Mikhtam of David [intended to record memorable thoughts and] to teach; when he struggled with the Arameans of Mesopotamia and the Arameans of Zobah, and when Joab returned and struck twelve thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt. 1O God, You have rejected us and cast us off. You have broken [down our defenses and scattered] us;
You have been angry; O restore us and turn again to us. 2You have made the land quake, You have split it open;
Heal its rifts, for it shakes and totters. 3You have made Your people experience hardship;
You have given us wine to drink that makes us stagger and fall. 4You have set up a banner for those who fear You [with awe-inspired reverence and submissive wonder—a banner to shield them from attack],
A banner that may be displayed because of the truth. Selah. 5That Your beloved ones may be rescued,
Save with Your right hand and answer us. 6God has spoken in His holiness [in His promises]:
“I will rejoice, I will divide [the land of] Shechem and measure out the Valley of Succoth [west to east]. 7“Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine;
Ephraim is My helmet;
Judah is My scepter. 8“Moab is My washbowl;
Over Edom I shall throw My shoe [in triumph];
Over Philistia I raise the shout [of victory].” 9Who will bring me into the besieged city [of Petra]?
Who will lead me to Edom? 10Have You not rejected us, O God?
And will You not go out with our armies? 11Give us help against the enemy,
For the help of man is worthless (ineffectual, without purpose). 12Through God we will have victory,
For He will trample down our enemies.

Psalm 61
Confidence In God’s Protection.
To the Chief Musician; on stringed instruments. A Psalm of David. 1Hear my cry, O God;
Listen to my prayer. 2From the end of the earth I call to You, when my heart is overwhelmed and weak;
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I [a rock that is too high to reach without Your help]. 3For You have been a shelter and a refuge for me,
A strong tower against the enemy. 4Let me dwell in Your tent forever;
Let me take refuge in the shelter of Your wings. Selah. 5For You have heard my vows, O God;
You have given me the inheritance of those who fear Your name [with reverence]. 6You will prolong the king’s life [adding days upon days];
His years will be like many generations. 7He will sit enthroned forever before [the face of] God;
Appoint lovingkindness and truth to watch over and preserve him. 8So I will sing praise to Your name forever,
Paying my vows day by day.

Psalm 62
God Alone A Refuge From Treachery And Oppression.
To the Chief Musician; to Jeduthun [Ethan, the noted musician, founder of an official musical family]. A Psalm of David. 1For God alone my soul waits in silence;
From Him comes my salvation. 2He alone is my rock and my salvation,
My defense and my strong tower; I will not be shaken or disheartened. 3How long will you attack a man
So that you may murder him, all of you,
Like a leaning wall, like a tottering fence? 4They consult only to throw him down from his high position [to dishonor him];
They delight in lies.
They bless with [the words of] their mouths,
But inwardly they curse. Selah. 5For God alone my soul waits in silence and quietly submits to Him,
For my hope is from Him. 6He only is my rock and my salvation;
My fortress and my defense, I will not be shaken or discouraged. 7On God my salvation and my glory rest;
He is my rock of [unyielding] strength, my refuge is in God. 8Trust [confidently] in Him at all times, O people;
Pour out your heart before Him.
God is a refuge for us. Selah. 9Men of low degree are only a breath (emptiness), and men of [high] rank are a lie (delusion).
In the balances they go up [because they have no measurable weight or value];
They are together lighter than a breath. 10Do not trust in oppression,
And do not vainly hope in robbery;
If riches increase, do not set your heart on them. 11God has spoken once,
Twice I have heard this:
That power belongs to God. 12Also to You, O Lord, belong lovingkindness and compassion,
For You compensate every man according to [the value of] his work.

Psalm 63
The Thirsting Soul Satisfied In God.
A Psalm of David; when he was in the wilderness of Judah. 1O God, You are my God; with deepest longing I will seek You;
My soul [my life, my very self] thirsts for You, my flesh longs and sighs for You,
In a dry and weary land where there is no water. 2So I have gazed upon You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory. 3Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You. 4So will I bless You as long as I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name. 5My soul [my life, my very self] is satisfied as with marrow and fatness,
And my mouth offers praises [to You] with joyful lips. 6When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate and thoughtfully focus on You in the night watches, 7For You have been my help,
And in the shadow of Your wings [where I am always protected] I sing for joy. 8My soul [my life, my very self] clings to You;
Your right hand upholds me. 9But those who seek my life to destroy it
Will [be destroyed and] go into the depths of the earth [into the underworld]. 10They will be given over to the power of the sword;
They will be a prey for foxes. 11But the king will rejoice in God;
Everyone who swears by Him [honoring the true God, acknowledging His authority and majesty] will glory,
For the mouths of those who speak lies will be stopped.

Psalm 64
Prayer For Protection From Secret Enemies.
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. 1Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint;
Guard my life from the terror of the enemy. 2Hide me from the secret counsel and conspiracy of the ungodly,
From the scheming of those who do wrong, 3Who have sharpened their tongues like a sword.
They aim venomous words as arrows, 4To shoot from ambush at the blameless [one];
Suddenly they shoot at him, without fear. 5They encourage themselves in [their pursuit of] an evil agenda;
They talk of laying snares secretly;
They say, “Who will discover us?” 6They devise acts of injustice, saying,
“We are ready with a well-conceived plan.”
For the inward thought and the heart of a man are deep (mysterious, unsearchable). 7But God will shoot them with an [unexpected] arrow;
Suddenly they will be wounded. 8So they will be caused to stumble;
Their own tongue is against them;
All who gaze at them will shake the head [in scorn]. 9Then all men will fear [God’s judgment];
They will declare the work of God,
And they will consider and wisely acknowledge what He has done. 10The righteous will rejoice in the LORD and take refuge in Him;
All the upright in heart will glory and offer praise.

Psalm 65
God’s Abundant Favor To Earth And Man.
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. A Song. 1To You belongs silence [the submissive wonder of reverence], and [it bursts into] praise in Zion, O God;
And to You the vow shall be performed. 2O You who hear prayer,
To You all mankind comes. 3Wickedness and guilt prevail against me;
Yet as for our transgressions,
You forgive them [removing them from Your sight]. 4Blessed is the one whom You choose and bring near
To dwell in Your courts.
We will be filled with the goodness of Your house,
Your holy temple. 5By awesome and wondrous things You answer us in righteousness, O God of our salvation,
You who are the trust and hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest sea; 6Who creates the mountains by His strength,
Being clothed with power, 7Who stills the roaring of the seas,
The roaring of their waves,
And the tumult of the peoples, 8So they who dwell at the ends of the earth stand in awe of Your signs [the evidence of Your presence].
You make the dawn and the sunset shout for joy. 9You visit the earth and make it overflow [with water];
You greatly enrich it;
The stream of God is full of water;
You provide their grain, when You have prepared the earth. 10You water its furrows abundantly,
You smooth its ridges;
You soften it with showers,
You bless its growth. 11You crown the year with Your bounty,
And Your paths overflow. 12The pastures of the wilderness drip [with dew],
And the hills are encircled with joy. 13The meadows are clothed with flocks
And the valleys are covered with grain;
They shout for joy and they sing.

Psalm 66
Praise For God’s Mighty Deeds And For His Answer To Prayer.
To the Chief Musician. A Song. A Psalm. 1Shout joyfully to God, all the earth; 2Sing of the honor and glory and magnificence of His name;
Make His praise glorious. 3Say to God, “How awesome and fearfully glorious are Your works!
Because of the greatness of Your power Your enemies will pretend to be obedient to You. 4“All the earth will [bow down to] worship You [in submissive wonder],
And will sing praises to You;
They will praise Your name in song.” Selah. 5Come and see the works of God,
He is awesome in His deeds toward the children of men. 6He turned the sea into dry land;
They crossed through the river on foot;
There we rejoiced in Him. 7Who rules by His might forever,
His eyes keep watch on the nations;
Do not let the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah. 8Bless our God, O peoples,
And make the sound of His praise be heard abroad, 9Who keeps us among the living,
And does not allow our feet to slip or stumble. 10For You have tested us, O God;
You have refined us as silver is refined. 11You brought us into the net;
You laid a heavy burden [of servitude] on us. 12You made men (charioteers) ride over our heads [in defeat];
We went through fire and through water,
Yet You brought us out into a [broad] place of abundance [to be refreshed]. 13I shall come into Your house with burnt offerings;
I shall pay You my vows, 14Which my lips uttered
And my mouth spoke as a promise when I was in distress. 15I shall offer to You burnt offerings of fat lambs,
With the [sweet] smoke of rams;
I will offer bulls with male goats. Selah. 16Come and hear, all who fear God [and worship Him with awe-inspired reverence and obedience],
And I will tell what He has done for me. 17I cried aloud to Him;
He was highly praised with my tongue. 18If I regard sin and baseness in my heart [that is, if I know it is there and do nothing about it],
The Lord will not hear [me]; 19But certainly God has heard [me];
He has given heed to the voice of my prayer. 20Blessed be God,
Who has not turned away my prayer
Nor His lovingkindness from me.

Psalm 67
The Nations Exhorted To Praise God.
To the Chief Musician; on stringed instruments. A Psalm. A Song. 1God be gracious and kind-hearted to us and bless us,
And make His face shine [with favor] on us— Selah. 2That Your way may be known on earth,
Your salvation and deliverance among all nations. 3Let the peoples praise You, O God;
Let all the peoples praise You. 4Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
For You will judge the people fairly
And guide the nations on earth. Selah. 5Let the peoples praise You, O God;
Let all the peoples praise You. 6The earth has yielded its harvest [as evidence of His approval];
God, our God, blesses us. 7God blesses us,
And all the ends of the earth shall fear Him [with awe-inspired reverence and submissive wonder].

Psalm 68
The God Of Sinai And Of The Sanctuary.
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. A Song. 1Let God arise, and His enemies be scattered;
Let those who hate Him flee before Him. 2As smoke is driven away, so drive them away;
As wax melts before the fire,
So let the wicked and guilty perish before [the presence of] God. 3But let the righteous be glad; let them be in good spirits before God,
Yes, let them rejoice with delight. 4Sing to God, sing praises to His name;
Lift up a song for Him who rides through the desert—
His name is the LORD—be in good spirits before Him. 5A father of the fatherless and a judge and protector of the widows,
Is God in His holy habitation. 6God makes a home for the lonely;
He leads the prisoners into prosperity,
Only the stubborn and rebellious dwell in a parched land. 7O God, when You went out before Your people,
When You marched through the wilderness, Selah. 8The earth trembled;
The heavens also poured down rain at the presence of God;
Sinai itself trembled at the presence of God, the God of Israel. 9You, O God, sent abroad plentiful rain;
You confirmed Your inheritance when it was parched and weary. 10Your flock found a dwelling place in it;
O God, in Your goodness You provided for the poor. 11The Lord gives the command [to take Canaan];
The women who proclaim the good news are a great host (army); 12“The kings of the [enemies’] armies flee, they flee,
And the beautiful woman who remains at home divides the spoil [left behind].” 13When you lie down [to rest] among the sheepfolds,
You [Israel] are like the wings of a dove [of victory] overlaid with silver,
Its feathers glistening with gold [trophies taken from the enemy]. 14When the Almighty scattered [the Canaanite] kings in the land of Canaan,
It was snowing on Zalmon. 15A mountain of God is the mountain of Bashan;
A [high] mountain of many summits is Mount Bashan [rising east of the Jordan]. 16Why do you look with envy, mountains with many peaks,
At the mountain [of the city of Zion] which God has desired for His dwelling place?
Yes, the LORD will dwell there forever. 17The chariots of God are myriads, thousands upon thousands;
The Lord is among them as He was at Sinai, in holiness. 18You have ascended on high, You have led away captive Your captives;
You have received gifts among men,
Even from the rebellious also, that the LORD God may dwell there. 19Blessed be the Lord, who bears our burden day by day,
The God who is our salvation! Selah. 20God is to us a God of acts of salvation;
And to GOD the Lord belong escapes from death [setting us free]. 21Surely God will shatter the head of His enemies,
The hairy scalp of one who goes on in his guilty ways. 22The Lord said, “I will bring your enemies back from Bashan;
I will bring them back from the depths of the [Red] Sea, 23That your foot may crush them in blood,
That the tongue of your dogs may have its share from your enemies.” 24They have seen Your [solemn] procession, O God,
The procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary [in holiness]. 25The singers go in front, the players of instruments last;
Between them the maidens playing on tambourines. 26Bless God in the congregations, [give thanks, gratefully praise Him],
The LORD, you who are from [Jacob] the fountain of Israel. 27The youngest is there, Benjamin, ruling them,
The princes of Judah and their company [the southern tribes],
The princes of Zebulun and the princes of Naphtali [the northern tribes]. 28Your God has commanded your strength [your power in His service and your resistance to temptation];
Show Yourself strong, O God, who acted on our behalf. 29Because of Your temple at Jerusalem
[Pagan] kings will bring gifts to You [out of respect]. 30Rebuke the beasts [living] among the reeds [in Egypt],
The herd of bulls (the leaders) with the calves of the peoples;
Trampling underfoot the pieces of silver;
He has scattered the peoples who delight in war. 31Princes and envoys shall come from Egypt;
Ethiopia will quickly stretch out her hands [with the offerings of submission] to God. 32Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth,
Sing praises to the Lord! Selah. 33To Him who rides in the highest heavens, the ancient heavens,
Behold, He sends out His voice, a mighty and majestic voice. 34Ascribe strength to God;
His majesty is over Israel
And His strength is in the skies. 35O God, You are awesome and profoundly majestic from Your sanctuary;
The God of Israel gives strength and power to His people.
Blessed be God!

Psalm 69
A Cry Of Distress And Imprecation On Adversaries.
To the Chief Musician; set to [the tune of] “Lilies.” A Psalm of David. 1Save me, O God,
For the waters have threatened my life [they have come up to my neck]. 2I have sunk in deep mire, where there is no foothold;
I have come into deep waters, where a flood overwhelms me. 3I am weary with my crying; my throat is parched;
My eyes fail while I wait [with confident expectation] for my God. 4Those who hate me without cause are more than the hairs of my head;
Those who would destroy me are powerful, being my enemies wrongfully;
I am forced to restore what I did not steal. 5O God, You know my folly;
My wrongs are not hidden from You. 6Do not let those who wait [confidently] for You be ashamed through me, O Lord GOD of hosts;
Do not let those who seek You [as necessary for life itself] be dishonored through me, O God of Israel, 7Because for Your sake I have borne reproach;
Confusion and dishonor have covered my face. 8I have become estranged from my brothers
And an alien to my mother’s sons. 9For zeal for Your house has consumed me,
And the [mocking] insults of those who insult You have fallen on me. 10When I wept and humbled myself with fasting,
It became my reproach. 11When I made sackcloth my clothing [as one in mourning],
I became a byword [a mere object of scorn] to them. 12They who sit in the [city’s] gate talk about me and mock me,
And I am the song of the drunkards. 13But as for me, my prayer is to You, O LORD, at an acceptable and opportune time;
O God, in the greatness of Your favor and in the abundance of Your lovingkindness,
Answer me with truth [that is, the faithfulness of Your salvation]. 14Rescue me from the mire and do not let me sink;
Let me be rescued from those who hate me and from the deep waters. 15Do not let the floodwater overwhelm me,
Nor the deep waters swallow me up,
Nor the pit [of Sheol] shut its mouth over me. 16Answer me, O LORD, for Your lovingkindness is sweet and good and comforting;
According to the greatness of Your compassion, turn to me. 17Do not hide Your face from Your servant,
For I am in distress; answer me quickly. 18Draw near to my soul and redeem it;
Ransom me because of my enemies [so that they do not delight in my distress]. 19You know my reproach and my shame and my dishonor [how I am insulted];
My adversaries are all before You [each one fully known]. 20Reproach and insults have broken my heart and I am so sick.
I looked for sympathy, but there was none,
And for comforters, but I found none. 21They (self-righteous hypocrites) also gave me gall [poisonous and bitter] for my food,
And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. 22May their table [with all its abundance and luxury] become a snare [to them];
And when they are in peace [secure at their sacrificial feasts], may it become a trap. 23May their eyes be dimmed so that they cannot see,
And make their loins shake continually [in terror and weakness]. 24Pour out Your indignation on them,
And let [the fierceness of] Your burning anger overtake them. 25May their encampment be desolate;
May no one dwell in their tents. 26For they have persecuted him whom You have struck,
And they tell of the pain of those whom You have pierced and wounded. 27Add [unforgiven] iniquity to their iniquity [in Your book],
And may they not come into Your righteousness. 28May they be blotted out of the book of life [and their lives come to an end]
And may they not be recorded with the righteous (those in right standing with God). 29But I am sorrowful and in pain;
May Your salvation, O God, set me [securely] on high. 30I will praise the name of God with song
And magnify Him with thanksgiving. 31And it will please the LORD better than an ox
Or a young bull with horns and hoofs. 32The humble have seen it and are glad;
You who seek God [requiring Him as your greatest need], let your heart revive and live. 33For the LORD hears the needy
And does not despise His who are prisoners. 34Let heaven and earth praise Him,
The seas and everything that moves in them. 35For God will save Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah,
That His servants may remain there and possess it. 36The descendants of His servants will inherit it,
And those who love His name will dwell in it.

Psalm 70
Prayer For Help Against Persecutors.
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David, to bring to remembrance. 1O God, come quickly to save me;
O LORD, come quickly to help me! 2Let those be ashamed and humiliated
Who seek my life;
Let them be turned back and humiliated
Who delight in my hurt. 3Let them be turned back because of their shame and disgrace
Who say, “Aha, aha!” 4May all those who seek You [as life’s first priority] rejoice and be glad in You;
May those who love Your salvation say continually,
“Let God be magnified!” 5But I am afflicted and needy;
Come quickly to me, O God!
You are my help and my rescuer;
O LORD, do not delay.

