5 aThe mountains melt like wax at the presence of the LORD,
At the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.
6 aThe heavens declare His righteousness,
And all the peoples see His glory.
7aLet all be put to shame who serve carved images,
Who boast of idols.
bWorship Him, all you gods.
And the daughters of Judah rejoice
Because of Your judgments, O LORD.
9 For You, LORD, are amost high above all the earth;
bYou are exalted far above all gods.
10You who love the LORD, ahate evil!
bHe preserves the souls of His saints;
cHe delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.
11 aLight is sown for the righteous,
And gladness for the upright in heart.
12 aRejoice in the LORD, you righteous,
98
A Song of Praise to the LORD for His Salvation and Judgment
A *Psalm.
1OH, asing to the LORD a new song! For He has bdone marvelous things;
His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory.
2 aThe LORD has made known His salvation;
bHis righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the 1nations.
3 He has remembered His mercy and His faithfulness to the house of Israel;
aAll the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
4Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth;
Break forth in song, rejoice, and *sing praises.
5 Sing to the LORD with the harp,
With the harp and the sound of a psalm,
6 With trumpets and the sound of a horn;
Shout joyfully before the LORD, the King.
7 Let the sea roar, and all its fullness,
The world and those who dwell in it;
8 Let the rivers clap their hands;
Let the hills be joyful together
aFor He is coming to judge the earth.
With righteousness He shall judge the world,
And the peoples with 1equity.
99
Praise to the LORD for His Holiness
1THE LORD reigns; Let the peoples tremble!
aHe dwells between the *cherubim;
Let the earth be 1moved!
And He is *high above all the peoples.
3 Let them praise Your great and awesome name—
1He is holy.
4 The King’s strength also loves justice;
You have established equity;
You have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.
And worship at His footstool—
He is holy.
6 Moses and Aaron were among His priests,
And Samuel was among those who acalled upon His name;
They called upon the LORD, and He answered them.
7 He spoke to them in the cloudy pillar;
They kept His testimonies and the 1ordinance He gave them.
8You answered them, O LORD our God;
You were to them God-Who-Forgives,
Though You took vengeance on their deeds.
9Exalt the LORD our God,
And worship at His holy hill;
For the LORD our God is holy.
100
A Song of Praise for the LORD’s Faithfulness to His People
aA Psalm of Thanksgiving.
1MAKE aa joyful shout to the LORD, 1all you lands!
2 Serve the LORD with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
3Know that the LORD, He is God;
aIt is He who has made us, and 1not we ourselves;
bWe are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
4aEnter into His gates with *thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
5 For the LORD is good;
aHis mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations.
101
Promised Faithfulness to the LORD
A Psalm of David.
1I WILL sing of mercy and justice;To You, O LORD, I will *sing praises.
2 I will behave wisely in a 1perfect way.
Oh, when will You come to me?
I will awalk within my house with a perfect heart.
3 I will set nothing 1wicked before my eyes;
aI hate the work of those bwho fall away;
It shall not cling to me.
4 A perverse heart shall depart from me;
I will not aknow wickedness.
5 Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor,
Him I will destroy;
aThe one who has a haughty look and a proud heart,
Him I will not endure.
6 My eyes shall be on the faithful of the land,
That they may dwell with me;
He who walks in a 1perfect way,
He shall serve me.
7 He who works deceit shall not dwell within my house;
He who tells lies shall not 1continue in my presence.
8aEarly I will destroy all the wicked of the land,
That I may cut off all the evildoers bfrom the city of the LORD.
102
The LORD’s Eternal Love
A Prayer of the afflicted, awhen he is overwhelmed and pours out his complaint before the LORD.
1 HEAR my prayer, O LORD, And let my cry come to You.
2 aDo not hide Your face from me in the day of my trouble;
Incline Your ear to me;
In the day that I call, answer me speedily.
3 For my days 1are aconsumed like smoke,
And my bones are burned like a hearth.
4 My heart is stricken and withered like grass,
So that I forget to eat my bread.
5 Because of the sound of my groaning
My bones cling to my 1skin.
6I am like a pelican of the wilderness;
I am like an owl of the desert.
And am like a sparrow alone on the housetop.
8 My enemies reproach me all day long;
Those who deride me swear an oath against me.
9 For I have eaten ashes like bread,
And mingled my drink with weeping,
10 Because of Your indignation and Your wrath;
For You have lifted me up and cast me away.
