The King Rejoices in the LORD’s Strength

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

PSALM 21 O LORD, in your strength the king rejoices,

and in your salvation how greatly he exults!

2 You have given him his heart’s desire

and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah

3 For you meet him with rich blessings;

you set a crown of fine gold upon his head.

4 He asked life of you; you gave it to him,

length of days forever and ever.

5 His glory is great through your salvation;

splendor and majesty you bestow on him.

6 For you make him most blessed forever; [1]

you make him glad with the joy of your presence.

7 For the king trusts in the LORD,

and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved.

8 Your hand will find out all your enemies;

your right hand will find out those who hate you.

9 You will make them as a blazing oven

when you appear.

The LORD will swallow them up in his wrath,

and fire will consume them.

10 You will destroy their descendants from the earth,

and their offspring from among the children of man.

11 Though they plan evil against you,

though they devise mischief, they will not succeed.

12 For you will put them to flight;

you will aim at their faces with your bows.

13 Be exalted, O LORD, in your strength!

We will sing and praise your power.

Why Have You Forsaken Me?

To the choirmaster: according to The Doe of the Dawn. A Psalm of David.

PSALM 22 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?

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

and by night, but I find no rest.

3 Yet you are holy,

enthroned on the praises [1] of Israel.

4 In you our fathers trusted;

they trusted, and you delivered them.

5 To you they cried and were rescued;

in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

6 But I am a worm and not a man,

scorned by mankind and despised by the people.

7 All who see me mock me;

they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;

8 “He trusts in the LORD; let him deliver him;

let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”

9 Yet you are he who took me from the womb;

you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts.

10 On you was I cast from my birth,

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

11 Be not far from me,

for trouble is near,

and there is none to help.

12 Many bulls encompass me;

strong bulls of Bashan surround me;

13 they open wide their mouths at me,

like a ravening and roaring lion.

14 I am poured out like water,

and all my bones are out of joint;

my heart is like wax;

it is melted within my breast;

15 my strength is dried up like a potsherd,

and my tongue sticks to my jaws;

you lay me in the dust of death.

16 For dogs encompass me;

a company of evildoers encircles me;

they have pierced my hands and feet [2]—

17 I can count all my bones—

they stare and gloat over me;

18 they divide my garments among them,

and for my clothing they cast lots.

19 But you, O LORD, do not be far off!

O you my help, come quickly to my aid!

20 Deliver my soul from the sword,

my precious life from the power of the dog!

21 Save me from the mouth of the lion!

You have rescued [3] me from the horns of the wild oxen!

22 I will tell of your name to my brothers;

in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:

23 You who fear the LORD, praise him!

All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him,

and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!

24 For he has not despised or abhorred

the affliction of the afflicted,

and he has not hidden his face from him,

but has heard, when he cried to him.

25 From you comes my praise in the great congregation;

my vows I will perform before those who fear him.

26 The afflicted [4] shall eat and be satisfied;

those who seek him shall praise the LORD!

May your hearts live forever!

27 All the ends of the earth shall remember

and turn to the LORD,

and all the families of the nations

shall worship before you.

28 For kingship belongs to the LORD,

and he rules over the nations.

29 All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship;

before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,

even the one who could not keep himself alive.

30 Posterity shall serve him;

it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation;

31 they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn,

that he has done it.

The LORD Is My Shepherd

A Psalm of David.

PSALM 23 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside still waters. [1]

3 He restores my soul.

He leads me in paths of righteousness [2]

for his name’s sake.

4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, [3]

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies;

you anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

6 Surely [4] goodness and mercy [5] shall follow me

all the days of my life,

and I shall dwell [6] in the house of the LORD

forever. [7]

The King of Glory

A Psalm of David.

PSALM 24 The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof, [1]

the world and those who dwell therein,

2 for he has founded it upon the seas

and established it upon the rivers.

3 Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD?

And who shall stand in his holy place?

4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,

who does not lift up his soul to what is false

and does not swear deceitfully.

5 He will receive blessing from the LORD

and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

6 Such is the generation of those who seek him,

who seek the face of the God of Jacob. [2] Selah

7 Lift up your heads, O gates!

And be lifted up, O ancient doors,

that the King of glory may come in.