Psalm 71
Prayer Of An Old Man For Rescue.
1In you, O LORD, I have put my trust and confidently taken refuge;
Let me never be put to shame. 2In Your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;
Incline Your ear to me and save me. 3Be to me a rock of refuge and a sheltering stronghold to which I may continually come;
You have given the commandment to save me,
For You are my rock and my fortress. 4Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked (godless),
From the grasp of the unrighteous and ruthless man. 5For You are my hope;
O Lord GOD, You are my trust and the source of my confidence from my youth. 6Upon You have I relied and been sustained from my birth;
You are He who took me from my mother’s womb and You have been my benefactor from that day.
My praise is continually of You. 7I am as a wonder to many,
For You are my strong refuge. 8My mouth is filled with Your praise
And with Your glory all day long. 9Do not cast me off nor send me away in the time of old age;
Do not abandon me when my strength fails and I am weak. 10For my enemies have spoken against me;
Those who watch for my life have consulted together, 11Saying, “God has abandoned him;
Pursue and seize him, for there is no one to rescue him.” 12O God, do not be far from me;
O my God, come quickly to help me! 13Let those who attack my life be ashamed and consumed;
Let them be covered with reproach and dishonor, who seek to injure me. 14But as for me, I will wait and hope continually,
And will praise You yet more and more. 15My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And of Your [deeds of] salvation all day long,
For their number is more than I know. 16I will come with the mighty acts of the Lord GOD [and in His strength];
I will make mention of Your righteousness, Yours alone. 17O God, You have taught me from my youth,
And I still declare Your wondrous works and miraculous deeds. 18And even when I am old and gray-headed, O God, do not abandon me,
Until I declare Your [mighty] strength to this generation,
Your power to all who are to come. 19Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the [height of the] heavens,
You who have done great things;
O God, who is like You, [who is Your equal]? 20You who have shown me many troubles and distresses
Will revive and renew me again,
And will bring me up again from the depths of the earth. 21May You increase my greatness (honor)
And turn to comfort me. 22I will also praise You with the harp,
Your truth and faithfulness, O my God;
To You I will sing praises with the lyre,
O Holy One of Israel. 23My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to You,
And my soul, which You have redeemed. 24My tongue also will speak of Your righteousness all day long;
For they are ashamed, for they are humiliated who seek my injury.

Psalm 72
The Reign Of The Righteous King.
A Psalm of Solomon. 1Give the king [knowledge of] Your judgments, O God,
And [the spirit of] Your righteousness to the king’s son [to guide all his ways]. 2May he judge Your people with righteousness,
And Your afflicted with justice. 3The mountains will bring peace and prosperity to the people,
And the hills, in [the establishment of] righteousness. 4May he bring justice to the poor among the people,
Save the children of the needy
And crush the oppressor, 5Let them fear You [with awe-inspired reverence and worship You with obedience] while the sun endures,
And as long as the moon [reflects light], throughout all generations. 6May he come down like rain on the mown grass,
Like showers that water the earth. 7In his days may the righteous flourish,
And peace abound until the moon is no more. 8May he also rule from sea to sea
And from the River [Euphrates] to the ends of the earth. 9The nomads of the desert will bow before him,
And his enemies will lick the dust. 10The kings of Tarshish and of the islands will bring offerings;
The kings of Sheba and Seba will offer gifts. 11Yes, all kings will bow down before him,
All nations will serve him. 12For he will rescue the needy when he cries for help,
The afflicted and abused also, and him who has no helper. 13He will have compassion on the poor and needy,
And he will save the lives of the needy. 14He will redeem their life from oppression and fraud and violence,
And their blood will be precious in His sight. 15So may he live, and may the gold of Sheba be given to him;
And let them pray for him continually;
Let them bless and praise him all day long. 16There will be an abundance of grain in the soil on the top of the mountains;
Its fruit will wave like [the cedars of] Lebanon,
And those of the city will flourish like grass of the earth. 17May his name endure forever;
May his name continue as long as the sun;
And let men bless themselves by him;
Let all nations call him blessed. 18Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel,
Who alone does wonderful things. 19Blessed be His glorious name forever;
And may the whole earth be filled with His glory.
Amen and Amen. 20The prayers of David son of Jesse are ended.

Psalm 73
The End Of The Wicked Contrasted With That Of The Righteous.
A Psalm of Asaph. 1Truly God is good to Israel,
To those who are pure in heart. 2But as for me, my feet came close to stumbling,
My steps had almost slipped. 3For I was envious of the arrogant
As I saw the prosperity of the wicked. 4For there are no pains in their death,
Their body is fat and pampered. 5They are not in trouble as other men,
Nor are they plagued like mankind. 6Therefore pride is their necklace;
Violence covers them like a garment [like a long, luxurious robe]. 7Their eye bulges from fatness [they have more than the heart desires];
The imaginations of their mind run riot [with foolishness]. 8They mock and wickedly speak of oppression;
They speak loftily [with malice]. 9They set their mouth against the heavens,
And their tongue swaggers through the earth. 10Therefore his people return to this place,
And waters of abundance [offered by the irreverent] are [blindly] drunk by them. 11They say, “How does God know?
Is there knowledge [of us] with the Most High?” 12Behold, these are the ungodly,
Who always prosper and are at ease [in the world]; they have increased in wealth. 13Surely then in vain I have cleansed my heart
And washed my hands in innocence. 14For all the day long have I been stricken,
And punished every morning. 15If I had said, “I will say this,” [and expressed my feelings],
I would have betrayed the generation of Your children. 16When I considered how to understand this,
It was too great an effort for me and too painful 17Until I came into the sanctuary of God;
Then I understood [for I considered] their end. 18Surely You set the wicked-minded and immoral on slippery places;
You cast them down to destruction. 19How they are destroyed in a moment!
They are completely swept away by sudden terrors! 20Like a dream [which seems real] until one awakens,
O Lord, when stirred, [You observe the wicked], You will despise their image. 21When my heart was embittered
And I was pierced within [as with the fang of an adder], 22Then I was senseless and ignorant;
I was like a beast before You. 23Nevertheless I am continually with You;
You have taken hold of my right hand. 24You will guide me with Your counsel,
And afterward receive me to honor and glory. 25Whom have I in heaven [but You]?
And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. 26My flesh and my heart may fail,
But God is the rock and strength of my heart and my portion forever. 27For behold, those who are far from You will perish;
You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful and have abandoned You. 28But as for me, it is good for me to draw near to God;
I have made the Lord GOD my refuge and placed my trust in Him,
That I may tell of all Your works.

Psalm 74
An Appeal Against The Devastation Of The Land By The Enemy.
A skillful song, or a didactic or reflective poem, of Asaph. 1O God, why have You rejected us forever?
Why does Your anger smoke against the sheep of Your pasture? 2Remember Your congregation, which You have purchased of old,
Which You have redeemed to be the tribe of Your inheritance;
Remember Mount Zion, where You have dwelt. 3Turn your footsteps [quickly] toward the perpetual ruins;
The enemy has damaged everything within the sanctuary. 4In the midst of Your meeting place Your enemies have roared [with their battle cry];
They have set up their own emblems for signs [of victory]. 5It seems as if one had lifted up
An axe in a forest of trees [to set a record of destruction]. 6And now all the carved work [of the meeting place]
They smash with hatchets and hammers. 7They have burned Your sanctuary to the ground;
They have profaned the dwelling place of Your name. 8They said in their heart, “Let us completely subdue them.”
They have burned all the meeting places of God in the land. 9We do not see our symbols;
There is no longer any prophet [to guide us],
Nor does any among us know for how long. 10O God, how long will the adversary scoff?
Is the enemy to revile Your name forever? 11Why do You withdraw Your hand, even Your right hand [from judging the enemy]?
Remove Your hand from Your chest, destroy them! 12Yet God is my King of old,
Working salvation in the midst of the earth. 13You divided the [Red] Sea by Your strength;
You broke the heads of the sea monsters in the waters. 14You crushed the heads of Leviathan (Egypt);
You gave him as food for the creatures of the wilderness. 15You broke open fountains and streams;
You dried up ever-flowing rivers. 16The day is Yours, the night also is Yours;
You have established and prepared the [heavenly] light and the sun. 17You have defined and established all the borders of the earth [the divisions of land and sea and of the nations];
You have made summer and winter. 18Remember this, O LORD, the enemy has scoffed,
And a foolish and impious people has spurned Your name. 19Oh, do not hand over the soul of your turtledove to the wild beast;
Do not forget the life of Your afflicted forever. 20Consider the covenant [You made with Abraham],
For the dark places of the land are full of the habitations of violence. 21Let not the oppressed return dishonored;
Let the afflicted and needy praise Your name. 22Arise, O God, plead Your own cause;
Remember how the foolish man scoffs at You all day long. 23Do not forget the [clamoring] voices of Your adversaries,
The uproar of those who rise against You, which ascends continually [to Your ears].

Psalm 75
God Abases The Proud, But Exalts The Righteous.
To the Chief Musician; set to [the tune of] “Do Not Destroy.” A Psalm of Asaph. A Song. 1We give thanks and praise to You, O God, we give thanks,
For Your [wonderful works declare that Your] name is near;
People declare Your wonders. 2“When I select an appointed time,
I will judge with equity,” [says the LORD]. 3“The earth and all the inhabitants of it melt [in tumultuous times].
It is I who will steady its pillars. Selah. 4“I said to the arrogant, ‘Do not boast;’
And to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up the horn [of self-glorification]. 5‘Do not lift up your [defiant and aggressive] horn on high,
Do not speak with a stiff neck.’” 6For not from the east, nor from the west,
Nor from the desert comes exaltation. 7But God is the Judge;
He puts down one and lifts up another. 8For a cup [of His wrath] is in the hand of the LORD, and the wine foams;
It is well mixed and fully spiced, and He pours out from it;
And all the wicked of the earth must drain it and drink down to its dregs. 9But as for me, I will declare it and rejoice forever;
I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. 10All the horns of the wicked He will cut off,
But the horns of the righteous will be lifted up.

Psalm 76
The Victorious Power Of The God Of Jacob.
To the Chief Musician; on stringed instruments. A Psalm of Asaph. A Song. 1God is known in Judah;
His name is great in Israel. 2His tabernacle is in Salem (Jerusalem);
His dwelling place is in Zion. 3There He broke the flaming arrows,
The shield, the sword, and the weapons of war. Selah. 4You are glorious and resplendent,
More majestic than the mountains of prey. 5The stouthearted have been stripped of their spoil,
They have slept the sleep [of death];
And none of the warriors could use his hands. 6At Your rebuke, O God of Jacob,
Both rider and horse were cast into a dead sleep [of death]. 7You, even You, are to be feared [with the submissive wonder of reverence];
Who may stand in Your presence when once You are angry? 8You caused judgment to be heard from heaven;
The earth feared and was quiet 9When God arose to [establish] judgment,
To save all the humble of the earth. Selah. 10For the wrath of man shall praise You;
With a remnant of wrath You will clothe and arm Yourself. 11Make vows to the LORD your God and fulfill them;
Let all who are around Him bring gifts to Him who is to be feared [with awe-inspired reverence]. 12He will cut off the spirit of princes;
He is awesome and feared by the kings of the earth.

Psalm 77
Comfort In Trouble From Recalling God’s Mighty Deeds.
To the Chief Musician; according to Jeduthun [one of David’s three chief musicians, founder of an official musical family]. A Psalm of Asaph. 1My voice rises to God, and I will cry aloud;
My voice rises to God, and He will hear me. 2In the day of my trouble I [desperately] sought the Lord;
In the night my hand was stretched out [in prayer] without weariness;
My soul refused to be comforted. 3I remember God; then I am disquieted and I groan;
I sigh [in prayer], and my spirit grows faint. Selah. 4You have held my eyelids open;
I am so troubled that I cannot speak. 5I have considered the ancient days,
The years [of prosperity] of long, long ago. 6I will remember my song in the night;
I will meditate with my heart,
And my spirit searches: 7Will the Lord reject forever?
And will He never be favorable again? 8Has His lovingkindness ceased forever?
Have His promises ended for all time? 9Has God forgotten to be gracious?
Or has He in anger withdrawn His compassion? Selah. 10And I said, “This is my grief,
That the right hand of the Most High has changed [and His lovingkindness is withheld].” 11I will [solemnly] remember the deeds of the LORD;
Yes, I will [wholeheartedly] remember Your wonders of old. 12I will meditate on all Your works
And thoughtfully consider all Your [great and wondrous] deeds. 13Your way, O God, is holy [far from sin and guilt].
What god is great like our God? 14You are the [awesome] God who works [powerful] wonders;
You have demonstrated Your power among the people. 15You have with Your [great] arm redeemed Your people,
The sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah. 16The waters [of the Red Sea] saw You, O God;
The waters saw You, they were in anguish;
The deeps also trembled. 17The clouds poured down water;
The skies sent out a sound [of rumbling thunder];
Your arrows (lightning) flashed here and there. 18The voice of Your thunder was in the whirlwind;
The lightnings illumined the world;
The earth trembled and shook. 19Your way [of escape for Your people] was through the sea,
And Your paths through the great waters,
And Your footprints were not traceable. 20You led Your people like a flock
By the hand of Moses and Aaron [to the promised goal].

Psalm 78
God’s Guidance Of His People In Spite Of Their Unfaithfulness.
A skillful song, or a didactic or reflective poem, of Asaph. 1Listen, O my people, to my teaching;
Incline your ears to the words of my mouth [and be willing to learn]. 2I will open my mouth in a parable [to instruct using examples];
I will utter dark and puzzling sayings of old [that contain important truth]— 3Which we have heard and known,
And our fathers have told us. 4We will not hide them from their children,
But [we will] tell to the generation to come the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD,
And [tell of] His great might and power and the wonderful works that He has done. 5For He established a testimony (a specific precept) in Jacob
And appointed a law in Israel,
Which He commanded our fathers
That they should teach to their children [the great facts of God’s transactions with Israel], 6That the generation to come might know them, that the children still to be born
May arise and recount them to their children, 7That they should place their confidence in God
And not forget the works of God,
But keep His commandments, 8And not be like their fathers—
A stubborn and rebellious generation,
A generation that did not prepare its heart to know and follow God,
And whose spirit was not faithful to God. 9The sons of Ephraim were armed as archers and carrying bows,
Yet they turned back in the day of battle. 10They did not keep the covenant of God
And refused to walk according to His law; 11And they forgot His [incredible] works
And His miraculous wonders that He had shown them. 12He did marvelous things in the sight of their fathers
In the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan [where Pharaoh resided]. 13He divided the [Red] Sea and allowed them to pass through it,
And He made the waters stand up like [water behind] a dam. 14In the daytime He led them with a cloud
And all the night with a light of fire. 15He split rocks in the wilderness
And gave them abundant [water to] drink like the ocean depths. 16He brought streams also from the rock [at Rephidim and Kadesh]
And caused waters to run down like rivers. 17Yet they still continued to sin against Him
By rebelling against the Most High in the desert. 18And in their hearts they put God to the test
By asking for food according to their [selfish] appetite. 19Then they spoke against God;
They said, “Can God prepare [food for] a table in the wilderness? 20“Behold, He struck the rock so that waters gushed out
And the streams overflowed;
Can He give bread also?
Or will He provide meat for His people?” 21Therefore, when the LORD heard, He was full of wrath;
A fire was kindled against Jacob,
And His anger mounted up against Israel, 22Because they did not believe in God [they did not rely on Him, they did not adhere to Him],
And they did not trust in His salvation (His power to save). 23Yet He commanded the clouds from above
And opened the doors of heaven; 24And He rained down manna upon them to eat
And gave them the grain of heaven. 25Man ate the bread of angels;
God sent them provision in abundance. 26He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens
And by His [unlimited] power He guided the south wind. 27He rained meat upon them like the dust,
And winged birds (quail) like the sand of the seas. 28And He let them fall in the midst of their camp,
Around their tents. 29So they ate and were well filled,
He gave them what they craved. 30Before they had satisfied their desire,
And while their food was in their mouths, 31The wrath of God rose against them
And killed some of the strongest of them,
And subdued the choice young men of Israel. 32In spite of all this they still sinned,
For they did not believe in His wonderful and extraordinary works. 33Therefore He consumed their days like a breath [in emptiness and futility]
And their years in sudden terror. 34When He killed [some of] them, then those remaining sought Him,
And they returned [to Him] and searched diligently for God [for a time]. 35And they remembered that God was their rock,
And the Most High God their Redeemer. 36Nevertheless they flattered Him with their mouths
And lied to Him with their tongues. 37For their heart was not steadfast toward Him,
Nor were they faithful to His covenant. 38But He, the source of compassion and lovingkindness, forgave their wickedness and did not destroy them;
Many times He restrained His anger
And did not stir up all His wrath. 39For He [graciously] remembered that they were mere [human] flesh,
A wind that goes and does not return. 40How often they rebelled against Him in the wilderness
And grieved Him in the desert! 41Again and again they tempted God,
And distressed the Holy One of Israel. 42They did not remember [the miracles worked by] His [powerful] hand,
Nor the day when He redeemed them from the enemy, 43How He worked His miracles in Egypt
And His wonders in the field of Zoan [where Pharaoh resided], 44And turned their rivers into blood,
And their streams, so that they could not drink. 45He sent among them swarms of flies which devoured them,
And frogs which destroyed them. 46He also gave their crops to the grasshopper,
And the fruit of their labor to the locust. 47He destroyed their vines with [great] hailstones
And their sycamore trees with frost. 48He gave over their cattle also to the hailstones,
And their flocks and herds to thunderbolts. 49He sent upon them His burning anger,
His fury and indignation and distress,
A band of angels of destruction [among them]. 50He leveled a path for His anger [to give it free run];
He did not spare their souls from death,
But turned over their lives to the plague. 51He killed all the firstborn in Egypt,
The first and best of their strength in the tents [of the land of the sons] of Ham. 52But God led His own people forward like sheep
And guided them in the wilderness like [a good shepherd with] a flock. 53He led them safely, so that they did not fear;
But the sea engulfed their enemies. 54So He brought them to His holy land,
To this mountain [Zion] which His right hand had acquired. 55He also drove out the nations before the sons of Israel
And allotted their land as an inheritance, measured out and partitioned;
And He had the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents [the tents of those who had been dispossessed]. 56Yet they tempted and rebelled against the Most High God
And did not keep His testimonies (laws). 57They turned back and acted unfaithfully like their fathers;
They were twisted like a warped bow [that will not respond to the archer’s aim]. 58For they provoked Him to [righteous] anger with their high places [devoted to idol worship]
And moved Him to jealousy with their carved images [by denying Him the love, worship, and obedience that is rightfully and uniquely His]. 59When God heard this, He was filled with [righteous] wrath;
And utterly rejected Israel, [greatly hating her ways], 60So that He abandoned the tabernacle at Shiloh,
The tent in which He had dwelled among men, 61And gave up His strength and power (the ark of the covenant) into captivity,
And His glory into the hand of the enemy (the Philistines). 62He also handed His people over to the sword,
And was infuriated with His inheritance (Israel). 63The fire [of war] devoured His young men,
And His [bereaved] virgins had no wedding songs. 64His priests [Hophni and Phinehas] fell by the sword,
And His widows could not weep. 65Then the Lord awakened as from sleep,
Like a [mighty] warrior who awakens from the sleep of wine [fully conscious of his power]. 66He drove His enemies backward;
He subjected them to lasting shame and dishonor. 67Moreover, He rejected the tent of Joseph,
And did not choose the tribe of Ephraim [in which the tabernacle stood]. 68But He chose the tribe of Judah [as Israel’s leader],
Mount Zion, which He loved [to replace Shiloh as His capital]. 69And He built His sanctuary [exalted] like the heights [of the heavens],
Like the earth which He has established forever. 70He also chose David His servant
And took him from the sheepfolds; 71From tending the ewes with nursing young He brought him
To shepherd Jacob His people,
And Israel His inheritance. 72So David shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart;
And guided them with his skillful hands.

