Psalms
Outline of Contents
Psalm 1
	Two ways contrasted
		Happiness by reading God’s law (2)
		Righteous are like a fruitful tree (3)
		Wicked are like chaff blown away (4)
Psalm 2
	Jehovah and his anointed
		Jehovah laughs at the nations (4)
		Jehovah installs his king (6)
		Honor the son (12)
Psalm 3
	Confidence in God despite danger
		‘Why so many adversaries?’ (1)
		“Salvation belongs to Jehovah” (8)
Psalm 4
	A prayer of trust in God
		“Be agitated, but do not sin” (4)
		‘I will sleep in peace’ (8)
Psalm 5
	Jehovah, the refuge of the righteous
		God hates wickedness (4, 5)
		‘Lead me in your righteousness’ (8)
Psalm 6
	A request for favor
		The dead do not praise God (5)
		God hears requests for favor (9)
Psalm 7
	Jehovah is a righteous Judge
		“Judge me, O Jehovah” (8)
Psalm 8
	God’s glory and man’s dignity
		“How majestic your name is!” (1, 9)
		‘Mortal man, of what importance?’ (4)
		Man crowned with splendor (5)
Psalm 9
	Declaring God’s wonderful works
		Jehovah, a secure refuge (9)
		To know God’s name is to trust in him (10)
Psalm 10
	Jehovah, the helper of the helpless
		The wicked boast: “There is no God” (4)
		The helpless turn to Jehovah (14)
		“Jehovah is King forever” (16)
Psalm 11
	Taking refuge in Jehovah
		“Jehovah is in his holy temple” (4)
		God hates anyone loving violence (5)
Psalm 12
	Jehovah rises up to act
		God’s sayings are pure (6)
Psalm 13
	Longing for Jehovah’s salvation
		“How long, O Jehovah?” (1, 2)
		Jehovah richly rewards (6)
Psalm 14
	The foolish one portrayed
		“There is no Jehovah” (1)
		“No one is doing good” (3)
Psalm 15
	Who may be a guest in Jehovah’s tent?
		He speaks the truth in his heart (2)
		He does not slander (3)
		He keeps promises even when it hurts (4)
Psalm 16
	Jehovah, the Source of goodness
		“Jehovah is my portion” (5)
		‘My thoughts correct me at night’ (7)
		‘Jehovah at my right hand’ (8)
		“You will not leave me in the Grave” (10)
Psalm 17
	A prayer for protection
		“You have examined my heart” (3)
		“In the shadow of your wings” (8)
Psalm 18
	Praising God for salvation
		“Jehovah is my crag” (2)
		Jehovah, loyal to the loyal ones (25)
		God’s way is perfect (30)
		“Your humility makes me great” (35)
Psalm 19
	God’s creation and law bear witness
		‘Heavens declare God’s glory’ (1)
		God’s perfect law restores strength (7)
		“Sins I am unaware of” (12)
Psalm 20
	Salvation for God’s anointed king
		Some rely on chariots and horses, ‘but we call on Jehovah’s name’ (7)
Psalm 21
	Blessings on the king who trusts in Jehovah
		Long life given to the king (4)
		God’s enemies will be defeated (8-12)
Psalm 22
	From despair to praise
		“My God, why have you forsaken me?” (1)
		“They cast lots for my clothing” (18)
		Praising God in the congregation (22, 25)
		The whole earth to worship God (27)
Psalm 23
	“Jehovah is my Shepherd”
		“I will lack nothing” (1)
		“He refreshes me” (3)
		“My cup is well-filled” (5)
Psalm 24
	The glorious King enters the gates
		‘To Jehovah belongs the earth’ (1)
Psalm 25
	A prayer for guidance and forgiveness
		“Teach me your paths” (4)
		“Close friendship with Jehovah” (14)
		“Pardon all my sins” (18)
Psalm 26
	Walking in integrity
		“Examine me, O Jehovah” (2)
		Avoiding bad association (4, 5)
		‘I will march around God’s altar’ (6)
Psalm 27
	Jehovah, the stronghold of my life
		Appreciation for God’s temple (4)
		Jehovah cares even if parents do not (10)
		“Hope in Jehovah” (14)
Psalm 28
	The psalmist’s prayer heard
		‘Jehovah, my strength and shield’ (7)
Psalm 29
	Jehovah’s mighty voice
		Worship in holy adornment (2)
		“The glorious God thunders” (3)
		Jehovah strengthens his people (11)
Psalm 30
	Mourning changed into rejoicing
		God’s favor is for a lifetime (5)
Psalm 31
	Taking refuge in Jehovah
		“Into your hand I entrust my spirit” (5)
		“Jehovah, the God of truth” (5)
		God’s abundant goodness (19)
Psalm 32
	Happy are the ones forgiven
		“I confessed my sin to you” (5)
		God gives you insight (8)
Psalm 33
	Praise to the Creator
		“Sing to him a new song” (3)
		Creation by Jehovah’s word and spirit (6)
		Jehovah’s nation happy (12)
		Jehovah’s watchful eye (18)
Psalm 34
	Jehovah rescues his servants
		“Let us exalt his name together” (3)
		Jehovah’s angel protects (7)
		“Taste and see that Jehovah is good” (8)
		‘None of his bones broken’ (20)
Psalm 35
	Prayer for deliverance from enemies
		Enemies to be driven away (5)
		Praising God among the throngs (18)
		Hated without cause (19)
Psalm 36
	God’s precious loyal love
		The wicked one does not fear God (1)
		God, the source of life (9)
		“By your light we can see light” (9)
Psalm 37
	Those trusting in Jehovah will prosper
		Do not be upset by evil men (1)
		“Find exquisite delight in Jehovah” (4)
		“Commit your way to Jehovah” (5)
		“The meek will possess the earth” (11)
		The righteous will not lack bread (25)
		The righteous will live forever on earth (29)
Psalm 38
	A prayer of a suffering repentant one
		“Distressed and extremely downcast” (6)
		Jehovah hears those waiting on him (15)
		“I was troubled by my sin” (18)
Psalm 39
	Life’s shortness
		Man is a mere breath (5, 11)
		“Do not ignore my tears” (12)
Psalm 40
	Giving thanks to the incomparable God
		God’s works too numerous to recount (5)
		Sacrifices not God’s primary concern (6)
		‘To do your will is my delight’ (8)
Psalm 41
	A prayer from the sickbed
		God sustains the sick (3)
		Betrayed by a close associate (9)
Psalm 42
	Praising God as the Grand Savior
		Thirsting for God as a deer thirsts for water (1, 2)
		“Why am I in despair?” (5, 11)
		“Wait for God” (5, 11)
Psalm 43
	God as Judge rescues
		‘Send out your light and truth’ (3)
		“Why am I in despair?” (5)
		“Wait for God” (5)
Psalm 44
	A prayer for help
		“It was you who saved us” (7)
		Like “sheep for slaughtering” (22)
		“Rise up as our helper!” (26)
Psalm 45
	The anointed king’s marriage
		Gracious in speech (2)
		“God is your throne forever” (6)
		The king longs for the bride’s beauty (11)
		Sons as princes in all the earth (16)
Psalm 46
	“God is our refuge”
		God’s astonishing works (8)
		God ends wars in all the earth (9)
Psalm 47
	God the King over all the earth
		‘Jehovah is awe-inspiring’ (2)
		Sing praises to God (6, 7)
Psalm 48
	Zion, the city of the Grand King
		The joy of the whole earth (2)
		Inspect the city and its towers (11-13)
Psalm 49
	Folly of trusting in riches
		No human can redeem another (7, 8)
		God redeems from the Grave (15)
		Riches cannot save from death (16, 17)
Psalm 50
	God judges between the loyal and the wicked
		God’s covenant over sacrifice (5)
		“God himself is Judge” (6)
		All animals belong to God (10, 11)
		God exposes wicked ones (16-21)
Psalm 51
	A prayer of a repentant one
		Sinful from conception (5)
		“Purify me from my sin” (7)
		“Create in me a pure heart” (10)
		A crushed heart pleases God (17)
Psalm 52
	Trusting in God’s loyal love
		Boasters in badness warned (1-5)
		Ungodly ones trust in riches (7)
Psalm 53
	The foolish ones portrayed
		“There is no Jehovah” (1)
		“No one is doing good” (3)
Psalm 54
	A prayer for help when among foes
		“God is my helper” (4)
Psalm 55
	A prayer when betrayed by a friend
		Taunted by a close friend (12-14)
		“Throw your burden on Jehovah” (22)
Psalm 56
	A prayer when persecuted
		“In God I put my trust” (4)
		“My tears in your skin bottle” (8)
		“What can a mere human do to me?” (4, 11)
Psalm 57
	A request for favor
		Refuge under God’s wings (1)
		Enemies fall into their own snare (6)
Psalm 58
	There is a God who judges the earth
		Prayer to punish the wicked (6-8)
Psalm 59
	God, a shield and a refuge
		‘Do not show mercy to traitors’ (5)
		“I will sing about your strength” (16)
Psalm 60
	God subdues the enemies
		Salvation by humans worthless (11)
		“By God we will gain power” (12)
Psalm 61
	God, a strong tower against enemies
		“I will be a guest in your tent” (4)
Psalm 62
	True salvation comes from God
		“I wait silently for God” (1, 5)
		‘Pour out your hearts before God’ (8)
		Humans a mere breath (9)
		Do not trust in wealth (10)
Psalm 63
	Longing for God
		“Your loyal love is better than life” (3)
		“Satisfied with the best” (5)
		Meditating on God during the night (6)
		‘I cling to God’ (8)
Psalm 64
	Protection from concealed attacks
		“God will shoot at them” (7)
Psalm 65
	God’s care for the earth
		“Hearer of prayer” (2)
		‘Happy is the one you choose’ (4)
		God’s abundant goodness (11)
Psalm 66
	God’s awe-inspiring works
		‘Come and see God’s works’ (5)
		“I will pay my vows to you” (13)
		God hears prayer (18-20)
Psalm 67
	The ends of the earth will fear God
		God’s way to be known (2)
		‘Let all the peoples praise God’ (3, 5)
		“God will bless us” (6, 7)
Psalm 68
	‘Let God’s enemies be scattered’
		“A father of the fatherless” (5)
		God gives the lonely a home (6)
		Women proclaim the good news (11)
		Gifts in the form of men (18)
		‘Jehovah daily carries our load’ (19)
Psalm 69
	A prayer for rescue
		“Zeal for your house has consumed me” (9)
		“Answer me quickly” (17)
		“They gave me vinegar to drink” (21)
Psalm 70
	Urgent help requested
		“Act quickly in my behalf” (5)
Psalm 71
	The confidence of old ones
		Trusting in God since youth (5)
		“When my strength fails” (9)
		‘God has taught me from youth’ (17)
Psalm 72
	The peaceful rule of God’s king
		“The righteous will flourish” (7)
		Subjects from sea to sea (8)
		Rescue from violence (14)
		An abundance of grain on earth (16)
		God’s name is praised forever (19)
Psalm 73
	A godly man regains spiritual perspective
		“My feet had almost strayed” (2)
		“I was troubled all day long” (14)
		‘Until I entered God’s sanctuary’ (17)
		Wicked ones on slippery ground (18)
		Drawing near to God is good (28)
Psalm 74
	A prayer that God remember his people
		God’s saving acts recalled (12-17)
		“Remember the enemy’s taunts” (18)
Psalm 75
	God judges with fairness
		The wicked to drink Jehovah’s cup (8)
Psalm 76
	God’s triumph over Zion’s enemies
		God saves the meek (9)
		Proud enemies to be humbled (12)
Psalm 77
	A prayer in a time of distress
		Meditating on God’s works (11, 12)
		‘Who is as great as you, O God?’ (13)
Psalm 78
	God’s care and Israel’s lack of faith
		Tell the future generation (2-8)
		“They did not put faith in God” (22)
		“The grain of heaven” (24)
		“They grieved the Holy One of Israel” (41)
		From Egypt to the Promised Land (43-55)
		“They kept challenging God” (56)
Psalm 79
	A prayer when nations invaded God’s people
		‘We are an object of reproach’ (4)
		‘Help us for your name’s sake’ (9)
		“Repay our neighbors sevenfold” (12)
Psalm 80
	Israel’s Shepherd sought for restoration
		“O God, restore us” (3)
		Israel as God’s vine (8-15)
Psalm 81
	An exhortation to obey
		Do not worship foreign gods (9)
		‘If only you would listen’ (13)
Psalm 82
	A call for righteous judgment
		God judges among “the gods” (1)
		“Defend the lowly” (3)
		“You are gods” (6)
Psalm 83
	A prayer when facing enemies
		“O God, do not be silent” (1)
		Enemies like a whirling thistle (13)
		God’s name is Jehovah (18)
Psalm 84
	Yearning for God’s grand tabernacle
		A Levite’s longing to be like a bird (3)
		“A day in your courtyards” (10)
		“God is a sun and a shield” (11)
Psalm 85
	A prayer for restoration
		God will speak peace to loyal ones (8)
		Loyal love and faithfulness to meet (10)
Psalm 86
	No god like Jehovah
		Jehovah ready to forgive (5)
		All nations to worship Jehovah (9)
		‘Instruct me about your way’ (11)
		“Unify my heart” (11)
Psalm 87
	Zion, the city of the true God
		Those born in Zion (4-6)
Psalm 88
	A prayer to be kept from death
		“My life is on the brink of the Grave” (3)
		‘Each morning I pray to you’ (13)
Psalm 89
	Singing about Jehovah’s loyal love
		A covenant with David (3)
		David’s offspring to last forever (4)
		God’s anointed calls Him “Father” (26)
		Davidic covenant sure (34-37)
		Man cannot escape the Grave (48)
Psalm 90
	Eternal God and short-lived man
		A thousand years as yesterday (4)
		Man lives 70-80 years (10)
		“Teach us how to count our days” (12)
Psalm 91
	Protection in God’s secret place
		Rescued from the birdcatcher (3)
		Refuge under God’s wings (4)
		Safe although thousands fall (7)
		Angels commanded to guard (11)
Psalm 92
	Jehovah exalted forever
		His great works and deep thoughts (5)
		‘The righteous will flourish like a tree’ (12)
		Elderly will continue to thrive (14)
Psalm 93
	Jehovah’s majestic rulership
		“Jehovah has become King!” (1)
		‘Your reminders are trustworthy’ (5)
Psalm 94
	A prayer for vengeance by God
		“How long will the wicked continue?” (3)
		Jah’s correction brings happiness (12)
		God will not forsake his people (14)
		“Framing trouble in the name of the law” (20)
Psalm 95
	True worship coupled with obedience
		“Today if you listen to his voice” (7)
		“Do not harden your heart” (8)
		“They will not enter into my rest” (11)
Psalm 96
	“Sing to Jehovah a new song”
		Jehovah, most worthy of praise (4)
		Peoples’ gods are worthless (5)
		Worship in holy adornment (9)
Psalm 97
	Jehovah exalted above other gods
		“Jehovah has become King!” (1)
		Love Jehovah, hate what is bad (10)
		Light for the righteous (11)
Psalm 98
	Jehovah, Savior and righteous Judge
		Jehovah’s salvation made known (2, 3)
Psalm 99
	Jehovah, the holy King
		Enthroned above the cherubs (1)
		A God who pardons and punishes (8)
Psalm 100
	Giving thanks to the Creator
		“Serve Jehovah with rejoicing” (2)
		‘It is God who made us’ (3)
Psalm 101
	A ruler acting with integrity
		‘I will not tolerate haughtiness’ (5)
		“I will look to the faithful ones” (6)
Psalm 102
	A prayer of an oppressed one in despair
		“I am like a solitary bird” (7)
		‘My days are a fading shadow’ (11)
		“Jehovah will rebuild Zion” (16)
		Jehovah remains forever (26, 27)
Psalm 103
	“Let me praise Jehovah”
		God puts our sins far away (12)
		God’s fatherly mercy (13)
		God remembers that we are dust (14)
		Jehovah’s throne and kingship (19)
		Angels carry out God’s word (20)
Psalm 104
	Praising God for the wonders of creation
		Earth to remain forever (5)
		Wine and bread for mortal man (15)
		“How many your works are!” (24)
		‘When spirit is taken away, they die’ (29)
Psalm 105
	Jehovah’s faithful acts toward his people
		God remembers his covenant (8-10)
		“Do not touch my anointed ones” (15)
		Enslaved Joseph used by God (17-22)
		God’s miracles in Egypt (23-36)
		Israel’s Exodus from Egypt (37-39)
		God remembers Abrahamic promise (42)
Psalm 106
	Israel’s lack of appreciation
		They quickly forgot God’s acts (13)
		God’s glory exchanged for image of a bull (19, 20)
		They had no faith in God’s promise (24)
		They joined in worship of Baal (28)
		Children sacrificed to demons (37)
Psalm 107
	Give thanks to God for his wonderful works
		He led them in the right way (7)
		He satisfied the thirsty and the hungry (9)
		He brought them out of darkness (14)
		He sent his word to heal them (20)
		He protects the poor from oppression (41)
Psalm 108
	A prayer for victory over enemies
		Salvation by humans worthless (12)
		“By God we will gain power” (13)
Psalm 109
	A prayer of a distressed man
		‘Let another take his position’ (8)
		God stands at a poor man’s side (31)
Psalm 110
	A king and priest like Melchizedek
		‘Rule in the midst of your enemies’ (2)
		Willing young ones like dewdrops (3)
Psalm 111
	Praise Jehovah for his great works
		God’s name holy and awe-inspiring (9)
		Fear of Jehovah is wisdom (10)
Psalm 112
	A righteous man fears Jehovah
		A generous lender will prosper (5)
		“The righteous will be remembered forever” (6)
		The generous gives to the poor (9)
Psalm 113
	God on high raises the lowly
		Jehovah’s name praised forever (2)
		God stoops down (6)
Psalm 114
	Israel’s deliverance out of Egypt
		The sea fled (5)
		Mountains skipped like rams (6)
		Flinty rock turned into a spring (8)
Psalm 115
	Glory to be given to God alone
		Lifeless idols (4-8)
		The earth given to humans (16)
		“The dead do not praise Jah” (17)
Psalm 116
	A song of gratitude
		“With what will I repay Jehovah?” (12)
		“I will take up the cup of salvation” (13)
		“I will pay my vows to Jehovah” (14, 18)
		Costly is the death of loyal ones (15)
Psalm 117
	A call to all nations to praise Jehovah
		God’s loyal love is great (2)
Psalm 118
	Giving thanks for Jehovah’s victory
		‘I called on Jah, and he answered’ (5)
		“Jehovah is on my side” (6, 7)
		Rejected stone to be the chief cornerstone (22)
		‘The one coming in Jehovah’s name’ (26)
Psalm 119
	Appreciation for God’s precious word
		‘How can youths keep a clean path?’ (9)
		“I am fond of your reminders” (24)
		“Your word is my hope” (74, 81, 114)
		“How I do love your law!” (97)
		“More insight than all my teachers” (99)
		“Your word is a lamp to my foot” (105)
		‘The essence of your word is truth’ (160)
		Peace for those who love God’s law (165)
Psalm 120
	A foreigner’s longing for peace
		‘Rescue me from a deceitful tongue’ (2)
		“I am for peace” (7)
Psalm 121
	Jehovah guards his people
		“My help comes from Jehovah” (2)
		Jehovah never sleeps (3, 4)
Psalm 122
	A prayer for the peace of Jerusalem
		The joy of going to Jehovah’s house (1)
		A city joined together as one (3)
Psalm 123
	Looking to Jehovah for favor
		‘Like servants, we look to Jehovah’ (2)
		‘We have had our full share of contempt’ (3)
Psalm 124
	“If Jehovah had not been with us”
		Escape from the broken trap (7)
		‘Jehovah’s name is our help’ (8)
Psalm 125
	Jehovah protects his people
		“As mountains surround Jerusalem” (2)
		“May there be peace upon Israel” (5)
Psalm 126
	Zion’s joyful restoration
		“Jehovah has done great things” (3)
		From weeping to exultation (5, 6)
Psalm 127
	Without God, everything in vain
		“Unless Jehovah builds the house” (1)
		Children, a reward from God (3)
Psalm 128
	Happiness in fearing Jehovah
		A wife like a fruitful vine (3)
		“May you see Jerusalem prosper” (5)
Psalm 129
	Attacked but not defeated
		Zion’s haters put to shame (5)
Psalm 130
	“From the depths I call to you”
		‘If you were to watch errors’ (3)
		True forgiveness with Jehovah (4)
		“I eagerly wait for Jehovah” (6)
Psalm 131
	Contented like a weaned child
		Not aspiring for things too great (1)
Psalm 132
	David and Zion chosen
		“Do not reject your anointed one” (10)
		Zion’s priests clothed with salvation (16)
Psalm 133
	Dwelling together in unity
		Like oil on Aaron’s head (2)
		Like the dew of Hermon (3)
Psalm 134
	Praising God during the nights
		“Raise your hands in holiness” (2)
Psalm 135
	Praise Jah for his greatness
		Signs and miracles against Egypt (8, 9)
		“Your name endures forever” (13)
		Lifeless idols (15-18)
Psalm 136
	Jehovah’s loyal love endures forever
		Heaven and earth skillfully made (5, 6)
		Pharaoh died in the Red Sea (15)
		God remembers the depressed (23)
		Food to every living thing (25)
Psalm 137
	By the rivers of Babylon
		No songs of Zion sung (3, 4)
		Babylon to be devastated (8)
Psalm 138
	Though exalted, God is caring
		‘You answered my prayer’ (3)
		‘Even amid danger, you rescue me’ (7)
Psalm 139
	God knows his servants well
		No escape from God’s spirit (7)
		“I am wonderfully made” (14)
		‘You saw me as an embryo’ (16)
		“Lead me in the way of eternity” (24)
Psalm 140
	Jehovah, the strong Savior
		Evil men are like serpents (3)
		Violent men to fall (11)
Psalm 141
	A prayer for protection
		“May my prayer be as incense” (2)
		The righteous one’s reproof like oil (5)
		The wicked fall into their own nets (10)
Psalm 142
	A prayer for rescue from persecutors
		“There is nowhere I can flee” (4)
		‘You are all I have’ (5)
Psalm 143
	Thirsting for God like a parched land
		‘I ponder over your works’ (5)
		“Teach me to do your will” (10)
		‘May your good spirit lead me’ (10)
Psalm 144
	A prayer for victory
		‘What is a mortal man?’ (3)
		‘May the enemies be scattered’ (6)
		Happy are Jehovah’s people (15)
Psalm 145
	Praising God, the great King
		‘I will declare God’s greatness’ (6)
		“Jehovah is good to all” (9)
		“Your loyal ones will praise you” (10)
		God’s eternal kingship (13)
		God’s hand satisfies all (16)
Psalm 146
	Trust in God, not in men
		At death, man’s thoughts perish (4)
		God raises up those bent down (8)
Psalm 147
	Praising God’s loving and powerful works
		He heals the brokenhearted (3)
		He calls all the stars by name (4)
		He sends snow like wool (16)
Psalm 148
	All creation to praise Jehovah
		“Praise him, all his angels” (2)
		‘Praise him, sun, moon, and stars’ (3)
		Young and old to praise God (12, 13)
Psalm 149
	A song in praise of God’s victory
		God takes pleasure in his people (4)
		Honor belongs to God’s loyal ones (9)
Psalm 150
	Let every breathing thing praise Jah
		Hallelujah! (1, 6)
Book One
(Psalms 1-41)
Psalm 1
1 Happy is the man who does not walk according to the advice of the wicked
And does not stand on the path of sinners
And does not sit in the seat of scoffers.
2 But his delight is in the law of Jehovah,
And he reads His law in an undertone day and night.
3 He will be like a tree planted by streams of water,
A tree that produces fruit in its season,
The foliage of which does not wither.
And everything he does will succeed.
4 The wicked are not like that;
They are like the chaff that the wind blows away.
5 That is why the wicked will not remain standing in the judgment;
Nor will sinners remain standing in the assembly of the righteous.
6 For Jehovah is aware of the way of the righteous,
But the way of the wicked will perish.
Psalm 2
1 Why are the nations agitated
And the peoples muttering an empty thing?
2 The kings of the earth take their stand
And high officials gather together as one
Against Jehovah and against his anointed one.
3 They say: “Let us tear off their shackles
And throw off their ropes!”
4 The One enthroned in the heavens will laugh;
Jehovah will scoff at them.
5 At that time he will speak to them in his anger
And terrify them in his burning anger,
6 Saying: “I myself have installed my king
On Zion, my holy mountain.”
7 Let me proclaim the decree of Jehovah;
He said to me: “You are my son;
Today I have become your father.
8 Ask of me, and I will give nations as your inheritance
And the ends of the earth as your possession.
9 You will break them with an iron scepter,
And you will smash them like a piece of pottery.”
10 So now, you kings, show insight;
Accept correction, you judges of the earth.
11 Serve Jehovah with fear,
And rejoice with trembling.
12 Honor the son, or God will become indignant
And you will perish from the way,
For His anger flares up quickly.
Happy are all those taking refuge in Him.
Psalm 3
A melody of David when he was fleeing from his son Absalom.
1 O Jehovah, why have my adversaries become so numerous?
Why are so many rising up against me?
2 Many are saying about me:
“God will not save him.” (Selah)
3 But you, O Jehovah, are a shield around me,
My glory and the One who lifts up my head.
4 I will call aloud to Jehovah,
And he will answer me from his holy mountain. (Selah)
5 I will lie down and sleep;
And I will wake up in safety,
For Jehovah continues to support me.
6 I am not afraid of the tens of thousands
Lined up against me on every side.
7 Rise up, O Jehovah! Save me, O my God!
For you will strike all my enemies on the jaw;
You will break the teeth of the wicked.
8 Salvation belongs to Jehovah.
Your blessing is upon your people. (Selah)
Psalm 4
To the director; to be accompanied with stringed instruments. A melody of David.
1 When I call, answer me, O my righteous God.
Make a way of escape for me in my distress.
Show me favor and hear my prayer.
2 You sons of men, how long will you turn my honor into humiliation?
How long will you love what is worthless and search for what is false? (Selah)
3 Know that Jehovah will treat his loyal one in a special way;
Jehovah will hear when I call to him.
4 Be agitated, but do not sin.
Have your say in your heart, upon your bed, and keep silent. (Selah)
5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness,
And trust in Jehovah.
6 There are many saying: “Who will show us anything good?”
Let the light of your face shine upon us, O Jehovah.
7 You have filled my heart with greater rejoicing
Than those who have an abundant harvest of grain and new wine.
8 I will lie down and sleep in peace,
For you alone, O Jehovah, make me dwell in security.
Psalm 5
To the director for Nehiloth. A melody of David.
1 Listen to my words, O Jehovah;
Be attentive to my sighing.
2 Pay attention to my cry for help,
O my King and my God, because to you I pray.
3 O Jehovah, you will hear my voice in the morning;
In the morning I will express my concern to you and wait expectantly.
4 For you are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness;
No one bad may remain with you.
5 No arrogant person may stand in your presence.
You hate all those who behave wickedly;
6 You will destroy those who speak lies.
Jehovah detests violent and deceptive people.
7 But I will come into your house because of your great loyal love;
I will bow down toward your holy temple in reverential fear of you.
8 Lead me, O Jehovah, in your righteousness because of my foes;
Make your way clear for me.
9 For nothing they say can be trusted;
Within them is nothing but malice;
Their throat is an open grave;
They flatter with their tongue.
10 But God will declare them guilty;
Their own schemes will cause their downfall.
May they be driven away because of their many transgressions,
For they have rebelled against you.
11 But all those who take refuge in you will rejoice;
They will always shout joyfully.
You will block approach to them,
And those loving your name will rejoice in you.
12 For you will bless anyone righteous, O Jehovah;
You will surround them with approval as with a large shield.
Psalm 6
To the director; to be accompanied with stringed instruments tuned to Sheminith. A melody of David.
1 O Jehovah, do not reprove me in your anger,
And do not correct me in your rage.
2 Show me favor, O Jehovah, for I am growing weak.
Heal me, O Jehovah, for my bones are shaking.
3 Yes, I am greatly disturbed,
And I ask you, O Jehovah—how long will it be?
4 Return, O Jehovah, and rescue me;
Save me for the sake of your loyal love.
5 For in death there is no mention of you;
In the Grave, who will praise you?
6 I have grown weary with my sighing;
All night long I soak my bed with tears;
I flood my couch with weeping.
7 My eye is weak from my grief;
It has dimmed because of all those harassing me.
8 Get away from me, all you who behave wickedly,
For Jehovah will hear the sound of my weeping.
9 Jehovah will hear my request for favor;
Jehovah will accept my prayer.
10 All my enemies will be put to shame and dismayed;
They will fall back in sudden disgrace.
Psalm 7
A dirge of David that he sang to Jehovah regarding the words of Cush the Benjaminite.
1 O Jehovah my God, in you I have taken refuge.
Save me from all those persecuting me and rescue me.
2 Otherwise they will tear me to pieces as a lion does,
Carrying me off with no one to rescue me.
3 O Jehovah my God, if I am at fault in this,
If I have acted unjustly,
4 If I have wronged the one doing good to me,
Or if I have plundered my enemy without cause,
5 Then let an enemy pursue and overtake me;
Let him trample my life down to the earth
And cause my glory to perish in the dust. (Selah)
6 Rise up in your anger, O Jehovah;
Stand up against the fury of my enemies;
Awake for me, and demand that justice be done.
7 Let the nations surround you;
And you will act against them from on high.