11My days are like a shadow that lengthens,
And I wither away like grass.
12 But You, O LORD, shall endure forever,
And the remembrance of Your name to all generations.
13 You will arise and have mercy on Zion;
For the time to favor her,
Yes, the set time, has come.
14 For Your servants take pleasure in her stones,
And show favor to her dust.
15 So the 1nations shall afear the name of the LORD,
And all the kings of the earth Your glory.
16 For the LORD shall *build up Zion;
aHe shall appear in His glory.
17 aHe shall regard the prayer of the destitute,
And shall not despise their prayer.
18 This will be awritten for the generation to come,
That ba people yet to be created may praise the LORD.
19 For He alooked down from the height of His sanctuary;
From heaven the LORD viewed the earth,
20 aTo hear the groaning of the prisoner,
To *release those appointed to death,
21 To adeclare the name of the LORD in Zion,
And His *praise in Jerusalem,
22 aWhen the peoples are gathered together,
And the kingdoms, to serve the LORD.
23 He weakened my strength in the way;
He ashortened my days.
24 aI said, “O my God,
Do not take me away in the midst of my days;
bYour years are throughout all generations.
25aOf old You laid the foundation of the earth,
And the heavens are the work of Your hands.
26 aThey will perish, but You will 1endure;
Yes, they will all grow old like a garment;
Like a cloak You will change them,
And they will be changed.
27 But aYou are the same,
And Your years will have no end.
28 aThe children of Your servants will continue,
And their descendants will be established before You.”
103
Praise for the LORD’s Mercies
A Psalm of David.
1BLESS athe LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
And forget not all His benefits:
3 aWho forgives all your iniquities,
Who bheals all your diseases,
4 Who *redeems your life from destruction,
aWho crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that ayour youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
6 The LORD executes righteousness
And justice for all who are oppressed.
7 aHe made known His ways to Moses,
His acts to the children of Israel.
8aThe LORD is merciful and gracious,
Slow to *anger, and abounding in mercy.
9 aHe will not always strive with us,
Nor will He keep His anger forever.
10aHe has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor punished us according to our iniquities.
11 For as the heavens are high above the earth,
So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;
12 As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He aremoved our *transgressions from us.
13aAs a *father *pities his children,
So the LORD pities those who fear Him.
He remembers that we are dust.
15As for man, ahis days are like grass;
As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
16 aFor the wind passes over it, and it is 1gone,
And bits place remembers it no more.
17 But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting
On those who fear Him,
And His righteousness to children’s children,
18 aTo such as keep His *covenant,
And to those who remember His commandments to do them.
19The LORD has established His throne in heaven,
And aHis kingdom rules over all.
20 aBless the LORD, you His angels,
Who excel in strength, who bdo His word,
Heeding the voice of His word.
21 Bless the LORD, all you His hosts,
aYou 1ministers of His, who do His pleasure.
22 Bless the LORD, all His works,
In all places of His dominion.
Bless the LORD, O my soul!
104
Praise to the Sovereign LORD for His Creation and Providence
O LORD my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
2 Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain.
3aHe lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters,
Who makes the clouds His chariot,
Who walks on the wings of the wind,
4 Who makes His angels spirits,
His 1ministers* a flame of fire.
5You who 1laid the foundations of the earth,
So that it should not be moved forever,
6 You acovered it with the deep as with a garment;
The waters stood above the mountains.
At the voice of Your thunder they hastened away.
8 1They went up over the mountains;
They went down into the valleys,
To the place which You founded for them.
9 You have aset a boundary that they may not pass over,
bThat they may not return to cover the earth.
10 He sends the springs into the valleys;
They flow among the hills.
11 They give drink to every beast of the field;
The wild donkeys quench their thirst.
12By them the birds of the heavens have their home;
They sing among the branches.
13 aHe waters the hills from His upper chambers;
The earth is satisfied with bthe fruit of Your works.
14 aHe causes the grass to grow for the cattle,
And vegetation for the service of man,
That he may bring forth bfood from the earth,
15And awine that makes glad the heart of man,
Oil to make his face shine,
And bread which strengthens man’s heart.
16 The trees of the LORD are full of sap,
The cedars of Lebanon which He planted,
17 Where the birds make their nests;
The stork has her home in the fir trees.
18 The high hills are for the wild goats;
The cliffs are a *refuge for the arock1 badgers.
19 aHe appointed the moon for *seasons;
The bsun knows its going down.
