But I now arraign you

and set my accusations before you.

²²“Consider this, you who forget God,

or I will tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue you:

²³Those who sacrifice thank offerings honor me,

and to the blameless^[125] I will show my salvation.”

Psalm 51^[126]

For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.

¹Have mercy on me, O God,

according to your unfailing love;

according to your great compassion

blot out my transgressions.

²Wash away all my iniquity

and cleanse me from my sin.

³For I know my transgressions,

and my sin is always before me.

⁴Against you, you only, have I sinned

and done what is evil in your sight;

so you are right in your verdict

and justified when you judge.

⁵Surely I was sinful at birth,

sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

⁶Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;

you taught me wisdom in that secret place.

⁷Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;

wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

⁸Let me hear joy and gladness;

let the bones you have crushed rejoice.

⁹Hide your face from my sins

and blot out all my iniquity.

¹⁰Create in me a pure heart, O God,

and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

¹¹Do not cast me from your presence

or take your Holy Spirit from me.

¹²Restore to me the joy of your salvation

and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

¹³Then I will teach transgressors your ways,

so that sinners will turn back to you.

¹⁴Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,

you who are God my Savior,

and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.

¹⁵Open my lips, Lord,

and my mouth will declare your praise.

¹⁶You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;

you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.

¹⁷My sacrifice, O God, is^[127] a broken spirit;

a broken and contrite heart

you, God, will not despise.

¹⁸May it please you to prosper Zion,

to build up the walls of Jerusalem.

¹⁹Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous,

in burnt offerings offered whole;

then bulls will be offered on your altar.

Psalm 52^[128]

For the director of music. A maskil^[129] of David. When Doeg the Edomite had gone to Saul and told him: “David has gone to the house of Ahimelek.”

¹Why do you boast of evil, you mighty hero?

Why do you boast all day long,

you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God?

²You who practice deceit,

your tongue plots destruction;

it is like a sharpened razor.

³You love evil rather than good,

falsehood rather than speaking the truth.^[130]

⁴You love every harmful word,

you deceitful tongue!

⁵Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin:

He will snatch you up and pluck you from your tent;

he will uproot you from the land of the living.

⁶The righteous will see and fear;

they will laugh at you, saying,

⁷“Here now is the man

who did not make God his stronghold

but trusted in his great wealth

and grew strong by destroying others!”

⁸But I am like an olive tree

flourishing in the house of God;

I trust in God’s unfailing love

for ever and ever.

⁹For what you have done I will always praise you

in the presence of your faithful people.

And I will hope in your name,

for your name is good.

Psalm 53^[131]

For the director of music. According to mahalath.^[132] A maskil^[133] of David.

¹The fool says in his heart,

“There is no God.”

They are corrupt, and their ways are vile;

there is no one who does good.

²God looks down from heaven

on all mankind

to see if there are any who understand,

any who seek God.

³Everyone has turned away, all have become corrupt;

there is no one who does good,

not even one.

⁴Do all these evildoers know nothing?

They devour my people as though eating bread;

they never call on God.

⁵But there they are, overwhelmed with dread,

where there was nothing to dread.

God scattered the bones of those who attacked you;

you put them to shame, for God despised them.

⁶Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!

When God restores his people,

let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!

Psalm 54^[134]

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A maskil^[135] of David. When the Ziphites had gone to Saul and said, “Is not David hiding among us?”

¹Save me, O God, by your name;

vindicate me by your might.

²Hear my prayer, O God;

listen to the words of my mouth.

³Arrogant foes are attacking me;

ruthless people are trying to kill me—

people without regard for God.^[136]

⁴Surely God is my help;

the Lord is the one who sustains me.

⁵Let evil recoil on those who slander me;

in your faithfulness destroy them.

⁶I will sacrifice a freewill offering to you;

I will praise your name, LORD, for it is good.

⁷You have delivered me from all my troubles,

and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes.

Psalm 55^[137]

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A maskil^[138] of David.

¹Listen to my prayer, O God,

do not ignore my plea;

²hear me and answer me.

My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught

³because of what my enemy is saying,

because of the threats of the wicked;

for they bring down suffering on me

and assail me in their anger.

⁴My heart is in anguish within me;

the terrors of death have fallen on me.

⁵Fear and trembling have beset me;

horror has overwhelmed me.

⁶I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!

I would fly away and be at rest.

⁷I would flee far away

and stay in the desert;^[139]

⁸I would hurry to my place of shelter,

far from the tempest and storm.”

⁹Lord, confuse the wicked, confound their words,

for I see violence and strife in the city.

¹⁰Day and night they prowl about on its walls;

malice and abuse are within it.

¹¹Destructive forces are at work in the city;

threats and lies never leave its streets.

¹²If an enemy were insulting me,

I could endure it;

if a foe were rising against me,

I could hide.

¹³But it is you, a man like myself,

my companion, my close friend,

¹⁴with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship

at the house of God,

as we walked about

among the worshipers.

¹⁵Let death take my enemies by surprise;

let them go down alive to the realm of the dead,

for evil finds lodging among them.

¹⁶As for me, I call to God,

and the LORD saves me.

¹⁷Evening, morning and noon

I cry out in distress,

and he hears my voice.

¹⁸He rescues me unharmed

from the battle waged against me,

even though many oppose me.

¹⁹God, who is enthroned from of old,

who does not change—

he will hear them and humble them,

because they have no fear of God.

²⁰My companion attacks his friends;

he violates his covenant.

²¹His talk is smooth as butter,

yet war is in his heart;

his words are more soothing than oil,

yet they are drawn swords.

²²Cast your cares on the LORD

and he will sustain you;

he will never let

the righteous be shaken.

²³But you, God, will bring down the wicked

into the pit of decay;

the bloodthirsty and deceitful

will not live out half their days.

But as for me, I trust in you.

Psalm 56^[140]

For the director of music. To the tune of “A Dove on Distant Oaks.” Of David. A miktam.^[141] When the Philistines had seized him in Gath.

¹Be merciful to me, my God,

for my enemies are in hot pursuit;

all day long they press their attack.

²My adversaries pursue me all day long;

in their pride many are attacking me.

³When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.

⁴In God, whose word I praise—

in God I trust and am not afraid.

What can mere mortals do to me?

⁵All day long they twist my words;

all their schemes are for my ruin.

⁶They conspire, they lurk,

they watch my steps,

hoping to take my life.

⁷Because of their wickedness do not^[142] let them escape;

in your anger, God, bring the nations down.

⁸Record my misery;

list my tears on your scroll^[143]—

are they not in your record?

⁹Then my enemies will turn back

when I call for help.

By this I will know that God is for me.

¹⁰In God, whose word I praise,

in the LORD, whose word I praise—

¹¹in God I trust and am not afraid.

What can man do to me?

¹²I am under vows to you, my God;

I will present my thank offerings to you.

¹³For you have delivered me from death

and my feet from stumbling,

that I may walk before God

in the light of life.

Psalm 57^[144]

For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.^[145] When he had fled from Saul into the cave.

¹Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me,

for in you I take refuge.

I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings

until the disaster has passed.

²I cry out to God Most High,

to God, who vindicates me.

³He sends from heaven and saves me,

rebuking those who hotly pursue me—^[146]

God sends forth his love and his faithfulness.

⁴I am in the midst of lions;

I am forced to dwell among ravenous beasts—

men whose teeth are spears and arrows,

whose tongues are sharp swords.

⁵Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;

let your glory be over all the earth.

⁶They spread a net for my feet—

I was bowed down in distress.

They dug a pit in my path—

but they have fallen into it themselves.

⁷My heart, O God, is steadfast,

my heart is steadfast;

I will sing and make music.

⁸Awake, my soul!

