Psalms

BOOK I

Psalms 1–41

Psalm 5

For the director of music. For flutes. A psalm of David.

1Give ear to my words, O LORD,

consider my sighing.

2Listen to my cry for help,

my King and my God,

for to you I pray.

3In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice;

in the morning I lay my requests before you

and wait in expectation.

 

4You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil;

with you the wicked cannot dwell.

5The arrogant cannot stand in your presence;

you hate all who do wrong.

6You destroy those who tell lies;

bloodthirsty and deceitful men

the LORD abhors.

 

7But I, by your great mercy,

will come into your house;

in reverence will I bow down

toward your holy temple.

8Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness

because of my enemies—

make straight your way before me.

 

9Not a word from their mouth can be trusted;

their heart is filled with destruction.

Their throat is an open grave;

with their tongue they speak deceit.

10Declare them guilty, O God!

Let their intrigues be their downfall.

Banish them for their many sins,

for they have rebelled against you.

 

11But let all who take refuge in you be glad;

let them ever sing for joy.

Spread your protection over them,

that those who love your name may rejoice in you.

12For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous;

you surround them with your favor as with a shield.

Psalm 6

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. According to sheminith.[11] A psalm of David.

1O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger

or discipline me in your wrath.

2Be merciful to me, LORD, for I am faint;

O LORD, heal me, for my bones are in agony.

3My soul is in anguish.

How long, O LORD, how long?

 

4Turn, O LORD, and deliver me;

save me because of your unfailing love.

5No one remembers you when he is dead.

Who praises you from the grave[12]?

 

6I am worn out from groaning;

all night long I flood my bed with weeping

and drench my couch with tears.

7My eyes grow weak with sorrow;

they fail because of all my foes.

 

8Away from me, all you who do evil,

for the LORD has heard my weeping.

9The LORD has heard my cry for mercy;

the LORD accepts my prayer.

10All my enemies will be ashamed and dismayed;

they will turn back in sudden disgrace.

Psalm 7

A shiggaion[13] of David, which he sang to the LORD concerning Cush, a Benjamite.

1O LORD my God, I take refuge in you;

save and deliver me from all who pursue me,

2or they will tear me like a lion

and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue me.

 

3O LORD my God, if I have done this

and there is guilt on my hands—

4if I have done evil to him who is at peace with me

or without cause have robbed my foe—

5then let my enemy pursue and overtake me;

let him trample my life to the ground

and make me sleep in the dust. Selah

 

6Arise, O LORD, in your anger;

rise up against the rage of my enemies.

Awake, my God; decree justice.

7Let the assembled peoples gather around you.

Rule over them from on high;

8let the LORD judge the peoples.

Judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness,

according to my integrity, O Most High.

9O righteous God,

who searches minds and hearts,

bring to an end the violence of the wicked

and make the righteous secure.

 

10My shield[14] is God Most High,

who saves the upright in heart.

11God is a righteous judge,

a God who expresses his wrath every day.

12If he does not relent,

he[15] will sharpen his sword;

he will bend and string his bow.

13He has prepared his deadly weapons;

he makes ready his flaming arrows.

 

14He who is pregnant with evil

and conceives trouble gives birth to disillusionment.

15He who digs a hole and scoops it out

falls into the pit he has made.

16The trouble he causes recoils on himself;

his violence comes down on his own head.

 

17I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness

and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.

Psalm 9 [19]

For the director of music. To [the tune of] “The Death of the Son.” A psalm of David.

1I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart;

I will tell of all your wonders.

2I will be glad and rejoice in you;

I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

 

3My enemies turn back;

they stumble and perish before you.

4For you have upheld my right and my cause;

you have sat on your throne, judging righteously.

5You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked;

you have blotted out their name for ever and ever.

6Endless ruin has overtaken the enemy,

you have uprooted their cities;

even the memory of them has perished.

 

7The LORD reigns forever;

he has established his throne for judgment.

8He will judge the world in righteousness;

he will govern the peoples with justice.

9The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed,

a stronghold in times of trouble.

10Those who know your name will trust in you,

for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.

 

11Sing praises to the LORD, enthroned in Zion;

proclaim among the nations what he has done.

12For he who avenges blood remembers;

he does not ignore the cry of the afflicted.

 

13O LORD, see how my enemies persecute me!

Have mercy and lift me up from the gates of death,

14that I may declare your praises

in the gates of the Daughter of Zion

and there rejoice in your salvation.

15The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug;

their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.

16The LORD is known by his justice;

the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands. Higgaion.[20] Selah

17The wicked return to the grave,[21]

all the nations that forget God.

