The Glory of God in Zion
A Song. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
1Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised
In the acity of our God,
In His holy mountain. Hymns to Holy Cities
The joy of the whole earth,
Is Mount Zion on the sides of the north,
The city of the great King.
3God is in her palaces;
He is known as her refuge.
4For behold, cthe kings assembled,
They passed by together.
5They saw it, and so they marveled;
They were troubled, they hastened away.
6Fear dtook hold of them there,
And pain, as of a woman in birth pangs,
7As when You break the eships of Tarshish
With an east wind.
8As we have heard,
So we have seen
In the city of the LORD of hosts,
In the city of our God:
God will festablish it forever. Selah
9We have thought, O God, on gYour lovingkindness,
In the midst of Your temple.
10According to hYour name, O God,
So is Your praise to the ends of the earth;
Your right hand is full of righteousness.
11Let Mount Zion rejoice,
Let the daughters of Judah be glad,
Because of Your judgments.
12Walk about Zion,
And go all around her.
Count her towers;
13Mark well her bulwarks;
Consider her palaces;
That you may itell it to the generation following.
14For this is God,
Our God forever and ever;
jHe will be our guide
2Even to death.
The Confidence of the Foolish
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
1Hear this, all peoples;
Give ear, all inhabitants of the world,
2Both low and high,
Rich and poor together.
3My mouth shall speak wisdom,
And the meditation of my heart shall give understanding.
4I will incline my ear to a proverb;
I will disclose my 1dark saying on the harp.
5Why should I fear in the days of evil,
When the iniquity at my heels surrounds me?
6Those who atrust in their wealth
And boast in the multitude of their riches,
7None of them can by any means redeem his brother,
Nor bgive to God a ransom for him—
8For cthe redemption of their souls is costly,
And it shall cease forever—
9That he should continue to live eternally,
10For he sees wise men die;
Likewise the fool and the senseless person perish,
And leave their wealth to others.
113Their inner thought is that their houses will last forever,
Their dwelling places to all generations;
They ecall their lands after their own names.
12Nevertheless man, though in honor, does not 4remain;
He is like the beasts that perish.
13This is the way of those who are ffoolish,
And of their posterity who approve their sayings. Selah
14Like sheep they are laid in the grave;
Death shall feed on them;
gThe upright shall have dominion over them in the morning;
hAnd their beauty shall be consumed in 5the grave, far from their dwelling.
15But God iwill redeem my soul from the power of 6the grave,
For He shall jreceive me. Selah
16Do not be afraid when one becomes rich,
When the glory of his house is increased;
17For when he dies he shall carry nothing away;
His glory shall not descend after him.
18Though while he lives khe blesses himself
(For men will praise you when you do well for yourself),
19He shall go to the generation of his fathers;
20A man who is in honor, yet does not understand,
mIs like the beasts that perish.
God the Righteous Judge
A Psalm of Asaph.
1The aMighty One, God the LORD,
Has spoken and called the earth
From the rising of the sun to its going down.
2Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,
bGod will shine forth.
3Our God shall come, and shall not keep silent;
cA fire shall devour before Him,
And it shall be very tempestuous all around Him.
4dHe shall call to the heavens from above,
And to the earth, that He may judge His people:
5“Gather eMy saints together to Me,
fThose who have 1made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.”
6Let the gheavens declare His righteousness,
For hGod Himself is Judge. Selah
7“Hear, O My people, and I will speak,
O Israel, and I will testify against you;
iI am God, your God!
8jI will not 2rebuke you kfor your sacrifices
Or your burnt offerings,
Which are continually before Me.
9lI will not take a bull from your house,
Nor goats out of your folds.
10For every beast of the forest is Mine,
And the cattle on a thousand hills.
11I know all the birds of the mountains,
And the wild beasts of the field are Mine.
12“If I were hungry, I would not tell you;
mFor the world is Mine, and all its fullness.
13nWill I eat the flesh of bulls,
Or drink the blood of goats?
14oOffer to God thanksgiving,
And ppay your vows to the Most High.
15qCall upon Me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.”
16But to the wicked God says:
“What right have you to declare My statutes,
Or take My covenant in your mouth,
17rSeeing you hate instruction
And cast My words behind you?
18When you saw a thief, you sconsented3 with him,
And have been a tpartaker with adulterers.
19You give your mouth to evil,
And uyour tongue frames deceit.
20You sit and speak against your brother;
You slander your own mother’s son.
21These things you have done, and I kept silent;
vYou thought that I was altogether like you;
But I will rebuke you,
And wset them in order before your eyes.
22“Now consider this, you who xforget God,
Lest I tear you in pieces,
And there be none to deliver:
23Whoever offers praise glorifies Me;
And yto him who orders his conduct aright
I will show the salvation of God.”
A Prayer of Repentance
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David awhen Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.
1Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
bBlot out my transgressions.
2cWash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
3For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me.
4dAgainst You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil ein Your sight—
fThat You may be found just 1when You speak,
And blameless when You judge.
5gBehold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
And in sin my mother conceived me.
6Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts,
And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.
7hPurge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be iwhiter than snow.
8Make me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken jmay rejoice.
9Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities.
10kCreate in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your lHoly Spirit from me.
12Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your mgenerous Spirit.
13Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You.
14Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
15O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.
16For nYou do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering. Sin and Sacrifice in the Ancient Near East
17oThe sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise.
18Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion;
Build the walls of Jerusalem.
19Then You shall be pleased with pthe sacrifices of righteousness,
With burnt offering and whole burnt offering;
Then they shall offer bulls on Your altar.
The End of the Wicked and the Peace of the Godly
To the Chief Musician. A 1Contemplation of David awhen Doeg the Edomite went and btold Saul, and said to him, “David has gone to the house of Ahimelech.”
1Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man?
The goodness of God endures continually.
2Your tongue devises destruction,
Like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.
3You love evil more than good,
Lying rather than speaking righteousness. Selah
4You love all devouring words,
You deceitful tongue.
5God shall likewise destroy you forever;
He shall take you away, and pluck you out of your dwelling place,
And uproot you from the land of the living. Selah
6The righteous also shall see and fear,
And shall laugh at him, saying,
7“Here is the man who did not make God his strength,
But trusted in the abundance of his riches,
And strengthened himself in his 2wickedness.”
8But I am clike a green olive tree in the house of God;
I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever.
9I will praise You forever,
Because You have done it;
And in the presence of Your saints
I will wait on Your name, for it 3is good.
Folly of the Godless, and the Restoration of Israel
To the Chief Musician. Set to “Mahalath.” A 1Contemplation of David.
1The afool has said in his heart,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity;
bThere is none who does good.
2God looks down from heaven upon the children of men,
To see if there are any who understand, who cseek God.
3Every one of them has turned aside;
They have together become corrupt;
There is none who does good,
No, not one.
4Have the workers of iniquity dno knowledge,
Who eat up my people as they eat bread,
And do not call upon God?
5eThere they are in great fear
Where no fear was,
For God has scattered the bones of him who encamps against you;
You have put them to shame,
Because God has despised them.
6fOh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion!
When God brings back 2the captivity of His people,
Let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad.
Answered Prayer for Deliverance from Adversaries
To the Chief Musician. With 1stringed instruments. A 2Contemplation of David awhen the Ziphites went and said to Saul, “Is David not hiding with us?”
1Save me, O God, by Your name,
And vindicate me by Your strength.
2Hear my prayer, O God;
Give ear to the words of my mouth.
3For strangers have risen up against me,
And oppressors have sought after my life;
They have not set God before them. Selah
4Behold, God is my helper;
The Lord is with those who 3uphold my life.
5He will repay my enemies for their evil.
6I will freely sacrifice to You;
I will praise Your name, O LORD, for it is good.
7For He has delivered me out of all trouble;
bAnd my eye has seen its desire upon my enemies.
Trust in God Concerning the Treachery of Friends
To the Chief Musician. With 1stringed instruments. A 2Contemplation of David.
1Give ear to my prayer, O God,
And do not hide Yourself from my supplication.
2Attend to me, and hear me;
I aam3 restless in my complaint, and moan noisily,
3Because of the voice of the enemy,
Because of the oppression of the wicked;
bFor they bring down trouble upon me,
And in wrath they hate me.