Psalm 79
A Lament Over The Destruction Of Jerusalem, And Prayer For Help.
A Psalm of Asaph. 1O God, the nations have invaded [the land of Your people] Your inheritance;
They have defiled Your sacred temple;
They have laid Jerusalem in ruins. 2They have given the dead bodies of Your servants as food to the birds of the heavens,
The flesh of Your godly ones to the beasts of the earth. 3They have poured out their blood like water all around Jerusalem,
And there was no one to bury them. 4We have become an object of taunting to our neighbors [because of our humiliation],
A derision and mockery to those who encircle us. 5How long, O LORD? Will You be angry forever?
Will Your jealousy [which cannot endure a divided allegiance] burn like fire? 6Pour out Your wrath on the [Gentile] nations that do not know You,
And on the kingdoms that do not call on Your name. 7For they have devoured Jacob
And made his pasture desolate. 😯 do not remember against us the sins and guilt of our forefathers.
Let Your compassion and mercy come quickly to meet us,
For we have been brought very low. 9Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Your name;
Rescue us, forgive us our sins for Your name’s sake. 10Why should the [Gentile] nations say, “Where is their God?”
Let there be known [without delay] among the nations in our sight [and to this generation],
Your vengeance for the blood of Your servants which has been poured out. 11Let the groaning and sighing of the prisoner come before You;
According to the greatness of Your power keep safe those who are doomed to die. 12And return into the lap of our neighbors sevenfold
The taunts with which they have taunted You, O Lord. 13So we Your people, the sheep of Your pasture,
Will give You thanks forever;
We will declare and publish Your praise from generation to generation.

Psalm 80
God Implored To Rescue His People From Their Calamities.
To the Chief Musician; set to [the tune of] “Lilies, a Testimony.” A Psalm of Asaph. 1Hear us O Shepherd of Israel,
You who lead Joseph like a flock;
You who sit enthroned above the cherubim [of the ark of the covenant], shine forth! 2Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh, stir up Your power
And come to save us! 3Restore us, O God;
Cause Your face to shine on us [with favor and approval], and we will be saved. 4O LORD God of hosts,
How long will You be angry with the prayers of Your people? 5You have fed them the bread of tears,
And You have made them drink [bitter] tears in abundance. 6You make us an object of contention to our neighbors,
And our enemies laugh [at our suffering] among themselves. 7Restore us, O God of hosts;
And cause Your face to shine on us [with favor and approval], and we will be saved. 8You uprooted a vine (Israel) from Egypt;
You drove out the [Canaanite] nations and planted the vine [in Canaan]. 9You cleared away the ground before it,
And it took deep root and filled the land. 10The mountains were covered with its shadow,
And its branches were like the cedars of God. 11Israel sent out its branches to the [Mediterranean] Sea,
And its branches to the [Euphrates] River. 12Why have You broken down its walls and hedges,
So that all who pass by pick its fruit? 13A boar from the woods eats it away,
And the insects of the field feed on it. 14Turn again [in favor to us], O God of hosts;
Look down from heaven and see, and take care of this vine, 15Even the stock which Your right hand has planted,
And [look down on] the son that You have reared and strengthened for Yourself. 16It is burned with fire, it is cut down;
They perish at the rebuke of Your [angry] appearance. 17Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand,
Upon the son of man whom You have made strong for Yourself. 18Then we shall not turn back from You;
Revive us and we will call on Your name. 19Restore us, O LORD God of hosts;
Cause Your face to shine on us [in favor and approval], and we shall be saved.

Psalm 81
God’s Goodness And Israel’s Waywardness.
To the Chief Musician; set to the Philistine lute. A Psalm of Asaph. 1Sing aloud to God our strength;
Shout for joy to the God of Jacob (Israel). 2Raise a song, sound the timbrel,
The sweet sounding lyre with the harp. 3Blow the trumpet at the New Moon,
At the full moon, on our feast day. 4For this is a statute for Israel,
An ordinance of the God of Jacob. 5He established it for a testimony in Joseph
When He went throughout the land of Egypt.
I heard the language [of One whom] I did not know, saying, 6“I removed the burden from his shoulder;
His hands were freed from the basket. 7“You called in [the time of] trouble and I rescued you;
I answered you in the secret place of thunder;
I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah. 8“Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you—
O Israel, if you would listen to Me! 9“Let there be no strange god among you,
Nor shall you worship any foreign god. 10“I am the LORD your God,
Who brought you up from the land of Egypt.
Open your mouth wide and I will fill it. 11“But My people would not listen to My voice,
And Israel did not [consent to] obey Me. 12“So I gave them up to the stubbornness of their heart,
To walk in [the path of] their own counsel. 13“Oh, that My people would listen to Me,
That Israel would walk in My ways! 14“Then I would quickly subdue and humble their enemies
And turn My hand against their adversaries; 15Those who hate the LORD would pretend obedience to Him and cringe before Him,
And their time of punishment would be forever. 16“But I would feed Israel with the finest of the wheat;
And with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”

Psalm 82
Unjust Judgments Rebuked.
A Psalm of Asaph. 1God stands in the divine assembly;
He judges among the gods (divine beings). 2How long will you judge unjustly
And show partiality to the wicked? Selah. 3Vindicate the weak and fatherless;
Do justice and maintain the rights of the afflicted and destitute. 4Rescue the weak and needy;
Rescue them from the hand of the wicked. 5The rulers do not know nor do they understand;
They walk on in the darkness [of complacent satisfaction];
All the foundations of the earth [the fundamental principles of the administration of justice] are shaken. 6I said, “You are gods;
Indeed, all of you are sons of the Most High. 7“Nevertheless you will die like men
And fall like any one of the princes.” 8Arise, O God, judge the earth!
For to You belong all the nations.

Psalm 83
God Implored To Confound His Enemies.
A Song. A Psalm of Asaph. 1Do not keep silent, O God;
Do not hold Your peace or be still, O God. 2For behold, Your enemies are in tumult,
And those who hate You have raised their heads [in hatred of You]. 3They concoct crafty schemes against Your people,
And conspire together against Your hidden and precious ones. 4They have said, “Come, and let us wipe them out as a nation;
Let the name of Israel be remembered no more.” 5For they have conspired together with one mind;
Against You they make a covenant— 6The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,
Of Moab and the Hagrites, 7Gebal and Ammon and Amalek,
Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre. 8Assyria also has joined with them;
They have helped the children of Lot [the Ammonites and the Moabites] and have been an arm [of strength] to them. Selah. 9Deal with them as [You did] with Midian,
As with Sisera and Jabin at the brook of Kishon, 10Who were destroyed at En-dor,
Who became like dung for the earth. 11Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb
And all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna, 12Who said, “Let us possess for ourselves
The pastures of God.” 13O my God, make them like whirling dust,
Like chaff before the wind [worthless and without substance]. 14Like fire consumes the forest,
And like the flame sets the mountains on fire, 15So pursue them with Your tempest
And terrify them with [the violence of] Your storm. 16Fill their faces with shame and disgrace,
That they may [persistently] seek Your name, O LORD. 17Let them be ashamed and dismayed forever;
Yes, let them be humiliated and perish, 18That they may know that You alone, whose name is the LORD,
Are the Most High over all the earth.

Psalm 84
Longing For The Temple Worship.
To the Chief Musician; set to a Philistine lute. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. 1How lovely are Your dwelling places,
O LORD of hosts! 2My soul (my life, my inner self) longs for and greatly desires the courts of the LORD;
My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God. 3The bird has found a house,
And the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young—
Even Your altars, O LORD of hosts,
My King and my God. 4Blessed and greatly favored are those who dwell in Your house and Your presence;
They will be singing Your praises all the day long. Selah. 5Blessed and greatly favored is the man whose strength is in You,
In whose heart are the highways to Zion. 6Passing through the Valley of Weeping (Baca), they make it a place of springs;
The early rain also covers it with blessings. 7They go from strength to strength [increasing in victorious power];
Each of them appears before God in Zion. 😯 LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer;
Listen, O God of Jacob! Selah. 9See our shield, O God,
And look at the face of Your anointed [the king as Your representative]. 10For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand [anywhere else];
I would rather stand [as a doorkeeper] at the threshold of the house of my God
Than to live [at ease] in the tents of wickedness. 11For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
The LORD bestows grace and favor and honor;
No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly. 12O LORD of hosts,
How blessed and greatly favored is the man who trusts in You [believing in You, relying on You, and committing himself to You with confident hope and expectation].

Psalm 85
Prayer For God’s Mercy Upon The Nation.
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. 1O LORD, You have [at last] shown favor to Your land [of Canaan];
You have restored [from Babylon] the captives of Jacob (Israel). 2You have forgiven the wickedness of Your people;
You have covered all their sin. Selah. 3You have withdrawn all Your wrath,
You have turned away from Your burning anger. 4Restore us, O God of our salvation,
And cause Your indignation toward us to cease. 5Will You be angry with us forever?
Will You prolong Your anger to all generations? 6Will You not revive us and bring us to life again,
That Your people may rejoice in You? 7Show us Your lovingkindness, O LORD,
And grant us Your salvation. 8I will hear [with expectant hope] what God the LORD will say,
For He will speak peace to His people, to His godly ones—
But let them not turn again to folly. 9Surely His salvation is near to those who [reverently] fear Him [and obey Him with submissive wonder],
That glory [the manifest presence of God] may dwell in our land. 10Steadfast love and truth and faithfulness meet together;
Righteousness and peace kiss each other. 11Truth springs from the earth,
And righteousness looks down from heaven. 12Indeed, the LORD will give what is good,
And our land will yield its produce. 13Righteousness will go before Him
And will make His footsteps into a way [in which to walk].

Psalm 86
A Psalm Of Supplication And Trust.
A Prayer of David. 1Incline Your ear, O LORD, and answer me,
For I am distressed and needy [I long for Your help]. 2Protect my life (soul), for I am godly and faithful;
O You my God, save Your servant, who trusts in You [believing in You and relying on You, confidently committing everything to You]. 3Be gracious and merciful to me, O Lord,
For to You I cry out all the day long. 4Make Your servant rejoice,
For to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul [all that I am—in prayer]. 5For You, O Lord, are good, and ready to forgive [our sins, sending them away, completely letting them go forever and ever];
And abundant in lovingkindness and overflowing in mercy to all those who call upon You. 6Hear, O LORD, my prayer;
And listen attentively to the voice of my supplications (specific requests)! 7In the day of my trouble I will call upon You,
For You will answer me. 8There is no one like You among the gods, O Lord,
Nor are there any works [of wonder and majesty] like Yours. 9All nations whom You have made shall come and kneel down in worship before You, O Lord,
And they shall glorify Your name. 10For You are great and do wondrous works!
You alone are God. 11Teach me Your way, O LORD,
I will walk and live in Your truth;
Direct my heart to fear Your name [with awe-inspired reverence and submissive wonder]. 12I will give thanks and praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart;
And will glorify Your name forevermore. 13For great is Your lovingkindness and graciousness toward me;
And You have rescued my life from the depths of Sheol [from death]. 14O God, arrogant and insolent men have risen up against me;
A band of violent men have sought my life,
And they have not set You before them. 15But You, O Lord, are a God [who protects and is] merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness and truth. 16Turn to me, and be gracious to me;
Grant Your strength [Your might and the power to resist temptation] to Your servant,
And save the son of Your handmaid. 17Show me a sign of [Your] goodwill,
That those who hate me may see it and be ashamed,
Because You, O LORD, helped and comforted me.

Psalm 87
The Privileges Of Citizenship In Zion.
A Psalm of the sons of Korah. A Song. 1His foundation is on the holy mountain. 2The LORD loves the gates of Zion
More than all the dwellings of Jacob (Israel). 3Glorious things are spoken of you,
O city of God [Jerusalem]. Selah. 4“I will mention Rahab (Egypt) and Babylon among those who know Me—
Behold, Philistia and Tyre with Ethiopia (Cush)—
‘This one was born there.’” 5But of Zion it will be said, “This one and that one were born in her,”
And the Most High Himself will establish her. 6The LORD will count, when He registers the peoples,
“This one was born there.” Selah. 7The singers as well as the players of flutes will say,
“All my springs and sources of joy are in you [Jerusalem, city of God].”

Psalm 88
A Petition To Be Saved From Death.
A Song. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. To the Chief Musician; set to chant mournfully. A didactic or reflective poem of Heman the Ezrahite. 1O LORD, the God of my salvation,
I have cried out [for help] by day and in the night before You. 2Let my prayer come before You and enter into Your presence;
Incline Your ear to my cry! 3For my soul is full of troubles,
And my life draws near the grave (Sheol, the place of the dead). 4I am counted among those who go down to the pit (grave);
I am like a man who has no strength [a mere shadow], 5Cast away [from the living] and abandoned among the dead,
Like the slain who lie in a [nameless] grave,
Whom You no longer remember,
And they are cut off from Your hand. 6You have laid me in the lowest pit,
In dark places, in the depths. 7Your wrath has rested heavily upon me,
And You have afflicted me with all Your waves. Selah. 8You have put my friends far from me;
You have made me an object of loathing to them.
I am shut up and I cannot go out. 9My eye grows dim with sorrow.
O LORD, I have called on You every day;
I have spread out my hands to You [in prayer]. 10Will You perform wonders for the dead?
Shall the departed spirits arise and praise You? Selah. 11Will Your lovingkindness be declared in the grave
Or Your faithfulness in Abaddon (the underworld)? 12Will Your wonders be known in the darkness?
And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness [where the dead forget and are forgotten]? 13But I have cried out to You, O LORD, for help;
And in the morning my prayer will come to You. 14O LORD, why do You reject me?
Why do You hide Your face from me? 15I was afflicted and close to death from my youth on;
I suffer Your terrors; I am overcome. 16Your fierce wrath has swept over me;
Your terrors have destroyed me. 17They have surrounded me like flood waters all day long;
They have completely encompassed me. 18Lover and friend You have placed far from me;
My familiar friends are in darkness.

Psalm 89
The LORD’S Covenant With David, And Israel’s Afflictions.
A skillful song, or a didactic or reflective poem, of Ethan the Ezrahite. 1I will sing of the goodness and lovingkindness of the LORD forever;
With my mouth I will make known Your faithfulness from generation to generation. 2For I have said, “Goodness and lovingkindness will be built up forever;
In the heavens [unchangeable and majestic] You will establish Your faithfulness.” 3[God has said] “I have made a covenant with My chosen one;
I have sworn to David My servant, 4I will establish your seed forever
And I will build up your throne for all generations.” Selah. 5The heavens (angels) praise Your wonders, O LORD,
Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the holy ones. 6For who in the heavens can be compared to the LORD?
Who among the divine beings is like the LORD, 7A God greatly feared and reverently worshiped in the council of the holy [angelic] ones,
And awesome above all those who are around Him? 😯 LORD God of hosts, who is like You, O mighty LORD?
Your faithfulness surrounds You [as an intrinsic, unchangeable part of Your very being]. 9You rule the swelling of the sea;
When its waves rise, You still them. 10You have crushed Rahab (Egypt) like one who is slain;
You have scattered Your enemies with Your mighty arm. 11The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours;
The world and all that is in it, You have founded and established them. 12The north and the south, You have created them;
Mount Tabor and Mount Hermon shout for joy at Your name. 13You have a strong arm;
Mighty is Your hand, Your right hand is exalted. 14Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne;
Lovingkindness and truth go before You. 15Blessed and happy are the people who know the joyful sound [of the trumpet’s blast]!
They walk, O LORD, in the light and favor of Your countenance! 16In Your name they rejoice all the day,
And in Your righteousness they are exalted. 17For You are the glory of their strength [their proud adornment],
And by Your favor our horn is exalted. 18For our shield belongs to the LORD,
And our king to the Holy One of Israel. 19Once You spoke in a vision to Your godly ones,
And said, “I have given help to one who is mighty [giving him the power to be a champion for Israel];
I have exalted one chosen from the people. 20“I have found David My servant;
With My holy oil I have anointed him, 21With whom My hand shall be established and steadfast;
My arm also shall strengthen him. 22“The enemy will not outwit him,
Nor will the wicked man afflict or humiliate him. 23“I will crush his adversaries before him,
And strike those who hate him. 24“My faithfulness and My steadfast lovingkindness shall be with him,
And in My name shall his horn be exalted [great power and prosperity shall be conferred upon him]. 25“I will also set his hand on the [Mediterranean] sea,
And his right hand on the rivers [the tributaries of the Euphrates]. 26“He will cry to Me, ‘You are my Father,
My God, and the rock of my salvation.’ 27“I will also make him My firstborn (preeminent),
The highest of the kings of the earth. 28“My lovingkindness I will keep for him forevermore,
And My covenant will be confirmed to him. 29“His descendants I will establish forever,
And his throne [will endure] as the days of heaven. 30“If his children turn away from My law
And do not walk in My ordinances, 31If they break My statutes
And do not keep My commandments, 32Then I will punish their transgression with the rod [of discipline],
And [correct] their wickedness with stripes. 33“Nevertheless, I will not break off My lovingkindness from him,
Nor allow My faithfulness to fail. 34“My covenant I will not violate,
Nor will I alter the utterance of My lips. 35“Once [for all] I have sworn by My holiness, [My vow which cannot be violated];
I will not lie to David. 36“His descendants shall endure forever
And his throne [will continue] as the sun before Me. 37“It shall be established forever like the moon,
And the witness in the heavens is ever faithful.” Selah. 38But [in apparent contradiction of all this] You [the faithful LORD] have cast off and rejected;
You have been full of wrath against Your anointed. 39You have spurned and repudiated the covenant with Your servant;
You have profaned his crown [by casting it] in the dust. 40You have broken down all his [city] walls;
You have brought his strongholds to ruin. 41All who pass along the road rob him;
He has become the scorn of his neighbors. 42You have exalted the right hand of his foes;
You have made all his enemies rejoice. 43Also, You have turned back the edge of his sword
And have not made him [strong enough] to stand in battle. 44You have put an end to his splendor
And have hurled his throne to the ground. 45You have shortened the days of his youth;
You have covered him with shame. Selah. 46How long, O LORD?
Will You hide Yourself forever?
Will Your wrath burn like fire? 47Remember how fleeting my lifetime is;
For what vanity, [for what emptiness, for what futility, for what wisp of smoke] You have created all the sons of men! 48What man can live and not see death?
Can he rescue his soul from the [powerful] hand of Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead)? Selah. 49O Lord, where are Your former lovingkindnesses [so abundant in the days of David and Solomon],
Which You swore to David in Your faithfulness? 50Remember, O Lord, the reproach of Your servants [scorned, insulted, and disgraced];
How I bear in my heart the reproach of all the many peoples, 51With which Your enemies have taunted, O LORD,
With which they have mocked the footsteps of Your anointed. 52Blessed be the LORD forevermore!
Amen and Amen.