8 Jehovah will pass sentence on the peoples.
Judge me, O Jehovah, according to my righteousness
And according to my integrity.
9 Please put an end to the evil deeds of the wicked.
But establish the righteous,
Since you are the righteous God who examines the hearts and the deepest emotions.
10 God is my shield, the Savior of those upright in heart.
11 God is a righteous Judge,
And God proclaims his judgments every day.
12 If anyone will not repent, He sharpens his sword;
He bends his bow and makes it ready.
13 He prepares his deadly weapons;
He makes ready his flaming arrows.
14 Look at the one who is pregnant with wickedness;
He conceives trouble and gives birth to lies.
15 He excavates a pit and digs it deep,
But he falls into the very hole he made.
16 The trouble he causes will return on his own head;
His violence will fall on the crown of his head.
17 I will praise Jehovah for his justice;
I will sing praises to the name of Jehovah the Most High.
Psalm 8
To the director; upon the Gittith. A melody of David.
1 O Jehovah our Lord, how majestic your name is throughout the earth;
You have set your splendor even higher than the heavens!
2 Out of the mouth of children and infants you have established strength
On account of your adversaries,
To silence the enemy and the avenger.
3 When I see your heavens, the works of your fingers,
The moon and the stars that you have prepared,
4 What is mortal man that you keep him in mind,
And a son of man that you take care of him?
5 You made him a little lower than godlike ones,
And you crowned him with glory and splendor.
6 You gave him dominion over the works of your hands;
You have put everything under his feet:
7 All the flocks and cattle,
As well as the wild animals,
8 The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea,
Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.
9 O Jehovah our Lord, how majestic your name is throughout the earth!
Psalm 9
To the director; upon Muth-labben. A melody of David.
א [Aleph]
1 I will praise you, O Jehovah, with all my heart;
I will tell about all your wonderful works.
2 I will rejoice and exult in you;
I will sing praises to your name, O Most High.
ב [Beth]
3 When my enemies retreat,
They will stumble and perish from before you.
4 For you defend my just cause;
You sit on your throne judging with righteousness.
ג [Gimel]
5 You have rebuked nations and destroyed the wicked,
Blotting out their name forever and ever.
6 The enemy has been ruined forever;
You uprooted their cities,
And all memory of them will perish.
ה [He]
7 But Jehovah is enthroned forever;
He has firmly established his throne for justice.
8 He will judge the inhabited earth in righteousness;
He will render righteous legal decisions for the nations.
ו [Waw]
9 Jehovah will become a secure refuge for the oppressed,
A secure refuge in times of distress.
10 Those knowing your name will trust in you;
You will never abandon those seeking you, O Jehovah.
ז [Zayin]
11 Sing praises to Jehovah, who is dwelling in Zion;
Make his deeds known among the peoples.
12 For the One who avenges their blood remembers them;
He will not forget the cry of the afflicted.
ח [Heth]
13 Show me favor, O Jehovah; see my affliction by those hating me,
You who raise me from the gates of death,
14 So that I may declare your praiseworthy deeds in the gates of the daughter of Zion,
And rejoice in your acts of salvation.
ט [Teth]
15 The nations have sunk down into the pit they made;
Their own foot has been caught in the net they hid.
16 Jehovah is known by the judgment he executes.
The wicked one has been ensnared in the work of his own hands.
Higgaion. (Selah)
י [Yod]
17 The wicked will retreat toward the Grave,
All the nations who forget God.
18 But the poor will not always be forgotten;
Nor will the hope of the meek ever perish.
כ [Kaph]
19 Rise up, O Jehovah! Do not let mortal man prevail.
May the nations be judged in your presence.
20 Strike them with fear, O Jehovah,
Let the nations know that they are only mortal men. (Selah)
Psalm 10
ל [Lamed]
1 Why, O Jehovah, do you stand at a distance?
Why do you hide yourself in times of distress?
2 The wicked one arrogantly pursues the helpless one,
But he will be caught in the schemes he devises.
3 For the wicked one boasts about his selfish desires
And blesses the greedy one;
נ [Nun]
He disrespects Jehovah.
4 In his haughtiness, the wicked man makes no investigation;
All his thoughts are: “There is no God.”
5 His ways keep prospering,
But your judgments are beyond his understanding;
He scoffs at all his adversaries.
6 He says in his heart: “I will never be shaken;
For generation after generation
I will never see calamity.”
פ [Pe]
7 His mouth is full of curses, lies, and threats;
Under his tongue are trouble and injury.
8 He waits in ambush near the settlements;
From his hiding place he kills an innocent one.
ע [Ayin]
His eyes are watching for an unfortunate victim.
9 He waits in his hiding place like a lion in its lair.
He waits to seize the helpless one.
He seizes the helpless one when he pulls his net shut.
10 The victim is crushed and brought down;
The unfortunate ones fall into his clutches.
11 He says in his heart: “God has forgotten.
He has turned away his face.
He never notices.”
ק [Qoph]
12 Rise up, O Jehovah. O God, lift up your hand.
Do not forget the helpless ones.
13 Why has the wicked one disrespected God?
He says in his heart: “You will not hold me accountable.”
ר [Resh]
14 But you do see trouble and distress.
You look on and take matters in hand.
To you the unfortunate victim turns;
You are the helper for the fatherless child.
ש [Shin]
15 Break the arm of the wicked and evil man,
So that when you search for his wickedness,
You will find it no more.
16 Jehovah is King forever and ever.
The nations have perished from the earth.
ת [Taw]
17 But you will hear the request of the meek, O Jehovah.
You will make their hearts firm and pay close attention to them.
18 You will render justice to the fatherless and to those who are crushed,
So that mortal man of the earth may no longer make them afraid.
Psalm 11
To the director. Of David.
1 In Jehovah I have taken refuge.
So how can you say to me:
“Flee like a bird to your mountain!
2 See how the wicked bend the bow;
They set their arrow on the bowstring,
To shoot from the darkness those upright in heart.
3 When the foundations are torn down,
What can the righteous do?”
4 Jehovah is in his holy temple.
Jehovah’s throne is in the heavens.
His own eyes see, his watchful eyes examine the sons of men.
5 Jehovah examines the righteous one as well as the wicked one;
He hates anyone who loves violence.
6 Upon the wicked, he will rain down snares;
Fire and sulfur and a scorching wind will be the portion of their cup.
7 For Jehovah is righteous; he loves righteous acts.
The upright will see his face.
Psalm 12
To the director; tuned to Sheminith. A melody of David.
1 Save me, O Jehovah, for the loyal one is no more;
Faithful people have vanished from among men.
2 They speak lies to one another;
They flatter with their lips and speak with deceitful hearts.
3 Jehovah will cut off all flattering lips
And the tongue that makes great boasts,
4 Those who say: “We will prevail with our tongues.
We use our lips as we please;
Who will be our master?”
5 “Because the afflicted are oppressed,
Because of the sighing of the poor,
I will rise up to act,” says Jehovah.
“I will save them from those who treat them with contempt.”
6 The sayings of Jehovah are pure;
They are like silver refined in an earthen furnace, purified seven times.
7 You will guard them, O Jehovah;
You will protect each one of them from this generation forever.
8 The wicked walk around unrestrained
Because the sons of men promote depravity.
Psalm 13
To the director. A melody of David.
1 How long, O Jehovah, will you forget me? Forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long will I have anxious concern,
With grief in my heart each day?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?
3 Look upon me and answer me, O Jehovah my God.
Give light to my eyes, so that I may not fall asleep in death,
4 So that my enemy will not say: “I have defeated him!”
Do not let my opponents rejoice over my downfall.
5 As for me, I trust in your loyal love;
My heart will rejoice in your acts of salvation.
6 I will sing to Jehovah, for he has richly rewarded me.
Psalm 14
To the director. Of David.
1 The foolish one says in his heart:
“There is no Jehovah.”
Their actions are corrupt, and their dealings are detestable;
No one is doing good.
2 But Jehovah looks down from heaven on the sons of men
To see whether anyone has insight, whether anyone is seeking Jehovah.
3 They have all turned aside;
They are all alike corrupt.
No one is doing good,
Not even one.
4 Do none of the wrongdoers understand?
They devour my people as if they were eating bread.
They do not call on Jehovah.
5 But they will be filled with great terror,
For Jehovah is with the generation of the righteous.
6 You wrongdoers try to frustrate the plans of the lowly one,
But Jehovah is his refuge.
7 O that Israel’s salvation may come from Zion!
When Jehovah gathers back his captive people,
Let Jacob be joyful, let Israel rejoice.
Psalm 15
A melody of David.
1 O Jehovah, who may be a guest in your tent?
Who may reside in your holy mountain?
2 The one who is walking faultlessly,
Practicing what is right
And speaking the truth in his heart.
3 He does not slander with his tongue,
He does nothing bad to his neighbor,
And he does not defame his friends.
4 He rejects anyone who is contemptible,
But he honors those fearing Jehovah.
He does not go back on his promise, even when it is bad for him.
5 He does not lend his money on interest,
And he does not accept a bribe against the innocent.
Whoever does these things will never be shaken.
Psalm 16
A miktam of David.
1 Protect me, O God, for I have taken refuge in you.
2 I have said to Jehovah: “You are Jehovah, my Source of goodness.
3 And the holy ones in the earth,
The majestic ones, bring me great delight.”
4 Those who pursue other gods multiply their sorrows.
I will never pour out their drink offerings of blood,
Nor will my lips mention their names.
5 Jehovah is my portion, my allotted share, and my cup.
You safeguard my inheritance.
6 Pleasant places have been measured out to me.
Yes, I am content with my inheritance.
7 I will praise Jehovah, who has given me advice.
Even during the night, my innermost thoughts correct me.
8 I keep Jehovah before me constantly.
Because he is at my right hand, I will never be shaken.
9 So my heart rejoices, my whole being is joyful.
And I reside in security.
10 For you will not leave me in the Grave.
You will not allow your loyal one to see the pit.
11 You make known to me the path of life.
In your presence is abundant joy;
There is happiness at your right hand forever.
Psalm 17
A prayer of David.
1 Hear my plea for justice, O Jehovah;
Pay attention to my cry for help;
Listen to my prayer spoken without deceit.
2 May you make a just decision in my behalf;
May your eyes see what is right.
3 You have examined my heart, you have inspected me by night;
You have refined me;
You will find that I have not schemed anything bad,
And my mouth has not transgressed.
4 As for the activities of men,
In accord with the word of your lips, I avoid the paths of the robber.
5 Let my steps stay on your tracks
So that my feet will not stumble.
6 I do call on you, because you will answer me, O God.
Incline your ear to me. Hear my words.
7 Show your loyal love in a wonderful way,
O Savior of those seeking refuge at your right hand
From those who rebel against you.
8 Guard me like the pupil of your eye;
Conceal me in the shadow of your wings.
9 Guard me from the wicked who attack me,
From my mortal enemies who surround me.
10 They have become insensitive;
With their mouth they speak arrogantly;
11 Now they hem us in;
They watch for the chance to cause our downfall.
12 He is like a lion eager to tear its prey to pieces,
Like a young lion crouching in ambush.
13 Rise up, O Jehovah, to confront him and bring him down;
Rescue me from the wicked with your sword;
14 Rescue me with your hand, O Jehovah,
From men of this world, whose share is in this life,
Those whom you fill with the good things you provide
And who leave an inheritance to their many sons.
15 But as for me, in righteousness I will see your face;
I am satisfied to awaken in your presence.
Psalm 18
To the director. By Jehovah’s servant David, who addressed the words of this song to Jehovah in the day that Jehovah rescued him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said:
1 I have affection for you, O Jehovah, my strength.
2 Jehovah is my crag and my stronghold and the One who rescues me.
My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
My shield and my horn of salvation, my secure refuge.
3 I call on Jehovah, who is worthy of praise,
And I will be saved from my enemies.
4 The ropes of death encircled me;
Flash floods of worthless men terrified me.
5 The ropes of the Grave surrounded me;
The snares of death confronted me.
6 In my distress I called on Jehovah,
To my God I kept crying for help.
From his temple he heard my voice,
And my cry to him for help reached his ears.
7 Then the earth began to shake and rock;
The foundations of the mountains trembled
And shook back and forth because he had been angered.
8 Smoke ascended from his nostrils,
And a consuming fire came from his mouth;
Glowing coals blazed from him.
9 He made the heavens bend as he descended,
And thick gloom was beneath his feet.
10 He rode on a cherub and came flying.
He swooped down on the wings of a spirit.
11 He then covered himself in darkness,
All around him as a shelter,
Dark waters and thick clouds.
12 From the brightness before him
Hail and fiery coals broke through the clouds.
13 Then Jehovah began to thunder in the heavens;
The Most High made his voice heard
With hailstones and fiery coals.
14 He shot his arrows and scattered them;
He hurled his lightning and threw them into confusion.
15 The streambeds became visible;
The foundations of the land were exposed by your rebuke, O Jehovah,
By the blast of the breath from your nostrils.
16 He reached down from on high;
He took hold of me and pulled me from deep waters.
17 He rescued me from my strong enemy,
From those hating me, who were stronger than I was.
18 They confronted me on the day of my disaster,
But Jehovah was my support.
19 He brought me out into a place of safety;
He rescued me because he was pleased with me.
20 Jehovah rewards me according to my righteousness;
He repays me according to the innocence of my hands.
21 For I have kept the ways of Jehovah,
And I have not wickedly abandoned my God.
22 All his judgments are before me;
I will not disregard his statutes.
23 I will remain blameless before him,
And I will keep myself from error.
24 May Jehovah repay me according to my righteousness,
According to the innocence of my hands before him.
25 With someone loyal you act in loyalty;
With the blameless man you deal blamelessly;
26 With the pure you show yourself pure,
But with the crooked you show yourself shrewd.
27 For you save those who are lowly
But you abase the haughty.
28 For it is you who light my lamp, O Jehovah,
My God who lights up my darkness.
29 With your help I can charge against a marauder band;
By God’s power I can scale a wall.
30 The way of the true God is perfect;
The saying of Jehovah is refined.
He is a shield to all those taking refuge in him.
31 For who is a God besides Jehovah?
And who is a rock except our God?
32 The true God is the one who clothes me with strength,
And he will make my way perfect.
33 He makes my feet like those of a deer;
He makes me stand on high places.
34 He trains my hands for warfare;
My arms can bend a bow of copper.
35 You give me your shield of salvation,
Your right hand supports me,
And your humility makes me great.
36 You widen the path for my footsteps;
My feet will not slip.
37 I will pursue my enemies and overtake them;
I will not return until they are wiped out.
38 I will crush them so that they cannot rise up;
They will fall under my feet.
39 You will equip me with strength for the battle;
You will make my foes collapse under me.
40 You will make my enemies retreat from me,
And I will put an end to those who hate me.
41 They cry for help, but there is no one to save them;
They even cry to Jehovah, but he does not answer them.
42 I will pound them as fine as dust in the wind;
I will throw them out like mud in the streets.
43 You will rescue me from the faultfinding of the people.
You will appoint me the head of nations.
A people whom I have not known will serve me.
44 At a mere report they will obey me;
Foreigners will come cringing before me.
45 Foreigners will lose courage;
They will come trembling from their strongholds.
46 Jehovah is alive! Praised be my Rock!
Let the God of my salvation be exalted.
47 The true God executes vengeance for me;
He subdues the peoples under me.
48 He rescues me from my angry enemies;
You lift me high above those who attack me;
You save me from the man of violence.
49 That is why I will glorify you among the nations, O Jehovah,
And to your name I will sing praises.
50 He performs great acts of salvation for his king;
He displays loyal love to his anointed one,
To David and his offspring forever.
Psalm 19
To the director. A melody of David.
1 The heavens are declaring the glory of God;
The skies above proclaim the work of his hands.
2 Day after day their speech bubbles forth,
And night after night they reveal knowledge.
3 There is no speech, and there are no words;
Their voice is not heard.
4 But into all the earth their sound has gone out,
And to the ends of the inhabited earth their message.
In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun;
5 It is like a bridegroom emerging from the bridal chamber;
It rejoices like a mighty man running his course.
6 It emerges from one end of the heavens,
And it circles to their other end;
And nothing is concealed from its heat.
7 The law of Jehovah is perfect, restoring strength.
The reminder of Jehovah is trustworthy, making the inexperienced one wise.
8 The orders from Jehovah are righteous, causing the heart to rejoice;
The commandment of Jehovah is clean, making the eyes shine.
9 The fear of Jehovah is pure, lasting forever.
The judgments of Jehovah are true, altogether righteous.
10 They are more desirable than gold,
Than much fine gold,
And sweeter than honey, the honey that drips from the combs.
11 By them your servant has been warned;
In keeping them, there is a large reward.
12 Who can discern mistakes?
Pronounce me innocent from sins I am unaware of.
13 And hold your servant back from presumptuous acts;
Do not let them dominate me.
Then I will be complete,
And innocent of blatant sins.
14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be pleasing to you, O Jehovah, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Psalm 20
To the director. A melody of David.
1 May Jehovah answer you in the day of distress.
May the name of the God of Jacob protect you.
2 May he send you help from the holy place
And sustain you from Zion.
3 May he remember all your gift offerings;
May he accept with favor your burnt offering. (Selah)
4 May he grant you the desires of your heart
And give success to all your plans.
5 We will shout joyfully over your acts of salvation;
We will lift our banners in the name of our God.
May Jehovah fulfill all your requests.
6 Now I do know that Jehovah saves his anointed one.
He answers him from his holy heavens
With great salvation by his right hand.
7 Some rely on chariots and others on horses,
But we call on the name of Jehovah our God.
8 They have collapsed and fallen,
But we have risen up and been restored.
9 O Jehovah, save the king!
He will answer us in the day we call for help.
Psalm 21
To the director. A melody of David.
1 O Jehovah, in your strength the king rejoices;
How greatly he rejoices in your acts of salvation!
2 You have granted him the desire of his heart,
And you have not withheld the request of his lips. (Selah)
3 For you meet him with rich blessings;
You place a crown of fine gold on his head.
4 He asked you for life, and you gave it to him,
A long life, forever and ever.
5 Your acts of salvation bring him great glory.
Dignity and splendor you bestow on him.
6 You make him blessed forever;
You make him glad with the joy of your presence.
7 For the king trusts in Jehovah;
Because of the loyal love of the Most High, he will never be shaken.
8 Your hand will find all your enemies;
Your right hand will find those hating you.
9 You will make them like a fiery furnace at the appointed time when you give them attention.
Jehovah will swallow them up in his anger, and fire will consume them.
10 Their descendants you will destroy from the earth,
And their offspring from the sons of men.
11 For they intended to do what is bad against you;
They have devised schemes that will not succeed.
12 For you will make them retreat
By aiming your bow at them.
13 Rise up, O Jehovah, in your strength.
We will sing praises to your mightiness.
Psalm 22
To the director; set to “The Doe of the Dawn.” A melody of David.
1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you far from saving me,
Far from my cries of anguish?
2 My God, I keep calling by day, and you do not answer;
And by night there is no silence on my part.
3 But you are holy,
Surrounded by the praises of Israel.
4 In you our fathers put their trust;
They trusted, and you kept rescuing them.
5 To you they cried out, and they were saved;
They trusted in you, and they were not disappointed.
6 But I am a worm and not a man,
Scorned by men and despised by the people.
7 All those seeing me mock me;
They sneer and shake their heads in derision:
8 “He entrusted himself to Jehovah. Let Him rescue him!
Let Him save him, for he is so dear to Him!”
9 You were the One who brought me out of the womb,
The One who made me feel secure on my mother’s breasts.
10 I have been entrusted to your care from birth;
From my mother’s womb, you have been my God.
11 Do not stay far off from me, for trouble is near
And I have no other helper.
12 Many young bulls surround me;
Powerful bulls of Bashan encircle me.
13 They open their mouth wide against me,
Like a roaring lion that tears its prey to pieces.
14 I am poured out like water;
All my bones are out of joint.
My heart has become like wax;
It melts deep within me.
15 My strength has dried up like a piece of pottery;
My tongue sticks to my gums;
You are bringing me down to the dust of death.
16 For dogs surround me;
They close in on me like a pack of evildoers,
Like a lion they are at my hands and feet.
17 I can count all my bones.
They look on and stare at me.
18 They divide my garments among themselves,
And they cast lots for my clothing.
19 But you, O Jehovah, do not remain far away.
You are my strength; hurry to help me.
20 Save me from the sword,
My precious life from the paws of dogs;
21 Save me from the mouth of the lion and the horns of wild bulls;
Answer and save me.
22 I will declare your name to my brothers;
In the midst of the congregation I will praise you.
23 You who fear Jehovah, praise him!
All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him!
Stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel.
24 For he has not despised nor loathed the suffering of the oppressed one;
He has not hidden his face from him.
When he cried to him for help, he heard.
25 I will praise you in the large congregation;
I will pay my vows before those who fear him.
26 The meek will eat and be satisfied;
Those seeking Jehovah will praise him.
May you enjoy life forever.
27 All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to Jehovah.
All the families of the nations will bow down before you.
28 For the kingship belongs to Jehovah;
He rules over the nations.
29 All the prosperous ones of the earth will eat and will bow down;
All those going down to the dust will kneel before him;
None of them can preserve their lives.
30 Their descendants will serve him;
The generation to come will be told about Jehovah.
31 They will come and tell of his righteousness.
They will tell the people yet to be born what he has done.
Psalm 23
A melody of David.
1 Jehovah is my Shepherd.
I will lack nothing.
2 In grassy pastures he makes me lie down;
He leads me to well-watered resting-places.
3 He refreshes me.
He leads me in the paths of righteousness for the sake of his name.
4 Though I walk in the valley of deep shadow,
I fear no harm,
For you are with me;
Your rod and your staff reassure me.
5 You prepare a table for me before my enemies.
You refresh my head with oil;
My cup is well-filled.
6 Surely goodness and loyal love will pursue me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of Jehovah for all my days.
Psalm 24
Of David. A melody.
1 To Jehovah belong the earth and everything in it,
The productive land and those dwelling on it.
2 For he has solidly fixed it on the seas
And firmly established it on the rivers.
3 Who may ascend to the mountain of Jehovah,
And who may stand up in his holy place?
4 Anyone with innocent hands and a pure heart,
Who has not sworn a false oath by My life,
Nor taken an oath deceitfully.
5 He will receive blessings from Jehovah
And righteousness from his God of salvation.
6 This is the generation of those seeking him,
Of those seeking your face, O God of Jacob. (Selah)
7 Lift up your heads, you gates;
Open up, you ancient doorways,
That the glorious King may enter!
8 Who is this glorious King?
Jehovah, strong and mighty,
Jehovah, mighty in battle.
9 Lift up your heads, you gates;
Open up, you ancient doorways,
That the glorious King may enter!
10 Who is he, this glorious King?
Jehovah of armies—he is the glorious King. (Selah)
Psalm 25
Of David.
א [Aleph]
1 To you, O Jehovah, I turn.
ב [Beth]
2 My God, I trust in you;
Do not let me be put to shame.
Do not let my enemies gloat over me.
ג [Gimel]
3 Surely none who hope in you will be put to shame,
But shame awaits those who are treacherous without cause.
ד [Daleth]
4 Make me know your ways, O Jehovah;
Teach me your paths.
ה [He]
5 Cause me to walk in your truth and teach me,
For you are my God of salvation.
ו [Waw]
In you I hope all day long.
ז [Zayin]
6 Remember your mercy, O Jehovah, and your loyal love,
Which you have always shown.
ח [Heth]
7 Do not remember the sins of my youth and my transgressions.
Remember me according to your loyal love,
For the sake of your goodness, O Jehovah.
ט [Teth]
8 Good and upright is Jehovah.
That is why he instructs sinners in the way to live.
י [Yod]
9 He will guide the meek in what is right,
And he will teach the meek ones his way.
כ [Kaph]
10 All the paths of Jehovah are loyal love and faithfulness
For those observing his covenant and his reminders.
ל [Lamed]
11 For the sake of your name, O Jehovah,
Forgive my error, though it is great.
מ [Mem]
12 Who is the man fearing Jehovah?
He will instruct him about the way he should choose.
נ [Nun]
13 He will experience what is good,
And his descendants will take possession of the earth.
ס [Samekh]
14 Close friendship with Jehovah belongs to those who fear him,
And he makes his covenant known to them.
ע [Ayin]
15 My eyes are always toward Jehovah,
For he will free my feet from the net.
פ [Pe]
16 Turn your face to me and show me favor,
For I am alone and helpless.
צ [Tsade]
17 The distresses of my heart have multiplied;
Free me from my anguish.
ר [Resh]
18 See my affliction and my trouble,
And pardon all my sins.
19 See how numerous my enemies are
And how violent their hatred is for me.
ש [Shin]
20 Guard my life and save me.
Do not let me be put to shame, for I have taken refuge in you.
ת [Taw]
21 May integrity and uprightness safeguard me,
For my hope is in you.
22 O God, rescue Israel out of all his distresses.
Psalm 26
Of David.
1 Judge me, O Jehovah, for I have walked in my integrity;
In Jehovah I have trusted without wavering.
2 Examine me, O Jehovah, and put me to the test;
Refine my innermost thoughts and my heart.
3 For your loyal love is always in front of me,
And I walk in your truth.
4 I do not associate with deceitful men,
And I avoid those who hide what they are.
5 I hate the company of evil men,
And I refuse to associate with the wicked.
6 I will wash my hands in innocence,
And I will march around your altar, O Jehovah,
7 To cause the sound of thanksgiving to be heard
And to declare all your wonderful works.
8 Jehovah, I love the house where you dwell,
The place where your glory resides.
9 Do not sweep me away with sinners
Nor take my life away with violent men,
10 Whose hands engage in shameful conduct,
And whose right hand is full of bribes.
11 But as for me, I will walk in my integrity.
Rescue me and show me favor.
12 My foot is standing on level ground;
In the great congregation, I will praise Jehovah.
Psalm 27
Of David.
1 Jehovah is my light and my salvation.
Whom should I fear?
Jehovah is the stronghold of my life.
Whom should I dread?
2 When evil men attacked me to devour my flesh,
My adversaries and my enemies were the ones who stumbled and fell.
3 Though an army should set up camp against me,
My heart will not fear.
Though war should break out against me,
Even then I will remain confident.
4 One thing I have asked from Jehovah
—It is what I will look for—
That I may dwell in the house of Jehovah all the days of my life,
To gaze upon the pleasantness of Jehovah
And to look with appreciation upon his temple.
5 For he will hide me in his shelter on the day of calamity;
He will conceal me in the secret place of his tent;
High on a rock he will place me.
6 Now my head is high above my enemies who surround me;
I will offer sacrifices at his tent with joyful shouting;
I will sing praises to Jehovah.
7 Hear me, O Jehovah, when I cry out;
Show me favor and answer me.
8 Speaking for you, my heart has said:
“Seek to find my face.”
Your face, O Jehovah, I will seek to find.
9 Do not hide your face from me.
Do not turn your servant away in your anger.
You are my helper;
Do not forsake me or leave me, my God of salvation.
10 Even if my own father and mother abandon me,
Jehovah himself will take me in.
11 Instruct me in your way, O Jehovah,
Lead me in the path of uprightness because of my foes.
12 Do not hand me over to my adversaries,
For false witnesses have risen up against me,
And they threaten me with violence.
13 Where would I be if I did not have faith
That I would see Jehovah’s goodness in the land of the living?
14 Hope in Jehovah;
Be courageous and strong of heart.
Yes, hope in Jehovah.
Psalm 28
Of David.
1 To you I keep calling, O Jehovah my Rock;
Do not turn a deaf ear to me.
If you keep silent toward me,
I will become like those going down to the pit.
2 Hear my pleas when I cry to you for help
As I lift up my hands toward the innermost room of your sanctuary.
3 Do not drag me away with the wicked, with those practicing what is hurtful,
Those who are speaking words of peace with their fellow man while evil is in their hearts.
4 Pay them back for their deeds,
According to their evil practices.
Repay them for the work of their hands,
According to what they have done.
5 For they pay no attention to the activities of Jehovah,
Nor to the work of his hands.
He will tear them down and not build them up.
6 May Jehovah be praised,
For he has heard my pleas for help.
7 Jehovah is my strength and my shield;
In him my heart trusts.
I have received his help, and my heart rejoices,
So I will praise him with my song.
8 Jehovah is a strength for his people;
He is a stronghold, bringing grand salvation to his anointed one.
9 Save your people, and bless your inheritance.
Shepherd them and carry them in your arms forever.
Psalm 29
A melody of David.
1 Give Jehovah his due, you sons of mighty ones,
Give Jehovah his due for his glory and strength.
2 Give Jehovah the glory due his name.
Bow down to Jehovah in holy adornment.
3 The voice of Jehovah is heard over the waters;
The glorious God thunders.
Jehovah is over many waters.
4 The voice of Jehovah is powerful;
The voice of Jehovah is splendid.
5 The voice of Jehovah is breaking the cedars;
Yes, Jehovah shatters the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,
And Sirion like a young wild bull.
7 The voice of Jehovah strikes with flames of fire;
8 The voice of Jehovah makes the wilderness shudder;
Jehovah makes the wilderness of Kadesh shudder.
9 The voice of Jehovah makes the deer shudder and give birth
And strips bare the forests.
And all in his temple say: “Glory!”
10 Jehovah sits enthroned above the flooding waters;
Jehovah sits enthroned as King forever.
11 Jehovah will give strength to his people.
Jehovah will bless his people with peace.
Psalm 30
A melody. A song of inauguration of the house. Of David.
1 I will exalt you, O Jehovah, for you have lifted me up;
You did not let my enemies rejoice over me.