4cMy heart is severely pained within me,
And the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
5Fearfulness and trembling have come upon me,
And horror has overwhelmed me.
6So I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove!
I would fly away and be at rest.
7Indeed, I would wander far off,
And remain in the wilderness. Selah
8I would hasten my escape
From the windy storm and tempest.”
9Destroy, O Lord, and divide their 4tongues,
For I have seen dviolence and strife in the city.
10Day and night they go around it on its walls;
eIniquity and trouble are also in the midst of it.
11Destruction is in its midst;
fOppression and deceit do not depart from its streets.
12gFor it is not an enemy who reproaches me;
Then I could bear it.
Nor is it one who hates me who has hexalted himself against me;
Then I could hide from him.
13But it was you, a man my equal,
iMy companion and my acquaintance.
14We took sweet counsel together,
And jwalked to the house of God in the throng.
15Let death seize them;
Let them kgo down alive into 5hell,
For wickedness is in their dwellings and among them.
16As for me, I will call upon God,
And the LORD shall save me.
17lEvening and morning and at noon
I will pray, and cry aloud,
And He shall hear my voice.
18He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me,
For mthere were many against me.
19God will hear, and afflict them,
nEven He who abides from of old. Selah
Because they do not change,
Therefore they do not fear God.
20He has oput forth his hands against those who pwere at peace with him;
He has broken his 6covenant.
21qThe words of his mouth were smoother than butter,
But war was in his heart;
His words were softer than oil,
Yet they were drawn swords.
22rCast your burden on the LORD,
And sHe shall sustain you;
He shall never permit the righteous to be 7moved.
23But You, O God, shall bring them down to the pit of destruction;
tBloodthirsty and deceitful men ushall not live out half their days;
But I will trust in You.
Prayer for Relief from Tormentors
To the Chief Musician. Set to 1“The Silent Dove in Distant Lands.” A Michtam of David when the aPhilistines captured him in Gath.
1Be bmerciful to me, O God, for man would swallow me up;
Fighting all day he oppresses me.
2My enemies would chound me all day,
For there are many who fight against me, O Most High.
3Whenever I am afraid,
I will trust in You.
4In God (I will praise His word),
In God I have put my trust;
dI will not fear.
What can flesh do to me?
5All day they twist my words;
All their thoughts are against me for evil.
6They gather together,
They hide, they mark my steps,
When they lie in wait for my life.
7Shall they escape by iniquity?
In anger cast down the peoples, O God!
8You number my wanderings;
Put my tears into Your bottle;
eAre they not in Your book?
9When I cry out to You,
Then my enemies will turn back;
This I know, because fGod is for me.
10In God (I will praise His word),
In the LORD (I will praise His word),
11In God I have put my trust;
I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?
12Vows made to You are binding upon me, O God;
I will render praises to You,
13gFor You have delivered my soul from death.
Have You not kept my feet from falling,
That I may walk before God
In the hlight of the living?
Prayer for Safety from Enemies
To the Chief Musician. Set to 1“Do Not Destroy.” A Michtam of David awhen he fled from Saul into the cave.
(cf. Ps. 108:1–5)
1Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me!
For my soul trusts in You;
bAnd in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge,
cUntil these calamities have passed by.
2I will cry out to God Most High,
To God dwho performs all things for me.
3eHe shall send from heaven and save me;
He reproaches the one who 2would swallow me up. Selah
God fshall send forth His mercy and His truth.
4My soul is among lions;
I lie among the sons of men
Who are set on fire,
gWhose teeth are spears and arrows,
And their tongue a sharp sword.
5hBe exalted, O God, above the heavens;
Let Your glory be above all the earth.
6iThey have prepared a net for my steps;
My soul is bowed down;
They have dug a pit before me;
Into the midst of it they themselves have fallen. Selah
7jMy heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and give praise.
Awake, lute and harp!
I will awaken the dawn.
9lI will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing to You among the 3nations.
10mFor Your mercy reaches unto the heavens,
And Your truth unto the clouds.
11nBe exalted, O God, above the heavens;
Let Your glory be above all the earth.
The Just Judgment of the Wicked
To the Chief Musician. Set to 1“Do Not Destroy.” A Michtam of David.
1Do you indeed speak righteousness, you silent ones?
Do you judge uprightly, you sons of men? Imprecations and Incantations
2No, in heart you work wickedness;
You weigh out the violence of your hands in the earth.
3aThe wicked are estranged from the womb;
They go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies.
4bTheir poison is like the poison of a serpent;
They are like the deaf cobra that stops its ear,
5Which will not cheed the voice of charmers,
Charming ever so skillfully.
6dBreak2 their teeth in their mouth, O God!
Break out the fangs of the young lions, O LORD!
7eLet them flow away as waters which run continually;
When he bends his bow,
Let his arrows be as if cut in pieces.
8Let them be like a snail which melts away as it goes,
fLike a stillborn child of a woman, that they may not see the sun.
9Before your gpots can feel the burning thorns,
He shall take them away has with a whirlwind,
As in His living and burning wrath.
10The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the ivengeance;
jHe shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked,
11kSo that men will say,
“Surely there is a reward for the righteous;
Surely He is God who ljudges in the earth.”
The Assured Judgment of the Wicked
To the Chief Musician. Set to 1“Do Not Destroy.” A Michtam of David awhen Saul sent men, and they watched the house in order to kill him.
1Deliver me from my enemies, O my God;
2Defend me from those who rise up against me.
2Deliver me from the workers of iniquity,
And save me from bloodthirsty men.
3For look, they lie in wait for my life;
bThe mighty gather against me,
Not for my transgression nor for my sin, O LORD.
4They run and prepare themselves through no fault of mine.
cAwake to help me, and behold!
5You therefore, O LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel,
Awake to punish all the 3nations;
Do not be merciful to any wicked transgressors. Selah
They growl like a dog,
And go all around the city.
7Indeed, they belch with their mouth;
eSwords are in their lips;
For they say, f“Who hears?”
8But gYou, O LORD, shall laugh at them;
You shall have all the 4nations in derision.
9I will wait for You, O You 5his Strength;
107My God of mercy shall icome to meet me;
God shall let jme see my desire on my enemies.
11Do not slay them, lest my people forget;
Scatter them by Your power,
And bring them down,
O Lord our shield.
12kFor the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips,
Let them even be taken in their pride,
And for the cursing and lying which they speak.
13lConsume them in wrath, consume them,
That they may not be;
And mlet them know that God rules in Jacob
To the ends of the earth. Selah
14And nat evening they return,
They growl like a dog,
And go all around the city.
15They owander up and down for food,
And 8howl if they are not satisfied.
16But I will sing of Your power;
Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning;
For You have been my defense
And refuge in the day of my trouble.
17To You, pO my Strength, I will sing praises;
For God is my defense,
My God of mercy.
Urgent Prayer for the Restored Favor of God
To the Chief Musician. aSet to 1“Lily of the Testimony.” A Michtam of David. For teaching. bWhen he fought against Mesopotamia and Syria of Zobah, and Joab returned and killed twelve thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.
(cf. Ps. 108:6–13)
1O GOD, cYou have cast us off;
You have broken us down;
You have been displeased;
Oh, restore us again!
2You have made the earth tremble;
You have broken it;
dHeal its breaches, for it is shaking.
3eYou have shown Your people hard things;
fYou have made us drink the wine of 2confusion.
4gYou have given a banner to those who fear You,
That it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah
5hThat Your beloved may be delivered,
Save with Your right hand, and hear me.
6God has ispoken in His holiness:
“I will rejoice;
And measure out lthe Valley of Succoth.
7Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine;
mEphraim also is the 3helmet for My head;
nJudah is My lawgiver.
pOver Edom I will cast My shoe;
qPhilistia, shout in triumph because of Me.”
9Who will bring me to the strong city?
Who will lead me to Edom?
10Is it not You, O God, rwho cast us off?
And You, O God, who did snot go out with our armies?
11Give us help from trouble,
tFor the help of man is useless.
12Through God uwe will do valiantly,
For it is He who shall tread down our enemies.