20 aYou make darkness, and it is night,
In which all the beasts of the forest creep about.
21 aThe young lions *roar after their prey,
And seek their food from God.
22 When the sun rises, they gather together
And lie down in their dens.
23 Man goes out to ahis work
And to his labor until the evening.
24aO LORD, how manifold are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all.
The earth is full of Your bpossessions—
In which are innumerable teeming things,
Living things both small and great.
26 There the ships sail about;
Which You have 2made to play there.
27 aThese all wait for You,
That You may give them their food in due season.
28 What You give them they gather in;
You open Your hand, they are filled with good.
29 You hide Your face, they are troubled;
aYou take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.
30aYou send forth Your Spirit, they are *created;
And You renew the face of the earth.
31 May the glory of the LORD endure forever;
May the LORD arejoice in His works.
32 He looks on the earth, and it atrembles;
bHe touches the hills, and they smoke.
33 aI will sing to the LORD as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
34 May my ameditation be sweet to Him;
I will be glad in the LORD.
35 May asinners be consumed from the earth,
And the wicked be no more.
Bless the LORD, O my soul!
105
The Eternal Faithfulness of the LORD
1OH, agive thanks to the LORD! Call upon His name;
bMake known His deeds among the peoples!
2 Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
aTalk of all His wondrous works!
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the LORD!
4 Seek the LORD and His strength;
aSeek His face evermore!
5 aRemember His marvelous works which He has done,
His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth,
6 O seed of Abraham His servant,
You children of Jacob, His chosen ones!
7He is the LORD our God;
aHis judgments are in all the earth.
8 He aremembers His covenant forever,
The word which He commanded, for a thousand generations,
9 aThe covenant which He made with Abraham,
And His oath to Isaac,
10 And confirmed it to Jacob for a statute,
To Israel as an everlasting covenant,
11 Saying, a“To you I will give the land of Canaan
As the allotment of your inheritance,”
12 aWhen they were few in number,
Indeed very few, band strangers in it.
13 When they went from one nation to another,
From one kingdom to another people,
14 aHe permitted no one to do them wrong;
Yes, bHe rebuked kings for their sakes,
15Saying, “Do not touch My anointed ones,
And do My *prophets no harm.”
16 Moreover aHe called for a famine in the land;
He destroyed all the bprovision of bread.
17 aHe sent a man before them—
Joseph—who bwas sold as a slave.
18 aThey hurt his feet with fetters,
1He was laid in irons.
19Until the time that his word came to pass,
aThe word of the LORD tested him.
20 aThe king sent and *released him,
The ruler of the people let him go free.
21 aHe made him lord of his house,
And ruler of all his possessions,
22To 1bind his princes at his pleasure,
And teach his elders wisdom.
23 aIsrael also came into Egypt,
And Jacob dwelt bin the land of Ham.
24 aHe increased His people greatly,
And made them stronger than their enemies.
25aHe turned their heart to hate His people,
To deal craftily with His servants.
26 aHe sent Moses His servant,
And Aaron whom He had chosen.
27 They aperformed His signs among them,
And *wonders in the land of Ham.
28 He sent darkness, and made it dark;
And they did not rebel against His word.
29 aHe turned their waters into blood,
And killed their fish.
30 aTheir land abounded with frogs,
Even in the chambers of their kings.
31 aHe spoke, and there came swarms of flies,
And lice in all their territory.
32 aHe gave them hail for rain,
And flaming fire in their land.
33 aHe struck their vines also, and their fig trees,
And splintered the trees of their territory.
34 aHe spoke, and locusts came,
Young locusts without number,
35 And ate up all the vegetation in their land,
And devoured the fruit of their ground.
36 aHe also 1destroyed all the firstborn in their land,
bThe first of all their strength.
37 aHe also brought them out with silver and gold,
And there was none feeble among His tribes.
38 aEgypt was glad when they departed,
For the fear of them had fallen upon them.
39 aHe spread a cloud for a covering,
And fire to give light in the night.
40 aThe people asked, and He brought quail,
And bsatisfied them with the bread of heaven.
41 aHe opened the rock, and water gushed out;
It ran in the dry places like a river.
42 For He remembered aHis holy promise,
And Abraham His servant.
43 He brought out His people with joy,
His chosen ones with 1gladness.
44 aHe gave them the lands of the 1Gentiles,
And they inherited the *labor of the nations,
45 aThat they might observe His statutes
And keep His laws.