Psalm 90
God’s Eternity And Man’s Transitoriness.
A Prayer of Moses the man of God. 1Lord, You have been our dwelling place [our refuge, our sanctuary, our stability] in all generations. 2Before the mountains were born
Or before You had given birth to the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are [the eternal] God. 3You turn man back to dust,
And say, “Return [to the earth], O children of [mortal] men!” 4For a thousand years in Your sight
Are like yesterday when it is past,
Or as a watch in the night. 5You have swept them away like a flood, they fall asleep [forgotten as soon as they are gone];
In the morning they are like grass which grows anew— 6In the morning it flourishes and springs up;
In the evening it wilts and withers away. 7For we have been consumed by Your anger
And by Your wrath we have been terrified. 8You have placed our wickedness before you,
Our secret sins [which we tried to conceal, You have placed] in the [revealing] light of Your presence. 9For all our days pass away in Your wrath;
We have finished our years like a whispered sigh. 10The days of our life are seventy years—
Or even, if because of strength, eighty years;
Yet their pride [in additional years] is only labor and sorrow,
For it is soon gone and we fly away. 11Who understands the power of Your anger? [Who connects this brevity of life among us with Your judgment of sin?]
And Your wrath, [who connects it] with the [reverent] fear that is due You? 12So teach us to number our days,
That we may cultivate and bring to You a heart of wisdom. 13Turn, O LORD [from Your fierce anger]; how long will it be?
Be compassionate toward Your servants—revoke Your sentence. 14O satisfy us with Your lovingkindness in the morning [now, before we grow older],
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days. 15Make us glad in proportion to the days You have afflicted us,
And the years we have suffered evil. 16Let Your work [the signs of Your power] be revealed to Your servants
And Your [glorious] majesty to their children. 17And let the [gracious] favor of the Lord our God be on us;
Confirm for us the work of our hands—
Yes, confirm the work of our hands.

Psalm 91
Security Of The One Who Trusts In The LORD.
1He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
Will remain secure and rest in the shadow of the Almighty [whose power no enemy can withstand]. 2I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
My God, in whom I trust [with great confidence, and on whom I rely]!” 3For He will save you from the trap of the fowler,
And from the deadly pestilence. 4He will cover you and completely protect you with His pinions,
And under His wings you will find refuge;
His faithfulness is a shield and a wall. 5You will not be afraid of the terror of night,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day, 6Nor of the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
Nor of the destruction (sudden death) that lays waste at noon. 7A thousand may fall at your side
And ten thousand at your right hand,
But danger will not come near you. 8You will only [be a spectator as you] look on with your eyes
And witness the [divine] repayment of the wicked [as you watch safely from the shelter of the Most High]. 9Because you have made the LORD, [who is] my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place, 10No evil will befall you,
Nor will any plague come near your tent. 11For He will command His angels in regard to you,
To protect and defend and guard you in all your ways [of obedience and service]. 12They will lift you up in their hands,
So that you do not [even] strike your foot against a stone. 13You will tread upon the lion and cobra;
The young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot. 14“Because he set his love on Me, therefore I will save him;
I will set him [securely] on high, because he knows My name [he confidently trusts and relies on Me, knowing I will never abandon him, no, never]. 15“He will call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him. 16“With a long life I will satisfy him
And I will let him see My salvation.”

Psalm 92
Praise For The LORD’S Goodness.
A Psalm. A Song for the Sabbath day. 1It is a good and delightful thing to give thanks to the LORD,
To sing praises to Your name, O Most High, 2To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning
And Your faithfulness by night, 3With an instrument of ten strings and with the harp,
With a solemn sound on the lyre. 4For You, O LORD, have made me glad by Your works;
At the works of Your hands I joyfully sing. 5How great are Your works, O LORD!
Your thoughts are very deep [beyond man’s understanding]. 6A senseless man [in his crude and uncultivated state] knows nothing,
Nor does a [self-righteous] fool understand this: 7That though the wicked sprout up like grass
And all evildoers flourish,
They will be destroyed forever. 8But You, LORD, are on high forever. 9For behold, Your enemies, O LORD,
For behold, Your enemies will perish;
All who do evil will be scattered. 10But my horn [my emblem of strength and power] You have exalted like that of a wild ox;
I am anointed with fresh oil [for Your service]. 11My eye has looked on my foes;
My ears hear of the evildoers who rise up against me. 12The righteous will flourish like the date palm [long-lived, upright and useful];
They will grow like a cedar in Lebanon [majestic and stable]. 13Planted in the house of the LORD,
They will flourish in the courts of our God. 14[Growing in grace] they will still thrive and bear fruit and prosper in old age;
They will flourish and be vital and fresh [rich in trust and love and contentment]; 15[They are living memorials] to declare that the LORD is upright and faithful [to His promises];
He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.

Psalm 93
The Majesty Of The LORD.
1The LORD reigns, He is clothed with majesty and splendor;
The LORD has clothed and encircled Himself with strength;
the world is firmly established, it cannot be moved. 2Your throne is established from of old;
You are from everlasting. 3The floods have lifted up, O LORD,
The floods have lifted up their voice;
The floods lift up their pounding waves. 4More than the sounds of many waters,
More than the mighty breakers of the sea,
The LORD on high is mighty. 5Your precepts are fully confirmed and completely reliable;
Holiness adorns Your house,
O LORD, forever.

Psalm 94
The LORD Implored To Avenge His People.
1O LORD God, You to whom vengeance belongs,
O God, You to whom vengeance belongs, shine forth [in judgment]! 2Rise up, O Judge of the earth;
Give to the proud a fitting compensation. 3O LORD, how long will the wicked,
How long will the wicked rejoice in triumph? 4They pour out words, speaking arrogant things;
All who do evil boast proudly. 5They crush Your people, O LORD,
And afflict and abuse Your heritage. 6They kill the widow and the alien
And murder the fatherless. 7Yet they say, “The LORD does not see,
Nor does the God of Jacob (Israel) notice it.” 8Consider thoughtfully, you senseless (stupid ones) among the people;
And you [dull-minded] fools, when will you become wise and understand? 9He who made the ear, does He not hear?
He who formed the eye, does He not see? 10He who instructs the nations,
Does He not rebuke and punish,
He who teaches man knowledge? 11The LORD knows the thoughts of man,
That they are a mere breath (vain, empty, futile). 12Blessed [with wisdom and prosperity] is the man whom You discipline and instruct, O LORD,
And whom You teach from Your law, 13That You may grant him [power to calm himself and find] peace in the days of adversity,
Until the pit is dug for the wicked and ungodly. 14For the LORD will not abandon His people,
Nor will He abandon His inheritance. 15For judgment will again be righteous,
And all the upright in heart will follow it. 16Who will stand up for me against the evildoers?
Who will take a stand for me against those who do wickedness? 17If the LORD had not been my help,
I would soon have dwelt in [the land of] silence. 18If I say, “My foot has slipped,”
Your compassion and lovingkindness, O LORD, will hold me up. 19When my anxious thoughts multiply within me,
Your comforts delight me. 20Can a throne of destruction be allied with You,
One which frames and devises mischief by decree [under the sacred name of law]? 21They band themselves together against the life of the righteous
And condemn the innocent to death. 22But the LORD has become my high tower and defense,
And my God the rock of my refuge. 23He has turned back their own wickedness upon them
And will destroy them by means of their own evil;
The LORD our God will wipe them out.

Psalm 95
Praise To The LORD, And Warning Against Unbelief.
1O come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD;
Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation. 2Let us come before His presence with a song of thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with songs. 3For the LORD is a great God
And a great King above all gods, 4In whose hand are the depths of the earth;
The peaks of the mountains are His also. 5The sea is His, for He made it [by His command];
And His hands formed the dry land. 6O come, let us worship and bow down,
Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker [in reverent praise and prayer]. 7For He is our God
And we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Today, if you will hear His voice, 8Do not harden your hearts and become spiritually dull as at Meribah [the place of strife],
And as at Massah [the place of testing] in the wilderness, 9“When your fathers tested Me,
They tried Me, even though they had seen My work [of miracles]. 10“For forty years I was grieved and disgusted with that generation,
And I said, ‘They are a people who err in their heart,
And they do not acknowledge or regard My ways.’ 11“Therefore I swore [an oath] in My wrath,
‘They absolutely shall not enter My rest [the land of promise].’”

Psalm 96
A Call To Worship The LORD The Righteous Judge.
1O sing to the LORD a new song;
Sing to the LORD, all the earth! 2Sing to the LORD, bless His name;
Proclaim good news of His salvation from day to day. 3Declare His glory among the nations,
His marvelous works and wonderful deeds among all the peoples. 4For great is the LORD and greatly to be praised;
He is to be feared above all gods. 5For all the gods of the peoples are [worthless, lifeless] idols,
But the LORD made the heavens. 6Splendor and majesty are before Him;
Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary. 7Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples,
Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. 8Ascribe to the LORD the glory of His name;
Bring an offering and come into His courts. 9Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness;
Tremble [in submissive wonder] before Him, all the earth. 10Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns;
Indeed, the world is firmly and securely established, it shall not be moved;
He will judge and rule the people with fairness.” 11Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
Let the sea roar, and all the things it contains; 12Let the field be exultant, and all that is in it.
Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy 13Before the LORD, for He is coming,
For He is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness
And the peoples in His faithfulness.

Psalm 97
The LORD’S Power And Dominion.
1The LORD reigns, let the earth rejoice;
Let the many islands and coastlands be glad. 2Clouds and thick darkness surround Him [as at Sinai];
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne. 3Fire goes before Him
And burns up His adversaries on all sides. 4His lightnings have illuminated the world;
The earth has seen and trembled. 5The mountains melted like wax at the presence of the LORD,
At the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. 6The heavens declare His righteousness,
And all the peoples see His glory and brilliance. 7Let all those be [deeply] ashamed who serve carved images,
Who boast in idols.
Worship Him, all you gods! 8Zion heard this and was glad,
And the daughters (cities) of Judah rejoiced [in relief]
Because of Your judgments, O LORD. 9For You are the LORD Most High over all the earth;
You are exalted far above all gods. 10You who love the LORD, hate evil;
He protects the souls of His godly ones (believers),
He rescues them from the hand of the wicked. 11Light is sown [like seed] for the righteous and illuminates their path,
And [irrepressible] joy [is spread] for the upright in heart [who delight in His favor and protection]. 12Rejoice in the LORD, you righteous ones [those whose moral and spiritual integrity places them in right standing with God],
And praise and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.

Psalm 98
A Call To Praise The LORD For His Righteousness.
A Psalm. 1O sing to the LORD a new song,
For He has done marvelous and wonderful things;
His right hand and His holy arm have gained the victory for Him. 2The LORD has made known His salvation;
He has [openly] revealed His righteousness in the sight of the nations. 3He has [graciously] remembered His lovingkindness and His faithfulness to the house of Israel;
All the ends of the earth have witnessed the salvation of our God. 4Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth;
Shout [in jubilation] and sing for joy and sing praises. 5Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre,
With the lyre and the sound of melody. 6With trumpets and the sound of the horn
Shout with joy before the King, the LORD. 7Let the sea thunder and roar, and all the things it contains,
The world and those who dwell in it. 8Let the rivers clap their hands;
Let the mountains sing together for joy and delight 9Before the LORD, for He is coming to judge the earth;
He will judge the world with righteousness
And the peoples with fairness.

Psalm 99
Praise To The LORD For His Fidelity To Israel.
1The LORD reigns, let the peoples tremble [with submissive wonder]!
He sits enthroned above the cherubim, let the earth shake! 2The LORD is great in Zion,
And He is exalted and magnified above all the peoples. 3Let them [reverently] praise Your great and awesome name;
Holy is He. 4The strength of the King loves justice and righteous judgment;
You have established fairness;
You have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob (Israel). 5Exalt the LORD our God
And worship at His footstool;
Holy is He. 6Moses and Aaron were among His priests,
And Samuel was among those who called on His name;
They called upon the LORD and He answered them. 7He spoke to them in the pillar of cloud;
They kept His testimonies
And the statutes that He gave them. 8You answered them, O LORD our God;
You were a forgiving God to them,
And yet an avenger of their evil practices. 9Exalt the LORD our God
And worship at His holy hill [Zion, the temple mount],
For the LORD our God is holy.

Psalm 100
All Men Exhorted To Praise God.
A Psalm of Thanksgiving. 1Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth. 2Serve the LORD with gladness and delight;
Come before His presence with joyful singing. 3Know and fully recognize with gratitude that the LORD Himself is God;
It is He who has made us, not we ourselves [and we are His].
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. 4Enter His gates with a song of thanksgiving
And His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, bless and praise His name. 5For the LORD is good;
His mercy and lovingkindness are everlasting,
His faithfulness [endures] to all generations.

Psalm 101
The Psalmist’s Profession Of Uprightness.
A Psalm of David. 1I will sing of [steadfast] lovingkindness and justice;
To You, O LORD, I will sing praises. 2I will behave wisely and follow the way of integrity.
When will You come to me?
I will walk in my house in integrity and with a blameless heart. 3I will set no worthless or wicked thing before my eyes.
I hate the practice of those who fall away [from the right path];
It will not grasp hold of me. 4A perverse heart shall depart from me;
I will not tolerate evil. 5Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will silence;
The one who has a haughty look and a proud (arrogant) heart I will not tolerate. 6My eyes will be on the faithful (honorable) of the land, that they may dwell with me;
He who walks blamelessly is the one who will minister to and serve me. 7He who practices deceit will not dwell in my house;
He who tells lies and half-truths will not continue [to remain] in my presence. 8Morning after morning I will destroy all the wicked in the land,
That I may cut off from the city of the LORD all those who do evil.

Psalm 102
Prayer Of An Afflicted Man For Mercy On Himself And On Zion.
A Prayer of the afflicted; when he is overwhelmed and pours out his complaint to God. 1Hear my prayer, O LORD,
And let my cry for help come to You! 2Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my distress!
Incline Your ear to me;
In the day when I call, answer me quickly. 3For my days have vanished in smoke,
And my bones have been scorched like a hearth. 4My heart has been struck like grass and withered,
Indeed, [absorbed by my heartache] I forget to eat my food. 5Because of the sound of my groaning [in suffering and trouble]
My bones cling to my flesh. 6I am like a [mournful] vulture of the wilderness;
I am like a [desolate] owl of the wasteland. 7I am sleepless and lie awake [mourning],
I have become like a lonely bird on a housetop. 8My enemies taunt me all day long;
Those who ridicule me use my name as a curse. 9For I have eaten ashes like bread,
And have mingled my drink with tears 10Because of Your indignation and Your wrath,
For You have lifted me up and thrown me away. 11My days are like an evening shadow that lengthens and vanishes [with the sun];
And as for me, I wither away like grass. 12But You, O LORD, are enthroned forever [ruling eternally as sovereign];
And [the fame and glory of] Your name [endures] to all generations. 13You will arise and have compassion on Zion,
For it is time to be gracious and show favor to her;
Yes, the appointed time [the moment designated] has come. 14For Your servants find [melancholy] pleasure in the stones [of her ruins]
And feel pity for her dust. 15So the nations will fear the name of the LORD,
And all the kings of the earth [will recognize] Your glory. 16For the LORD has built up Zion;
He has appeared in His glory and brilliance; 17He has regarded the prayer of the destitute,
And has not despised their prayer. 18Let this be recorded for the generation to come,
That a people yet to be created will praise the LORD. 19For He looked down from His holy height [of His sanctuary],
From heaven the LORD gazed on the earth, 20To hear the sighing of the prisoner,
To set free those who were doomed to death, 21So that people may declare the name of the LORD in Zion
And His praise in Jerusalem, 22When the peoples are gathered together,
And the kingdoms, to serve the LORD. 23He has exhausted my strength [humbling me with sorrow] in the way;
He has shortened my days. 24I said, “O my God, do not take me away in the midst of my days;
Your years are [eternal] throughout all generations. 25“At the beginning You founded the earth;
The heavens are the work of Your hands. 26“Even they will perish, but You endure;
Yes, all of them will wear out like a garment.
Like clothing You will change them and they shall be changed. 27“But You remain the same,
And Your years will never end. 28“The children of Your servants will continue,
And their descendants will be established before You.”