Assurance of God’s Eternal Protection
To the Chief Musician. On 1a stringed instrument. A Psalm of David.
1Hear my cry, O God;
Attend to my prayer.
2From the end of the earth I will cry to You,
When my heart is overwhelmed;
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
3For You have been a shelter for me,
aA strong tower from the enemy.
4I will abide in Your 2tabernacle forever;
bI will trust in the shelter of Your wings. Selah
5For You, O God, have heard my vows;
You have given me the heritage of those who fear Your name.
6You will prolong the king’s life,
His years as many generations.
7He shall abide before God forever.
Oh, prepare mercy cand truth, which may 3preserve him!
8So I will sing praise to Your name forever,
That I may daily perform my vows.
A Calm Resolve to Wait for the Salvation of God
To the Chief Musician. To aJeduthun. A Psalm of David.
1Truly bmy soul silently waits for God;
From Him comes my salvation.
2He only is my rock and my salvation;
He is my 1defense;
I shall not be greatly cmoved.2
3How long will you attack a man?
You shall be slain, all of you,
dLike a leaning wall and a tottering fence.
4They only consult to cast him down from his high position;
They edelight in lies;
They bless with their mouth,
But they curse inwardly. Selah
5My soul, wait silently for God alone,
For my 3expectation is from Him.
6He only is my rock and my salvation;
He is my defense;
I shall not be 4moved.
7fIn God is my salvation and my glory;
The rock of my strength,
And my refuge, is in God.
8Trust in Him at all times, you people;
gPour out your heart before Him;
God is a refuge for us. Selah
9hSurely men of low degree are 5a vapor,
Men of high degree are a lie;
If they are weighed on the scales,
They are altogether lighter than vapor.
10Do not trust in oppression,
Nor vainly hope in robbery;
iIf riches increase,
Do not set your heart on them.
11God has spoken once,
Twice I have heard this:
That power belongs to God.
12Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy;
Joy in the Fellowship of God
A Psalm of David awhen he was in the wilderness of Judah.
1O GOD, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
bMy soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.
2So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see cYour power and Your glory.
3dBecause Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
4Thus I will bless You while I live;
I will elift up my hands in Your name.
5My soul shall be satisfied as with 1marrow and 2fatness,
And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.
6When fI remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches.
7Because You have been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.
8My soul follows close behind You;
Your right hand upholds me.
9But those who seek my life, to destroy it,
Shall go into the lower parts of the earth.
10They shall 3fall by the sword;
They shall be 4a portion for jackals.
11But the king shall rejoice in God;
gEveryone who swears by Him shall glory;
But the mouth of those who speak lies shall be stopped.
Oppressed by the Wicked but Rejoicing in the LORD
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
1Hear my voice, O God, in my 1meditation;
Preserve my life from fear of the enemy.
2Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked,
From the rebellion of the workers of iniquity,
3Who sharpen their tongue like a sword,
aAnd bend their bows to shoot their arrows—bitter words,
4That they may shoot in secret at the blameless;
Suddenly they shoot at him and do not fear.
5They encourage themselves in an evil matter;
They talk of laying snares secretly;
bThey say, “Who will see them?”
6They devise iniquities:
“We have perfected a shrewd scheme.”
Both the inward thought and the heart of man are deep.
7But God shall shoot at them with an arrow;
Suddenly they shall be wounded.
8So He will make them stumble over their own tongue;
cAll who see them shall flee away.
9All men shall fear,
And shall ddeclare the work of God;
For they shall wisely consider His doing.
10eThe righteous shall be glad in the LORD, and trust in Him.
And all the upright in heart shall glory.
Praise to God for His Salvation and Providence
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. A Song.
1Praise is awaiting You, O God, in Zion;
And to You the 1vow shall be performed.
2O You who hear prayer,
aTo You all flesh will come.
3Iniquities prevail against me;
As for our transgressions,
You will bprovide atonement for them.
4cBlessed is the man You dchoose,
And cause to approach You,
That he may dwell in Your courts.
eWe shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house,
Of Your holy temple.
5By awesome deeds in righteousness You will answer us,
O God of our salvation,
You who are the confidence of all the ends of the earth,
And of the far-off seas;
6Who established the mountains by His strength,
fBeing clothed with power;
7gYou who still the noise of the seas,
The noise of their waves,
hAnd the tumult of the peoples.
8They also who dwell in the farthest parts are afraid of Your signs;
You make the outgoings of the morning and evening 2rejoice.
9You 3visit the earth and iwater it,
You greatly enrich it;
jThe river of God is full of water;
You provide their grain,
For so You have prepared it.
10You water its ridges abundantly,
You settle its furrows;
You make it soft with showers,
You bless its growth.
11You crown the year with Your goodness,
And Your paths drip with abundance.
12They drop on the pastures of the wilderness,
And the little hills rejoice on every side.
13The pastures are clothed with flocks;
kThe valleys also are covered with grain;
They shout for joy, they also sing.
Praise to God for His Awesome Works
To the Chief Musician. A Song. A Psalm.
1Make aa joyful shout to God, all the earth!
2Sing out the honor of His name;
Make His praise glorious.
3Say to God,
“How bawesome are Your works!
cThrough the greatness of Your power
Your enemies shall submit themselves to You.
4dAll the earth shall worship You
And sing praises to You;
They shall sing praises to Your name.” Selah
5Come and see the works of God;
He is awesome in His doing toward the sons of men.
6eHe turned the sea into dry land;
fThey went through the river on foot.
There we will rejoice in Him.
7He rules by His power forever;
His eyes observe the nations;
Do not let the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah
8Oh, bless our God, you peoples!
And make the voice of His praise to be heard,
9Who keeps our soul among the living,
And does not allow our feet to 1be moved.
10For gYou, O God, have tested us;
hYou have refined us as silver is refined.
11iYou brought us into the net;
You laid affliction on our backs.
12jYou have caused men to ride over our heads;
kWe went through fire and through water;
But You brought us out to 2rich fulfillment.
13lI will go into Your house with burnt offerings;
14Which my lips have uttered
And my mouth has spoken when I was in trouble.
15I will offer You burnt sacrifices of fat animals,
With the sweet aroma of rams;
I will offer bulls with goats. Selah
16Come and hear, all you who fear God,
And I will declare what He has done for my soul.
17I cried to Him with my mouth,
And He was 4extolled with my tongue.
18nIf I regard iniquity in my heart,
The Lord will not hear.
19But certainly God ohas heard me;
He has attended to the voice of my prayer.
20Blessed be God,
Who has not turned away my prayer,
Nor His mercy from me!
An Invocation and a Doxology
To the Chief Musician. On 1stringed instruments. A Psalm. A Song.
1God be merciful to us and bless us,
And acause His face to shine upon us, Selah
2That bYour way may be known on earth,
cYour salvation among all nations.
3Let the peoples praise You, O God;
Let all the peoples praise You.
4Oh, let the nations be glad and sing for joy!
For dYou shall judge the people righteously,
And govern the nations on earth. Selah
5Let the peoples praise You, O God;
Let all the peoples praise You.
6eThen the earth shall 2yield her increase;
God, our own God, shall bless us.
7God shall bless us,
And all the ends of the earth shall fear Him.
The Glory of God in His Goodness to Israel
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. A Song.
1Let aGod arise,
Let His enemies be scattered;
Let those also who hate Him flee before Him.
2bAs smoke is driven away,
So drive them away;
cAs wax melts before the fire,
So let the wicked perish at the presence of God.
3But dlet the righteous be glad;
Let them rejoice before God;
Yes, let them rejoice exceedingly.
4Sing to God, sing praises to His name;
eExtol1 Him who rides on the 2clouds,
And rejoice before Him.
5gA father of the fatherless, a defender of widows,
Is God in His holy habitation.
6hGod sets the solitary in families;
iHe brings out those who are bound into prosperity;
But jthe rebellious dwell in a dry land.
7O God, kwhen You went out before Your people,
When You marched through the wilderness, Selah
8The earth shook;
The heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God;
Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
9lYou, O God, sent a plentiful rain,
Whereby You confirmed Your inheritance,
When it was weary.
10Your congregation dwelt in it;
mYou, O God, provided from Your goodness for the poor.