Awake, harp and lyre!

I will awaken the dawn.

⁹I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;

I will sing of you among the peoples.

¹⁰For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;

your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

¹¹Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;

let your glory be over all the earth.

Psalm 58^[147]

For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.^[148]

¹Do you rulers indeed speak justly?

Do you judge people with equity?

²No, in your heart you devise injustice,

and your hands mete out violence on the earth.

³Even from birth the wicked go astray;

from the womb they are wayward, spreading lies.

⁴Their venom is like the venom of a snake,

like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears,

⁵that will not heed the tune of the charmer,

however skillful the enchanter may be.

⁶Break the teeth in their mouths, O God;

LORD, tear out the fangs of those lions!

⁷Let them vanish like water that flows away;

when they draw the bow, let their arrows fall short.

⁸May they be like a slug that melts away as it moves along,

like a stillborn child that never sees the sun.

⁹Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns—

whether they be green or dry—the wicked will be swept away.^[149]

¹⁰The righteous will be glad when they are avenged,

when they dip their feet in the blood of the wicked.

¹¹Then people will say,

“Surely the righteous still are rewarded;

surely there is a God who judges the earth.”

Psalm 59^[150]

For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.^[151] When Saul had sent men to watch David’s house in order to kill him.

¹Deliver me from my enemies, O God;

be my fortress against those who are attacking me.

²Deliver me from evildoers

and save me from those who are after my blood.

³See how they lie in wait for me!

Fierce men conspire against me

for no offense or sin of mine, LORD.

⁴I have done no wrong, yet they are ready to attack me.

Arise to help me; look on my plight!

⁵You, LORD God Almighty,

you who are the God of Israel,

rouse yourself to punish all the nations;

show no mercy to wicked traitors.^[152]

⁶They return at evening,

snarling like dogs,

and prowl about the city.

⁷See what they spew from their mouths—

the words from their lips are sharp as swords,

and they think, “Who can hear us?”

⁸But you laugh at them, LORD;

you scoff at all those nations.

⁹You are my strength, I watch for you;

you, God, are my fortress,

¹⁰my God on whom I can rely.

God will go before me

and will let me gloat over those who slander me.

¹¹But do not kill them, Lord our shield,^[153]

or my people will forget.

In your might uproot them

and bring them down.

¹²For the sins of their mouths,

for the words of their lips,

let them be caught in their pride.

For the curses and lies they utter,

¹³consume them in your wrath,

consume them till they are no more.

Then it will be known to the ends of the earth

that God rules over Jacob.

¹⁴They return at evening,

snarling like dogs,

and prowl about the city.

¹⁵They wander about for food

and howl if not satisfied.

¹⁶But I will sing of your strength,

in the morning I will sing of your love;

for you are my fortress,

my refuge in times of trouble.

¹⁷You are my strength, I sing praise to you;

you, God, are my fortress,

my God on whom I can rely.

Psalm 60^[154]

For the director of music. To the tune of “The Lily of the Covenant.” A miktam^[155] of David. For teaching. When he fought Aram Naharaim^[156] and Aram Zobah,^[157] and when Joab returned and struck down twelve thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.

¹You have rejected us, God, and burst upon us;

you have been angry—now restore us!

²You have shaken the land and torn it open;

mend its fractures, for it is quaking.

³You have shown your people desperate times;

you have given us wine that makes us stagger.

⁴But for those who fear you, you have raised a banner

to be unfurled against the bow.^[158]

⁵Save us and help us with your right hand,

that those you love may be delivered.

⁶God has spoken from his sanctuary:

“In triumph I will parcel out Shechem

and measure off the Valley of Sukkoth.

⁷Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine;

Ephraim is my helmet,

Judah is my scepter.

⁸Moab is my washbasin,

on Edom I toss my sandal;

over Philistia I shout in triumph.”

⁹Who will bring me to the fortified city?

Who will lead me to Edom?

¹⁰Is it not you, God, you who have now rejected us

and no longer go out with our armies?

¹¹Give us aid against the enemy,

for human help is worthless.

¹²With God we will gain the victory,

and he will trample down our enemies.

Psalm 61^[159]

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. Of David.

¹Hear my cry, O God;

listen to my prayer.

²From the ends of the earth I call to you,

I call as my heart grows faint;

lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

³For you have been my refuge,

a strong tower against the foe.

⁴I long to dwell in your tent forever

and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.^[160]

⁵For you, God, have heard my vows;

you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.

⁶Increase the days of the king’s life,

his years for many generations.

⁷May he be enthroned in God’s presence forever;

appoint your love and faithfulness to protect him.

⁸Then I will ever sing in praise of your name

and fulfill my vows day after day.

Psalm 62^[161]

For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.

¹Truly my soul finds rest in God;

my salvation comes from him.

²Truly he is my rock and my salvation;

he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

³How long will you assault me?

Would all of you throw me down—

this leaning wall, this tottering fence?

⁴Surely they intend to topple me

from my lofty place;

they take delight in lies.

With their mouths they bless,

but in their hearts they curse.^[162]

⁵Yes, my soul, find rest in God;

my hope comes from him.

⁶Truly he is my rock and my salvation;

he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.

⁷My salvation and my honor depend on God^[163];

he is my mighty rock, my refuge.

⁸Trust in him at all times, you people;

pour out your hearts to him,

for God is our refuge.

⁹Surely the lowborn are but a breath,

the highborn are but a lie.

If weighed on a balance, they are nothing;

together they are only a breath.

¹⁰Do not trust in extortion

or put vain hope in stolen goods;

though your riches increase,

do not set your heart on them.

¹¹One thing God has spoken,

two things I have heard:

“Power belongs to you, God,

¹²and with you, Lord, is unfailing love”;

and, “You reward everyone

according to what they have done.”

Psalm 63^[164]

A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah.

¹You, God, are my God,

earnestly I seek you;

I thirst for you,

my whole being longs for you,

in a dry and parched land

where there is no water.

²I have seen you in the sanctuary

and beheld your power and your glory.

³Because your love is better than life,

my lips will glorify you.

⁴I will praise you as long as I live,

and in your name I will lift up my hands.

⁵I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods;

with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

⁶On my bed I remember you;

I think of you through the watches of the night.

⁷Because you are my help,

I sing in the shadow of your wings.

⁸I cling to you;

your right hand upholds me.

⁹Those who want to kill me will be destroyed;

they will go down to the depths of the earth.

¹⁰They will be given over to the sword

and become food for jackals.

¹¹But the king will rejoice in God;

all who swear by God will glory in him,

while the mouths of liars will be silenced.

Psalm 64^[165]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

¹Hear me, my God, as I voice my complaint;

protect my life from the threat of the enemy.

²Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked,

from the plots of evildoers.

³They sharpen their tongues like swords

and aim cruel words like deadly arrows.

⁴They shoot from ambush at the innocent;

they shoot suddenly, without fear.

⁵They encourage each other in evil plans,

they talk about hiding their snares;

they say, “Who will see it^[166]?”

⁶They plot injustice and say,

“We have devised a perfect plan!”

Surely the human mind and heart are cunning.

⁷But God will shoot them with his arrows;

they will suddenly be struck down.

⁸He will turn their own tongues against them

and bring them to ruin;

all who see them will shake their heads in scorn.

⁹All people will fear;

they will proclaim the works of God

and ponder what he has done.

¹⁰The righteous will rejoice in the LORD

and take refuge in him;

all the upright in heart will glory in him!

Psalm 65^[167]

For the director of music. A psalm of David. A song.

¹Praise awaits^[168] you, our God, in Zion;

to you our vows will be fulfilled.

²You who answer prayer,

to you all people will come.