Psalm 103
Praise For The LORD’S Mercies.
A Psalm of David. 1Bless and affectionately praise the LORD, O my soul,
And all that is [deep] within me, bless His holy name. 2Bless and affectionately praise the LORD, O my soul,
And do not forget any of His benefits; 3Who forgives all your sins,
Who heals all your diseases; 4Who redeems your life from the pit,
Who crowns you [lavishly] with lovingkindness and tender mercy; 5Who satisfies your years with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the [soaring] eagle. 6The LORD executes righteousness
And justice for all the oppressed. 7He made known His ways [of righteousness and justice] to Moses,
His acts to the children of Israel. 8The LORD is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger and abounding in compassion and lovingkindness. 9He will not always strive with us,
Nor will He keep His anger forever. 10He has not dealt with us according to our sins [as we deserve],
Nor rewarded us [with punishment] according to our wickedness. 11For as the heavens are high above the earth,
So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear and worship Him [with awe-filled respect and deepest reverence]. 12As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us. 13Just as a father loves his children,
So the LORD loves those who fear and worship Him [with awe-filled respect and deepest reverence]. 14For He knows our [mortal] frame;
He remembers that we are [merely] dust. 15As for man, his days are like grass;
Like a flower of the field, so he flourishes. 16For the wind passes over it and it is no more,
And its place knows it no longer. 17But the lovingkindness of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who [reverently] fear Him,
And His righteousness to children’s children, 18To those who honor and keep His covenant,
And remember to do His commandments [imprinting His word on their hearts]. 19The LORD has established His throne in the heavens,
And His sovereignty rules over all [the universe]. 20Bless the LORD, you His angels,
You mighty ones who do His commandments,
Obeying the voice of His word! 21Bless the LORD, all you His hosts,
You who serve Him and do His will. 22Bless the LORD, all you works of His, in all places of His dominion;
Bless and affectionately praise the LORD, O my soul!

Psalm 104
The LORD’S Care Over All His Works.
1Bless and affectionately praise the LORD, O my soul!
O LORD my God, You are very great;
You are clothed with splendor and majesty, 2[You are the One] who covers Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretches out the heavens like a tent curtain, 3Who lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters [above the firmament],
Who makes the clouds His chariot,
Who walks on the wings of the wind, 4Who makes winds His messengers,
Flames of fire His ministers. 5He established the earth on its foundations,
So that it will not be moved forever and ever. 6You covered it with the deep as with a garment;
The waters were standing above the mountains. 7At Your rebuke they fled;
At the sound of Your thunder they hurried away. 8The mountains rose, the valleys sank down
To the place which You established for them. 9You set a boundary [for the waters] that they may not cross over,
So that they will not return to cover the earth. 10You send springs into the valleys;
Their waters flow among the mountains. 11They give drink to every beast of the field;
The wild donkeys quench their thirst there. 12Beside them the birds of the heavens have their nests;
They lift up their voices and sing among the branches. 13He waters the mountains from His upper chambers;
The earth is satisfied with the fruit of His works. 14He causes grass to grow for the cattle,
And all that the earth produces for cultivation by man,
So that he may bring food from the earth— 15And wine which makes the heart of man glad,
So that he may make his face glisten with oil,
And bread to sustain and strengthen man’s heart. 16The trees of the LORD drink their fill,
The cedars of Lebanon which He has planted, 17Where the birds make their nests;
As for the stork, the fir trees are her house. 18The high mountains are for the wild goats;
The rocks are a refuge for the shephanim. 19He made the moon for the seasons;
The sun knows the [exact] place of its setting. 20You [O LORD] make darkness and it becomes night,
In which prowls about every wild beast of the forest. 21The young lions roar after their prey
And seek their food from God. 22When the sun arises, they withdraw
And lie down in their dens. 23Man goes out to his work
And remains at his labor until evening. 24O LORD, how many and varied are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all;
The earth is full of Your riches and Your creatures. 25There is the sea, great and broad,
In which are swarms without number,
Creatures both small and great. 26There the ships [of the sea] sail,
And Leviathan [the sea monster], which You have formed to play there. 27They all wait for You
To give them their food in its appointed season. 28You give it to them, they gather it up;
You open Your hand, they are filled and satisfied with good [things]. 29You hide Your face, they are dismayed;
You take away their breath, they die
And return to their dust. 30You send out Your Spirit, they are created;
You renew the face of the ground. 31May the glory of the LORD endure forever;
May the LORD rejoice and be glad in His works— 32He looks at the earth, and it trembles;
He touches the mountains, and they smoke. 33I will sing to the LORD as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. 34May my meditation be sweet and pleasing to Him;
As for me, I will rejoice and be glad in the LORD. 35Let sinners be consumed from the earth,
And let the wicked be no more.
Bless and affectionately praise the LORD, O my soul.
Praise the LORD! (Hallelujah!)

Psalm 105
The LORD’S Wonderful Works In Behalf Of Israel.
1O give thanks to the LORD, call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the people. 2Sing to Him, sing praises to Him;
Speak of all His wonderful acts and devoutly praise them. 3Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those who seek and require the LORD [as their most essential need] rejoice. 4Seek and deeply long for the LORD and His strength [His power, His might];
Seek and deeply long for His face and His presence continually. 5Remember [with awe and gratitude] the wonderful things which He has done,
His amazing deeds and the judgments uttered by His mouth [on His enemies, as in Egypt], 6O you offspring of Abraham, His servant,
O you sons of Jacob, His chosen ones! 7He is the LORD our God;
His judgments are in all the earth. 8He has remembered His covenant forever,
The word which He commanded and established to a thousand generations, 9The covenant which He made with Abraham,
And His sworn oath to Isaac, 10Which He confirmed to Jacob as a statute,
To Israel as an everlasting covenant, 11Saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan
As the measured portion of your inheritance.” 12When there were only a few men in number,
Very few [in fact], and strangers in it; 13And they wandered from one nation to another,
From one kingdom to another people, 14He allowed no man to oppress them;
He rebuked kings for their sakes, saying, 15“Do not touch My anointed ones,
And do My prophets no harm.” 16And He called for a famine upon the land [of Egypt];
He cut off every source of bread. 17He sent a man before them,
Joseph, who was sold as a slave. 18His feet they hurt with shackles;
He was put in chains of iron, 19Until the time that his word [of prophecy regarding his brothers] came true,
The word of the LORD tested and refined him. 20The king sent and released him,
The ruler of the peoples [of Egypt], and set him free. 21He made Joseph lord of his house
And ruler of all his possessions, 22To imprison his princes at his will,
That he might teach his elders wisdom. 23Israel also came into Egypt;
Thus Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham. 24There the LORD greatly increased [the number of] His people,
And made them more powerful than their enemies. 25He turned the heart [of the Egyptians] to hate His people,
To deal craftily with His servants. 26He sent Moses His servant,
And Aaron, whom He had chosen. 27They exhibited His wondrous signs among them,
Great miracles in the land of Ham (Egypt). 28He sent [thick, oppressive] darkness and made the land dark;
And Moses and Aaron did not rebel against His words. 29He turned Egypt’s waters into blood
And caused their fish to die. 30Their land swarmed with frogs,
Even in the chambers of their kings. 31He spoke, and there came swarms of flies
And gnats in all their territory. 32He gave them hail for rain,
With flaming fire in their land. 33He struck their vines also and their fig trees,
And shattered the [ice-laden] trees of their territory. 34He spoke, and the [migratory] locusts came,
And the young locusts, even without number, 35And ate up all the vegetation in their land,
And devoured the fruit of their ground. 36He also struck down all the firstborn in their land,
The first fruits and chief substance of all their strength. 37He brought the sons of Israel out [of Egypt] with silver and gold,
And among their tribes there was not one who stumbled. 38Egypt was glad when they departed,
For the dread and fear of them had fallen on the Egyptians. 39The LORD spread a cloud as a covering [by day],
And a fire to illumine the night. 40The Israelites asked, and He brought quail,
And satisfied them with the bread of heaven. 41He opened the rock and water flowed out;
It ran in the dry places like a river. 42For He remembered His holy word
To Abraham His servant; 43He brought out His people with joy,
And His chosen ones with a joyful shout, 44He gave them the lands of the nations [of Canaan],
So that they would possess the fruits of those peoples’ labor, 45So that they might observe His precepts
And keep His laws [obediently accepting and honoring and valuing them].
Praise the LORD! (Hallelujah!)

Psalm 106
Israel’s Rebelliousness And The LORD’S Deliverances.
1Praise the LORD! (Hallelujah!)
Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;
For His mercy and lovingkindness endure forever! 2Who can put into words the mighty deeds of the LORD?
Or who can proclaim all His praise [that is due Him]? 3Blessed are those who observe justice [by honoring God’s precepts],
Who practice righteousness at all times. 4Remember me, O LORD, when You favor Your people.
Visit me with Your salvation [when You rescue them], 5That I may see the prosperity of Your chosen ones,
That I may rejoice in the gladness of Your nation,
That I may glory with Your inheritance. 6We have sinned like our fathers;
We have committed iniquity, we have behaved wickedly. 7Our fathers in Egypt did not understand nor appreciate Your miracles;
They did not remember the abundance of Your mercies nor imprint Your lovingkindnesses on their hearts,
But they were rebellious at the sea, at the Red Sea. 8Nevertheless He saved them for His name’s sake,
That He might make His [supreme] power known. 9He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up;
And He led them through the depths as through a pasture. 10So He saved them from the hand of the one that hated them,
And redeemed them from the hand of the [Egyptian] enemy. 11And the waters covered their adversaries;
Not one of them was left. 12Then Israel believed in [the validity of] His words;
They sang His praise. 13But they quickly forgot His works;
They did not [patiently] wait for His counsel and purpose [to be revealed regarding them], 14But lusted intensely in the wilderness
And tempted God [with their insistent desires] in the desert. 15So He gave them their request,
But sent a wasting disease among them. 16They envied Moses in the camp,
And Aaron [the high priest], the holy one of the LORD, 17Therefore the earth opened and swallowed Dathan,
And engulfed the company of Abiram. 18And a fire broke out in their company;
The flame consumed the wicked. 19They made a calf in Horeb (Sinai)
And worshiped a cast image. 20Thus they exchanged [the true God who was] their glory
For the image of an ox that eats grass. 21They forgot God their Savior,
Who had done such great things in Egypt, 22Wonders in the land of Ham,
Awesome things at the Red Sea. 23Therefore He said He would destroy them,
[And He would have done so] had not Moses, His chosen one, stepped into the gap before Him,
To turn away His wrath from destroying them. 24Then they despised the pleasant land [of Canaan];
They did not believe in His word nor rely on it, 25But they sulked and complained in their tents;
They did not listen to the voice of the LORD. 26Therefore He lifted up His hand [swearing] to them,
That He would cause them to fall in the wilderness, 27And that He would cast out their descendants among the nations
And scatter them in the lands [of the earth]. 28They joined themselves also to [the idol] Baal of Peor,
And ate sacrifices offered to the dead. 29Thus they provoked Him to anger with their practices,
And a plague broke out among them. 30Then Phinehas [the priest] stood up and interceded,
And so the plague was halted. 31And that was credited to him for righteousness,
To all generations forever. 32They provoked Him to anger at the waters of Meribah,
So that it went hard with Moses on their account; 33Because they were rebellious against His Spirit,
Moses spoke recklessly with his lips. 34They did not destroy the [pagan] peoples [in Canaan],
As the LORD commanded them, 35But they mingled with the [idolatrous] nations
And learned their ways, 36And served their idols,
Which became a [dreadful] snare to them. 37They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons 38And shed innocent blood,
Even the blood of their sons and of their daughters,
Whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan;
And the land was polluted with their blood. 39In this way they became unclean in their practices;
They played the prostitute in their own deeds [by giving their worship, which belongs to God alone, to other “gods”]. 40Therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against His people
And He detested His own inheritance. 41He gave them into the hands of the nations,
And those who hated them ruled over them. 42Their enemies also oppressed them,
And they were subdued under the [powerful] hand of their enemies. 43Many times He rescued them;
But they were rebellious in their counsel,
And sank down in their wickedness. 44Nevertheless He looked [sympathetically] at their distress
When He heard their cry; 45And He remembered His covenant for their sake,
And relented [rescinding their sentence] according to the greatness of His lovingkindness [when they cried out to Him], 46He also made them objects of compassion
Among those who had carried them away captive. 47Save us, O LORD our God,
And gather us from among the nations,
That we may give thanks to Your holy name
And glory in praising You. 48Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
From everlasting even to everlasting.
And let all the people say, “Amen.”
Praise the LORD! (Hallelujah!)

Psalm 107
The LORD Rescues People From Many Troubles.
1O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;
For His compassion and lovingkindness endure forever! 2Let the redeemed of the LORD say so,
Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the adversary, 3And gathered them from the lands,
From the east and from the west,
From the north and from the south. 4They wandered in the wilderness in a [solitary] desert region;
And did not find a way to an inhabited city. 5Hungry and thirsty,
They fainted. 6Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
And He rescued them from their distresses. 7He led them by the straight way,
To an inhabited city [where they could establish their homes]. 8Let them give thanks to the LORD for His lovingkindness,
And for His wonderful acts to the children of men! 9For He satisfies the parched throat,
And fills the hungry appetite with what is good. 10Some dwelt in darkness and in the deep (deathly) darkness,
Prisoners [bound] in misery and chains, 11Because they had rebelled against the precepts of God
And spurned the counsel of the Most High. 12Therefore He humbled their heart with hard labor;
They stumbled and there was no one to help. 13Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
And He saved them from their distresses. 14He brought them out of darkness and the deep (deathly) darkness
And broke their bonds apart. 15Let them give thanks to the LORD for His lovingkindness,
And for His wonderful acts to the children of men! 16For He has shattered the gates of bronze
And cut the bars of iron apart. 17Fools, because of their rebellious way,
And because of their sins, were afflicted. 18They detested all kinds of food,
And they drew near to the gates of death. 19Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
And He saved them from their distresses. 20He sent His word and healed them,
And rescued them from their destruction. 21Let them give thanks to the LORD for His lovingkindness,
And for His wonderful acts to the children of men! 22And let them offer the sacrifices of thanksgiving,
And speak of His deeds with shouts of joy! 23Those who go down to the sea in ships,
Who do business on great waters; 24They have seen the works of the LORD,
And His wonders in the deep. 25For He spoke and raised up a stormy wind,
Which lifted up the waves of the sea. 26They went up toward the heavens [on the crest of the wave], they went down again to the depths [of the watery trough];
Their courage melted away in their misery. 27They staggered and trembled like a drunken man,
And were at their wits’ end [all their wisdom was useless]. 28Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
And He brought them out of their distresses. 29He hushed the storm to a gentle whisper,
So that the waves of the sea were still. 30Then they were glad because of the calm,
And He guided them to their desired haven (harbor). 31Let them give thanks to the LORD for His lovingkindness,
And for His wonderful acts to the children of men! 32Let them exalt Him also in the congregation of the people,
And praise Him at the seat of the elders. 33He turns rivers into a wilderness,
And springs of water into a thirsty ground; 34A productive land into a [barren] salt waste,
Because of the wickedness of those who dwell in it. 35He turns a wilderness into a pool of water
And a dry land into springs of water; 36And there He has the hungry dwell,
So that they may establish an inhabited city, 37And sow fields and plant vineyards,
And produce an abundant harvest. 38Also He blesses them so that they multiply greatly,
And He does not let [the number of] their cattle decrease. 39When they are diminished and bowed down (humbled)
Through oppression, misery, and sorrow, 40He pours contempt on princes
And makes them wander in a pathless wasteland. 41Yet He sets the needy securely on high, away from affliction,
And makes their families like a flock. 42The upright see it and rejoice;
But all unrighteousness shuts its mouth. 43Who is wise? Let him observe and heed these things;
And [thoughtfully] consider the lovingkindness of the LORD.

Psalm 108
Praise And Supplication To God For Victory.
A Song. A Psalm of David. 1O God, my heart is steadfast [with confident faith];
I will sing, I will sing praises, even with my soul. 2Awake, harp and lyre;
I will awaken the dawn! 3I will praise and give thanks to You, O LORD, among the people;
And I will sing praises to You among the nations. 4For Your lovingkindness is great and higher than the heavens;
Your truth reaches to the skies. 5Be exalted [in majesty], O God, above the heavens,
And Your glory above all the earth. 6That Your beloved [ones] may be rescued,
Save with Your right hand, and answer me! 7God has spoken in His holiness:
“I will rejoice, I will portion out Shechem [as I divide Canaan among My people],
And measure out the Valley of Succoth. 8“Gilead is Mine, Manasseh is Mine;
Ephraim also is the helmet of My head [My stronghold, My defense];
Judah is My scepter. 9“Moab is My washbowl;
Over Edom I will throw My shoe [to show Edom is Mine];
Over Philistia I will shout [in triumph].” 10Who will bring me into the fortified city [of Petra]?
Who will lead me to Edom? 11Have You not rejected us, O God?
And will You not go out, O God, with our armies? 12Give us help against the adversary,
For deliverance by man is in vain [a worthless hope]. 13With God we will do valiantly,
For it is He who will trample down our enemies.

Psalm 109
Vengeance Invoked Upon Adversaries.
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. 1O God of my praise!
Do not keep silent, 2For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me;
They have spoken against me with a lying tongue. 3They have also surrounded me with words of hatred,
And have fought against me without a cause. 4In return for my love, they attack me,
But I am in prayer. 5They have repaid me evil for good,
And hatred for my love. 6Appoint a wicked man against him,
And let an attacker stand at his right hand [to kill him]. 7When he enters into dispute, let wickedness come about.
Let his prayer [for help] result [only] in sin. 8Let his days be few;
And let another take his office. 9Let his children be fatherless
And his wife a widow. 10Let his children wander and beg;
Let them seek their food and be driven far from their ruined homes. 11Let the creditor seize all that he has,
And let strangers plunder the product of his labor. 12Let there be no one to extend kindness to him,
Nor let anyone be gracious to his fatherless children. 13Let his descendants be cut off,
And in the following generation let their name be blotted out. 14Let the wickedness of his fathers be remembered by the LORD;
And do not let the sin of his mother be blotted out. 15Let them be before the LORD continually,
That He may cut off their memory from the earth; 16Because the man did not remember to show kindness,
But persecuted the suffering and needy man,
And the brokenhearted, to put them to death. 17He also loved cursing, and it came [back] to him;
He did not delight in blessing, so it was far from him. 18He clothed himself with cursing as with his garment,
And it seeped into his inner self like water
And like [anointing] oil into his bones. 19Let it be to him as a robe with which he covers himself,
And as a sash with which he is constantly bound. 20Let this be the reward of my attackers from the LORD,
And of those who speak evil against my life. 21But You, O GOD, the Lord, show kindness to me, for Your name’s sake;
Because Your lovingkindness (faithfulness, compassion) is good, O rescue me; 22For I am suffering and needy,
And my heart is wounded within me. 23I am vanishing like a shadow when it lengthens and fades;
I am shaken off like the locust. 24My knees are unsteady from fasting;
And my flesh is gaunt and without fatness. 25I also have become a reproach and an object of taunting to others;
When they see me, they shake their heads [in derision]. 26Help me, O LORD my God;
Save me according to Your lovingkindness— 27And let them know that this is Your hand;
You, LORD, have done it. 28Let them curse, but You bless.
When adversaries arise, let them be ashamed,
But let Your servant rejoice. 29Let my attackers be clothed with dishonor,
And let them cover themselves with their own shame as with a robe. 30I will give great praise and thanks to the LORD with my mouth;
And in the midst of many I will praise Him. 31For He will stand at the right hand of the needy,
To save him from those who judge his soul.