2 O Jehovah my God, I cried to you for help, and you healed me.
3 O Jehovah, you have lifted me up from the Grave.
You kept me alive; you spared me from sinking into the pit.
4 Sing praises to Jehovah, you his loyal ones,
Give thanks to his holy name;
5 Because being under his anger is only for a moment,
But being in his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may come in the evening, but in the morning, there is a joyful cry.
6 When I was untroubled, I said:
“I will never be shaken.”
7 O Jehovah, while I was in your favor, you made me as strong as a mountain.
But when you hid your face, I became terrified.
8 To you, O Jehovah, I kept calling;
And to Jehovah, I kept pleading for favor.
9 What profit is there in my death, in my going down to the pit?
Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness?
10 Hear, O Jehovah, and show me favor.
O Jehovah, become my helper.
11 You have changed my mourning into dancing;
You have removed my sackcloth, and you clothe me with rejoicing,
12 So that I may sing your praise and not keep silent.
O Jehovah my God, I will praise you forever.
Psalm 31
To the director. A melody of David.
1 In you, O Jehovah, I have taken refuge.
May I never be put to shame.
Rescue me because of your righteousness.
2 Incline your ear to me.
Come quickly to my rescue.
Become for me a mountain stronghold,
A fortified place to save me.
3 For you are my crag and my stronghold;
For the sake of your name, you will lead me and guide me.
4 You will free me from the net that they have secretly laid for me,
For you are my fortress.
5 Into your hand I entrust my spirit.
You have redeemed me, O Jehovah, the God of truth.
6 I hate those who are devoted to worthless, vain idols,
But as for me, I trust in Jehovah.
7 I will rejoice greatly in your loyal love,
For you have seen my affliction;
You are aware of my deep distress.
8 You have not handed me over to the enemy,
But you make me stand in a place of safety.
9 Show me favor, O Jehovah, for I am in distress.
Anguish has made my eyes weak, my whole body as well.
10 My life is consumed with grief
And my years with groaning.
My strength is waning because of my error;
My bones grow weak.
11 I am scorned by all my adversaries,
Especially my neighbors.
And I am dreaded by my acquaintances;
When they see me in public, they flee from me.
12 I am put out of their heart and forgotten, as if I were dead;
I am like a broken jar.
13 I have heard many evil rumors;
Terror surrounds me.
When they gather together as one against me,
They scheme to take away my life.
14 But I trust in you, O Jehovah.
I declare: “You are my God.”
15 My days are in your hand.
Rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from those persecuting me.
16 Make your face shine upon your servant.
Save me by your loyal love.
17 O Jehovah, may I not be put to shame when I call on you.
May the wicked be put to shame;
May they be silenced in the Grave.
18 May lying lips become speechless,
Lips that speak arrogantly against the righteous, with haughtiness and contempt.
19 How abundant your goodness is!
You have stored it up for those who fear you,
And you have shown it before all men, in behalf of those taking refuge in you.
20 You will conceal them in the secret place of your presence
From the schemes of men;
You will hide them in your shelter
From malicious attacks.
21 May Jehovah be praised,
For in a wonderful way, he has shown his loyal love to me in a besieged city.
22 As for me, I panicked and said:
“I will perish from before you.”
But you heard my pleas for help when I cried out to you.
23 Love Jehovah, all you who are loyal to him!
Jehovah protects the faithful,
But he repays exceedingly anyone showing haughtiness.
24 Be courageous, and may your heart be strong,
All you who are waiting for Jehovah.
Psalm 32
Of David. Maskil.
1 Happy is the one whose transgression is pardoned, whose sin is covered.
2 Happy is the man whom Jehovah does not charge with guilt,
In whose spirit there is no deceit.
3 When I kept silent, my bones wasted away because of my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me.
My strength evaporated like water in the dry summer heat. (Selah)
5 Finally I confessed my sin to you;
I did not cover my error.
I said: “I will confess my transgressions to Jehovah.”
And you pardoned the error of my sins. (Selah)
6 This is why every loyal one will pray to you
While you may yet be found.
Then even the floodwaters will not reach him.
7 You are a hiding place for me;
You will safeguard me from distress.
You will surround me with joyful shouts of deliverance. (Selah)
8 “I will give you insight and instruct you in the way you should go.
I will give you advice with my eye upon you.
9 Do not become like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
Whose spiritedness must be controlled with a bridle or a halter
Before it will come near to you.”
10 Many are the pains of the wicked;
But the one trusting in Jehovah is surrounded by His loyal love.
11 Rejoice in Jehovah and be joyful, you righteous ones;
Shout joyfully, all you who are upright in heart.
Psalm 33
1 Shout joyfully, you righteous ones, because of Jehovah.
It is fitting for the upright to praise him.
2 Give thanks to Jehovah with the harp;
Sing praises to him with a ten-stringed instrument.
3 Sing to him a new song;
Play skillfully on the strings, along with shouts of joy.
4 For the word of Jehovah is upright,
And everything he does is trustworthy.
5 He loves righteousness and justice.
The earth is filled with Jehovah’s loyal love.
6 By the word of Jehovah the heavens were made,
And by the spirit of his mouth everything in them.
7 He gathers the seawaters like a dam;
He puts the surging waters in storehouses.
8 Let the whole earth fear Jehovah.
Let the inhabitants of the productive land be in awe of him.
9 For he spoke, and it came to be;
He commanded, and it stood firm.
10 Jehovah has frustrated the schemes of the nations;
He has thwarted the plans of the peoples.
11 But the decisions of Jehovah will stand forever;
The thoughts of his heart are from generation to generation.
12 Happy is the nation whose God is Jehovah,
The people he has chosen as his own possession.
13 Jehovah looks down from heaven;
He sees all the sons of men.
14 From his place of residence,
He gazes on the inhabitants of the earth.
15 He is the one forming the hearts of all;
He examines all their works.
16 No king is saved by a large army;
A mighty man is not saved by his great power.
17 The horse is a false hope for salvation;
Its great strength does not ensure escape.
18 Look! The eye of Jehovah watches over those fearing him,
Those waiting for his loyal love,
19 To rescue them from death
And to keep them alive during famine.
20 We are in expectation of Jehovah.
He is our helper and our shield.
21 Our hearts rejoice in him,
For we trust in his holy name.
22 May your loyal love rest upon us, O Jehovah,
While we keep waiting for you.
Psalm 34
Of David, when he disguised his sanity before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he left.
א [Aleph]
1 I will praise Jehovah at all times;
His praise will be on my lips constantly.
ב [Beth]
2 I will boast in Jehovah;
The meek will hear and rejoice.
ג [Gimel]
3 Magnify Jehovah along with me;
Let us exalt his name together.
ד [Daleth]
4 I inquired of Jehovah, and he answered me.
He rescued me from all my fears.
ה [He]
5 Those who looked to him became radiant;
Their faces could not be put to shame.
ז [Zayin]
6 This lowly one called, and Jehovah heard.
He saved him from all his distresses.
ח [Heth]
7 The angel of Jehovah camps all around those fearing Him,
And he rescues them.
ט [Teth]
8 Taste and see that Jehovah is good;
Happy is the man who takes refuge in him.
י [Yod]
9 Fear Jehovah, all you his holy ones,
For those who fear him lack nothing.
כ [Kaph]
10 Even strong young lions have been reduced to hunger,
But those seeking Jehovah will lack nothing good.
ל [Lamed]
11 Come, my sons, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of Jehovah.
מ [Mem]
12 Who among you takes pleasure in life
And would love to see many good days?
נ [Nun]
13 Then guard your tongue from what is bad,
Your lips from speaking deception.
ס [Samekh]
14 Turn away from what is bad and do what is good;
Seek peace and pursue it.
ע [Ayin]
15 The eyes of Jehovah are on the righteous,
And his ears listen to their cry for help.
פ [Pe]
16 But the face of Jehovah is against those doing what is bad,
To erase all memory of them from the earth.
צ [Tsade]
17 They cried out, and Jehovah heard;
He rescued them from all their distresses.
ק [Qoph]
18 Jehovah is close to the brokenhearted;
He saves those who are crushed in spirit.
ר [Resh]
19 Many are the hardships of the righteous one,
But Jehovah rescues him from them all.
ש [Shin]
20 He is guarding all his bones;
Not one of them has been broken.
ת [Taw]
21 Disaster will put the wicked to death;
Those hating the righteous will be found guilty.
22 Jehovah is redeeming the life of his servants;
None of those taking refuge in him will be found guilty.
Psalm 35
Of David.
1 O Jehovah, defend my case against my opposers;
Fight against those who fight against me.
2 Take up your buckler and large shield,
And rise up to my defense.
3 Lift up your spear and battle-ax against my pursuers.
Say to me: “I am your salvation.”
4 May those who are hunting for my life be put to shame and humiliated.
May those who are plotting to destroy me retreat in disgrace.
5 May they become like chaff in the wind;
May Jehovah’s angel drive them away.
6 May their path be dark and slippery
As Jehovah’s angel pursues them.
7 For without cause they have hidden a net to trap me;
Without cause they have dug a pit for me.
8 May disaster come upon him by surprise;
May the net that he hid catch him;
May he fall into it and be destroyed.
9 But I will rejoice in Jehovah;
I will be joyful in his acts of salvation.
10 All my bones will say:
“O Jehovah, who is like you?
You rescue the helpless from those who are stronger,
The helpless and the poor from those who rob them.”
11 Malicious witnesses come forward,
Asking me things I know nothing about.
12 They repay me with bad for good,
Making me feel bereaved.
13 But when they were ill, I clothed myself with sackcloth;
I afflicted myself by fasting,
And when my prayer would return unanswered,
14 I walked about mourning as for a friend or a brother of mine;
I bowed down in sorrow, like one mourning for his mother.
15 But when I stumbled, they rejoiced and gathered together;
They gathered together to strike me down in ambush;
They tore me to pieces and did not keep silent.
16 The ungodly scornfully mock me,
They grind their teeth against me.
17 O Jehovah, how long will you just look on?
Rescue me from their attacks,
My precious life from the young lions.
18 Then I will give thanks to you in the great congregation;
I will praise you among the throngs of people.
19 Do not let those who for no reason are my enemies gloat over me;
Do not let those hating me without cause wink their eyes maliciously.
20 For they do not speak words of peace,
But they deceptively scheme against the peaceful ones of the land.
21 They open their mouth wide to accuse me,
Saying: “Aha! Aha! Our eyes have seen it.”
22 You have seen this, O Jehovah. Do not remain silent.
O Jehovah, do not stay far from me.
23 Awake and rise to my defense,
My God, Jehovah, defend me in my legal case.
24 Judge me according to your righteousness, O Jehovah my God;
Do not let them gloat over me.
25 May they never say to themselves: “Aha! We got what we wanted.”
May they never say: “We have swallowed him up.”
26 Let all of them be put to shame and disgraced,
Those who gloat over my calamity.
Let those who exalt themselves over me be clothed with shame and humiliation.
27 But let those who take pleasure in my righteousness shout joyfully;
May they constantly say:
“May Jehovah be magnified, who takes pleasure in the peace of his servant.”
28 Then my tongue will recount your righteousness
And praise you all day long.
Psalm 36
To the director. Of Jehovah’s servant, David.
1 Transgression speaks to the wicked one deep within his heart;
There is no fear of God before his eyes.
2 For in his own eyes he flatters himself too much
To detect and hate his error.
3 The words of his mouth are hurtful and deceptive;
He shows no insight for doing what is good.
4 He plots hurtful schemes even on his bed.
He is set on a path that is not good;
He does not reject what is bad.
5 O Jehovah, your loyal love reaches to the heavens,
Your faithfulness up to the clouds.
6 Your righteousness is like majestic mountains;
Your judgments are like vast, deep waters.
Man and beast you preserve, O Jehovah.
7 How precious your loyal love is, O God!
In the shadow of your wings, the sons of men take refuge.
8 They drink their fill of the rich bounty of your house,
And you cause them to drink of the torrent of your delights.
9 With you is the source of life;
By your light we can see light.
10 Continue showing your loyal love to those who know you,
And your righteousness, to the upright in heart.
11 Do not let the foot of the haughty tread on me
Or the hand of the wicked drive me away.
12 There the wrongdoers have fallen;
They have been knocked down and cannot get up.
Psalm 37
Of David.
א [Aleph]
1 Do not be upset because of evil men
Or envious of wrongdoers.
2 They will quickly wither like grass
And shrivel like green new grass.
ב [Beth]
3 Trust in Jehovah and do what is good;
Reside in the earth, and act with faithfulness.
4 Find exquisite delight in Jehovah,
And he will grant you the desires of your heart.
ג [Gimel]
5 Commit your way to Jehovah;
Rely on him, and he will act in your behalf.
6 He will make your righteousness shine like daybreak,
And your justice like the midday sun.
ד [Daleth]
7 Keep silent before Jehovah
And wait expectantly for him.
Do not be upset by the man
Who succeeds in carrying out his schemes.
ה [He]
8 Let go of anger and abandon rage;
Do not become upset and turn to doing evil.
9 For evil men will be done away with,
But those hoping in Jehovah will possess the earth.
ו [Waw]
10 Just a little while longer, and the wicked will be no more;
You will look at where they were,
And they will not be there.
11 But the meek will possess the earth,
And they will find exquisite delight in the abundance of peace.
ז [Zayin]
12 The wicked man plots against the righteous;
He grinds his teeth at him.
13 But Jehovah will laugh at him,
For He knows that his day will come.
ח [Heth]
14 The wicked draw their swords and bend their bows
To bring down the oppressed and the poor,
To slaughter those whose way is upright.
15 But their sword will pierce their own heart;
Their bows will be broken.
ט [Teth]
16 Better is the little of the righteous one
Than the abundance of many wicked ones.
17 For the arms of the wicked will be broken,
But Jehovah will support the righteous.
י [Yod]
18 Jehovah is aware of what the blameless go through,
And their inheritance will last forever.
19 They will not be put to shame in the time of disaster;
In the time of famine they will have plenty.
כ [Kaph]
20 But the wicked will perish;
The enemies of Jehovah will vanish like glorious pastures;
They will vanish like smoke.
ל [Lamed]
21 The wicked one borrows and does not repay,
But the righteous one is generous and giving.
22 Those blessed by Him will possess the earth,
But those cursed by Him will be done away with.
מ [Mem]
23 Jehovah guides the steps of a man
When He finds pleasure in his way.
24 Although he may fall, he will not be hurled down,
For Jehovah supports him by the hand.
נ [Nun]
25 I was once young and now I am old,
But I have not seen anyone righteous abandoned,
Nor his children looking for bread.
26 He always lends freely,
And his children are in line for a blessing.
ס [Samekh]
27 Turn away from bad and do what is good,
And you will remain forever.
28 For Jehovah loves justice,
And he will not abandon his loyal ones.
ע [Ayin]
They will always be guarded;
But the descendants of the wicked will be done away with.
29 The righteous will possess the earth,
And they will live forever on it.
פ [Pe]
30 The mouth of the righteous one imparts wisdom,
And his tongue speaks about justice.
31 The law of his God is in his heart;
His steps will not falter.
צ [Tsade]
32 The wicked watches the righteous,
Seeking to put him to death.
33 But Jehovah will not abandon him to the hand of that one
Or find him guilty when he is judged.
ק [Qoph]
34 Hope in Jehovah and follow his way,
And he will exalt you to take possession of the earth.
When the wicked are done away with, you will see it.
ר [Resh]
35 I have seen the ruthless, evil man
Spreading out like a luxuriant tree in its native soil.
36 But he suddenly passed away and was gone;
I kept searching for him, and he could not be found.
ש [Shin]
37 Take note of the blameless one,
And keep the upright one in sight,
For the future of that man will be peaceful.
38 But all the transgressors will be destroyed;
The future of wicked people will be cut off.
ת [Taw]
39 The salvation of the righteous is from Jehovah;
He is their fortress in the time of distress.
40 Jehovah will help them and rescue them.
He will rescue them from the wicked and save them,
Because they take refuge in him.
Psalm 38
A melody of David, to serve as a reminder.
1 O Jehovah, do not reprove me in your anger,
Nor correct me in your wrath.
2 For your arrows have pierced deep into me,
And your hand presses down on me.
3 My whole body is sick because of your indignation.
There is no peace within my bones because of my sin.
4 For my errors loom over my head;
Like a heavy burden, they are too much for me to bear.
5 My wounds stink and fester
Because of my foolishness.
6 I am distressed and extremely downcast;
I walk around sad all day long.
7 There is a burning within me;
My whole body is sick.
8 I have grown numb and become completely crushed;
My anguished heart makes me groan aloud.
9 O Jehovah, all my desires are before you,
And my sighing is not hidden from you.
10 My heart pounds, my strength is gone,
And the light of my eyes has left me.
11 My friends and my companions avoid me because of my plague,
And my close acquaintances keep their distance.
12 Those seeking my life set traps;
Those trying to harm me speak of ruin;
They mutter deception all day long.
13 But like someone deaf, I would not listen;
Like someone speechless, I would not open my mouth.
14 I have become like a man who cannot hear,
Whose mouth has nothing to say in defense.
15 For on you, O Jehovah, I waited,
And you answered me, O Jehovah my God.
16 For I said: “May they not gloat over me
Or exalt themselves over me if my foot slips.”
17 For I was ready to collapse,
And my pain was always with me.
18 I confessed my error;
I was troubled by my sin.
19 But my enemies are vigorous and mighty,
Those hating me for no reason have become numerous.
20 They repaid me with bad for good;
They were resisting me for pursuing what is good.
21 Do not abandon me, O Jehovah.
O God, do not remain far away from me.
22 Do hurry to help me,
O Jehovah, my salvation.
Psalm 39
To the director; of Jeduthun. A melody of David.
1 I said: “I will guard my step
To avoid sinning with my tongue.
I will guard my mouth with a muzzle
As long as anyone wicked is in my presence.”
2 I was speechless and silent;
I kept quiet even about what is good,
But my pain was intense.
3 My heart smoldered inside me.
As I pondered, the fire kept burning.
Then my tongue spoke:
4 “O Jehovah, help me to know what my end will be,
And the measure of my days,
So that I may know how short my life is.
5 Indeed, you have made my days just a few;
And my life span is as nothing before you.
Surely every man, though he seems secure, is nothing but a mere breath. (Selah)
6 Surely every man walks about like a shadow.
He rushes around for nothing.
He piles up wealth, not knowing who will enjoy it.
7 What, then, can I hope for, O Jehovah?
You are my only hope.
8 Save me from all my transgressions.
Do not let the foolish one make me an object of contempt.
9 I remained speechless;
I could not open my mouth,
Because this was your doing.
10 Remove your plague from me.
I am worn down because your hand strikes me.
11 You correct man with punishment for his error;
You consume the things he treasures just as a moth does.
Surely every man is but a mere breath. (Selah)
12 Hear my prayer, O Jehovah,
Listen to my cry for help.
Do not ignore my tears.
For I am but a foreign resident to you,
A traveler passing through, just like all my forefathers.
13 Turn your harsh gaze away from me so that I may cheer up
Before I pass away and I am gone.”
Psalm 40
To the director. Of David. A melody.
1 I earnestly hoped in Jehovah,
And he inclined his ear to me and heard my cry for help.
2 He brought me up out of a roaring pit,
Out of the slimy mire.
And he set my feet upon a crag;
He made my footing secure.
3 Then he put a new song in my mouth,
Praise to our God.
Many will look on in awe
And put their trust in Jehovah.
4 Happy is the man who trusts in Jehovah
And who does not look to the defiant or to those who are false.
5 How many things you have done,
O Jehovah my God,
Your wonderful works and your thoughts toward us.
None can compare to you;
If I were to try to tell and speak of them,
They would be too numerous to recount!
6 Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
But you opened up my ears to hear.
You did not ask for burnt offerings and sin offerings.
7 Then I said: “Look, I have come.
In the scroll it is written about me.
8 To do your will, O my God, is my delight,
And your law is deep within me.
9 I proclaim the good news of righteousness in the great congregation.
Look! I do not restrain my lips,
O Jehovah, as you well know.
10 I do not cover over your righteousness in my heart.
I declare your faithfulness and salvation.
I do not hide your loyal love and your truth in the great congregation.”
11 O Jehovah, do not withhold your mercy from me.
May your loyal love and your truth constantly safeguard me.
12 The calamities surrounding me are too many to count.
So many of my errors overwhelm me that I cannot see my way;
They are more numerous than the hairs of my head,
And I have lost heart.
13 Please be willing, O Jehovah, to save me.
O Jehovah, hurry to help me.
14 May all those seeking to take my life
Be put to shame and disgraced.
May those who delight in my calamity
Retreat in humiliation.
15 May those who are saying to me: “Aha! Aha!”
Be appalled because of their own shame.
16 But let those seeking you
Exult and rejoice in you.
May those who love your acts of salvation always say:
“May Jehovah be magnified.”
17 But I am helpless and poor;
May Jehovah pay attention to me.
You are my helper and my rescuer;
My God, do not delay.
Psalm 41
To the director. A melody of David.
1 Happy is anyone who shows consideration to the lowly one;
Jehovah will rescue him in the day of calamity.
2 Jehovah will guard him and keep him alive.
He will be pronounced happy in the earth;
You will never turn him over to the will of his enemies.
3 Jehovah will sustain him on his sickbed;
During his sickness you will completely change his bed.
4 For I said: “O Jehovah, show me favor.
Heal me, for I have sinned against you.”
5 But my enemies speak evil about me:
“When will he die and his name perish?”
6 If one of them comes to see me, his heart speaks falsely.
He gathers something harmful to say;
Then he goes out and spreads it abroad.
7 All those who hate me whisper to one another;
They are scheming something bad against me:
8 “A dreadful thing has overtaken him;
Now that he is down, he will not rise again.”
9 Even the man at peace with me, one whom I trusted,
Who was eating my bread, has lifted his heel against me.
10 But you, O Jehovah, show me favor and raise me up,
So that I may repay them.
11 By this I will know that you are pleased with me:
When my enemy cannot shout in triumph over me.
12 As for me, you uphold me because of my integrity;
You will keep me in your presence forever.
13 May Jehovah, the God of Israel, be praised
Throughout all eternity.
Amen and Amen.
Book Two
(Psalms 42-72)
Psalm 42
To the director. Maskil of the sons of Korah.
1 As a deer that longs for streams of water,
So I long for you, O God.
2 I do thirst for God, for the living God.
When may I come and appear before God?
3 My tears are my food day and night;
All day long people taunt me: “Where is your God?”
4 These things I remember, and I pour out my soul,
For I once walked along with the multitude;
I used to walk solemnly before them to the house of God,
With sounds of rejoicing and thanksgiving,
Those of a crowd celebrating a festival.
5 Why am I in despair?
Why is this turmoil within me?
Wait for God,
For I will yet praise him as my Grand Savior.
6 My God, I am in despair.
That is why I remember you,
From the land of Jordan and the peaks of Hermon,
From Mount Mizar.
7 Deep waters call to deep waters
At the sound of your waterfalls.
All your surging waves have overwhelmed me.
8 By day Jehovah will grant me his loyal love,
And by night his song will be with me—a prayer to the God of my life.
9 I will say to God, my crag:
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why should I walk about sad because of the oppression by my enemy?”
10 With murderous hostility my enemies taunt me;
All day long they taunt me: “Where is your God?”
11 Why am I in despair?
Why is this turmoil within me?
Wait for God,
For I will yet praise him as my Grand Savior and my God.
Psalm 43
1 Judge me, O God,
Defend my legal case against a disloyal nation.
Rescue me from the man of deception and unrighteousness.
2 For you are my God, my fortress.
Why have you cast me off?
Why must I walk about sad because of the oppression by my enemy?
3 Send out your light and your truth.
May these lead me;
May they guide me to your holy mountain and to your grand tabernacle.
4 Then I will come to the altar of God,
To God, my exceeding joy.
And I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God.
5 Why am I in despair?
Why is this turmoil within me?
Wait for God,
For I will yet praise him as my Grand Savior and my God.
Psalm 44
To the director. Of the sons of Korah. Maskil.
1 O God, we have heard with our own ears,
Our forefathers have recounted to us,
The deeds you accomplished in their days,
In the days of long ago.
2 With your hand you drove away nations
And settled our forefathers there.
You crushed nations and drove them out.
3 It was not by their own sword that they took possession of the land,
And their own arm did not bring them victory.
Rather, it was by your right hand and your arm and the light of your face,
For you took pleasure in them.
4 You are my King, O God;
Command complete victory for Jacob.
5 By your power we will drive back our adversaries;
In your name we will trample down those who rise up against us.
6 For I do not trust in my bow,
And my sword cannot save me.
7 It was you who saved us from our adversaries,
You who humiliated those who hate us.
8 To God we will offer praise all day long,
And we will give thanks to your name forever. (Selah)
9 But now you have cast us off and humiliated us,
And you do not go out with our armies.
10 You keep making us retreat from our adversary;
Those who hate us take whatever they want.
11 You hand us over to be devoured like sheep;
You have scattered us among the nations.
12 You sell your people for next to nothing;
You make no profit from the sale.
13 You make us a reproach to our neighbors,
An object of ridicule and jeering to those all around us.
14 You make us an object of scorn among the nations,
Something for the peoples to shake their heads at.
15 I feel humiliated all day long,
And I am overwhelmed by my shame,
16 On account of the sound of their taunts and insults,
Because of our enemy who is taking revenge.
17 All of this has come upon us, yet we have not forgotten you,
And we have not violated your covenant.
18 Our heart has not deviated;
Our footsteps do not stray from your path.
19 But you have crushed us where the jackals dwell;
You have covered us with deep shadow.
20 If we have forgotten the name of our God
Or if we spread out our hands in prayer to a foreign god,
21 Will not God discover this?
He is aware of the secrets of the heart.
22 For your sake we are being put to death all day long;
We have been accounted as sheep for slaughtering.
23 Rouse yourself. Why do you keep sleeping, O Jehovah?
Awake! Do not keep casting us off forever.
24 Why do you hide your face?
Why do you forget our affliction and our oppression?
25 For we have been brought down to the dust;
Our bodies are pressed to the ground.
26 Rise up as our helper!
Rescue us because of your loyal love.
Psalm 45
To the director; set to “The Lilies.” Of the sons of Korah. Maskil. A song of love.
1 My heart is stirred by something good.
I say: “My song is about a king.”
May my tongue be the stylus of a skilled copyist.
2 You are the most handsome of the sons of men.
Gracious speech flows from your lips.
That is why God has blessed you forever.
3 Strap your sword on your side, O mighty one,
In your dignity and your splendor.
4 And in your splendor go on to victory;
Ride in the cause of truth and humility and righteousness,
And your right hand will accomplish awe-inspiring things.
5 Your arrows are sharp, making peoples fall before you;
They pierce the hearts of the king’s enemies.
6 God is your throne forever and ever;
The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness.
7 You loved righteousness, and you hated wickedness.
That is why God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of exultation more than your companions.
8 All your garments are scented with myrrh and aloeswood and cassia;
From the grand ivory palace, stringed instruments make you rejoice.
9 The daughters of kings are among your ladies of honor.
The royal consort has taken her stand at your right hand, adorned in gold of Ophir.
10 Listen, O daughter, pay attention and incline your ear;
Forget your people and your father’s house.
11 And the king will long for your beauty,
For he is your lord,
So bow down to him.
12 The daughter of Tyre will come with a gift;
The wealthiest of men will seek your favor.
13 Inside the palace the king’s daughter is absolutely magnificent;
Her clothing is adorned with gold.
14 She will be brought to the king in richly woven garments.
The virgin companions following her are brought in before you.
15 They will be brought with rejoicing and joy;
They will enter into the king’s palace.
16 Your sons will take the place of your forefathers.
You will appoint them as princes in all the earth.
17 I will make your name known throughout all generations to come.
That is why peoples will praise you forever and ever.
Psalm 46
To the director. Of the sons of Korah. According to the Alamoth style. A song.
1 God is our refuge and strength,
A help that is readily found in times of distress.
2 That is why we will not fear, though the earth undergoes change,
Though the mountains topple into the depths of the sea,
3 Though its waters roar and foam over,
Though the mountains rock on account of its turbulence. (Selah)
4 There is a river the streams of which make the city of God rejoice,
The holy grand tabernacle of the Most High.
5 God is in the city; it cannot be overthrown.
God will come to its aid at the break of dawn.
6 The nations were in an uproar, the kingdoms were overthrown;
He raised his voice, and the earth melted.
7 Jehovah of armies is with us;
The God of Jacob is our secure refuge. (Selah)
8 Come and witness the activities of Jehovah,
How he has done astonishing things on the earth.
9 He is bringing an end to wars throughout the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
He burns the military wagons with fire.
10 “Give in and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations;
I will be exalted in the earth.”
11 Jehovah of armies is with us;
The God of Jacob is a secure refuge for us. (Selah)
Psalm 47
To the director. Of the sons of Korah. A melody.
1 All you peoples, clap your hands.
Shout in triumph to God with joyful cries.
2 For Jehovah the Most High is awe-inspiring;
He is the great King over all the earth.
3 He subdues peoples under us;
He puts nations under our feet.
4 He chooses our inheritance for us,
The pride of Jacob, whom he loves. (Selah)
5 God has ascended amid joyful shouting;
Jehovah, amid the sound of the horn.
6 Sing praises to God, sing praises.
Sing praises to our King, sing praises.
7 For God is King of all the earth;
Sing praises, and show insight.
8 God has become King over the nations.
God sits on his holy throne.