18But the needy will not always be forgotten,

nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish.

 

19Arise, O LORD, let not man triumph;

let the nations be judged in your presence.

20Strike them with terror, O LORD;

let the nations know they are but men. Selah

Psalm 10 [22]

1Why, O LORD, do you stand far off?

Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

 

2In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak,

who are caught in the schemes he devises.

3He boasts of the cravings of his heart;

he blesses the greedy and reviles the LORD.

4In his pride the wicked does not seek him;

in all his thoughts there is no room for God.

5His ways are always prosperous;

he is haughty and your laws are far from him;

he sneers at all his enemies.

6He says to himself, “Nothing will shake me;

I’ll always be happy and never have trouble.”

7His mouth is full of curses and lies and threats;

trouble and evil are under his tongue.

8He lies in wait near the villages;

from ambush he murders the innocent,

watching in secret for his victims.

9He lies in wait like a lion in cover;

he lies in wait to catch the helpless;

he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net.

10His victims are crushed, they collapse;

they fall under his strength.

11He says to himself, “God has forgotten;

he covers his face and never sees.”

 

12Arise, LORD! Lift up your hand, O God.

Do not forget the helpless.

13Why does the wicked man revile God?

Why does he say to himself,

“He won’t call me to account”?

14But you, O God, do see trouble and grief;

you consider it to take it in hand.

The victim commits himself to you;

you are the helper of the fatherless.

15Break the arm of the wicked and evil man;

call him to account for his wickedness

that would not be found out.

 

16The LORD is King for ever and ever;

the nations will perish from his land.

17You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted;

you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,

18defending the fatherless and the oppressed,

in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more.

Psalm 11

For the director of music. Of David.

1In the LORD I take refuge.

How then can you say to me:

“Flee like a bird to your mountain.

2For look, the wicked bend their bows;

they set their arrows against the strings

to shoot from the shadows

at the upright in heart.

3When the foundations are being destroyed,

what can the righteous do[23]? ”

 

4The LORD is in his holy temple;

the LORD is on his heavenly throne.

He observes the sons of men;

his eyes examine them.

5The LORD examines the righteous,

but the wicked[24] and those who love violence

his soul hates.

6On the wicked he will rain

fiery coals and burning sulfur;

a scorching wind will be their lot.

 

7For the LORD is righteous,

he loves justice;

upright men will see his face.

Psalm 12

For the director of music. According to sheminith.[25] A psalm of David.

1Help, LORD, for the godly are no more;

the faithful have vanished from among men.

2Everyone lies to his neighbor;

their flattering lips speak with deception.

 

3May the LORD cut off all flattering lips

and every boastful tongue

4that says, “We will triumph with our tongues;

we own our lips[26]—who is our master?”

 

5“Because of the oppression of the weak

and the groaning of the needy,

I will now arise,” says the LORD.

“I will protect them from those who malign them.”

6And the words of the LORD are flawless,

like silver refined in a furnace of clay,

purified seven times.

 

7O LORD, you will keep us safe

and protect us from such people forever.

8The wicked freely strut about

when what is vile is honored among men.

Psalm 17

A prayer of David.

1Hear, O LORD, my righteous plea;

listen to my cry.

Give ear to my prayer—

it does not rise from deceitful lips.

2May my vindication come from you;

may your eyes see what is right.

 

3Though you probe my heart and examine me at night,

though you test me, you will find nothing;

I have resolved that my mouth will not sin.

4As for the deeds of men—

by the word of your lips

I have kept myself

from the ways of the violent.

5My steps have held to your paths;

my feet have not slipped.

 

6I call on you, O God, for you will answer me;

give ear to me and hear my prayer.

7Show the wonder of your great love,

you who save by your right hand

those who take refuge in you from their foes.

8Keep me as the apple of your eye;

hide me in the shadow of your wings

9from the wicked who assail me,

from my mortal enemies who surround me.

 

10They close up their callous hearts,

and their mouths speak with arrogance.

11They have tracked me down, they now surround me,

with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground.

12They are like a lion hungry for prey,

like a great lion crouching in cover.

 

13Rise up, O LORD, confront them, bring them down;

rescue me from the wicked by your sword.

14O LORD, by your hand save me from such men,

from men of this world whose reward is in this life.

 

You still the hunger of those you cherish;

their sons have plenty,

and they store up wealth for their children.

15And I—in righteousness I will see your face;

when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.

Psalm 18

For the director of music. Of David the servant of the LORD. He sang to the LORD the words of this song when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said:

1I love you, O LORD, my strength.

 

2The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;

my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.

He is my shield and the horn[33] of my salvation, my stronghold.

3I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise,

and I am saved from my enemies.

