BOOK III
Psalms 73—89
A psalm of Asaph.
1Surely God is good to Israel,
to those who are pure in heart.a
2But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;b
I had nearly lost my foothold.c
3For I enviedd the arrogant
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.e
4They have no struggles;
their bodies are healthy and strong.1
5They are freef from common human burdens;
they are not plagued by human ills.
6Therefore prideg is their necklace;h
they clothe themselves with violence.i
7From their callous heartsj comes iniquity2;
their evil imaginations have no limits.
8They scoff, and speak with malice;k
with arrogancel they threaten oppression.m
9Their mouths lay claim to heaven,
and their tongues take possession of the earth.
10Therefore their people turn to them
and drink up waters in abundance.3
11They say, “How would God know?
Does the Most High know anything?”
12This is what the wicked are like—
always free of care,n they go on amassing wealth.o
13Surely in vainp I have kept my heart pure
and have washed my hands in innocence.q
14All day long I have been afflicted,r
and every morning brings new punishments.
15If I had spoken out like that,
I would have betrayed your children.
16When I tried to understands all this,
it troubled me deeply
17till I entered the sanctuaryt of God;
then I understood their final destiny.u
18Surely you place them on slippery ground;v
you cast them down to ruin.w
19How suddenlyx are they destroyed,
completely swept awayy by terrors!
20They are like a dreamz when one awakes;a
when you arise, Lord,
you will despise them as fantasies.b
21When my heart was grieved
and my spirit embittered,
22I was senselessc and ignorant;
I was a brute beastd before you.
23Yet I am always with you;
you hold me by my right hand.e
24You guidef me with your counsel,g
and afterward you will take me into glory.
25Whom have I in heaven but you?h
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.i
26My flesh and my heartj may fail,k
but God is the strengthl of my heart
and my portionm forever.
27Those who are far from you will perish;n
you destroy all who are unfaithfulo to you.
28But as for me, it is good to be near God.p
I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge;q
I will tell of all your deeds.r
A maskil1 of Asaph.
1O God, why have you rejecteda us forever?b
Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture?c City Laments
2Remember the nation you purchasedd long ago,e
the people of your inheritance,f whom you redeemedg—
Mount Zion,h where you dwelt.i
3Turn your steps toward these everlasting ruins,j
all this destruction the enemy has brought on the sanctuary.
4Your foes roaredk in the place where you met with us;
they set up their standardsl as signs.
5They behaved like men wielding axes
to cut through a thicket of trees.m
6They smashed all the carvedn paneling
with their axes and hatchets.
7They burned your sanctuary to the ground;
they defiledo the dwelling placep of your Name.q
8They said in their hearts, “We will crushr them completely!”
They burneds every place where God was worshiped in the land.
9We are given no signs from God;t
no prophetsu are left,
and none of us knows how long this will be.
10How longv will the enemy mockw you, God?
Will the foe revilex your name forever?
11Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand?y
Take it from the folds of your garmentz and destroy them!
12But God is my Kinga from long ago;
he brings salvationb on the earth.
13It was you who split open the seac by your power;
you broke the heads of the monsterd in the waters. Chaos Monsters
14It was you who crushed the heads of Leviathane
and gave it as food to the creatures of the desert.f
15It was you who opened up springsg and streams;
you dried uph the ever-flowing rivers.
16The day is yours, and yours also the night;
you established the sun and moon.i
17It was you who set all the boundariesj of the earth;
you made both summer and winter.k
18Remember how the enemy has mocked you, LORD,
how foolish peoplel have reviled your name.
19Do not hand over the life of your dovem to wild beasts;
do not forget the lives of your afflictedn people forever.
20Have regard for your covenant,o
because haunts of violence fill the dark placesp of the land.
21Do not let the oppressedq retreat in disgrace;
may the poor and needyr praise your name.
22Rise up,s O God, and defend your cause;
remember how foolst mock you all day long.
For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A psalm of Asaph. A song.