8 Who is this King of glory?

The LORD, strong and mighty,

the LORD, mighty in battle!

9 Lift up your heads, O gates!

And lift them up, O ancient doors,

that the King of glory may come in.

10 Who is this King of glory?

The LORD of hosts,

he is the King of glory! Selah

Teach Me Your Paths

 [1] Of David.

PSALM 25 To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul.

2 O my God, in you I trust;

let me not be put to shame;

let not my enemies exult over me.

3 Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame;

they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.

4 Make me to know your ways, O LORD;

teach me your paths.

5 Lead me in your truth and teach me,

for you are the God of my salvation;

for you I wait all the day long.

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

for they have been from of old.

7 Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions;

according to your steadfast love remember me,

for the sake of your goodness, O LORD!

8 Good and upright is the LORD;

therefore he instructs sinners in the way.

9 He leads the humble in what is right,

and teaches the humble his way.

10 All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness,

for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.

11 For your name’s sake, O LORD,

pardon my guilt, for it is great.

12 Who is the man who fears the LORD?

Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose.

13 His soul shall abide in well-being,

and his offspring shall inherit the land.

14 The friendship [2] of the LORD is for those who fear him,

and he makes known to them his covenant.

15 My eyes are ever toward the LORD,

for he will pluck my feet out of the net.

16 Turn to me and be gracious to me,

for I am lonely and afflicted.

17 The troubles of my heart are enlarged;

bring me out of my distresses.

18 Consider my affliction and my trouble,

and forgive all my sins.

19 Consider how many are my foes,

and with what violent hatred they hate me.

20 Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me!

Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.

21 May integrity and uprightness preserve me,

for I wait for you.

22 Redeem Israel, O God,

out of all his troubles.

I Will Bless the LORD

Of David.

PSALM 26 Vindicate me, O LORD,

for I have walked in my integrity,

and I have trusted in the LORD without wavering.

2 Prove me, O LORD, and try me;

test my heart and my mind. [1]

3 For your steadfast love is before my eyes,

and I walk in your faithfulness.

4 I do not sit with men of falsehood,

nor do I consort with hypocrites.

5 I hate the assembly of evildoers,

and I will not sit with the wicked.

6 I wash my hands in innocence

and go around your altar, O LORD,

7 proclaiming thanksgiving aloud,

and telling all your wondrous deeds.

8 O LORD, I love the habitation of your house

and the place where your glory dwells.

9 Do not sweep my soul away with sinners,

nor my life with bloodthirsty men,

10 in whose hands are evil devices,

and whose right hands are full of bribes.

11 But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity;

redeem me, and be gracious to me.

12 My foot stands on level ground;

in the great assembly I will bless the LORD.

The LORD Is My Light and My Salvation

Of David.

PSALM 27 The LORD is my light and my salvation;

whom shall I fear?

The LORD is the stronghold [1] of my life;

of whom shall I be afraid?

2 When evildoers assail me

to eat up my flesh,

my adversaries and foes,

it is they who stumble and fall.

3 Though an army encamp against me,

my heart shall not fear;

though war arise against me,

yet [2] I will be confident.

4 One thing have I asked of the LORD,

that will I seek after:

that I may dwell in the house of the LORD

all the days of my life,

to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD

and to inquire [3] in his temple.

5 For he will hide me in his shelter

in the day of trouble;

he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;

he will lift me high upon a rock.

6 And now my head shall be lifted up

above my enemies all around me,

and I will offer in his tent

sacrifices with shouts of joy;

I will sing and make melody to the LORD.

7 Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud;

be gracious to me and answer me!

8 You have said, “Seek [4] my face.”

My heart says to you,

“Your face, LORD, do I seek.” [5]

9 Hide not your face from me.

Turn not your servant away in anger,

O you who have been my help.

Cast me not off; forsake me not,

O God of my salvation!

10 For my father and my mother have forsaken me,

but the LORD will take me in.

11 Teach me your way, O LORD,

and lead me on a level path

because of my enemies.

12 Give me not up to the will of my adversaries;

for false witnesses have risen against me,

and they breathe out violence.