1Praise the LORD!
106
Joy in Forgiveness of Israel’s Sins
aOh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
2 Who can 1utter the mighty acts of the LORD?
Who can declare all His praise?
3 Blessed are those who keep justice,
And 1he who adoes righteousness at ball times!
4 aRemember me, O LORD, with the *favor You have toward Your people.
Oh, visit me with Your salvation,
5 That I may see the benefit of Your chosen ones,
That I may rejoice in the gladness of Your nation,
That I may glory with 1Your inheritance.
6aWe have sinned with our fathers,
We have committed iniquity,
We have done wickedly.
7 Our fathers in Egypt did not *understand Your wonders;
They did not remember the multitude of Your mercies,
aBut rebelled by the sea—the Red Sea.
8 Nevertheless He saved them for His name’s sake,
aThat He might make His mighty power known.
9 aHe rebuked the Red Sea also, and it dried up;
So bHe led them through the depths,
As through the wilderness.
10 He asaved them from the hand of him who hated them,
And redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.
11 aThe waters covered their enemies;
There was not one of them left.
12 aThen they believed His words;
They sang His praise.
13 aThey soon forgot His works;
They did not wait for His counsel,
14 aBut lusted exceedingly in the wilderness,
And *tested God in the desert.
15 aAnd He gave them their request,
But bsent leanness into their soul.
16 When athey envied Moses in the camp,
And Aaron the saint of the LORD,
17 aThe earth opened up and swallowed Dathan,
And covered the faction of Abiram.
18 aA fire was kindled in their company;
The flame burned up the wicked.
19 aThey made a calf in Horeb,
And worshiped the molded image.
20 Thus athey changed their glory
Into the image of an ox that eats grass.
21 They forgot God their Savior,
Who had done great things in Egypt,
22 Wondrous works in the land of Ham,
Awesome things by the Red Sea.
23aTherefore He said that He would destroy them,
Had not Moses His chosen one bstood before Him in the breach,
To turn away His wrath, lest He destroy them.
24 Then they *despised athe pleasant land;
They bdid not believe His word,
25 aBut complained in their tents,
And did not heed the voice of the LORD.
26 aTherefore He raised up His hand in an oath against them,
bTo 1overthrow them in the wilderness,
27 aTo 1overthrow their descendants among the 2nations,
And to scatter them in the lands.
28aThey joined themselves also to Baal of Peor,
And ate sacrifices 1made to the dead.
29 Thus they provoked Him to anger with their deeds,
And the plague broke out among them.
30 aThen Phinehas stood up and intervened,
And the plague was stopped.
31 And that was accounted to him afor righteousness
To all generations forevermore.
32 aThey angered Him also at the waters of 1strife,
bSo that it went ill with Moses on account of them;
33 aBecause they rebelled against His Spirit,
So that he spoke rashly with his lips.
34aThey did not destroy the peoples,
bConcerning whom the LORD had commanded them,
35 aBut they mingled with the Gentiles
And learned their works;
36 aThey served their idols,
bWhich became a snare to them.
37aThey even sacrificed their sons
And their daughters to bdemons,
The blood of their sons and daughters,
Whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan;
And athe land was polluted with blood.
39 Thus they 1were adefiled by their own works,
And bplayed2 the harlot by their own deeds.
40 Therefore athe wrath of the LORD was kindled against His people,
So that He abhorred bHis own inheritance.
41And aHe gave them into the hand of the Gentiles,
And those who hated them ruled over them.
42 Their enemies also oppressed them,
And they were brought into subjection under their hand.
43aMany times He delivered them;
But they rebelled in their counsel,
And were brought low for their iniquity.
44 Nevertheless He regarded their affliction,
When aHe heard their cry;
45 aAnd for their sake He remembered His covenant,
And brelented caccording to the multitude of His mercies.
46 aHe also made them to be pitied
By all those who carried them away captive.
And gather us from among the Gentiles,
To give thanks to Your holy name,
To *triumph in Your praise.
48aBlessed be the LORD God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
And let all the people say, “Amen!”
1Praise the LORD!
BOOK FIVE
Psalms 107–150
107
Thanksgiving to the LORD for His Great Works of Deliverance
1OH, agive thanks to the LORD, for He is good!
For His 1mercy endures forever.
2 Let the *redeemed of the LORD say so,
Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy,
3And agathered out of the lands,
From the east and from the west,
From the north and from the south.