³When we were overwhelmed by sins,

you forgave^[169] our transgressions.

⁴Blessed are those you choose

and bring near to live in your courts!

We are filled with the good things of your house,

of your holy temple.

⁵You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds,

God our Savior,

the hope of all the ends of the earth

and of the farthest seas,

⁶who formed the mountains by your power,

having armed yourself with strength,

⁷who stilled the roaring of the seas,

the roaring of their waves,

and the turmoil of the nations.

⁸The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders;

where morning dawns, where evening fades,

you call forth songs of joy.

⁹You care for the land and water it;

you enrich it abundantly.

The streams of God are filled with water

to provide the people with grain,

for so you have ordained it.^[170]

¹⁰You drench its furrows and level its ridges;

you soften it with showers and bless its crops.

¹¹You crown the year with your bounty,

and your carts overflow with abundance.

¹²The grasslands of the wilderness overflow;

the hills are clothed with gladness.

¹³The meadows are covered with flocks

and the valleys are mantled with grain;

they shout for joy and sing.

Psalm 66

For the director of music. A song. A psalm.

¹Shout for joy to God, all the earth!

²Sing the glory of his name;

make his praise glorious.

³Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!

So great is your power

that your enemies cringe before you.

⁴All the earth bows down to you;

they sing praise to you,

they sing the praises of your name.”^[171]

⁵Come and see what God has done,

his awesome deeds for mankind!

⁶He turned the sea into dry land,

they passed through the waters on foot—

come, let us rejoice in him.

⁷He rules forever by his power,

his eyes watch the nations—

let not the rebellious rise up against him.

⁸Praise our God, all peoples,

let the sound of his praise be heard;

⁹he has preserved our lives

and kept our feet from slipping.

¹⁰For you, God, tested us;

you refined us like silver.

¹¹You brought us into prison

and laid burdens on our backs.

¹²You let people ride over our heads;

we went through fire and water,

but you brought us to a place of abundance.

¹³I will come to your temple with burnt offerings

and fulfill my vows to you—

¹⁴vows my lips promised and my mouth spoke

when I was in trouble.

¹⁵I will sacrifice fat animals to you

and an offering of rams;

I will offer bulls and goats.

¹⁶Come and hear, all you who fear God;

let me tell you what he has done for me.

¹⁷I cried out to him with my mouth;

his praise was on my tongue.

¹⁸If I had cherished sin in my heart,

the Lord would not have listened;

¹⁹but God has surely listened

and has heard my prayer.

²⁰Praise be to God,

who has not rejected my prayer

or withheld his love from me!

Psalm 67^[172]

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm. A song.

¹May God be gracious to us and bless us

and make his face shine on us—^[173]

²so that your ways may be known on earth,

your salvation among all nations.

³May the peoples praise you, God;

may all the peoples praise you.

⁴May the nations be glad and sing for joy,

for you rule the peoples with equity

and guide the nations of the earth.

⁵May the peoples praise you, God;

may all the peoples praise you.

⁶The land yields its harvest;

God, our God, blesses us.

⁷May God bless us still,

so that all the ends of the earth will fear him.

Psalm 68^[174]

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm. A song.

¹May God arise, may his enemies be scattered;

may his foes flee before him.

²May you blow them away like smoke—

as wax melts before the fire,

may the wicked perish before God.

³But may the righteous be glad

and rejoice before God;

may they be happy and joyful.

⁴Sing to God, sing in praise of his name,

extol him who rides on the clouds^[175];

rejoice before him—his name is the LORD.

⁵A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,

is God in his holy dwelling.

⁶God sets the lonely in families,^[176]

he leads out the prisoners with singing;

but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.

⁷When you, God, went out before your people,

when you marched through the wilderness,^[177]

⁸the earth shook, the heavens poured down rain,

before God, the One of Sinai,

before God, the God of Israel.

⁹You gave abundant showers, O God;

you refreshed your weary inheritance.

¹⁰Your people settled in it,

and from your bounty, God, you provided for the poor.

¹¹The Lord announces the word,

and the women who proclaim it are a mighty throng:

¹²“Kings and armies flee in haste;

the women at home divide the plunder.

¹³Even while you sleep among the sheep pens,^[178]

the wings of my dove are sheathed with silver,

its feathers with shining gold.”

¹⁴When the Almighty^[179] scattered the kings in the land,

it was like snow fallen on Mount Zalmon.

¹⁵Mount Bashan, majestic mountain,

Mount Bashan, rugged mountain,

¹⁶why gaze in envy, you rugged mountain,

at the mountain where God chooses to reign,

where the LORD himself will dwell forever?

¹⁷The chariots of God are tens of thousands

and thousands of thousands;

the Lord has come from Sinai into his sanctuary.^[180]

¹⁸When you ascended on high,

you took many captives;

you received gifts from people,

even from^[181] the rebellious—

that you,^[182] LORD God, might dwell there.

¹⁹Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior,

who daily bears our burdens.

²⁰Our God is a God who saves;

from the Sovereign LORD comes escape from death.

²¹Surely God will crush the heads of his enemies,

the hairy crowns of those who go on in their sins.

²²The Lord says, “I will bring them from Bashan;

I will bring them from the depths of the sea,

²³that your feet may wade in the blood of your foes,

while the tongues of your dogs have their share.”

²⁴Your procession, God, has come into view,

the procession of my God and King into the sanctuary.

²⁵In front are the singers, after them the musicians;

with them are the young women playing the timbrels.

²⁶Praise God in the great congregation;

praise the LORD in the assembly of Israel.

²⁷There is the little tribe of Benjamin, leading them,

there the great throng of Judah’s princes,

and there the princes of Zebulun and of Naphtali.

²⁸Summon your power, God^[183];

show us your strength, our God, as you have done before.

²⁹Because of your temple at Jerusalem

kings will bring you gifts.

³⁰Rebuke the beast among the reeds,

the herd of bulls among the calves of the nations.

Humbled, may the beast bring bars of silver.

Scatter the nations who delight in war.

³¹Envoys will come from Egypt;

Cush^[184] will submit herself to God.

³²Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth,

sing praise to the Lord,

³³to him who rides across the highest heavens, the ancient heavens,

who thunders with mighty voice.

³⁴Proclaim the power of God,

whose majesty is over Israel,

whose power is in the heavens.

³⁵You, God, are awesome in your sanctuary;

the God of Israel gives power and strength to his people.

Praise be to God!

Psalm 69^[185]

For the director of music. To the tune of “Lilies.” Of David.

¹Save me, O God,

for the waters have come up to my neck.

²I sink in the miry depths,

where there is no foothold.

I have come into the deep waters;

the floods engulf me.

³I am worn out calling for help;

my throat is parched.

My eyes fail,

looking for my God.

⁴Those who hate me without reason

outnumber the hairs of my head;

many are my enemies without cause,

those who seek to destroy me.

I am forced to restore

what I did not steal.

⁵You, God, know my folly;

my guilt is not hidden from you.

⁶Lord, the LORD Almighty,

may those who hope in you

not be disgraced because of me;

God of Israel,

may those who seek you

not be put to shame because of me.

⁷For I endure scorn for your sake,

and shame covers my face.

⁸I am a foreigner to my own family,

a stranger to my own mother’s children;

⁹for zeal for your house consumes me,

and the insults of those who insult you fall on me.

¹⁰When I weep and fast,

I must endure scorn;

¹¹when I put on sackcloth,

people make sport of me.

¹²Those who sit at the gate mock me,

and I am the song of the drunkards.

¹³But I pray to you, LORD,

in the time of your favor;

in your great love, O God,

answer me with your sure salvation.

¹⁴Rescue me from the mire,

do not let me sink;

deliver me from those who hate me,

from the deep waters.