13 I believe [6] that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD

in the land of the living!

14 Wait for the LORD;

be strong, and let your heart take courage;

wait for the LORD!

The LORD Is My Strength and My Shield

Of David.

PSALM 28 To you, O LORD, I call;

my rock, be not deaf to me,

lest, if you be silent to me,

I become like those who go down to the pit.

2 Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy,

when I cry to you for help,

when I lift up my hands

toward your most holy sanctuary. [1]

3 Do not drag me off with the wicked,

with the workers of evil,

who speak peace with their neighbors

while evil is in their hearts.

4 Give to them according to their work

and according to the evil of their deeds;

give to them according to the work of their hands;

render them their due reward.

5 Because they do not regard the works of the LORD

or the work of his hands,

he will tear them down and build them up no more.

6 Blessed be the LORD!

For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy.

7 The LORD is my strength and my shield;

in him my heart trusts, and I am helped;

my heart exults,

and with my song I give thanks to him.

8 The LORD is the strength of his people; [2]

he is the saving refuge of his anointed.

9 Oh, save your people and bless your heritage!

Be their shepherd and carry them forever.

Ascribe to the LORD Glory

A Psalm of David.

PSALM 29 Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings, [1]

ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.

2 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;

worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness. [2]

3 The voice of the LORD is over the waters;

the God of glory thunders,

the LORD, over many waters.

4 The voice of the LORD is powerful;

the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.

5 The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars;

the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon.

6 He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf,

and Sirion like a young wild ox.

7 The voice of the LORD flashes forth flames of fire.

8 The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness;

the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

9 The voice of the LORD makes the deer give birth [3]

and strips the forests bare,

and in his temple all cry, “Glory!”

10 The LORD sits enthroned over the flood;

the LORD sits enthroned as king forever.

11 May the LORD give strength to his people!

May the LORD bless [4] his people with peace!

Joy Comes with the Morning

A Psalm of David. A song at the dedication of the temple.

PSALM 30 I will extol you, O LORD, for you have drawn me up

and have not let my foes rejoice over me.

2 O LORD my God, I cried to you for help,

and you have healed me.

3 O LORD, you have brought up my soul from Sheol;

you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit. [1]

4 Sing praises to the LORD, O you his saints,

and give thanks to his holy name. [2]

5 For his anger is but for a moment,

and his favor is for a lifetime. [3]

Weeping may tarry for the night,

but joy comes with the morning.

6 As for me, I said in my prosperity,

“I shall never be moved.”

7 By your favor, O LORD,

you made my mountain stand strong;

you hid your face;

I was dismayed.

8 To you, O LORD, I cry,

and to the Lord I plead for mercy:

9 “What profit is there in my death, [4]

if I go down to the pit? [5]

Will the dust praise you?

Will it tell of your faithfulness?

10 Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me!

O LORD, be my helper!”

11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;

you have loosed my sackcloth

and clothed me with gladness,

12 that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent.

O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever!

Into Your Hand I Commit My Spirit

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

PSALM 31 In you, O LORD, do I take refuge;

let me never be put to shame;

in your righteousness deliver me!

2 Incline your ear to me;

rescue me speedily!

Be a rock of refuge for me,

a strong fortress to save me!

3 For you are my rock and my fortress;

and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me;

4 you take me out of the net they have hidden for me,

for you are my refuge.

5 Into your hand I commit my spirit;

you have redeemed me, O LORD, faithful God.

6 I hate [1] those who pay regard to worthless idols,

but I trust in the LORD.

7 I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love,

because you have seen my affliction;

you have known the distress of my soul,

8 and you have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy;

you have set my feet in a broad place.

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

my eye is wasted from grief;

my soul and my body also.

10 For my life is spent with sorrow,

and my years with sighing;

my strength fails because of my iniquity,

and my bones waste away.

11 Because of all my adversaries I have become a reproach,

especially to my neighbors,

and an object of dread to my acquaintances;

those who see me in the street flee from me.

12 I have been forgotten like one who is dead;

I have become like a broken vessel.

13 For I hear the whispering of many—

terror on every side!—

as they scheme together against me,

as they plot to take my life.