11The Lord gave the word;
Great was the 4company of those who proclaimed it:
12“Kingsn of armies flee, they flee,
And she who remains at home divides the 5spoil.
13oThough you lie down among the 6sheepfolds,
pYou will be like the wings of a dove covered with silver,
And her feathers with yellow gold.”
14qWhen the Almighty scattered kings in it,
It was white as snow in Zalmon.
15A mountain of God is the mountain of Bashan;
A mountain of many peaks is the mountain of Bashan.
16Why do you 7fume with envy, you mountains of many peaks?
rThis is the mountain which God desires to dwell in;
Yes, the LORD will dwell in it forever.
17sThe chariots of God are twenty thousand,
Even thousands of thousands;
The Lord is among them as in Sinai, in the Holy Place.
uYou have led captivity captive;
vYou have received gifts among men,
Even from wthe rebellious,
xThat the LORD God might dwell there.
19Blessed be the Lord,
Who daily loads us with benefits,
The God of our salvation! Selah
20Our God is the God of salvation;
And yto GOD the Lord belong escapes from death.
21But zGod will wound the head of His enemies,
aThe hairy scalp of the one who still goes on in his trespasses.
22The Lord said, “I will bring bback from Bashan,
I will bring them back cfrom the depths of the sea,
23dThat 8your foot may crush them in blood,
eAnd the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from your enemies.”
24They have seen Your 9procession, O God,
The procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary.
25fThe singers went before, the players on instruments followed after;
Among them were the maidens playing timbrels.
26Bless God in the congregations,
The Lord, from gthe fountain of Israel.
27hThere is little Benjamin, their leader,
The princes of Judah and their 10company,
The princes of Zebulun and the princes of Naphtali.
2811Your God has icommanded your strength;
Strengthen, O God, what You have done for us.
29Because of Your temple at Jerusalem,
jKings will bring presents to You.
30Rebuke the beasts of the reeds,
kThe herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples,
Till everyone lsubmits himself with pieces of silver.
Scatter the peoples who delight in war.
31mEnvoys will come out of Egypt;
nEthiopia will quickly ostretch out her hands to God.
32Sing to God, you pkingdoms of the earth;
Oh, sing praises to the Lord, Selah
33To Him qwho rides on the heaven of heavens, which were of old!
Indeed, He sends out His voice, a rmighty voice.
34sAscribe strength to God;
His excellence is over Israel,
And His strength is in the clouds.
35O God, tYou are more awesome than Your holy places.
The God of Israel is He who gives strength and power to His people.
Blessed be God!
An Urgent Plea for Help in Trouble
To the Chief Musician. Set to 1“The Lilies.” A Psalm of David.
1Save me, O God!
For athe waters have come up to my 2neck.
2bI sink in deep mire,
Where there is no standing;
I have come into deep waters,
Where the floods overflow me.
3cI am weary with my crying;
My throat is dry;
dMy eyes fail while I wait for my God.
4Those who ehate me without a cause
Are more than the hairs of my head;
They are mighty who would destroy me,
Being my enemies wrongfully;
Though I have stolen nothing,
I still must restore it.
5O God, You know my foolishness;
And my sins are not hidden from You.
6Let not those who 3wait for You, O Lord GOD of hosts, be ashamed because of me;
Let not those who seek You be 4confounded because of me, O God of Israel.
7Because for Your sake I have borne reproach;
Shame has covered my face.
8fI have become a stranger to my brothers,
And an alien to my mother’s children;
9gBecause zeal for Your house has eaten me up,
hAnd the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me.
10When I wept and chastened my soul with fasting,
That became my reproach.
11I also 5made sackcloth my garment;
I became a byword to them.
12Those who 6sit in the gate speak against me,
And I am the song of the idrunkards.
13But as for me, my prayer is to You,
O LORD, in the acceptable time;
O God, in the multitude of Your mercy,
Hear me in the truth of Your salvation.
14Deliver me out of the mire,
And let me not sink;
Let me be delivered from those who hate me,
And out of the deep waters.
15Let not the floodwater overflow me,
Nor let the deep swallow me up;
And let not the pit shut its mouth on me.
16Hear me, O LORD, for Your lovingkindness is good;
Turn to me according to the multitude of Your tender mercies.
17And do not hide Your face from Your servant,
For I am in trouble;
Hear me speedily.
18Draw near to my soul, and redeem it;
Deliver me because of my enemies.
19You know jmy reproach, my shame, and my dishonor;
My adversaries are all before You.
20Reproach has broken my heart,
And I am full of 7heaviness;
kI looked for someone to take pity, but there was none;
And for lcomforters, but I found none.
21They also gave me gall for my food,
mAnd for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
22nLet their table become a snare before them,
And their well-being a trap.
23oLet their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see;
And make their loins shake continually.
24pPour out Your indignation upon them,
And let Your wrathful anger take hold of them.
25qLet their dwelling place be desolate;
Let no one live in their tents.
26For they persecute the ones rYou have struck,
And talk of the grief of those You have wounded.
27sAdd iniquity to their iniquity,
tAnd let them not come into Your righteousness.
28Let them ube blotted out of the book of the living,
vAnd not be written with the righteous.
29But I am poor and sorrowful;
Let Your salvation, O God, set me up on high.
30wI will praise the name of God with a song,
And will magnify Him with thanksgiving.
31xThis also shall please the LORD better than an ox or bull,
Which has horns and hooves.
32yThe humble shall see this and be glad;
And you who seek God, zyour hearts shall live.
33For the LORD hears the poor,
And does not despise aHis prisoners.
34bLet heaven and earth praise Him,
The seas cand everything that moves in them.
35dFor God will save Zion
And build the cities of Judah,
That they may dwell there and possess it.
36Also, ethe 8descendants of His servants shall inherit it,
And those who love His name shall dwell in it.
Prayer for Relief from Adversaries
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. aTo bring to remembrance.
1MAKE haste, bO God, to deliver me!
Make haste to help me, O LORD!
2cLet them be ashamed and confounded
Who seek my life;
Let them be 1turned back and confused
Who desire my hurt.
3dLet them be turned back because of their shame,
Who say, 2“Aha, aha!”
4Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
And let those who love Your salvation say continually,
“Let God be magnified!”
5eBut I am poor and needy;
fMake haste to me, O God!
You are my help and my deliverer;
O LORD, do not delay.
God the Rock of Salvation
1In aYou, O LORD, I put my trust;
Let me never be put to shame.
2bDeliver me in Your righteousness, and cause me to escape;
cIncline Your ear to me, and save me.
To which I may resort continually;
You have given the ecommandment to save me,
For You are my rock and my fortress.
4fDeliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked,
Out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.
5For You are gmy hope, O Lord GOD;
You are my trust from my youth.
6hBy You I have been 2upheld from birth;
You are He who took me out of my mother’s womb.
My praise shall be continually of You.
7iI have become as a wonder to many,
But You are my strong refuge.
8Let jmy mouth be filled with Your praise
And with Your glory all the day.
9Do not cast me off in the time of old age;
Do not forsake me when my strength fails.
10For my enemies speak against me;
And those who lie in wait for my life ktake counsel together,
11Saying, “God has forsaken him;
Pursue and take him, for there is none to deliver him.”
12lO God, do not be far from me;
O my God, mmake haste to help me!
13Let them be 3confounded and consumed
Who are adversaries of my life;
Let them be covered with reproach and dishonor
Who seek my hurt.
14But I will hope continually,
And will praise You yet more and more.
15My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And Your salvation all the day,
For I do not know their limits.
16I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD;
I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only.
17O God, You have taught me from my nyouth;
And to this day I declare Your wondrous works.
18Now also owhen I am old and grayheaded,
O God, do not forsake me,
Until I declare Your strength to this generation,
Your power to everyone who is to come.
19Also pYour righteousness, O God, is 4very high,
You who have done great things;
qO God, who is like You?
20rYou, who have shown me great and severe troubles,
sShall revive me again,
And bring me up again from the depths of the earth.
21You shall increase my greatness,
And comfort me on every side.
22Also twith the lute I will praise You—
And Your faithfulness, O my God!
To You I will sing with the harp,
O uHoly One of Israel.
23My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing to You,
And vmy soul, which You have redeemed.