4 They wandered in athe wilderness in a desolate way;
They found no city to dwell in.
Their soul fainted in them.
6 aThen they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
And He delivered them out of their distresses.
7 And He led them forth by the aright way,
That they might go to a city for a dwelling place.
8 aOh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness,
And for His *wonderful works to the children of men!
9 For aHe satisfies the longing soul,
And fills the hungry soul with goodness.
10 Those who asat in darkness and in the shadow of death,
bBound1 in affliction and irons—
11 Because they arebelled against the words of God,
And 1despised bthe counsel of the *Most High,
12 Therefore He brought down their heart with *labor;
They fell down, and there was anone to help.
13 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
And He saved them out of their distresses.
14 aHe brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death,
And broke their chains in pieces.
15 Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
16 For He has abroken the gates of bronze,
And cut the bars of iron in two.
17 Fools, abecause of their transgression,
And because of their iniquities, were afflicted.
18 aTheir soul abhorred all manner of food,
And they bdrew near to the gates of death.
19 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
And He saved them out of their distresses.
20 aHe sent His word and bhealed them,
And cdelivered them from their destructions.
21 Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
22aLet them sacrifice the sacrifices of *thanksgiving,
And bdeclare His works with 1rejoicing.*
23 Those who go down to the sea in ships,
Who do business on great waters,
24 They see the works of the LORD,
And His wonders in the deep.
25 For He commands and araises the stormy wind,
Which lifts up the waves of the sea.
26They mount up to the heavens,
They go down again to the depths;
aTheir soul melts because of trouble.
27 They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man,
And 1are at their wits’ end.
28 Then they cry out to the LORD in their trouble,
And He brings them out of their distresses.
29 aHe calms the storm,
So that its waves are still.
30 Then they are glad because they are quiet;
So He guides them to their desired haven.
31 aOh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
32 Let them exalt Him also ain the assembly of the people,
And praise Him in the company of the elders.
33 He aturns rivers into a wilderness,
And the watersprings into dry ground;
34 A afruitful land into 1barrenness,
For the wickedness of those who dwell in it.
35 aHe turns a wilderness into pools of water,
And dry land into watersprings.
36 There He makes the hungry dwell,
That they may establish a city for a dwelling place,
37 And sow fields and plant vineyards,
That they may yield a fruitful harvest.
38 aHe also blesses them, and they multiply greatly;
And He does not let their cattle bdecrease.
39 When they are adiminished and brought low
Through oppression, affliction, and sorrow,
40 aHe pours contempt on princes,
And causes them to wander in the *wilderness where there is no way;
41 aYet He sets the poor on high, far from affliction,
And bmakes their *families like a flock.
42 aThe righteous see it and rejoice,
And all biniquity stops its mouth.
43 aWhoever is wise will observe these things,
And they will understand the lovingkindness of the LORD.
108
Assurance of God’s Victory over Enemies
A Song. A *Psalm of David.
1O aGOD, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.
2 aAwake, lute and harp!
I will awaken the dawn.
3 I will praise You, O LORD, among the peoples,
And I will sing praises to You among the nations.
4 For Your mercy is great above the 1heavens,
And Your truth reaches to the clouds.
5 aBe exalted, O God, above the heavens,
And Your glory above all the earth;
6 aThat Your beloved may be delivered,
Save with Your right hand, and 1hear me.
7 God has spoken in His holiness:
“I will rejoice;
I will divide Shechem
And measure out the Valley of Succoth.
8 Gilead is Mine; Manasseh is Mine;
Ephraim also is the 1helmet for My head;
aJudah is My lawgiver.
Over Edom I will cast My shoe;
Over Philistia I will triumph.”
10 aWho will bring me into the strong city?
Who will lead me to Edom?
11 Is it not You, O God, who cast us off?
And You, O God, who did not go out with our armies?
For the help of man is useless.
13 aThrough God we will do valiantly,
For it is He who shall tread down our enemies.
109
Plea for Judgment of False Accusers
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
1DOa not keep silent, O God of my praise!
2 For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful
Have opened against me;
They have spoken against me with a alying tongue.
3 They have also surrounded me with words of hatred,
And fought against me awithout a cause.
4 In return for my love they are my accusers,
But I give myself to prayer.
5 Thus athey have rewarded me evil for good,
And hatred for my love.
6Set a wicked man over him,
And let aan 1accuser* stand at his right hand.
