BOOK ONE
The Way of the Righteous and the End of the Ungodly
1Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; Focus: Two Paths
2But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
3He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper. Insight: The Way of Prosperity
4The ungodly are not so,
But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
5Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6For the LORD knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the ungodly shall perish.
The Messiah’s Triumph and Kingdom
1Why do the nations rage,
And the people plot a vain thing? Focus: Even Rulers Are Subjects
2The kings of the earth set themselves,
And the rulers take counsel together,
Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying,
3“Let us break Their bonds in pieces
And cast away Their cords from us.”
4He who sits in the heavens shall laugh;
The LORD shall hold them in derision. Focus: No Authority Except from God
5Then He shall speak to them in His wrath,
And distress them in His deep displeasure:
6“Yet I have set My King
On My holy hill of Zion.” Insight: The Holy Hill of Zion
7“I will declare the decree:
The LORD has said to Me,
‘You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You. Insight: Human Kings and the Heavenly King
8Ask of Me, and I will give You
The nations for Your inheritance,
And the ends of the earth for Your possession.
9You shall breaka them with a rod of iron;
You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ ”
10Now therefore, be wise, O kings;
Be instructed, you judges of the earth. Insight: Government in Psalms
11Serve the LORD with fear,
And rejoice with trembling.
12Kiss the Son,b lestcHe be angry,
And you perish in the way,
When His wrath is kindled but a little.
Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.
The LORD Helps His Troubled People
A Psalm of David when he fled from Absalom his son.
1LORD, how they have increased who trouble me!
Many are they who rise up against me. Focus: Fleeing Fear
2Many are they who say of me,
“There is no help for him in God.” Selah Insight: Selah
3But You, O LORD, are a shield for me,
My glory and the One who lifts up my head.
4I cried to the LORD with my voice,
And He heard me from His holy hill. Selah
5I lay down and slept;
I awoke, for the LORD sustained me. Insight: Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep
6I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people
Who have set themselves against me all around.
7Arise, O LORD;
Save me, O my God!
For You have struck all my enemies on the cheekbone;
You have broken the teeth of the ungodly.
8Salvation belongs to the LORD.
Your blessing is upon Your people. Selah
The Safety of the Faithful
To the Chief Musician. With stringed instruments. A Psalm of David.
1Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness!
You have relieved me in my distress;
Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer.
2How long, O you sons of men,
Will you turn my glory to shame?
How long will you love worthlessness
And seek falsehood? Selah
3But know that the LORD has set aparta for Himself him who is godly;
The LORD will hear when I call to Him.
4Be angry, and do not sin.
Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. Selah
5Offer the sacrifices of righteousness,
And put your trust in the LORD.
6There are many who say,
“Who will show us any good?”
LORD, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us.
7You have put gladness in my heart,
More than in the season that their grain and wine increased.
8I will both lie down in peace, and sleep;
For You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.
A Prayer for Guidance
To the Chief Musician. With flutes.a A Psalm of David.
1Give ear to my words, O LORD,
Consider my meditation.
2Give heed to the voice of my cry,
My King and my God,
For to You I will pray.
3My voice You shall hear in the morning, O LORD;
In the morning I will direct it to You,
And I will look up.
4For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness,
Nor shall evil dwell with You.
5The boastful shall not stand in Your sight;
You hate all workers of iniquity. Focus: A God Who Hates?
6You shall destroy those who speak falsehood;
The LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.
7But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy;
In fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple.
8Lead me, O LORD, in Your righteousness because of my enemies;
Make Your way straight before my face.
9For there is no faithfulness in their mouth;
Their inward part is destruction;
Their throat is an open tomb;
They flatter with their tongue.
10Pronounce them guilty, O God!
Let them fall by their own counsels;
Cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions,
For they have rebelled against You.
11But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;
Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them;
Let those also who love Your name
Be joyful in You.
12For You, O LORD, will bless the righteous;
With favor You will surround him as with a shield.
A Prayer of Faith in Time of Distress
To the Chief Musician. With stringed instruments. On an eight-stringed harp.a A Psalm of David.
1O LORD, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
2Have mercy on me, O LORD, for I am weak;
O LORD, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
3My soul also is greatly troubled;
But You, O LORD—how long?
4Return, O LORD, deliver me!
Oh, save me for Your mercies’ sake!
5For in death there is no remembrance of You;
In the grave who will give You thanks?
6I am weary with my groaning;
All night I make my bed swim;
I drench my couch with my tears.
7My eye wastes away because of grief;
It grows old because of all my enemies.
8Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity;
For the LORD has heard the voice of my weeping.
9The LORD has heard my supplication;
The LORD will receive my prayer.
10Let all my enemies be ashamed and greatly troubled;
Let them turn back and be ashamed suddenly.
Prayer and Praise for Deliverance from Enemies
A Meditationa of David, which he sang to the LORD concerning the words of Cush, a Benjamite.
1O LORD my God, in You I put my trust;
Save me from all those who persecute me;
And deliver me,
2Lest they tear me like a lion,
Rending me in pieces, while there is none to deliver.
3O LORD my God, if I have done this:
If there is iniquity in my hands,
4If I have repaid evil to him who was at peace with me,
Or have plundered my enemy without cause,
5Let the enemy pursue me and overtake me;
Yes, let him trample my life to the earth,
And lay my honor in the dust. Selah
6Arise, O LORD, in Your anger;
Lift Yourself up because of the rage of my enemies;
Rise up for meb to the judgment You have commanded!
7So the congregation of the peoples shall surround You;
For their sakes, therefore, return on high.
8The LORD shall judge the peoples;
Judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness,
And according to my integrity within me.
9Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end,
But establish the just;
For the righteous God tests the hearts and minds.
10My defense is of God,
Who saves the upright in heart.
11God is a just judge,
And God is angry with the wicked every day.
12If he does not turn back,
He will sharpen His sword;
He bends His bow and makes it ready.
13He also prepares for Himself instruments of death;
He makes His arrows into fiery shafts.
14Behold, the wicked brings forth iniquity;
Yes, he conceives trouble and brings forth falsehood.
15He made a pit and dug it out,
And has fallen into the ditch which he made.
16His trouble shall return upon his own head,
And his violent dealing shall come down on his own crown.
17I will praise the LORD according to His righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.
The Glory of the LORD in Creation
To the Chief Musician. On the instrument of Gath.a A Psalm of David.
1O LORD, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth,
Who have set Your glory above the heavens!
2Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants
You have ordained strength,
Because of Your enemies,
That You may silence the enemy and the avenger.
3When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,
4What is man that You are mindful of him,
And the son of man that You visit him?
5For You have made him a little lower than the angels,b
And You have crowned him with glory and honor.
6You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things under his feet, Focus: People at Work
7All sheep and oxen—
Even the beasts of the field,
8The birds of the air,
And the fish of the sea
That pass through the paths of the seas.
9O LORD, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth!
Prayer and Thanksgiving for the LORD’s Righteous Judgments
To the Chief Musician. To the tune of “Death of the Son.”a A Psalm of David.
1I will praise You, O LORD, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
2I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.
3When my enemies turn back,
They shall fall and perish at Your presence.
4For You have maintained my right and my cause;
You sat on the throne judging in righteousness.
5You have rebuked the nations,
You have destroyed the wicked;
You have blotted out their name forever and ever. Focus: God the Avenger
6O enemy, destructions are finished forever!
And you have destroyed cities;
Even their memory has perished. Insight: Forgotten Cities
7But the LORD shall endure forever;
He has prepared His throne for judgment.
8He shall judge the world in righteousness,
And He shall administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness.
9The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed,
A refuge in times of trouble.
10And those who know Your name will put their trust in You;
For You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.
11Sing praises to the LORD, who dwells in Zion!
Declare His deeds among the people.
12When He avenges blood, He remembers them;
He does not forget the cry of the humble.
13Have mercy on me, O LORD!
Consider my trouble from those who hate me,
You who lift me up from the gates of death, Focus: From Garbage Dump to City Center
14That I may tell of all Your praise
In the gates of the daughter of Zion.
I will rejoice in Your salvation.
15The nations have sunk down in the pit which they made;
In the net which they hid, their own foot is caught.
16The LORD is known by the judgment He executes;
The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands.
Meditation.b Selah
17The wicked shall be turned into hell,
And all the nations that forget God.
18For the needy shall not always be forgotten;
The expectation of the poor shall not perish forever.
19Arise, O LORD,
Do not let man prevail;
Let the nations be judged in Your sight.
20Put them in fear, O LORD,
That the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah
A Song of Confidence in God’s Triumph over Evil
1Why do You stand afar off, O LORD?
Why do You hide in times of trouble?
2The wicked in his pride persecutes the poor;
Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised.
3For the wicked boasts of his heart’s desire;
He blesses the greedy and renounces the LORD.
4The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God;
God is in none of his thoughts.
5His ways are always prospering;
Your judgments are far above, out of his sight;
As for all his enemies, he sneers at them.