1We praise you, God,
we praise you, for your Name is near;a
people tell of your wonderful deeds.b
2You say, “I choose the appointed time;c
it is I who judge with equity.d
3When the earth and all its people quake,e
it is I who hold its pillarsf firm.2
4To the arrogantg I say, ‘Boast no more,’h
and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horns.3,i
5Do not lift your horns against heaven;
do not speak so defiantly.j’ ”
6No one from the east or the west
or from the desert can exalt themselves.
7It is God who judges:k
He brings one down, he exalts another.l
8In the hand of the LORD is a cup
full of foaming wine mixedm with spices;
he pours it out, and all the wicked of the earth
drink it down to its very dregs.n
9As for me, I will declareo this forever;
I will singp praise to the God of Jacob,q
10who says, “I will cut off the horns of all the wicked,
but the horns of the righteous will be lifted up.”r
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm of Asaph. A song.
1God is renowned in Judah;
in Israel his name is great.a
his dwelling place in Zion.c
3There he broke the flashing arrows,d
the shields and the swords, the weapons of war.2,e
4You are radiant with light,f
more majestic than mountains rich with game.
5The valiantg lie plundered,
they sleep their last sleep;h
not one of the warriors
can lift his hands.
6At your rebuke,i God of Jacob,
both horse and chariotj lie still.
7It is you alone who are to be feared.k
Who can standl before you when you are angry?m
8From heaven you pronounced judgment,
and the land fearedn and was quiet—
9when you, God, rose up to judge,o
to save all the afflictedp of the land.
10Surely your wrath against mankind brings you praise,q
and the survivors of your wrath are restrained.3
11Make vows to the LORD your God and fulfill them;r
let all the neighboring lands
bring giftss to the One to be feared.
12He breaks the spirit of rulers;
he is feared by the kings of the earth.
For the director of music. For Jeduthun. Of Asaph. A psalm.
1I cried out to Goda for help;
I cried out to God to hear me.
2When I was in distress,b I sought the Lord;
at nightc I stretched out untiring hands,d
and I would not be comforted.e
3I rememberedf you, God, and I groaned;g
I meditated, and my spirit grew faint.2,h
4You kept my eyes from closing;
I was too troubled to speak.i
5I thought about the former days,j
the years of long ago;
6I remembered my songs in the night.
My heart meditated and my spirit asked:
7“Will the Lord reject forever?k
Will he never show his favorl again?
8Has his unfailing lovem vanished forever?
Has his promisen failed for all time?
9Has God forgotten to be merciful?o
Has he in anger withheld his compassion?p”
10Then I thought, “To this I will appeal:
the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand.q
11I will remember the deeds of the LORD;
yes, I will remember your miraclesr of long ago.
12I will considers all your works
and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”t
13Your ways, God, are holy.
What god is as great as our God?u
14You are the God who performs miracles;v
you display your power among the peoples.
15With your mighty arm you redeemed your people,w
the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.
the waters saw you and writhed;y
the very depths were convulsed.
17The clouds poured down water,z
the heavens resounded with thunder;a
your arrowsb flashed back and forth.
18Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind,c
your lightningd lit up the world;
the earth trembled and quaked.e
19Your pathf led through the sea,g
your way through the mighty waters,
though your footprints were not seen. Image
20You led your peopleh like a flocki
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.j
A maskil1 of Asaph.
1My people, hear my teaching;a
listen to the words of my mouth.
2I will open my mouth with a parable;b
I will utter hidden things, things from of old—
3things we have heard and known,
things our ancestors have told us.c
4We will not hide them from their descendants;d
we will tell the next generatione
the praiseworthy deedsf of the LORD,
his power, and the wondersg he has done.
5He decreed statutesh for Jacobi
and established the law in Israel,
which he commanded our ancestors
to teach their children,
6so the next generation would know them,
even the children yet to be born,j
and they in turn would tell their children.
7Then they would put their trust in God
and would not forgetk his deeds
but would keep his commands.l
8They would not be like their ancestorsm—
a stubbornn and rebelliouso generation,
whose hearts were not loyal to God,
whose spirits were not faithful to him.
9The men of Ephraim, though armed with bows,p
turned back on the day of battle;q
10they did not keep God’s covenantr
and refused to live by his law.s
11They forgot what he had done,t
the wonders he had shown them.