7 When he is judged, let him be found guilty,
And alet his prayer become sin.
And blet another take his office.
9 aLet his children be fatherless,
And his wife a widow.
10 Let his children 1continually be vagabonds, and beg;
Let them 2seek their bread also from their desolate places.
11 aLet the creditor seize all that he has,
And let strangers plunder his labor.
12 Let there be none to extend mercy to him,
Nor let there be any to favor his fatherless children.
13 aLet his 1posterity be cut off,
And in the generation following let their bname be blotted out.
14 aLet the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD,
And let not the *sin of his mother bbe blotted out.
15 Let them be continually before the LORD,
That He may acut off the memory of them from the earth;
16 Because he did not remember to show mercy,
But persecuted the poor and needy man,
That he might even slay the abroken in heart.
17 aAs he loved cursing, so let it come to him;
As he did not delight in blessing, so let it be far from him.
18 As he clothed himself with cursing as with his garment,
So let it aenter his body like water,
And like oil into his bones.
19 Let it be to him like the garment which covers him,
And for a belt with which he girds himself continually.
20 Let this be the LORD’s reward to my accusers,
And to those who speak evil against my person.
Deal with me for Your name’s sake;
Because Your mercy is good, deliver me.
22 For I am *poor and needy,
And my heart is wounded within me.
23 I am gone alike a shadow when it lengthens;
I am shaken off like a locust.
24 My aknees are weak through fasting,
And my flesh is feeble from lack of fatness.
25I also have become aa reproach to them;
When they look at me, bthey shake their heads.
Oh, save me according to Your mercy,
27 aThat they may know that this is Your hand—
That You, LORD, have done it!
28 aLet them curse, but You bless;
When they arise, let them be ashamed,
But let bYour servant rejoice.
29 aLet my accusers be clothed with shame,
And let them cover themselves with their own disgrace as with a mantle.
30 I will greatly praise the LORD with my mouth;
Yes, aI will praise Him among the multitude.
31 For aHe shall stand at the right hand of the poor,
To save him from those 1who condemn him.
110
Announcement of the Messiah’s Reign
A Psalm of David.
1THE aLORD said to my Lord,“Sit at My right hand,
Till I make Your enemies Your bfootstool.”
2The LORD shall send the rod of Your strength aout of Zion.
bRule in the midst of Your enemies!
3aYour people shall be volunteers
In the day of Your power;
bIn the *beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning,
You have the dew of Your youth.
4The LORD has sworn
And awill not relent,
“You are a bpriest forever
According to the order of cMelchizedek.”
5The Lord is aat Your right hand;
He shall 1execute kings bin the day of His wrath.
6 He shall judge among the nations,
He shall fill the places with dead bodies,
aHe shall 1execute the heads of many countries.
7He shall drink of the brook by the wayside;
aTherefore He shall lift up the head.
111
Praise to God for His Faithfulness and Justice
aI will praise the LORD with my whole heart,
In the assembly of the upright and in the congregation.
2aThe works of the LORD are great,
bStudied by all who have pleasure in them.
3 His work is ahonorable and glorious,
And His righteousness endures forever.
4 He has made His wonderful works to be remembered;
aThe LORD is gracious and full of compassion.
5 He has given food to those who fear Him;
He will ever be mindful of His covenant.
6He has declared to His people the power of His works,
In giving them the 1heritage of the nations.
7 The works of His hands are averity1 and justice;
All His precepts are sure.
8 aThey stand fast forever and ever,
And are bdone in truth and uprightness.
9aHe has sent redemption to His people;
He has commanded His covenant forever:
bHoly and awesome is His name.
10aThe fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
A good understanding have all those who do His commandments.
His praise endures forever.
112
The Blessed State of the Righteous
Blessed is the man who fears the LORD,
Who adelights greatly in His commandments.
2 aHis descendants will be mighty on earth;
The *generation of the upright will be blessed.
3aWealth and riches will be in his house,
And his righteousness 1endures forever.
4 aUnto the upright there arises light in the darkness;
He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.
5 aA good man deals graciously and lends;
He will guide his affairs bwith discretion.
6 Surely he will never be shaken;
aThe righteous will be in everlasting remembrance.
7 aHe will not be afraid of evil tidings;
His heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.
8 His aheart is established;
bHe will not be afraid,
Until he csees his desire upon his enemies.
9He has dispersed abroad,
He has given to the poor;
His righteousness endures forever;
His 1horn will be exalted with honor.