6He has said in his heart, “I shall not be moved;
I shall never be in adversity.”
7His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and oppression;
Under his tongue is trouble and iniquity.
8He sits in the lurking places of the villages;
In the secret places he murders the innocent;
His eyes are secretly fixed on the helpless.
9He lies in wait secretly, as a lion in his den;
He lies in wait to catch the poor;
He catches the poor when he draws him into his net.
10So he crouches, he lies low,
That the helpless may fall by his strength.
11He has said in his heart,
“God has forgotten;
He hides His face;
He will never see.”
12Arise, O LORD!
O God, lift up Your hand!
Do not forget the humble.
13Why do the wicked renounce God?
He has said in his heart,
“You will not require an account.”
14But You have seen, for You observe trouble and grief,
To repay it by Your hand.
The helpless commits himself to You;
You are the helper of the fatherless.
15Break the arm of the wicked and the evil man;
Seek out his wickedness until You find none.
16The LORD is King forever and ever;
The nations have perished out of His land.
17LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble;
You will prepare their heart;
You will cause Your ear to hear,
18To do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed,
That the man of the earth may oppress no more. Focus: Opposing Evil
Faith in the LORD’s Righteousness
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
1In the LORD I put my trust;
How can you say to my soul,
“Flee as a bird to your mountain”?
2For look! The wicked bend their bow,
They make ready their arrow on the string,
That they may shoot secretly at the upright in heart.
3If the foundations are destroyed,
What can the righteous do?
4The LORD is in His holy temple,
The LORD’s throne is in heaven;
His eyes behold,
His eyelids test the sons of men. Focus: Where Does God Live?
5The LORD tests the righteous,
But the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates.
6Upon the wicked He will rain coals;
Fire and brimstone and a burning wind
Shall be the portion of their cup. Insight: Putting an End to Evil
7For the LORD is righteous,
He loves righteousness;
His countenance beholds the upright.a
Man’s Treachery and God’s Constancy
To the Chief Musician. On an eight-stringed harp.a A Psalm of David.
1Help, LORD, for the godly man ceases!
For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men.
2They speak idly everyone with his neighbor;
With flattering lips and a double heart they speak.
3May the LORD cut off all flattering lips,
And the tongue that speaks proud things,
4Who have said,
“With our tongue we will prevail;
Our lips are our own;
Who is lord over us?”
5“For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy,
Now I will arise,” says the LORD;
“I will set him in the safety for which he yearns.” Focus: God Is a Support
6The words of the LORD are pure words,
Like silver tried in a furnace of earth,
Purified seven times. Insight: The Refiner’s Fire
7You shall keep them, O LORD,
You shall preserve them from this generation forever.
8The wicked prowl on every side,
When vileness is exalted among the sons of men.
Trust in the Salvation of the LORD
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
1How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever?
How long will You hide Your face from me?
2How long shall I take counsel in my soul,
Having sorrow in my heart daily?
How long will my enemy be exalted over me?
3Consider and hear me, O LORD my God;
Enlighten my eyes,
Lest I sleep the sleep of death;
4Lest my enemy say,
“I have prevailed against him”;
Lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved.
5But I have trusted in Your mercy;
My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.
6I will sing to the LORD,
Because He has dealt bountifully with me.
Folly of the Godless, and God’s Final Triumph
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
1The fool has said in his heart,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt,
They have done abominable works,
There is none who does good.
2The LORD looks down from heaven upon the children of men,
To see if there are any who understand, who seek God. Focus: No One Seeks the Lord
3They have all turned aside,
They have together become corrupt;
There is none who does good,
No, not one.
4Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge,
Who eat up my people as they eat bread,
And do not call on the LORD?
5There they are in great fear,
For God is with the generation of the righteous.
6You shame the counsel of the poor,
But the LORD is his refuge.
7Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion!
When the LORD brings back the captivity of His people,
Let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad.
The Character of Those Who May Dwell with the LORD
A Psalm of David.
1LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle?
Who may dwell in Your holy hill? Focus: An Inventory of Integrity
2He who walks uprightly,
And works righteousness,
And speaks the truth in his heart;
3He who does not backbite with his tongue,
Nor does evil to his neighbor,
Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend;
4In whose eyes a vile person is despised,
But he honors those who fear the LORD;
He who swears to his own hurt and does not change;
5He who does not put out his money at usury,
Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things shall never be moved. Insight: Moneylending
The Hope of the Faithful, and the Messiah’s Victory
A Michtam of David.
1Preserve me, O God, for in You I put my trust.
2O my soul, you have said to the LORD,
“You are my Lord,
My goodness is nothing apart from You.”
3As for the saints who are on the earth,
“They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.”
4Their sorrows shall be multiplied who hasten after another god;
Their drink offerings of blood I will not offer,
Nor take up their names on my lips.
5O LORD, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You maintain my lot.
6The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Yes, I have a good inheritance.
7I will bless the LORD who has given me counsel;
My heart also instructs me in the night seasons.
8I have set the LORD always before me;
Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.
9Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will rest in hope.
10For You will not leave my soul in Sheol,
Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. Insight: The Promise of the Resurrection
11You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Prayer with Confidence in Final Salvation
A Prayer of David.
1Hear a just cause, O LORD,
Attend to my cry;
Give ear to my prayer which is not from deceitful lips.
2Let my vindication come from Your presence;
Let Your eyes look on the things that are upright.
3You have tested my heart;
You have visited me in the night;
You have tried me and have found nothing;
I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.
4Concerning the works of men,
By the word of Your lips,
I have kept away from the paths of the destroyer.
5Uphold my steps in Your paths,
That my footsteps may not slip.
6I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God;
Incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech.
7Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand,
O You who save those who trust in You
From those who rise up against them.
8Keep me as the apple of Your eye;
Hide me under the shadow of Your wings,
9From the wicked who oppress me,
From my deadly enemies who surround me.
10They have closed up their fat hearts;
With their mouths they speak proudly.
11They have now surrounded us in our steps;
They have set their eyes, crouching down to the earth,
12As a lion is eager to tear his prey,
And like a young lion lurking in secret places.
13Arise, O LORD,
Confront him, cast him down;
Deliver my life from the wicked with Your sword,
14With Your hand from men, O LORD,
From men of the world who have their portion in this life,
And whose belly You fill with Your hidden treasure.
They are satisfied with children,
And leave the rest of their possession for their babes.
15As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness;
I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.
God the Sovereign Savior
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David the servant of the LORD, who spoke to the LORD the words of this song on the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. And he said:
1I WILL love You, O LORD, my strength.
2The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
My God, my strength, in whom I will trust;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised;
So shall I be saved from my enemies.
4The pangs of death surrounded me,
And the floods of ungodliness made me afraid.
5The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me;
The snares of death confronted me.
6In my distress I called upon the LORD,
And cried out to my God;
He heard my voice from His temple,
And my cry came before Him, even to His ears.
7Then the earth shook and trembled;
The foundations of the hills also quaked and were shaken,
Because He was angry.
8Smoke went up from His nostrils,
And devouring fire from His mouth;
Coals were kindled by it.
9He bowed the heavens also, and came down
With darkness under His feet.
10And He rode upon a cherub, and flew;
He flew upon the wings of the wind.
11He made darkness His secret place;
His canopy around Him was dark waters
And thick clouds of the skies.
12From the brightness before Him,
His thick clouds passed with hailstones and coals of fire.
13The LORD thundered from heaven,
And the Most High uttered His voice,
Hailstones and coals of fire.a
14He sent out His arrows and scattered the foe,
Lightnings in abundance, and He vanquished them.
15Then the channels of the sea were seen,
The foundations of the world were uncovered
At Your rebuke, O LORD,
At the blast of the breath of Your nostrils.
16He sent from above, He took me;
He drew me out of many waters.
17He delivered me from my strong enemy,
From those who hated me,
For they were too strong for me.
18They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
But the LORD was my support.
19He also brought me out into a broad place;
He delivered me because He delighted in me.
20The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness;
According to the cleanness of my hands
He has recompensed me.
21For I have kept the ways of the LORD,
And have not wickedly departed from my God.
22For all His judgments were before me,
And I did not put away His statutes from me.
23I was also blameless before Him,
And I kept myself from my iniquity.
24Therefore the LORD has recompensed me according to my righteousness,
According to the cleanness of my hands in His sight.
25With the merciful You will show Yourself merciful;
With a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless;
26With the pure You will show Yourself pure;
And with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd.
27For You will save the humble people,
But will bring down haughty looks.
28For You will light my lamp;
The LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.
29For by You I can run against a troop,
By my God I can leap over a wall.
30As for God, His way is perfect;
The word of the LORD is proven;
He is a shield to all who trust in Him.
31For who is God, except the LORD?
And who is a rock, except our God?
32It is God who arms me with strength,
And makes my way perfect.
33He makes my feet like the feet of deer,
And sets me on my high places.