¹⁵Do not let the floodwaters engulf me

or the depths swallow me up

or the pit close its mouth over me.

¹⁶Answer me, LORD, out of the goodness of your love;

in your great mercy turn to me.

¹⁷Do not hide your face from your servant;

answer me quickly, for I am in trouble.

¹⁸Come near and rescue me;

deliver me because of my foes.

¹⁹You know how I am scorned, disgraced and shamed;

all my enemies are before you.

²⁰Scorn has broken my heart

and has left me helpless;

I looked for sympathy, but there was none,

for comforters, but I found none.

²¹They put gall in my food

and gave me vinegar for my thirst.

²²May the table set before them become a snare;

may it become retribution and^[186] a trap.

²³May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see,

and their backs be bent forever.

²⁴Pour out your wrath on them;

let your fierce anger overtake them.

²⁵May their place be deserted;

let there be no one to dwell in their tents.

²⁶For they persecute those you wound

and talk about the pain of those you hurt.

²⁷Charge them with crime upon crime;

do not let them share in your salvation.

²⁸May they be blotted out of the book of life

and not be listed with the righteous.

²⁹But as for me, afflicted and in pain—

may your salvation, God, protect me.

³⁰I will praise God’s name in song

and glorify him with thanksgiving.

³¹This will please the LORD more than an ox,

more than a bull with its horns and hooves.

³²The poor will see and be glad—

you who seek God, may your hearts live!

³³The LORD hears the needy

and does not despise his captive people.

³⁴Let heaven and earth praise him,

the seas and all that move in them,

³⁵for God will save Zion

and rebuild the cities of Judah.

Then people will settle there and possess it;

³⁶the children of his servants will inherit it,

and those who love his name will dwell there.

Psalm 70^[187]

For the director of music. Of David. A petition.

¹Hasten, O God, to save me;

come quickly, LORD, to help me.

²May those who want to take my life

be put to shame and confusion;

may all who desire my ruin

be turned back in disgrace.

³May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”

turn back because of their shame.

⁴But may all who seek you

rejoice and be glad in you;

may those who long for your saving help always say,

“The LORD is great!”

⁵But as for me, I am poor and needy;

come quickly to me, O God.

You are my help and my deliverer;

LORD, do not delay.

Psalm 71

¹In you, LORD, I have taken refuge;

let me never be put to shame.

²In your righteousness, rescue me and deliver me;

turn your ear to me and save me.

³Be my rock of refuge,

to which I can always go;

give the command to save me,

for you are my rock and my fortress.

⁴Deliver me, my God, from the hand of the wicked,

from the grasp of those who are evil and cruel.

⁵For you have been my hope, Sovereign LORD,

my confidence since my youth.

⁶From birth I have relied on you;

you brought me forth from my mother’s womb.

I will ever praise you.

⁷I have become a sign to many;

you are my strong refuge.

⁸My mouth is filled with your praise,

declaring your splendor all day long.

⁹Do not cast me away when I am old;

do not forsake me when my strength is gone.

¹⁰For my enemies speak against me;

those who wait to kill me conspire together.

¹¹They say, “God has forsaken him;

pursue him and seize him,

for no one will rescue him.”

¹²Do not be far from me, my God;

come quickly, God, to help me.

¹³May my accusers perish in shame;

may those who want to harm me

be covered with scorn and disgrace.

¹⁴As for me, I will always have hope;

I will praise you more and more.

¹⁵My mouth will tell of your righteous deeds,

of your saving acts all day long—

though I know not how to relate them all.

¹⁶I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, Sovereign LORD;

I will proclaim your righteous deeds, yours alone.

¹⁷Since my youth, God, you have taught me,

and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.

¹⁸Even when I am old and gray,

do not forsake me, my God,

till I declare your power to the next generation,

your mighty acts to all who are to come.

¹⁹Your righteousness, God, reaches to the heavens,

you who have done great things.

Who is like you, God?

²⁰Though you have made me see troubles,

many and bitter,

you will restore my life again;

from the depths of the earth

you will again bring me up.

²¹You will increase my honor

and comfort me once more.

²²I will praise you with the harp

for your faithfulness, my God;

I will sing praise to you with the lyre,

Holy One of Israel.

²³My lips will shout for joy

when I sing praise to you—

I whom you have delivered.

²⁴My tongue will tell of your righteous acts

all day long,

for those who wanted to harm me

have been put to shame and confusion.

Psalm 72

Of Solomon.

¹Endow the king with your justice, O God,

the royal son with your righteousness.

²May he judge your people in righteousness,

your afflicted ones with justice.

³May the mountains bring prosperity to the people,

the hills the fruit of righteousness.

⁴May he defend the afflicted among the people

and save the children of the needy;

may he crush the oppressor.

⁵May he endure^[188] as long as the sun,

as long as the moon, through all generations.

⁶May he be like rain falling on a mown field,

like showers watering the earth.

⁷In his days may the righteous flourish

and prosperity abound till the moon is no more.

⁸May he rule from sea to sea

and from the River^[189] to the ends of the earth.

⁹May the desert tribes bow before him

and his enemies lick the dust.

¹⁰May the kings of Tarshish and of distant shores

bring tribute to him.

May the kings of Sheba and Seba

present him gifts.

¹¹May all kings bow down to him

and all nations serve him.

¹²For he will deliver the needy who cry out,

the afflicted who have no one to help.

¹³He will take pity on the weak and the needy

and save the needy from death.

¹⁴He will rescue them from oppression and violence,

for precious is their blood in his sight.

¹⁵Long may he live!

May gold from Sheba be given him.

May people ever pray for him

and bless him all day long.

¹⁶May grain abound throughout the land;

on the tops of the hills may it sway.

May the crops flourish like Lebanon

and thrive^[190] like the grass of the field.

¹⁷May his name endure forever;

may it continue as long as the sun.

Then all nations will be blessed through him,^[191]

and they will call him blessed.

¹⁸Praise be to the LORD God, the God of Israel,

who alone does marvelous deeds.

¹⁹Praise be to his glorious name forever;

may the whole earth be filled with his glory.

Amen and Amen.

²⁰This concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse.

BOOK III

Psalms 73—89

Psalm 73

A psalm of Asaph.

¹Surely God is good to Israel,

to those who are pure in heart.

²But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;

I had nearly lost my foothold.

³For I envied the arrogant

when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

⁴They have no struggles;

their bodies are healthy and strong.^[192]

⁵They are free from common human burdens;

they are not plagued by human ills.

⁶Therefore pride is their necklace;

they clothe themselves with violence.

⁷From their callous hearts comes iniquity^[193];

their evil imaginations have no limits.

⁸They scoff, and speak with malice;

with arrogance they threaten oppression.

⁹Their mouths lay claim to heaven,

and their tongues take possession of the earth.

¹⁰Therefore their people turn to them

and drink up waters in abundance.^[194]

¹¹They say, “How would God know?

Does the Most High know anything?”

¹²This is what the wicked are like—

always free of care, they go on amassing wealth.

¹³Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure

and have washed my hands in innocence.

¹⁴All day long I have been afflicted,

and every morning brings new punishments.

¹⁵If I had spoken out like that,

I would have betrayed your children.

¹⁶When I tried to understand all this,

it troubled me deeply

¹⁷till I entered the sanctuary of God;

then I understood their final destiny.

¹⁸Surely you place them on slippery ground;

you cast them down to ruin.

¹⁹How suddenly are they destroyed,

completely swept away by terrors!

²⁰They are like a dream when one awakes;

when you arise, Lord,

you will despise them as fantasies.

²¹When my heart was grieved

and my spirit embittered,

²²I was senseless and ignorant;

I was a brute beast before you.