10The wicked will see it and be grieved;
He will gnash his teeth and melt away;
The desire of the wicked shall perish.
113
The Majesty and Condescension of God
aPraise, O servants of the LORD,
Praise the name of the LORD!
2 aBlessed be the name of the LORD
From this time forth and forevermore!
3 aFrom the rising of the sun to its going down
The LORD’s name is to be praised.
4 The LORD is ahigh above all nations,
bHis glory above the heavens.
5 aWho is like the LORD our God,
Who dwells on high,
6aWho *humbles Himself to behold
The things that are in the heavens and in the earth?
7aHe raises the poor out of the dust,
And lifts the bneedy out of the ash heap,
8 That He may aseat him with princes—
With the princes of His people.
9 aHe grants the 1barren woman a home,
Like a *joyful mother of children.
Praise the LORD!
114
The Power of God in His Deliverance of Israel
1WHEN aIsrael went out of Egypt,The house of Jacob bfrom a people 1of strange language,
2 aJudah became His sanctuary,
And Israel His dominion.
bJordan turned back.
4aThe mountains skipped like rams,
The little hills like lambs.
5 aWhat ails you, O sea, that you fled?
O Jordan, that you turned back?
6 O mountains, that you skipped like rams?
O little hills, like lambs?
7 Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord,
At the presence of the God of Jacob,
8aWho turned the rock into a pool of water,
The flint into a fountain of waters.
115
The Futility of Idols and the Trustworthiness of God
1 NOT aunto us, O LORD, not unto us, But to Your name give glory,
Because of Your mercy,
Because of Your truth.
2 Why should the 1Gentiles say,
a“So where is their God?”
He does whatever He pleases.
4 aTheir idols are silver and gold,
The work of men’s hands.
5 They have mouths, but they do not speak;
Eyes they have, but they do not see;
6 They have ears, but they do not hear;
Noses they have, but they do not smell;
7 They have hands, but they do not handle;
Feet they have, but they do not walk;
Nor do they mutter through their throat.
8aThose who make them are like them;
So is everyone who trusts in them.
9 aO Israel, trust in the LORD;
bHe is their help and their shield.
10 O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD;
He is their help and their shield.
11You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD;
He is their help and their shield.
12The LORD 1has been mindful of us;
He will bless us;
He will bless the house of Israel;
He will bless the house of Aaron.
13 aHe will bless those who fear the LORD,
Both small and great.
14 May the LORD give you increase more and more,
You and your children.
15 May you be ablessed by the LORD,
bWho made heaven and earth.
16 The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD’s;
But the earth He has given to the children of men.
17aThe dead do not praise the LORD,
Nor any who go down into silence.
18 aBut we will bless the LORD
From this time forth and forevermore.
Praise the LORD!
116
Thanksgiving for Deliverance from Death
1I aLOVE the LORD, because He has heardMy voice and my supplications.
2 Because He has inclined His ear to me,
Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.
3 aThe 1pains of death surrounded me,
And the 2pangs of Sheol 3laid hold of me;
I found trouble and sorrow.
4 Then I called upon the name of the LORD:
“O LORD, I implore You, deliver my soul!”
5 aGracious is the LORD, and brighteous;
Yes, our God is merciful.
6 The LORD preserves the simple;
I was brought low, and He saved me.
7 Return to your arest, O my soul,
For bthe LORD has dealt bountifully with you.
8 aFor You have delivered my soul from death,
My eyes from tears,
And my feet from falling.
aIn the land of the living.
10aI *believed, therefore I spoke,
“I am greatly afflicted.”
11 aI said in my haste,
b“All men are liars.”
12 What shall I render to the LORD
For all His benefits toward me?
13 I will take up the cup of salvation,
And call upon the name of the LORD.
14 aI will pay my vows to the LORD
Now in the presence of all His people.
15 aPrecious in the sight of the LORD
Is the death of His saints.
16 O LORD, truly aI am Your servant;
I am Your servant, bthe son of Your maidservant;
You have loosed my bonds.
17 I will offer to You athe sacrifice of *thanksgiving,
And will call upon the name of the LORD.
18 I will pay my vows to the LORD
Now in the presence of all His people,
19 In the acourts of the LORD’s house,
In the midst of you, O Jerusalem.
1Praise the LORD!
117
Let All Peoples Praise the LORD
1PRAISE athe LORD, all you Gentiles! 1Laud* Him, all you peoples!