9 The leaders of the peoples have gathered together
With the people of the God of Abraham.
For the rulers of the earth belong to God.
He is highly exalted.
Psalm 48
A song. A melody of the sons of Korah.
1 Jehovah is great and most worthy of praise
In the city of our God, in his holy mountain.
2 Beautiful in its loftiness, the joy of the whole earth,
Is Mount Zion in the far north,
The city of the Grand King.
3 In her fortified towers,
God has made known that he is a secure refuge.
4 For look! kings have assembled;
Together they have advanced.
5 When they saw it, they were amazed.
They panicked and fled in terror.
6 Trembling seized them there,
Anguish like that of a woman giving birth.
7 With an east wind you wreck the ships of Tarshish.
8 What we heard about, we have now seen for ourselves
In the city of Jehovah of armies, in the city of our God.
God will firmly establish it forever. (Selah)
9 We ponder your loyal love, O God,
Within your temple.
10 Like your name, O God, your praise
Reaches to the ends of the earth.
Your right hand is filled with righteousness.
11 May Mount Zion rejoice,
May the towns of Judah be joyful, because of your judgments.
12 March around Zion; go all around it;
Count its towers.
13 Set your hearts upon its ramparts.
Inspect its fortified towers,
So that you may tell about it to future generations.
14 For this God is our God forever and ever.
He will guide us forevermore.
Psalm 49
To the director. Of the sons of Korah. A melody.
1 Hear this, all you peoples.
Pay attention, all you inhabitants of the world,
2 Both small and great,
Rich and poor alike.
3 My own mouth will speak wisdom,
And the meditation of my heart will show understanding.
4 I will pay attention to a proverb;
I will expound my riddle with the harp.
5 Why should I fear during times of trouble,
When I am surrounded by the evil of those trying to overthrow me?
6 Those who are trusting in their wealth
And who boast about their great riches,
7 None of them can ever redeem a brother
Or give to God a ransom for him,
8 (The ransom price for their life is so precious
That it is always beyond their reach);
9 That he should live forever and not see the pit.
10 He sees that even wise people die;
The stupid and the unreasoning perish together,
And they must leave their wealth to others.
11 Their inner wish is that their houses will last forever,
Their tents to generation after generation.
They have named their estates after themselves.
12 But man, although honored, will not remain;
He is no better than the beasts that perish.
13 This is the way of the stupid ones
And of those who follow them, who take pleasure in their empty words. (Selah)
14 They are assigned like sheep to the Grave.
Death will shepherd them;
The upright will rule over them in the morning.
Every trace of them will fade away;
The Grave rather than a palace will be their home.
15 But God will redeem me from the power of the Grave,
For he will take hold of me. (Selah)
16 Do not be afraid because a man becomes rich,
Because the splendor of his house increases,
17 For when he dies he can take nothing with him;
His splendor will not go down with him.
18 For during his lifetime he congratulates himself.
(People praise you when you prosper.)
19 But he finally joins the generation of his forefathers.
They will never again see the light.
20 A man who does not understand this, although honored,
Is no better than the beasts that perish.
Psalm 50
A melody of Asaph.
1 The God of gods, Jehovah, has spoken;
He summons the earth
From the rising of the sun until its setting.
2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth.
3 Our God will come and cannot remain silent.
Before him is a consuming fire,
And a great storm rages all around him.
4 He summons the heavens above and the earth,
So as to judge his people:
5 “Gather to me my loyal ones,
Those making a covenant with me over sacrifice.”
6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness,
For God himself is Judge. (Selah)
7 “Listen, O my people, and I will speak;
Israel, I will bear witness against you.
I am God, your God.
8 I do not reprove you because of your sacrifices,
Nor because of your whole burnt offerings that are constantly before me.
9 I do not need to take a bull from your house,
Nor goats from your pens.
10 For every wild animal of the forest is mine,
Even the beasts upon a thousand mountains.
11 I know every bird of the mountains;
The countless animals of the field are mine.
12 If I were hungry, I would not tell you,
For the productive land and everything in it is mine.
13 Will I eat the flesh of bulls
And drink the blood of goats?
14 Offer thanksgiving as your sacrifice to God,
And pay your vows to the Most High;
15 Call on me in the time of distress.
I will rescue you, and you will glorify me.”
16 But God will say to the wicked:
“What right do you have to relate my regulations
Or to speak about my covenant?
17 For you hate discipline,
And you keep turning your back on my words.
18 When you see a thief, you approve of him,
And you keep company with adulterers.
19 You use your mouth to spread what is bad,
And deception is attached to your tongue.
20 You sit and speak against your own brother;
You reveal the faults of your own mother’s son.
21 When you did these things, I remained silent,
So you thought that I would be just like you.
But now I will reprove you,
And I will state my case against you.
22 Please consider this, you who forget God,
So that I may not tear you to pieces with no one to rescue you.
23 The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me,
And as for the one who follows a set course,
I will cause him to see salvation by God.”
Psalm 51
To the director. A melody of David, when Nathan the prophet came in to him after David had relations with Bath-sheba.
1 Show me favor, O God, according to your loyal love.
Blot out my transgressions according to your great mercy.
2 Thoroughly wash me from my error,
And cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I am well-aware of my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me.
4 Against you—you above all—I have sinned;
What is bad in your eyes I have done.
Therefore, you are righteous when you speak,
You are right in your judgment.
5 Look! I was born guilty of error,
And my mother conceived me in sin.
6 Look! You find pleasure in truth in the inner person;
Teach my innermost self true wisdom.
7 Purify me from my sin with hyssop, so that I will be clean;
Wash me, so that I will be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear sounds of joy and rejoicing,
So that the bones you crushed will rejoice.
9 Turn your face away from my sins,
And wipe away all my errors.
10 Create in me a pure heart, O God,
And put within me a new spirit, a steadfast one.
11 Do not cast me out from your presence;
And do not take your holy spirit away from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation;
Stir within me a willingness to obey you.
13 I will teach transgressors your ways,
So that sinners will return to you.
14 Save me from bloodguilt, O God, the God of my salvation,
So that my tongue may joyfully declare your righteousness.
15 O Jehovah, open my lips,
So that my mouth may declare your praise.
16 For you do not want a sacrifice—otherwise I would give it;
You do not find delight in a whole burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices pleasing to God are a broken spirit;
A heart broken and crushed, O God, you will not reject.
18 In your goodwill do what is good for Zion;
Build up the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then you will take delight in the sacrifices of righteousness,
The burnt sacrifices and the whole offerings;
Then bulls will be offered up on your altar.
Psalm 52
To the director. Maskil. Of David, when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul that David had come to the house of Ahimelech.
1 Why do you boast about your evil acts, you mighty one?
The loyal love of God lasts all day long.
2 Your tongue, as sharp as a razor,
Schemes harm and works deceitfully.
3 You love evil more than what is good,
Lying more than speaking what is right. (Selah)
4 You love every harmful word,
O you deceitful tongue!
5 That is why God will pull you down once and for all;
He will snatch you up and tear you away from your tent;
He will uproot you from the land of the living. (Selah)
6 The righteous ones will see it and be filled with awe,
And they will laugh at him.
7 “Here is a man who did not make God his refuge,
But he trusted in his great riches
And relied on his own evil plots.”
8 But I will be like a luxuriant olive tree in God’s house;
My trust is in God’s loyal love, forever and ever.
9 I will praise you forever because you have taken action;
In the presence of your loyal ones,
I will hope in your name, for it is good.
Psalm 53
To the director; in the style of Mahalath. Maskil. Of David.
1 The foolish one says in his heart:
“There is no Jehovah.”
Their unrighteous actions are corrupt and detestable;
No one is doing good.
2 But God looks down from heaven on the sons of men
To see whether anyone has insight, whether anyone is seeking Jehovah.
3 They have all turned away;
They are all alike corrupt.
No one is doing good,
Not even one.
4 Do none of the wrongdoers understand?
They devour my people as if they were eating bread.
They do not call on Jehovah.
5 But they will be filled with great terror,
Terror they have never felt before,
For God will scatter the bones of those attacking you.
You will put them to shame, for Jehovah has rejected them.
6 O that Israel’s salvation may come from Zion!
When Jehovah gathers back his captive people,
Let Jacob be joyful, let Israel rejoice.
Psalm 54
To the director; to be accompanied with stringed instruments. Maskil. Of David, when the Ziphites came in and said to Saul: “David is hiding among us.”
1 O God, save me by your name,
And defend me with your power.
2 O God, hear my prayer;
Pay attention to the words of my mouth.
3 For strangers rise up against me,
And ruthless men seek my life.
They have no regard for God. (Selah)
4 Look! God is my helper;
Jehovah is with those supporting me.
5 He will repay my foes with their own evil;
In your faithfulness, put an end to them.
6 I will sacrifice to you willingly.
I will praise your name, O Jehovah, for it is good.
7 For he saves me from every distress,
And I will look in triumph on my enemies.
Psalm 55
To the director; to be accompanied with stringed instruments. Maskil. Of David.
1 Listen to my prayer, O God,
And do not ignore my request for mercy.
2 Do pay attention to me and answer me.
My concern makes me restless,
And I am distraught
3 Because of what the enemy is saying
And the pressure from the wicked one.
For they heap trouble upon me,
And in anger they harbor animosity against me.
4 My heart is in anguish within me,
And the terrors of death overwhelm me.
5 Fear and trembling come upon me,
And shuddering grips me.
6 I keep saying: “If only I had wings like a dove!
I would fly away and reside in safety.
7 Look! I would flee far away.
I would lodge in the wilderness. (Selah)
8 I would hurry to a place of shelter
Away from the raging wind, away from the storm.”
9 Confuse them, O Jehovah, and frustrate their plans,
For I have seen violence and conflict in the city.
10 Day and night they walk around on its walls;
Within it are malice and trouble.
11 Ruin is in its midst;
Oppression and deception never depart from its public square.
12 For it is not an enemy who taunts me;
Otherwise I could put up with it.
It is not a foe who has risen up against me;
Otherwise I could conceal myself from him.
13 But it is you, a man like me,
My own companion whom I know well.
14 We used to enjoy a warm friendship together;
Into the house of God we used to walk along with the multitude.
15 May destruction overtake them!
Let them go down alive into the Grave;
For evil resides among them and within them.
16 As for me, I will call out to God,
And Jehovah will save me.
17 Evening and morning and noontime, I am troubled and I groan,
And he hears my voice.
18 He will rescue me and give me peace from those fighting against me,
For multitudes come against me.
19 God will hear and respond to them,
The one who sits enthroned from of old. (Selah)
They will refuse to change,
Those who have not feared God.
20 He attacked those at peace with him;
He violated his covenant.
21 His words are smoother than butter,
But conflict is in his heart.
His words are softer than oil,
But they are drawn swords.
22 Throw your burden on Jehovah,
And he will sustain you.
Never will he allow the righteous one to fall.
23 But you, O God, will bring them down to the deepest pit.
Those bloodguilty and deceitful men will not live out half their days.
But as for me, I will trust in you.
Psalm 56
To the director; set to “The Silent Dove That Is Far Away.” Of David. Miktam. When the Philistines captured him in Gath.
1 Show me favor, O God, because mortal man is attacking me.
All day long they keep fighting and oppressing me.
2 My foes keep snapping at me all day long;
Many arrogantly fight against me.
3 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
4 In God—whose word I praise—
In God I put my trust; I am not afraid.
What can mere man do to me?
5 All day long they hurt my interests;
Their only thought is to harm me.
6 They conceal themselves to attack;
They watch my every step,
Hoping to take away my life.
7 Reject them because of their wickedness.
Bring down the nations in your anger, O God.
8 You keep track of my wandering.
Do collect my tears in your skin bottle.
Are they not recorded in your book?
9 My enemies will retreat on the day that I call for help.
Of this I am confident: God is on my side.
10 In God—whose word I praise—
In Jehovah—whose word I praise—
11 In God I put my trust; I am not afraid.
What can a mere human do to me?
12 I am bound by my vows to you, O God;
I will offer you expressions of thanksgiving.
13 For you have rescued me from death
And prevented my feet from stumbling,
So that I may walk before God in the light of the living.
Psalm 57
To the director; set to “Do Not Bring to Ruin.” Of David. Miktam. When he ran away from Saul into the cave.
1 Show me favor, O God, show me favor,
For I take refuge in you,
And in the shadow of your wings I take refuge until the troubles pass.
2 I call to God the Most High,
To the true God, who brings them to an end for me.
3 He will send help from heaven and save me.
He will frustrate the one snapping at me. (Selah)
God will send his loyal love and his faithfulness.
4 I am surrounded by lions;
I must lie among men who want to devour me,
Whose teeth are spears and arrows
And whose tongue is a sharp sword.
5 Be exalted above the heavens, O God;
May your glory be over all the earth.
6 They have prepared a net to ensnare my feet;
I am bowed down with distress.
They have dug a pit ahead of me,
But they fell into it themselves. (Selah)
7 My heart is steadfast, O God,
My heart is steadfast.
I will sing and make music.
8 Do awake, my glory.
Do awake, O stringed instrument; you too, O harp.
I will awaken the dawn.
9 I will praise you among the peoples, O Jehovah;
I will sing praises to you among the nations.
10 For your loyal love is great, as high as the heavens,
And your faithfulness, up to the skies.
11 Be exalted above the heavens, O God;
May your glory be over all the earth.
Psalm 58
To the director; set to “Do Not Bring to Ruin.” Of David. Miktam.
1 Can you speak about righteousness when you are silent?
Can you judge in uprightness, you sons of men?
2 Instead, you devise unrighteousness in your heart,
And your hands dispense violence in the land.
3 The wicked go astray from birth;
They are wayward, liars from the time they are born.
4 Their venom is like the venom of serpents;
They are deaf like the cobra that stops up its ear.
5 It will not listen to the voice of charmers,
No matter how skillful their spells.
6 O God, knock the teeth out of their mouth!
Break the jaws of these lions, O Jehovah!
7 May they disappear like waters that drain away.
May He bend his bow and make them fall by his arrows.
8 May they be like a snail that melts away as it moves along;
Like a woman’s stillborn child who never sees the sun.
9 Before your cooking pots feel the heat of the bramble,
He will sweep away both the moist and the burning twig, as in a storm wind.
10 The righteous one will rejoice because he has seen the vengeance;
His feet will be drenched with the blood of the wicked.
11 Then men will say: “Surely there is a reward for the righteous.
There is indeed a God who judges in the earth.”
Psalm 59
To the director; set to “Do Not Bring to Ruin.” Of David. Miktam. When Saul sent men to watch David’s house to put him to death.
1 Rescue me from my enemies, O my God;
Protect me from those rising up against me.
2 Rescue me from those who act wickedly,
And save me from violent men.
3 Look! They wait to ambush me;
Strong men attack me
But not because I have revolted or sinned, O Jehovah.
4 Though I did no wrong, they run and prepare to attack.
Do arise at my calling and see.
5 For you, O Jehovah God of armies, are the God of Israel.
Awake to turn your attention to all the nations.
Do not show mercy to any malicious traitors. (Selah)
6 They return each evening;
They growl like dogs and prowl around the city.
7 Look what pours forth from their mouth;
Their lips are like swords,
For they say: “Who is listening?”
8 But you, O Jehovah, will laugh at them;
You will scoff at all the nations.
9 O my Strength, I will keep watch for you;
For God is my secure refuge.
10 The God who shows loyal love to me will come to my aid;
God will cause me to look in triumph on my foes.
11 Do not kill them, so that my people may not forget.
By your power make them wander about;
Cause their downfall, O Jehovah, our shield.
12 For the sin of their mouth, the word of their lips,
May they be trapped by their pride,
Because of the cursing and deception that they speak.
13 Finish them off in your wrath;
Finish them off, so that they are no more;
Make them know that God is ruling in Jacob and to the ends of the earth. (Selah)
14 Let them return in the evening;
Let them growl like dogs and prowl around the city.
15 Let them wander about for something to eat;
Do not let them be satisfied or find a lodging place.
16 But as for me, I will sing about your strength;
In the morning I will joyfully tell about your loyal love.
For you are my secure refuge
And a place for me to flee in my time of distress.
17 O my Strength, to you I will sing praises,
For God is my secure refuge, the God who shows loyal love to me.
Psalm 60
To the director; set to “The Lily of Reminder.” Miktam. Of David. For teaching. When he fought with Aram-naharaim and Aram-Zobah, and Joab returned and struck down 12,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt.
1 O God, you rejected us; you broke through our defenses.
You were angry with us; but now accept us back!
2 You caused the earth to quake; you split it open.
Repair its breaches, for it is falling.
3 You caused your people to suffer hardship.
You made us drink wine that makes us stagger.
4 Give a signal to those fearing you
To flee and dodge the bow. (Selah)
5 So that your loved ones may be rescued,
Save us with your right hand and answer us.
6 God has spoken in his holiness:
“I will exult, I will give out Shechem as an inheritance,
And I will measure off the Valley of Succoth.
7 Gilead belongs to me, as does Manasseh,
And Ephraim is the helmet for my head;
Judah is my commander’s staff.
8 Moab is my washbasin.
Over Edom I will throw my sandal.
Over Philistia I will shout in triumph.”
9 Who will bring me to the besieged city?
Who will lead me as far as Edom?
10 Is it not you, O God, who have rejected us,
Our God, who no longer goes out with our armies?
11 Help us in our distress,
For salvation by humans is worthless.
12 By God we will gain power,
And he will trample on our adversaries.
Psalm 61
To the director; to be accompanied with stringed instruments. Of David.
1 Hear, O God, my cry for help.
Do pay attention to my prayer.
2 From the ends of the earth I will cry out to you
When my heart is in despair.
Lead me onto a rock that is higher than I am.
3 For you are my refuge,
A strong tower that protects me from the enemy.
4 I will be a guest in your tent forever;
I will take refuge in the shelter of your wings. (Selah)
5 For you, O God, have heard my vows.
You have given me the inheritance belonging to those who fear your name.
6 You will add days to the life of the king,
And his years will be from generation to generation.
7 He will sit enthroned forever before God;
Grant him loyal love and faithfulness, so that these may safeguard him.
8 Then I will sing praises to your name forever
As I pay my vows day after day.
Psalm 62
To the director; of Jeduthun. A melody of David.
1 Indeed, I wait silently for God.
My salvation comes from him.
2 Indeed, he is my rock and my salvation, my secure refuge;
I will never be greatly shaken.
3 How long will you assault a man in order to murder him?
All of you are as dangerous as a leaning wall, a stone wall ready to collapse.
4 For they consult together to topple him from his high position;
They take pleasure in lying.
With their mouth they bless, but inside they are cursing. (Selah)
5 Indeed, I wait silently for God
Because my hope comes from him.
6 Indeed, he is my rock and my salvation, my secure refuge;
I will never be shaken.
7 Upon God depends my salvation and my glory.
My strong rock, my refuge, is God.
8 Trust in him at all times, O people.
Pour out your hearts before him.
God is a refuge for us. (Selah)
9 The sons of men are a mere breath,
The sons of mankind are a delusion.
When laid together on the scales, they are lighter than a mere breath.
10 Do not trust in extortion
Or put false hopes in robbery.
If your wealth increases, do not set your heart on it.
11 Once God has spoken, twice I have heard this:
That strength belongs to God.
12 Also loyal love is yours, O Jehovah,
For you repay each one according to his deeds.
Psalm 63
A melody of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.
1 O God, you are my God, I keep looking for you.
I do thirst for you.
I am faint with longing for you
In a dry and parched land, where there is no water.
2 So I have looked upon you in the holy place;
I have seen your strength and your glory.
3 Because your loyal love is better than life,
My own lips will glorify you.
4 Thus I will praise you all my life;
In your name I will lift up my hands.
5 I am satisfied with the best and choicest portion,
So my mouth will praise you with joy on my lips.
6 I remember you while upon my bed;
I meditate on you during the watches of the night.
7 For you are my helper,
And I shout joyfully in the shadow of your wings.
8 I cling to you;
Your right hand keeps fast hold on me.
9 But those who seek to destroy my life
Will descend into the depths of the earth.
10 They will be handed over to the power of the sword;
They will become food for jackals.
11 But the king will rejoice in God.
Every person swearing by Him will exult,
For the mouth of those speaking lies will be silenced.
Psalm 64
To the director. A melody of David.
1 Hear my voice, O God, as I plead.
Safeguard my life from the dreadfulness of the enemy.
2 Shield me from the secret plots of wicked men,
From the crowd of wrongdoers.
3 They sharpen their tongue just like a sword;
They aim their cruel words like arrows,
4 To shoot at the innocent from their hiding places;
They shoot at him suddenly, without fear.
5 They hold fast to their evil intent;
They discuss how to hide their traps.
They say: “Who will see them?”
6 They search out new ways of wrongdoing;
They secretly devise their shrewd strategy;
The thinking within each one’s heart is unfathomable.
7 But God will shoot at them;
Suddenly they will be wounded by an arrow.
8 Their own tongue will cause their downfall;
All those looking on will shake their head.
9 Then all men will become afraid,
And they will proclaim what God has done,
And they will have insight into his deeds.
10 The righteous one will rejoice in Jehovah and take refuge in him;
All the upright in heart will exult.
Psalm 65
To the director. A melody of David. A song.
1 Praise awaits you, O God, in Zion;
We will pay our vows to you.
2 O Hearer of prayer, to you people of all sorts will come.
3 My errors have overwhelmed me,
But you cover over our transgressions.
4 Happy is the one whom you choose and bring near
To reside in your courtyards.
We will be satisfied with the goodness of your house,
Your holy temple.
5 You will answer us with awe-inspiring deeds of righteousness,
O God of our salvation;
You are the Confidence of all the ends of the earth
And of those distant across the sea.
6 You firmly established the mountains by your power;
You are clothed with mightiness.
7 You calm the raging seas,
The crash of their waves and the turmoil of the nations.
8 The inhabitants of remote places will be awestruck by your signs;
You will cause those from the sunrise to the sunset to shout joyfully.
9 You care for the earth,
Making it abundantly fruitful and very rich.
The stream from God is full of water;
You provide grain for them,
For that is how you prepared the earth.
10 You drench its furrows and level off its plowed soil;
You soften it with showers of rain; you bless its growth.
11 You crown the year with your goodness;
Your tracks overflow with abundance.
12 The pastures of the wilderness keep overflowing,
And the hills are clothed with joyfulness.
13 The pastures are covered with flocks,
And the valleys are carpeted with grain.
They shout in triumph, yes, they sing.
Psalm 66
To the director. A song. A melody.
1 Shout in triumph to God, all the earth.
2 Sing praises to his glorious name.
Make his praise glorious.
3 Say to God: “How awe-inspiring your works are!
Because of your great power,
Your enemies will cringe before you.
4 All the earth will bow down to you;
They will sing praises to you;
They will sing praises to your name.” (Selah)
5 Come and see the works of God.
His deeds toward the sons of men are awe-inspiring.
6 He changed the sea into dry land;
They crossed the river on foot.
There we rejoiced in him.
7 He rules forever by his might.
His eyes keep watch on the nations.
Those who are stubborn should not exalt themselves. (Selah)
8 Praise our God, you peoples,
And let the sound of his praise be heard.
9 He preserves us alive;
He does not allow our feet to stumble.
10 For you have examined us, O God;
As silver is refined, so you have refined us.
11 You brought us into a hunting net;
You put a crushing burden upon us.
12 You allowed mortal man to ride over us;
We came through fire and through water;
Then you brought us to a place of relief.
13 I will come into your house with whole burnt offerings;
I will pay my vows to you
14 That my lips promised
And my mouth spoke when I was in distress.
15 I will offer burnt offerings of fattened animals to you
With the smoke of sacrificial rams.
I will offer bulls along with male goats. (Selah)
16 Come and listen, all you who fear God,
And I will tell you what he has done for me.
17 I called to him with my mouth
And glorified him with my tongue.
18 If I had harbored anything hurtful in my heart,
Jehovah would not have heard me.
19 But God did hear;
He paid attention to my prayer.
20 Praise to God, who did not reject my prayer
Or withhold his loyal love from me.
Psalm 67
To the director; to be accompanied with stringed instruments. A melody. A song.
1 God will show us favor and bless us;
He will make his face shine upon us (Selah)
2 So that your way may be known throughout the earth,
Your acts of salvation among all the nations.
3 Let peoples praise you, O God;
Let all the peoples praise you.
4 Let nations rejoice and shout joyfully,
For you will judge the peoples fairly.
You will guide the nations of the earth. (Selah)
5 Let peoples praise you, O God;
Let all the peoples praise you.
6 The earth will give its produce;
God, our God, will bless us.
7 God will bless us,
And all the ends of the earth will fear him.
Psalm 68
To the director. Of David. A melody. A song.
1 Let God rise up, let his enemies be scattered,
And let those who hate him flee from before him.
2 As smoke is driven away, may you drive them away;
As wax melts before the fire,
So let the wicked perish before God.
3 But let the righteous rejoice;
May they be overjoyed before God;
May they exult with rejoicing.
4 Sing to God; sing praises to his name.
Sing to the One riding through the desert plains.
Jah is his name! Rejoice before him!
5 A father of the fatherless and a protector of widows
Is God in his holy dwelling.
6 God gives those who are alone a home to dwell in;
He leads prisoners out into prosperity.
But the stubborn must live in a parched land.
7 O God, when you led your people,
When you marched through the desert, (Selah)
8 The earth quaked;
Heaven poured down rain because of God;
This Sinai quaked because of God, the God of Israel.
9 You made it rain in abundance, O God;
You reinvigorated your exhausted people.
10 They dwelled in your tent community;
In your goodness, you provided for the poor, O God.
11 Jehovah gives the command;
The women proclaiming the good news are a large army.
12 The kings of armies flee, they flee!
She who remains at home shares in the spoil.
13 Although you men were lying among the campfires,
There will be the wings of a dove covered with silver,
With pinions of fine gold.
14 When the Almighty One scattered its kings,
Snow fell in Zalmon.
15 The mountain of Bashan is a mountain of God;
The mountain of Bashan is a mountain of peaks.
16 Why do you look with envy, you mountains of peaks,
Toward the mountain that God has chosen as his dwelling?
Indeed, Jehovah will reside there forever.
17 The war chariots of God are tens of thousands, thousands upon thousands.
Jehovah has come from Sinai into the holy place.
18 You ascended on high;
You carried away captives;
You took gifts in the form of men,
Yes, even stubborn ones, to reside among them, O Jah God.
19 May Jehovah be praised, who daily carries our load,
The true God of our salvation. (Selah)
20 The true God is for us a God who saves;
And Jehovah the Sovereign Lord provides escape from death.
21 Yes, God will smash the heads of his enemies,
The hairy crown of the head of anyone who continues in his guilt.
22 Jehovah has said: “I will bring them back from Bashan;
I will bring them back from the depths of the sea,
23 So that your foot may be awash in blood
And the tongue of your dogs may have its portion from the enemies.”
24 They see your processions, O God,
The processions of my God, my King, into the holy place.
25 The singers walk in front, the musicians playing stringed instruments after them;
In between are the young women playing tambourines.
26 In congregated throngs, praise God;
Praise Jehovah, you who are from the Source of Israel.
27 There Benjamin, the youngest, is subduing them,
Also the princes of Judah with their noisy crowd,
The princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali.
28 Your God has decreed that you will be strong.
Show your strength, O God, you who have acted in our behalf.
29 Because of your temple at Jerusalem,
Kings will bring gifts to you.
30 Rebuke the wild beasts of the reeds,
The assembly of bulls and their calves,
Until the peoples bow down bringing pieces of silver.
But he scatters the peoples who delight in war.
31 Bronze articles will be brought out of Egypt;
Cush will hasten to offer gifts to God.
32 O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God,
Sing praises to Jehovah, (Selah)
33 To the one who rides the ancient heaven of heavens.
Look! He thunders with his voice, his mighty voice.
34 Acknowledge God’s strength.
His majesty is over Israel,
And his strength is in the skies.
35 God is awe-inspiring from his grand sanctuary.
He is the God of Israel,
Who gives strength and power to the people.
Praise to God.
Psalm 69
To the director; set to “The Lilies.” Of David.
1 Save me, O God, for the waters threaten my life.
2 I have sunk down into the deep mud, where there is no solid ground.
I have come into deep waters,
And the rushing stream has swept me away.
3 I am exhausted from calling out;
My throat has become hoarse.
My eyes have grown weary while waiting for my God.
4 Those hating me without cause
Are more numerous than the hairs of my head.
Those who would do away with me,
My treacherous enemies, have become many.
I was forced to hand over what I had not stolen.
5 O God, you are aware of my foolishness,
And my guilt is not hidden from you.
6 May those hoping in you not be put to shame because of me,
O Sovereign Lord, Jehovah of armies.
May those seeking you not be humiliated because of me,
O God of Israel.
7 I suffer reproach on your account;
Humiliation covers my face.
8 I have become a stranger to my brothers,
A foreigner to the sons of my mother.
9 Zeal for your house has consumed me,
And the reproaches of those reproaching you have fallen upon me.
10 When I humbled myself with fasting,
I was reproached for it.
11 When I made sackcloth my clothing,
I became an object of scorn to them.
12 I am the talk of those sitting in the city gate,
And the drunkards make me the subject of their songs.
13 But may my prayer come to you,
O Jehovah, at an acceptable time.
In your abundant loyal love, O God,
Answer me with your sure acts of salvation.
14 Rescue me from the mire;
Do not let me sink down.
Rescue me from those who hate me
And from the deep waters.
15 Do not let the rushing floodwaters sweep me away,
Or let the deep swallow me,
Or let the well close its mouth over me.