12He did miraclesu in the sight of their ancestors
in the land of Egypt,v in the region of Zoan.w
13He divided the seax and led them through;
he made the water stand up like a wall.y
14He guided them with the cloud by day
and with light from the fire all night.z
15He split the rocksa in the wilderness
and gave them water as abundant as the seas;
16he brought streams out of a rocky crag
and made water flow down like rivers.
17But they continued to sinb against him,
rebelling in the wilderness against the Most High.
18They willfully put God to the testc
by demanding the food they craved.d
19They spoke against God;e
they said, “Can God really
spread a table in the wilderness?
20True, he struck the rock,
and water gushed out,f
streams flowed abundantly,
but can he also give us bread?
Can he supply meatg for his people?”
21When the LORD heard them, he was furious;
his fire broke outh against Jacob,
and his wrath rose against Israel,
22for they did not believe in God
or trusti in his deliverance.
23Yet he gave a command to the skies above
and opened the doors of the heavens;j
24he rained down mannak for the people to eat,
he gave them the grain of heaven.
25Human beings ate the bread of angels;
he sent them all the food they could eat.
26He let loose the east windl from the heavens
and by his power made the south wind blow.
27He rained meat down on them like dust,
birdsm like sand on the seashore.
28He made them come down inside their camp,
all around their tents.
29They ate till they were gorged—n
he had given them what they craved.
30But before they turned from what they craved,
even while the food was still in their mouths,o
31God’s anger rose against them;
he put to death the sturdiestp among them,
cutting down the young men of Israel.
32In spite of all this, they kept on sinning;q
in spite of his wonders,r they did not believe.s
33So he ended their days in futilityt
and their years in terror.
34Whenever God slew them, they would seeku him;
they eagerly turned to him again.
35They remembered that God was their Rock,v
that God Most High was their Redeemer.w
36But then they would flatter him with their mouths,x
lying to him with their tongues;
37their hearts were not loyaly to him,
they were not faithful to his covenant.
38Yet he was merciful;z
and did not destroy them.
Time after time he restrained his angerc
and did not stir up his full wrath.
39He remembered that they were but flesh,d
a passing breezee that does not return.
40How often they rebelledf against him in the wildernessg
and grieved himh in the wasteland!
41Again and again they put God to the test;i
they vexed the Holy One of Israel.j
42They did not rememberk his power—
the day he redeemed them from the oppressor,l
43the day he displayed his signsm in Egypt,
his wondersn in the region of Zoan.
44He turned their river into blood;o
they could not drink from their streams.
45He sent swarms of fliesp that devoured them,
and frogsq that devastated them.
46He gave their crops to the grasshopper,r
their produce to the locust.s
47He destroyed their vines with hailt
and their sycamore-figs with sleet.
48He gave over their cattle to the hail,
their livestocku to bolts of lightning.
49He unleashed against them his hot anger,v
his wrath, indignation and hostility—
a band of destroying angels.w
50He prepared a path for his anger;
he did not spare them from death
but gave them over to the plague.
51He struck down all the firstborn of Egypt,x
the firstfruits of manhood in the tents of Ham.y
52But he brought his people out like a flock;z
he led them like sheep through the wilderness.
53He guided them safely, so they were unafraid;
but the sea engulfeda their enemies.b
54And so he brought them to the border of his holy land,
to the hill country his right handc had taken.
55He drove out nationsd before them
and allotted their lands to them as an inheritance;e
he settled the tribes of Israel in their homes.
56But they put God to the test
and rebelled against the Most High;
they did not keep his statutes.
57Like their ancestorsf they were disloyal and faithless,
as unreliable as a faulty bow.g
58They angered himh with their high places;i
they aroused his jealousy with their idols.j
59When God heardk them, he was furious;l
he rejected Israelm completely.
60He abandoned the tabernacle of Shiloh,n
the tent he had set up among humans.o
61He sent the ark of his mightp into captivity,q
his splendor into the hands of the enemy.