2For His merciful kindness is great toward us,
And athe truth of the LORD endures forever.
Praise the *LORD!
118
Praise to God for His Everlasting Mercy
1OH, agive thanks to the LORD, for He is good!
bFor His mercy endures forever.
2 aLet Israel now say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
3 Let the house of Aaron now say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
4 Let those who fear the LORD now say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
5 aI called on the LORD in distress;
The LORD answered me and bset me in a broad place.
I will not fear.
What can man do to me?
7 aThe LORD is for me among those who help me;
Therefore bI shall see my desire on those who hate me.
8 aIt is better to trust in the LORD
Than to put confidence in man.
9 aIt is better to trust in the LORD
Than to put confidence in princes.
But in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.
11 They asurrounded me,
Yes, they surrounded me;
But in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.
12 They surrounded me alike bees;
They were quenched blike a fire of thorns;
For in the name of the LORD I will 1destroy them.
13 You pushed me violently, that I might fall,
But the LORD helped me.
14 aThe LORD is my strength and song,
And He has become my salvation.
15 The voice of *rejoicing and salvation
Is in the tents of the righteous;
The right hand of the LORD does valiantly.
16 aThe right hand of the LORD is exalted;
The right hand of the LORD does valiantly.
17 aI shall not die, but live,
And bdeclare the works of the LORD.
18 The LORD has achastened1 me severely,
But He has not given me over to death.
19aOpen to me the gates of righteousness;
I will go through them,
And I will praise the LORD.
20 aThis is the gate of the LORD,
bThrough which the righteous shall enter.
For You have aanswered me,
And have become my salvation.
22aThe stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone.
23 1This was the LORD’s doing;
It is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day the LORD has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it.
25Save now, I pray, O LORD;
O LORD, I pray, send now prosperity.
26 aBlessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD!
We have blessed you from the house of the LORD.
27God is the LORD,
And He has given us alight;
Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the *altar.
28 You are my God, and I will praise You;
aYou are my God, I will exalt You.
29 Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
119
Meditations on the Excellencies of the Word of God
a ALEPH
1BLESSED are the 1undefiled in the way, aWho walk in the *law of the LORD!
2 Blessed are those who keep His testimonies,
Who seek Him with the awhole heart!
3 aThey also do no iniquity;
They walk in His ways.
To keep Your *precepts diligently.
5 Oh, that my ways were directed
To keep Your statutes!
6 aThen I would not be ashamed,
When I look into all Your commandments.
7 I will praise You with uprightness of heart,
When I learn Your righteous judgments.
Oh, do not forsake me utterly!
b BETH
9 How can a young man cleanse his way?
By taking heed according to Your word.
10 With my whole heart I have asought You;
Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!
11aYour *word I have hidden in my heart,
That I might not sin against You.
Teach me Your statutes.
13 With my lips I have adeclared
All the judgments of Your mouth.
14 I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies,
As much as in all riches.
15 I will meditate on Your precepts,
And 1contemplate Your ways.
16 I will adelight myself in Your statutes;
I will not forget Your *word.
g GIMEL
17 aDeal bountifully with Your servant,
That I may live and keep Your word.
18 Open my eyes, that I may see
Wondrous things from Your law.
19 aI am a stranger in the earth;
Do not hide Your commandments from me.
20 aMy soul 1breaks with longing
For Your judgments at all times.
21 You rebuke the proud—the cursed,
Who stray from Your commandments.
22 aRemove from me reproach and contempt,
For I have kept Your testimonies.
23 Princes also sit and speak against me,
But Your servant meditates on Your *statutes.
24 Your testimonies also are my delight
And my counselors.
d DALETH
25 aMy soul clings to the dust;
bRevive me according to Your word.
26 I have declared my ways, and You answered me;
aTeach me Your statutes.
27 Make me *understand the way of Your *precepts;
So ashall I meditate on Your wonderful works.
28 aMy soul 1melts from 2heaviness;
Strengthen me according to Your word.
29 Remove from me the way of lying,
And grant me Your law *graciously.
30 I have *chosen the way of truth;
Your judgments I have laid before me.
31 I cling to Your testimonies;
O LORD, do not put me to shame!
32 I will run the course of Your commandments,
For You shall aenlarge my heart.
h HE
33 aTeach* me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes,
And I shall keep it to the end.
34 aGive me understanding, and I shall keep Your law;
Indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart.