from the Almighty to do wrong.†
11He repays a man for what he has done;†
he brings upon him what his conduct deserves.†
12It is unthinkable that God would do wrong,
that the Almighty would pervert justice.†
13Who appointed him over the earth?
Who put him in charge of the whole world?†
14If it were his intention
and he withdrew his spirit[79] and breath,†
15all mankind would perish together
and man would return to the dust.†
16“If you have understanding, hear this;
listen to what I say.
17Can he who hates justice govern?†
Will you condemn the just and mighty One?†
18Is he not the One who says to kings, ‘You are worthless,’
and to nobles, ‘You are wicked,’†
19who shows no partiality† to princes
and does not favor the rich over the poor,†
for they are all the work of his hands?†
20They die in an instant, in the middle of the night;†
the people are shaken and they pass away;
the mighty are removed without human hand.†
21“His eyes are on the ways of men;
he sees their every step.†
22There is no dark place,† no deep shadow,†
where evildoers can hide.
23God has no need to examine men further,
that they should come before him for judgment.†
24Without inquiry he shatters the mighty†
and sets up others in their place.†
25Because he takes note of their deeds,
he overthrows them in the night and they are crushed.
26He punishes them for their wickedness
where everyone can see them,
27because they turned from following him†
and had no regard for any of his ways.†
28They caused the cry of the poor to come before him,
so that he heard the cry of the needy.†
29But if he remains silent, who can condemn him?
If he hides his face, who can see him?
Yet he is over man and nation alike,
30to keep a godless man from ruling,
from laying snares for the people.†
31“Suppose a man says to God,
‘I am guilty but will offend no more.
32Teach me what I cannot see;†
if I have done wrong, I will not do so again.’†
33Should God then reward you on your terms,
when you refuse to repent?†
You must decide, not I;
so tell me what you know.
34“Men of understanding declare,
wise men who hear me say to me,
35‘Job speaks without knowledge;†
his words lack insight.’
36Oh, that Job might be tested to the utmost
for answering like a wicked man!†
37To his sin he adds rebellion;
scornfully he claps his hands† among us
and multiplies his words against God.Ӡ
Job 35
1Then Elihu said:
2“Do you think this is just?
You say, ‘I will be cleared by God.[80] ’
3Yet you ask him, ‘What profit is it to me,[81]
and what do I gain by not sinning?’†
4“I would like to reply to you
and to your friends with you.
5Look up at the heavens† and see;
gaze at the clouds so high above you.†
6If you sin, how does that affect him?
If your sins are many, what does that do to him?†
7If you are righteous, what do you give to him,†
or what does he receive† from your hand?†
8Your wickedness affects only a man like yourself,
and your righteousness only the sons of men.
9“Men cry out† under a load of oppression;
they plead for relief from the arm of the powerful.†
10But no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker,†
who gives songs in the night,†
11who teaches† more to us than to[82] the beasts of the earth
and makes us wiser than[83] the birds of the air?’
12He does not answer† when men cry out
because of the arrogance of the wicked.
13Indeed, God does not listen to their empty plea;
the Almighty pays no attention to it.†
14How much less, then, will he listen
when you say that you do not see him,†
that your case† is before him
and you must wait for him,
15and further, that his anger never punishes
and he does not take the least notice of wickedness.[84]
16So Job opens his mouth with empty talk;
without knowledge he multiplies words.Ӡ
Job 36
1Elihu continued:
2“Bear with me a little longer and I will show you
that there is more to be said in God’s behalf.
3I get my knowledge from afar;
I will ascribe justice to my Maker.†
4Be assured that my words are not false;†
one perfect in knowledge† is with you.
5“God is mighty, but does not despise men;†
he is mighty, and firm in his purpose.†
6He does not keep the wicked alive†
but gives the afflicted their rights.†
7He does not take his eyes off the righteous;†
he enthrones them with kings†
and exalts them forever.
8But if men are bound in chains,†
held fast by cords of affliction,
9he tells them what they have done—
that they have sinned arrogantly.†
10He makes them listen† to correction
and commands them to repent of their evil.†
11If they obey and serve him,†
they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity
and their years in contentment.
12But if they do not listen,
they will perish by the sword[85] †
and die without knowledge.†
13“The godless in heart† harbor resentment;
even when he fetters them, they do not cry for help.
14They die in their youth,
among male prostitutes of the shrines.†
15But those who suffer he delivers in their suffering;
he speaks to them in their affliction.
16“He is wooing† you from the jaws of distress
to a spacious place free from restriction,
to the comfort of your table† laden with choice food.
17But now you are laden with the judgment due the wicked;
judgment and justice have taken hold of you.†
18Be careful that no one entices you by riches;
do not let a large bribe turn you aside.†
19Would your wealth
or even all your mighty efforts
sustain you so you would not be in distress?
20Do not long for the night,†
to drag people away from their homes.[86]
21Beware of turning to evil,†
which you seem to prefer to affliction.†
22“God is exalted in his power.
Who is a teacher like him?†
23Who has prescribed his ways for him,†
or said to him, ‘You have done wrong’?†
24Remember to extol his work,†
which men have praised in song.†
25All mankind has seen it;
men gaze on it from afar.
26How great is God—beyond our understanding!†
The number of his years is past finding out.†
27“He draws up the drops of water,
which distill as rain to the streams[87];†
28the clouds pour down their moisture
and abundant showers fall on mankind.†
29Who can understand how he spreads out the clouds,
how he thunders from his pavilion?†
30See how he scatters his lightning about him,
bathing the depths of the sea.
31This is the way he governs[88] the nations†
and provides food in abundance.†
32He fills his hands with lightning
and commands it to strike its mark.†
33His thunder announces the coming storm;
even the cattle make known its approach.[89]
Job 37
1“At this my heart pounds
and leaps from its place.
2Listen! Listen to the roar of his voice,
to the rumbling that comes from his mouth.†
3He unleashes his lightning beneath the whole heaven
and sends it to the ends of the earth.
4After that comes the sound of his roar;
he thunders with his majestic voice.
When his voice resounds,
he holds nothing back.
5God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways;
he does great things beyond our understanding.†
6He says to the snow,† ‘Fall on the earth,’
and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’†
7So that all men he has made may know his work,
he stops every man from his labor.[90] †
8The animals take cover;
they remain in their dens.†
9The tempest comes out from its chamber,
the cold from the driving winds.
10The breath of God produces ice,
and the broad waters become frozen.†
11He loads the clouds with moisture;
he scatters his lightning through them.†
12At his direction they swirl around
over the face of the whole earth
to do whatever he commands them.†
13He brings the clouds to punish men,†
or to water his earth[91] and show his love.†
14“Listen to this, Job;
stop and consider God’s wonders.
15Do you know how God controls the clouds
and makes his lightning flash?
16Do you know how the clouds hang poised,
those wonders of him who is perfect in knowledge?†
17You who swelter in your clothes
when the land lies hushed under the south wind,
18can you join him in spreading out the skies,†
hard as a mirror of cast bronze?
19“Tell us what we should say to him;
we cannot draw up our case because of our darkness.
20Should he be told that I want to speak?
Would any man ask to be swallowed up?
21Now no one can look at the sun,
bright as it is in the skies
after the wind has swept them clean.
22Out of the north he comes in golden splendor;
God comes in awesome majesty.
23The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power;†
in his justice† and great righteousness, he does not oppress.†
24Therefore, men revere him,†
for does he not have regard for all the wise† in heart?[92] ”
Job 38
The LORD Speaks
1Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm.† He said:
2“Who is this that darkens my counsel
with words without knowledge?†
3Brace yourself like a man;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.†
4“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?†
Tell me, if you understand.
5Who marked off its dimensions?† Surely you know!
Who stretched a measuring line across it?
6On what were its footings set,
or who laid its cornerstone†—
7while the morning stars sang together
and all the angels[93] shouted for joy?
8“Who shut up the sea behind doors†
when it burst forth from the womb,†
9when I made the clouds its garment
and wrapped it in thick darkness,
10when I fixed limits for it†
and set its doors and bars in place,†
11when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther;
here is where your proud waves halt’?†
12“Have you ever given orders to the morning,
or shown the dawn its place,
13that it might take the earth by the edges
and shake the wicked† out of it?
14The earth takes shape like clay under a seal;
its features stand out like those of a garment.
15The wicked are denied their light,†
and their upraised arm is broken.†
16“Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea
or walked in the recesses of the deep?†
17Have the gates of death† been shown to you?
Have you seen the gates of the shadow of death[94]?
18Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth?†
Tell me, if you know all this.
19“What is the way to the abode of light?
And where does darkness reside?
20Can you take them to their places?
Do you know the paths† to their dwellings?
21Surely you know, for you were already born!†
You have lived so many years!
22“Have you entered the storehouses of the snow†
or seen the storehouses of the hail,
23which I reserve for times of trouble,†
for days of war and battle?†
24What is the way to the place where the lightning is dispersed,
or the place where the east winds are scattered over the earth?
25Who cuts a channel for the torrents of rain,
and a path for the thunderstorm,†
26to water† a land where no man lives,
a desert with no one in it,
27to satisfy a desolate wasteland
and make it sprout with grass?†
28Does the rain have a father?†
Who fathers the drops of dew?
29From whose womb comes the ice?
Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens†
30when the waters become hard as stone,
when the surface of the deep is frozen?†
31“Can you bind the beautiful[95] Pleiades?
Can you loose the cords of Orion?†
32Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons[96]
or lead out the Bear[97] with its cubs?
33Do you know the laws† of the heavens?
Can you set up [God’s[98]] dominion over the earth?
34“Can you raise your voice to the clouds
and cover yourself with a flood of water?†
35Do you send the lightning bolts on their way?†
Do they report to you, ‘Here we are’?
36Who endowed the heart[99] with wisdom†
or gave understanding† to the mind[100]?
37Who has the wisdom to count the clouds?
Who can tip over the water jars of the heavens
38when the dust becomes hard
and the clods of earth stick together?
39“Do you hunt the prey for the lioness
and satisfy the hunger of the lions†
40when they crouch in their dens†
or lie in wait in a thicket?
41Who provides food for the raven†
when its young cry out to God
and wander about for lack of food?†
Job 39
1“Do you know when the mountain goats† give birth?
Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn?
2Do you count the months till they bear?
Do you know the time they give birth?
3They crouch down and bring forth their young;
their labor pains are ended.
4Their young thrive and grow strong in the wilds;
they leave and do not return.
5“Who let the wild donkey† go free?
Who untied his ropes?
6I gave him the wasteland† as his home,
the salt flats as his habitat.†
7He laughs at the commotion in the town;
he does not hear a driver’s shout.†
8He ranges the hills for his pasture
and searches for any green thing.
9“Will the wild ox† consent to serve you?
Will he stay by your manger at night?
10Can you hold him to the furrow with a harness?
Will he till the valleys behind you?
11Will you rely on him for his great strength?
Will you leave your heavy work to him?
12Can you trust him to bring in your grain
and gather it to your threshing floor?
13“The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully,
but they cannot compare with the pinions and feathers of the stork.
14She lays her eggs on the ground
and lets them warm in the sand,
15unmindful that a foot may crush them,
that some wild animal may trample them.
16She treats her young harshly,† as if they were not hers;
she cares not that her labor was in vain,
17for God did not endow her with wisdom
or give her a share of good sense.†
18Yet when she spreads her feathers to run,
she laughs at horse and rider.
19“Do you give the horse his strength
or clothe his neck with a flowing mane?
20Do you make him leap like a locust,†
striking terror with his proud snorting?†
21He paws fiercely, rejoicing in his strength,
and charges into the fray.†
22He laughs at fear, afraid of nothing;
he does not shy away from the sword.
23The quiver rattles against his side,
along with the flashing spear and lance.
24In frenzied excitement he eats up the ground;
he cannot stand still when the trumpet sounds.†
25At the blast of the trumpet† he snorts, ‘Aha!’
He catches the scent of battle from afar,
the shout of commanders and the battle cry.†
26“Does the hawk take flight by your wisdom
and spread his wings toward the south?
27Does the eagle soar at your command
and build his nest on high?†
28He dwells on a cliff and stays there at night;
a rocky crag is his stronghold.
29From there he seeks out his food;†
his eyes detect it from afar.
30His young ones feast on blood,
and where the slain are, there is he.Ӡ
Job 40
1The LORD said to Job:†
2“Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him?
Let him who accuses God answer him!”
3Then Job answered the LORD:
4“I am unworthy†—how can I reply to you?
I put my hand over my mouth.†
5I spoke once, but I have no answer†—
twice, but I will say no more.Ӡ
6Then the LORD spoke to Job out of the storm:†
7“Brace yourself like a man;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.†
8“Would you discredit my justice?†
Would you condemn me to justify yourself?
9Do you have an arm like God’s,†
and can your voice thunder like his?†
10Then adorn yourself with glory and splendor,
and clothe yourself in honor and majesty.†
11Unleash the fury of your wrath,†
look at every proud man and bring him low,†
12look at every proud man and humble him,†
crush† the wicked where they stand.
13Bury them all in the dust together;
shroud their faces in the grave.
14Then I myself will admit to you
that your own right hand can save you.†
15“Look at the behemoth,[101]
which I made along with you
and which feeds on grass like an ox.
16What strength he has in his loins,
what power in the muscles of his belly!
17His tail[102] sways like a cedar;
the sinews of his thighs are close-knit.
18His bones are tubes of bronze,
his limbs like rods of iron.
19He ranks first among the works of God,†
yet his Maker can approach him with his sword.
20The hills bring him their produce,†
and all the wild animals play† nearby.
21Under the lotus plants he lies,
hidden among the reeds in the marsh.
22The lotuses conceal him in their shadow;
the poplars by the stream† surround him.
23When the river rages, he is not alarmed;
he is secure, though the Jordan should surge against his mouth.
24Can anyone capture him by the eyes,[103]
or trap him and pierce his nose?†
Job 41
1“Can you pull in the leviathan[104] † with a fishhook
or tie down his tongue with a rope?
2Can you put a cord through his nose
or pierce his jaw with a hook?†
3Will he keep begging you for mercy?
Will he speak to you with gentle words?
4Will he make an agreement with you
for you to take him as your slave for life?†
5Can you make a pet of him like a bird
or put him on a leash for your girls?
6Will traders barter for him?
Will they divide him up among the merchants?
7Can you fill his hide with harpoons
or his head with fishing spears?
8If you lay a hand on him,
you will remember the struggle and never do it again!
9Any hope of subduing him is false;
the mere sight of him is overpowering.
10No one is fierce enough to rouse him.†
Who then is able to stand against me?†
11Who has a claim against me that I must pay?†
Everything under heaven belongs to me.†
12“I will not fail to speak of his limbs,
his strength and his graceful form.
13Who can strip off his outer coat?
Who would approach him with a bridle?
14Who dares open the doors of his mouth,
ringed about with his fearsome teeth?
15His back has[105] rows of shields
tightly sealed together;
16each is so close to the next
that no air can pass between.
17They are joined fast to one another;
they cling together and cannot be parted.
18His snorting throws out flashes of light;
his eyes are like the rays of dawn.†
19Firebrands stream from his mouth;
sparks of fire shoot out.
20Smoke pours from his nostrils
as from a boiling pot over a fire of reeds.
21His breath† sets coals ablaze,
and flames dart from his mouth.†
22Strength resides in his neck;
dismay goes before him.
23The folds of his flesh are tightly joined;
they are firm and immovable.
24His chest is hard as rock,
hard as a lower millstone.
25When he rises up, the mighty are terrified;
they retreat before his thrashing.
26The sword that reaches him has no effect,
nor does the spear or the dart or the javelin.
27Iron he treats like straw
and bronze like rotten wood.
28Arrows do not make him flee;
slingstones are like chaff to him.
29A club seems to him but a piece of straw;
he laughs at the rattling of the lance.
30His undersides are jagged potsherds,
leaving a trail in the mud like a threshing sledge.†
31He makes the depths churn like a boiling caldron
and stirs up the sea like a pot of ointment.
32Behind him he leaves a glistening wake;
one would think the deep had white hair.
33Nothing on earth is his equal†—
a creature without fear.
34He looks down on all that are haughty;
he is king over all that are proud.†”
Job 42
Job
1Then Job replied to the LORD:
2“I know that you can do all things;†
no plan of yours can be thwarted.†
3[You asked,] ‘Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?’†
Surely I spoke of things I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me to know.†
4[“You said,] ‘Listen now, and I will speak;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.’†
5My ears had heard of you†
but now my eyes have seen you.†
6Therefore I despise myself†
and repent in dust and ashes.Ӡ
Epilogue
7After the LORD had said these things to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “I am angry with you and your two friends,† because you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. 8So now take seven bulls and seven rams† and go to my servant Job and sacrifice a burnt offering† for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer† and not deal with you according to your folly.† You have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.” 9So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite did what the LORD told them; and the LORD accepted Job’s prayer.
10After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD made him prosperous again† and gave him twice as much as he had before.† 11All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before† came and ate with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the LORD had brought upon him, and each one gave him a piece of silver[106] and a gold ring.
12The LORD blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the first. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. 13And he also had seven sons and three daughters. 14The first daughter he named Jemimah, the second Keziah and the third Keren-Happuch. 15Nowhere in all the land were there found women as beautiful as Job’s daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers.
16After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. 17And so he died, old and full of years.†
BOOK I
Psalms 1–41
Psalm 1
1Blessed is the man
who does not walk† in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit† in the seat of mockers.
2But his delight† is in the law of the LORD,†
and on his law he meditates† day and night.
3He is like a tree† planted by streams of water,†
which yields its fruit† in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.†
4Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff†
that the wind blows away.
5Therefore the wicked will not stand† in the judgment,†
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6For the LORD watches over† the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.†
Psalm 2
1Why do the nations conspire[1]
and the peoples plot† in vain?
2The kings† of the earth take their stand
and the rulers gather together
against the LORD
and against his Anointed† One.[2] †
3“Let us break their chains,” they say,
“and throw off their fetters.”†
4The One enthroned in heaven laughs;†
the Lord scoffs at them.
5Then he rebukes them in his anger
and terrifies them in his wrath,† saying,
6“I have installed my King[3]
on Zion, my holy hill.”
7I will proclaim the decree of the LORD:
He said to me, “You are my Son[4];
today I have become your Father.[5] †
8Ask of me,
and I will make the nations your inheritance,
the ends of the earth† your possession.
9You will rule them with an iron scepter[6];†
you will dash them to pieces† like pottery.†”
10Therefore, you kings, be wise;
be warned, you rulers of the earth.
11Serve the LORD with fear
and rejoice† with trembling.†
12Kiss the Son,† lest he be angry
and you be destroyed in your way,
for his wrath† can flare up in a moment.
Blessed are all who take refuge† in him.
Psalm 3
A psalm of David. When he fled from his son Absalom.†
1O LORD, how many are my foes!
How many rise up against me!
2Many are saying of me,
“God will not deliver him.†” Selah[7]
3But you are a shield† around me, O LORD;
you bestow glory on me and lift[8] up my head.†
4To the LORD I cry aloud,
and he answers me from his holy hill.† Selah
5I lie down and sleep;†
I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.
6I will not fear† the tens of thousands
drawn up against me on every side.
7Arise,† O LORD!
Deliver me,† O my God!
Strike† all my enemies on the jaw;
break the teeth† of the wicked.
8From the LORD comes deliverance.†
May your blessing be on your people. Selah
Psalm 4
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm of David.
1Answer me when I call to you,
O my righteous God.
Give me relief from my distress;
be merciful† to me and hear my prayer.†
2How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame[9]?
How long will you love delusions and seek false gods[10]? † Selah
3Know that the LORD has set apart the godly† for himself;
the LORD will hear† when I call to him.
4In your anger do not sin;†
when you are on your beds,†
search your hearts and be silent. Selah
5Offer right sacrifices
and trust in the LORD.†
6Many are asking, “Who can show us any good?”
Let the light of your face shine upon us,† O LORD.
7You have filled my heart† with greater joy†
than when their grain and new wine abound.
8I will lie down and sleep† in peace,
for you alone, O LORD,
make me dwell in safety.†
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 8
For the director of music. According to gittith.[16] A psalm of David.
1O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
above the heavens.†
2From the lips of children and infants
you have ordained praise[17] †
because of your enemies,
to silence the foe† and the avenger.
3When I consider your heavens,†
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,†
which you have set in place,
4what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?†
5You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings[18]
and crowned him with glory and honor.†
6You made him ruler† over the works of your hands;
you put everything under his feet:††
7all flocks and herds,
and the beasts of the field,
8the birds of the air,
and the fish of the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.
9O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!†
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.†
2 I 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 13
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face† from me?
2How long must I wrestle with my thoughts†
and every day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?†
3Look on me and answer,† O LORD my God.
Give light to my eyes,† or I will sleep in death;†
4my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,†”
and my foes will rejoice when I fall.
5But I trust in your unfailing love;†
my heart rejoices in your salvation.†
6I will sing† to the LORD,
for he has been good to me.
Psalm 14
For the director of music. Of David.
1The fool[27] says in his heart,
“There is no God.”†
They are corrupt, their deeds are vile;
there is no one who does good.
2The LORD looks down from heaven†
on the sons of men
to see if there are any who understand,†
any who seek God.
3All have turned aside,
they have together become corrupt;†
there is no one who does good,†
not even one.†
4Will evildoers never learn —†
those who devour my people† as men eat bread
and who do not call on the LORD?†
5There they are, overwhelmed with dread,
for God is present in the company of the righteous.
6You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor,
but the LORD is their refuge.†
7Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
When the LORD restores the fortunes† of his people,
let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!
Psalm 15
A psalm of David.
1LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary?†
Who may live on your holy hill?†
2He whose walk is blameless
and who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth† from his heart
3and has no slander† on his tongue,
who does his neighbor no wrong
and casts no slur on his fellowman,
4who despises a vile man
but honors† those who fear the LORD,
who keeps his oath†
even when it hurts,
5who lends his money without usury†
and does not accept a bribe† against the innocent.
He who does these things
will never be shaken.†
Psalm 16
A miktam[28] of David.
1Keep me safe,† O God,
for in you I take refuge.†
2I said to the LORD, “You are my Lord;
apart from you I have no good thing.Ӡ
3As for the saints who are in the land,†
they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight.[29]
4The sorrows† of those will increase
who run after other gods.†
I will not pour out their libations of blood
or take up their names† on my lips.
5LORD, you have assigned me my portion† and my cup;†
you have made my lot secure.
6The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.†
7I will praise the LORD, who counsels me;†
even at night† my heart instructs me.
8I have set the LORD always before me.
Because he is at my right hand,†
I will not be shaken.
9Therefore my heart is glad† and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,†
10because you will not abandon me to the grave,[30]
nor will you let your Holy One[31] see decay.†
11You have made[32] known to me the path of life;†
you will fill me with joy in your presence,†
with eternal pleasures† at your right hand.
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;