Psalm 110
The LORD Gives Dominion To The King.
A Psalm of David. 1The LORD (Father) says to my Lord (the Messiah, His Son),
“Sit at My right hand
Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet [subjugating them into complete submission].” 2The LORD will send the scepter of Your strength from Zion, saying,
“Rule in the midst of Your enemies.” 3Your people will offer themselves willingly [to participate in Your battle] in the day of Your power;
In the splendor of holiness, from the womb of the dawn,
Your young men are to You as the dew. 4The LORD has sworn [an oath] and will not change His mind:
“You are a priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek.” 5The LORD is at Your right hand,
He will crush kings in the day of His wrath. 6He will execute judgment [in overwhelming punishment] among the nations;
He will fill them with corpses,
He will crush the chief men over a broad country. 7He will drink from the brook by the wayside;
Therefore He will lift up His head [triumphantly].

Psalm 111
The LORD Praised For His Goodness.
1Praise the LORD! (Hallelujah!)
I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart,
In the company of the upright and in the congregation. 2Great are the works of the LORD,
Studied by all those who delight in them. 3Splendid and majestic is His work,
And His righteousness endures forever. 4He has made His wonderful acts to be remembered;
The LORD is gracious and merciful and full of loving compassion. 5He has given food to those who fear Him [with awe-inspired reverence];
He will remember His covenant forever. 6He has declared and made known to His people the power of His works,
In giving them the heritage of the nations. 7The works of His hands are truth and [absolute] justice;
All His precepts are sure (established, reliable, trustworthy). 8They are upheld forever and ever;
They are done in [absolute] truth and uprightness. 9He has sent redemption to His people;
He has ordained His covenant forever;
Holy and awesome is His name—[inspiring reverence and godly fear]. 10The [reverent] fear of the LORD is the beginning (the prerequisite, the absolute essential, the alphabet) of wisdom;
A good understanding and a teachable heart are possessed by all those who do the will of the LORD;
His praise endures forever.

Psalm 112
Prosperity Of The One Who Fears The LORD.
1Praise the LORD! (Hallelujah!)
Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the man who fears the LORD [with awe-inspired reverence and worships Him with obedience],
Who delights greatly in His commandments. 2His descendants will be mighty on earth;
The generation of the upright will be blessed. 3Wealth and riches are in his house,
And his righteousness endures forever. 4Light arises in the darkness for the upright;
He is gracious and compassionate and righteous (upright—in right standing with God). 5It is well with the man who is gracious and lends;
He conducts his affairs with justice. 6He will never be shaken;
The righteous will be remembered forever. 7He will not fear bad news;
His heart is steadfast, trusting [confidently relying on and believing] in the LORD. 8His heart is upheld, he will not fear
While he looks [with satisfaction] on his adversaries. 9He has given freely to the poor;
His righteousness endures forever;
His horn will be exalted in honor. 10The wicked will see it and be angered,
He will gnash his teeth and melt away [in despair and death];
The desire of the wicked will perish and come to nothing.

Psalm 113
The LORD Exalts The Humble.
1Praise the LORD! (Hallelujah!)
Praise, O servants of the LORD,
Praise the name of the LORD. 2Blessed be the name of the LORD
From this time forth and forever. 3From the rising of the sun to its setting
The name of the LORD is to be praised [with awe-inspired reverence]. 4The LORD is high above all nations,
And His glory above the heavens. 5Who is like the LORD our God,
Who is enthroned on high, 6Who humbles Himself to regard
The heavens and the earth? 7He raises the poor out of the dust
And lifts the needy from the ash heap, 8That He may seat them with princes,
With the princes of His people. 9He makes the barren woman live in the house
As a joyful mother of children.
Praise the LORD! (Hallelujah!)

Psalm 114
God’s Rescue Of Israel From Egypt.
1When Israel came out of Egypt,
The house of Jacob from a people of strange language, 2Judah became His sanctuary,
And Israel His dominion. 3The [Red] Sea looked and fled;
The Jordan turned back. 4The mountains leaped like rams,
The [little] hills, like lambs. 5What ails you, O sea, that you flee?
O Jordan, that you turn back? 6O mountains, that you leap like rams,
O [little] hills, like lambs? 7Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord,
At the presence of the God of Jacob (Israel), 8Who turned the rock into a pool of water,
The flint into a fountain of water.

Psalm 115
Pagan Idols Contrasted With The LORD.
1Not to us, O LORD, not to us,
But to Your name give glory
Because of Your lovingkindness, because of Your truth and faithfulness. 2Why should the nations say,
“Where, now, is their God?” 3But our God is in heaven;
He does whatever He pleases. 4The idols [of the nations] are silver and gold,
The work of man’s hands. 5They have mouths, but they cannot speak;
They have eyes, but they cannot see; 6They have ears, but they cannot hear;
They have noses, but they cannot smell; 7They have hands, but they cannot feel;
They have feet, but they cannot walk;
Nor can they make a sound with their throats. 8Those who make them will become like them,
Everyone who trusts in them. 9O Israel, trust and take refuge in the LORD! [Be confident in Him, cling to Him, rely on His word!]
He is their help and their shield. 10O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD;
He is their help and their shield. 11You who [reverently] fear the LORD, trust in LORD;
He is their help and their shield. 12The LORD has been mindful of us; He will bless,
He will bless the house of Israel;
He will bless the house of Aaron. 13He will bless those who fear and worship the LORD [with awe-inspired reverence and submissive wonder],
Both the small and the great. 14May the LORD give you [great] increase,
You and your children. 15May you be blessed of the LORD,
Who made heaven and earth. 16The heavens are the heavens of the LORD,
But the earth He has given to the children of men. 17The dead do not praise the LORD,
Nor do any who go down into silence; 18But as for us, we will bless and affectionately and gratefully praise the LORD
From this time forth and forever.
Praise the LORD! (Hallelujah!)

Psalm 116
Thanksgiving For Rescue From Death.
1I love the LORD, because He hears [and continues to hear]
My voice and my supplications (my pleas, my cries, my specific needs). 2Because He has inclined His ear to me,
Therefore I will call on Him as long as I live. 3The cords and sorrows of death encompassed me,
And the terrors of Sheol came upon me;
I found distress and sorrow. 4Then I called on the name of the LORD:
“O LORD, please save my life!” 5Gracious is the LORD, and [consistently] righteous;
Yes, our God is compassionate. 6The LORD protects the simple (childlike);
I was brought low [humbled and discouraged], and He saved me. 7Return to your rest, O my soul,
For the LORD has dealt bountifully with you. 8For You have rescued my life from death,
My eyes from tears,
And my feet from stumbling and falling. 9I will walk [in submissive wonder] before the LORD
In the land of the living. 10I believed [and clung to my God] when I said,
“I am greatly afflicted.” 11I said in my alarm,
“All men are liars.” 12What will I give to the LORD [in return]
For all His benefits toward me?
[How can I repay Him for His precious blessings?] 13I will lift up the cup of salvation
And call on the name of the LORD. 14I will pay my vows to the LORD,
Yes, in the presence of all His people. 15Precious [and of great consequence] in the sight of the LORD
Is the death of His godly ones [so He watches over them]. 16O LORD, truly I am Your servant;
I am Your servant, the son of Your handmaid;
You have unfastened my chains. 17I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving,
And will call on the name of the LORD. 18I will pay my vows to the LORD,
Yes, in the presence of all His people, 19In the courts of the LORD’S house (temple)—
In the midst of you, O Jerusalem.
Praise the LORD! (Hallelujah!)

Psalm 117
A Psalm Of Praise.
1O praise the LORD, all you nations!
Praise Him, all you people! 2For His lovingkindness prevails over us [and we triumph and overcome through Him],
And the truth of the LORD endures forever.
Praise the LORD! (Hallelujah!)

Psalm 118
Thanksgiving For The LORD’S Saving Goodness.
1O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;
For His lovingkindness endures forever. 2Oh let Israel say,
“His lovingkindness endures forever.” 3Oh let the house of Aaron say,
“His lovingkindness endures forever.” 4Oh let those who [reverently] fear the LORD, say,
“His lovingkindness endures forever.” 5Out of my distress I called on the LORD;
The LORD answered me and set me free. 6The LORD is on my side; I will not fear.
What can [mere] man do to me? 7The LORD is on my side, He is among those who help me;
Therefore I will look [in triumph] on those who hate me. 8It is better to take refuge in the LORD
Than to trust in man. 9It is better to take refuge in the LORD
Than to trust in princes. 10All nations encompassed me;
In the name of the LORD I will surely cut them off. 11They encompassed me, yes, they surrounded me [on every side];
In the name of the LORD I will cut them off. 12They swarmed around me like bees;
They flare up and are extinguished like a fire of thorns;
In the name of the LORD I will surely cut them off. 13You [my enemy] pushed me violently so that I was falling,
But the LORD helped me. 14The LORD is my strength and song,
And He has become my salvation. 15The sound of joyful shouting and salvation is in the tents of the righteous:
The right hand of the LORD does valiantly. 16The right hand of the LORD is exalted;
The right hand of the LORD does valiantly. 17I will not die, but live,
And declare the works and recount the illustrious acts of the LORD. 18The LORD has disciplined me severely,
But He has not given me over to death. 19Open to me the [temple] gates of righteousness;
I shall enter through them, I shall give thanks to the LORD. 20This is the gate of the LORD;
The righteous will enter through it. 21I will give thanks to You, for You have heard and answered me;
And You have become my salvation [my Rescuer, my Savior]. 22The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief corner stone. 23This is from the LORD and is His doing;
It is marvelous in our eyes. 24This [day in which God has saved me] is the day which the LORD has made;
Let us rejoice and be glad in it. 25O LORD, save now, we beseech You;
O LORD, we beseech You, send now prosperity and give us success! 26Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the LORD;
We have blessed you from the house of the LORD [you who come into His sanctuary under His guardianship]. 27The LORD is God, and He has given us light [illuminating us with His grace and freedom and joy].
Bind the festival sacrifices with cords to the horns of the altar. 28You are my God, and I give thanks to You;
[You are] my God, I extol You. 29O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;
For His lovingkindness endures forever.

Psalm 119
Meditations And Prayers Relating To The Law Of God.
Aleph. 1How blessed and favored by God are those whose way is blameless [those with personal integrity, the upright, the guileless],
Who walk in the law [and who are guided by the precepts and revealed will] of the LORD. 2Blessed and favored by God are those who keep His testimonies,
And who [consistently] seek Him and long for Him with all their heart. 3They do no unrighteousness;
They walk in His ways. 4You have ordained Your precepts,
That we should follow them with [careful] diligence. 5Oh, that my ways may be established
To observe and keep Your statutes [obediently accepting and honoring them]! 6Then I will not be ashamed
When I look [with respect] to all Your commandments [as my guide]. 7I will give thanks to You with an upright heart,
When I learn [through discipline] Your righteous judgments [for my transgressions]. 8I shall keep Your statutes;
Do not utterly abandon me [when I fail]. Beth. 9How can a young man keep his way pure?
By keeping watch [on himself] according to Your word [conforming his life to Your precepts]. 10With all my heart I have sought You, [inquiring of You and longing for You];
Do not let me wander from Your commandments [neither through ignorance nor by willful disobedience]. 11Your word I have treasured and stored in my heart,
That I may not sin against You. 12Blessed and reverently praised are You, O LORD;
Teach me Your statutes. 13With my lips I have told of
All the ordinances of Your mouth. 14I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies,
As much as in all riches. 15I will meditate on Your precepts
And [thoughtfully] regard Your ways [the path of life established by Your precepts]. 16I will delight in Your statutes;
I will not forget Your word. Gimel. 17Deal bountifully with Your servant,
That I may live and keep Your word [treasuring it and being guided by it day by day]. 18Open my eyes [to spiritual truth] so that I may behold
Wonderful things from Your law. 19I am a stranger on the earth;
Do not hide Your commandments from me. 20My soul is crushed with longing
For Your ordinances at all times. 21You rebuke the presumptuous and arrogant, the cursed ones,
Who wander from Your commandments. 22Take reproach and contempt away from me,
For I observe Your testimonies. 23Even though princes sit and talk to one another against me,
Your servant meditates on Your statutes. 24Your testimonies also are my delight
And my counselors. Daleth. 25My earthly life clings to the dust;
Revive and refresh me according to Your word. 26I have told of my ways, and You have answered me;
Teach me Your statutes. 27Make me understand the way of Your precepts,
So that I will meditate (focus my thoughts) on Your wonderful works. 28My soul dissolves because of grief;
Renew and strengthen me according to [the promises of] Your word. 29Remove from me the way of falsehood and unfaithfulness,
And graciously grant me Your law. 30I have chosen the faithful way;
I have placed Your ordinances before me. 31I cling tightly to Your testimonies;
O LORD, do not put me to shame! 32I will run the way of Your commandments [with purpose],
For You will give me a heart that is willing. He. 33Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes,
And I will [steadfastly] observe it to the end. 34Give me understanding [a teachable heart and the ability to learn], that I may keep Your law;
And observe it with all my heart. 35Make me walk in the path of Your commandments,
For I delight in it. 36Incline my heart to Your testimonies
And not to dishonest gain and envy. 37Turn my eyes away from vanity [all those worldly, meaningless things that distract—let Your priorities be mine],
And restore me [with renewed energy] in Your ways. 38Establish Your word and confirm Your promise to Your servant,
As that which produces [awe-inspired] reverence for You. 39Turn away my reproach which I dread,
For Your ordinances are good. 40I long for Your precepts;
Renew me through Your righteousness. Vav. 41May Your lovingkindness also come to me, O LORD,
Your salvation according to Your promise; 42So I will have an answer for the one who taunts me,
For I trust [completely] in Your word [and its reliability]. 43And do not take the word of truth utterly out of my mouth,
For I wait for Your ordinances. 44I will keep Your law continually,
Forever and ever [writing Your precepts on my heart]. 45And I will walk at liberty,
For I seek and deeply long for Your precepts. 46I will also speak of Your testimonies before kings
And shall not be ashamed. 47For I shall delight in Your commandments,
Which I love. 48And I shall lift up my hands to Your commandments,
Which I love;
And I will meditate on Your statutes. Zayin. 49Remember [always] the word and promise to Your servant,
In which You have made me hope. 50This is my comfort in my affliction,
That Your word has revived me and given me life. 51The arrogant utterly ridicule me,
Yet I do not turn away from Your law. 52I have remembered [carefully] Your ancient ordinances, O LORD,
And I have taken comfort. 53Burning indignation has seized me because of the wicked,
Who reject Your law. 54Your statutes are my songs
In the house of my pilgrimage. 55O LORD, I remember Your name in the night,
And keep Your law. 56This has become mine [as the gift of Your grace],
That I observe Your precepts [accepting them with loving obedience]. Heth. 57The LORD is my portion;
I have promised to keep Your words. 58I sought Your favor with all my heart;
Be merciful and gracious to me according to Your promise. 59I considered my ways
And turned my feet to [follow and obey] Your testimonies. 60I hurried and did not delay
To keep Your commandments. 61The cords of the wicked have encircled and ensnared me,
But I have not forgotten Your law. 62At midnight I will rise to give thanks to You
Because of Your righteous ordinances. 63I am a companion of all who [reverently] fear You,
And of those who keep and honor Your precepts. 64The earth, O LORD, is full of Your lovingkindness and goodness;
Teach me Your statutes. Teth. 65You have dealt well with Your servant,
O LORD, according to Your promise. 66Teach me good judgment (discernment) and knowledge,
For I have believed and trusted and relied on Your commandments. 67Before I was afflicted I went astray,
But now I keep and honor Your word [with loving obedience]. 68You are good and do good;
Teach me Your statutes. 69The arrogant have forged a lie against me,
But I will keep Your precepts with all my heart. 70Their heart is insensitive like fat [their minds are dull and brutal],
But I delight in Your law. 71It is good for me that I have been afflicted,
That I may learn Your statutes. 72The law from Your mouth is better to me
Than thousands of gold and silver pieces. Yodh. 73Your hands have made me and established me;
Give me understanding and a teachable heart, that I may learn Your commandments. 74May those who [reverently] fear You see me and be glad,
Because I wait for Your word. 75I know, O LORD, that Your judgments are fair,
And that in faithfulness You have disciplined me. 76O may Your lovingkindness and graciousness comfort me,
According to Your word (promise) to Your servant. 77Let Your compassion come to me that I may live,
For Your law is my delight. 78Let the arrogant be ashamed and humiliated, for they sabotage me with a lie;
But I will meditate on Your precepts. 79May those who fear You [with submissive wonder] turn to me,
Even those who have known Your testimonies. 80May my heart be blameless in Your statutes,
So that I will not be ashamed. Kaph. 81My soul languishes and grows weak for Your salvation;
I wait for Your word. 82My eyes fail [with longing, watching] for [the fulfillment of] Your promise,
Saying, “When will You comfort me?” 83For I have become like a wineskin [blackened and shriveled] in the smoke [in which it hangs],
Yet I do not forget Your statutes. 84How many are the days of Your servant [which he must endure]?
When will You execute judgment on those who persecute me? 85The arrogant (godless) have dug pits for me,
Men who do not conform to Your law. 86All Your commandments are faithful and trustworthy.
They have persecuted me with a lie; help me [LORD]! 87They had almost destroyed me on earth,
But as for me, I did not turn away from Your precepts. 88According to Your steadfast love refresh me and give me life,
So that I may keep and obey the testimony of Your mouth. Lamedh. 89Forever, O LORD,
Your word is settled in heaven [standing firm and unchangeable]. 90Your faithfulness continues from generation to generation;
You have established the earth, and it stands [securely]. 91They continue this day according to Your ordinances,
For all things [all parts of the universe] are Your servants. 92If Your law had not been my delight,
Then I would have perished in my time of trouble. 93I will never forget Your precepts,
For by them You have revived me and given me life. 94I am Yours, save me [as Your own];
For I have [diligently] sought Your precepts and required them [as my greatest need]. 95The wicked wait for me to destroy me,
But I will consider Your testimonies. 96I have seen that all [human] perfection has its limits [no matter how grand and perfect and noble];
Your commandment is exceedingly broad and extends without limits [into eternity]. Mem. 97Oh, how I love Your law!
It is my meditation all the day. 98Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies,
For Your words are always with me. 99I have better understanding and deeper insight than all my teachers [because of Your word],
For Your testimonies are my meditation. 100I understand more than the aged [who have not observed Your precepts],
Because I have observed and kept Your precepts. 101I have restrained my feet from every evil way,
That I may keep Your word. 102I have not turned aside from Your ordinances,
For You Yourself have taught me. 103How sweet are Your words to my taste,
Sweeter than honey to my mouth! 104From Your precepts I get understanding;
Therefore I hate every false way. Nun. 105Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path. 106I have sworn [an oath] and have confirmed it,
That I will keep Your righteous ordinances. 107I am greatly afflicted;
Renew and revive me [giving me life], O LORD, according to Your word. 108Accept and take pleasure in the freewill offerings of my mouth, O LORD,
And teach me Your ordinances. 109My life is continually in my hand,
Yet I do not forget Your law. 110The wicked have laid a snare for me,
Yet I do not wander from Your precepts. 111I have taken Your testimonies as a heritage forever,
For they are the joy of my heart. 112I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes
Forever, even to the end. Samekh. 113I hate those who are double-minded,
But I love and treasure Your law. 114You are my hiding place and my shield;
I wait for Your word. 115Leave me, you evildoers,
That I may keep the commandments of my God [honoring and obeying them]. 116Uphold me according to Your word [of promise], so that I may live;
And do not let me be ashamed of my hope [in Your great goodness]. 117Uphold me that I may be safe,
That I may have regard for Your statutes continually. 118You have turned Your back on all those who wander from Your statutes,
For their deceitfulness is useless. 119You have removed all the wicked of the earth like dross [for they have no value];
Therefore I love Your testimonies. 120My flesh trembles in [reverent] fear of You,
And I am afraid and in awe of Your judgments. Ayin. 121I have done justice and righteousness;
Do not leave me to those who oppress me. 122Be the guarantee for Your servant for good [as Judah was the guarantee for Benjamin];
Do not let the arrogant oppress me. 123My eyes fail [with longing, watching] for [the fulfillment of] Your salvation,
And for [the fulfillment of] Your righteous word. 124Deal with Your servant according to Your [gracious] lovingkindness,
And teach me Your statutes. 125I am Your servant; give me understanding [the ability to learn and a teachable heart]
That I may know Your testimonies. 126It is time for the LORD to act;
They have broken Your law. 127Therefore I love Your commandments more than gold,
Yes, more than refined gold. 128Therefore I esteem as right all Your precepts concerning everything;
I hate every false way. Pe. 129Your testimonies are wonderful;
Therefore my soul keeps them. 130The unfolding of Your [glorious] words give light;
Their unfolding gives understanding to the simple (childlike). 131I opened my mouth and panted [with anticipation],
Because I longed for Your commandments. 132Turn to me and be gracious to me and show me favor,
As is Your way to those who love Your name. 133Establish my footsteps in [the way of] Your word;
Do not let any human weakness have power over me [causing me to be separated from You]. 134Redeem me from the oppression of man;
That I may keep Your precepts. 135Make Your face shine [with pleasure] upon Your servant,
And teach me Your statutes. 136My eyes weep streams of water
Because people do not keep Your law. Tsadhe. 137Righteous are You, O LORD,
And upright are Your judgments. 138You have commanded Your testimonies in righteousness
And in great faithfulness. 139My zeal has [completely] consumed me,
Because my enemies have forgotten Your words. 140Your word is very pure (refined);
Therefore Your servant loves it. 141I am small and despised,
But I do not forget Your precepts. 142Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness,
And Your law is truth. 143Trouble and anguish have found me,
Yet Your commandments are my delight and my joy. 144Your righteous testimonies are everlasting;
Give me understanding [the ability to learn and a teachable heart] that I may live. Qoph. 145I cried with all my heart; answer me, O LORD!
I will observe Your statutes. 146I cried to You; save me
And I will keep Your testimonies. 147I rise before dawn and cry [in prayer] for help;
I wait for Your word. 148My eyes anticipate the night watches and I awake before the call of the watchman,
That I may meditate on Your word. 149Hear my voice according to Your [steadfast] lovingkindness;
O LORD, renew and refresh me according to Your ordinances. 150Those who follow after wickedness approach;
They are far from Your law. 151You are near, O LORD,
And all Your commandments are truth. 152Of old I have known from Your testimonies
That You have founded them forever. Resh. 153Look upon my agony and rescue me,
For I do not forget Your law. 154Plead my cause and redeem me;
Revive me and give me life according to [the promise of] Your word. 155Salvation is far from the wicked,
For they do not seek Your statutes. 156Great are Your tender mercies and steadfast love, O LORD;
Revive me and give me life according to Your ordinances. 157Many are my persecutors and my adversaries,
Yet I do not turn away from Your testimonies. 158I see the treacherous and loathe them,
Because they do not respect Your law. 159Consider how I love Your precepts;
Revive me and give me life, O LORD, according to Your lovingkindness. 160The sum of Your word is truth [the full meaning of all Your precepts],
And every one of Your righteous ordinances endures forever. Shin. 161Princes persecute me without cause,
But my heart stands in [reverent] awe of Your words [so I can expect You to help me]. 162I rejoice at Your word,
As one who finds great treasure. 163I hate and detest falsehood,
But I love Your law. 164Seven times a day I praise You,
Because of Your righteous ordinances. 165Those who love Your law have great peace;
Nothing makes them stumble. 166I hope and wait [with complete confidence] for Your salvation, O LORD,
And I do Your commandments. 167My soul keeps Your testimonies [hearing and accepting and obeying them];
I love them greatly. 168I keep Your precepts and Your testimonies,
For all my ways are [fully known] before You. Tav. 169Let my [mournful] cry come before You, O LORD;
Give me understanding [the ability to learn and a teachable heart] according to Your word [of promise]. 170Let my supplication come before You;
Deliver me according to Your word. 171Let my lips speak praise [with thanksgiving],
For You teach me Your statutes. 172Let my tongue sing [praise for the fulfillment] of Your word,
For all Your commandments are righteous. 173Let Your hand be ready to help me,
For I have chosen Your precepts. 174I long for Your salvation, O LORD,
And Your law is my delight. 175Let my soul live that it may praise You,
And let Your ordinances help me. 176I have gone astray like a lost sheep;
Seek Your servant, for I do not forget Your commandments.