²³Yet I am always with you;

you hold me by my right hand.

²⁴You guide me with your counsel,

and afterward you will take me into glory.

²⁵Whom have I in heaven but you?

And earth has nothing I desire besides you.

²⁶My flesh and my heart may fail,

but God is the strength of my heart

and my portion forever.

²⁷Those who are far from you will perish;

you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.

²⁸But as for me, it is good to be near God.

I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge;

I will tell of all your deeds.

Psalm 74

A maskil^[195] of Asaph.

¹O God, why have you rejected us forever?

Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture?

²Remember the nation you purchased long ago,

the people of your inheritance, whom you redeemed—

Mount Zion, where you dwelt.

³Turn your steps toward these everlasting ruins,

all this destruction the enemy has brought on the sanctuary.

⁴Your foes roared in the place where you met with us;

they set up their standards as signs.

⁵They behaved like men wielding axes

to cut through a thicket of trees.

⁶They smashed all the carved paneling

with their axes and hatchets.

⁷They burned your sanctuary to the ground;

they defiled the dwelling place of your Name.

⁸They said in their hearts, “We will crush them completely!”

They burned every place where God was worshiped in the land.

⁹We are given no signs from God;

no prophets are left,

and none of us knows how long this will be.

¹⁰How long will the enemy mock you, God?

Will the foe revile your name forever?

¹¹Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand?

Take it from the folds of your garment and destroy them!

¹²But God is my King from long ago;

he brings salvation on the earth.

¹³It was you who split open the sea by your power;

you broke the heads of the monster in the waters.

¹⁴It was you who crushed the heads of Leviathan

and gave it as food to the creatures of the desert.

¹⁵It was you who opened up springs and streams;

you dried up the ever-flowing rivers.

¹⁶The day is yours, and yours also the night;

you established the sun and moon.

¹⁷It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth;

you made both summer and winter.

¹⁸Remember how the enemy has mocked you, LORD,

how foolish people have reviled your name.

¹⁹Do not hand over the life of your dove to wild beasts;

do not forget the lives of your afflicted people forever.

²⁰Have regard for your covenant,

because haunts of violence fill the dark places of the land.

²¹Do not let the oppressed retreat in disgrace;

may the poor and needy praise your name.

²²Rise up, O God, and defend your cause;

remember how fools mock you all day long.

²³Do not ignore the clamor of your adversaries,

the uproar of your enemies, which rises continually.

Psalm 75^[196]

For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A psalm of Asaph. A song.

¹We praise you, God,

we praise you, for your Name is near;

people tell of your wonderful deeds.

²You say, “I choose the appointed time;

it is I who judge with equity.

³When the earth and all its people quake,

it is I who hold its pillars firm.^[197]

⁴To the arrogant I say, ‘Boast no more,’

and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horns.^[198]

⁵Do not lift your horns against heaven;

do not speak so defiantly.’ ”

⁶No one from the east or the west

or from the desert can exalt themselves.

⁷It is God who judges:

He brings one down, he exalts another.

⁸In the hand of the LORD is a cup

full of foaming wine mixed with spices;

he pours it out, and all the wicked of the earth

drink it down to its very dregs.

⁹As for me, I will declare this forever;

I will sing praise to the God of Jacob,

¹⁰who says, “I will cut off the horns of all the wicked,

but the horns of the righteous will be lifted up.”

Psalm 76^[199]

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm of Asaph. A song.

¹God is renowned in Judah;

in Israel his name is great.

²His tent is in Salem,

his dwelling place in Zion.

³There he broke the flashing arrows,

the shields and the swords, the weapons of war.^[200]

⁴You are radiant with light,

more majestic than mountains rich with game.

⁵The valiant lie plundered,

they sleep their last sleep;

not one of the warriors

can lift his hands.

⁶At your rebuke, God of Jacob,

both horse and chariot lie still.

⁷It is you alone who are to be feared.

Who can stand before you when you are angry?

⁸From heaven you pronounced judgment,

and the land feared and was quiet—

⁹when you, God, rose up to judge,

to save all the afflicted of the land.

¹⁰Surely your wrath against mankind brings you praise,

and the survivors of your wrath are restrained.^[201]

¹¹Make vows to the LORD your God and fulfill them;

let all the neighboring lands

bring gifts to the One to be feared.

¹²He breaks the spirit of rulers;

he is feared by the kings of the earth.

Psalm 77^[202]

For the director of music. For Jeduthun. Of Asaph. A psalm.

¹I cried out to God for help;

I cried out to God to hear me.

²When I was in distress, I sought the Lord;

at night I stretched out untiring hands,

and I would not be comforted.

³I remembered you, God, and I groaned;

I meditated, and my spirit grew faint.^[203]

⁴You kept my eyes from closing;

I was too troubled to speak.

⁵I thought about the former days,

the years of long ago;

⁶I remembered my songs in the night.

My heart meditated and my spirit asked:

⁷“Will the Lord reject forever?

Will he never show his favor again?

⁸Has his unfailing love vanished forever?

Has his promise failed for all time?

⁹Has God forgotten to be merciful?

Has he in anger withheld his compassion?”

¹⁰Then I thought, “To this I will appeal:

the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand.

¹¹I will remember the deeds of the LORD;

yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.

¹²I will consider all your works

and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”

¹³Your ways, God, are holy.

What god is as great as our God?

¹⁴You are the God who performs miracles;

you display your power among the peoples.

¹⁵With your mighty arm you redeemed your people,

the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.

¹⁶The waters saw you, God,

the waters saw you and writhed;

the very depths were convulsed.

¹⁷The clouds poured down water,

the heavens resounded with thunder;

your arrows flashed back and forth.

¹⁸Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind,

your lightning lit up the world;

the earth trembled and quaked.

¹⁹Your path led through the sea,

your way through the mighty waters,

though your footprints were not seen.

²⁰You led your people like a flock

by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

Psalm 78

A maskil^[204] of Asaph.

¹My people, hear my teaching;

listen to the words of my mouth.

²I will open my mouth with a parable;

I will utter hidden things, things from of old—

³things we have heard and known,

things our ancestors have told us.

⁴We will not hide them from their descendants;

we will tell the next generation

the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD,

his power, and the wonders he has done.

⁵He decreed statutes for Jacob

and established the law in Israel,

which he commanded our ancestors

to teach their children,

⁶so the next generation would know them,

even the children yet to be born,

and they in turn would tell their children.

⁷Then they would put their trust in God

and would not forget his deeds

but would keep his commands.

⁸They would not be like their ancestors—

a stubborn and rebellious generation,

whose hearts were not loyal to God,

whose spirits were not faithful to him.

⁹The men of Ephraim, though armed with bows,

turned back on the day of battle;

¹⁰they did not keep God’s covenant

and refused to live by his law.

¹¹They forgot what he had done,

the wonders he had shown them.

¹²He did miracles in the sight of their ancestors

in the land of Egypt, in the region of Zoan.

¹³He divided the sea and led them through;

he made the water stand up like a wall.

¹⁴He guided them with the cloud by day

and with light from the fire all night.

¹⁵He split the rocks in the wilderness

and gave them water as abundant as the seas;

¹⁶he brought streams out of a rocky crag

and made water flow down like rivers.

¹⁷But they continued to sin against him,

rebelling in the wilderness against the Most High.

¹⁸They willfully put God to the test

by demanding the food they craved.

¹⁹They spoke against God;

they said, “Can God really

spread a table in the wilderness?

²⁰True, he struck the rock,

and water gushed out,

streams flowed abundantly,

but can he also give us bread?

Can he supply meat for his people?”

²¹When the LORD heard them, he was furious;

his fire broke out against Jacob,

and his wrath rose against Israel,

²²for they did not believe in God

or trust in his deliverance.