16 Answer me, O Jehovah, for your loyal love is good.
According to your abundant mercy turn toward me,
17 And do not hide your face from your servant.
Answer me quickly, for I am in distress.
18 Come near to me and rescue me;
Redeem me on account of my enemies.
19 You know my reproach and my disgrace and my humiliation.
You see all my foes.
20 Reproach has broken my heart, and the wound is incurable.
I was hoping for sympathy, but there was none,
And for comforters, but I found none.
21 But for food they gave me poison,
And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
22 Let their table become a trap for them,
And their prosperity, a snare.
23 Let their eyes become darkened so that they cannot see,
And make their hips tremble constantly.
24 Pour out upon them your indignation,
And may your burning anger overtake them.
25 Let their encampment become desolate;
Let there be no inhabitant in their tents.
26 For they pursue the one whom you struck,
And they keep recounting the pains of those you wounded.
27 Add more guilt to their guilt,
And may they have no share in your righteousness.
28 Let them be erased from the book of the living,
And may they not be enrolled among the righteous.
29 But I am afflicted and in pain.
May your saving power, O God, protect me.
30 I will sing praises to the name of God,
And I will magnify him with thanksgiving.
31 This will please Jehovah more than a bull,
More than a young bull with horns and hooves.
32 The meek will see it and rejoice.
You who are seeking God, may your hearts revive.
33 For Jehovah is listening to the poor,
And he will not despise his captive people.
34 Let heaven and earth praise him,
The seas and everything that moves in them.
35 For God will save Zion
And will rebuild the cities of Judah,
And they will dwell there and possess it.
36 The descendants of his servants will inherit it,
And those who love his name will reside in it.
Psalm 70
To the director. Of David, to serve as a reminder.
1 O God, save me;
O Jehovah, hurry to help me.
2 May those seeking to take my life
Be put to shame and disgraced.
May those who delight in my calamity
Retreat in humiliation.
3 May those who are saying: “Aha! Aha!”
Be driven back in shame.
4 But let those who are seeking you
Exult and rejoice in you.
May those who love your acts of salvation always say:
“May God be magnified!”
5 But I am helpless and poor;
O God, act quickly in my behalf.
You are my helper and my rescuer;
O Jehovah, do not delay.
Psalm 71
1 In you, O Jehovah, I have taken refuge.
May I never be put to shame.
2 In your righteousness save me and rescue me.
Incline your ear to me and save me.
3 Become for me a rock fortress
Where I can always enter.
Give the command to save me,
For you are my crag and my stronghold.
4 O my God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked,
From the grasp of the unjust oppressor.
5 For you are my hope, O Sovereign Lord Jehovah;
I have trusted in you since my youth.
6 I have depended on you from birth;
It was you who took me from my mother’s womb.
I praise you constantly.
7 I have become like a miracle to many,
But you are my strong refuge.
8 My mouth is filled with your praise;
All day long I tell about your splendor.
9 Do not cast me off in my old age;
Do not abandon me when my strength fails.
10 My enemies speak against me,
And those seeking to take my life conspire together,
11 Saying: “God has abandoned him.
Chase after him and seize him, for there is no one to save him.”
12 O God, do not remain far away from me.
O my God, hurry to help me.
13 May those who are resisting me
Be put to shame and perish.
May those seeking my calamity
Be covered with disgrace and humiliation.
14 But as for me, I will continue to wait;
I will add to your praise.
15 My mouth will recount your righteousness,
All day long your acts of salvation,
Though they are too many for me to grasp.
16 I will come and tell about your mighty acts,
O Sovereign Lord Jehovah;
I will mention your righteousness, yours alone.
17 O God, you have taught me from my youth,
And until now I keep declaring your wonderful works.
18 Even when I am old and gray, O God, do not abandon me.
Let me tell the next generation about your power
And about your mightiness to all those who are to come.
19 Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the heights;
You have done great things;
O God, who is like you?
20 Though you have made me experience much distress and calamity,
Revive me again;
Bring me up from the depths of the earth.
21 May you increase my greatness
And surround and comfort me.
22 Then I will praise you on a stringed instrument
Because of your faithfulness, O my God.
I will sing your praises with the harp,
O Holy One of Israel.
23 My lips will shout joyfully as I sing praises to you,
For you have saved my life.
24 My tongue will speak about your righteousness all day long,
For those seeking my destruction will be ashamed and disgraced.
Psalm 72
Regarding Solomon.
1 O God, give your judgments to the king,
And endow the son of the king with your righteousness.
2 May he plead the cause of your people with righteousness,
And of your lowly ones with justice.
3 May the mountains bring peace to the people,
And may the hills bring righteousness.
4 Let him defend the lowly among the people,
Let him save the sons of the poor,
And let him crush the defrauder.
5 They will fear you as long as there is a sun
And as long as the moon remains,
For generation after generation.
6 He will be like the rain that falls on the mown grass,
Like showers of rain that water the earth.
7 In his days the righteous will flourish,
And peace will abound until the moon is no more.
8 He will have subjects from sea to sea
And from the River to the ends of the earth.
9 The desert dwellers will bow down before him,
And his enemies will lick the dust.
10 The kings of Tarshish and of the islands will pay tribute.
The kings of Sheba and of Seba will present gifts.
11 All the kings will bow down before him,
And all the nations will serve him.
12 For he will rescue the poor who cry for help,
Also the lowly one and whoever has no helper.
13 He will have pity on the lowly and the poor,
And the lives of the poor he will save.
14 From oppression and from violence he will rescue them,
And their blood will be precious in his eyes.
15 May he live and be given the gold of Sheba.
May prayers be said for him continually,
And may he be blessed all day long.
16 There will be an abundance of grain on the earth;
On the top of the mountains it will overflow.
His fruit will flourish as in Lebanon,
And in the cities people will blossom like the vegetation of the earth.
17 May his name endure forever,
And may it prosper as long as the sun.
May people obtain a blessing for themselves by means of him;
May all nations pronounce him happy.
18 May Jehovah God be praised, Israel’s God,
Who alone does wonderful things.
19 May his glorious name be praised forever,
And may his glory fill the whole earth.
Amen and Amen.
20 This completes the prayers of David, the son of Jesse.
Book Three
(Psalms 73-89)
Psalm 73
A melody of Asaph.
1 God is truly good to Israel, to those pure in heart.
2 As for me, my feet had almost strayed;
My steps had nearly slipped.
3 For I became envious of the arrogant
When I would see the peace of the wicked.
4 For they have no pain in their death;
Their bodies are healthy.
5 They are not troubled like other humans,
Nor do they suffer like other men.
6 Therefore, haughtiness is their necklace;
Violence clothes them as a garment.
7 Their prosperity makes their eyes bulge;
They have exceeded the imaginations of the heart.
8 They scoff and say evil things.
They arrogantly threaten oppression.
9 They speak as if they were as high as heaven,
And their tongues swagger about in the earth.
10 So his people turn aside to them,
And they drink from their abundant water.
11 They say: “How does God know?
Does the Most High really have knowledge?”
12 Yes, these are the wicked, who always have it easy.
They keep increasing their wealth.
13 Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure
And washed my hands in innocence.
14 And I was troubled all day long;
Every morning I was chastised.
15 But if I had said these things,
I would have betrayed your people.
16 When I tried to understand it,
It was troubling to me
17 Until I entered the grand sanctuary of God,
And I discerned their future.
18 Surely you place them on slippery ground.
You make them fall to their ruin.
19 How suddenly they are devastated!
How sudden is their finish as they come to a terrible end!
20 Like a dream when one wakes up, O Jehovah,
When you rouse yourself, you will dismiss their image.
21 But my heart was sour,
And deep inside I felt sharp pain.
22 I was unreasoning and lacked understanding;
I was like a senseless beast before you.
23 But now I am continually with you;
You have taken hold of my right hand.
24 You guide me with your advice,
And afterward you will lead me to glory.
25 Whom do I have in the heavens?
And besides you I desire nothing on earth.
26 My body and my heart may fail,
But God is the rock of my heart and my portion forever.
27 Truly, those keeping far from you will perish.
You will put an end to everyone who immorally leaves you.
28 But as for me, drawing near to God is good for me.
I have made the Sovereign Lord Jehovah my refuge,
To declare all your works.
Psalm 74
A maskil. Of Asaph.
1 Why, O God, have you rejected us forever?
Why does your anger burn against the flock of your pasture?
2 Remember the people you acquired long ago,
The tribe you redeemed as your inheritance.
Remember Mount Zion, where you have resided.
3 Direct your steps to the perpetual ruins.
The enemy has devastated everything in the holy place.
4 Your foes roared inside your meeting place.
They have set up their own banners as signs there.
5 They were like men wielding axes against a thick forest.
6 They broke up all its engravings with axes and iron bars.
7 They set your sanctuary on fire.
They profaned the tabernacle bearing your name, casting it to the ground.
8 They and their offspring have said in their hearts:
“All the meeting places of God in the land must be burned.”
9 There are no signs for us to see;
There is no longer any prophet,
And no one among us knows how long this will last.
10 How long, O God, will the adversary keep taunting?
Will the enemy treat your name with disrespect forever?
11 Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand?
Draw it out of your bosom and put an end to them.
12 But God is my King from long ago,
The one performing acts of salvation on the earth.
13 You stirred up the sea with your strength;
You smashed the heads of the sea monsters in the waters.
14 You crushed the heads of Leviathan;
You gave it as food to the people, to those inhabiting the deserts.
15 You cut openings for the springs and the streams;
You dried up ever-flowing rivers.
16 The day belongs to you, also the night.
You made the light and the sun.
17 You set up all the boundaries of the earth;
You made summer and winter.
18 Remember the enemy’s taunts, O Jehovah,
How a foolish people treats your name with disrespect.
19 Do not surrender the life of your turtledove to the wild beasts.
Do not forget the life of your afflicted people forever.
20 Remember the covenant,
For the dark places of the earth have become full of the haunts of violence.
21 May the crushed one not turn away disappointed;
May the lowly and the poor praise your name.
22 Rise up, O God, and plead your legal case.
Remember how the foolish taunt you all day long.
23 Do not forget what your foes are saying.
The uproar of those who defy you is ascending constantly.
Psalm 75
To the director. Set to the melody “Do Not Bring to Ruin.” Of Asaph. A song.
1 We give thanks to you, O God, we give thanks to you;
Your name is near,
And people declare your wondrous works.
2 You say: “When I set a time,
I judge with fairness.
3 When the earth and all its inhabitants were dissolved,
It was I who kept its pillars firm.” (Selah)
4 I say to the boastful, “Do not boast,”
And to the wicked, “Do not exalt your strength.
5 Do not exalt your strength up high
Or speak with arrogance.
6 For exaltation does not come
From the east or the west or the south.
7 For God is Judge.
He puts one man down and exalts another.
8 For there is a cup in Jehovah’s hand;
The wine is foaming and is fully mixed.
He will surely pour it out,
And all the wicked of the earth will drink it, down to the dregs.”
9 But as for me, I will proclaim it forever;
I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
10 For he says: “I will cut off all the strength of the wicked,
But the strength of the righteous will be exalted.”
Psalm 76
To the director; to be accompanied with stringed instruments. A melody of Asaph. A song.
1 God is known in Judah;
In Israel his name is great.
2 His shelter is in Salem,
And his dwelling is in Zion.
3 There he broke the flaming arrows of the bow,
The shield and the sword and the weapons of war. (Selah)
4 You shine brightly;
You are more majestic than the mountains of prey.
5 The courageous of heart have been plundered.
They have fallen asleep;
The warriors were all helpless.
6 From your rebuke, O God of Jacob,
Both the charioteer and the horse have fallen fast asleep.
7 You alone are awe-inspiring.
Who can withstand your intense anger?
8 From heaven you pronounced judgment;
The earth was afraid and was silent
9 When God rose up to execute judgment,
To save all the meek of the earth. (Selah)
10 For the rage of man will serve to your praise;
With the remnants of their rage you will adorn yourself.
11 Make your vows to Jehovah your God and pay them,
Let all who are around him bring their gift in fear.
12 He will humble the pride of leaders;
He inspires fear in the kings of the earth.
Psalm 77
To the director; on Jeduthun. Of Asaph. A melody.
1 With my voice I will cry out to God;
To God I will cry out, and he will hear me.
2 In the day of my distress I search for Jehovah.
At night my hands are stretched out to him without ceasing.
I cannot be comforted.
3 When I remember God, I groan;
I am troubled and my strength fails. (Selah)
4 You hold my eyelids open;
I am agitated and cannot speak.
5 My thoughts turn to the days of long ago,
The years of the distant past.
6 During the night I remember my song;
I ponder in my heart;
I make a diligent search.
7 Will Jehovah cast us off forever?
Will he never again show his favor?
8 Has his loyal love ceased forever?
Will his promise come to nothing for all generations?
9 Has God forgotten to show his favor,
Or has his anger caused his mercy to cease? (Selah)
10 Must I keep saying: “This is what distresses me:
The Most High has changed his position toward us”?
11 I will remember the works of Jah;
I will remember your marvelous deeds of long ago.
12 And I will meditate on all your activity
And ponder over your dealings.
13 O God, your ways are holy.
What god is as great as you, O God?
14 You are the true God, who does marvelous things.
You have revealed your strength to the peoples.
15 With your power you have rescued your people,
The sons of Jacob and of Joseph. (Selah)
16 The waters saw you, O God;
The waters saw you and were disturbed.
And the deep waters became agitated.
17 The clouds poured down water.
The cloudy skies thundered,
And your arrows flew here and there.
18 The sound of your thunder was like chariot wheels;
Flashes of lightning lit up the inhabited earth;
The earth trembled and quaked.
19 Your way was through the sea,
Your path through many waters;
But your footprints could not be traced.
20 You led your people just like a flock,
In the care of Moses and Aaron.
Psalm 78
Maskil. Of Asaph.
1 Listen, my people, to my law;
Incline your ear to the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth in a proverb.
I will propound riddles of long ago.
3 The things we have heard and know,
Which our fathers have related to us,
4 We will not hide from their sons;
We will relate to the generation to come
The praiseworthy deeds of Jehovah and his strength,
The wonderful things he has done.
5 He established a reminder in Jacob
And set a law in Israel;
He commanded our forefathers
To make these things known to their children,
6 So that the next generation,
The children yet to be born, might know them.
They in turn would relate them to their children.
7 Then these would put their confidence in God.
They would not forget God’s works
But would observe his commandments.
8 Then they would not be like their forefathers,
A stubborn and rebellious generation,
A generation whose heart was unsteady
And whose spirit was not faithful to God.
9 The Ephraimites were armed with the bow,
But they retreated in the day of battle.
10 They did not keep the covenant of God
And refused to walk in his law.
11 They also forgot what he had done,
His wonderful works that he showed them.
12 He did marvelous things in the sight of their forefathers,
In the land of Egypt, the region of Zoan.
13 He split the sea to let them pass through,
And he made the waters stand up like a dam.
14 He led them with a cloud by day
And the whole night with the light of a fire.
15 He split rocks in the wilderness,
He let them drink their fill as if from deep waters.
16 He brought streams out of a crag
And caused waters to flow down like rivers.
17 But they continued to sin against him
By rebelling against the Most High in the desert;
18 They challenged God in their heart
By demanding food that they craved.
19 So they spoke against God,
Saying: “Can God spread a table in the wilderness?”
20 Look! He struck a rock
So that waters flowed and streams flooded out.
“Can he also give us bread,
Or can he provide meat for his people?”
21 When Jehovah heard them, he became furious;
A fire blazed against Jacob,
And his anger flared up against Israel
22 Because they did not put faith in God;
They did not trust in his ability to save them.
23 So he commanded the cloudy skies above,
And he opened the doors of heaven.
24 He kept raining down manna for them to eat;
He gave them the grain of heaven.
25 Men ate the bread of mighty ones;
He provided enough to satisfy them.
26 He stirred up the east wind in the heavens
And made a south wind blow by his power.
27 And he rained down meat on them like dust,
Birds like the sand of the seashore.
28 He made them fall in the midst of his camp,
All around his tents.
29 And they ate and gorged themselves;
He gave them what they desired.
30 But before they fully satisfied their craving,
While their food was yet in their mouth,
31 God’s wrath flared up against them.
He put to death their strongest men;
He brought down the young men of Israel.
32 Despite this they sinned even more
And did not put faith in his wonderful works.
33 So he brought their days to an end as if a mere breath,
And their years by sudden terrors.
34 But as often as he killed them, they would search for him;
They would return and look for God,
35 Remembering that God was their Rock
And that the Most High God was their Redeemer.
36 But they tried to deceive him with their mouth
And lied to him with their tongue.
37 Their heart was not steadfast toward him;
And they were not faithful to his covenant.
38 But he was merciful;
He would forgive their error and not bring them to ruin.
He often held back his anger
Instead of stirring up all his wrath.
39 For he remembered that they were flesh,
A wind that blows past and does not return.
40 How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness
And made him feel hurt in the desert!
41 Again and again they put God to the test,
And they grieved the Holy One of Israel.
42 They did not remember his power,
The day that he rescued them from the adversary,
43 How he displayed his signs in Egypt
And his miracles in the region of Zoan,
44 And how he turned the Nile canals into blood
So that they could not drink from their streams.
45 He sent swarms of gadflies to devour them
And frogs to bring them to ruin.
46 He gave their crops to the voracious locusts,
The fruit of their labor to the swarming locusts.
47 He destroyed their vines with hail
And their sycamore trees with hailstones.
48 He gave their beasts of burden over to the hail
And their livestock to the lightning bolts.
49 He inflicted his burning anger on them,
Fury and indignation and distress,
Companies of angels bringing calamity.
50 He cleared a pathway for his anger.
He did not spare them from death;
And he gave them over to pestilence.
51 Finally he struck down all the firstborn of Egypt,
The beginning of their procreative power in the tents of Ham.
52 Then he brought his people out like a flock
And guided them like a drove in the wilderness.
53 He led them in security,
And they felt no fear;
The sea covered their enemies.
54 And he brought them to his holy territory,
This mountainous region that his right hand acquired.
55 He drove out the nations from before them;
He allotted to them an inheritance by the measuring line;
He settled the tribes of Israel in their homes.
56 But they kept challenging God the Most High, and rebelling against him;
They did not pay attention to his reminders.
57 They also turned away and were as treacherous as their forefathers.
They were as unreliable as a loose bow.
58 They kept offending him with their high places,
And they incited him to fury with their carved images.
59 God heard and became furious,
So he utterly rejected Israel.
60 He finally forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh,
The tent where he had resided among men.
61 He let the symbol of his strength go into captivity;
His splendor into the hand of the adversary.
62 He handed his people over to the sword
And became furious with his inheritance.
63 Fire consumed his young men,
And to his virgins no wedding songs were sung.
64 His priests fell by the sword,
And their own widows did not weep.
65 Then Jehovah woke up as from sleep,
Like a mighty man waking up from wine.
66 And he drove his adversaries back;
He put them to lasting disgrace.
67 He rejected the tent of Joseph;
He did not choose the tribe of Ephraim.
68 But he chose the tribe of Judah,
Mount Zion, which he loves.
69 He made his sanctuary as enduring as the heavens,
Like the earth that he has established forever.
70 He chose David his servant
And took him from the sheep pens,
71 From tending the nursing ewes;
He made him the shepherd over Jacob, his people,
And over Israel, his inheritance.
72 He shepherded them with integrity of heart,
And with skillful hands he led them.
Psalm 79
A melody of Asaph.
1 O God, the nations have invaded your inheritance;
They have defiled your holy temple;
They have turned Jerusalem into a heap of ruins.
2 They have given the dead bodies of your servants as food to the birds of the heavens
And the flesh of your loyal ones to the wild beasts of the earth.
3 They have poured out their blood like water around Jerusalem,
And no one is left to bury them.
4 We have become an object of reproach to our neighbors;
Those around us ridicule and jeer us.
5 How long, O Jehovah, will you be furious? Forever?
How long will your indignation burn just like fire?
6 Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not know you
And on the kingdoms that do not call on your name.
7 For they have devoured Jacob
And have desolated his homeland.
8 Do not hold us accountable for the errors of our ancestors.
Quickly show us your mercy,
For we have been brought very low.
9 Help us, O God of our salvation,
For the sake of your glorious name;
Rescue us and forgive our sins for the sake of your name.
10 Why should the nations say: “Where is their God?”
Before our eyes may it become known among the nations
That the shed blood of your servants has been avenged.
11 May you hear the sighing of the prisoner.
Use your great power to preserve those sentenced to death.
12 Repay our neighbors sevenfold
For the taunts they have leveled at you, O Jehovah.
13 Then we, your people and the flock of your pasture,
Will give thanks to you forever;
And we will declare your praise from generation to generation.
Psalm 80
To the director; set to “The Lilies.” A reminder. Of Asaph. A melody.
1 O Shepherd of Israel, listen,
You who are guiding Joseph just like a flock.
You who sit enthroned above the cherubs,
Shine forth.
2 Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh,
Do stir up your mightiness;
Come and save us.
3 O God, restore us;
Let your face shine upon us, so that we may be saved.
4 Jehovah God of armies, how long will you be hostile toward the prayer of your people?
5 You feed them tears as their bread,
And you make them drink tears beyond measure.
6 You let our neighbors quarrel over us;
Our enemies keep mocking us as they please.
7 O God of armies, restore us;
Let your face shine upon us, so that we may be saved.
8 You made a vine depart from Egypt.
You drove out the nations and planted it.
9 You cleared a space for it,
And it took root and filled the land.
10 The mountains were covered by its shadow,
And the cedars of God by its branches.
11 Its branches reached as far as the sea,
And its shoots to the River.
12 Why have you broken down the stone walls of the vineyard,
So that all those passing by pluck its fruit?
13 The boars of the forest ravage it,
And the wild animals of the field feed on it.
14 O God of armies, please return.
Look down from heaven and see!
Take care of this vine,
15 The stock that your right hand has planted,
And look upon the son whom you made strong for yourself.
16 It is burned with fire, cut down.
They perish at your rebuke.
17 May your hand give support to the man at your right hand,
To the son of man you have made strong for yourself.
18 Then we will not turn away from you.
Preserve us alive, so that we may call on your name.
19 O Jehovah God of armies, restore us;
Let your face shine upon us, so that we may be saved.
Psalm 81
To the director; upon the Gittith. Of Asaph.
1 Shout joyfully to God our strength.
Shout in triumph to the God of Jacob.
2 Begin the music and take a tambourine,
The melodious harp together with the stringed instrument.
3 Blow the horn on the new moon,
On the full moon, for the day of our festival.
4 For it is a decree for Israel,
A ruling of the God of Jacob.
5 He established it as a reminder for Joseph
When He went out against the land of Egypt.
I heard a voice that I did not recognize:
6 “I lifted the burden from his shoulder;
His hands were freed from the basket.
7 In your distress you called, and I rescued you;
I answered you from the thundercloud.
I tested you at the waters of Meribah. (Selah)
8 Hear, my people, and I will testify against you.
O Israel, if you would only listen to me.
9 Among you, there will be no strange god,
And you will not bow down to a foreign god.
10 I, Jehovah, am your God,
The one who brought you out of the land of Egypt.
Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.
11 But my people did not listen to my voice;
Israel would not submit to me.
12 So I let them follow their stubborn hearts;
They did what they thought was right.
13 If only my people would listen to me,
If only Israel would walk in my ways!
14 Their enemies I would quickly subdue;
I would turn my hand against their adversaries.
15 Those who hate Jehovah will cringe in his presence,
And their outcome will be forever.
16 But he will feed you with the finest wheat
And satisfy you with honey from the rock.”
Psalm 82
A melody of Asaph.
1 God takes his place in the divine assembly;
In the middle of the gods he judges:
2 “How long will you continue to judge with injustice
And show partiality to the wicked? (Selah)
3 Defend the lowly and the fatherless.
Render justice to the helpless and destitute.
4 Rescue the lowly and the poor;
Save them out of the hand of the wicked.”
5 They do not know, nor do they understand;
They are walking about in darkness;
All the foundations of the earth are being shaken.
6 “I have said, ‘You are gods,
All of you are sons of the Most High.
7 But you will die just as men do;
And like any other prince you will fall!’”
8 Rise up, O God, and judge the earth,
For all the nations belong to you.
Psalm 83
A song. A melody of Asaph.
1 O God, do not be silent;
Do not keep quiet or still, O Divine One.
2 For look! your enemies are in an uproar;
Those who hate you act arrogantly.
3 With cunning they secretly plot against your people;
They conspire against your treasured ones.
4 They say: “Come, let us annihilate them as a nation,
So that the name of Israel may be remembered no more.”
5 They devise a unified strategy;
They have made an alliance against you—
6 The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, Moab and the Hagrites,
7 Gebal and Ammon and Amalek,
Philistia together with the inhabitants of Tyre.
8 Assyria too has joined them;
They give support to the sons of Lot. (Selah)
9 Do to them as you did to Midian,
As you did to Sisera and Jabin at the stream of Kishon.
10 They were annihilated at En-dor;
They became manure for the ground.
11 Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb
And their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,
12 For they said: “Let us take possession of the land where God dwells.”
13 O my God, make them like a whirling thistle,
Like stubble blown about by the wind.
14 Like a fire that burns up the forest,
Like a flame that scorches the mountains,
15 So may you pursue them with your tempest
And terrify them with your windstorm.
16 Cover their faces with dishonor,
So that they may search for your name, O Jehovah.
17 May they be put to shame and be terrified forever;
May they be disgraced and perish;
18 May people know that you, whose name is Jehovah,
You alone are the Most High over all the earth.
Psalm 84
For the director; upon the Gittith. Of the sons of Korah. A melody.
1 How lovely your grand tabernacle is,
O Jehovah of armies!
2 My whole being yearns,
Yes, I am faint with longing,
For the courtyards of Jehovah.
My heart and my flesh shout joyfully to the living God.
3 Even the bird finds a home there
And the swallow a nest for herself,
Where she cares for her young
Near your grand altar, O Jehovah of armies,
My King and my God!
4 Happy are those dwelling in your house!
They continue to praise you. (Selah)
5 Happy are the men who find their strength in you,
Whose hearts are set on the highways.
6 When they pass through the Baca Valley,
They make it into a place of springs;
And the early rain clothes it with blessings.
7 They will walk on from strength to strength;
Each one appears before God in Zion.
8 O Jehovah God of armies, hear my prayer;
Listen, O God of Jacob. (Selah)
9 Look, our shield and our God,
Look upon the face of your anointed one.
10 For a day in your courtyards is better than a thousand anywhere else!
I choose to stand at the threshold of the house of my God
Rather than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.
11 For Jehovah God is a sun and a shield;
He gives favor and glory.
Jehovah will not hold back anything good
From those walking in integrity.
12 O Jehovah of armies,
Happy is the man who trusts in you.
Psalm 85
For the director. Of the sons of Korah. A melody.
1 You have shown favor, O Jehovah, to your land;
You brought back those of Jacob who were taken captive.
2 You have pardoned the error of your people;
You forgave all their sin. (Selah)
3 You held back all your fury;
You turned away from your hot anger.
4 Restore us, O God of our salvation,
And set aside your displeasure with us.
5 Will you be furious with us forever?
Will you prolong your anger to generation after generation?
6 Will you not revive us again
So that your people may rejoice in you?
7 Show your loyal love to us, O Jehovah,
And grant us your salvation.
8 I will listen to what the true God Jehovah says,
For he will speak peace to his people, to his loyal ones,
But let them not return to overconfidence.
9 Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him,
So that his glory may reside in our land.
10 Loyal love and faithfulness will meet together;
Righteousness and peace will kiss each other.
11 Faithfulness will sprout from the earth,
And righteousness will look down from the heavens.
12 Yes, Jehovah will give what is good,
And our land will yield its harvest.
13 Righteousness will walk before him
And make a path for his footsteps.
Psalm 86
A prayer of David.
1 Incline your ear, O Jehovah, and answer me,
For I am afflicted and poor.
2 Guard my life, for I am loyal.
Save your servant who is trusting in you,
For you are my God.
3 Show me favor, O Jehovah,
For I call to you all day long.
4 Make your servant rejoice,
For to you, O Jehovah, I turn.
5 For you, O Jehovah, are good and ready to forgive;
You abound in loyal love for all those who call on you.
6 Listen, O Jehovah, to my prayer;
And pay attention to my pleas for help.
7 I call on you in the day of my distress,
For you will answer me.
8 There is none like you among the gods, O Jehovah,
There are no works like yours.
9 All the nations that you made
Will come and bow down before you, O Jehovah,
And they will give glory to your name.
10 For you are great and do wondrous things;
You are God, you alone.
11 Instruct me, O Jehovah, about your way.
I will walk in your truth.
Unify my heart to fear your name.
12 I praise you, O Jehovah my God, with all my heart,
And I will glorify your name forever,
13 For your loyal love toward me is great,
And you have saved my life from the depths of the Grave.
14 O God, presumptuous men rise up against me;
A band of ruthless men seek to take my life,
And they have no regard for you.
15 But you, O Jehovah, are a God merciful and compassionate,
Slow to anger and abundant in loyal love and faithfulness.
16 Turn to me and show me favor.
Give your strength to your servant,
And save the son of your slave girl.
17 Show me a sign of your goodness,
So that those who hate me may see it and be put to shame.
For you, O Jehovah, are my helper and comforter.
Psalm 87
Of the sons of Korah. A melody. A song.
1 His city’s foundation is in the holy mountains.
2 Jehovah loves the gates of Zion
More than all the tents of Jacob.
3 Glorious things are being said about you, O city of the true God. (Selah)
4 I will count Rahab and Babylon among those who know me;
Here are Philistia and Tyre, together with Cush.
It will be said: “This is one who was born there.”
5 And about Zion it will be said:
“Each and every one was born in her.”
And the Most High will firmly establish her.
6 Jehovah will declare, when recording the peoples:
“This is one who was born there.” (Selah)
7 Singers and those performing circle dances will say:
“All my springs are in you.”
Psalm 88
A song. A melody of the sons of Korah. To the director; in the style of Mahalath, to be sung alternately. Maskil of Heman the Ezrahite.
1 O Jehovah, the God of my salvation,
By day I cry out,
And by night I come before you.
2 Let my prayer come to you,
Incline your ear to my cry for help.
3 For my soul has been filled with calamity,
And my life is on the brink of the Grave.
4 I am already counted among those going down to the pit;
I have become a helpless man,
5 Left among the dead
Like the slain lying in a grave,
Whom you remember no longer
And who have been separated from your care.
6 You have put me in the lowest pit,
In dark places, in a large abyss.
7 Your rage weighs heavily on me,
And you overwhelm me with your crashing waves. (Selah)
8 You have driven my acquaintances far away from me;
You have made me something detestable to them.
I am trapped and cannot escape.
9 My eye is worn out because of my affliction.
I call on you, O Jehovah, all day long;
To you I spread out my hands.
10 Will you perform wonders for the dead?
Can those powerless in death rise up to praise you? (Selah)
11 Will your loyal love be declared in the grave,
Your faithfulness in the place of destruction?
12 Will your wonders be known in the darkness
Or your righteousness in the land of oblivion?
13 But I still cry to you for help, O Jehovah,
Each morning my prayer comes before you.
14 Why, O Jehovah, do you reject me?
Why do you hide your face from me?
15 From my youth on,
I have been afflicted and ready to perish;
I am numb from the terrible things you allow me to suffer.
16 Your burning anger overwhelms me;
Your terrors destroy me.
17 They surround me like waters all day long;
They close in on me from all sides.
18 You have driven my friends and companions far away from me;
Darkness has become my companion.
Psalm 89
Maskil. Of Ethan the Ezrahite.
1 I will sing about Jehovah’s expressions of loyal love forever.
With my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.
2 For I have said: “Loyal love will be built up forever,
And you have firmly established your faithfulness in the heavens.”
3 “I have made a covenant with my chosen one;
I have sworn to David my servant:
4 ‘I will firmly establish your offspring forever,
And I will build up your throne for all generations.’” (Selah)
5 The heavens praise your marvels, O Jehovah,
Yes, your faithfulness in the congregation of the holy ones.
6 For who in the skies can compare to Jehovah?
Who among the sons of God is like Jehovah?
7 God is held in awe in the council of holy ones;
He is grand and awe-inspiring to all who are around him.
8 O Jehovah God of armies,
Who is mighty like you, O Jah?
Your faithfulness surrounds you.
9 You rule over the raging of the sea;
When its waves surge, you calm them.
10 You have crushed Rahab like one who is slain.
With your strong arm you have scattered your enemies.
11 The heavens are yours, and the earth is yours;
The productive land and what fills it—you have founded them.
12 The north and the south—you created them;
Tabor and Hermon joyously praise your name.
13 Your arm is mighty;
Your hand is strong;
Your right hand is exalted.
14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;
Loyal love and faithfulness stand before you.
15 Happy are the people who know the joyful shouting.
O Jehovah, they walk in the light of your face.
16 They rejoice in your name all day long,
And in your righteousness they are exalted.
17 For you are the glory of their strength,
And by your approval our strength is exalted.
18 For our shield belongs to Jehovah,
Our king belongs to the Holy One of Israel.
19 At that time you spoke in a vision to your loyal ones and said:
“I have granted strength to a mighty one;
I have exalted a chosen one from among the people.
20 I have found David my servant;
With my holy oil I have anointed him.
21 My hand will support him,
And my arm will strengthen him.
22 No enemy will exact tribute from him,
And no unrighteous man will oppress him.
23 I will crush to pieces his adversaries from before him
And strike down those who hate him.
24 My faithfulness and loyal love are with him,
And in my name his strength will be exalted.
25 I will put his hand over the sea
And his right hand over the rivers.
26 He will call out to me: ‘You are my Father,
My God and the Rock of my salvation.’
27 And I will place him as firstborn,
The highest of the kings of the earth.
28 I will maintain my loyal love for him forever,
And my covenant with him will never fail.
29 I will establish his offspring forever
And make his throne as enduring as the heavens.
30 If his sons leave my law
And do not walk according to my decrees,
31 If they violate my statutes
And do not keep my commandments,
32 Then I will punish their disobedience with a rod
And their error with flogging.
33 But I will never abandon my loyal love for him
Nor be untrue to my promise.
34 I will not violate my covenant
Or change what my lips have spoken.
35 I have sworn in my holiness, once and for all;
I will not tell lies to David.
36 His offspring will endure forever;
His throne will endure like the sun before me.
37 Like the moon, it will be firmly established forever
As a faithful witness in the skies.” (Selah)
38 But you yourself have cast off and rejected him;
You have become furious with your anointed one.
39 You have spurned the covenant with your servant;
You have profaned his crown by throwing it to the ground.
40 You have broken down all his stone walls;
You have reduced his fortifications to ruins.
41 All who pass by have pillaged him;
He is a reproach to his neighbors.
42 You have made his adversaries victorious;
You have caused all his enemies to rejoice.
43 You have also driven back his sword,
And you have made him lose ground in the battle.
44 You have brought an end to his splendor
And hurled his throne to the ground.
45 You have cut short the days of his youth;
You have clothed him with shame. (Selah)
46 How long, O Jehovah, will you hide yourself? Will it be forever?
Will your rage continue to burn like a fire?
47 Remember how short my life is!
Was it to no purpose that you created all humans?
48 What man can live and never see death?
Can he save himself from the power of the Grave? (Selah)
49 Where are your former acts of loyal love, O Jehovah,
That you swore about to David in your faithfulness?
50 Remember, O Jehovah, the taunts hurled at your servants;
How I have to bear the taunts of all the peoples;
51 How your enemies have hurled insults, O Jehovah;
How they have insulted every footstep of your anointed one.
52 May Jehovah be praised forever. Amen and Amen.
Book Four
(Psalms 90-106)
Psalm 90
A prayer of Moses, the man of the true God.
1 O Jehovah, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations.
2 Before the mountains were born
Or you brought forth the earth and the productive land,
From everlasting to everlasting, you are God.
3 You make mortal man return to dust;
You say: “Return, you sons of men.”
4 For a thousand years are in your eyes just as yesterday when it is past,
Just as a watch during the night.
5 You sweep them away; they become like mere sleep;
In the morning they are like grass that sprouts.
6 In the morning it blossoms and is renewed,
But by evening it withers and dries up.
7 For we are consumed by your anger
And terrified by your rage.
8 You place our errors in front of you;
Our secrets are exposed by the light of your face.
9 Our days ebb away because of your fury;
And our years come to an end like a whisper.
10 The span of our life is 70 years,
Or 80 if one is especially strong.
But they are filled with trouble and sorrow;
They quickly pass by, and away we fly.
11 Who can fathom the power of your anger?
Your fury is as great as the fear you deserve.
12 Teach us how to count our days
So that we may acquire a heart of wisdom.
13 Return, O Jehovah! How long will this last?
Have pity on your servants.
14 Satisfy us with your loyal love in the morning,
So that we may shout joyfully and rejoice during all our days.
15 Make us rejoice in proportion to the days you have afflicted us,
For as many years as we have experienced calamity.
16 May your servants see your activity,
And may their sons see your splendor.
17 May the favor of Jehovah our God be upon us;
May you prosper the work of our hands.
Yes, prosper the work of our hands.
Psalm 91
1 Anyone dwelling in the secret place of the Most High
Will lodge under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say to Jehovah: “You are my refuge and my stronghold,
My God in whom I trust.”
3 For he will rescue you from the trap of the birdcatcher,
From the destructive pestilence.
4 With his pinions he will cover you,
And under his wings you will take refuge.
His faithfulness will be a large shield and a protective wall.
5 You will not fear the terrors of the night,
Nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 Nor the pestilence that stalks in the gloom,
Nor the destruction that ravages at midday.
7 A thousand will fall at your side
And ten thousand at your right hand,
But to you it will not come near.
8 You will only see it with your eyes
As you witness the punishment of the wicked.
9 Because you said: “Jehovah is my refuge,”
You have made the Most High your dwelling;
10 No disaster will befall you,
And no plague will come near your tent.
11 For he will give his angels a command concerning you,
To guard you in all your ways.
12 They will carry you on their hands,
So that you may not strike your foot against a stone.
13 On the young lion and the cobra you will tread;
You will trample underfoot the maned lion and the big snake.
14 God said: “Because he has affection for me, I will rescue him.
I will protect him because he knows my name.
15 He will call on me, and I will answer him.
I will be with him in distress.
I will rescue him and glorify him.
16 I will satisfy him with long life,
And I will cause him to see my acts of salvation.”
Psalm 92
A melody. A song for the Sabbath day.
1 It is good to give thanks to Jehovah
And to sing praises to your name, O Most High,
2 To declare your loyal love in the morning
And your faithfulness during the nights,
3 Accompanied by a ten-stringed instrument and a lute,
By the melodious sound of a harp.
4 For you have made me rejoice, O Jehovah, because of your deeds;
Because of the works of your hands I shout joyfully.
5 How great your works are, O Jehovah!
How very deep your thoughts are!
6 No unreasoning man can know them;
And no foolish person can understand this:
7 When the wicked sprout like weeds
And all the wrongdoers flourish,
It is that they may be annihilated forever.
8 But you are exalted forever, O Jehovah.
9 Indeed, look in triumph on your enemies, O Jehovah,
Look at how your enemies will perish;
All the wrongdoers will be scattered.
10 But you will exalt my strength like that of a wild bull;
I will moisten my skin with fresh oil.
11 My eyes will look in triumph on my foes;
My ears will hear about the downfall of the evil men who attack me.
12 But the righteous will flourish like a palm tree
And grow big like a cedar in Lebanon.
13 They are planted in the house of Jehovah;
They flourish in the courtyards of our God.
14 Even in old age they will still be thriving;
They will remain vigorous and fresh,
15 Declaring that Jehovah is upright.
He is my Rock, in whom there is no unrighteousness.
Psalm 93
1 Jehovah has become King!
With grandeur he is clothed;
Jehovah is clothed with strength;
He wears it like a belt.
The earth is firmly established;
It cannot be moved.
2 Your throne was firmly established long ago;
From eternity you have existed.
3 The rivers have surged, O Jehovah,
The rivers have surged and roared;
The rivers keep surging and pounding.
4 Above the sound of many waters,
Mightier than the breaking waves of the sea,
Jehovah is majestic in the heights.
5 Your reminders are very trustworthy.
Holiness adorns your house, O Jehovah, for all times.
Psalm 94
1 O God of vengeance, Jehovah,
O God of vengeance, shine forth!
2 Rise up, O Judge of the earth.
Repay to the haughty what they deserve.
3 How long will the wicked, O Jehovah,
How long will the wicked continue to exult?
4 They babble and speak arrogantly;
All the wrongdoers brag about themselves.
5 They crush your people, O Jehovah,
And oppress your inheritance.
6 They kill the widow and the foreign resident,
And they murder the fatherless children.
7 They say: “Jah does not see;
The God of Jacob does not take notice of it.”
8 Understand this, you who are unreasoning;
You foolish ones, when will you ever show insight?
9 The One who made the ear, can he not hear?
The One who formed the eye, can he not see?
10 The One correcting the nations, can he not reprove?
He is the One who imparts knowledge to people!
11 Jehovah knows the thoughts of men,
That they are but a mere breath.
12 Happy is the man whom you correct, O Jah,
Whom you teach from your law,
13 To give him tranquility during days of calamity,
Until a pit is dug for the wicked.
14 For Jehovah will not forsake his people,
Nor will he abandon his inheritance.
15 For judgment will once again be righteous,
And all the upright in heart will follow it.
16 Who will rise up for me against the wicked?
Who will take a stand for me against the wrongdoers?
17 If Jehovah had not been my helper,
I would soon have perished.
18 When I said: “My foot is slipping,”
Your loyal love, O Jehovah, kept supporting me.
19 When anxieties overwhelmed me,
You comforted and soothed me.
20 Can a throne of corruption be allied with you
While it is framing trouble in the name of the law?
21 They make vicious attacks on the righteous one
And condemn the innocent one to death.
22 But Jehovah will become a secure refuge for me,
My God is my rock of refuge.
23 He will make their wicked deeds come back upon them.
He will do away with them by means of their own evil.
Jehovah our God will do away with them.
Psalm 95
1 Come, let us shout joyfully to Jehovah!
Let us shout in triumph to our Rock of salvation.
2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
Let us sing and shout in triumph to him.
3 For Jehovah is a great God,
A great King over all other gods.
4 In his hand are the depths of the earth;
The mountain peaks belong to him.
5 The sea, which he made, belongs to him,
And his hands formed the dry land.
6 Come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before Jehovah our Maker.
7 For he is our God,
And we are the people of his pasture,
The sheep in his care.
Today if you listen to his voice,
8 Do not harden your heart as at Meribah,
As in the day of Massah in the wilderness,
9 When your forefathers tested me;
They challenged me, though they had seen my works.
10 For 40 years I felt a loathing toward that generation, and I said:
“They are a people who always go astray in their hearts;
They have not come to know my ways.”
11 So I swore in my anger:
“They will not enter into my rest.”
Psalm 96
1 Sing to Jehovah a new song.
Sing to Jehovah, all the earth!
2 Sing to Jehovah; praise his name.
Proclaim the good news of his salvation day after day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations,
His wonderful works among all the peoples.
4 Jehovah is great and most worthy of praise.
He is more awe-inspiring than all other gods.
5 All the gods of the peoples are worthless gods,
But Jehovah is the one who made the heavens.
6 In his presence are majesty and splendor;
Strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
7 Give Jehovah his due, you families of the peoples,
Give Jehovah his due for his glory and strength.
8 Give Jehovah the glory due his name;
Bring a gift and come into his courtyards.
9 Bow down to Jehovah in holy adornment;
Tremble before him, all the earth!
10 Declare among the nations: “Jehovah has become King!
The earth is firmly established, it cannot be moved.
He will judge the peoples fairly.”
11 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be joyful;
Let the sea thunder and all that fills it;
12 Let the fields and everything in them rejoice.
At the same time let all the trees of the forest shout joyfully
13 Before Jehovah, for he is coming,
He is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the inhabited earth with righteousness
And the peoples with his faithfulness.
Psalm 97
1 Jehovah has become King!
Let the earth be joyful.
Let the many islands rejoice.
2 Clouds and thick gloom are all around him;
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
3 Fire goes before him
And consumes his adversaries on every side.
4 His lightning bolts light up the land;
The earth sees it and trembles.
5 The mountains melt like wax before Jehovah,
Before the Lord of the whole earth.
6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness,
And all the peoples see his glory.
7 Let all those serving any carved image be put to shame,
Those who boast about their worthless gods.
Bow down to him, all you gods.
8 Zion hears and rejoices;
The towns of Judah are joyful
Because of your judgments, O Jehovah.
9 For you, O Jehovah, are the Most High over all the earth;
You are exalted far above all other gods.
10 O you who love Jehovah, hate what is bad.
He is guarding the lives of his loyal ones;
He rescues them from the hand of the wicked.
11 Light has flashed up for the righteous
And rejoicing for those upright in heart.
12 Rejoice in Jehovah, you righteous ones,
And give thanks to his holy name.
Psalm 98
A melody.
1 Sing to Jehovah a new song,
For he has done wonderful things.
His right hand, his holy arm, has brought about salvation.
2 Jehovah has made known his salvation;
He has revealed his righteousness before the nations.
3 He has remembered his loyal love and faithfulness to the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation by our God.
4 Shout in triumph to Jehovah, all the earth.
Be cheerful and shout joyfully and sing praises.
5 Sing praises to Jehovah with the harp,
With the harp and the melodious song.
6 With the trumpets and the sound of the horn,
Shout in triumph before the King, Jehovah.
7 Let the sea thunder and all that fills it,
The earth and those dwelling in it.
8 Let the rivers clap their hands;
Let the mountains shout joyfully together
9 Before Jehovah, for he is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the inhabited earth with righteousness
And the peoples with fairness.
Psalm 99
1 Jehovah has become King. Let the peoples tremble.
He sits enthroned above the cherubs. Let the earth shake.
2 Jehovah is great in Zion,
And he is high over all the peoples.
3 Let them praise your great name,
For it is awe-inspiring and holy.
4 He is a mighty king who loves justice.
You have firmly established what is upright.
You have brought about justice and righteousness in Jacob.
5 Exalt Jehovah our God and bow down at his footstool;
He is holy.
6 Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
And Samuel was among those calling on his name.
They would call to Jehovah,
And he would answer them.
7 He would speak to them from the pillar of cloud.
They kept his reminders and the decree that he gave to them.
8 O Jehovah our God, you answered them.
You were a God who pardoned them,
But you punished them for their sinful deeds.
9 Exalt Jehovah our God
And bow down before his holy mountain,
For Jehovah our God is holy.
Psalm 100
A melody of thanksgiving.
1 Shout in triumph to Jehovah, all the earth.
2 Serve Jehovah with rejoicing.
Come into his presence with joyful shouting.
3 Know that Jehovah is God.
He is the one who made us, and we belong to him.
We are his people and the sheep of his pasture.
4 Come into his gates with thanksgiving,
Into his courtyards with praise.
Give thanks to him; praise his name.
5 For Jehovah is good;
His loyal love endures forever,
And his faithfulness through all generations.
Psalm 101
Of David. A melody.
1 I will sing about loyal love and justice.
To you, O Jehovah, I will sing praises.
2 I will act with discretion and blamelessness.
When will you come to me?
I will walk with integrity of heart inside my house.
3 I will not set anything worthless before my eyes.
I hate the deeds of those who deviate from what is right;
I will have nothing to do with them.
4 A crooked heart is far from me;
I will not accept what is bad.
5 Anyone slandering his neighbor in secret,
I will silence.
Anyone with haughty eyes and an arrogant heart,
I will not tolerate.
6 I will look to the faithful ones of the earth,
So that they may dwell with me.
The one walking in blamelessness will minister to me.
7 No deceitful person will dwell in my house,
And no liar will stand in my presence.
8 Every morning I will silence all the wicked of the earth,
To cut off all wrongdoers from the city of Jehovah.
Psalm 102
A prayer of the oppressed one when he is in despair and pours out his concern before Jehovah.
1 O Jehovah, hear my prayer;
Let my cry for help reach you.
2 Do not hide your face from me in my time of distress.
Incline your ear to me;
Do answer me quickly when I call.
3 For my days are vanishing like smoke,
And my bones are charred like a fireplace.
4 My heart has been struck down like grass and has withered,
For I forget to eat my food.
5 Because of my loud groaning,
My bones cling to my flesh.
6 I resemble the pelican of the wilderness;
I am like a little owl among the ruins.
7 I lie awake;
I am like a solitary bird on a roof.
8 All day long my enemies taunt me.
Those who mock me use my name as a curse.
9 For I eat ashes as my bread,
And my drink is mingled with tears,
10 Because of your anger and your indignation,
For you lifted me up only to cast me aside.
11 My days are like a fading shadow,
And I am withering like grass.
12 But you remain forever, O Jehovah,
And your fame will endure for all generations.
13 Surely you will rise up and show mercy on Zion,
For it is time to show her your favor;
The appointed time has come.
14 For your servants find pleasure in her stones
And have affection even for her dust.
15 The nations will fear the name of Jehovah,
And all the kings of the earth your glory.
16 For Jehovah will rebuild Zion;
He will appear in his glory.
17 He will pay attention to the prayer of the destitute;
He will not despise their prayer.
18 This is written for the future generation,
So that a people yet to be brought forth will praise Jah.
19 For he looks down from his holy height,
From the heavens Jehovah views the earth,
20 To hear the sighing of the prisoner,
To release those sentenced to death,
21 So that the name of Jehovah will be declared in Zion
And his praise in Jerusalem,
22 When the peoples and kingdoms
Gather together to serve Jehovah.
23 He prematurely robbed me of my strength;
He cut short my days.
24 I said: “O my God,
Do not do away with me in the middle of my life,
You whose years span all generations.
25 Long ago you laid the foundations of the earth,
And the heavens are the work of your hands.
26 They will perish, but you will remain;
Just like a garment they will all wear out.
Just like clothing you will replace them, and they will pass away.
27 But you are the same, and your years will never end.
28 The children of your servants will dwell securely,
And their offspring will be firmly established before you.”
Psalm 103
Of David.
1 Let me praise Jehovah;
Let everything within me praise his holy name.
2 Let me praise Jehovah;
May I never forget all that he has done.
3 He forgives all your errors
And heals all your ailments;
4 He reclaims your life from the pit
And crowns you with his loyal love and mercy.
5 He satisfies you with good things all your life,
So that your youth is renewed like that of an eagle.
6 Jehovah acts with righteousness and justice
For all who are oppressed.
7 He made known his ways to Moses,
His deeds to the sons of Israel.
8 Jehovah is merciful and compassionate,
Slow to anger and abundant in loyal love.
9 He will not always find fault,
Nor will he stay resentful forever.
10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor has he repaid us what our errors deserve.
11 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So great is his loyal love toward those who fear him.
12 As far off as the sunrise is from the sunset,
So far off from us he has put our transgressions.
13 As a father shows mercy to his sons,
Jehovah has shown mercy to those who fear him.
14 For he well knows how we are formed,
Remembering that we are dust.
15 As for mortal man, his days are like those of grass;
He blooms like a blossom of the field.
16 But when a wind blows, it is no more,
As though it was never there.
17 But the loyal love of Jehovah is for all eternity
Toward those who fear him,
And his righteousness toward their children’s children,
18 Toward those who keep his covenant
And those who are careful to observe his orders.
19 Jehovah has firmly established his throne in the heavens;
And his kingship rules over everything.
20 Praise Jehovah, all you his angels, mighty in power,
Who carry out his word, obeying his voice.
21 Praise Jehovah, all his armies,
His ministers who do his will.
22 Praise Jehovah, all his works,
In all the places where he rules.
Let my whole being praise Jehovah.
Psalm 104
1 Let me praise Jehovah.
O Jehovah my God, you are very great.
With majesty and splendor you are clothed.
2 You are wrapped in light as with a garment;
You stretch out the heavens like a tent cloth.
3 He lays beams of his upper rooms in the waters above,
Making the clouds his chariot,
Moving on the wings of the wind.
4 He makes his angels spirits,
His ministers a consuming fire.
5 He has established the earth on its foundations;
It will not be moved from its place forever and ever.
6 You covered it with deep waters as with a garment.
The waters stood above the mountains.
7 At your rebuke they fled;
At the sound of your thunder they ran away in panic
8 —Mountains ascended and valleys descended—
To the place you established for them.
9 You set a boundary that they should not pass,
That they should never again cover the earth.
10 He sends springs into the valleys;
Between the mountains they flow.
11 They provide water for all the wild beasts of the field;
The wild donkeys quench their thirst.
12 Above them roost the birds of the sky;
They sing among the thick foliage.
13 He is watering the mountains from his upper rooms.
With the fruitage of your works the earth is satisfied.
14 He is making grass grow for the cattle
And vegetation for mankind’s use,
To grow food from the land
15 And wine that makes man’s heart rejoice,
Oil that makes the face shine,
And bread that sustains the heart of mortal man.
16 The trees of Jehovah are satisfied,
The cedars of Lebanon that he planted,
17 Where the birds make nests.
The home of the stork is in the juniper trees.
18 The high mountains are for the mountain goats;
The crags are a refuge for the rock badgers.
19 He has made the moon to mark the appointed times;
The sun well knows when to set.
20 You bring darkness, and night falls,
When all the wild animals of the forest roam about.
21 The young lions roar for their prey
And seek their food from God.
22 When the sun rises,
They withdraw and lie down in their dens.
23 Man goes to his work,
And he labors until evening.
24 How many your works are, O Jehovah!
You have made all of them in wisdom.
The earth is full of what you have made.
25 There is the sea, so great and wide,
Teeming with countless living things, both small and great.
26 There the ships travel,
And Leviathan, which you formed to play in it.
27 All of them wait for you
To give them their food in its season.
28 What you give them, they gather.
When you open your hand, they are satisfied with good things.
29 When you hide your face, they are disturbed.
If you take away their spirit, they die and return to the dust.
30 If you send out your spirit, they are created,
And you renew the surface of the ground.
31 The glory of Jehovah will last forever.
Jehovah will rejoice in his works.
32 He looks at the earth, and it trembles;
He touches the mountains, and they smoke.
33 I will sing to Jehovah throughout my life;
I will sing praises to my God as long as I live.
34 Let my thoughts be pleasing to him.
I will rejoice in Jehovah.
35 The sinners will vanish from the earth,
And the wicked will no longer exist.
Let me praise Jehovah. Praise Jah!
Psalm 105
1 Give thanks to Jehovah, call on his name,
Make his deeds known among the peoples!
2 Sing to him, sing praises to him,
Ponder over all his wonderful works.
3 Boast about his holy name.
Let the hearts of those seeking Jehovah rejoice.
4 Search for Jehovah and his strength.
Seek his face constantly.
5 Remember the wonderful works he has performed,
His miracles and the judgments he has pronounced,
6 You offspring of Abraham his servant,
You sons of Jacob, his chosen ones.
7 He is Jehovah our God.
His judgments are throughout the earth.
8 He remembers his covenant forever,
The promise he made, to a thousand generations,
9 The covenant he made with Abraham,
And the oath he swore to Isaac,
10 Which he established as a decree to Jacob
And as a lasting covenant to Israel,
11 Saying, “I will give you the land of Canaan
As your allotted inheritance.”
12 This was when they were few in number,
Yes, very few, and they were foreigners in the land.
13 They walked about from nation to nation,
From one kingdom to another people.
14 He did not allow any man to oppress them,
But on their account he reproved kings,
15 Saying, “Do not touch my anointed ones,
And to my prophets do nothing bad.”
16 He called down a famine on the land;
He cut off their supply of bread.
17 He sent ahead of them a man
Who was sold to be a slave, Joseph.
18 With fetters they bound his feet,
His neck was put in irons;
19 Until the time that his word proved true,
The saying of Jehovah is what refined him.
20 The king sent to release him,
The ruler of the peoples set him free.
21 He made him master of his household,
Ruler over all his property,
22 To have authority over his princes as he pleased
And to teach his elders wisdom.
23 Then Israel came into Egypt,
And Jacob lived as a foreigner in the land of Ham.
24 God made his people very fruitful;
He made them mightier than their adversaries,
25 Whose hearts he let change to hate his people,
To plot against his servants.
26 He sent his servant Moses,
And Aaron, whom he had chosen.
27 They performed his signs among them,
His miracles in the land of Ham.
28 He sent darkness and the land became dark;
They did not rebel against his words.
29 He changed their waters into blood
And killed their fish.
30 Their land swarmed with frogs,
Even in the royal chambers.
31 He ordered the gadflies to invade
And gnats in all their territories.
32 He turned their rain to hail
And sent lightning on their land.
33 He struck their vines and their fig trees
And shattered the trees of their territory.
34 He said that the locusts should invade,
Young locusts without number.
35 They devoured all the vegetation in the land,
And they devoured the produce of the ground.
36 Then he struck down every firstborn in their land,
The beginning of their procreative power.
37 He brought his people out with silver and gold;
And no one among his tribes stumbled.
38 Egypt rejoiced when they left,
For the dread of Israel had fallen on them.
39 He spread a cloud to screen them off
And fire to give light by night.
40 They asked, and he brought quail;
He kept satisfying them with bread from heaven.
41 He opened a rock, and waters flowed out;
These flowed through the desert like a river.
42 For he remembered the holy promise he had made to Abraham his servant.
43 So he brought out his people with exultation,
His chosen ones with a joyful cry.
44 He gave them the lands of nations;
They inherited what other peoples had worked hard to produce,
45 So that they would keep his decrees
And observe his laws.
Praise Jah!
Psalm 106
1 Praise Jah!
Give thanks to Jehovah, for he is good;
His loyal love endures forever.
2 Who can fully declare Jehovah’s mighty acts
Or proclaim all his praiseworthy deeds?
3 Happy are those who act with justice,
Who always do what is right.
4 Remember me, O Jehovah, when you show favor toward your people.
Take care of me with your acts of salvation,
5 So that I may enjoy the goodness you show your chosen ones,
That I may rejoice along with your nation,
That I may proudly praise you along with your inheritance.
6 We have sinned just as our forefathers did;
We have done wrong; we have acted wickedly.
7 Our forefathers in Egypt did not appreciate your wonderful works.
They did not remember your abundant loyal love,
But they rebelled at the sea, by the Red Sea.
8 But he saved them for the sake of his name,
To make his mightiness known.
9 He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up;
He led them through its depths as through a desert;
10 He saved them from the hand of their foe
And reclaimed them from the hand of the enemy.
11 The waters covered their adversaries;
Not one of them survived.
12 Then they had faith in his promise;
They began to sing his praise.
13 But they quickly forgot what he did;
They did not wait for his counsel.
14 They gave way to their selfish desires in the wilderness;
They tested God in the desert.
15 He gave them what they requested,
But then struck them with disease that made them waste away.
16 In the camp they grew jealous of Moses
And of Aaron, the holy one of Jehovah.
17 The earth then opened up and swallowed Dathan
And covered those assembled with Abiram.
18 A fire blazed among their group;
A flame consumed the wicked.
19 They made a calf in Horeb
And bowed down to a statue of metal;
20 They exchanged my glory
For the representation of a grass-eating bull.
21 They forgot God their Savior,
Who did great things in Egypt,
22 Wonderful works in the land of Ham,
Awe-inspiring deeds at the Red Sea.
23 He was about to order their annihilation,
But Moses his chosen one interceded with him
To avert his destructive anger.
24 Then they despised the desirable land;
They had no faith in his promise.
25 They kept grumbling in their tents;
They did not listen to the voice of Jehovah.
26 So he raised his hand in an oath concerning them
That he would make them fall in the wilderness;
27 He would make their descendants fall among the nations,
And he would scatter them throughout the lands.
28 Then they joined in worship of Baal of Peor,
And they ate sacrifices offered to the dead.
29 They provoked Him by their actions,
And a scourge broke out among them.
30 But when Phinehas stood up and intervened,
The scourge was halted.
31 And it was counted to him as righteousness
Through all generations forever.
32 They provoked Him at the waters of Meribah,
And it went badly for Moses because of them.
33 They embittered his spirit,
And he spoke rashly with his lips.
34 They did not annihilate the peoples,
As Jehovah had commanded them.
35 But they mingled with the nations
And adopted their ways.
36 They kept serving their idols,
And these became a snare to them.
37 They would sacrifice their sons
And their daughters to demons.
38 They kept spilling innocent blood,
The blood of their own sons and daughters
Whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan;
And the land was polluted with bloodshed.
39 They became unclean by their works;
They committed spiritual prostitution by their deeds.
40 So the anger of Jehovah blazed against his people,
And he grew to detest his inheritance.
41 He repeatedly handed them over to the nations,
So that those who hated them might rule over them.
42 Their enemies oppressed them,
And they were subject to their power.
43 Many times he rescued them,
But they would rebel and disobey,
And they would be brought low for their error.
44 But he would see their distress
And hear their cry for help.
45 For their sake he would remember his covenant,
And he would feel pity, moved by his great loyal love.
46 He would cause them to be pitied
By all who held them captive.
47 Save us, O Jehovah our God,
And gather us from the nations
So that we may give thanks to your holy name
And exult in praising you.
48 May Jehovah, the God of Israel, be praised
Throughout all eternity.
And let all the people say, “Amen!”
Praise Jah!
Book Five
(Psalms 107-150)
Psalm 107
1 Give thanks to Jehovah, for he is good;
His loyal love endures forever.
2 Let those reclaimed by Jehovah say this,
Those whom he reclaimed from the hand of the adversary,
3 Whom he gathered together from the lands,
From the east and from the west,
From the north and from the south.
4 They wandered about in the wilderness, in the desert;
They did not find a way to a city where they could live.
5 They were hungry and thirsty;
They were faint from exhaustion.
6 They kept crying out to Jehovah in their distress;
He rescued them from their plight.
7 He had them walk in the right way
To come to a city where they could live.
8 Let people give thanks to Jehovah for his loyal love
And for his wonderful works in behalf of the sons of men.
9 For he has satisfied the thirsty
And filled the hungry with good things.
10 Some were living in deepest darkness,
Prisoners in affliction and in irons.
11 For they had rebelled against the word of God;
They disrespected the counsel of the Most High.
12 So he humbled their hearts through hardship;
They stumbled, and there was no one to help them.
13 They called to Jehovah for help in their distress;
He saved them from their plight.
14 He brought them out of deepest darkness,
And he tore off their shackles.
15 Let people give thanks to Jehovah for his loyal love
And for his wonderful works in behalf of the sons of men.
16 For he has broken down the doors of copper
And cut through the bars of iron.
17 They were foolish and suffered affliction
On account of their transgressions and their errors.
18 They lost their appetite for all food;
They drew near the gates of death.
19 They would call to Jehovah for help in their distress;
He would save them from their plight.
20 He would send his word and heal them
And rescue them from the pits they were trapped in.
21 Let people give thanks to Jehovah for his loyal love
And for his wonderful works in behalf of the sons of men.
22 Let them offer the sacrifices of thanksgiving
And declare his works with a joyful cry.
23 Those who travel on the sea in ships,
Who ply their trade over the vast waters,
24 They have seen the works of Jehovah
And his wonderful works in the deep;
25 How by his word a windstorm arises,
Lifting up the waves of the sea.
26 They rise up to the sky;
They plunge down to the depths.
Their courage melts away because of the impending calamity.
27 They reel and stagger like a drunken man,
And all their skill proves useless.
28 Then they cry out to Jehovah in their distress,
And he rescues them from their plight.
29 He calms the windstorm;
The waves of the sea grow quiet.
30 They rejoice when these grow still,
And he leads them to their desired harbor.
31 Let people give thanks to Jehovah for his loyal love
And for his wonderful works in behalf of the sons of men.
32 Let them exalt him in the congregation of the people,
And let them praise him in the council of the elders.
33 He turns rivers into a desert
And springs of water into parched ground,
34 Fruitful land into salty wasteland,
Because of the wickedness of those dwelling in it.
35 He turns the desert into reedy pools of water,
And dry land into springs of water.
36 He causes the hungry to dwell there,
So that they may establish a city where they can live.
37 They sow fields and plant vineyards
That yield fruitful crops.
38 He blesses them and they increase greatly;
He does not let their cattle diminish.
39 But again they become few and are humiliated
Because of oppression, calamity, and grief.
40 He pours out contempt upon nobles
And makes them wander in trackless wastelands.
41 But he protects the poor from oppression
And makes their families as numerous as a flock.
42 The upright see this and rejoice;
But all the unrighteous shut their mouths.
43 Whoever is wise will observe these things
And will carefully consider Jehovah’s acts of loyal love.
Psalm 108
A song. A melody of David.
1 My heart is steadfast, O God.
I will sing and make music with my whole being.
2 Do awake, O stringed instrument; you too, O harp.
I will awaken the dawn.
3 I will praise you among the peoples, O Jehovah,
And I will sing praises to you among the nations.
4 For your loyal love is great, as high as the heavens,
And your faithfulness, up to the skies.
5 Be exalted above the heavens, O God;
May your glory be over all the earth.
6 So that your loved ones may be rescued,
Save us with your right hand and answer me.
7 God has spoken in his holiness:
“I will exult, I will give out Shechem as an inheritance,
And I will measure off the Valley of Succoth.
8 Gilead belongs to me, as does Manasseh,
And Ephraim is the helmet for my head;
Judah is my commander’s staff.
9 Moab is my washbasin.
Over Edom I will throw my sandal.
Over Philistia I will shout in triumph.”
10 Who will bring me to the fortified city?
Who will lead me as far as Edom?
11 Is it not you, O God, who have rejected us,
Our God, who no longer goes out with our armies?
12 Help us in our distress,
For salvation by humans is worthless.
13 By God we will gain power,
And he will trample on our adversaries.
Psalm 109
To the director. Of David. A melody.
1 O God whom I praise, do not remain silent.
2 For the wicked and the deceitful open their mouths against me.
They speak about me with lying tongues;
3 They surround me with hateful words,
And they attack me without cause.
4 They resist me in response to my love;
But I continue to pray.
5 They repay me with bad for good
And hatred for my love.
6 Appoint a wicked man over him;
May a resister stand at his right hand.
7 When he is judged, may he be found guilty;
May even his prayer be counted as a sin.
8 Let his days be few;
His office of oversight let someone else take.
9 Let his children become fatherless,
And his wife, a widow.
10 May his children become wandering beggars,
Foraging for food from their ruined homes.
11 May his creditor seize all that he has,
And may strangers plunder his possessions.
12 May no one extend kindness to him,
And may no one show favor to his fatherless children.
13 Let his descendants be cut off;
May their name be erased within a generation.
14 Let the error of his forefathers be remembered by Jehovah,
And may the sin of his mother not be erased.
15 May Jehovah always be mindful of what they have done;
And may he cut off the memory of them from the earth.
16 For he did not remember to show kindness,
But he kept pursuing the oppressed, poor, and brokenhearted man
To put him to death.
17 He loved to pronounce a curse, so that is what came upon him;
He had no desire to bless, so he received no blessing.
18 He was clothed with curses as his garment.
And they were poured into his body like water,
Into his bones like oil.
19 May his curses be like the clothing in which he wraps himself
And like a belt he always wears.
20 This is the payment from Jehovah for the one who resists me
And for those who speak evil things against me.
21 But you, Jehovah the Sovereign Lord,
Act in my behalf for the sake of your name.
Rescue me, because your loyal love is good.
22 For I am helpless and poor,
And my heart has been pierced within me.
23 I am passing away like a fading shadow;
I have been shaken off like a locust.
24 My knees give way from fasting;
My body is thin, and I am wasting away.
25 I have become the object of their taunts.
When they see me, they shake their heads.
26 Help me, O Jehovah my God;
Save me by your loyal love.
27 May they know that this is by your hand;
That you, O Jehovah, have done it.
28 Let them pronounce a curse, but may you give a blessing.
When they rise up against me, may they be put to shame,
But let your servant rejoice.
29 Let those who resist me be clothed with humiliation;
May they be wrapped in their shame as in a robe.
30 My mouth will fervently praise Jehovah;
I will praise him in front of many people.
31 For he will stand at the right hand of the poor
To save him from those who condemn him.
Psalm 110
Of David. A melody.
1 Jehovah declared to my Lord:
“Sit at my right hand
Until I place your enemies as a stool for your feet.”
2 Jehovah will extend the scepter of your power out of Zion, saying:
“Go subduing in the midst of your enemies.”
3 Your people will offer themselves willingly on the day of your military force.
In splendid holiness, from the womb of the dawn,
You have your company of young men just like dewdrops.
4 Jehovah has sworn an oath, and he will not change his mind:
“You are a priest forever
In the manner of Melchizedek!”
5 Jehovah will be at your right hand;
He will crush kings on the day of his anger.
6 He will execute judgment against the nations;
He will fill the land with dead bodies.
He will crush the leader of a vast land.
7 He will drink from the stream along the road.
Therefore, he will hold his head high.
Psalm 111
1 Praise Jah!
א [Aleph]
I will praise Jehovah with all my heart
ב [Beth]
In the assembled group of upright ones and in the congregation.
ג [Gimel]
2 The works of Jehovah are great;
ד [Daleth]
They are studied by all those finding pleasure in them.
ה [He]
3 His activity is glorious and splendid,
ו [Waw]
And his righteousness endures forever.
ז [Zayin]
4 He causes his wonderful works to be remembered.
ח [Heth]
Jehovah is compassionate and merciful.
ט [Teth]
5 Food he gives to those fearing him.
י [Yod]
He remembers his covenant forever.
כ [Kaph]
6 He has revealed to his people his powerful works
ל [Lamed]
By giving them the inheritance of the nations.
מ [Mem]
7 The works of his hands are truth and justice;
נ [Nun]
Trustworthy are all his orders.
ס [Samekh]
8 They are always reliable, now and forever;
ע [Ayin]
They are made in truth and righteousness.
פ [Pe]
9 He has given redemption to his people.
צ [Tsade]
He commanded that his covenant should last forever.
ק [Qoph]
His name is holy and awe-inspiring.
ר [Resh]
10 The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom.
ש [Sin]
All those observing his orders show good insight.
ת [Taw]
His praise endures forever.
Psalm 112
1 Praise Jah!
א [Aleph]
Happy is the man who fears Jehovah,
ב [Beth]
Who takes great pleasure in his commandments.
ג [Gimel]
2 His descendants will be mighty in the earth,
ד [Daleth]
And the generation of the upright will be blessed.
ה [He]
3 Wealth and riches are in his house,
ו [Waw]
And his righteousness continues forever.
ז [Zayin]
4 To the upright he shines like a light in the darkness.
ח [Heth]
He is compassionate and merciful and righteous.
ט [Teth]
5 It goes well for the man who generously lends.
י [Yod]
He conducts his affairs with justice.
כ [Kaph]
6 He will never be shaken.
ל [Lamed]
The righteous will be remembered forever.
מ [Mem]
7 He will not fear bad news.
נ [Nun]
His heart is steadfast, trusting in Jehovah.
ס [Samekh]
8 His heart is unshakable; he is not afraid;
ע [Ayin]
In the end he will look in triumph on his adversaries.
פ [Pe]
9 He has distributed widely; he has given to the poor.
צ [Tsade]
His righteousness continues forever.
ק [Qoph]
His own strength will be exalted with glory.
ר [Resh]
10 The wicked one will see and be upset.
ש [Shin]
He will grind his teeth and melt away.
ת [Taw]
The desires of the wicked will perish.
Psalm 113
1 Praise Jah!
Offer praise, you servants of Jehovah,
Praise the name of Jehovah.
2 May Jehovah’s name be praised
From now on and forever.
3 From the rising of the sun to its setting,
Let Jehovah’s name be praised.
4 Jehovah is high above all the nations;
His glory is above the heavens.
5 Who is like Jehovah our God,
The one who dwells on high?
6 He stoops down to look on heaven and earth,
7 Raising the lowly from the dust.
He lifts up the poor from the ash heap
8 In order to make him sit with nobles,
With the nobles of his people.
9 He gives the barren woman a home
As a happy mother with children.
Praise Jah!
Psalm 114
1 When Israel went out of Egypt,
The house of Jacob from a people speaking a foreign language,
2 Judah became his sanctuary,
Israel, his dominion.
3 The sea saw it and fled;
The Jordan turned back.
4 The mountains skipped about like rams,
The hills, like lambs.
5 What made you flee, O sea?
Why, O Jordan, did you turn back?
6 Why did you skip about like rams, O mountains,
Like lambs, O hills?
7 Tremble, O earth, because of the Lord,
Because of the God of Jacob,
8 Who turns the rock into a reedy pool of water,
The flinty rock into springs of water.
Psalm 115
1 Not to us, O Jehovah, not to us,
But to your name give glory
Because of your loyal love and your faithfulness.
2 Why should the nations say:
“Where is their God?”
3 Our God is in the heavens;
He does whatever he pleases.
4 Their idols are silver and gold,
The work of human hands.
5 A mouth they have, but they cannot speak;
Eyes, but they cannot see;
6 Ears they have, but they cannot hear;
A nose, but they cannot smell;
7 Hands they have, but they cannot feel;
Feet, but they cannot walk;
They make no sound with their throat.
8 The people who make them will become just like them,
As will all those who trust in them.
9 O Israel, trust in Jehovah
—He is their help and their shield.
10 O house of Aaron, trust in Jehovah
—He is their help and their shield.
11 You who fear Jehovah, trust in Jehovah
—He is their help and their shield.
12 Jehovah remembers us and will bless;
He will bless the house of Israel;
He will bless the house of Aaron.
13 He will bless those who fear Jehovah,
The small as well as the great.
14 Jehovah will give you an increase,
To you and your children.
15 May you be blessed by Jehovah,
The Maker of heaven and earth.
16 As for the heavens, they belong to Jehovah,
But the earth he has given to the sons of men.
17 The dead do not praise Jah;
Nor do any who go down into the silence of death.
18 But we will praise Jah
From now on and forever.
Praise Jah!
Psalm 116
1 I love Jehovah
Because he hears my voice, my pleas for help.
2 For he inclines his ear to me,
And I will call on him as long as I live.
3 The ropes of death encircled me;
The Grave had me in its grip.
I was overcome by distress and grief.
4 But I called on the name of Jehovah:
“O Jehovah, rescue me!”
5 Jehovah is compassionate and righteous;
Our God is merciful.
6 Jehovah is guarding the inexperienced.
I was brought low, and he saved me.
7 Let my soul rest once again,
For Jehovah has dealt kindly with me.
8 You have rescued me from death,
My eye from tears, my foot from stumbling.
9 I will walk before Jehovah in the land of the living.
10 I had faith, for I spoke;
I was greatly afflicted.
11 As for me, I panicked and said:
“Every man is a liar.”
12 With what will I repay Jehovah
For all the good he has done for me?
13 I will take up the cup of salvation,
And I will call on the name of Jehovah.
14 I will pay my vows to Jehovah
In the presence of all his people.
15 Costly in the eyes of Jehovah
Is the death of his loyal ones.
16 I beg you, O Jehovah,
For I am your servant.
I am your servant, the son of your slave girl.
You have freed me from my bonds.
17 I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving;
I will call on the name of Jehovah.
18 I will pay my vows to Jehovah
In the presence of all his people,
19 In the courtyards of the house of Jehovah,
In your midst, O Jerusalem.
Praise Jah!
Psalm 117
1 Praise Jehovah, all you nations;
Glorify him, all you peoples.
2 For his loyal love toward us is great;
The faithfulness of Jehovah endures forever.
Praise Jah!
Psalm 118
1 Give thanks to Jehovah, for he is good;
His loyal love endures forever.
2 Let Israel now say:
“His loyal love endures forever.”
3 Let those of the house of Aaron now say:
“His loyal love endures forever.”
4 Let those fearing Jehovah now say:
“His loyal love endures forever.”
5 I called on Jah in my distress;
Jah answered and brought me into a place of safety.
6 Jehovah is on my side; I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?
7 Jehovah is on my side as my helper;
I will look in triumph on those who hate me.
8 It is better to take refuge in Jehovah
Than to trust in humans.
9 It is better to take refuge in Jehovah
Than to trust in princes.
10 All the nations surrounded me,
But in the name of Jehovah,
I warded them off.
11 They surrounded me, yes, I was completely surrounded,
But in the name of Jehovah,
I warded them off.
12 They surrounded me like bees,
But they were extinguished as quickly as a fire among thorns.
In the name of Jehovah,
I warded them off.
13 I was pushed hard to make me fall,
But Jehovah helped me.
14 Jah is my shelter and my strength,
And he has become my salvation.
15 The sound of rejoicing and salvation
Is in the tents of the righteous.
The right hand of Jehovah is demonstrating its power.
16 The right hand of Jehovah is exalting itself;
The right hand of Jehovah is demonstrating its power.
17 I will not die, no, I will live,
In order to declare the works of Jah.
18 Jah disciplined me severely,
But he did not hand me over to death.
19 Open to me the gates of righteousness;
I will enter them and praise Jah.
20 This is the gate of Jehovah.
The righteous will enter through it.
21 I will praise you, for you answered me
And you became my salvation.
22 The stone that the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone.
23 This has come from Jehovah;
It is wonderful in our eyes.
24 This is the day that Jehovah has made;
We will be joyful and rejoice in it.
25 Jehovah, save us, please, we beg!
Jehovah, grant us victory, please!
26 Blessed is the one who comes in the name of Jehovah;
We bless you from the house of Jehovah.
27 Jehovah is God;
He gives us light.
Join in the festival procession with branches in hand,
Up to the horns of the altar.
28 You are my God, and I will praise you;
My God, I will exalt you.
29 Give thanks to Jehovah, for he is good;
His loyal love endures forever.
Psalm 119
א [Aleph]
1 Happy are those who are blameless in their way,
Who walk in the law of Jehovah.
2 Happy are those who observe his reminders,
Who search for him with all their heart.
3 They practice no unrighteousness;
They walk in his ways.
4 You have commanded
That your orders be carefully kept.
5 If only I could remain steadfast
So as to observe your regulations!
6 Then I would not be put to shame
When I consider all your commandments.
7 I will praise you with an upright heart
When I learn your righteous judgments.
8 I will observe your regulations.
May you never utterly forsake me.
ב [Beth]
9 How can a young man keep his path clean?
By keeping on guard according to your word.
10 With my whole heart I seek you.
Do not let me stray from your commandments.
11 In my heart I treasure up your saying
So that I may not sin against you.
12 May you be praised, O Jehovah;
Teach me your regulations.
13 With my lips I declare
All the judgments that you have spoken.
14 I rejoice over your reminders
More than over all other valuable things.
15 I will ponder over your orders
And keep my eyes on your paths.
16 I am fond of your statutes.
I will not forget your word.
ג [Gimel]
17 Deal kindly with your servant,
So that I may live and observe your word.
18 Open my eyes so that I may see clearly
The wonderful things from your law.
19 I am but a foreigner in the land.
Do not hide your commandments from me.
20 I am consumed with longing
For your judgments at all times.
21 You rebuke the presumptuous,
The cursed ones who stray from your commandments.
22 Remove from me scorn and contempt,
For I have observed your reminders.
23 Even when princes sit together and speak against me,
Your servant ponders over your regulations.
24 I am fond of your reminders;
They are my advisers.
ד [Daleth]
25 I lie prostrate in the dust.
Preserve me alive according to your word.
26 I told you of my ways, and you answered me;
Teach me your regulations.
27 Make me understand the meaning of your orders,
So that I may ponder over your wonderful works.
28 I have been sleepless from grief.
Strengthen me according to your word.
29 Remove from me the way of deception,
And favor me with your law.
30 The way of faithfulness I have chosen.
I recognize that your judgments are right.
31 I cling to your reminders.
O Jehovah, do not let me be disappointed.
32 I will eagerly pursue the way of your commandments
Because you make room for it in my heart.
ה [He]
33 Teach me, O Jehovah, the way of your regulations,
And I will follow it to the end.
34 Give me understanding,
So that I may observe your law
And keep it with my whole heart.
35 Guide me in the pathway of your commandments,
For in it I take delight.
36 Incline my heart to your reminders,
Not to selfish gain.
37 Turn my eyes away from looking at what is worthless;
Preserve me alive in your way.
38 Fulfill your promise to your servant,
So that you may be feared.
39 Remove the disgrace that I dread,
For your judgments are good.
40 See how I long for your orders.
Preserve me alive in your righteousness.
ו [Waw]
41 May I experience your loyal love, O Jehovah,
Your salvation in harmony with your promise;
42 Then I will reply to the one taunting me,
For I put my trust in your word.
43 Do not utterly remove the word of truth from my mouth,
For I have hoped in your judgment.
44 I will keep your law constantly,
Forever and ever.
45 And I will walk about in a place of safety,
For I search for your orders.
46 I will speak about your reminders in front of kings,
And I will not be ashamed.
47 I am fond of your commandments,
Yes, I love them.
48 I will raise my hands to your commandments, which I love,
And I will ponder over your regulations.
ז [Zayin]
49 Remember your word to your servant,
Through which you give me hope.
50 This is my comfort in my affliction,
For your saying has preserved me alive.
51 The presumptuous utterly scorn me,
But I do not deviate from your law.
52 I remember your judgments from of old, O Jehovah,
And I find comfort in them.
53 I am seized with burning rage because of the wicked,
Who forsake your law.
54 Your regulations are songs to me
Wherever I dwell.
55 During the night I remember your name, O Jehovah,
So that I may keep your law.
56 This has been my practice
Because I have observed your orders.
ח [Heth]
57 Jehovah is my portion;
I have promised to keep your words.
58 I appeal to you with all my heart;
Show me favor according to your promise.
59 I have examined my ways,
In order to turn my feet back to your reminders.
60 I hurry and do not delay
To keep your commandments.
61 The ropes of the wicked surround me,
But your law I do not forget.
62 At midnight I get up to give you thanks
For your righteous judgments.
63 I am a friend of all who fear you
And of those who keep your orders.
64 Your loyal love, O Jehovah, fills the earth;
Teach me your regulations.
ט [Teth]
65 You have dealt well with your servant,
O Jehovah, according to your word.
66 Teach me good sense and knowledge,
For I have put my trust in your commandments.
67 Before I was afflicted, I used to go astray,
But now I keep your saying.
68 You are good and your works are good.
Teach me your regulations.
69 The presumptuous smear me with lies,
But I observe your orders with all my heart.
70 Their heart is insensitive,
But I am fond of your law.
71 It is good that I have been afflicted,
So that I may learn your regulations.
72 The law that you have proclaimed is good for me,
More so than thousands of pieces of gold and silver.
י [Yod]
73 Your hands made me and formed me.
Give me understanding,
So that I may learn your commandments.
74 Those who fear you see me and rejoice,
For your word is my hope.
75 I know, O Jehovah, that your judgments are righteous
And that you have afflicted me in your faithfulness.
76 May your loyal love please comfort me,
According to the promise you made to your servant.
77 Show me mercy, so that I may keep living,
For I am fond of your law.
78 May the presumptuous be put to shame,
For they wrong me without cause.
But I will ponder over your orders.
79 Let those who fear you return to me,
Those who know your reminders.
80 May my heart be blameless in following your regulations,
So that I may not be put to shame.
כ [Kaph]
81 I long for your salvation,
For your word is my hope.
82 My eyes long for your saying
While I say: “When will you comfort me?”
83 For I am like a skin bottle dried up in the smoke,
But your regulations I do not forget.
84 How many days must your servant wait?
When will you bring judgment against those persecuting me?
85 The presumptuous dig pits for me,
Those who defy your law.
86 All your commandments are trustworthy.
Men persecute me without cause; help me!
87 They almost exterminated me from the earth,
But I did not abandon your orders.
88 Preserve me alive because of your loyal love,
So that I may keep the reminders you have spoken.
ל [Lamed]
89 Forever, O Jehovah,
Your word will remain in the heavens.
90 Your faithfulness is through all generations.
You have firmly established the earth, so that it continues to stand.
91 By your judgments they remain until today,
For they are all your servants.
92 If I had not been fond of your law,
I would have perished in my affliction.
93 I will never forget your orders,
Because by them you have preserved me alive.
94 I belong to you; save me,
Because I have searched for your orders.
95 The wicked wait to destroy me,
But I give close attention to your reminders.
96 I have seen a limit to all perfection,
But your commandment has no limit.
מ [Mem]
97 How I do love your law!
I ponder over it all day long.
98 Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies,
Because it is with me forever.
99 I have more insight than all my teachers,
Because I ponder over your reminders.
100 I act with more understanding than older men,
Because I observe your orders.
101 I refuse to walk on any evil path,
So that I may keep your word.
102 I do not turn aside from your judgments,
For you have instructed me.
103 How sweet your sayings are to my palate,
More so than honey to my mouth!
104 By your orders I act with understanding.
That is why I hate every false path.
נ [Nun]
105 Your word is a lamp to my foot,
And a light for my path.
106 I have sworn an oath, and I will carry it out,
To observe your righteous judgments.
107 I have been greatly afflicted.
O Jehovah, preserve me alive according to your word.
108 Please take pleasure in my voluntary offerings of praise, O Jehovah,
And teach me your judgments.
109 My life is in constant danger,
But I have not forgotten your law.
110 The wicked have set a trap for me,
But I have not strayed from your orders.
111 I take your reminders as my permanent possession,
For they are the joy of my heart.
112 I have resolved to obey your regulations
At all times, down to the last.
ס [Samekh]
113 I hate the halfhearted ones,
But I love your law.
114 You are my shelter and my shield,
For your word is my hope.
115 Stay away from me, you evil men,
So that I may observe the commandments of my God.
116 Support me as you promised,
So that I may keep living;
Do not let my hope turn into disappointment.
117 Support me that I may be saved;
Then I will always concentrate on your regulations.
118 You reject all those who stray from your regulations,
For they are false and deceitful.
119 You discard all the wicked of the earth as if they were worthless dross.
That is why I love your reminders.
120 The dread of you makes my body tremble;
I am in fear of your judgments.
ע [Ayin]
121 I have done what is just and righteous.
Do not abandon me to my oppressors!
122 Guarantee the welfare of your servant;
May the presumptuous not oppress me.
123 My eyes have grown weary waiting for your salvation
And for your righteous promise.
124 Show your loyal love to your servant,
And teach me your regulations.
125 I am your servant; give me understanding,
So that I may know your reminders.
126 The time has come for Jehovah to act,
For they have broken your law.
127 That is why I love your commandments
More than gold, even fine gold.
128 Therefore, I consider every instruction from you to be right;
I hate every false path.
פ [Pe]
129 Your reminders are wonderful.
That is why I observe them.
130 The disclosure of your words brings light,
Giving understanding to the inexperienced.
131 I open my mouth wide and sigh,
Because I long for your commandments.
132 Turn to me and show me favor,
In keeping with your judgment toward those loving your name.
133 Guide my steps safely by your saying;
May nothing wicked dominate me.
134 Rescue me from oppressive men,
And I will keep your orders.
135 Make your face shine upon your servant,
And teach me your regulations.
136 Tears stream down from my eyes
Because people do not keep your law.
צ [Tsade]
137 You are righteous, O Jehovah,
And your judgments are fair.
138 The reminders you give are righteous
And completely reliable.
139 My zeal consumes me,
Because my adversaries have forgotten your words.
140 Your saying is thoroughly refined,
And your servant loves it.
141 I am insignificant and despised;
Yet, I have not forgotten your orders.
142 Your righteousness is an eternal righteousness,
And your law is truth.
143 Though distress and difficulty come upon me,
I remain fond of your commandments.
144 The righteousness of your reminders is eternal.
Give me understanding, so that I may keep living.
ק [Qoph]
145 I call with my whole heart. Answer me, O Jehovah.
Your regulations I will observe.
146 I call on you; save me!
I will keep your reminders.
147 I have been awake before dawn to cry for help,
For your words are my hope.
148 My eyes open before the night watches,
So that I can ponder over your saying.
149 Do listen to my voice because of your loyal love.
O Jehovah, preserve me alive according to your justice.
150 Those who engage in shameful conduct come near;
They are far away from your law.
151 You are near, O Jehovah,
And all your commandments are truth.
152 Long ago I learned about your reminders,
That you have established them to last forever.
ר [Resh]
153 Look on my affliction and rescue me,
For I have not forgotten your law.
154 Defend me and rescue me;
Preserve me alive in harmony with your promise.
155 Salvation is far away from the wicked,
For they have not searched for your regulations.
156 Your mercy is great, O Jehovah.
Preserve me alive in harmony with your justice.
157 My persecutors and my adversaries are many;
But I have not deviated from your reminders.
158 I look on the treacherous with loathing,
Because they do not keep your saying.
159 See how I love your orders!
O Jehovah, preserve me alive because of your loyal love.
160 The very essence of your word is truth,
And all your righteous judgments endure forever.
ש [Sin] or [Shin]
161 Princes persecute me for no cause,
But my heart stands in awe of your words.
162 I rejoice over your saying
Like someone who finds great spoil.
163 I hate falsehood—I detest it—
I love your law.
164 Seven times a day I praise you
Because of your righteous judgments.
165 Abundant peace belongs to those who love your law;
Nothing can make them stumble.
166 I hope for your acts of salvation, O Jehovah,
And I observe your commandments.
167 I keep your reminders,
And I love them dearly.
168 I observe your orders and your reminders,
For you are aware of all that I do.
ת [Taw]
169 May my cry for help reach you, O Jehovah.
According to your word, make me understand.
170 May my request for favor come before you.
Save me, as you have promised.
171 May my lips overflow with praise,
For you teach me your regulations.
172 May my tongue sing about your saying,
For all your commandments are righteous.
173 May your hand be ready to help me,
Because I choose to obey your orders.
174 I long for your salvation, O Jehovah,
And I am fond of your law.
175 Let me live so that I may praise you;
May your judgments be my help.
176 I have strayed like a lost sheep. Search for your servant,
For I have not forgotten your commandments.
Psalm 120
A Song of the Ascents.
1 I called to Jehovah in my distress,
And he answered me.
2 O Jehovah, rescue me from lying lips
And from the deceitful tongue.
3 What will He do to you, and how will He punish you,
You deceitful tongue?
4 With sharp arrows of a warrior
And burning coals of broomwood.
5 Woe to me, for I have lived as a foreigner in Meshech!
I have been dwelling among the tents of Kedar.
6 I have been dwelling far too long
With those who hate peace.
7 I am for peace, but when I speak,
They are for war.
Psalm 121
A Song of the Ascents.
1 I raise my eyes to the mountains.
From where will my help come?
2 My help comes from Jehovah,
The Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will never allow your foot to slip.
The One guarding you will never be drowsy.
4 Look! He will never be drowsy nor go to sleep,
The One guarding Israel.
5 Jehovah is guarding you.
Jehovah is the shade at your right hand.
6 By day the sun will not strike you,
Nor the moon by night.
7 Jehovah will guard you against all harm.
He will guard your life.
8 Jehovah will guard you in all you do
From now on and forever.
Psalm 122
A Song of the Ascents. Of David.
1 I rejoiced when they said to me:
“Let us go to the house of Jehovah.”
2 And now our feet are standing
Within your gates, O Jerusalem.
3 Jerusalem is built as a city
That is joined together as one.
4 The tribes have gone up to it,
The tribes of Jah,
According to the reminder to Israel,
To give thanks to the name of Jehovah.
5 For thrones for judgment were set up there,
Thrones of the house of David.
6 Ask for the peace of Jerusalem.
Those who love you, O city, will be secure.
7 May peace continue within your ramparts,
Security within your fortified towers.
8 For the sake of my brothers and my companions I will say:
“May there be peace within you.”
9 For the sake of the house of Jehovah our God,
I will seek good for you.
Psalm 123
A Song of the Ascents.
1 To you I raise my eyes,
You who are enthroned in the heavens.
2 As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master,
And the eyes of a servant girl to the hand of her mistress,
So our eyes look to Jehovah our God
Until he shows us favor.
3 Show us favor, O Jehovah, show us favor,
For we have had our full share of contempt.
4 We have had our full share of ridicule from the self-assured
And the contempt of the arrogant.
Psalm 124
A Song of the Ascents. Of David.
1 “If Jehovah had not been with us”
—Let Israel now say—
2 “If Jehovah had not been with us
When men rose up to attack us,
3 Then they would have swallowed us up alive
When their anger was burning against us.
4 Then the waters would have washed us away,
The torrent would have swept over us.
5 The raging waters would have overwhelmed us.
6 May Jehovah be praised,
For he has not given us as prey to their teeth.
7 We are like a bird that escaped
From the hunter’s trap;
The trap was broken,
And we escaped.
8 Our help is in the name of Jehovah,
The Maker of heaven and earth.”
Psalm 125
A Song of the Ascents.
1 Those who trust in Jehovah
Are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken
But endures forever.
2 Just as mountains surround Jerusalem,
So Jehovah surrounds his people
From now on and forever.
3 The scepter of wickedness will not remain upon the land allotted to the righteous,
So that the righteous do not turn to doing what is wrong.
4 Do good, O Jehovah, to those who are good,
To those who are upright in heart.
5 As for those who turn aside to their crooked ways,
Jehovah will remove them along with the wrongdoers.
May there be peace upon Israel.
Psalm 126
A Song of the Ascents.
1 When Jehovah gathered back the captives of Zion,
We thought we were dreaming.
2 At that time our mouth was filled with laughter
And our tongue with a joyful shout.
At that time they said among the nations:
“Jehovah has done great things for them.”
3 Jehovah has done great things for us,
And we are overjoyed.
4 Do gather back our captives, O Jehovah,
Like streams in the Negeb.
5 Those sowing seed with tears
Will reap with a joyful shout.
6 The one who does go out, though weeping,
Carrying his bag of seed,
Will surely return with a joyful shout,
Carrying in his sheaves.
Psalm 127
A Song of the Ascents. Of Solomon.
1 Unless Jehovah builds the house,
It is in vain that its builders work hard on it.
Unless Jehovah guards the city,
It is in vain that the guard stays awake.
2 It is in vain that you rise up early,
That you stay up late,
That you toil for your food,
Since he provides for his loved ones while giving them sleep.
3 Look! Sons are an inheritance from Jehovah;
The fruit of the womb is a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a mighty man,
So are the sons of one’s youth.
5 Happy is the man who fills his quiver with them.
They will not be put to shame,
For they will speak with enemies in the city gate.
Psalm 128
A Song of the Ascents.
1 Happy is everyone who fears Jehovah,
Who walks in His ways.
2 You will eat what your hands worked hard to produce.
You will be happy and will enjoy prosperity.
3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house;
Your sons will be like shoots of an olive tree around your table.
4 Look! That is how the man who fears Jehovah
Will be blessed.
5 Jehovah will bless you from Zion.
May you see Jerusalem prosper all the days of your life
6 And see the sons of your sons.
May there be peace upon Israel.
Psalm 129
A Song of the Ascents.
1 “Since my youth they have constantly attacked me”
—Let Israel now say—
2 “Since my youth they have constantly attacked me;
But they have not defeated me.
3 Plowmen have plowed across my back;
They have made their furrows long.”
4 But Jehovah is righteous;
He has cut up the ropes of the wicked.
5 They will be put to shame and will retreat in disgrace,
All those who hate Zion.
6 They will become like grass on the rooftops
That withers before it is pulled up,
7 That cannot fill the reaper’s hand
Nor the arms of the one gathering sheaves.
8 Those passing by will not say:
“May the blessing of Jehovah be upon you;
We bless you in the name of Jehovah.”
Psalm 130
A Song of the Ascents.
1 From the depths I call to you, O Jehovah.
2 O Jehovah, hear my voice.
May your ears pay attention to my pleas for help.
3 If errors were what you watch, O Jah,
Then who, O Jehovah, could stand?
4 For with you there is true forgiveness,
So that you may be held in awe.
5 I hope in Jehovah, my whole being hopes in him;
I wait for his word.
6 I eagerly wait for Jehovah,
More than watchmen wait for the morning,
Yes, more than watchmen wait for the morning.
7 Let Israel keep waiting for Jehovah,
For Jehovah is loyal in his love,
And he has great power to redeem.
8 He will redeem Israel from all their errors.
Psalm 131
A Song of the Ascents. Of David.
1 O Jehovah, my heart is not haughty,
Nor are my eyes lofty;
Nor do I aspire to things too great,
Or to things that are beyond me.
2 No, but I have calmed and quieted my soul
Like a weaned child with its mother;
I am contented like a weaned child.
3 Let Israel wait for Jehovah
From now on and forever.
Psalm 132
A Song of the Ascents.
1 O Jehovah, remember David
And all his suffering;
2 How he swore to Jehovah,
How he vowed to the Powerful One of Jacob:
3 “I will not go into my tent, my home.
I will not lie upon my couch, my bed;
4 I will not allow my eyes to sleep,
Nor my eyelids to slumber
5 Until I find a place for Jehovah,
A fine residence for the Powerful One of Jacob.”
6 Look! We heard about it in Ephrathah;
We found it in the fields of the forest.
7 Let us come into his residence;
Let us bow down at his footstool.
8 Rise up, O Jehovah, to come to your resting-place,
You and the Ark of your strength.
9 May your priests be clothed with righteousness,
And may your loyal ones shout joyfully.
10 For the sake of David your servant,
Do not reject your anointed one.
11 Jehovah has sworn to David;
He will surely not go back on his word:
“One of your offspring,
I will place on your throne.
12 If your sons keep my covenant
And my reminders that I teach them,
Their sons too
Will sit on your throne forever.”
13 For Jehovah has chosen Zion;
He has desired it for his dwelling place:
14 “This is my resting-place forever;
Here I will dwell, for this is my desire.
15 I will richly bless it with provisions;
I will satisfy its poor with bread.
16 Its priests I will clothe with salvation,
And its loyal ones will shout joyfully.
17 There I will make the strength of David grow.
I have prepared a lamp for my anointed one.
18 I will clothe his enemies with shame,
But the crown on his head will flourish.”
Psalm 133
A Song of the Ascents. Of David.
1 Look! How good and how pleasant it is
For brothers to dwell together in unity!
2 It is like fine oil poured on the head
That runs down the beard,
Aaron’s beard,
And runs down onto the collar of his garments.
3 It is like the dew of Hermon
That descends on the mountains of Zion.
That is where Jehovah decreed his blessing
—Life everlasting.
Psalm 134
A Song of the Ascents.
1 Praise Jehovah,
All you servants of Jehovah,
You who stand in the house of Jehovah during the nights.
2 Raise your hands in holiness
And praise Jehovah.
3 May Jehovah, the Maker of heaven and earth,
Bless you from Zion.
Psalm 135
1 Praise Jah!
Praise the name of Jehovah;
Offer praise, you servants of Jehovah,
2 You who are standing in the house of Jehovah,
In the courtyards of the house of our God.
3 Praise Jah, for Jehovah is good.
Sing praises to his name, for it is pleasant.
4 For Jah has chosen Jacob for himself,
Israel for his special property.
5 For I well know that Jehovah is great;
Our Lord is greater than all other gods.
6 Jehovah does everything he pleases to do
In heaven and on earth, in the seas and all the depths.
7 He causes clouds to ascend from the ends of the earth;
He makes lightning for the rain;
He brings the wind out of his storehouses.
8 He struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
Both man and beast.
9 He sent signs and miracles among you, O Egypt,
Against Pharaoh and all his servants.
10 He struck down many nations
And killed mighty kings
11 —Sihon the king of the Amorites,
Og the king of Bashan,
And all the kingdoms of Canaan.
12 He gave their land as an inheritance,
An inheritance to Israel his people.
13 O Jehovah, your name endures forever.
O Jehovah, your fame endures for all generations.
14 For Jehovah will defend his people,
And he will feel compassion for his servants.
15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
The work of human hands.
16 A mouth they have, but they cannot speak;
Eyes, but they cannot see;
17 Ears they have, but they cannot hear.
There is no breath in their mouth.
18 The people who make them will become just like them,
As will all those who trust in them.
19 O house of Israel, praise Jehovah.
O house of Aaron, praise Jehovah.
20 O house of Levi, praise Jehovah.
You who fear Jehovah, praise Jehovah.
21 May Jehovah be praised from Zion,
The One residing in Jerusalem.
Praise Jah!
Psalm 136
1 Give thanks to Jehovah, for he is good;
His loyal love endures forever.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods,
For his loyal love endures forever.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
For his loyal love endures forever.
4 He alone does great wonders,
For his loyal love endures forever.
5 He skillfully made the heavens,
For his loyal love endures forever.
6 He spread out the earth over the waters,
For his loyal love endures forever.
7 He made the great lights,
For his loyal love endures forever,
8 The sun to rule over the day,
For his loyal love endures forever,
9 The moon and the stars to rule over the night,
For his loyal love endures forever.
10 He struck down Egypt’s firstborn,
For his loyal love endures forever.
11 He brought Israel out from their midst,
For his loyal love endures forever,
12 With a mighty hand and an outstretched arm,
For his loyal love endures forever.
13 He split the Red Sea in two,
For his loyal love endures forever.
14 He caused Israel to pass through the middle of it,
For his loyal love endures forever.
15 He shook off Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea,
For his loyal love endures forever.
16 He led his people through the wilderness,
For his loyal love endures forever.
17 He struck down great kings,
For his loyal love endures forever.
18 He killed mighty kings,
For his loyal love endures forever,
19 Sihon the king of the Amorites,
For his loyal love endures forever,
20 And Og the king of Bashan,
For his loyal love endures forever.
21 He gave their land as an inheritance,
For his loyal love endures forever,
22 An inheritance to Israel his servant,
For his loyal love endures forever.
23 He remembered us when we were low,
For his loyal love endures forever.
24 He kept rescuing us from our adversaries,
For his loyal love endures forever.
25 He gives food to every living thing,
For his loyal love endures forever.
26 Give thanks to the God of the heavens,
For his loyal love endures forever.
Psalm 137
1 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat.
We wept when we remembered Zion.
2 Upon the poplar trees in her midst,
We hung our harps.
3 For there our captors asked us for a song,
Those mocking us wanted amusement:
“Sing for us one of the songs of Zion.”
4 How can we sing the song of Jehovah
On foreign soil?
5 If I should forget you, O Jerusalem,
Let my right hand be forgetful.
6 Let my tongue stick to my palate
If I do not remember you,
If I do not place Jerusalem above
My greatest reasons for rejoicing.
7 Remember, O Jehovah,
What the Edomites said on the day Jerusalem fell:
“Tear it down! Tear it down to its foundations!”
8 O daughter of Babylon, who is soon to be devastated,
Happy will be the one who rewards you
With the treatment you inflicted on us.
9 Happy will be the one who seizes your children
And dashes them against the rocks.
Psalm 138
Of David.
1 I will praise you with all my heart.
In the face of other gods,
I will sing praises.
2 I will bow down toward your holy temple,
And I will praise your name
Because of your loyal love and your faithfulness.
For you have magnified your saying and your name above everything else.
3 On the day I called, you answered me;
You made me bold and strong.
4 All the kings of the earth will praise you, O Jehovah,
For they will have heard the promises you have spoken.
5 They will sing about the ways of Jehovah,
For the glory of Jehovah is great.
6 Though Jehovah is high, he takes note of the humble,
But the haughty he knows only from a distance.
7 Even when I walk in the midst of danger, you will preserve me alive.
You stretch out your hand against the anger of my enemies;
Your right hand will save me.
8 Jehovah will accomplish all things in my behalf.
O Jehovah, your loyal love endures forever;
Do not forsake the works of your hands.
Psalm 139
For the director. Of David. A melody.
1 O Jehovah, you have searched through me, and you know me.
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up.
You discern my thoughts from afar.
3 You observe me when I travel and when I lie down;
You are familiar with all my ways.
4 There is not a word on my tongue,
But look! O Jehovah, you already know it well.
5 Behind and before me, you surround me;
And you lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is beyond my comprehension.
It is too high for me to reach.
7 Where can I escape from your spirit,
And where can I run away from your face?
8 If I were to ascend to heaven, you would be there,
And if I were to make my bed in the Grave, look! you would be there.
9 If I would fly away with the wings of the dawn
To reside by the most remote sea,
10 Even there your hand would lead me
And your right hand would take hold of me.
11 If I say: “Surely darkness will conceal me!”
Then the night around me would become light.
12 Even the darkness would not be too dark for you,
But night would be as bright as the day;
Darkness is the same as light to you.
13 For you produced my kidneys;
You kept me screened off in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because in an awe-inspiring way I am wonderfully made.
Your works are wonderful,
I know this very well.
15 My bones were not hidden from you
When I was made in secret,
When I was woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes even saw me as an embryo;
All its parts were written in your book
Regarding the days when they were formed,
Before any of them existed.
17 So to me, how precious your thoughts are!
O God, how vast is the sum of them!
18 If I try to count them, they outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake, I am still with you.
19 O God, if only you would slay the wicked!
Then the violent men would depart from me,
20 Those who say things against you with evil intent;
They are your adversaries who take up your name in a worthless way.
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O Jehovah,
And loathe those who revolt against you?
22 I have nothing but hatred for them;
They have become real enemies to me.
23 Search through me, O God, and know my heart.
Examine me, and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See whether there is in me any harmful way,
And lead me in the way of eternity.
Psalm 140
For the director. A melody of David.
1 Rescue me, O Jehovah, from evil men;
Protect me from violent men,
2 Those who scheme evil in their hearts
And stir up conflict all day long.
3 They sharpen their tongue like that of a serpent;
Venom of vipers is behind their lips. (Selah)
4 Protect me, O Jehovah, from the hands of the wicked;
Safeguard me from violent men,
Those who scheme to trip me.
5 The haughty ones hide a trap for me;
With ropes they spread out a net beside the path.
They set snares for me. (Selah)
6 I say to Jehovah: “You are my God.
Listen, O Jehovah, to my pleas for help.”
7 O Jehovah the Sovereign Lord, my strong Savior,
You shield my head in the day of battle.
8 Do not grant, O Jehovah, the desires of the wicked.
Do not let their plots succeed, so that they are not exalted. (Selah)
9 May the heads of those surrounding me
Be covered with the evil spoken by their lips.
10 May burning coals rain down on them.
May they be hurled into the fire,
Into deep pits, never to rise again.
11 May the slanderer find no place on the earth.
May evil pursue men of violence and strike them down.
12 I know that Jehovah will defend the lowly
And give justice to the poor.
13 Surely the righteous will give thanks to your name;
The upright will dwell before your face.
Psalm 141
A melody of David.
1 O Jehovah, I call on you.
Come quickly to help me.
Do pay attention when I call to you.
2 May my prayer be as incense prepared before you,
My uplifted hands like the evening grain offering.
3 Station a guard for my mouth, O Jehovah,
Do set a watch over the door of my lips.
4 Do not let my heart incline to anything bad,
To share in vile deeds with evil men;
May I never feast on their delicacies.
5 Should the righteous one strike me, it would be an act of loyal love;
Should he reprove me, it would be like oil on my head,
Which my head would never refuse.
My prayer will continue even during their calamities.
6 Though their judges are thrown down from the cliff,
The people will pay attention to my words, for they are pleasant.
7 Just as when someone plows and breaks up the soil,
So our bones have been scattered at the mouth of the Grave.
8 But my eyes look to you, O Sovereign Lord Jehovah.
In you I have taken refuge.
Do not take away my life.
9 Protect me from the jaws of the trap they have laid for me,
From the snares of evildoers.
10 The wicked will fall into their own nets all together
While I pass by safely.
Psalm 142
Maskil. Of David when he was in the cave. A prayer.
1 With my voice I call to Jehovah for help;
With my voice I plead with Jehovah for favor.
2 Before him I pour out my concern;
Before him I tell about my distress
3 When my spirit fails within me.
Then you watch my roadway.
In the path where I walk,
They hide a trap for me.
4 Look at my right hand and see
That no one cares about me.
There is nowhere I can flee;
No one is concerned about me.
5 I call to you, O Jehovah, for help.
I say: “You are my refuge,
All I have in the land of the living.”
6 Pay attention to my cry for help,
For I have been brought very low.
Rescue me from my persecutors,
For they are stronger than I am.
7 Bring me out of the dungeon
To praise your name.
May the righteous gather around me
Because you deal kindly with me.
Psalm 143
A melody of David.
1 O Jehovah, hear my prayer;
Listen to my plea for help.
In your faithfulness and in your righteousness, answer me.
2 Do not enter into judgment with your servant,
For no one living can be righteous before you.
3 For the enemy pursues me;
He has crushed my life into the ground.
He has caused me to dwell in darkness like those long dead.
4 My spirit is failing;
My heart is numb within me.
5 I remember the days of old;
I meditate on all your activity;
I eagerly ponder over the work of your hands.
6 I spread out my hands to you;
I am like a parched land that thirsts for you. (Selah)
7 Do answer me quickly, O Jehovah;
My strength has come to an end.
Do not hide your face from me,
Or I will be like those going down into the pit.
8 Let me hear your loyal love in the morning,
For I trust in you.
Make known to me the way I should walk,
For to you I turn.
9 Rescue me from my enemies, O Jehovah.
I seek your protection.
10 Teach me to do your will,
For you are my God.
Your spirit is good;
May it lead me on level ground.
11 For the sake of your name, O Jehovah, preserve me alive.
In your righteousness, rescue me from distress.
12 In your loyal love, put an end to my enemies;
Destroy all those harassing me,
For I am your servant.
Psalm 144
Of David.
1 May Jehovah, my Rock, be praised,
Who trains my hands for battle,
My fingers for warfare.
2 He is my loyal love and my stronghold,
My secure refuge and my rescuer,
My shield and the One in whom I have taken shelter,
The One subduing peoples under me.
3 O Jehovah, what is man that you should notice him,
The son of mortal man that you should pay attention to him?
4 Man resembles a mere breath;
His days are like a passing shadow.
5 O Jehovah, lower your heavens and descend;
Touch the mountains and make them smoke.
6 Make lightning flash and scatter the enemy;
Shoot your arrows and throw them into confusion.
7 Stretch out your hands from above;
Rescue me and save me from the surging waters,
From the hand of the foreigners,
8 Whose mouths speak lies
And who raise their right hand to swear to what is false.
9 O God, I will sing to you a new song.
I will sing praises to you, accompanied by a ten-stringed instrument,
10 To the One who gives victory to kings,
The One rescuing his servant David from the deadly sword.
11 Rescue me and save me from the hand of the foreigners,
Whose mouths speak lies
And who raise their right hand to swear to what is false.
12 Then our sons will be like young plants that grow up quickly,
Our daughters like corner pillars carved for a palace.
13 Our storehouses will overflow with every kind of produce;
Our flocks in our fields will multiply by the thousands, by the tens of thousands.
14 Our cattle, heavy with young, will suffer no mishap or miscarriage;
There will be no cry of distress in our public squares.
15 Happy is the people for whom it is this way!
Happy is the people whose God is Jehovah!
Psalm 145
A praise of David.
א [Aleph]
1 I will exalt you, O my God the King,
I will praise your name forever and ever.
ב [Beth]
2 All day long I will praise you;
I will praise your name forever and ever.
ג [Gimel]
3 Jehovah is great and most worthy of praise;
His greatness is unsearchable.
ד [Daleth]
4 Generation after generation will praise your works;
They will tell about your mighty acts.
ה [He]
5 Of the glorious splendor of your majesty they will speak
And on your wonderful works I will meditate.
ו [Waw]
6 They will speak about your awe-inspiring deeds,
And I will declare your greatness.
ז [Zayin]
7 They will bubble over as they recall your abundant goodness,
And they will shout joyfully because of your righteousness.
ח [Heth]
8 Jehovah is compassionate and merciful,
Slow to anger and great in loyal love.
ט [Teth]
9 Jehovah is good to all,
And his mercy is evident in all his works.
י [Yod]
10 All your works will glorify you, O Jehovah,
And your loyal ones will praise you.
כ [Kaph]
11 They will proclaim the glory of your kingship
And speak about your mightiness,
ל [Lamed]
12 To make known to men your mighty acts
And the glorious splendor of your kingship.
מ [Mem]
13 Your kingship is an eternal kingship,
And your dominion endures throughout all generations.
ס [Samekh]
14 Jehovah supports all who are falling
And raises up all who are bowed down.
ע [Ayin]
15 All eyes look hopefully to you;
You give them their food in its season.
פ [Pe]
16 You open your hand
And satisfy the desire of every living thing.
צ [Tsade]
17 Jehovah is righteous in all his ways
And loyal in all that he does.
ק [Qoph]
18 Jehovah is near to all those calling on him,
To all who call on him in truth.
ר [Resh]
19 He satisfies the desire of those who fear him;
He hears their cry for help, and he rescues them.
ש [Shin]
20 Jehovah guards all those who love him,
But all the wicked he will annihilate.
ת [Taw]
21 My mouth will declare the praise of Jehovah;
Let every living thing praise his holy name forever and ever.
Psalm 146
1 Praise Jah!
Let my whole being praise Jehovah.
2 I will praise Jehovah all my life.
I will sing praises to my God as long as I live.
3 Do not put your trust in princes
Nor in a son of man, who cannot bring salvation.
4 His spirit goes out, he returns to the ground;
On that very day his thoughts perish.
5 Happy is the one who has the God of Jacob as his helper,
Whose hope is in Jehovah his God,
6 The Maker of heaven and earth,
Of the sea, and of all that is in them,
The One who always remains faithful,
7 The One securing justice for those defrauded,
The One giving bread to the hungry.
Jehovah is releasing the prisoners.
8 Jehovah is opening the eyes of the blind;
Jehovah is raising up those bowed down;
Jehovah loves the righteous.
9 Jehovah is protecting the foreign residents;
He sustains the fatherless child and the widow,
But he thwarts the plans of the wicked.
10 Jehovah will be King forever,
Your God, O Zion, for generation after generation.
Praise Jah!
Psalm 147
1 Praise Jah!
It is good to sing praises to our God;
How pleasant and fitting it is to praise him!
2 Jehovah is building Jerusalem;
He gathers together the dispersed ones of Israel.
3 He heals the brokenhearted;
He binds up their wounds.
4 He counts the number of the stars;
He calls all of them by name.
5 Our Lord is great and is mighty in power;
His understanding is beyond measure.
6 Jehovah raises up the meek,
But he hurls the wicked to the ground.
7 Sing to Jehovah with thanksgiving;
Sing praises to our God, accompanied by the harp,
8 The One who covers the heavens with clouds,
The One providing rain for the earth,
The One making grass sprout on the mountains.
9 To the animals he gives food,
To the young ravens that call out for it.
10 He does not delight in the power of the horse;
Nor is he impressed by the strong legs of a man.
11 Jehovah finds pleasure in those who fear him,
In those waiting for his loyal love.
12 Glorify Jehovah, O Jerusalem.
Praise your God, O Zion.
13 He makes the bars of your city gates strong;
He blesses your sons within you.
14 He brings peace to your territory;
He satisfies you with the finest wheat.
15 He sends his command to the earth;
His word runs swiftly.
16 He sends the snow like wool;
He scatters the frost just like ashes.
17 He hurls down his hailstones like morsels of bread.
Who can withstand his cold?
18 He sends out his word, and they melt.
He makes his wind blow, and the waters flow.
19 He declares his word to Jacob,
His regulations and judgments to Israel.
20 He has not done so with any other nation;
They know nothing about his judgments.
Praise Jah!
Psalm 148
1 Praise Jah!
Praise Jehovah from the heavens;
Praise him in the heights.
2 Praise him, all his angels.
Praise him, all his army.
3 Praise him, sun and moon.
Praise him, all shining stars.
4 Praise him, O highest heavens
And waters above the heavens.
5 Let them praise the name of Jehovah,
For he commanded, and they were created.
6 He keeps them established forever and ever;
He has issued a decree that will not pass away.
7 Praise Jehovah from the earth,
You great sea creatures and all deep waters,
8 You lightning and hail, snow and thick clouds,
You storm wind, carrying out his word,
9 You mountains and all you hills,
You fruit trees and all you cedars,
10 You wild animals and all you domestic animals,
You creeping things and winged birds,
11 You kings of the earth and all you nations,
You princes and all you judges of the earth,
12 You young men and young women,
Old men and young together.
13 Let them praise the name of Jehovah,
For his name alone is unreachably high.
His majesty is above earth and heaven.
14 He will exalt the strength of his people,
For the praise of all his loyal ones,
Of the sons of Israel, the people close to him.
Praise Jah!
Psalm 149
1 Praise Jah!
Sing to Jehovah a new song;
Praise him in the congregation of the loyal ones.
2 Let Israel rejoice in its Grand Maker;
Let the sons of Zion be joyful in their King.
3 Let them praise his name with dancing
And sing praises to him, accompanied by the tambourine and the harp.
4 For Jehovah takes pleasure in his people.
He adorns the meek with salvation.
5 Let the loyal ones exult in glory;
Let them shout for joy upon their beds.
6 Let the songs praising God be in their throat,
And a two-edged sword be in their hand,
7 To execute vengeance on the nations
And punishment on the peoples,
8 To bind their kings with shackles
And their nobles with iron fetters,
9 To execute the judgment written against them.
This honor belongs to all his loyal ones.
Praise Jah!
Psalm 150
1 Praise Jah!
Praise God in his holy place.
Praise him in the expanse of his strength.
2 Praise him for his mighty works.
Praise him for his exceeding greatness.
3 Praise him with the sounding of the horn.
Praise him with the stringed instrument and the harp.
4 Praise him with the tambourine and the circle dance.
Praise him with strings and the flute.
5 Praise him with ringing cymbals.
Praise him with crashing cymbals.
6 Every breathing thing—let it praise Jah.
Praise Jah!