62He gave his people over to the sword;r
he was furious with his inheritance.s
63Fire consumedt their young men,
and their young women had no wedding songs;u
64their priests were put to the sword,v
and their widows could not weep.
65Then the Lord awoke as from sleep,w
as a warrior wakes from the stupor of wine.
66He beat back his enemies;
he put them to everlasting shame.x
67Then he rejected the tents of Joseph,
he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim;y
68but he chose the tribe of Judah,z
Mount Zion,a which he loved.
69He built his sanctuaryb like the heights,
like the earth that he established forever.
70He chose Davidc his servant
and took him from the sheep pens;
71from tending the sheepd he brought him
to be the shepherde of his people Jacob,
of Israel his inheritance.
72And David shepherded them with integrity of heart;f
with skillful hands he led them.
A psalm of Asaph.
1O God, the nations have invaded your inheritance;a
they have defiledb your holy temple,
they have reduced Jerusalem to rubble.c
2They have left the dead bodies of your servants
as food for the birds of the sky,d
the flesh of your own people for the animals of the wild.e
3They have poured out blood like water
all around Jerusalem,
and there is no one to buryf the dead.g
4We are objects of contempt to our neighbors,
of scornh and derision to those around us.i
5How long,j LORD? Will you be angryk forever?
How long will your jealousy burn like fire?l
6Pour out your wrathm on the nations
that do not acknowledgen you,
on the kingdoms
that do not call on your name;o
7for they have devouredp Jacob
and devastated his homeland.
8Do not hold against us the sins of past generations;q
may your mercy come quickly to meet us,
for we are in desperate need.r
9Help us,s God our Savior,
for the glory of your name;
deliver us and forgive our sins
for your name’s sake.t
10Why should the nations say,
“Where is their God?”u
Before our eyes, make known among the nations
that you avengev the outpoured bloodw of your servants.
11May the groans of the prisoners come before you;
with your strong arm preserve those condemned to die.
12Pay back into the lapsx of our neighbors seven timesy
the contempt they have hurled at you, Lord.
13Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture,z
will praise you forever;a
from generation to generation
we will proclaim your praise.
For the director of music. To the tune of “The Lilies of the Covenant.” Of Asaph. A psalm.
1Hear us, Shepherd of Israel,
you who lead Joseph like a flock.a
You who sit enthroned between the cherubim,b
shine forth 2before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh.c
Awakend your might;
come and save us.e
make your face shine on us,
that we may be saved.h
4How long,i LORD God Almighty,
will your anger smolderj
against the prayers of your people?
5You have fed them with the bread of tears;k
you have made them drink tears by the bowlful.l
6You have made us an object of derision2 to our neighbors,
and our enemies mock us.m
7Restore us, God Almighty;
make your face shine on us,
that we may be saved.n
8You transplanted a vineo from Egypt;
you drove outp the nations and plantedq it.
9You cleared the ground for it,
and it took root and filled the land.
10The mountains were covered with its shade,
the mighty cedars with its branches.
11Its branches reached as far as the Sea,3
its shoots as far as the River.4,r
12Why have you broken down its wallss
so that all who pass by pick its grapes?
13Boars from the forest ravaget it,
and insects from the fields feed on it.
14Return to us, God Almighty!
Look down from heaven and see!u
Watch over this vine,
15the root your right hand has planted,
the son5 you have raised up for yourself.
16Your vine is cut down, it is burned with fire;v
at your rebukew your people perish.
17Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand,
the son of manx you have raised up for yourself.
18Then we will not turn away from you;
revivey us, and we will call on your name.
19Restore us, LORD God Almighty;
make your face shine on us,
that we may be saved.
For the director of music. According to gittith.2 Of Asaph.
1Sing for joy to God our strength;
shout aloud to the God of Jacob!a
2Begin the music, strike the timbrel,b
play the melodious harpc and lyre.d
3Sound the ram’s horne at the New Moon,f
and when the moon is full, on the day of our festival;
4this is a decree for Israel,
an ordinance of the God of Jacob.g
5When God went out against Egypt,h
he established it as a statute for Joseph.