²³Yet he gave a command to the skies above

and opened the doors of the heavens;

²⁴he rained down manna for the people to eat,

he gave them the grain of heaven.

²⁵Human beings ate the bread of angels;

he sent them all the food they could eat.

²⁶He let loose the east wind from the heavens

and by his power made the south wind blow.

²⁷He rained meat down on them like dust,

birds like sand on the seashore.

²⁸He made them come down inside their camp,

all around their tents.

²⁹They ate till they were gorged—

he had given them what they craved.

³⁰But before they turned from what they craved,

even while the food was still in their mouths,

³¹God’s anger rose against them;

he put to death the sturdiest among them,

cutting down the young men of Israel.

³²In spite of all this, they kept on sinning;

in spite of his wonders, they did not believe.

³³So he ended their days in futility

and their years in terror.

³⁴Whenever God slew them, they would seek him;

they eagerly turned to him again.

³⁵They remembered that God was their Rock,

that God Most High was their Redeemer.

³⁶But then they would flatter him with their mouths,

lying to him with their tongues;

³⁷their hearts were not loyal to him,

they were not faithful to his covenant.

³⁸Yet he was merciful;

he forgave their iniquities

and did not destroy them.

Time after time he restrained his anger

and did not stir up his full wrath.

³⁹He remembered that they were but flesh,

a passing breeze that does not return.

⁴⁰How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness

and grieved him in the wasteland!

⁴¹Again and again they put God to the test;

they vexed the Holy One of Israel.

⁴²They did not remember his power—

the day he redeemed them from the oppressor,

⁴³the day he displayed his signs in Egypt,

his wonders in the region of Zoan.

⁴⁴He turned their river into blood;

they could not drink from their streams.

⁴⁵He sent swarms of flies that devoured them,

and frogs that devastated them.

⁴⁶He gave their crops to the grasshopper,

their produce to the locust.

⁴⁷He destroyed their vines with hail

and their sycamore-figs with sleet.

⁴⁸He gave over their cattle to the hail,

their livestock to bolts of lightning.

⁴⁹He unleashed against them his hot anger,

his wrath, indignation and hostility—

a band of destroying angels.

⁵⁰He prepared a path for his anger;

he did not spare them from death

but gave them over to the plague.

⁵¹He struck down all the firstborn of Egypt,

the firstfruits of manhood in the tents of Ham.

⁵²But he brought his people out like a flock;

he led them like sheep through the wilderness.

⁵³He guided them safely, so they were unafraid;

but the sea engulfed their enemies.

⁵⁴And so he brought them to the border of his holy land,

to the hill country his right hand had taken.

⁵⁵He drove out nations before them

and allotted their lands to them as an inheritance;

he settled the tribes of Israel in their homes.

⁵⁶But they put God to the test

and rebelled against the Most High;

they did not keep his statutes.

⁵⁷Like their ancestors they were disloyal and faithless,

as unreliable as a faulty bow.

⁵⁸They angered him with their high places;

they aroused his jealousy with their idols.

⁵⁹When God heard them, he was furious;

he rejected Israel completely.

⁶⁰He abandoned the tabernacle of Shiloh,

the tent he had set up among humans.

⁶¹He sent the ark of his might into captivity,

his splendor into the hands of the enemy.

⁶²He gave his people over to the sword;

he was furious with his inheritance.

⁶³Fire consumed their young men,

and their young women had no wedding songs;

⁶⁴their priests were put to the sword,

and their widows could not weep.

⁶⁵Then the Lord awoke as from sleep,

as a warrior wakes from the stupor of wine.

⁶⁶He beat back his enemies;

he put them to everlasting shame.

⁶⁷Then he rejected the tents of Joseph,

he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim;

⁶⁸but he chose the tribe of Judah,

Mount Zion, which he loved.

⁶⁹He built his sanctuary like the heights,

like the earth that he established forever.

⁷⁰He chose David his servant

and took him from the sheep pens;

⁷¹from tending the sheep he brought him

to be the shepherd of his people Jacob,

of Israel his inheritance.

⁷²And David shepherded them with integrity of heart;

with skillful hands he led them.

Psalm 79

A psalm of Asaph.

¹O God, the nations have invaded your inheritance;

they have defiled your holy temple,

they have reduced Jerusalem to rubble.

²They have left the dead bodies of your servants

as food for the birds of the sky,

the flesh of your own people for the animals of the wild.

³They have poured out blood like water

all around Jerusalem,

and there is no one to bury the dead.

⁴We are objects of contempt to our neighbors,

of scorn and derision to those around us.

⁵How long, LORD? Will you be angry forever?

How long will your jealousy burn like fire?

⁶Pour out your wrath on the nations

that do not acknowledge you,

on the kingdoms

that do not call on your name;

⁷for they have devoured Jacob

and devastated his homeland.

⁸Do not hold against us the sins of past generations;

may your mercy come quickly to meet us,

for we are in desperate need.

⁹Help us, God our Savior,

for the glory of your name;

deliver us and forgive our sins

for your name’s sake.

¹⁰Why should the nations say,

“Where is their God?”

Before our eyes, make known among the nations

that you avenge the outpoured blood of your servants.

¹¹May the groans of the prisoners come before you;

with your strong arm preserve those condemned to die.

¹²Pay back into the laps of our neighbors seven times

the contempt they have hurled at you, Lord.

¹³Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture,

will praise you forever;

from generation to generation

we will proclaim your praise.

Psalm 80^[205]

For the director of music. To the tune of “The Lilies of the Covenant.” Of Asaph. A psalm.

¹Hear us, Shepherd of Israel,

you who lead Joseph like a flock.

You who sit enthroned between the cherubim,

shine forth ²before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh.

Awaken your might;

come and save us.

³Restore us, O God;

make your face shine on us,

that we may be saved.

⁴How long, LORD God Almighty,

will your anger smolder

against the prayers of your people?

⁵You have fed them with the bread of tears;

you have made them drink tears by the bowlful.

⁶You have made us an object of derision^[206] to our neighbors,

and our enemies mock us.

⁷Restore us, God Almighty;

make your face shine on us,

that we may be saved.

⁸You transplanted a vine from Egypt;

you drove out the nations and planted it.

⁹You cleared the ground for it,

and it took root and filled the land.

¹⁰The mountains were covered with its shade,

the mighty cedars with its branches.

¹¹Its branches reached as far as the Sea,^[207]

its shoots as far as the River.^[208]

¹²Why have you broken down its walls

so that all who pass by pick its grapes?

¹³Boars from the forest ravage it,

and insects from the fields feed on it.

¹⁴Return to us, God Almighty!

Look down from heaven and see!

Watch over this vine,

¹⁵the root your right hand has planted,

the son^[209] you have raised up for yourself.

¹⁶Your vine is cut down, it is burned with fire;

at your rebuke your people perish.

¹⁷Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand,

the son of man you have raised up for yourself.

¹⁸Then we will not turn away from you;

revive us, and we will call on your name.

¹⁹Restore us, LORD God Almighty;

make your face shine on us,

that we may be saved.

Psalm 81^[210]

For the director of music. According to gittith.^[211] Of Asaph.

¹Sing for joy to God our strength;

shout aloud to the God of Jacob!

²Begin the music, strike the timbrel,

play the melodious harp and lyre.

³Sound the ram’s horn at the New Moon,

and when the moon is full, on the day of our festival;

⁴this is a decree for Israel,

an ordinance of the God of Jacob.

⁵When God went out against Egypt,

he established it as a statute for Joseph.

I heard an unknown voice say:

⁶“I removed the burden from their shoulders;

their hands were set free from the basket.