24My tongue also shall talk of Your righteousness all the day long;
For they are confounded,
For they are brought to shame
Who seek my hurt.
Glory and Universality of the Messiah’s Reign
A Psalm aof Solomon.
1Give the king Your judgments, O God,
And Your righteousness to the king’s Son. Coronation Hymns in the Ancient Near East
2bHe will judge Your people with righteousness,
And Your poor with justice.
3cThe mountains will bring peace to the people,
And the little hills, by righteousness.
4dHe will bring justice to the poor of the people;
He will save the children of the needy,
And will 1break in pieces the oppressor.
eAs long as the sun and moon endure,
Throughout all generations.
6fHe shall come down like rain upon the grass before mowing,
Like showers that water the earth.
7In His days the righteous shall flourish,
gAnd abundance of peace,
Until the moon is no more.
8hHe shall have dominion also from sea to sea,
And from the River to the ends of the earth.
9iThose who dwell in the wilderness will bow before Him,
jAnd His enemies will lick the dust.
10kThe kings of Tarshish and of the isles
Will bring presents;
The kings of Sheba and Seba
Will offer gifts.
11lYes, all kings shall fall down before Him;
All nations shall serve Him.
12For He mwill deliver the needy when he cries,
The poor also, and him who has no helper.
13He will spare the poor and needy,
And will save the souls of the needy.
14He will redeem their life from oppression and violence;
And nprecious shall be their blood in His sight.
15And He shall live;
And the gold of oSheba will be given to Him;
Prayer also will be made for Him continually,
And daily He shall be praised.
16There will be an abundance of grain in the earth,
On the top of the mountains;
Its fruit shall wave like Lebanon;
pAnd those of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth.
17qHis name shall endure forever;
His name shall continue as long as the sun.
And rmen shall be blessed in Him;
sAll nations shall call Him blessed.
18tBlessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel,
uWho only does wondrous things!
19And vblessed be His glorious name forever!
wAnd let the whole earth be filled with His glory.
Amen and Amen.
20The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.
BOOK THREE
Psalms 73—89
The Tragedy of the Wicked, and the Blessedness of Trust in God
A Psalm of aAsaph.
1Truly God is good to Israel,
To such as are pure in heart.
2But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled;
My steps had nearly bslipped.
3cFor I was envious of the boastful,
When I saw the prosperity of the dwicked.
4For there are no 1pangs in their death,
But their strength is firm.
5eThey are not in trouble as other men,
Nor are they plagued like other men.
6Therefore pride serves as their necklace;
Violence covers them flike a garment.
7gTheir 2eyes bulge with abundance;
They have more than heart could wish.
8hThey scoff and speak wickedly concerning oppression;
9They set their mouth jagainst the heavens,
And their tongue walks through the earth.
10Therefore his people return here,
kAnd waters of a full cup are drained by them.
11And they say, l“How does God know?
And is there knowledge in the Most High?”
12Behold, these are the ungodly,
Who are always at ease;
They increase in riches.
13Surely I have 4cleansed my heart in mvain,
And washed my hands in innocence.
14For all day long I have been plagued,
And chastened every morning.
15If I had said, “I will speak thus,”
Behold, I would have been untrue to the generation of Your children.
16When I thought how to understand this,
It was 5too painful for me—
17Until I went into the sanctuary of God;
Then I understood their nend.
18Surely oYou set them in slippery places;
You cast them down to destruction.
19Oh, how they are brought to desolation, as in a moment!
They are utterly consumed with terrors.
20As a dream when one awakes,
So, Lord, when You awake,
You shall despise their image.
21Thus my heart was grieved,
And I was 6vexed in my mind.
22pI was so foolish and ignorant;
I was like a beast before You.
23Nevertheless I am continually with You;
You hold me by my right hand.
24qYou will guide me with Your counsel,
And afterward receive me to glory.
25rWhom have I in heaven but You?
And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.
26sMy flesh and my heart fail;
But God is the 7strength of my heart and my tportion forever.
27For indeed, uthose who are far from You shall perish;
You have destroyed all those who 8desert You for harlotry.
28But it is good for me to vdraw near to God;
I have put my trust in the Lord GOD,
That I may wdeclare all Your works.
A Plea for Relief from Oppressors
A 1Contemplation of Asaph.
1O GOD, why have You cast us off forever?
Why does Your anger smoke against the sheep of Your pasture? City Laments
2Remember Your congregation, which You have purchased of old,
The tribe of Your inheritance, which You have redeemed—
This Mount Zion where You have dwelt.
3Lift up Your feet to the perpetual desolations.
The enemy has damaged everything in the sanctuary.
4aYour enemies roar in the midst of Your meeting place;
bThey set up their banners for signs.
5They seem like men who lift up
Axes among the thick trees.
6And now they break down its carved work, all at once,
With axes and hammers.
7They have set fire to Your sanctuary;
They have defiled the dwelling place of Your name to the ground.
“Let us 2destroy them altogether.”
They have burned up all the meeting places of God in the land.
9We do not see our signs;
dThere is no longer any prophet;
Nor is there any among us who knows how long.
10O God, how long will the adversary 3reproach?
Will the enemy blaspheme Your name forever?
11eWhy do You withdraw Your hand, even Your right hand?
Take it out of Your bosom and destroy them.
12For fGod is my King from of old,
Working salvation in the midst of the earth.
13gYou divided the sea by Your strength;
You broke the heads of the 4sea serpents in the waters. Chaos Monsters
14You broke the heads of 5Leviathan in pieces,
And gave him as food to the people inhabiting the wilderness.
15hYou broke open the fountain and the flood;
iYou dried up mighty rivers.
16The day is Yours, the night also is jYours;
kYou have prepared the light and the sun.
17You have lset all the borders of the earth;
mYou have made summer and winter.
18Remember this, that the enemy has reproached, O LORD,
And that a foolish people has blasphemed Your name.
19Oh, do not deliver the life of Your turtledove to the wild beast!
Do not forget the life of Your poor forever.
20nHave respect to the covenant;
For the 6dark places of the earth are full of the 7haunts of 8cruelty.
21Oh, do not let the oppressed return ashamed!
Let the poor and needy praise Your name.
22Arise, O God, plead Your own cause;
Remember how the foolish man 9reproaches You daily.
23Do not forget the voice of Your enemies;
The tumult of those who rise up against You increases continually.
Thanksgiving for God’s Righteous Judgment
To the Chief Musician. Set to a“Do1 Not Destroy.” A Psalm of Asaph. A Song.
1We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks!
For Your wondrous works declare that Your name is near.
2“When I choose the 2proper time,
I will judge uprightly.
3The earth and all its inhabitants are dissolved;
I set up its pillars firmly. Selah
4“I said to the boastful, ‘Do not deal boastfully,’
And to the wicked, b‘Do not 3lift up the horn.
5Do not lift up your horn on high;
Do not speak with 4a stiff neck.’ ”
6For exaltation comes neither from the east
Nor from the west nor from the south.
7But cGod is the Judge:
dHe puts down one,
And exalts another.
8For ein the hand of the LORD there is a cup,
And the wine is red;
It is fully mixed, and He pours it out;
Surely its dregs shall all the wicked of the earth
Drain and drink down.
9But I will declare forever,
I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
The Majesty of God in Judgment
To the Chief Musician. On 1stringed instruments. A Psalm of Asaph. A Song.
1In aJudah God is known;
His name is great in Israel.
2In 2Salem also is His tabernacle,
And His dwelling place in Zion.
3There He broke the arrows of the bow,
The shield and sword of battle. Selah
4You are more glorious and excellent
bThan the mountains of prey.
5cThe stouthearted were plundered;
dThey 3have sunk into their sleep;
And none of the mighty men have found the use of their hands.
6eAt Your rebuke, O God of Jacob,
Both the chariot and horse were cast into a dead sleep.
7You, Yourself, are to be feared;
And fwho may stand in Your presence
When once You are angry?
8gYou caused judgment to be heard from heaven;
hThe earth feared and was still,
9When God iarose to judgment,
To deliver all the oppressed of the earth. Selah
10jSurely the wrath of man shall praise You;
With the remainder of wrath You shall gird Yourself.