14 But I trust in you, O LORD;

I say, “You are my God.”

15 My times are in your hand;

rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!

16 Make your face shine on your servant;

save me in your steadfast love!

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

for I call upon you;

let the wicked be put to shame;

let them go silently to Sheol.

18 Let the lying lips be mute,

which speak insolently against the righteous

in pride and contempt.

19 Oh, how abundant is your goodness,

which you have stored up for those who fear you

and worked for those who take refuge in you,

in the sight of the children of mankind!

20 In the cover of your presence you hide them

from the plots of men;

you store them in your shelter

from the strife of tongues.

21 Blessed be the LORD,

for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me

when I was in a besieged city.

22 I had said in my alarm, [2]

“I am cut off from your sight.”

But you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy

when I cried to you for help.

23 Love the LORD, all you his saints!

The LORD preserves the faithful

but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride.

24 Be strong, and let your heart take courage,

all you who wait for the LORD!

Blessed Are the Forgiven

A Maskil [1] of David.

PSALM 32 Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,

whose sin is covered.

2 Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity,

and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away

through my groaning all day long.

4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;

my strength was dried up [2] as by the heat of summer. Selah

5 I acknowledged my sin to you,

and I did not cover my iniquity;

I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,”

and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah

6 Therefore let everyone who is godly

offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found;

surely in the rush of great waters,

they shall not reach him.

7 You are a hiding place for me;

you preserve me from trouble;

you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;

I will counsel you with my eye upon you.

9 Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding,

which must be curbed with bit and bridle,

or it will not stay near you.

10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked,

but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the LORD.

11 Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, O righteous,

and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

The Steadfast Love of the LORD

PSALM 33 Shout for joy in the LORD, O you righteous!

Praise befits the upright.

2 Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre;

make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!

3 Sing to him a new song;

play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.

4 For the word of the LORD is upright,

and all his work is done in faithfulness.

5 He loves righteousness and justice;

the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD.

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

and by the breath of his mouth all their host.

7 He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap;

he puts the deeps in storehouses.

8 Let all the earth fear the LORD;

let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!

9 For he spoke, and it came to be;

he commanded, and it stood firm.

10 The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;

he frustrates the plans of the peoples.

11 The counsel of the LORD stands forever,

the plans of his heart to all generations.

12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,

the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!

13 The LORD looks down from heaven;

he sees all the children of man;

14 from where he sits enthroned he looks out

on all the inhabitants of the earth,

15 he who fashions the hearts of them all

and observes all their deeds.

16 The king is not saved by his great army;

a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.

17 The war horse is a false hope for salvation,

and by its great might it cannot rescue.

18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him,

on those who hope in his steadfast love,

19 that he may deliver their soul from death

and keep them alive in famine.

20 Our soul waits for the LORD;

he is our help and our shield.

21 For our heart is glad in him,

because we trust in his holy name.

22 Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us,

even as we hope in you.

Taste and See That the LORD Is Good

 [1] Of David, when he changed his behavior before Abimelech, so that he drove him out, and he went away.

PSALM 34 I will bless the LORD at all times;

his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

2 My soul makes its boast in the LORD;

let the humble hear and be glad.

3 Oh, magnify the LORD with me,

and let us exalt his name together!

4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me

and delivered me from all my fears.

5 Those who look to him are radiant,

and their faces shall never be ashamed.

6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him

and saved him out of all his troubles.

7 The angel of the LORD encamps

around those who fear him, and delivers them.

8 Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!

Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

9 Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints,

for those who fear him have no lack!

10 The young lions suffer want and hunger;

but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

11 Come, O children, listen to me;

I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

12 What man is there who desires life

and loves many days, that he may see good?

13 Keep your tongue from evil

and your lips from speaking deceit.

14 Turn away from evil and do good;

seek peace and pursue it.

15 The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous

and his ears toward their cry.

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

to cut off the memory of them from the earth.

17 When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears

and delivers them out of all their troubles.

18 The LORD is near to the brokenhearted

and saves the crushed in spirit.

19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous,

but the LORD delivers him out of them all.

20 He keeps all his bones;

not one of them is broken.