⁷In your distress you called and I rescued you,

I answered you out of a thundercloud;

I tested you at the waters of Meribah.^[212]

⁸Hear me, my people, and I will warn you—

if you would only listen to me, Israel!

⁹You shall have no foreign god among you;

you shall not worship any god other than me.

¹⁰I am the LORD your God,

who brought you up out of Egypt.

Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.

¹¹“But my people would not listen to me;

Israel would not submit to me.

¹²So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts

to follow their own devices.

¹³“If my people would only listen to me,

if Israel would only follow my ways,

¹⁴how quickly I would subdue their enemies

and turn my hand against their foes!

¹⁵Those who hate the LORD would cringe before him,

and their punishment would last forever.

¹⁶But you would be fed with the finest of wheat;

with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”

Psalm 82

A psalm of Asaph.

¹God presides in the great assembly;

he renders judgment among the “gods”:

²“How long will you^[213] defend the unjust

and show partiality to the wicked?^[214]

³Defend the weak and the fatherless;

uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed.

⁴Rescue the weak and the needy;

deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

⁵“The ‘gods’ know nothing, they understand nothing.

They walk about in darkness;

all the foundations of the earth are shaken.

⁶“I said, ‘You are “gods”;

you are all sons of the Most High.’

⁷But you will die like mere mortals;

you will fall like every other ruler.”

⁸Rise up, O God, judge the earth,

for all the nations are your inheritance.

Psalm 83^[215]

A song. A psalm of Asaph.

¹O God, do not remain silent;

do not turn a deaf ear,

do not stand aloof, O God.

²See how your enemies growl,

how your foes rear their heads.

³With cunning they conspire against your people;

they plot against those you cherish.

⁴“Come,” they say, “let us destroy them as a nation,

so that Israel’s name is remembered no more.”

⁵With one mind they plot together;

they form an alliance against you—

⁶the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,

of Moab and the Hagrites,

⁷Byblos, Ammon and Amalek,

Philistia, with the people of Tyre.

⁸Even Assyria has joined them

to reinforce Lot’s descendants.^[216]

⁹Do to them as you did to Midian,

as you did to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon,

¹⁰who perished at Endor

and became like dung on the ground.

¹¹Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb,

all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,

¹²who said, “Let us take possession

of the pasturelands of God.”

¹³Make them like tumbleweed, my God,

like chaff before the wind.

¹⁴As fire consumes the forest

or a flame sets the mountains ablaze,

¹⁵so pursue them with your tempest

and terrify them with your storm.

¹⁶Cover their faces with shame, LORD,

so that they will seek your name.

¹⁷May they ever be ashamed and dismayed;

may they perish in disgrace.

¹⁸Let them know that you, whose name is the LORD—

that you alone are the Most High over all the earth.

Psalm 84^[217]

For the director of music. According to gittith.^[218] Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

¹How lovely is your dwelling place,

LORD Almighty!

²My soul yearns, even faints,

for the courts of the LORD;

my heart and my flesh cry out

for the living God.

³Even the sparrow has found a home,

and the swallow a nest for herself,

where she may have her young—

a place near your altar,

LORD Almighty, my King and my God.

⁴Blessed are those who dwell in your house;

they are ever praising you.^[219]

⁵Blessed are those whose strength is in you,

whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.

⁶As they pass through the Valley of Baka,

they make it a place of springs;

the autumn rains also cover it with pools.^[220]

⁷They go from strength to strength,

till each appears before God in Zion.

⁸Hear my prayer, LORD God Almighty;

listen to me, God of Jacob.

⁹Look on our shield,^[221] O God;

look with favor on your anointed one.

¹⁰Better is one day in your courts

than a thousand elsewhere;

I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God

than dwell in the tents of the wicked.

¹¹For the LORD God is a sun and shield;

the LORD bestows favor and honor;

no good thing does he withhold

from those whose walk is blameless.

¹²LORD Almighty,

blessed is the one who trusts in you.

Psalm 85^[222]

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

¹You, LORD, showed favor to your land;

you restored the fortunes of Jacob.

²You forgave the iniquity of your people

and covered all their sins.^[223]

³You set aside all your wrath

and turned from your fierce anger.

⁴Restore us again, God our Savior,

and put away your displeasure toward us.

⁵Will you be angry with us forever?

Will you prolong your anger through all generations?

⁶Will you not revive us again,

that your people may rejoice in you?

⁷Show us your unfailing love, LORD,

and grant us your salvation.

⁸I will listen to what God the LORD says;

he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants—

but let them not turn to folly.

⁹Surely his salvation is near those who fear him,

that his glory may dwell in our land.

¹⁰Love and faithfulness meet together;

righteousness and peace kiss each other.

¹¹Faithfulness springs forth from the earth,

and righteousness looks down from heaven.

¹²The LORD will indeed give what is good,

and our land will yield its harvest.

¹³Righteousness goes before him

and prepares the way for his steps.

Psalm 86

A prayer of David.

¹Hear me, LORD, and answer me,

for I am poor and needy.

²Guard my life, for I am faithful to you;

save your servant who trusts in you.

You are my God; ³have mercy on me, Lord,

for I call to you all day long.

⁴Bring joy to your servant, Lord,

for I put my trust in you.

⁵You, Lord, are forgiving and good,

abounding in love to all who call to you.

⁶Hear my prayer, LORD;

listen to my cry for mercy.

⁷When I am in distress, I call to you,

because you answer me.

⁸Among the gods there is none like you, Lord;

no deeds can compare with yours.

⁹All the nations you have made

will come and worship before you, Lord;

they will bring glory to your name.

¹⁰For you are great and do marvelous deeds;

you alone are God.

¹¹Teach me your way, LORD,

that I may rely on your faithfulness;

give me an undivided heart,

that I may fear your name.

¹²I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart;

I will glorify your name forever.

¹³For great is your love toward me;

you have delivered me from the depths,

from the realm of the dead.

¹⁴Arrogant foes are attacking me, O God;

ruthless people are trying to kill me—

they have no regard for you.

¹⁵But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God,

slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.

¹⁶Turn to me and have mercy on me;

show your strength in behalf of your servant;

save me, because I serve you

just as my mother did.

¹⁷Give me a sign of your goodness,

that my enemies may see it and be put to shame,

for you, LORD, have helped me and comforted me.

Psalm 87

Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm. A song.

¹He has founded his city on the holy mountain.

²The LORD loves the gates of Zion

more than all the other dwellings of Jacob.

³Glorious things are said of you,

city of God:^[224]

⁴“I will record Rahab^[225] and Babylon

among those who acknowledge me—

Philistia too, and Tyre, along with Cush^[226]—

and will say, ‘This one was born in Zion.’ ”^[227]

⁵Indeed, of Zion it will be said,

“This one and that one were born in her,

and the Most High himself will establish her.”

⁶The LORD will write in the register of the peoples:

“This one was born in Zion.”

⁷As they make music they will sing,

“All my fountains are in you.”

Psalm 88^[228]

A song. A psalm of the Sons of Korah. For the director of music. According to mahalath leannoth.^[229] A maskil^[230] of Heman the Ezrahite.

¹LORD, you are the God who saves me;

day and night I cry out to you.

²May my prayer come before you;

turn your ear to my cry.

³I am overwhelmed with troubles

and my life draws near to death.

⁴I am counted among those who go down to the pit;

I am like one without strength.

⁵I am set apart with the dead,

like the slain who lie in the grave,

whom you remember no more,

who are cut off from your care.

⁶You have put me in the lowest pit,

in the darkest depths.

⁷Your wrath lies heavily on me;

you have overwhelmed me with all your waves.^[231]

⁸You have taken from me my closest friends

and have made me repulsive to them.