I heard an unknown voice say:i
6“I removed the burdenj from their shoulders;k
their hands were set free from the basket.
7In your distress you calledl and I rescued you,
I answeredm you out of a thundercloud;
I tested you at the waters of Meribah.3,n
8Hear me, my people,o and I will warn you—
if you would only listen to me, Israel!
9You shall have no foreign godp among you;
you shall not worship any god other than me.
10I am the LORD your God,
who brought you up out of Egypt.q
Openr wide your mouth and I will fills it.
11“But my people would not listen to me;
Israel would not submit to me.t
12So I gave them overu to their stubborn hearts
to follow their own devices.
13“If my people would only listen to me,v
if Israel would only follow my ways,
14how quickly I would subduew their enemies
and turn my hand againstx their foes!
15Those who hate the LORD would cringey before him,
and their punishment would last forever.
16But you would be fed with the finest of wheat;z
with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”
A psalm of Asaph.
1God presides in the great assembly;
he renders judgmenta among the “gods”:b
2“How long will you1 defend the unjust
and show partialityc to the wicked?2,d
3Defend the weak and the fatherless;e
uphold the cause of the poorf and the oppressed.
4Rescue the weak and the needy;
deliver them from the hand of the wicked.
5“The ‘gods’ know nothing, they understand nothing.g
They walk about in darkness;h
all the foundationsi of the earth are shaken.
you are all sons of the Most High.’
7But you will diek like mere mortals;
you will fall like every other ruler.”
8Rise up,l O God, judgem the earth,
for all the nations are your inheritance.n
A song. A psalm of Asaph.
1O God, do not remain silent;a
do not turn a deaf ear,
do not stand aloof, O God.
2See how your enemies growl,b
how your foes rear their heads.c
3With cunning they conspired against your people;
they plot against those you cherish.e
4“Come,” they say, “let us destroyf them as a nation,g
so that Israel’s name is rememberedh no more.”
5With one mind they plot together;i
they form an alliance against you—
6the tents of Edomj and the Ishmaelites,
Philistia,p with the people of Tyre.q
8Even Assyriar has joined them
to reinforce Lot’s descendants.2,s
9Do to them as you did to Midian,t
as you did to Siserau and Jabinv at the river Kishon,w
and became like dungy on the ground.
11Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb,z
all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,a
12who said, “Let us take possessionb
of the pasturelands of God.”
13Make them like tumbleweed, my God,
like chaffc before the wind.
14As fire consumes the forest
or a flame sets the mountains ablaze,d
15so pursue them with your tempeste
and terrify them with your storm.f
16Cover their faces with shame,g LORD,
so that they will seek your name.
17May they ever be ashamed and dismayed;h
may they perish in disgrace.i
For the director of music. According to gittith.2 Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.
1How lovely is your dwelling place,a
LORD Almighty! Sacred Space
2My soul yearns,b even faints,
for the courts of the LORD;
my heart and my flesh cry out
for the living God.c
3Even the sparrow has found a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may have her young—
a place near your altar,d
LORD Almighty,e my Kingf and my God.g
4Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
they are ever praising you.3
5Blessed are those whose strengthh is in you,
whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.i
6As they pass through the Valley of Baka,
they make it a place of springs;j
the autumnk rains also cover it with pools.4
7They go from strength to strength,l
till each appearsm before God in Zion.n
8Hear my prayer,o LORD God Almighty;
listen to me, God of Jacob.
9Look on our shield,5,p O God;
look with favor on your anointed one.q
10Better is one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeperr in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
11For the LORD God is a suns and shield;t
the LORD bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withholdu
from those whose walk is blameless.
12LORD Almighty,
blessedv is the one who trusts in you.
For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.
1You, LORD, showed favor to your land;
you restored the fortunesa of Jacob.
2You forgaveb the iniquityc of your people
and covered all their sins.2
3You set aside all your wrathd
and turned from your fierce anger.e
4Restoref us again, God our Savior,g
and put away your displeasure toward us.
5Will you be angry with us forever?h
Will you prolong your anger through all generations?
6Will you not revivei us again,
that your people may rejoicej in you?
7Show us your unfailing love,k LORD,
and grant us your salvation.l
8I will listen to what God the LORD says;
he promises peacem to his people, his faithful servants—
but let them not turn to folly.n
9Surely his salvationo is near those who fear him,
that his gloryp may dwell in our land.
10Love and faithfulnessq meet together;
righteousnessr and peace kiss each other.
11Faithfulness springs forth from the earth,
and righteousnesss looks down from heaven.
12The LORD will indeed give what is good,t
and our land will yieldu its harvest.
13Righteousness goes before him
and prepares the way for his steps.
A prayer of David.
1Hear me, LORD, and answera me,
for I am poor and needy.
2Guard my life, for I am faithful to you;
save your servant who trusts in you.b
You are my God; 3have mercyc on me, Lord,
for I calld to you all day long.
4Bring joy to your servant, Lord,
for I put my truste in you.
5You, Lord, are forgiving and good,
abounding in lovef to all who call to you.
6Hear my prayer, LORD;
listen to my cryg for mercy.
7When I am in distress,h I calli to you,
because you answerj me.
8Among the godsk there is none like you,l Lord;
no deeds can compare with yours.
9All the nations you have made
will comem and worshipn before you, Lord;
they will bring gloryo to your name.
10For you are greatp and do marvelous deeds;q
you aloner are God.
11Teach me your way,s LORD,
that I may rely on your faithfulness;t
give me an undividedu heart,
that I may fearv your name.
12I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart;w
I will glorify your name forever.
13For great is your love toward me;
you have delivered mex from the depths,
from the realm of the dead.y
14Arrogant foes are attacking me, O God;
ruthless people are trying to kill me—
they have no regard for you.z
15But you, Lord, are a compassionate and graciousa God,
slow to anger,b aboundingc in love and faithfulness.d
16Turn to mee and have mercyf on me;
show your strengthg in behalf of your servant;
save me, because I serve you
just as my mother did.h
17Give me a signi of your goodness,
that my enemies may see it and be put to shame,
for you, LORD, have helped me and comforted me.
Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm. A song.
1He has founded his city on the holy mountain.a
2The LORD loves the gates of Zionb
more than all the other dwellings of Jacob.
3Glorious things are said of you,
4“I will record Rahab2,d and Babylon
among those who acknowledge me—
Philistiae too, and Tyref, along with Cush3—
and will say, ‘This one was born in Zion.’ ”4,g
5Indeed, of Zion it will be said,
“This one and that one were born in her,
and the Most High himself will establish her.”
6The LORD will write in the registerh of the peoples:
“This one was born in Zion.”
7As they make musici they will sing,
“All my fountainsj are in you.”
A song. A psalm of the Sons of Korah. For the director of music. According to mahalath leannoth.2 A maskil3 of Heman the Ezrahite.
1LORD, you are the God who saves me;a
day and night I cry outb to you.
2May my prayer come before you;
turn your ear to my cry.
3I am overwhelmed with troublesc
and my life draws near to death.d
4I am counted among those who go down to the pit;e
I am like one without strength.f
5I am set apart with the dead,
like the slain who lie in the grave,
whom you remember no more,
who are cut offg from your care.
6You have put me in the lowest pit,
in the darkest depths.h
7Your wrathi lies heavily on me;
you have overwhelmed me with all your waves.4,j
8You have taken from me my closest friendsk
and have made me repulsive to them.
I am confinedl and cannot escape;m
9my eyesn are dim with grief.
I callo to you, LORD, every day;
I spread out my handsp to you.
10Do you show your wonders to the dead?
Do their spirits rise up and praise you?q
11Is your love declared in the grave,
your faithfulnessr in Destruction5?
12Are your wonders known in the place of darkness,
or your righteous deeds in the land of oblivion?
13But I cry to you for help,s LORD;
in the morningt my prayer comes before you.u
14Why, LORD, do you rejectv me
and hide your facew from me?
15From my youthx I have sufferedy and been close to death;
I have borne your terrorsz and am in despair.a
16Your wrathb has swept over me;
your terrorsc have destroyed me.
17All day long they surround me like a flood;d
they have completely engulfed me.
18You have taken from me friende and neighbor—
darkness is my closest friend.
A maskil2 of Ethan the Ezrahite.
1I will singa of the LORD’s great love forever;
with my mouth I will make your faithfulness knownb
through all generations.
2I will declare that your love stands firm forever,
that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself.c
3You said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
I have sworn to David my servant,
4‘I will establish your line forever
and make your throne firm through all generations.’ ”3,d
5The heavense praise your wonders, LORD,
your faithfulness too, in the assemblyf of the holy ones.
6For who in the skies above can compare with the LORD?
Who is like the LORD among the heavenly beings?g
7In the councilh of the holy onesi God is greatly feared;
he is more awesome than all who surround him.j
8Who is like you,k LORD God Almighty?l
You, LORD, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you.
9You rule over the surging sea;
when its waves mount up, you still them.m
10You crushed Rahabn like one of the slain;
with your strong arm you scatteredo your enemies.
11The heavens are yours,p and yours also the earth;q
you founded the world and all that is in it.r
12You created the north and the south;
Tabors and Hermont sing for joyu at your name.
13Your arm is endowed with power;
your hand is strong, your right hand exalted.v
14Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;w
love and faithfulness go before you.x
15Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you,
who walky in the lightz of your presence, LORD.
16They rejoice in your namea all day long;
they celebrate your righteousness.
17For you are their glory and strength,b
and by your favor you exalt our horn.4,c
18Indeed, our shield5,d belongs to the LORD,
our kinge to the Holy One of Israel.
19Once you spoke in a vision,
to your faithful people you said:
“I have bestowed strength on a warrior;
I have raised up a young man from among the people.
20I have found Davidf my servant;g
with my sacred oilh I have anointedi him.
21My hand will sustain him;
surely my arm will strengthen him.j
22The enemy will not get the better of him;k
the wicked will not oppressl him.
23I will crush his foes before himm
and strike down his adversaries.n
24My faithful love will be with him,o
and through my name his horn6 will be exalted.
25I will set his hand over the sea,
his right hand over the rivers.p
26He will call out to me, ‘You are my Father,q
my God, the Rockr my Savior.’s
27And I will appoint him to be my firstborn,t
the most exaltedu of the kingsv of the earth.
28I will maintain my love to him forever,
and my covenant with him will never fail.w
29I will establish his line forever,
his throne as long as the heavens endure.x
30“If his sons forsake my law
and do not follow my statutes,
31if they violate my decrees
and fail to keep my commands,
32I will punish their sin with the rod,
their iniquity with flogging;y
33but I will not take my love from him,z
nor will I ever betray my faithfulness.
34I will not violate my covenant
or alter what my lips have uttered.a
35Once for all, I have sworn by my holiness—
and I will not lie to David—
36that his line will continue forever
and his throne endure before me like the sun;b
37it will be established forever like the moon,
the faithful witness in the sky.”c
38But you have rejected,d you have spurned,
you have been very angry with your anointed one.
39You have renounced the covenant with your servant
and have defiled his crown in the dust.e
40You have broken through all his wallsf
and reduced his strongholdsg to ruins.
41All who pass by have plunderedh him;
he has become the scorn of his neighbors.i
42You have exalted the right hand of his foes;
you have made all his enemies rejoice.j
43Indeed, you have turned back the edge of his sword
and have not supported him in battle.k
44You have put an end to his splendor
and cast his throne to the ground.
45You have cut shortl the days of his youth;
you have covered him with a mantle of shame.m
46How long, LORD? Will you hide yourself forever?
How long will your wrath burn like fire?n
47Remember how fleeting is my life.o
For what futility you have created all humanity!
48Who can live and not see death,
or who can escape the power of the grave?p
49Lord, where is your former great love,
which in your faithfulness you swore to David?
50Remember, Lord, how your servant has7 been mocked,q
how I bear in my heart the taunts of all the nations,
51the taunts with which your enemies, LORD, have mocked,
with which they have mocked every step of your anointed one.r
52Praise be to the LORD forever!
Amen and Amen.s