34He teaches my hands to make war,
So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35You have also given me the shield of Your salvation;
Your right hand has held me up,
Your gentleness has made me great.
36You enlarged my path under me,
So my feet did not slip.
37I have pursued my enemies and overtaken them;
Neither did I turn back again till they were destroyed.
38I have wounded them,
So that they could not rise;
They have fallen under my feet.
39For You have armed me with strength for the battle;
You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.
40You have also given me the necks of my enemies,
So that I destroyed those who hated me.
41They cried out, but there was none to save;
Even to the LORD, but He did not answer them.
42Then I beat them as fine as the dust before the wind;
I cast them out like dirt in the streets.
43You have delivered me from the strivings of the people;
You have made me the head of the nations;
A people I have not known shall serve me. Focus: Making God Known
44As soon as they hear of me they obey me;
The foreigners submit to me.
45The foreigners fade away,
And come frightened from their hideouts.
46The LORD lives!
Blessed be my Rock!
Let the God of my salvation be exalted.
47It is God who avenges me,
And subdues the peoples under me;
48He delivers me from my enemies.
You also lift me up above those who rise against me;
You have delivered me from the violent man.
49Therefore I will give thanks to You, O LORD, among the Gentiles,
And sing praises to Your name.
50Great deliverance He gives to His king,
And shows mercy to His anointed,
To David and his descendants forevermore.
The Perfect Revelation of the LORD
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
1The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows His handiwork. Focus: God’s Self-Disclosure
2Day unto day utters speech,
And night unto night reveals knowledge.
3There is no speech nor language
Where their voice is not heard.
4Their linea has gone out through all the earth,
And their words to the end of the world.
In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun,
5Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
And rejoices like a strong man to run its race.
6Its rising is from one end of heaven,
And its circuit to the other end;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat. Life Studies: Johannes Kepler
7The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;
8The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;
9The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
10More to be desired are they than gold,
Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
11Moreover by them Your servant is warned,
And in keeping them there is great reward.
12Who can understand his errors?
Cleanse me from secret faults.
13Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins;
Let them not have dominion over me.
Then I shall be blameless,
And I shall be innocent of great transgression.
14Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.
The Assurance of God’s Saving Work
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
1May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble;
May the name of the God of Jacob defend you;
2May He send you help from the sanctuary,
And strengthen you out of Zion;
3May He remember all your offerings,
And accept your burnt sacrifice. Selah
4May He grant you according to your heart’s desire,
And fulfill all your purpose.
5We will rejoice in your salvation,
And in the name of our God we will set up our banners!
May the LORD fulfill all your petitions.
6Now I know that the LORD saves His anointed;
He will answer him from His holy heaven
With the saving strength of His right hand.
7Some trust in chariots, and some in horses;
But we will remember the name of the LORD our God.
8They have bowed down and fallen;
But we have risen and stand upright.
9Save, LORD!
May the King answer us when we call.
Joy in the Salvation of the LORD
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
1The king shall have joy in Your strength, O LORD;
And in Your salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!
2You have given him his heart’s desire,
And have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah
3For You meet him with the blessings of goodness;
You set a crown of pure gold upon his head.
4He asked life from You, and You gave it to him—
Length of days forever and ever.
5His glory is great in Your salvation;
Honor and majesty You have placed upon him.
6For You have made him most blessed forever;
You have made him exceedingly glad with Your presence.
7For the king trusts in the LORD,
And through the mercy of the Most High he shall not be moved.
8Your hand will find all Your enemies;
Your right hand will find those who hate You.
9You shall make them as a fiery oven in the time of Your anger;
The LORD shall swallow them up in His wrath,
And the fire shall devour them.
10Their offspring You shall destroy from the earth,
And their descendants from among the sons of men.
11For they intended evil against You;
They devised a plot which they are not able to perform.
12Therefore You will make them turn their back;
You will make ready Your arrows on Your string toward their faces.
13Be exalted, O LORD, in Your own strength!
We will sing and praise Your power.
The Suffering, Praise, and Posterity of the Messiah
To the Chief Musician. Set to “The Deer of the Dawn.”a A Psalm of David.
1My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?
Why are You so far from helping Me,
And from the words of My groaning? Insight: Anticipating Christ
2O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear;
And in the night season, and am not silent. Focus: Forsaken
3But You are holy,
Enthroned in the praises of Israel.
4Our fathers trusted in You;
They trusted, and You delivered them.
5They cried to You, and were delivered;
They trusted in You, and were not ashamed.
6But I am a worm, and no man;
A reproach of men, and despised by the people.
7All those who see Me ridicule Me;
They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,
8“He trustedb in the LORD, let Him rescue Him;
Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!”
9But You are He who took Me out of the womb;
You made Me trust while on My mother’s breasts.
10I was cast upon You from birth.
From My mother’s womb
You have been My God.
11Be not far from Me,
For trouble is near;
For there is none to help.
12Many bulls have surrounded Me;
Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled Me.
13They gape at Me with their mouths,
Like a raging and roaring lion.
14I am poured out like water,
And all My bones are out of joint;
My heart is like wax;
It has melted within Me.
15My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
And My tongue clings to My jaws;
You have brought Me to the dust of death.
16For dogs have surrounded Me;
The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me.
They piercedc My hands and My feet;
17I can count all My bones.
They look and stare at Me.
18They divide My garments among them,
And for My clothing they cast lots.
19But You, O LORD, do not be far from Me;
O My Strength, hasten to help Me!
20Deliver Me from the sword,
My precious life from the power of the dog.
21Save Me from the lion’s mouth
And from the horns of the wild oxen!
You have answered Me.
22I will declare Your name to My brethren;
In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.
23You who fear the LORD, praise Him!
All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him,
And fear Him, all you offspring of Israel!
24For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted;
Nor has He hidden His face from Him;
But when He cried to Him, He heard.
25My praise shall be of You in the great assembly;
I will pay My vows before those who fear Him.
26The poor shall eat and be satisfied;
Those who seek Him will praise the LORD.
Let your heart live forever!
27All the ends of the world
Shall remember and turn to the LORD,
And all the families of the nations
Shall worship before You.d Focus: Despair Turns to Praise
28For the kingdom is the LORD’s,
And He rules over the nations.
29All the prosperous of the earth
Shall eat and worship;
All those who go down to the dust
Shall bow before Him,
Even he who cannot keep himself alive.
30A posterity shall serve Him.
It will be recounted of the Lord to the next generation,
31They will come and declare His righteousness to a people who will be born,
That He has done this.
The LORD the Shepherd of His People
A Psalm of David.
1The LORD is my shepherd;
I shall not want. Focus: God the Shepherd
2He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
3He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.
4Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over. Insight: David the Shepherd
6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwella in the house of the LORD
Forever.
The King of Glory and His Kingdom
A Psalm of David.
1The earth is the LORD’s, and all its fullness,
The world and those who dwell therein. Focus: Lord of the City
2For He has founded it upon the seas,
And established it upon the waters.
3Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD?
Or who may stand in His holy place?
4He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol,
Nor sworn deceitfully.
5He shall receive blessing from the LORD,
And righteousness from the God of his salvation.
6This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him,
Who seek Your face. Selah
7Lift up your heads, O you gates!
And be lifted up, you everlasting doors!
And the King of glory shall come in. Insight: Jesus in the Old Testament
8Who is this King of glory?
The LORD strong and mighty,
The LORD mighty in battle.
9Lift up your heads, O you gates!
Lift up, you everlasting doors!
And the King of glory shall come in.
10Who is this King of glory?
The LORD of hosts,
He is the King of glory. Selah
A Plea for Deliverance and Forgiveness
A Psalm of David.
1To You, O LORD, I lift up my soul.
2O my God, I trust in You;
Let me not be ashamed;
Let not my enemies triumph over me.
3Indeed, let no one who waits on You be ashamed;
Let those be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause.
4Show me Your ways, O LORD;
Teach me Your paths.
5Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day.
6Remember, O LORD, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they are from of old.
7Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness’ sake, O LORD.
8Good and upright is the LORD;
Therefore He teaches sinners in the way.
9The humble He guides in justice,
And the humble He teaches His way.
10All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth,
To such as keep His covenant and His testimonies.
11For Your name’s sake, O LORD,
Pardon my iniquity, for it is great.
12Who is the man that fears the LORD?
Him shall Hea teach in the way Heb chooses.
13He himself shall dwell in prosperity,
And his descendants shall inherit the earth.
14The secret of the LORD is with those who fear Him,
And He will show them His covenant.
15My eyes are ever toward the LORD,
For He shall pluck my feet out of the net.
16Turn Yourself to me, and have mercy on me,
For I am desolate and afflicted.
17The troubles of my heart have enlarged;
Bring me out of my distresses!
18Look on my affliction and my pain,
And forgive all my sins.
19Consider my enemies, for they are many;
And they hate me with cruel hatred.
20Keep my soul, and deliver me;
Let me not be ashamed, for I put my trust in You.