21 Affliction will slay the wicked,

and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.

22 The LORD redeems the life of his servants;

none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

Great Is the LORD

Of David.

PSALM 35 Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me;

fight against those who fight against me!

2 Take hold of shield and buckler

and rise for my help!

3 Draw the spear and javelin [1]

against my pursuers!

Say to my soul,

“I am your salvation!”

4 Let them be put to shame and dishonor

who seek after my life!

Let them be turned back and disappointed

who devise evil against me!

5 Let them be like chaff before the wind,

with the angel of the LORD driving them away!

6 Let their way be dark and slippery,

with the angel of the LORD pursuing them!

7 For without cause they hid their net for me;

without cause they dug a pit for my life. [2]

8 Let destruction come upon him when he does not know it!

And let the net that he hid ensnare him;

let him fall into it—to his destruction!

9 Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD,

exulting in his salvation.

10 All my bones shall say,

“O LORD, who is like you,

delivering the poor

from him who is too strong for him,

the poor and needy from him who robs him?”

11 Malicious [3] witnesses rise up;

they ask me of things that I do not know.

12 They repay me evil for good;

my soul is bereft. [4]

13 But I, when they were sick—

I wore sackcloth;

I afflicted myself with fasting;

I prayed with head bowed [5] on my chest.

14 I went about as though I grieved for my friend or my brother;

as one who laments his mother,

I bowed down in mourning.

15 But at my stumbling they rejoiced and gathered;

they gathered together against me;

wretches whom I did not know

tore at me without ceasing;

16 like profane mockers at a feast, [6]

they gnash at me with their teeth.

17 How long, O Lord, will you look on?

Rescue me from their destruction,

my precious life from the lions!

18 I will thank you in the great congregation;

in the mighty throng I will praise you.

19 Let not those rejoice over me

who are wrongfully my foes,

and let not those wink the eye

who hate me without cause.

20 For they do not speak peace,

but against those who are quiet in the land

they devise words of deceit.

21 They open wide their mouths against me;

they say, “Aha, Aha!

Our eyes have seen it!”

22 You have seen, O LORD; be not silent!

O Lord, be not far from me!

23 Awake and rouse yourself for my vindication,

for my cause, my God and my Lord!

24 Vindicate me, O LORD, my God,

according to your righteousness,

and let them not rejoice over me!

25 Let them not say in their hearts,

“Aha, our heart’s desire!”

Let them not say, “We have swallowed him up.”

26 Let them be put to shame and disappointed altogether

who rejoice at my calamity!

Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor

who magnify themselves against me!

27 Let those who delight in my righteousness

shout for joy and be glad

and say evermore,

“Great is the LORD,

who delights in the welfare of his servant!”

28 Then my tongue shall tell of your righteousness

and of your praise all the day long.

How Precious Is Your Steadfast Love

To the choirmaster. Of David, the servant of the LORD.

PSALM 36 Transgression speaks to the wicked

deep in his heart; [1]

there is no fear of God

before his eyes.

2 For he flatters himself in his own eyes

that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated.

3 The words of his mouth are trouble and deceit;

he has ceased to act wisely and do good.

4 He plots trouble while on his bed;

he sets himself in a way that is not good;

he does not reject evil.

5 Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens,

your faithfulness to the clouds.

6 Your righteousness is like the mountains of God;

your judgments are like the great deep;

man and beast you save, O LORD.

7 How precious is your steadfast love, O God!

The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.

8 They feast on the abundance of your house,

and you give them drink from the river of your delights.

9 For with you is the fountain of life;

in your light do we see light.

10 Oh, continue your steadfast love to those who know you,

and your righteousness to the upright of heart!

11 Let not the foot of arrogance come upon me,

nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.

12 There the evildoers lie fallen;

they are thrust down, unable to rise.

He Will Not Forsake His Saints

 [1] Of David.

PSALM 37 Fret not yourself because of evildoers;

be not envious of wrongdoers!

2 For they will soon fade like the grass

and wither like the green herb.

3 Trust in the LORD, and do good;

dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. [2]

4 Delight yourself in the LORD,

and he will give you the desires of your heart.

5 Commit your way to the LORD;

trust in him, and he will act.

6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,

and your justice as the noonday.

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

fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,

over the man who carries out evil devices!

8 Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!

Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.

9 For the evildoers shall be cut off,

but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land.

10 In just a little while, the wicked will be no more;

though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.

11 But the meek shall inherit the land

and delight themselves in abundant peace.

12 The wicked plots against the righteous

and gnashes his teeth at him,

13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked,

for he sees that his day is coming.

14 The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows

to bring down the poor and needy,

to slay those whose way is upright;

15 their sword shall enter their own heart,

and their bows shall be broken.

16 Better is the little that the righteous has

than the abundance of many wicked.

17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,

but the LORD upholds the righteous.

18 The LORD knows the days of the blameless,

and their heritage will remain forever;

19 they are not put to shame in evil times;

in the days of famine they have abundance.

20 But the wicked will perish;

the enemies of the LORD are like the glory of the pastures;

they vanish—like smoke they vanish away.

21 The wicked borrows but does not pay back,

but the righteous is generous and gives;

22 for those blessed by the LORD [3] shall inherit the land,

but those cursed by him shall be cut off.

23 The steps of a man are established by the LORD,

when he delights in his way;

24 though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong,

for the LORD upholds his hand.

25 I have been young, and now am old,

yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken

or his children begging for bread.

26 He is ever lending generously,

and his children become a blessing.

27 Turn away from evil and do good;

so shall you dwell forever.

28 For the LORD loves justice;

he will not forsake his saints.

They are preserved forever,

but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.

29 The righteous shall inherit the land

and dwell upon it forever.

30 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,

and his tongue speaks justice.

31 The law of his God is in his heart;

his steps do not slip.

32 The wicked watches for the righteous

and seeks to put him to death.

33 The LORD will not abandon him to his power

or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial.

34 Wait for the LORD and keep his way,

and he will exalt you to inherit the land;

you will look on when the wicked are cut off.

35 I have seen a wicked, ruthless man,

spreading himself like a green laurel tree. [4]

36 But he passed away, [5] and behold, he was no more;

though I sought him, he could not be found.

37 Mark the blameless and behold the upright,

for there is a future for the man of peace.

38 But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed;

the future of the wicked shall be cut off.

39 The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD;

he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.

40 The LORD helps them and delivers them;

he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,

because they take refuge in him.

Do Not Forsake Me, O LORD

A Psalm of David, for the memorial offering.

PSALM 38 O LORD, rebuke me not in your anger,

nor discipline me in your wrath!

2 For your arrows have sunk into me,

and your hand has come down on me.

3 There is no soundness in my flesh

because of your indignation;

there is no health in my bones

because of my sin.

4 For my iniquities have gone over my head;

like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me.

5 My wounds stink and fester

because of my foolishness,

6 I am utterly bowed down and prostrate;

all the day I go about mourning.

7 For my sides are filled with burning,

and there is no soundness in my flesh.

8 I am feeble and crushed;

I groan because of the tumult of my heart.

9 O Lord, all my longing is before you;

my sighing is not hidden from you.

10 My heart throbs; my strength fails me,

and the light of my eyes—it also has gone from me.

11 My friends and companions stand aloof from my plague,

and my nearest kin stand far off.

12 Those who seek my life lay their snares;

those who seek my hurt speak of ruin

and meditate treachery all day long.

13 But I am like a deaf man; I do not hear,

like a mute man who does not open his mouth.

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

and in whose mouth are no rebukes.

15 But for you, O LORD, do I wait;

it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer.

16 For I said, “Only let them not rejoice over me,

who boast against me when my foot slips!”

17 For I am ready to fall,

and my pain is ever before me.

18 I confess my iniquity;

I am sorry for my sin.

19 But my foes are vigorous, they are mighty,

and many are those who hate me wrongfully.

20 Those who render me evil for good

accuse me because I follow after good.

21 Do not forsake me, O LORD!

O my God, be not far from me!

22 Make haste to help me,

O Lord, my salvation!

What Is the Measure of My Days?

To the choirmaster: to Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

PSALM 39 I said, “I will guard my ways,

that I may not sin with my tongue;

I will guard my mouth with a muzzle,

so long as the wicked are in my presence.”

2 I was mute and silent;

I held my peace to no avail,

and my distress grew worse.

3 My heart became hot within me.

As I mused, the fire burned;

then I spoke with my tongue:

4 “O LORD, make me know my end

and what is the measure of my days;

let me know how fleeting I am!

5 Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths,

and my lifetime is as nothing before you.

Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath! Selah

6 Surely a man goes about as a shadow!

Surely for nothing [1] they are in turmoil;

man heaps up wealth and does not know who will gather!

7 “And now, O Lord, for what do I wait?

My hope is in you.

8 Deliver me from all my transgressions.

Do not make me the scorn of the fool!

9 I am mute; I do not open my mouth,

for it is you who have done it.

10 Remove your stroke from me;

I am spent by the hostility of your hand.

11 When you discipline a man

with rebukes for sin,

you consume like a moth what is dear to him;

surely all mankind is a mere breath! Selah

12 “Hear my prayer, O LORD,

and give ear to my cry;

hold not your peace at my tears!

For I am a sojourner with you,

a guest, like all my fathers.

13 Look away from me, that I may smile again,

before I depart and am no more!”

My Help and My Deliverer

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

PSALM 40 I waited patiently for the LORD;

he inclined to me and heard my cry.

2 He drew me up from the pit of destruction,

out of the miry bog,

and set my feet upon a rock,

making my steps secure.

3 He put a new song in my mouth,

a song of praise to our God.

Many will see and fear,

and put their trust in the LORD.

4 Blessed is the man who makes

the LORD his trust,

who does not turn to the proud,

to those who go astray after a lie!

5 You have multiplied, O LORD my God,

your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us;

none can compare with you!

I will proclaim and tell of them,

yet they are more than can be told.

6 In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted,

but you have given me an open ear. [1]

Burnt offering and sin offering

you have not required.

7 Then I said, “Behold, I have come;

in the scroll of the book it is written of me:

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

your law is within my heart.”

9 I have told the glad news of deliverance [2]

in the great congregation;

behold, I have not restrained my lips,

as you know, O LORD.

10 I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart;

I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation;

I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness

from the great congregation.

11 As for you, O LORD, you will not restrain

your mercy from me;

your steadfast love and your faithfulness will

ever preserve me!

12 For evils have encompassed me

beyond number;

my iniquities have overtaken me,

and I cannot see;

they are more than the hairs of my head;

my heart fails me.

13 Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me!

O LORD, make haste to help me!

14 Let those be put to shame and disappointed altogether

who seek to snatch away my life;

let those be turned back and brought to dishonor

who delight in my hurt!

15 Let those be appalled because of their shame

who say to me, “Aha, Aha!”

16 But may all who seek you

rejoice and be glad in you;

may those who love your salvation

say continually, “Great is the LORD!”

17 As for me, I am poor and needy,

but the Lord takes thought for me.

You are my help and my deliverer;

do not delay, O my God!

O LORD, Be Gracious to Me

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

PSALM 41 Blessed is the one who considers the poor! [1]

In the day of trouble the LORD delivers him;

2 the LORD protects him and keeps him alive;

he is called blessed in the land;

you do not give him up to the will of his enemies.

3 The LORD sustains him on his sickbed;

in his illness you restore him to full health. [2]

4 As for me, I said, “O LORD, be gracious to me;

heal me, [3] for I have sinned against you!”

5 My enemies say of me in malice,

“When will he die, and his name perish?”

6 And when one comes to see me, he utters empty words,

while his heart gathers iniquity;

when he goes out, he tells it abroad.

7 All who hate me whisper together about me;

they imagine the worst for me. [4]

8 They say, “A deadly thing is poured out [5] on him;

he will not rise again from where he lies.”

9 Even my close friend in whom I trusted,

who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.

10 But you, O LORD, be gracious to me,

and raise me up, that I may repay them!

11 By this I know that you delight in me:

my enemy will not shout in triumph over me.

12 But you have upheld me because of my integrity,

and set me in your presence forever.

13 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,

from everlasting to everlasting!

Amen and Amen.