11kMake vows to the LORD your God, and pay them;
lLet all who are around Him bring presents to Him who ought to be feared.
12He shall cut off the spirit of princes;
mHe is awesome to the kings of the earth.
The Consoling Memory of God’s Redemptive Works
To the Chief Musician. aTo Jeduthun. A Psalm of Asaph.
1I CRIED out to God with my voice—
To God with my voice;
And He gave ear to me.
2In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord;
My hand was stretched out in the night without ceasing;
My soul refused to be comforted.
3I remembered God, and was troubled;
I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah
4You hold my eyelids open;
I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
5I have considered the days of old,
The years of ancient times.
6I call to remembrance my song in the night;
I meditate within my heart,
And my spirit 1makes diligent search.
7Will the Lord cast off forever?
And will He be favorable no more?
8Has His mercy ceased forever?
Has His bpromise failed 2forevermore?
9Has God forgotten to be gracious?
Has He in anger shut up His tender mercies? Selah
10And I said, “This is my 3anguish;
But I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High.”
11I will remember the works of the LORD;
Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.
12I will also meditate on all Your work,
And talk of Your deeds.
13Your way, O God, is in 4the csanctuary;
Who is so great a God as our God?
14You are the God who does wonders;
You have declared Your strength among the peoples.
15You have with Your arm redeemed Your people,
The sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah
16The waters saw You, O God;
The waters saw You, they were dafraid;
The depths also trembled.
17The clouds poured out water;
The skies sent out a sound;
Your arrows also flashed about.
18The voice of Your thunder was in the whirlwind;
The lightnings lit up the world;
The earth trembled and shook.
19Your way was in the sea,
Your path in the great waters,
And Your footsteps were not known. Image
20You led Your people like a flock
By the hand of Moses and Aaron.
God’s Kindness to Rebellious Israel
1Give ear, O my people, to my law;
Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
2I will open my mouth in a bparable;
I will utter 2dark sayings of old,
3Which we have heard and known,
And our fathers have told us.
4cWe will not hide them from their children,
dTelling to the generation to come the praises of the LORD,
And His strength and His wonderful works that He has done.
5For eHe established a testimony in Jacob,
And appointed a law in Israel,
Which He commanded our fathers,
That fthey should make them known to their children;
6gThat the generation to come might know them,
The children who would be born,
That they may arise and declare them to their children,
7That they may set their hope in God,
And not forget the works of God,
But keep His commandments;
8And hmay not be like their fathers,
iA stubborn and rebellious generation,
A generation jthat did not 3set its heart aright,
And whose spirit was not faithful to God.
9The children of Ephraim, being armed and 4carrying bows,
Turned back in the day of battle.
10kThey did not keep the covenant of God;
They refused to walk in His law,
11And lforgot His works
And His wonders that He had shown them.
12mMarvelous things He did in the sight of their fathers,
In the land of Egypt, nin the field of Zoan.
13oHe divided the sea and caused them to pass through;
And pHe made the waters stand up like a heap.
14qIn the daytime also He led them with the cloud,
And all the night with a light of fire.
15rHe split the rocks in the wilderness,
And gave them drink in abundance like the depths.
16He also brought sstreams out of the rock,
And caused waters to run down like rivers.
17But they sinned even more against Him
By trebelling against the Most High in the wilderness.
18And uthey tested God in their heart
By asking for the food of their fancy.
19vYes, they spoke against God:
They said, “Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?
20wBehold, He struck the rock,
So that the waters gushed out,
And the streams overflowed.
Can He give bread also?
Can He provide meat for His people?”
21Therefore the LORD heard this and xwas furious;
So a fire was kindled against Jacob,
And anger also came up against Israel,
22Because they ydid not believe in God,
And did not trust in His salvation.
23Yet He had commanded the clouds above,
zAnd opened the doors of heaven,
24aHad rained down manna on them to eat,
And given them of the 5bread of bheaven.
25Men ate angels’ food;
He sent them food to 6the full.
26cHe caused an east wind to blow in the heavens;
And by His power He brought in the south wind.
27He also rained meat on them like the dust,
Feathered fowl like the sand of the seas;
28And He let them fall in the midst of their camp,
All around their dwellings.
29dSo they ate and were well filled,
For He gave them their own desire.
30They were not 7deprived of their craving;
But ewhile their food was still in their mouths,
31The wrath of God came against them,
And slew the stoutest of them,
And struck down the choice men of Israel.
32In spite of this fthey still sinned,
And gdid not believe in His wondrous works.
33hTherefore their days He consumed in futility,
And their years in fear.
34iWhen He slew them, then they sought Him;
And they returned and sought earnestly for God.
35Then they remembered that jGod was their rock,
And the Most High God ktheir Redeemer.
36Nevertheless they lflattered Him with their mouth,
And they lied to Him with their tongue;
37For their heart was not steadfast with Him,
Nor were they faithful in His covenant.
38mBut He, being full of ncompassion, forgave their iniquity,
And did not destroy them.
Yes, many a time oHe turned His anger away,
And pdid not stir up all His wrath;
39For qHe remembered rthat they were but flesh,
sA breath that passes away and does not come again.
40How often they tprovoked8 Him in the wilderness,
And grieved Him in the desert!
41Yes, uagain and again they tempted God,
And limited the Holy One of Israel.
42They did not remember His 9power:
The day when He redeemed them from the enemy,
43When He worked His signs in Egypt,
And His wonders in the field of Zoan;
44vTurned their rivers into blood,
And their streams, that they could not drink.
45wHe sent swarms of flies among them, which devoured them,
And xfrogs, which destroyed them.
46He also gave their crops to the caterpillar,
And their labor to the ylocust.
47zHe destroyed their vines with hail,
And their sycamore trees with frost.
48He also gave up their acattle to the hail,
And their flocks to fiery 10lightning.
49He cast on them the fierceness of His anger,
Wrath, indignation, and trouble,
By sending angels of destruction among them.
50He made a path for His anger;
He did not spare their soul from death,
But gave 11their life over to the plague,
51And destroyed all the bfirstborn in Egypt,
The first of their strength in the tents of Ham.
52But He cmade His own people go forth like sheep,
And guided them in the wilderness like a flock;
53And He dled them on safely, so that they did not fear;
But the sea eoverwhelmed their enemies.
54And He brought them to His fholy border,
This mountain gwhich His right hand had acquired.
55hHe also drove out the nations before them,
iAllotted them an inheritance by 12survey,
And made the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents.
56jYet they tested and provoked the Most High God,
And did not keep His testimonies,
57But kturned back and acted unfaithfully like their fathers;
They were turned aside llike a deceitful bow.
58mFor they provoked Him to anger with their nhigh places,
And moved Him to jealousy with their carved images.
59When God heard this, He was furious,
And greatly abhorred Israel,
60oSo that He forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh,
The tent He had placed among men,
61pAnd delivered His strength into captivity,
And His glory into the enemy’s hand.
62qHe also gave His people over to the sword,
And was furious with His inheritance.
63The fire consumed their young men,
And rtheir maidens were not given in marriage.
64sTheir priests fell by the sword,
And ttheir widows made no lamentation.
65Then the Lord awoke as from sleep,
uLike a mighty man who shouts because of wine.
66And vHe beat back His enemies;
He put them to a perpetual reproach.
67Moreover He rejected the tent of Joseph,
And did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,
68But chose the tribe of Judah,
Mount Zion wwhich He loved.
69And He built His xsanctuary like the heights,
Like the earth which He has established forever.
70yHe also chose David His servant,
And took him from the sheepfolds;
71From following zthe ewes that had young He brought him,
aTo shepherd Jacob His people,
And Israel His inheritance.
72So he shepherded them according to the bintegrity of his heart,
And guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.
A Dirge and a Prayer for Israel, Destroyed by Enemies
A Psalm of Asaph.
1O GOD, the 1nations have come into aYour inheritance;
Your holy temple they have defiled;
bThey have laid Jerusalem 2in heaps.
2cThe dead bodies of Your servants
They have given as food for the birds of the heavens,
The flesh of Your saints to the beasts of the earth.
3Their blood they have shed like water all around Jerusalem,
And there was no one to bury them.