Psalm 120
Prayer For Breaking Away From The Treacherous.
A Song of Ascents. 1In my trouble I cried to the LORD,
And He answered me. 2Rescue my soul, O LORD, from lying lips,
And from a deceitful tongue. 3What shall be given to you, and what more shall be done to you,
You deceitful tongue?— 4Sharp arrows of the warrior,
With the burning coals of the broom tree. 5Woe to me, for I sojourn in Meshech,
and I live among the tents of Kedar [among hostile people]! 6Too long my soul has had its dwelling
With those who hate peace. 7I am for peace, but when I speak,
They are for war.

Psalm 121
The LORD The Keeper Of Israel.
A Song of Ascents. 1I will lift up my eyes to the hills [of Jerusalem]—
From where shall my help come? 2My help comes from the LORD,
Who made heaven and earth. 3He will not allow your foot to slip;
He who keeps you will not slumber. 4Behold, He who keeps Israel
Will neither slumber [briefly] nor sleep [soundly]. 5The LORD is your keeper;
The LORD is your shade on your right hand. 6The sun will not strike you by day,
Nor the moon by night. 7The LORD will protect you from all evil;
He will keep your life. 8The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in [everything that you do]
From this time forth and forever.

Psalm 122
Prayer For The Peace Of Jerusalem.
A Song of Ascents. Of David. 1I was glad when they said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the LORD.” 2Our feet are standing
Within your gates, O Jerusalem, 3Jerusalem, that is built
As a city that is firmly joined together; 4To which the [twelve] tribes go up, even the tribes of the LORD,
[As was decreed as] an ordinance for Israel,
To give thanks to the name of the LORD. 5For there the thrones of judgment were set,
The thrones of the house of David. 6Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May they prosper who love you [holy city]. 7“May peace be within your walls
And prosperity within your palaces.” 8For the sake of my brothers and my friends,
I will now say, “May peace be within you.” 9For the sake of the house of the LORD our God [which is Jerusalem],
I will seek your (the city’s) good.

Psalm 123
Prayer For The LORD’S Help.
A Song of Ascents. 1Unto you I lift up my eyes,
O You who are enthroned in the heavens! 2Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master,
And as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
So our eyes look to the LORD our God,
Until He is gracious and favorable toward us. 3Be gracious to us, O LORD, be gracious and favorable toward us,
For we are greatly filled with contempt. 4Our soul is greatly filled
With the scoffing of those who are at ease,
And with the contempt of the proud [who disregard God’s law].

Psalm 124
Praise For Rescue From Enemies.
A Song of Ascents. Of David. 1“If it had not been the LORD who was on our side,”
Let Israel now say, 2“If it had not been the LORD who was on our side
When men rose up against us, 3Then they would have [quickly] swallowed us alive,
When their wrath was kindled against us; 4Then the waters would have engulfed us,
The torrent would have swept over our soul; 5Then the raging waters would have swept over our soul.” 6Blessed be the LORD,
Who has not given us as prey to be torn by their teeth. 7We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowlers;
The trap is broken and we have escaped. 8Our help is in the name of the LORD,
Who made heaven and earth.

Psalm 125
The LORD Surrounds His People.
A Song of Ascents. 1Those who trust in and rely on the LORD [with confident expectation]
Are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but remains forever. 2As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
So the LORD surrounds His people
From this time forth and forever. 3For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest on the land of the righteous,
So that the righteous will not reach out their hands to do wrong. 4Do good, O LORD, to those who are good
And to those who are upright in their hearts. 5But as for those who turn aside to their crooked ways [in unresponsiveness to God],
The LORD will lead them away with those who do evil.
Peace be upon Israel.

Psalm 126
Thanksgiving For Return From Captivity.
A Song of Ascents. 1When the LORD brought back the captives to Zion (Jerusalem),
We were like those who dream [it seemed so unreal]. 2Then our mouth was filled with laughter
And our tongue with joyful shouting;
Then they said among the nations,
“The LORD has done great things for them.” 3The LORD has done great things for us;
We are glad! 4Restore our captivity, O LORD,
As the stream-beds in the South (the Negev) [are restored by torrents of rain]. 5They who sow in tears shall reap with joyful singing. 6He who goes back and forth weeping, carrying his bag of seed [for planting],
Will indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.

Psalm 127
Prosperity Comes From The LORD.
A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon. 1Unless the LORD builds the house,
They labor in vain who build it;
Unless the LORD guards the city,
The watchman keeps awake in vain. 2It is vain for you to rise early,
To retire late,
To eat the bread of anxious labors—
For He gives [blessings] to His beloved even in his sleep. 3Behold, children are a heritage and gift from the LORD,
The fruit of the womb a reward. 4Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
So are the children of one’s youth. 5How blessed [happy and fortunate] is the man whose quiver is filled with them;
They will not be ashamed
When they speak with their enemies [in gatherings] at the [city] gate.

Psalm 128
Blessedness Of The Fear Of The LORD.
A Song of Ascents. 1Blessed [happy and sheltered by God’s favor] is everyone who fears the LORD [and worships Him with obedience],
Who walks in His ways and lives according to His commandments. 2For you shall eat the fruit of [the labor of] your hands,
You will be happy and blessed and it will be well with you. 3Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine
Within the innermost part of your house;
Your children will be like olive plants
Around your table. 4Behold, for so shall the man be blessed and divinely favored
Who fears the LORD [and worships Him with obedience]. 5May the LORD bless you from Zion [His holy mountain],
And may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life; 6Indeed, may you see your [family perpetuated in your] children’s children.
Peace be upon Israel!

Psalm 129
Prayer For The Overthrow Of Zion’s Enemies.
A Song of Ascents. 1“Many times they have persecuted me (Israel) from my youth,”
Let Israel now say, 2“Many times they have persecuted me from my youth,
Yet they have not prevailed against me. 3“The [enemies, like] plowers plowed on my back;
They made their furrows [of suffering] long [in Israel].” 4The LORD is righteous;
He has cut in two the [thick] cords of the wicked [which enslaved the people of Israel]. 5May all who hate Zion
Be put to shame and turned backward [in defeat]. 6Let them be like the grass on the housetops,
Which withers before it grows up, 7With which the reaper does not fill his hand,
Nor the binder of sheaves his arms, 8Nor do those who pass by say,
“The blessing of the LORD be upon you;
We bless you in the name of the LORD.”

Psalm 130
Hope In The LORD’S Forgiving Love.
A Song of Ascents. 1Out of the depths [of distress] I have cried to You, O LORD. 2Lord, hear my voice!
Let Your ears be attentive
To the voice of my supplications. 3If You, LORD, should keep an account of our sins and treat us accordingly,
O Lord, who could stand [before you in judgment and claim innocence]? 4But there is forgiveness with You,
That You may be feared and worshiped [with submissive wonder]. 5I wait [patiently] for the LORD, my soul [expectantly] waits,
And in His word do I hope. 6My soul waits for the Lord
More than the watchmen for the morning;
More than the watchmen for the morning. 7O Israel, hope in the LORD;
For with the LORD there is lovingkindness,
And with Him is abundant redemption. 8And He will redeem Israel
From all his sins.

Psalm 131
Childlike Trust In The LORD.
A Song of Ascents. Of David. 1LORD, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty;
Nor do I involve myself in great matters,
Or in things too difficult for me. 2Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul;
Like a weaned child [resting] with his mother,
My soul is like a weaned child within me [composed and freed from discontent]. 3O Israel, hope in the LORD
From this time forth and forever.

Psalm 132
Prayer For The LORD’S Blessing Upon The Sanctuary.
A Song of Ascents. 1O LORD, remember on David’s behalf
All his hardship and affliction; 2How he swore to the LORD
And vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob: 3“I absolutely will not enter my house,
Nor get into my bed— 4I certainly will not permit my eyes to sleep
Nor my eyelids to slumber, 5Until I find a place for the LORD,
A dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob (Israel).” 6Behold, we heard of it at Ephrathah;
We found it in the field of Jaar. 7Let us go into His tabernacle;
Let us worship at His footstool. 8Arise, O LORD, to Your resting place,
You and the ark [the symbol] of Your strength. 9Let Your priests be clothed with righteousness (right living),
And let Your godly ones shout for joy. 10For the sake of Your servant David,
Do not turn away the face of Your anointed. 11The LORD swore to David
A truth from which He will not turn back:
“One of your descendants I will set upon your throne. 12“If your children will keep My covenant
And My testimony which I will teach them,
Their children also shall sit upon your throne forever.” 13For the LORD has chosen Zion;
He has desired it for His dwelling place: 14“This is My resting place forever” [says the LORD];
“Here will I dwell, for I have desired it. 15“I will abundantly bless her provisions;
I will satisfy her poor with bread. 16“Her priests also I will clothe with salvation,
And her godly ones will shout aloud for joy. 17“There I will make the horn (strength) of David grow;
I have prepared a lamp for My anointed [fulfilling the promises]. 18“His enemies I will clothe with shame,
But upon himself shall his crown shine.”

Psalm 133
The Excellency Of Brotherly Unity.
A Song of Ascents. Of David. 1Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brothers to dwell together in unity! 2It is like the precious oil [of consecration] poured on the head,
Coming down on the beard,
Even the beard of Aaron,
Coming down upon the edge of his [priestly] robes [consecrating the whole body]. 3It is like the dew of [Mount] Hermon
Coming down on the hills of Zion;
For there the LORD has commanded the blessing: life forevermore.

Psalm 134
Greetings Of Night Watchers.
A Song of Ascents. 1Behold, bless and praise the LORD, all servants of the LORD (priests, Levites),
Who stand and serve by night in the house of the LORD. 2Lift up your hands to the sanctuary
And bless the LORD. 3May the LORD bless you from Zion,
He who made heaven and earth.

Psalm 135
Praise The LORD’S Wonderful Works. Vanity Of Idols.
1Praise the LORD! (Hallelujah!)
Praise the name of the LORD;
Praise Him, O servants of the LORD (priests, Levites), 2You who stand in the house of the LORD,
In the courts of the house of our God, 3Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good;
Sing praises to His name, for it is gracious and lovely. 4For the LORD has chosen [the descendants of] Jacob for Himself,
Israel for His own special treasure and possession. 5For I know that the LORD is great
And that our Lord is above all gods. 6Whatever the LORD pleases, He does,
In the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all deeps— 7Who causes the clouds to rise from the ends of the earth;
Who makes lightning for the rain,
Who brings the wind from His storehouses; 8Who struck the firstborn of Egypt,
Both of man and animal; 9Who sent signs and wonders into your midst, O Egypt,
Upon Pharaoh and all his servants. 10Who struck many nations
And killed mighty kings, 11Sihon, king of the Amorites,
Og, king of Bashan,
And all the kingdoms of Canaan; 12And He gave their land as a heritage,
A heritage to Israel His people. 13Your name, O LORD, endures forever,
Your fame and remembrance, O LORD, [endures] throughout all generations. 14For the LORD will judge His people
And He will have compassion on His servants [revealing His mercy]. 15The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
The work of men’s hands. 16They have mouths, but they do not speak;
They have eyes, but they do not see; 17They have ears, but they do not hear,
Nor is there any breath in their mouths. 18Those who make idols are like them [absolutely worthless—spiritually blind, deaf, and powerless];
So is everyone who trusts in and relies on them. 19O house of Israel, bless and praise the LORD [with gratitude];
O house of Aaron, bless the LORD; 20O house of Levi, bless the LORD;
You who fear the LORD [and worship Him with obedience], bless the LORD [with grateful praise]! 21Blessed be the LORD from Zion,
Who dwells [with us] at Jerusalem.
Praise the LORD! (Hallelujah!)