21Let integrity and uprightness preserve me,
For I wait for You.
22Redeem Israel, O God,
Out of all their troubles!
A Prayer for Divine Scrutiny and Redemption
A Psalm of David.
1Vindicate me, O LORD,
For I have walked in my integrity.
I have also trusted in the LORD;
I shall not slip.
2Examine me, O LORD, and prove me;
Try my mind and my heart.
3For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes,
And I have walked in Your truth.
4I have not sat with idolatrous mortals,
Nor will I go in with hypocrites.
5I have hated the assembly of evildoers,
And will not sit with the wicked.
6I will wash my hands in innocence;
So I will go about Your altar, O LORD,
7That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving,
And tell of all Your wondrous works.
8LORD, I have loved the habitation of Your house,
And the place where Your glory dwells.
9Do not gather my soul with sinners,
Nor my life with bloodthirsty men,
10In whose hands is a sinister scheme,
And whose right hand is full of bribes.
11But as for me, I will walk in my integrity;
Redeem me and be merciful to me.
12My foot stands in an even place;
In the congregations I will bless the LORD.
An Exuberant Declaration of Faith
A Psalm of David.
1The LORD is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?
2When the wicked came against me
To eat up my flesh,
My enemies and foes,
They stumbled and fell.
3Though an army may encamp against me,
My heart shall not fear;
Though war may rise against me,
In this I will be confident.
4One thing I have desired of the LORD,
That will I seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the LORD
All the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the LORD,
And to inquire in His temple.
5For in the time of trouble
He shall hide me in His pavilion;
In the secret place of His tabernacle
He shall hide me;
He shall set me high upon a rock.
6And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me;
Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD.
7Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice!
Have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
8When You said, “Seek My face,”
My heart said to You, “Your face, LORD, I will seek.”
9Do not hide Your face from me;
Do not turn Your servant away in anger;
You have been my help;
Do not leave me nor forsake me,
O God of my salvation.
10When my father and my mother forsake me,
Then the LORD will take care of me.
11Teach me Your way, O LORD,
And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies.
12Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries;
For false witnesses have risen against me,
And such as breathe out violence.
13I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the LORD
In the land of the living.
14Wait on the LORD;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the LORD!
Rejoicing in Answered Prayer
A Psalm of David.
1To You I will cry, O LORD my Rock:
Do not be silent to me,
Lest, if You are silent to me,
I become like those who go down to the pit.
2Hear the voice of my supplications
When I cry to You,
When I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary.
3Do not take me away with the wicked
And with the workers of iniquity,
Who speak peace to their neighbors,
But evil is in their hearts.
4Give them according to their deeds,
And according to the wickedness of their endeavors;
Give them according to the work of their hands;
Render to them what they deserve.
5Because they do not regard the works of the LORD,
Nor the operation of His hands,
He shall destroy them
And not build them up.
6Blessed be the LORD,
Because He has heard the voice of my supplications!
7The LORD is my strength and my shield;
My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped;
Therefore my heart greatly rejoices,
And with my song I will praise Him.
8The LORD is their strength,a
And He is the saving refuge of His anointed.
9Save Your people,
And bless Your inheritance;
Shepherd them also,
And bear them up forever.
Praise to God in His Holiness and Majesty
A Psalm of David.
1Give unto the LORD, O you mighty ones,
Give unto the LORD glory and strength.
2Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name;
Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
3The voice of the LORD is over the waters;
The God of glory thunders;
The LORD is over many waters. Focus: The Lord’s Voice in Creation
4The voice of the LORD is powerful;
The voice of the LORD is full of majesty.
5The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars,
Yes, the LORD splinters the cedars of Lebanon.
6He makes them also skip like a calf,
Lebanon and Sirion like a young wild ox.
7The voice of the LORD divides the flames of fire.
8The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness;
The LORD shakes the Wilderness of Kadesh.
9The voice of the LORD makes the deer give birth,
And strips the forests bare;
And in His temple everyone says, “Glory!”
10The LORD sat enthroned at the Flood,
And the LORD sits as King forever.
11The LORD will give strength to His people;
The LORD will bless His people with peace.
The Blessedness of Answered Prayer
A Psalm. A Song at the dedication of the house of David.
1I WILL extol You, O LORD, for You have lifted me up,
And have not let my foes rejoice over me.
2O LORD my God, I cried out to You,
And You healed me.
3O LORD, You brought my soul up from the grave;
You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.a
4Sing praise to the LORD, you saints of His,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.b
5For His anger is but for a moment,
His favor is for life;
Weeping may endure for a night,
But joy comes in the morning.
6Now in my prosperity I said,
“I shall never be moved.”
7LORD, by Your favor You have made my mountain stand strong;
You hid Your face, and I was troubled.
8I cried out to You, O LORD;
And to the LORD I made supplication:
9“What profit is there in my blood,
When I go down to the pit?
Will the dust praise You?
Will it declare Your truth?
10Hear, O LORD, and have mercy on me;
LORD, be my helper!”
11You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,
12To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent.
O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever. Life Studies: Paul Cézanne
The LORD a Fortress in Adversity
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
1In You, O LORD, I put my trust;
Let me never be ashamed;
Deliver me in Your righteousness.
2Bow down Your ear to me,
Deliver me speedily;
Be my rock of refuge,
A fortress of defense to save me.
3For You are my rock and my fortress;
Therefore, for Your name’s sake,
Lead me and guide me.
4Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me,
For You are my strength.
5Into Your hand I commit my spirit;
You have redeemed me, O LORD God of truth.
6I have hated those who regard useless idols;
But I trust in the LORD.
7I will be glad and rejoice in Your mercy,
For You have considered my trouble;
You have known my soul in adversities,
8And have not shut me up into the hand of the enemy;
You have set my feet in a wide place.
9Have mercy on me, O LORD, for I am in trouble;
My eye wastes away with grief,
Yes, my soul and my body!
10For my life is spent with grief,
And my years with sighing;
My strength fails because of my iniquity,
And my bones waste away.
11I am a reproach among all my enemies,
But especially among my neighbors,
And am repulsive to my acquaintances;
Those who see me outside flee from me.
12I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind;
I am like a broken vessel.
13For I hear the slander of many;
Fear is on every side;
While they take counsel together against me,
They scheme to take away my life.
14But as for me, I trust in You, O LORD;
I say, “You are my God.”
15My times are in Your hand;
Deliver me from the hand of my enemies,
And from those who persecute me.
16Make Your face shine upon Your servant;
Save me for Your mercies’ sake.
17Do not let me be ashamed, O LORD, for I have called upon You;
Let the wicked be ashamed;
Let them be silent in the grave.
18Let the lying lips be put to silence,
Which speak insolent things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous.
19Oh, how great is Your goodness,
Which You have laid up for those who fear You,
Which You have prepared for those who trust in You
In the presence of the sons of men!
20You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence
From the plots of man;
You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion
From the strife of tongues.
21Blessed be the LORD,
For He has shown me His marvelous kindness in a strong city!
22For I said in my haste,
“I am cut off from before Your eyes”;
Nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplications
When I cried out to You.
23Oh, love the LORD, all you His saints!
For the LORD preserves the faithful,
And fully repays the proud person.
24Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the LORD.
The Joy of Forgiveness
A Psalm of David. A Contemplation.a
1Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered.
2Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity,
And in whose spirit there is no deceit.
3When I kept silent, my bones grew old
Through my groaning all the day long.
4For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;
My vitality was turned into the drought of summer. Selah
5I acknowledged my sin to You,
And my iniquity I have not hidden.
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,”
And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah
6For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You
In a time when You may be found;
Surely in a flood of great waters
They shall not come near him.
7You are my hiding place;
You shall preserve me from trouble;
You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah
8I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will guide you with My eye.
9Do not be like the horse or like the mule,
Which have no understanding,
Which must be harnessed with bit and bridle,
Else they will not come near you.
10Many sorrows shall be to the wicked;
But he who trusts in the LORD, mercy shall surround him.
11Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous;
And shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
The Sovereignty of the LORD in Creation and History
1Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous!
For praise from the upright is beautiful.
2Praise the LORD with the harp;
Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings.
3Sing to Him a new song;
Play skillfully with a shout of joy.
4For the word of the LORD is right,
And all His work is done in truth.
5He loves righteousness and justice;
The earth is full of the goodness of the LORD.
6By the word of the LORD the heavens were made,
And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.
7He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap;a
He lays up the deep in storehouses.
8Let all the earth fear the LORD;
Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.
9For He spoke, and it was done;
He commanded, and it stood fast.
10The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;
He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect. Focus: The Art of Planning
11The counsel of the LORD stands forever,
The plans of His heart to all generations.
12Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,
The people He has chosen as His own inheritance.
13The LORD looks from heaven;
He sees all the sons of men.
14From the place of His dwelling He looks
On all the inhabitants of the earth;
15He fashions their hearts individually;
He considers all their works. Focus: You Are Unique
16No king is saved by the multitude of an army;
A mighty man is not delivered by great strength. Focus: God Is Our Strength
17A horse is a vain hope for safety;
Neither shall it deliver any by its great strength.
18Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him,
On those who hope in His mercy,
19To deliver their soul from death,
And to keep them alive in famine.
20Our soul waits for the LORD;
He is our help and our shield.
21For our heart shall rejoice in Him,
Because we have trusted in His holy name.
22Let Your mercy, O LORD, be upon us,
Just as we hope in You.
The Happiness of Those Who Trust in God
A Psalm of David when he pretended madness before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed.
1I WILL bless the LORD at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2My soul shall make its boast in the LORD;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
3Oh, magnify the LORD with me,
And let us exalt His name together.
4I sought the LORD, and He heard me,
And delivered me from all my fears.
5They looked to Him and were radiant,
And their faces were not ashamed.
6This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him,
And saved him out of all his troubles. Insight: Wealth and Poverty in Psalms
7The angela of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him,
And delivers them.
8Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
9Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints!
There is no want to those who fear Him.
10The young lions lack and suffer hunger;
But those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing.
11Come, you children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
12Who is the man who desires life,
And loves many days, that he may see good?
13Keep your tongue from evil,
And your lips from speaking deceit.
14Depart from evil and do good;
Seek peace and pursue it.
15The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous,
And His ears are open to their cry.
16The face of the LORD is against those who do evil,
To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
17The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears,
And delivers them out of all their troubles.
18The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart,
And saves such as have a contrite spirit.
19Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
But the LORD delivers him out of them all.
20He guards all his bones;
Not one of them is broken.
21Evil shall slay the wicked,
And those who hate the righteous shall be condemned.
22The LORD redeems the soul of His servants,
And none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.
The LORD the Avenger of His People
A Psalm of David.
1Plead my cause, O LORD, with those who strive with me;
Fight against those who fight against me.
2Take hold of shield and buckler,
And stand up for my help.
3Also draw out the spear,
And stop those who pursue me.
Say to my soul,
“I am your salvation.”
4Let those be put to shame and brought to dishonor
Who seek after my life;
Let those be turned back and brought to confusion
Who plot my hurt.
5Let them be like chaff before the wind,
And let the angela of the LORD chase them.
6Let their way be dark and slippery,
And let the angel of the LORD pursue them.
7For without cause they have hidden their net for me in a pit,
Which they have dug without cause for my life.
8Let destruction come upon him unexpectedly,
And let his net that he has hidden catch himself;
Into that very destruction let him fall.
9And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD;
It shall rejoice in His salvation.
10All my bones shall say,
“LORD, who is like You,
Delivering the poor from him who is too strong for him,
Yes, the poor and the needy from him who plunders him?” Focus: Protecting the Poor
11Fierce witnesses rise up;
They ask me things that I do not know.
12They reward me evil for good,
To the sorrow of my soul.
13But as for me, when they were sick,
My clothing was sackcloth;
I humbled myself with fasting;
And my prayer would return to my own heart.
14I paced about as though he were my friend or brother;
I bowed down heavily, as one who mourns for his mother.
15But in my adversity they rejoiced
And gathered together;
Attackers gathered against me,
And I did not know it;
They tore at me and did not cease;
16With ungodly mockers at feasts
They gnashed at me with their teeth.
17Lord, how long will You look on?
Rescue me from their destructions,
My precious life from the lions.
18I will give You thanks in the great assembly;
I will praise You among many people.
19Let them not rejoice over me who are wrongfully my enemies;
Nor let them wink with the eye who hate me without a cause.
20For they do not speak peace,
But they devise deceitful matters
Against the quiet ones in the land.
21They also opened their mouth wide against me,
And said, “Aha, aha!
Our eyes have seen it.”
22This You have seen, O LORD;
Do not keep silence.
O Lord, do not be far from me.
23Stir up Yourself, and awake to my vindication,
To my cause, my God and my Lord.
24Vindicate me, O LORD my God, according to Your righteousness;
And let them not rejoice over me.
25Let them not say in their hearts, “Ah, so we would have it!”
Let them not say, “We have swallowed him up.”
26Let them be ashamed and brought to mutual confusion
Who rejoice at my hurt;
Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor
Who exalt themselves against me.
27Let them shout for joy and be glad,
Who favor my righteous cause;
And let them say continually,
“Let the LORD be magnified,
Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.”
28And my tongue shall speak of Your righteousness
And of Your praise all the day long.
Man’s Wickedness and God’s Perfections
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David the servant of the LORD.
1An oracle within my heart concerning the transgression of the wicked:
There is no fear of God before his eyes.
2For he flatters himself in his own eyes,
When he finds out his iniquity and when he hates.
3The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit;
He has ceased to be wise and to do good.
4He devises wickedness on his bed;
He sets himself in a way that is not good;
He does not abhor evil.
5Your mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens;
Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
6Your righteousness is like the great mountains;
Your judgments are a great deep;
O LORD, You preserve man and beast.
7How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God!
Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings.
8They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house,
And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures.
9For with You is the fountain of life;
In Your light we see light.
10Oh, continue Your lovingkindness to those who know You,
And Your righteousness to the upright in heart.
11Let not the foot of pride come against me,
And let not the hand of the wicked drive me away.
12There the workers of iniquity have fallen;
They have been cast down and are not able to rise.
The Heritage of the Righteous and the Calamity of the Wicked
A Psalm of David.
1Do not fret because of evildoers,
Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.
2For they shall soon be cut down like the grass,
And wither as the green herb.
3Trust in the LORD, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
4Delight yourself also in the LORD,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
5Commit your way to the LORD,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.
6He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,
And your justice as the noonday.
7Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.
8Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;
Do not fret—it only causes harm.
9For evildoers shall be cut off;
But those who wait on the LORD,
They shall inherit the earth.
10For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more;
Indeed, you will look carefully for his place,
But it shall be no more.
11But the meek shall inherit the earth,
And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
12The wicked plots against the just,
And gnashes at him with his teeth.
13The Lord laughs at him,
For He sees that his day is coming.
14The wicked have drawn the sword
And have bent their bow,
To cast down the poor and needy,
To slay those who are of upright conduct.
15Their sword shall enter their own heart,
And their bows shall be broken.
16A little that a righteous man has
Is better than the riches of many wicked.
17For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,
But the LORD upholds the righteous.
18The LORD knows the days of the upright,
And their inheritance shall be forever.
19They shall not be ashamed in the evil time,
And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
20But the wicked shall perish;
And the enemies of the LORD,
Like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish.
Into smoke they shall vanish away.
21The wicked borrows and does not repay,
But the righteous shows mercy and gives.
22For those blessed by Him shall inherit the earth,
But those cursed by Him shall be cut off.
23The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD,
And He delights in his way.
24Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down;
For the LORD upholds him with His hand.
25I have been young, and now am old;
Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken,
Nor his descendants begging bread. Focus: The Benefits of Righteous Living
26He is ever merciful, and lends;
And his descendants are blessed.
27Depart from evil, and do good;
And dwell forevermore. Focus: Ethics and Character in Psalms
28For the LORD loves justice,
And does not forsake His saints;
They are preserved forever,
But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off.
29The righteous shall inherit the land,
And dwell in it forever.
30The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom,
And his tongue talks of justice.
31The law of his God is in his heart;
None of his steps shall slide.
32The wicked watches the righteous,
And seeks to slay him.
33The LORD will not leave him in his hand,
Nor condemn him when he is judged.
34Wait on the LORD,
And keep His way,
And He shall exalt you to inherit the land;
When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it.
35I have seen the wicked in great power,
And spreading himself like a native green tree.
36Yet he passed away,a and behold, he was no more;
Indeed I sought him, but he could not be found.
37Mark the blameless man, and observe the upright;
For the future of that man is peace.
38But the transgressors shall be destroyed together;
The future of the wicked shall be cut off.
39But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD;
He is their strength in the time of trouble.
40And the LORD shall help them and deliver them;
He shall deliver them from the wicked,
And save them,
Because they trust in Him.
Prayer in Time of Chastening
A Psalm of David. To bring to remembrance.
1O LORD, do not rebuke me in Your wrath,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure!
2For Your arrows pierce me deeply,
And Your hand presses me down.
3There is no soundness in my flesh
Because of Your anger,
Nor any health in my bones
Because of my sin.
4For my iniquities have gone over my head;
Like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.
5My wounds are foul and festering
Because of my foolishness.
6I am troubled, I am bowed down greatly;
I go mourning all the day long.
7For my loins are full of inflammation,
And there is no soundness in my flesh.
8I am feeble and severely broken;
I groan because of the turmoil of my heart.
9Lord, all my desire is before You;
And my sighing is not hidden from You.
10My heart pants, my strength fails me;
As for the light of my eyes, it also has gone from me.
11My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague,
And my relatives stand afar off. Focus: Fixing Broken Families
12Those also who seek my life lay snares for me;
Those who seek my hurt speak of destruction,
And plan deception all the day long.
13But I, like a deaf man, do not hear;
And I am like a mute who does not open his mouth.
14Thus I am like a man who does not hear,
And in whose mouth is no response.
15For in You, O LORD, I hope;
You will hear, O Lord my God.
16For I said, “Hear me, lest they rejoice over me,
Lest, when my foot slips, they exalt themselves against me.”
17For I am ready to fall,
And my sorrow is continually before me.
18For I will declare my iniquity;
I will be in anguish over my sin.
19But my enemies are vigorous, and they are strong;
And those who hate me wrongfully have multiplied.
20Those also who render evil for good,
They are my adversaries, because I follow what is good.
21Do not forsake me, O LORD;
O my God, be not far from me!
22Make haste to help me,
O Lord, my salvation!
Prayer for Wisdom and Forgiveness
To the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.
1I SAID, “I will guard my ways,
Lest I sin with my tongue;
I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle,
While the wicked are before me.” Focus: Humility and Healing
2I was mute with silence,
I held my peace even from good;
And my sorrow was stirred up.
3My heart was hot within me;
While I was musing, the fire burned.
Then I spoke with my tongue:
4“LORD, make me to know my end,
And what is the measure of my days,
That I may know how frail I am.
5Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths,
And my age is as nothing before You;
Certainly every man at his best state is but vapor. Selah Focus: Making Time for God
6Surely every man walks about like a shadow;
Surely they busy themselves in vain;
He heaps up riches,
And does not know who will gather them.
7“And now, Lord, what do I wait for?
My hope is in You.
8Deliver me from all my transgressions;
Do not make me the reproach of the foolish.
9I was mute, I did not open my mouth,
Because it was You who did it.
10Remove Your plague from me;
I am consumed by the blow of Your hand.
11When with rebukes You correct man for iniquity,
You make his beauty melt away like a moth;
Surely every man is vapor. Selah
12“Hear my prayer, O LORD,
And give ear to my cry;
Do not be silent at my tears;
For I am a stranger with You,
A sojourner, as all my fathers were.
13Remove Your gaze from me, that I may regain strength,
Before I go away and am no more.”
Faith Persevering in Trial
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
1I WAITED patiently for the LORD;
And He inclined to me,
And heard my cry.
2He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,
Out of the miry clay,
And set my feet upon a rock,
And established my steps.
3He has put a new song in my mouth—
Praise to our God;
Many will see it and fear,
And will trust in the LORD.
4Blessed is that man who makes the LORD his trust,
And does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
5Many, O LORD my God, are Your wonderful works
Which You have done;
And Your thoughts toward us
Cannot be recounted to You in order;
If I would declare and speak of them,
They are more than can be numbered.
6Sacrifice and offering You did not desire;
My ears You have opened.
Burnt offering and sin offering You did not require. Insight: Prophecies of a Coming Messiah
7Then I said, “Behold, I come;
In the scroll of the book it is written of me.
8I delight to do Your will, O my God,
And Your law is within my heart.”
9I have proclaimed the good news of righteousness
In the great assembly;
Indeed, I do not restrain my lips,
O LORD, You Yourself know.
10I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart;
I have declared Your faithfulness and Your salvation;
I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth
From the great assembly.
11Do not withhold Your tender mercies from me, O LORD;
Let Your lovingkindness and Your truth continually preserve me.
12For innumerable evils have surrounded me;
My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up;
They are more than the hairs of my head;
Therefore my heart fails me.
13Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me;
O LORD, make haste to help me!
14Let them be ashamed and brought to mutual confusion
Who seek to destroy my life;
Let them be driven backward and brought to dishonor
Who wish me evil.
15Let them be confounded because of their shame,
Who say to me, “Aha, aha!”
16Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
Let such as love Your salvation say continually,
“The LORD be magnified!”
17But I am poor and needy;
Yet the LORD thinks upon me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
Do not delay, O my God.
The Blessing and Suffering of the Godly
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
1Blessed is he who considers the poor;
The LORD will deliver him in time of trouble.
2The LORD will preserve him and keep him alive,
And he will be blessed on the earth;
You will not deliver him to the will of his enemies.
3The LORD will strengthen him on his bed of illness;
You will sustain him on his sickbed.
4I said, “LORD, be merciful to me;
Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You.”
5My enemies speak evil of me:
“When will he die, and his name perish?”
6And if he comes to see me, he speaks lies;
His heart gathers iniquity to itself;
When he goes out, he tells it.
7All who hate me whisper together against me;
Against me they devise my hurt.
8“An evil disease,” they say, “clings to him.
And now that he lies down, he will rise up no more.”
9Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted,
Who ate my bread,
Has lifted up his heel against me.
10But You, O LORD, be merciful to me, and raise me up,
That I may repay them.
11By this I know that You are well pleased with me,
Because my enemy does not triumph over me.
12As for me, You uphold me in my integrity,
And set me before Your face forever.
13Blessed be the LORD God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
Amen and Amen.
BOOK TWO
Yearning for God in the Midst of Distresses
To the Chief Musician. A Contemplationa of the sons of Korah. Focus: Overcoming Family History
1As the deer pants for the water brooks,
So pants my soul for You, O God.
2My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God?b
3My tears have been my food day and night,
While they continually say to me,
“Where is your God?”
4When I remember these things,
I pour out my soul within me.
For I used to go with the multitude;
I went with them to the house of God,
With the voice of joy and praise,
With a multitude that kept a pilgrim feast.
5Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him
For the help of His countenance.c
6O my God,d my soul is cast down within me;
Therefore I will remember You from the land of the Jordan,
And from the heights of Hermon,
From the Hill Mizar.
7Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls;
All Your waves and billows have gone over me.
8The LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime,
And in the night His song shall be with me—
A prayer to the God of my life.
9I will say to God my Rock,
“Why have You forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?”
10As with a breaking of my bones,
My enemies reproach me,
While they say to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”
11Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God;
For I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God.
Prayer to God in Time of Trouble
1Vindicate me, O God,
And plead my cause against an ungodly nation;
Oh, deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man!
2For You are the God of my strength;
Why do You cast me off?
Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?
3Oh, send out Your light and Your truth!
Let them lead me;
Let them bring me to Your holy hill
And to Your tabernacle.
4Then I will go to the altar of God,
To God my exceeding joy;
And on the harp I will praise You,
O God, my God.
5Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God;
For I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God.
Redemption Remembered in Present Dishonor
To the Chief Musician. A Contemplationa of the sons of Korah.
1We have heard with our ears, O God,
Our fathers have told us,
The deeds You did in their days,
In days of old:
2You drove out the nations with Your hand,
But them You planted;
You afflicted the peoples, and cast them out.
3For they did not gain possession of the land by their own sword,
Nor did their own arm save them;
But it was Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your countenance,
Because You favored them.
4You are my King, O God;b
Commandc victories for Jacob.
5Through You we will push down our enemies;
Through Your name we will trample those who rise up against us.
6For I will not trust in my bow,
Nor shall my sword save me.
7But You have saved us from our enemies,
And have put to shame those who hated us.
8In God we boast all day long,
And praise Your name forever. Selah
9But You have cast us off and put us to shame,
And You do not go out with our armies.
10You make us turn back from the enemy,
And those who hate us have taken spoil for themselves.
11You have given us up like sheep intended for food,
And have scattered us among the nations.
12You sell Your people for next to nothing,
And are not enriched by selling them.
13You make us a reproach to our neighbors,
A scorn and a derision to those all around us.
14You make us a byword among the nations,
A shaking of the head among the peoples.
15My dishonor is continually before me,
And the shame of my face has covered me,
16Because of the voice of him who reproaches and reviles,
Because of the enemy and the avenger.
17All this has come upon us;
But we have not forgotten You,
Nor have we dealt falsely with Your covenant.
18Our heart has not turned back,
Nor have our steps departed from Your way;
19But You have severely broken us in the place of jackals,
And covered us with the shadow of death.
20If we had forgotten the name of our God,
Or stretched out our hands to a foreign god,
21Would not God search this out?
For He knows the secrets of the heart.
22Yet for Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
23Awake! Why do You sleep, O Lord?
Arise! Do not cast us off forever.
24Why do You hide Your face,
And forget our affliction and our oppression?
25For our soul is bowed down to the dust;
Our body clings to the ground.
26Arise for our help,
And redeem us for Your mercies’ sake.
The Glories of the Messiah and His Bride
To the Chief Musician. Set to “The Lilies.”a A Contemplationb of the sons of Korah. A Song of Love.
1My heart is overflowing with a good theme;
I recite my composition concerning the King;
My tongue is the pen of a ready writer. Focus: An Artist’s Responsibility
2You are fairer than the sons of men;
Grace is poured upon Your lips;
Therefore God has blessed You forever.
3Gird Your sword upon Your thigh, O Mighty One,
With Your glory and Your majesty.
4And in Your majesty ride prosperously because of truth, humility, and righteousness;
And Your right hand shall teach You awesome things.
5Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the King’s enemies;
The peoples fall under You.
6Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;
A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.
7You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.
8All Your garments are scented with myrrh and aloes and cassia,
Out of the ivory palaces, by which they have made You glad.
9Kings’ daughters are among Your honorable women;
At Your right hand stands the queen in gold from Ophir. Insight: Gold from Ophir
10Listen, O daughter,
Consider and incline your ear;
Forget your own people also, and your father’s house;
11So the King will greatly desire your beauty;
Because He is your Lord, worship Him.
12And the daughter of Tyre will come with a gift;
The rich among the people will seek your favor.
13The royal daughter is all glorious within the palace;
Her clothing is woven with gold.
14She shall be brought to the King in robes of many colors;
The virgins, her companions who follow her, shall be brought to You.
15With gladness and rejoicing they shall be brought;
They shall enter the King’s palace.
16Instead of Your fathers shall be Your sons,
Whom You shall make princes in all the earth.
17I will make Your name to be remembered in all generations;
Therefore the people shall praise You forever and ever.
God the Refuge of His People and Conqueror of the Nations
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. A Song for Alamoth.
1God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble. Insight: A Mighty Fortress
2Therefore we will not fear,
Even though the earth be removed,
And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
3Though its waters roar and be troubled,
Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah
4There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God,
The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High. Insight: River of Gladness
5God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved;
God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.
6The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved;
He uttered His voice, the earth melted.
7The LORD of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah
8Come, behold the works of the LORD,
Who has made desolations in the earth.
9He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two;
He burns the chariot in the fire.
10Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!
11The LORD of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah
Praise to God, the Ruler of the Earth
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
1Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples!
Shout to God with the voice of triumph!
2For the LORD Most High is awesome;
He is a great King over all the earth.
3He will subdue the peoples under us,
And the nations under our feet.
4He will choose our inheritance for us,
The excellence of Jacob whom He loves. Selah
5God has gone up with a shout,
The LORD with the sound of a trumpet.
6Sing praises to God, sing praises!
Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
7For God is the King of all the earth;
Sing praises with understanding. Focus: God Rules All Nations
8God reigns over the nations;
God sits on His holy throne.
9The princes of the people have gathered together,
The people of the God of Abraham.
For the shields of the earth belong to God;
He is greatly exalted.
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 city of our God,
In His holy mountain. Insight: The City in Psalms
2Beautiful in elevation,
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, the kings assembled,
They passed by together.
5They saw it, and so they marveled;
They were troubled, they hastened away.
6Fear took hold of them there,
And pain, as of a woman in birth pangs,
7As when You break the ships of Tarshish
With an east wind. Insight: The Four Winds
8As we have heard,
So we have seen
In the city of the LORD of hosts,
In the city of our God:
God will establish it forever. Selah
9We have thought, O God, on Your lovingkindness,
In the midst of Your temple.
10According to Your 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 tell it to the generation following.
14For this is God,
Our God forever and ever;
He will be our guide
Even to death.a Focus: This Is God
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. Insight: The Great Equalizer
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 dark saying on the harp.
5Why should I fear in the days of evil,
When the iniquity at my heels surrounds me?
6Those who trust in their wealth
And boast in the multitude of their riches,
7None of them can by any means redeem his brother,
Nor give to God a ransom for him—
8For the redemption of their souls is costly,
And it shall cease forever—
9That he should continue to live eternally,
And not see the Pit.
10For he sees wise men die;
Likewise the fool and the senseless person perish,
And leave their wealth to others.
11Their inner thought is that their houses will last forever,a
Their dwelling places to all generations;
They call their lands after their own names.
12Nevertheless man, though in honor, does not remain;b
He is like the beasts that perish.
13This is the way of those who are foolish,
And of their posterity who approve their sayings. Selah
14Like sheep they are laid in the grave;
Death shall feed on them;
The upright shall have dominion over them in the morning;
And their beauty shall be consumed in the grave, far from their dwelling.
15But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave,
For He shall receive 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 he blesses himself
(For men will praise you when you do well for yourself),
19He shall go to the generation of his fathers;
They shall never see light.
20A man who is in honor, yet does not understand,
Is like the beasts that perish.
God the Righteous Judge
A Psalm of Asaph.
1The Mighty 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,
God will shine forth.
3Our God shall come, and shall not keep silent;
A fire shall devour before Him,
And it shall be very tempestuous all around Him.
4He shall call to the heavens from above,
And to the earth, that He may judge His people:
5“Gather My saints together to Me,
Those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.”
6Let the heavens declare His righteousness,
For God Himself is Judge. Selah
7“Hear, O My people, and I will speak,
O Israel, and I will testify against you;
I am God, your God!
8I will not rebuke you for your sacrifices
Or your burnt offerings,
Which are continually before Me.
9I 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;
For the world is Mine, and all its fullness.
13Will I eat the flesh of bulls,
Or drink the blood of goats?
14Offer to God thanksgiving,
And pay your vows to the Most High.
15Call 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,
17Seeing you hate instruction
And cast My words behind you?
18When you saw a thief, you consenteda with him,
And have been a partaker with adulterers.
19You give your mouth to evil,
And your 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;
You thought that I was altogether like you;
But I will rebuke you,
And set them in order before your eyes.
22“Now consider this, you who forget God,
Lest I tear you in pieces,
And there be none to deliver:
23Whoever offers praise glorifies Me;
And to 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 when 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,
Blot out my transgressions. Focus: Realization and Confession
2Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
3For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me.
4Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight—
That You may be found just when You speak,a
And blameless when You judge.
5Behold, 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.
7Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Insight: Hyssop
8Make me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken may rejoice.
9Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities.
10Create 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 Holy Spirit from me.
12Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous 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 You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
17The 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 the 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 Contemplationa of David when Doeg the Edomite went and told 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 Insight: Plucked from His Dwelling Place
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 wickedness.”
8But I am like 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 is good.
Folly of the Godless, and the Restoration of Israel
To the Chief Musician. Set to “Mahalath.” A Contemplationa of David.
1The fool has said in his heart,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity;
There is none who does good.
2God looks down from heaven upon the children of men,
To see if there are any who understand, who seek God. Focus: God Looks Down from Heaven
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 no knowledge,
Who eat up my people as they eat bread,
And do not call upon God?
5There 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.
6Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion!
When God brings back the captivity of His people,
Let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad.
Answered Prayer for Deliverance from Adversaries
To the Chief Musician. With stringed instruments.a A Contemplationb of David when 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 uphold my life.
5He will repay my enemies for their evil.
Cut them off in Your truth.
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;
And my eye has seen its desire upon my enemies.
Trust in God Concerning the Treachery of Friends
To the Chief Musician. With stringed instruments.a A Contemplationb of David.
1Give ear to my prayer, O God,
And do not hide Yourself from my supplication.
2Attend to me, and hear me;
I am restless in my complaint, and moan noisily,
3Because of the voice of the enemy,
Because of the oppression of the wicked;
For they bring down trouble upon me,
And in wrath they hate me.
4My 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 tongues,
For I have seen violence and strife in the city.
10Day and night they go around it on its walls;
Iniquity and trouble are also in the midst of it.
11Destruction is in its midst;
Oppression and deceit do not depart from its streets.
12For it is not an enemy who reproaches me;
Then I could bear it.
Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me;
Then I could hide from him.
13But it was you, a man my equal,
My companion and my acquaintance.
14We took sweet counsel together,
And walked to the house of God in the throng.
15Let death seize them;
Let them go down alive into hell,
For wickedness is in their dwellings and among them.
16As for me, I will call upon God,
And the LORD shall save me.
17Evening 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 there were many against me.
19God will hear, and afflict them,
Even He who abides from of old. Selah
Because they do not change,
Therefore they do not fear God.
20He has put forth his hands against those who were at peace with him;
He has broken his covenant.
21The 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.
22Cast your burden on the LORD,
And He shall sustain you;
He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.
23But You, O God, shall bring them down to the pit of destruction;
Bloodthirsty and deceitful men shall not live out half their days;
But I will trust in You.
Prayer for Relief from Tormentors
To the Chief Musician. Set to “The Silent Dove in Distant Lands.”a A Michtam of David when the Philistines captured him in Gath.
1Be merciful to me, O God, for man would swallow me up;
Fighting all day he oppresses me.
2My enemies would hound 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;
I 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;
Are they not in Your book?
9When I cry out to You,
Then my enemies will turn back;
This I know, because God 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,
13For You have delivered my soul from death.
Have You not kept my feet from falling,
That I may walk before God
In the light of the living?
Prayer for Safety from Enemies
To the Chief Musician. Set to “Do Not Destroy.”a A Michtam of David when he fled from Saul into the cave.
1Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me!
For my soul trusts in You;
And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge,
Until these calamities have passed by.
2I will cry out to God Most High,
To God who performs all things for me.
3He shall send from heaven and save me;
He reproaches the one who would swallow me up. Selah
God shall send forth His mercy and His truth.
4My soul is among lions;
I lie among the sons of men
Who are set on fire,
Whose teeth are spears and arrows,
And their tongue a sharp sword.
5Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
Let Your glory be above all the earth.
6They 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
7My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and give praise.
8Awake, my glory!
Awake, lute and harp!
I will awaken the dawn.
9I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing to You among the nations.
10For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens,
And Your truth unto the clouds.
11Be 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 “Do Not Destroy.”a A Michtam of David.
1Do you indeed speak righteousness, you silent ones?
Do you judge uprightly, you sons of men?
2No, in heart you work wickedness;
You weigh out the violence of your hands in the earth.
3The wicked are estranged from the womb;
They go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies.
4Their poison is like the poison of a serpent;
They are like the deaf cobra that stops its ear,
5Which will not heed the voice of charmers,
Charming ever so skillfully.
6Break their teeth in their mouth, O God!
Break out the fangs of the young lions, O LORD!
7Let 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,
Like a stillborn child of a woman, that they may not see the sun.
9Before your pots can feel the burning thorns,
He shall take them away as with a whirlwind,
As in His living and burning wrath.
10The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance;
He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked,
11So that men will say,
“Surely there is a reward for the righteous;
Surely He is God who judges in the earth.”
The Assured Judgment of the Wicked
To the Chief Musician. Set to “Do Not Destroy.”a A Michtam of David when Saul sent men, and they watched the house in order to kill him.
1Deliver me from my enemies, O my God;
Defend 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;
The mighty gather against me,
Not for my transgression nor for my sin, O LORD.
4They run and prepare themselves through no fault of mine.
Awake to help me, and behold!
5You therefore, O LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel,
Awake to punish all the nations;
Do not be merciful to any wicked transgressors. Selah
6At evening they return,
They growl like a dog,
And go all around the city.
7Indeed, they belch with their mouth;
Swords are in their lips;
For they say, “Who hears?”
8But You, O LORD, shall laugh at them;
You shall have all the nations in derision.
9I will wait for You, O You his Strength;b
For God is my defense.
10My God of mercyc shall come to meet me;
God shall let me 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.
12For 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.
13Consume them in wrath, consume them,
That they may not be;
And let them know that God rules in Jacob
To the ends of the earth. Selah
14And at evening they return,
They growl like a dog,
And go all around the city.
15They wander up and down for food,
And howld 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, O 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. Set to “Lily of the Testimony.”a A Michtam of David. For teaching. When he fought against Mesopotamia and Syria of Zobah, and Joab returned and killed twelve thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.
1O GOD, You 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;
Heal its breaches, for it is shaking.
3You have shown Your people hard things;
You have made us drink the wine of confusion.
4You have given a banner to those who fear You,
That it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah
5That Your beloved may be delivered,
Save with Your right hand, and hear me.
6God has spoken in His holiness:
“I will rejoice;
I will divide Shechem
And measure out the Valley of Succoth.
7Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine;
Ephraim also is the helmet for My head;
Judah is My lawgiver.
8Moab is My washpot;
Over Edom I will cast My shoe;
Philistia, 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, who cast us off?
And You, O God, who did not go out with our armies?
11Give us help from trouble,
For the help of man is useless.
12Through God we will do valiantly,
For it is He who shall tread down our enemies.b
Assurance of God’s Eternal Protection
To the Chief Musician. On a stringed instrument.a 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,
A strong tower from the enemy.
4I will abide in Your tabernacle forever;
I 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 and truth, which may preserve 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 Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.
1Truly my soul silently waits for God;
From Him comes my salvation.
2He only is my rock and my salvation;
He is my defense;
I shall not be greatly moved.
3How long will you attack a man?
You shall be slain, all of you,
Like a leaning wall and a tottering fence.
4They only consult to cast him down from his high position;
They delight in lies;
They bless with their mouth,
But they curse inwardly. Selah
5My soul, wait silently for God alone,
For my expectation is from Him.
6He only is my rock and my salvation;
He is my defense;
I shall not be moved.
7In 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;
Pour out your heart before Him;
God is a refuge for us. Selah
9Surely men of low degree are a 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;
If 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;
For You render to each one according to his work.
Joy in the Fellowship of God
A Psalm of David when he was in the wilderness of Judah.
1O GOD, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My 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 Your power and Your glory.
3Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
4Thus I will bless You while I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name.
5My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness,
And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.
6When I 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. Focus: Sacrificial Devotion
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 fall by the sword;
They shall be a portion for jackals.
11But the king shall rejoice in God;
Everyone 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 meditation;
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,
And 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;
They 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;
All who see them shall flee away.
9All men shall fear,
And shall declare the work of God;
For they shall wisely consider His doing.
10The 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 vow shall be performed.
2O You who hear prayer,
To You all flesh will come.
3Iniquities prevail against me;
As for our transgressions,
You will provide atonement for them.
4Blessed is the man You choose,
And cause to approach You,
That he may dwell in Your courts.
We 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,
Being clothed with power;
7You who still the noise of the seas,
The noise of their waves,
And 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 rejoice.
9You visit the earth and water it,
You greatly enrich it;
The 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;
The 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 a joyful shout to God, all the earth!
2Sing out the honor of His name;
Make His praise glorious.
3Say to God,
“How awesome are Your works!
Through the greatness of Your power
Your enemies shall submit themselves to You.
4All 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.
6He turned the sea into dry land;
They 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 be moved.
10For You, O God, have tested us;
You have refined us as silver is refined.
11You brought us into the net;
You laid affliction on our backs.
12You have caused men to ride over our heads;
We went through fire and through water;
But You brought us out to rich fulfillment.
13I will go into Your house with burnt offerings;
I will pay You my vows,
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. Focus: Come and Hear, Go and Tell
17I cried to Him with my mouth,
And He was extolled with my tongue.
18If I regard iniquity in my heart,
The Lord will not hear.
19But certainly God has 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 stringed instruments.a A Psalm. A Song.
1God be merciful to us and bless us,
And cause His face to shine upon us, Selah Focus: Passing On the Blessing
2That Your way may be known on earth,
Your 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 You 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.
6Then the earth shall yield 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 God arise,
Let His enemies be scattered;
Let those also who hate Him flee before Him.
2As smoke is driven away,
So drive them away;
As wax melts before the fire,
So let the wicked perish at the presence of God.
3But let the righteous be glad;
Let them rejoice before God;
Yes, let them rejoice exceedingly.
4Sing to God, sing praises to His name;
Extol Him who rides on the clouds,a
By His name YAH,
And rejoice before Him.
5A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows,
Is God in His holy habitation.
6God sets the solitary in families;
He brings out those who are bound into prosperity;
But the rebellious dwell in a dry land.
7O God, when 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.
9You, O God, sent a plentiful rain,
Whereby You confirmed Your inheritance,
When it was weary.
10Your congregation dwelt in it;
You, O God, provided from Your goodness for the poor.
11The Lord gave the word;
Great was the company of those who proclaimed it:
12“Kings of armies flee, they flee,
And she who remains at home divides the spoil.
13Though you lie down among the sheepfolds,
You will be like the wings of a dove covered with silver,
And her feathers with yellow gold.”
14When 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 fume with envy, you mountains of many peaks?
This is the mountain which God desires to dwell in;
Yes, the LORD will dwell in it forever.
17The chariots of God are twenty thousand,
Even thousands of thousands;
The Lord is among them as in Sinai, in the Holy Place.
18You have ascended on high,
You have led captivity captive;
You have received gifts among men,
Even from the rebellious,
That 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 to GOD the Lord belong escapes from death.
21But God will wound the head of His enemies,
The hairy scalp of the one who still goes on in his trespasses.
22The Lord said, “I will bring back from Bashan,
I will bring them back from the depths of the sea,
23That your foot may crush themb in blood,
And the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from your enemies.”
24They have seen Your procession, O God,
The procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary.
25The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after;
Among them were the maidens playing timbrels.
26Bless God in the congregations,
The Lord, from the fountain of Israel.
27There is little Benjamin, their leader,
The princes of Judah and their company,
The princes of Zebulun and the princes of Naphtali.
28Your God has commandedc your strength;
Strengthen, O God, what You have done for us.
29Because of Your temple at Jerusalem,
Kings will bring presents to You.
30Rebuke the beasts of the reeds,
The herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples,
Till everyone submits himself with pieces of silver.
Scatter the peoples who delight in war.
31Envoys will come out of Egypt;
Ethiopia will quickly stretch out her hands to God. Insight: A Promise to Africa
32Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth;
Oh, sing praises to the Lord, Selah
33To Him who rides on the heaven of heavens, which were of old!
Indeed, He sends out His voice, a mighty voice.
34Ascribe strength to God;
His excellence is over Israel,
And His strength is in the clouds.
35O God, You are more awesome than Your holy places.
The God of Israel is He who gives strength and power to His people.
Blessed be God!