4We have become a reproach to our dneighbors,
A scorn and derision to those who are around us.
Will You be angry forever?
Will Your fjealousy burn like fire?
6gPour out Your wrath on the 3nations that hdo not know You,
And on the kingdoms that ido not call on Your name.
7For they have devoured Jacob,
And laid waste his dwelling place.
8jOh, do not remember 4former iniquities against us!
Let Your tender mercies come speedily to meet us,
For we have been brought very low.
9Help us, O God of our salvation,
For the glory of Your name;
And deliver us, and provide atonement for our sins,
kFor Your name’s sake!
10lWhy should the 5nations say,
“Where is their God?”
Let there be known among the nations in our sight
The avenging of the blood of Your servants which has been shed.
11Let mthe groaning of the prisoner come before You;
According to the greatness of Your 6power
Preserve those who are appointed to die;
12And return to our neighbors nsevenfold into their bosom
oTheir reproach with which they have reproached You, O Lord.
13So pwe, Your people and sheep of Your pasture,
Will give You thanks forever;
qWe will show forth Your praise to all generations.
Prayer for Israel’s Restoration
To the Chief Musician. aSet to 1“The Lilies.” A 2Testimony of Asaph. A Psalm.
1Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,
bYou who lead Joseph clike a flock;
You who dwell between the cherubim, dshine forth!
2Before eEphraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh,
Stir up Your strength,
And come and save us!
gCause Your face to shine,
And we shall be saved!
4O LORD God of hosts,
hHow long will You be angry
Against the prayer of Your people?
5iYou have fed them with the bread of tears,
And given them tears to drink in great measure.
6You have made us a strife to our neighbors,
And our enemies laugh among themselves.
7Restore us, O God of hosts;
Cause Your face to shine,
And we shall be saved!
8You have brought ja vine out of Egypt;
kYou have cast out the 3nations, and planted it.
9You prepared room for it,
And caused it to take deep root,
And it filled the land.
10The hills were covered with its shadow,
And the 4mighty cedars with its lboughs.
11She sent out her boughs to 5the Sea,
And her branches to 6the River.
12Why have You mbroken down her 7hedges,
So that all who pass by the way pluck her fruit?
13The boar out of the woods uproots it,
And the wild beast of the field devours it.
14Return, we beseech You, O God of hosts;
nLook down from heaven and see,
And visit this vine
15And the vineyard which Your right hand has planted,
And the branch that You made strong ofor Yourself.
16It is burned with fire, it is cut down;
pThey perish at the rebuke of Your countenance.
17qLet Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand,
Upon the son of man whom You made strong for Yourself.
18Then we will not turn back from You;
Revive us, and we will call upon Your name.
19Restore us, O LORD God of hosts;
Cause Your face to shine,
And we shall be saved!
An Appeal for Israel’s Repentance
To the Chief Musician. aOn1 an instrument of Gath. A Psalm of Asaph.
1Sing aloud to God our strength;
Make a joyful shout to the God of Jacob.
2Raise a song and strike the timbrel,
The pleasant harp with the lute.
3Blow the trumpet at the time of the New Moon,
At the full moon, on our solemn feast day.
4For bthis is a statute for Israel,
A law of the God of Jacob.
5This He established in Joseph as a testimony,
When He went throughout the land of Egypt,
cWhere I heard a language I did not understand.
6“I removed his shoulder from the burden;
His hands were freed from the baskets.
7dYou called in trouble, and I delivered you;
eI answered you in the secret place of thunder;
I ftested you at the waters of 2Meribah. Selah
8“Hear,g O My people, and I will admonish you!
O Israel, if you will listen to Me!
9There shall be no hforeign god among you;
Nor shall you worship any foreign god.
10iI am the LORD your God,
Who brought you out of the land of Egypt;
jOpen your mouth wide, and I will fill it.
11“But My people would not heed My voice,
And Israel would have knone of Me.
12lSo I gave them over to 3their own stubborn heart,
To walk in their own counsels.
13“Oh,m that My people would listen to Me,
That Israel would walk in My ways!
14I would soon subdue their enemies,
And turn My hand against their adversaries.
15nThe haters of the LORD would pretend submission to Him,
But their 4fate would endure forever.
16He would ohave fed them also with 5the finest of wheat;
And with honey pfrom the rock I would have satisfied you.”
A Plea for Justice
A Psalm of Asaph.
1God astands in the congregation of 1the mighty;
2How long will you judge unjustly,
And cshow partiality to the wicked? Selah
33Defend the poor and fatherless;
Do justice to the afflicted and dneedy.
4Deliver the poor and needy;
Free them from the hand of the wicked.
5They do not know, nor do they understand;
They walk about in darkness;
All the efoundations of the earth are 4unstable.
And all of you are children of the Most High.
7But you shall die like men,
And fall like one of the princes.”
8Arise, O God, judge the earth;
gFor You shall inherit all nations.
Prayer to Frustrate Conspiracy Against Israel
A Song. A Psalm of Asaph.
1Doa not keep silent, O God!
Do not hold Your peace,
And do not be still, O God!
2For behold, bYour enemies make a 1tumult;
And those who hate You have 2lifted up their head.
3They have taken crafty counsel against Your people,
And consulted together cagainst Your sheltered ones.
4They have said, “Come, and dlet us cut them off from being a nation,
That the name of Israel may be remembered no more.”
5For they have consulted together with one 3consent;
They 4form a confederacy against You:
6eThe tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites;
Moab and the Hagrites;
7Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek;
Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre;
8Assyria also has joined with them;
They have helped the children of Lot. Selah
9Deal with them as with fMidian,
As with gSisera,
As with Jabin at the Brook Kishon,
10Who perished at En Dor,
hWho became as refuse on the earth.
11Make their nobles like iOreb and like Zeeb,
Yes, all their princes like jZebah and Zalmunna,
12Who said, “Let us take for ourselves
The pastures of God for a possession.”
13kO my God, make them like the whirling dust,
lLike the chaff before the wind!
14As the fire burns the woods,
And as the flame msets the mountains on fire,
15So pursue them with Your tempest,
And frighten them with Your storm.
16Fill their faces with shame,
That they may seek Your name, O LORD.
17Let them be 5confounded and dismayed forever;
Yes, let them be put to shame and perish,
18nThat they may know that You, whose oname alone is the LORD,
Are pthe Most High over all the earth.
The Blessedness of Dwelling in the House of God
To the Chief Musician. aOn1 an instrument of Gath. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
1How blovely 2is Your tabernacle,
O LORD of hosts! Sacred Space
2cMy soul longs, yes, even faints
For the courts of the LORD;
My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
3Even the sparrow has found a home,
And the swallow a nest for herself,
Where she may lay her young—
Even Your altars, O LORD of hosts,
My King and my God.
4Blessed are those who dwell in Your dhouse;
They will still be praising You. Selah
5Blessed is the man whose strength is in You,
Whose heart is set on pilgrimage.
6As they pass through the Valley eof 3Baca,
They make it a spring;
The rain also covers it with 4pools.
7They go ffrom strength to strength;
5Each one gappears before God in Zion.
8O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer;
Give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah
And look upon the face of Your 6anointed.
10For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand.
I would rather 7be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
11For the LORD God is ia sun and jshield;
The LORD will give grace and glory;
kNo good thing will He withhold
From those who walk uprightly.
12O LORD of hosts,
lBlessed is the man who trusts in You!
Prayer that the LORD Will Restore Favor to the Land
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm aof the sons of Korah.
1LORD, You have been favorable to Your land;
You have bbrought back the captivity of Jacob.
2You have forgiven the iniquity of Your people;
You have covered all their sin. Selah
3You have taken away all Your wrath;
You have turned from the fierceness of Your anger.
4cRestore us, O God of our salvation,
And cause Your anger toward us to cease.
5dWill You be angry with us forever?
Will You prolong Your anger to all generations?
6Will You not erevive us again,
That Your people may rejoice in You?
7Show us Your mercy, LORD,
And grant us Your salvation.
8I will hear what God the LORD will speak,
For He will speak peace
To His people and to His saints;
But let them not turn back to 1folly.
9Surely fHis salvation is near to those who fear Him,
gThat glory may dwell in our land.
10Mercy and truth have met together;
hRighteousness and peace have kissed.
11Truth shall spring out of the earth,
And righteousness shall look down from heaven.
12iYes, the LORD will give what is good;
And our land will yield its increase.
13Righteousness will go before Him,
And shall make His footsteps our pathway.
Prayer for Mercy, with Meditation on the Excellencies of the LORD
A Prayer of David.
1Bow down Your ear, O LORD, hear me;
For I am poor and needy.
2Preserve my 1life, for I am holy;
You are my God;
Save Your servant who trusts in You!
3Be merciful to me, O Lord,
For I cry to You all day long.
42Rejoice the soul of Your servant,
aFor to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
5For bYou, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive,
And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.
6Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer;
And attend to the voice of my supplications.
7In the day of my trouble I will call upon You,
For You will answer me.
8cAmong the gods there is none like You, O Lord;
Nor are there any works like Your works.
9All nations whom You have made
Shall come and worship before You, O Lord,
And shall glorify Your name.
10For You are great, and ddo wondrous things;
eYou alone are God.
11fTeach me Your way, O LORD;
I will walk in Your truth;
3Unite my heart to fear Your name.
12I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart,
And I will glorify Your name forevermore.
13For great is Your mercy toward me,
And You have delivered my soul from the depths of 4Sheol.
14O God, the proud have risen against me,
And a mob of violent men have sought my life,
And have not set You before them.
15But gYou, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious,
Longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.
16Oh, turn to me, and have mercy on me!
Give Your strength to Your servant,
And save the son of Your maidservant.
17Show me a sign for good,
That those who hate me may see it and be ashamed,
Because You, LORD, have helped me and comforted me.
The Glories of the City of God
A Psalm of the sons of Korah. A Song.
1His foundation is in the holy mountains.
2aThe LORD loves the gates of Zion
More than all the dwellings of Jacob.
3bGlorious things are spoken of you,
O city of God! Selah
4“I will make mention of 1Rahab and Babylon to those who know Me;
Behold, O Philistia and Tyre, with Ethiopia:
‘This one was born there.’ ”
5And of Zion it will be said,
“This one and that one were born in her;
And the Most High Himself shall establish her.”
6The LORD will record,
When He cregisters the peoples:
“This one was born there.” Selah
7Both the singers and the players on instruments say,
“All my springs are in you.”
A Prayer for Help in Despondency
A Song. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. To the Chief Musician. Set to “Mahalath Leannoth.” A 1Contemplation of aHeman the Ezrahite.
1O LORD, bGod of my salvation,
I have cried out day and night before You.
2Let my prayer come before You;
2Incline Your ear to my cry.
3For my soul is full of troubles,
And my life cdraws near to the grave.
4I am counted with those who dgo3 down to the pit;
eI am like a man who has no strength,
54Adrift among the dead,
Like the slain who lie in the grave,
Whom You remember no more,
And who are cut off from Your hand.
6You have laid me in the lowest pit,
In darkness, in the depths.
7Your wrath lies heavy upon me,
And You have afflicted me with all fYour waves. Selah
8gYou have 5put away my acquaintances far from me;
You have made me an abomination to them;
hI am shut up, and I cannot get out;
9My eye wastes away because of affliction.
iLORD, I have called daily upon You;
I have stretched out my hands to You.
10Will You work wonders for the dead?
Shall 6the dead arise and praise You? Selah
11Shall Your lovingkindness be declared in the grave?
Or Your faithfulness in the place of destruction?
12Shall Your wonders be known in the dark?
And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
13But to You I have cried out, O LORD,
And in the morning my prayer comes before You.
14LORD, why do You cast off my soul?
Why do You hide Your face from me?
15I have been afflicted and ready to die from my youth;
I suffer Your terrors;
I am distraught.
16Your fierce wrath has gone over me;
Your terrors have 7cut me off.
17They came around me all day long like water;
They engulfed me altogether.
18jLoved one and friend You have put far from me,
And my acquaintances into darkness.
Remembering the Covenant with David, and Sorrow for Lost Blessings
A 1Contemplation of aEthan the Ezrahite.
1I WILL sing of the mercies of the LORD forever;
With my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations.
2For I have said, “Mercy shall be built up forever;
bYour faithfulness You shall establish in the very heavens.”
3“Ic have made a covenant with My chosen,
I have dsworn to My servant David:
4‘Your seed I will establish forever,
And build up your throne eto all generations.’ ” Selah
5And fthe heavens will praise Your wonders, O LORD;
Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the saints.
6gFor who in the heavens can be compared to the LORD?
Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened to the LORD?
7hGod is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints,
And to be held in reverence by all those around Him.
8O LORD God of hosts,
Who is mighty like You, O LORD?
Your faithfulness also surrounds You.
9iYou rule the raging of the sea;
When its waves rise, You still them.
10jYou have broken 2Rahab in pieces, as one who is slain;
You have scattered Your enemies with Your mighty arm.
11kThe heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours;
The world and all its fullness, You have founded them.
12The north and the south, You have created them;
lTabor and mHermon rejoice in Your name.
13You have a mighty arm;
Strong is Your hand, and high is Your right hand.
14Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne;
Mercy and truth go before Your face.
15Blessed are the people who know the njoyful sound!
They walk, O LORD, in the light of Your countenance.
16In Your name they rejoice all day long,
And in Your righteousness they are exalted.
17For You are the glory of their strength,
And in Your favor our 3horn is oexalted.
18For our shield belongs to the LORD,
And our king to the Holy One of Israel.
19Then You spoke in a vision to Your 4holy one,
And said: “I have given help to one who is mighty;
I have exalted one pchosen from the people.
20qI have found My servant David;
With My holy oil I have anointed him,
21rWith whom My hand shall be established;
Also My arm shall strengthen him.
22The enemy shall not 5outwit him,
Nor the son of wickedness afflict him.
23I will beat down his foes before his face,
And plague those who hate him.
24“But My faithfulness and My mercy shall be with him,
And in My name his horn shall be exalted.
25Also I will sset his hand over the sea,
And his right hand over the rivers.
26He shall cry to Me, ‘You are tmy Father,
My God, and uthe rock of my salvation.’
27Also I will make him vMy firstborn,
wThe highest of the kings of the earth.
28xMy mercy I will keep for him forever,
And My covenant shall stand firm with him.
29His seed also I will make to endure forever,
yAnd his throne zas the days of heaven.
30“Ifa his sons bforsake My law
And do not walk in My judgments,
31If they 6break My statutes
And do not keep My commandments,
32Then I will punish their transgression with the rod,
And their iniquity with stripes.
33cNevertheless My lovingkindness I will not 7utterly take from him,
Nor 8allow My faithfulness to fail.
34My covenant I will not break,
Nor dalter the word that has gone out of My lips.
35Once I have sworn eby My holiness;
I will not lie to David:
36fHis seed shall endure forever,
And his throne gas the sun before Me;
37It shall be established forever like the moon,
Even like the faithful witness in the sky.” Selah
38But You have hcast off and iabhorred,9
You have been furious with Your 10anointed.
39You have renounced the covenant of Your servant;
jYou have 11profaned his crown by casting it to the ground.
40You have broken down all his hedges;
You have brought his 12strongholds to ruin.
41All who pass by the way kplunder him;
He is a reproach to his neighbors.
42You have exalted the right hand of his adversaries;
You have made all his enemies rejoice.
43You have also turned back the edge of his sword,
And have not sustained him in the battle.
44You have made his 13glory cease,
And cast his throne down to the ground.
45The days of his youth You have shortened;
You have covered him with shame. Selah
46How long, LORD?
Will You hide Yourself forever?
Will Your wrath burn like fire?
47Remember how short my time lis;
For what mfutility have You created all the children of men?
48What man can live and not 14see ndeath?
Can he deliver his life from the power of 15the grave? Selah
49Lord, where are Your former lovingkindnesses,
Which You oswore to David pin Your truth?
50Remember, Lord, the reproach of Your servants—
qHow I bear in my bosom the reproach of all the many peoples,
51rWith which Your enemies have reproached, O LORD,
With which they have reproached the footsteps of Your 16anointed.
52sBlessed be the LORD forevermore!
Amen and Amen.