Psalm 136
Thanks For The LORD’S Goodness To Israel.
1Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;
For His lovingkindness (graciousness, mercy, compassion) endures forever. 2Give thanks to the God of gods,
For His lovingkindness endures forever. 3Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
For His lovingkindness endures forever. 4To Him who alone does great wonders,
For His lovingkindness endures forever; 5To Him who made the heavens with skill,
For His lovingkindness endures forever; 6To Him who stretched out the earth upon the waters,
For His lovingkindness endures forever; 7To Him who made the great lights,
For His lovingkindness endures forever; 8The sun to rule over the day,
For His lovingkindness endures forever; 9The moon and stars to rule by night,
For His lovingkindness endures forever; 10To Him who struck the firstborn of Egypt,
For His lovingkindness endures forever; 11And brought Israel out from among them,
For His lovingkindness endures forever; 12With a strong hand and with an outstretched arm,
For His lovingkindness endures forever; 13To Him who divided the Red Sea into parts,
For His lovingkindness endures forever; 14And made Israel pass through the midst of it,
For His lovingkindness endures forever; 15But tossed Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea,
For His lovingkindness endures forever; 16To Him who led His people through the wilderness,
For His lovingkindness endures forever; 17To Him who struck down great kings,
For His lovingkindness endures forever; 18And killed mighty kings,
For His lovingkindness endures forever; 19Sihon, king of the Amorites,
For His lovingkindness endures forever; 20And Og, king of Bashan,
For His lovingkindness endures forever; 21And gave their land as a heritage,
For His lovingkindness endures forever; 22Even a heritage to Israel His servant,
For His lovingkindness endures forever; 23Who [faithfully] remembered us in our lowly condition,
For His lovingkindness endures forever; 24And has rescued us from our enemies,
For His lovingkindness endures forever; 25Who gives food to all flesh,
For His lovingkindness endures forever; 26Give thanks to the God of heaven,
For His lovingkindness (graciousness, mercy, compassion) endures forever.

Psalm 137
An Experience Of The Captivity.
1By the rivers of Babylon,
There we [captives] sat down and wept,
When we remembered Zion [the city God imprinted on our hearts]. 2On the willow trees in the midst of Babylon
We hung our harps. 3For there they who took us captive demanded of us a song with words,
And our tormentors [who made a mockery of us demanded] amusement, saying,
“Sing us one of the songs of Zion.” 4How can we sing the LORD’S song
In a strange and foreign land? 5If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
Let my right hand forget [her skill with the harp]. 6Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth
If I do not remember you,
If I do not prefer Jerusalem
Above my chief joy. 7Remember, O LORD, against the sons of Edom,
The day of [the fall of] Jerusalem,
Who said “Down, down [with her]
To her very foundation.” 😯 daughter of Babylon, you devastator,
How blessed will be the one
Who repays you [with destruction] as you have repaid us. 9How blessed will be the one who seizes and dashes your little ones
Against the rock.

Psalm 138
Thanksgiving For The LORD’S Favor.
A Psalm of David. 1I will give You thanks with all my heart;
I sing praises to You before the [pagan] gods. 2I will bow down [in worship] toward Your holy temple
And give thanks to Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth;
For You have magnified Your word together with Your name. 3On the day I called, You answered me;
And You made me bold and confident with [renewed] strength in my life. 4All the kings of the land will give thanks and praise You, O LORD,
When they have heard of the promises of Your mouth [which were fulfilled]. 5Yes, they will sing of the ways of the LORD [joyfully celebrating His wonderful acts],
For great is the glory and majesty of the LORD. 6Though the LORD is exalted,
He regards the lowly [and invites them into His fellowship];
But the proud and haughty He knows from a distance. 7Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me;
You will stretch out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
And Your right hand will save me. 8The LORD will accomplish that which concerns me;
Your [unwavering] lovingkindness, O LORD, endures forever—
Do not abandon the works of Your own hands.

Psalm 139
God’s Omnipresence And Omniscience.
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. 1O LORD, you have searched me [thoroughly] and have known me. 2You know when I sit down and when I rise up [my entire life, everything I do];
You understand my thought from afar. 3You scrutinize my path and my lying down,
And You are intimately acquainted with all my ways. 4Even before there is a word on my tongue [still unspoken],
Behold, O LORD, You know it all. 5You have enclosed me behind and before,
And [You have] placed Your hand upon me. 6Such [infinite] knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is too high [above me], I cannot reach it. 7Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence? 8If I ascend to heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead), behold, You are there. 9If I take the wings of the dawn,
If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, 10Even there Your hand will lead me,
And Your right hand will take hold of me. 11If I say, “Surely the darkness will cover me,
And the night will be the only light around me,” 12Even the darkness is not dark to You and conceals nothing from You,
But the night shines as bright as the day;
Darkness and light are alike to You. 13For You formed my innermost parts;
You knit me [together] in my mother’s womb. 14I will give thanks and praise to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well. 15My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was being formed in secret,
And intricately and skillfully formed [as if embroidered with many colors] in the depths of the earth. 16Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Your book were all written
The days that were appointed for me,
When as yet there was not one of them [even taking shape]. 17How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How vast is the sum of them! 18If I could count them, they would outnumber the sand.
When I awake, I am still with You. 19O that You would kill the wicked, O God;
Go away from me, therefore, men of bloodshed. 20For they speak against You wickedly,
Your enemies take Your name in vain. 21Do I not hate those who hate You, O LORD?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against You? 22I hate them with perfect and utmost hatred;
They have become my enemies. 23Search me [thoroughly], O God, and know my heart;
Test me and know my anxious thoughts; 24And see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way.

Psalm 140
Prayer For Protection Against The Wicked.
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. 1Rescue me, O LORD, from evil men;
Protect me from violent men. 2They devise evil things in their hearts;
They continually [gather together and] stir up wars. 3They sharpen their tongues like a serpent’s;
Poison of a viper is under their lips. Selah. 4Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked;
Protect me from violent men
Who intend to trip up my steps. 5The proud have hidden a trap for me, and cords;
They have spread a net by the wayside;
They have set traps for me. Selah. 6I said to the LORD, “You are my God;
Listen to the voice of my supplications, O LORD. 7“O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation,
You have covered my head in the day of battle. 8“Do not grant, O LORD, the desires of the wicked;
Do not further their evil device, that they not be exalted. Selah. 9“Those who surround me raise their heads;
May the mischief of their own lips come upon them. 10“Let burning coals fall upon them;
Let them be thrown into the fire,
Into deep [water] pits from which they cannot rise. 11“Do not let a slanderer be established in the earth;
Let evil quickly hunt the violent man [to overthrow him and stop his evil acts].” 12I know [with confidence] that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted,
And [will secure] justice for the poor. 13Surely the righteous will give thanks to Your name;
The upright will dwell in Your presence.

Psalm 141
An Evening Prayer For Sanctification And Protection.
A Psalm of David. 1LORD, I call upon You; hurry to me.
Listen to my voice when I call to You. 2Let my prayer be counted as incense before You;
The lifting up of my hands as the evening offering. 3Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth;
Keep watch over the door of my lips [to keep me from speaking thoughtlessly]. 4Do not incline my heart to [consent to or tolerate] any evil thing,
Or to practice deeds of wickedness
With men who plan and do evil;
And let me not eat of their delicacies (be tempted by their gain). 5Let the righteous [thoughtfully] strike (correct) me—it is a kindness [done to encourage my spiritual maturity].
It is [the choicest anointing] oil on the head;
Let my head not refuse [to accept and acknowledge and learn from] it;
For still my prayer is against their wicked deeds. 6Their [wicked, godless] judges are thrown down the sides of the rocky cliff,
And they [who followed them] will hear my words, for they are pleasant (just). 7As when the one plows and breaks open the ground [and the soil scatters behind him],
Our bones have been scattered at the mouth of Sheol [by the injustices of the wicked]. 8For my eyes are toward You, O GOD, the Lord;
In You I take refuge; do not pour out my life nor leave me defenseless. 9Keep me from the jaws of the trap which they have set for me,
And from the snares of those who do evil. 10Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
While I pass by and safely escape [from danger].

Psalm 142
Prayer For Help In Trouble.
A skillful song, or a didactic or reflective poem, of David; when he was in the cave. A Prayer. 1I cry aloud with my voice to the LORD;
I make supplication with my voice to the LORD. 2I pour out my complaint before Him;
I declare my trouble before Him. 3When my spirit was overwhelmed and weak within me [wrapped in darkness],
You knew my path.
In the way where I walk
They have hidden a trap for me. 4Look to the right [the point of attack] and see;
For there is no one who has regard for me [to act in my favor].
Escape has failed me and I have nowhere to run;
No one cares about my life. 5I cried out to You, O LORD;
I said, “You are my refuge,
My portion in the land of the living. 6“Give attention to my cry,
For I am brought very low;
Rescue me from my persecutors,
For they are stronger than I. 7“Bring my soul out of prison (adversity),
So that I may give thanks and praise Your name;
The righteous will surround me [in triumph],
For You will look after me.”

Psalm 143
Prayer For Help And Guidance.
A Psalm of David. 1Hear my prayer, O LORD,
Listen to my supplications!
Answer me in Your faithfulness, and in Your righteousness. 2And do not enter into judgment with Your servant,
For in Your sight no man living is righteous or justified. 3For the enemy has persecuted me,
He has crushed my life down to the ground;
He has made me dwell in dark places, like those who have been long dead. 4Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed and weak within me [wrapped in darkness];
My heart grows numb within me. 5I remember the days of old;
I meditate on all that You have done;
I ponder the work of Your hands. 6I reach out my hands to You;
My throat thirsts for You, as a parched land [thirsts for water]. Selah. 7Answer me quickly, O LORD, my spirit fails;
Do not hide Your face from me,
Or I will become like those who go down into the pit (grave). 8Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning,
For I trust in You.
Teach me the way in which I should walk,
For I lift up my soul to You. 9Rescue me, O LORD, from my enemies;
I take refuge in You. 10Teach me to do Your will [so that I may please You],
For You are my God;
Let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground. 11Save my life, O LORD, for Your name’s sake;
In Your righteousness bring my life out of trouble. 12In your lovingkindness, silence and destroy my enemies
And destroy all those who afflict my life,
For I am Your servant.

Psalm 144
Prayer For Rescue And Prosperity.
A Psalm of David. 1Blessed be the LORD, my Rock and my great strength,
Who trains my hands for war
And my fingers for battle; 2My [steadfast] lovingkindness and my fortress,
My high tower and my rescuer,
My shield and He in whom I take refuge,
Who subdues my people under me. 3LORD, what is man that You take notice of him?
Or the son of man that You think of him? 4Man is like a mere breath;
His days are like a shadow that passes away. 5Bow Your heavens, O LORD, and come down;
Touch the mountains, and they will smoke. 6Flash lightning and scatter my enemies;
Send out Your arrows and confuse and embarrass and frustrate them. 7Stretch out Your hand from above;
Set me free and rescue me from great waters,
Out of the hands of [hostile] foreigners [who surround us] 8Whose mouths speak deceit [without restraint],
And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood. 9I will sing a new song to You, O God;
Upon a harp of ten strings I will sing praises to You, 10Who gives salvation to kings,
Who sets David His servant free from the evil sword. 11Set me free and rescue me from the hand of [hostile] foreigners,
Whose mouth speaks deceit [without restraint],
And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood. 12Let our sons in their youth be like plants full grown,
And our daughters like corner pillars fashioned for a palace; 13Let our barns be full, supplying every kind of produce,
And our flocks bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our fields; 14Let our cattle bear
Without mishap and without loss,
And let there be no outcry in our streets! 15How blessed and favored are the people in such circumstance;
How blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored] are the people whose God is the LORD!

Psalm 145
The LORD Extolled For His Goodness.
A Psalm of praise. Of David. 1I will exalt You, my God, O King,
And [with gratitude and submissive wonder] I will bless Your name forever and ever. 2Every day I will bless You and lovingly praise You;
Yes, [with awe-inspired reverence] I will praise Your name forever and ever. 3Great is the LORD, and highly to be praised,
And His greatness is [so vast and profound as to be] unsearchable [incomprehensible to man]. 4One generation shall praise Your works to another,
And shall declare Your mighty and remarkable acts. 5On the glorious splendor of Your majesty
And on Your wonderful works, I will meditate. 6People will speak of the power of Your awesome acts,
And [with gratitude and submissive wonder] I will tell of Your greatness. 7They will overflow [like a fountain] when they speak of Your great and abundant goodness
And will sing joyfully of Your righteousness. 8The LORD is gracious and full of compassion,
Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness. 9The LORD is good to all,
And His tender mercies are over all His works [the entirety of things created]. 10All Your works shall give thanks to You and praise You, O LORD,
And Your godly ones will bless You. 11They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom
And talk of Your power, 12To make known to the sons of men Your mighty acts
And the glorious majesty of Your kingdom. 13Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And Your dominion endures throughout all generations. 14The LORD upholds all those [of His own] who fall
And raises up all those who are bowed down. 15The eyes of all look to You [in hopeful expectation],
And You give them their food in due time. 16You open Your hand
And satisfy the desire of every living thing. 17The LORD is [unwaveringly] righteous in all His ways
And gracious and kind in all His works. 18The LORD is near to all who call on Him,
To all who call on Him in truth (without guile). 19He will fulfill the desire of those who fear and worship Him [with awe-inspired reverence and obedience];
He also will hear their cry and will save them. 20The LORD keeps all who love Him,
But all the wicked He will destroy. 21My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD,
And all flesh will bless and gratefully praise His holy name forever and ever.

Psalm 146
The LORD An Abundant Helper.
1Praise the LORD! (Hallelujah!)
Praise the LORD, O my soul! 2While I live I will praise the LORD;
I will sing praises to my God as long as I live. 3Do not trust in princes,
In mortal man, in whom there is no salvation (help). 4When his spirit leaves him, he returns to the earth;
In that very day his thoughts and plans perish. 5How blessed and graciously favored is he whose help is the God of Jacob (Israel),
Whose hope is in the LORD his God, 6Who made heaven and earth,
The sea, and all that is in them,
Who keeps truth and is faithful forever, 7Who executes justice for the oppressed,
Who gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets free the prisoners. 8The LORD opens the eyes of the blind;
The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down;
The LORD loves the righteous [the upright in heart]. 9The LORD protects the strangers;
He supports the fatherless and the widow;
But He makes crooked the way of the wicked. 10The LORD shall reign forever,
Your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the LORD! (Hallelujah!)

Psalm 147
Praise For Jerusalem’s Restoration And Prosperity.
1Praise the LORD!
For it is good to sing praises to our [gracious and majestic] God;
Praise is becoming and appropriate. 2The LORD is building up Jerusalem;
He is gathering [together] the exiles of Israel. 3He heals the brokenhearted
And binds up their wounds [healing their pain and comforting their sorrow]. 4He counts the number of the stars;
He calls them all by their names. 5Great is our [majestic and mighty] Lord and abundant in strength;
His understanding is inexhaustible [infinite, boundless]. 6The LORD lifts up the humble;
He casts the wicked down to the ground. 7Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving;
Sing praises to our God with the lyre, 8Who covers the heavens with clouds,
Who provides rain for the earth,
Who makes grass grow on the mountains. 9He gives to the beast its food,
And to the young ravens that for which they cry. 10He does not delight in the strength (military power) of the horse,
Nor does He take pleasure in the legs (strength) of a man. 11The LORD favors those who fear and worship Him [with awe-inspired reverence and obedience],
Those who wait for His mercy and lovingkindness. 12Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem!
Praise your God, O Zion! 13For He has strengthened the bars of your gates,
He has blessed your children within you. 14He makes peace in your borders;
He satisfies you with the finest of the wheat. 15He sends His command to the earth;
His word runs very swiftly. 16He gives [to the earth] snow like [a blanket of] wool;
He scatters the frost like ashes. 17He casts out His ice like fragments;
Who can stand before His cold? 18He sends out His word and melts the ice;
He causes His wind to blow and the waters to flow. 19He declares His word to Jacob,
His statutes and His ordinances to Israel. 20He has not dealt this way with any [other] nation;
They have not known [understood, appreciated, heeded, or cherished] His ordinances.
Praise the LORD! (Hallelujah!)

Psalm 148
The Whole Creation Invoked To Praise The LORD.
1Praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD from the heavens;
Praise Him in the heights! 2Praise Him, all His angels;
Praise Him, all His hosts (armies)! 3Praise Him, sun and moon:
Praise Him, all stars of light! 4Praise Him, highest heavens,
And the waters above the heavens! 5Let them praise the name of the LORD,
For He commanded and they were created. 6He has also established them forever and ever;
He has made a decree which shall not pass away. 7Praise the LORD from the earth,
Sea monsters and all deeps; 8Lightning and hail, snow and fog;
Stormy wind, fulfilling His orders; 9Mountains and all hills;
Fruitful trees and all cedars; 10Beasts and all cattle;
Creeping things and winged birds; 11Kings of the earth and all people;
Princes and all judges of the earth; 12Both young men and virgins;
Old men and children. 13Let them praise the name of the LORD,
For His name alone is exalted and supreme;
His glory and majesty are above earth and heaven. 14He has lifted up a horn for His people [giving them strength, prosperity, dignity, and preeminence],
Praise for all His godly ones;
For the people of Israel, a people near to Him.
Praise the LORD! (Hallelujah!)

Psalm 149
Israel Invoked To Praise The LORD.
1Praise the LORD!
Sing to the LORD a new song,
And praise Him in the congregation of His godly ones (believers). 2Let Israel rejoice in their Maker;
Let Zion’s children rejoice in their King. 3Let them praise His name with dancing;
Let them sing praises to Him with the tambourine and lyre. 4For the LORD takes pleasure in His people;
He will beautify the humble with salvation. 5Let the godly ones exult in glory;
Let them sing for joy on their beds. 6Let the high praises of God be in their throats,
And a two-edged sword in their hands, 7To execute vengeance on the nations
And punishment on the peoples, 8To bind their kings with chains
And their nobles with fetters of iron, 9To execute on them the judgment written.
This is the honor for all His godly ones.
Praise the LORD! (Hallelujah!)

Psalm 150
A Psalm Of Praise.
1Praise the LORD!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty heavens. 2Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to [the abundance of] His greatness. 3Praise Him with trumpet sound;
Praise Him with harp and lyre. 4Praise Him with tambourine and dancing;
Praise Him with stringed instruments and flute. 5Praise Him with resounding cymbals;
Praise Him with loud cymbals. 6Let everything that has breath and every breath of life praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD! (Hallelujah!)