 

4The cords of death entangled me;

the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.

5The cords of the grave[34] coiled around me;

the snares of death confronted me.

6In my distress I called to the LORD;

I cried to my God for help.

From his temple he heard my voice;

my cry came before him, into his ears.

 

7The earth trembled and quaked,

and the foundations of the mountains shook;

they trembled because he was angry.

8Smoke rose from his nostrils;

consuming fire came from his mouth,

burning coals blazed out of it.

9He parted the heavens and came down;

dark clouds were under his feet.

10He mounted the cherubim and flew;

he soared on the wings of the wind.

11He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him—

the dark rain clouds of the sky.

12Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced,

with hailstones and bolts of lightning.

13The LORD thundered from heaven;

the voice of the Most High resounded.[35]

14He shot his arrows and scattered [the enemies],

great bolts of lightning and routed them.

15The valleys of the sea were exposed

and the foundations of the earth laid bare

at your rebuke, O LORD,

at the blast of breath from your nostrils.

 

16He reached down from on high and took hold of me;

he drew me out of deep waters.

17He rescued me from my powerful enemy,

from my foes, who were too strong for me.

18They confronted me in the day of my disaster,

but the LORD was my support.

19He brought me out into a spacious place;

he rescued me because he delighted in me.

 

20The LORD has dealt with me according to my righteousness;

according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.

21For I have kept the ways of the LORD;

I have not done evil by turning from my God.

22All his laws are before me;

I have not turned away from his decrees.

23I have been blameless before him

and have kept myself from sin.

24The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness,

according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.

 

25To the faithful you show yourself faithful,

to the blameless you show yourself blameless,

26to the pure you show yourself pure,

but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd.

27You save the humble

but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.

28You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning;

my God turns my darkness into light.

29With your help I can advance against a troop[36];

with my God I can scale a wall.

 

30As for God, his way is perfect;

the word of the LORD is flawless.

He is a shield

for all who take refuge in him.

31For who is God besides the LORD?

And who is the Rock except our God?

32It is God who arms me with strength

and makes my way perfect.

33He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;

he enables me to stand on the heights.

34He trains my hands for battle;

my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

35You give me your shield of victory,

and your right hand sustains me;

you stoop down to make me great.

36You broaden the path beneath me,

so that my ankles do not turn.

 

37I pursued my enemies and overtook them;

I did not turn back till they were destroyed.

38I crushed them so that they could not rise;

they fell beneath my feet.

39You armed me with strength for battle;

you made my adversaries bow at my feet.

40You made my enemies turn their backs in flight,

and I destroyed my foes.

41They cried for help, but there was no one to save them—

to the LORD, but he did not answer.

42I beat them as fine as dust borne on the wind;

I poured them out like mud in the streets.

 

43You have delivered me from the attacks of the people;

you have made me the head of nations;

people I did not know are subject to me.

44As soon as they hear me, they obey me;

foreigners cringe before me.

45They all lose heart;

they come trembling from their strongholds.

 

46The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock!

Exalted be God my Savior!

47He is the God who avenges me,

who subdues nations under me,

48who saves me from my enemies.

You exalted me above my foes;

from violent men you rescued me.

49Therefore I will praise you among the nations, O LORD;

I will sing praises to your name.

50He gives his king great victories;

he shows unfailing kindness to his anointed,

to David and his descendants forever.

Psalm 19

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

1The heavens declare the glory of God;

the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

2Day after day they pour forth speech;

night after night they display knowledge.

3There is no speech or language

where their voice is not heard.[37]

4Their voice[38] goes out into all the earth,

their words to the ends of the world.

 

In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun,

5which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion,

like a champion rejoicing to run his course.

6It rises at one end of the heavens

and makes its circuit to the other;

nothing is hidden from its heat.

 

7The law of the LORD is perfect,

reviving the soul.

The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy,

making wise the simple.

8The precepts of the LORD are right,

giving joy to the heart.

The commands of the LORD are radiant,

giving light to the eyes.

9The fear of the LORD is pure,

enduring forever.

The ordinances of the LORD are sure

and altogether righteous.

10They are more precious than gold,

than much pure gold;

they are sweeter than honey,

than honey from the comb.

11By them is your servant warned;

in keeping them there is great reward.

 

12Who can discern his errors?

Forgive my hidden faults.

13Keep your servant also from willful sins;

may they not rule over me.

Then will I be blameless,

innocent of great transgression.

 

14May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

be pleasing in your sight,

O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Psalm 20

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

1May the LORD answer you when you are in distress;

may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.

2May he send you help from the sanctuary

and grant you support from Zion.

3May he remember all your sacrifices

and accept your burnt offerings. Selah

4May he give you the desire of your heart

and make all your plans succeed.

5We will shout for joy when you are victorious

and will lift up our banners in the name of our God.

May the LORD grant all your requests.

 

6Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed;

he answers him from his holy heaven

with the saving power of his right hand.

7Some trust in chariots and some in horses,

but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.

8They are brought to their knees and fall,

but we rise up and stand firm.

 

9O LORD, save the king!

Answer[39] us when we call!

Psalm 21

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

1O LORD, the king rejoices in your strength.

How great is his joy in the victories you give!

2You have granted him the desire of his heart

and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah

3You welcomed him with rich blessings

and placed a crown of pure gold on his head.

4He asked you for life, and you gave it to him—

length of days, for ever and ever.

5Through the victories you gave, his glory is great;

you have bestowed on him splendor and majesty.

6Surely you have granted him eternal blessings

and made him glad with the joy of your presence.

7For the king trusts in the LORD;

through the unfailing love of the Most High

he will not be shaken.

 

8Your hand will lay hold on all your enemies;

your right hand will seize your foes.

9At the time of your appearing

you will make them like a fiery furnace.

In his wrath the LORD will swallow them up,

and his fire will consume them.

10You will destroy their descendants from the earth,

their posterity from mankind.

11Though they plot evil against you

and devise wicked schemes, they cannot succeed;

12for you will make them turn their backs

when you aim at them with drawn bow.

 

13Be exalted, O LORD, in your strength;

we will sing and praise your might.

Psalm 22

For the director of music. To [the tune of] “The Doe of the Morning.” A psalm of David.

1My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

Why are you so far from saving me,

so far from the words of my groaning?

2O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,

by night, and am not silent.

 

3Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;

you are the praise of Israel.[40]

4In you our fathers put their trust;

they trusted and you delivered them.

5They cried to you and were saved;

in you they trusted and were not disappointed.

 

6But I am a worm and not a man,

scorned by men and despised by the people.

7All who see me mock me;

they hurl insults, shaking their heads:

8“He trusts in the LORD;

let the LORD rescue him.

Let him deliver him,

since he delights in him.”

 

9Yet you brought me out of the womb;

you made me trust in you

even at my mother’s breast.

10From birth I was cast upon you;

from my mother’s womb you have been my God.

11Do not be far from me,

for trouble is near

and there is no one to help.

 

12Many bulls surround me;

strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.

13Roaring lions tearing their prey

open their mouths wide against me.

14I am poured out like water,

and all my bones are out of joint.

My heart has turned to wax;

it has melted away within me.

15My strength is dried up like a potsherd,

and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;

you lay me[41] in the dust of death.

16Dogs have surrounded me;

a band of evil men has encircled me,

they have pierced[42] my hands and my feet.

17I can count all my bones;

people stare and gloat over me.

18They divide my garments among them

and cast lots for my clothing.

 

19But you, O LORD, be not far off;

O my Strength, come quickly to help me.

20Deliver my life from the sword,

my precious life from the power of the dogs.

21Rescue me from the mouth of the lions;

save[43] me from the horns of the wild oxen.

 

22I will declare your name to my brothers;

in the congregation I will praise you.

23You who fear the LORD, praise him!

All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!

Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!

24For he has not despised or disdained

the suffering of the afflicted one;

he has not hidden his face from him

but has listened to his cry for help.

 

25From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;

before those who fear you[44] will I fulfill my vows.

26The poor will eat and be satisfied;

they who seek the LORD will praise him —

may your hearts live forever!

27All the ends of the earth

will remember and turn to the LORD,

and all the families of the nations

will bow down before him,

28for dominion belongs to the LORD

and he rules over the nations.

 

29All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;

all who go down to the dust will kneel before him—

those who cannot keep themselves alive.

30Posterity will serve him;

future generations will be told about the Lord.

31They will proclaim his righteousness

to a people yet unborn—

for he has done it.

Psalm 24

Of David. A psalm.

1The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it,

the world, and all who live in it;

2for he founded it upon the seas

and established it upon the waters.

 

3Who may ascend the hill of the LORD?

Who may stand in his holy place?

4He who has clean hands and a pure heart,

who does not lift up his soul to an idol

or swear by what is false.[46]

5He will receive blessing from the LORD

and vindication from God his Savior.

6Such is the generation of those who seek him,

who seek your face, O God of Jacob.[47] Selah

 

7Lift up your heads, O you gates;

be lifted up, you ancient doors,

that the King of glory may come in.

8Who is this King of glory?

The LORD strong and mighty,

the LORD mighty in battle.

9Lift up your heads, O you gates;

lift them up, you ancient doors,

that the King of glory may come in.

10Who is he, this King of glory?

The LORD Almighty—

he is the King of glory. Selah

Psalm 25 [48]

Of David.

1To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul;

2in you I trust, O my God.

Do not let me be put to shame,

nor let my enemies triumph over me.

3No one whose hope is in you

will ever be put to shame,

but they will be put to shame

who are treacherous without excuse.

 

4Show me your ways, O LORD,

teach me your paths;

5guide me in your truth and teach me,

for you are God my Savior,

and my hope is in you all day long.

6Remember, O LORD, your great mercy and love,

for they are from of old.

7Remember not the sins of my youth

and my rebellious ways;

according to your love remember me,

for you are good, O LORD.

 

8Good and upright is the LORD;

therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.

9He guides the humble in what is right

and teaches them his way.

10All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful

for those who keep the demands of his covenant.

11For the sake of your name, O LORD,

forgive my iniquity, though it is great.

12Who, then, is the man that fears the LORD?

He will instruct him in the way chosen for him.

13He will spend his days in prosperity,

and his descendants will inherit the land.

14The LORD confides in those who fear him;

he makes his covenant known to them.

15My eyes are ever on the LORD,

for only he will release my feet from the snare.

 

16Turn to me and be gracious to me,

for I am lonely and afflicted.

17The troubles of my heart have multiplied;

free me from my anguish.

18Look upon my affliction and my distress

and take away all my sins.

19See how my enemies have increased

and how fiercely they hate me!

20Guard my life and rescue me;

let me not be put to shame,

for I take refuge in you.

21May integrity and uprightness protect me,

because my hope is in you.

 

22Redeem Israel, O God,

from all their troubles!

Psalm 27

Of David.

1The LORD is my light and my salvation—

whom shall I fear?

The LORD is the stronghold of my life—

of whom shall I be afraid?

2When evil men advance against me

to devour my flesh,[49]

when my enemies and my foes attack me,

they will stumble and fall.

3Though an army besiege me,

my heart will not fear;

though war break out against me,

even then will I be confident.

 

4One thing I ask of the LORD,

this is what I seek:

that I may dwell in the house of the LORD

all the days of my life,

to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD

and to seek him in his temple.

5For in the day of trouble

he will keep me safe in his dwelling;

he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle

and set me high upon a rock.

6Then my head will be exalted

above the enemies who surround me;

at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy;

I will sing and make music to the LORD.

 

7Hear my voice when I call, O LORD;

be merciful to me and answer me.

8My heart says of you, “Seek his[50] face!”

Your face, LORD, I will seek.

9Do not hide your face from me,

do not turn your servant away in anger;

you have been my helper.

Do not reject me or forsake me,

O God my Savior.

10Though my father and mother forsake me,

the LORD will receive me.

11Teach me your way, O LORD;

lead me in a straight path

because of my oppressors.

12Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,

for false witnesses rise up against me,

breathing out violence.

 

13I am still confident of this:

I will see the goodness of the LORD

in the land of the living.

14Wait for the LORD;

be strong and take heart

and wait for the LORD.

Psalm 29

A psalm of David.

1Ascribe to the LORD, O mighty ones,

ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.

2Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;

worship the LORD in the splendor of his[51] holiness.

 

3The voice of the LORD is over the waters;

the God of glory thunders,

the LORD thunders over the mighty waters.

4The voice of the LORD is powerful;

the voice of the LORD is majestic.

5The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars;

the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.

6He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,

Sirion[52] like a young wild ox.

7The voice of the LORD strikes

with flashes of lightning.

8The voice of the LORD shakes the desert;

the LORD shakes the Desert of Kadesh.

9The voice of the LORD twists the oaks[53]

and strips the forests bare.

And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”

 

10The LORD sits[54] enthroned over the flood;

the LORD is enthroned as King forever.

11The LORD gives strength to his people;

the LORD blesses his people with peace.

Psalm 31

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

1In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge;

let me never be put to shame;

deliver me in your righteousness.

2Turn your ear to me,

come quickly to my rescue;

be my rock of refuge,

a strong fortress to save me.

3Since you are my rock and my fortress,

for the sake of your name lead and guide me.

4Free me from the trap that is set for me,

for you are my refuge.

5Into your hands I commit my spirit;

redeem me, O LORD, the God of truth.

 

6I hate those who cling to worthless idols;

I trust in the LORD.

7I will be glad and rejoice in your love,

for you saw my affliction

and knew the anguish of my soul.

8You have not handed me over to the enemy

but have set my feet in a spacious place.

 

9Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress;

my eyes grow weak with sorrow,

my soul and my body with grief.

10My life is consumed by anguish

and my years by groaning;

my strength fails because of my affliction,[59]

and my bones grow weak.

11Because of all my enemies,

I am the utter contempt of my neighbors;

I am a dread to my friends—

those who see me on the street flee from me.

12I am forgotten by them as though I were dead;

I have become like broken pottery.

13For I hear the slander of many;

there is terror on every side;

they conspire against me

and plot to take my life.

 

14But I trust in you, O LORD;

I say, “You are my God.”

15My times are in your hands;

deliver me from my enemies

and from those who pursue me.

16Let your face shine on your servant;

save me in your unfailing love.

17Let me not be put to shame, O LORD,

for I have cried out to you;

but let the wicked be put to shame

and lie silent in the grave.[60]

18Let their lying lips be silenced,

for with pride and contempt

they speak arrogantly against the righteous.

 

19How great is your goodness,

which you have stored up for those who fear you,

which you bestow in the sight of men

on those who take refuge in you.

20In the shelter of your presence you hide them

from the intrigues of men;

in your dwelling you keep them safe

from accusing tongues.

 

21Praise be to the LORD,

for he showed his wonderful love to me

when I was in a besieged city.

22In my alarm I said,

“I am cut off from your sight!”

Yet you heard my cry for mercy

when I called to you for help.

 

23Love the LORD, all his saints!

The LORD preserves the faithful,

but the proud he pays back in full.

24Be strong and take heart,

all you who hope in the LORD.

Psalm 33

1Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous;

it is fitting for the upright to praise him.

2Praise the LORD with the harp;

make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.

3Sing to him a new song;

play skillfully, and shout for joy.

 

4For the word of the LORD is right and true;

he is faithful in all he does.

5The LORD loves righteousness and justice;

the earth is full of his unfailing love.

 

6By the word of the LORD were the heavens made,

their starry host by the breath of his mouth.

7He gathers the waters of the sea into jars[62];

he puts the deep into storehouses.

8Let all the earth fear the LORD;

let all the people of the world revere him.

9For he spoke, and it came to be;

he commanded, and it stood firm.

10The LORD foils the plans of the nations;

he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.

11But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever,

the purposes of his heart through all generations.

 

12Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,

the people he chose for his inheritance.

13From heaven the LORD looks down

and sees all mankind;

14from his dwelling place he watches

all who live on earth—

15he who forms the hearts of all,

who considers everything they do.

16No king is saved by the size of his army;

no warrior escapes by his great strength.

17A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;

despite all its great strength it cannot save.

18But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him,

on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,

19to deliver them from death

and keep them alive in famine.

 

20We wait in hope for the LORD;

he is our help and our shield.

21In him our hearts rejoice,

for we trust in his holy name.

22May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD,

even as we put our hope in you.

Psalm 34 [63]

Of David. When he pretended to be insane before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he left.

1I will extol the LORD at all times;

his praise will always be on my lips.

2My soul will boast in the LORD;

let the afflicted hear and rejoice.

3Glorify the LORD with me;

let us exalt his name together.

 

4I sought the LORD, and he answered me;

he delivered me from all my fears.

5Those who look to him are radiant;

their faces are never covered with shame.

6This poor man called, and the LORD heard him;

he saved him out of all his troubles.

7The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him,

and he delivers them.

 

8Taste and see that the LORD is good;

blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

9Fear the LORD, you his saints,

for those who fear him lack nothing.

10The lions may grow weak and hungry,

but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

 

11Come, my children, listen to me;

I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

12Whoever of you loves life

and desires to see many good days,

13keep your tongue from evil

and your lips from speaking lies.

14Turn from evil and do good;

seek peace and pursue it.

 

15The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous

and his ears are attentive to their cry;

16the face of the LORD is against those who do evil,

to cut off the memory of them from the earth.

 

17The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them;

he delivers them from all their troubles.

18The LORD is close to the brokenhearted

and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

 

19A righteous man may have many troubles,

but the LORD delivers him from them all;

20he protects all his bones,

not one of them will be broken.

 

21Evil will slay the wicked;

the foes of the righteous will be condemned.

22The LORD redeems his servants;

no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him.

Psalm 35

Of David.

1Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me;

fight against those who fight against me.

2Take up shield and buckler;

arise and come to my aid.

3Brandish spear and javelin[64]

against those who pursue me.

Say to my soul,

“I am your salvation.”

 

4May those who seek my life

be disgraced and put to shame;

may those who plot my ruin

be turned back in dismay.

5May they be like chaff before the wind,

with the angel of the LORD driving them away;

6may their path be dark and slippery,

with the angel of the LORD pursuing them.

7Since they hid their net for me without cause

and without cause dug a pit for me,

8may ruin overtake them by surprise —

may the net they hid entangle them,

may they fall into the pit, to their ruin.

9Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD

and delight in his salvation.

10My whole being will exclaim,

“Who is like you, O LORD?

You rescue the poor from those too strong for them,

the poor and needy from those who rob them.”

 

11Ruthless witnesses come forward;

they question me on things I know nothing about.

12They repay me evil for good

and leave my soul forlorn.

13Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth

and humbled myself with fasting.

When my prayers returned to me unanswered,

14I went about mourning

as though for my friend or brother.

I bowed my head in grief

as though weeping for my mother.

15But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee;

attackers gathered against me when I was unaware.

They slandered me without ceasing.

16Like the ungodly they maliciously mocked[65];

they gnashed their teeth at me.

17O Lord, how long will you look on?

Rescue my life from their ravages,

my precious life from these lions.

18I will give you thanks in the great assembly;

among throngs of people I will praise you.

 

19Let not those gloat over me

who are my enemies without cause;

let not those who hate me without reason

maliciously wink the eye.

20They do not speak peaceably,

but devise false accusations

against those who live quietly in the land.

21They gape at me and say, “Aha! Aha!

With our own eyes we have seen it.”

 

22O LORD, you have seen this; be not silent.

Do not be far from me, O Lord.

23Awake, and rise to my defense!

Contend for me, my God and Lord.

24Vindicate me in your righteousness, O LORD my God;

do not let them gloat over me.

25Do not let them think, “Aha, just what we wanted!”

or say, “We have swallowed him up.”

 

26May all who gloat over my distress

be put to shame and confusion;

may all who exalt themselves over me

be clothed with shame and disgrace.

27May those who delight in my vindication

shout for joy and gladness;

may they always say, “The LORD be exalted,

who delights in the well-being of his servant.”

28My tongue will speak of your righteousness

and of your praises all day long.

Psalm 37 [68]

Of David.

1Do not fret because of evil men

or be envious of those who do wrong;

2for like the grass they will soon wither,

like green plants they will soon die away.

 

3Trust in the LORD and do good;

dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

4Delight yourself in the LORD

and he will give you the desires of your heart.

 

5Commit your way to the LORD;

trust in him and he will do this:

6He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,

the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

 

7Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;

do not fret when men succeed in their ways,

when they carry out their wicked schemes.

 

8Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;

do not fret—it leads only to evil.

9For evil men will be cut off,

but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.

 

10A little while, and the wicked will be no more;

though you look for them, they will not be found.

11But the meek will inherit the land

and enjoy great peace.

 

12The wicked plot against the righteous

and gnash their teeth at them;

13but the Lord laughs at the wicked,

for he knows their day is coming.

 

14The wicked draw the sword

and bend the bow

to bring down the poor and needy,

to slay those whose ways are upright.

15But their swords will pierce their own hearts,

and their bows will be broken.

 

16Better the little that the righteous have

than the wealth of many wicked;

17for the power of the wicked will be broken,

but the LORD upholds the righteous.

 

18The days of the blameless are known to the LORD,

and their inheritance will endure forever.

19In times of disaster they will not wither;

in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

 

20But the wicked will perish:

The LORD’s enemies will be like the beauty of the fields,

they will vanish—vanish like smoke.

 

21The wicked borrow and do not repay,

but the righteous give generously;

22those the LORD blesses will inherit the land,

but those he curses will be cut off.

 

23If the LORD delights in a man’s way,

he makes his steps firm;

24though he stumble, he will not fall,

for the LORD upholds him with his hand.

 

25I was young and now I am old,

yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken

or their children begging bread.

26They are always generous and lend freely;

their children will be blessed.

 

27Turn from evil and do good;

then you will dwell in the land forever.

28For the LORD loves the just

and will not forsake his faithful ones.

 

They will be protected forever,

but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off;

29the righteous will inherit the land

and dwell in it forever.

 

30The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom,

and his tongue speaks what is just.

31The law of his God is in his heart;

his feet do not slip.

 

32The wicked lie in wait for the righteous,

seeking their very lives;

33but the LORD will not leave them in their power

or let them be condemned when brought to trial.

 

34Wait for the LORD

and keep his way.

He will exalt you to inherit the land;

when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.

 

35I have seen a wicked and ruthless man

flourishing like a green tree in its native soil,

36but he soon passed away and was no more;

though I looked for him, he could not be found.

 

37Consider the blameless, observe the upright;

there is a future[69] for the man of peace.

38But all sinners will be destroyed;

the future[70] of the wicked will be cut off.

 

39The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD;

he is their stronghold in time of trouble.

40The LORD helps them and delivers them;

he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,

because they take refuge in him.

Psalm 38

A psalm of David. A petition.

1O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger

or discipline me in your wrath.

2For your arrows have pierced me,

and your hand has come down upon me.

3Because of your wrath there is no health in my body;

my bones have no soundness because of my sin.

4My guilt has overwhelmed me

like a burden too heavy to bear.

 

5My wounds fester and are loathsome

because of my sinful folly.

6I am bowed down and brought very low;

all day long I go about mourning.

7My back is filled with searing pain;

there is no health in my body.

8I am feeble and utterly crushed;

I groan in anguish of heart.

 

9All my longings lie open before you, O Lord;

my sighing is not hidden from you.

10My heart pounds, my strength fails me;

even the light has gone from my eyes.

11My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds;

my neighbors stay far away.

12Those who seek my life set their traps,

those who would harm me talk of my ruin;

all day long they plot deception.

 

13I am like a deaf man, who cannot hear,

like a mute, who cannot open his mouth;

14I have become like a man who does not hear,

whose mouth can offer no reply.

15I wait for you, O LORD;

you will answer, O Lord my God.

16For I said, “Do not let them gloat

or exalt themselves over me when my foot slips.”

 

17For I am about to fall,

and my pain is ever with me.

18I confess my iniquity;

I am troubled by my sin.

19Many are those who are my vigorous enemies;

those who hate me without reason are numerous.

20Those who repay my good with evil

slander me when I pursue what is good.

 

21O LORD, do not forsake me;

be not far from me, O my God.

22Come quickly to help me,

O Lord my Savior.

Psalm 39

For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.

1I said, “I will watch my ways

and keep my tongue from sin;

I will put a muzzle on my mouth

as long as the wicked are in my presence.”

2But when I was silent and still,

not even saying anything good,

my anguish increased.

3My heart grew hot within me,

and as I meditated, the fire burned;

then I spoke with my tongue:

 

4“Show me, O LORD, my life’s end

and the number of my days;

let me know how fleeting is my life.

5You have made my days a mere handbreadth;

the span of my years is as nothing before you.

Each man’s life is but a breath. Selah

6Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro:

He bustles about, but only in vain;

he heaps up wealth, not knowing who will get it.

 

7“But now, Lord, what do I look for?

My hope is in you.

8Save me from all my transgressions;

do not make me the scorn of fools.

9I was silent; I would not open my mouth,

for you are the one who has done this.

10Remove your scourge from me;

I am overcome by the blow of your hand.

11You rebuke and discipline men for their sin;

you consume their wealth like a moth—

each man is but a breath. Selah

 

12“Hear my prayer, O LORD,

listen to my cry for help;

be not deaf to my weeping.

For I dwell with you as an alien,

a stranger, as all my fathers were.

13Look away from me, that I may rejoice again

before I depart and am no more.”

Psalm 40

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

1I waited patiently for the LORD;

he turned to me and heard my cry.

2He lifted me out of the slimy pit,

out of the mud and mire;

he set my feet on a rock

and gave me a firm place to stand.

3He put a new song in my mouth,

a hymn of praise to our God.

Many will see and fear

and put their trust in the LORD.

 

4Blessed is the man

who makes the LORD his trust,

who does not look to the proud,

to those who turn aside to false gods.[71]

5Many, O LORD my God,

are the wonders you have done.

The things you planned for us

no one can recount to you;

were I to speak and tell of them,

they would be too many to declare.

 

6Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,

but my ears you have pierced[72],[73];

burnt offerings and sin offerings

you did not require.

7Then I said, “Here I am, I have come—

it is written about me in the scroll.[74]

8I desire to do your will, O my God;

your law is within my heart.”

 

9I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly;

I do not seal my lips,

as you know, O LORD.

10I do not hide your righteousness in my heart;

I speak of your faithfulness and salvation.

I do not conceal your love and your truth

from the great assembly.

 

11Do not withhold your mercy from me, O LORD;

may your love and your truth always protect me.

12For troubles without number surround me;

my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.

They are more than the hairs of my head,

and my heart fails within me.

 

13Be pleased, O LORD, to save me;

O LORD, come quickly to help me.

14May all who seek to take my life

be put to shame and confusion;

may all who desire my ruin

be turned back in disgrace.

15May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”

be appalled at their own shame.

16But may all who seek you

rejoice and be glad in you;

may those who love your salvation always say,

“The LORD be exalted!”

 

17Yet I am poor and needy;

may the Lord think of me.

You are my help and my deliverer;

O my God, do not delay.