I am confined and cannot escape;

⁹my eyes are dim with grief.

I call to you, LORD, every day;

I spread out my hands to you.

¹⁰Do you show your wonders to the dead?

Do their spirits rise up and praise you?

¹¹Is your love declared in the grave,

your faithfulness in Destruction^[232]?

¹²Are your wonders known in the place of darkness,

or your righteous deeds in the land of oblivion?

¹³But I cry to you for help, LORD;

in the morning my prayer comes before you.

¹⁴Why, LORD, do you reject me

and hide your face from me?

¹⁵From my youth I have suffered and been close to death;

I have borne your terrors and am in despair.

¹⁶Your wrath has swept over me;

your terrors have destroyed me.

¹⁷All day long they surround me like a flood;

they have completely engulfed me.

¹⁸You have taken from me friend and neighbor—

darkness is my closest friend.

Psalm 89^[233]

A maskil^[234] of Ethan the Ezrahite.

¹I will sing of the LORD’s great love forever;

with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known

through all generations.

²I will declare that your love stands firm forever,

that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself.

³You said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one,

I have sworn to David my servant,

⁴‘I will establish your line forever

and make your throne firm through all generations.’ ”^[235]

⁵The heavens praise your wonders, LORD,

your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the holy ones.

⁶For who in the skies above can compare with the LORD?

Who is like the LORD among the heavenly beings?

⁷In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared;

he is more awesome than all who surround him.

⁸Who is like you, LORD God Almighty?

You, LORD, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you.

⁹You rule over the surging sea;

when its waves mount up, you still them.

¹⁰You crushed Rahab like one of the slain;

with your strong arm you scattered your enemies.

¹¹The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth;

you founded the world and all that is in it.

¹²You created the north and the south;

Tabor and Hermon sing for joy at your name.

¹³Your arm is endowed with power;

your hand is strong, your right hand exalted.

¹⁴Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;

love and faithfulness go before you.

¹⁵Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you,

who walk in the light of your presence, LORD.

¹⁶They rejoice in your name all day long;

they celebrate your righteousness.

¹⁷For you are their glory and strength,

and by your favor you exalt our horn.^[236]

¹⁸Indeed, our shield^[237] belongs to the LORD,

our king to the Holy One of Israel.

¹⁹Once you spoke in a vision,

to your faithful people you said:

“I have bestowed strength on a warrior;

I have raised up a young man from among the people.

²⁰I have found David my servant;

with my sacred oil I have anointed him.

²¹My hand will sustain him;

surely my arm will strengthen him.

²²The enemy will not get the better of him;

the wicked will not oppress him.

²³I will crush his foes before him

and strike down his adversaries.

²⁴My faithful love will be with him,

and through my name his horn^[238] will be exalted.

²⁵I will set his hand over the sea,

his right hand over the rivers.

²⁶He will call out to me, ‘You are my Father,

my God, the Rock my Savior.’

²⁷And I will appoint him to be my firstborn,

the most exalted of the kings of the earth.

²⁸I will maintain my love to him forever,

and my covenant with him will never fail.

²⁹I will establish his line forever,

his throne as long as the heavens endure.

³⁰“If his sons forsake my law

and do not follow my statutes,

³¹if they violate my decrees

and fail to keep my commands,

³²I will punish their sin with the rod,

their iniquity with flogging;

³³but I will not take my love from him,

nor will I ever betray my faithfulness.

³⁴I will not violate my covenant

or alter what my lips have uttered.

³⁵Once for all, I have sworn by my holiness—

and I will not lie to David—

³⁶that his line will continue forever

and his throne endure before me like the sun;

³⁷it will be established forever like the moon,

the faithful witness in the sky.”

³⁸But you have rejected, you have spurned,

you have been very angry with your anointed one.

³⁹You have renounced the covenant with your servant

and have defiled his crown in the dust.

⁴⁰You have broken through all his walls

and reduced his strongholds to ruins.

⁴¹All who pass by have plundered him;

he has become the scorn of his neighbors.

⁴²You have exalted the right hand of his foes;

you have made all his enemies rejoice.

⁴³Indeed, you have turned back the edge of his sword

and have not supported him in battle.

⁴⁴You have put an end to his splendor

and cast his throne to the ground.

⁴⁵You have cut short the days of his youth;

you have covered him with a mantle of shame.

⁴⁶How long, LORD? Will you hide yourself forever?

How long will your wrath burn like fire?

⁴⁷Remember how fleeting is my life.

For what futility you have created all humanity!

⁴⁸Who can live and not see death,

or who can escape the power of the grave?

⁴⁹Lord, where is your former great love,

which in your faithfulness you swore to David?

⁵⁰Remember, Lord, how your servant has^[239] been mocked,

how I bear in my heart the taunts of all the nations,

⁵¹the taunts with which your enemies, LORD, have mocked,

with which they have mocked every step of your anointed one.

⁵²Praise be to the LORD forever!

Amen and Amen.

BOOK IV

Psalms 90—106

Psalm 90

A prayer of Moses the man of God.

¹Lord, you have been our dwelling place

throughout all generations.

²Before the mountains were born

or you brought forth the whole world,

from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

³You turn people back to dust,

saying, “Return to dust, you mortals.”

⁴A thousand years in your sight

are like a day that has just gone by,

or like a watch in the night.

⁵Yet you sweep people away in the sleep of death—

they are like the new grass of the morning:

⁶In the morning it springs up new,

but by evening it is dry and withered.

⁷We are consumed by your anger

and terrified by your indignation.

⁸You have set our iniquities before you,

our secret sins in the light of your presence.

⁹All our days pass away under your wrath;

we finish our years with a moan.

¹⁰Our days may come to seventy years,

or eighty, if our strength endures;

yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow,

for they quickly pass, and we fly away.

¹¹If only we knew the power of your anger!

Your wrath is as great as the fear that is your due.

¹²Teach us to number our days,

that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

¹³Relent, LORD! How long will it be?

Have compassion on your servants.

¹⁴Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love,

that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.

¹⁵Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,

for as many years as we have seen trouble.

¹⁶May your deeds be shown to your servants,

your splendor to their children.

¹⁷May the favor^[240] of the Lord our God rest on us;

establish the work of our hands for us—

yes, establish the work of our hands.

Psalm 91

¹Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High

will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.^[241]

²I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress,

my God, in whom I trust.”

³Surely he will save you

from the fowler’s snare

and from the deadly pestilence.

⁴He will cover you with his feathers,

and under his wings you will find refuge;

his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

⁵You will not fear the terror of night,

nor the arrow that flies by day,

⁶nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,

nor the plague that destroys at midday.

⁷A thousand may fall at your side,

ten thousand at your right hand,

but it will not come near you.

⁸You will only observe with your eyes

and see the punishment of the wicked.

⁹If you say, “The LORD is my refuge,”

and you make the Most High your dwelling,

¹⁰no harm will overtake you,

no disaster will come near your tent.

¹¹For he will command his angels concerning you

to guard you in all your ways;

¹²they will lift you up in their hands,

so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

¹³You will tread on the lion and the cobra;

you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

¹⁴“Because he^[242] loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him;

I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

¹⁵He will call on me, and I will answer him;

I will be with him in trouble,

I will deliver him and honor him.

¹⁶With long life I will satisfy him

and show him my salvation.”

Psalm 92^[243]

A psalm. A song. For the Sabbath day.

¹It is good to praise the LORD

and make music to your name, O Most High,

²proclaiming your love in the morning

and your faithfulness at night,

³to the music of the ten-stringed lyre

and the melody of the harp.

⁴For you make me glad by your deeds, LORD;

I sing for joy at what your hands have done.

⁵How great are your works, LORD,

how profound your thoughts!

⁶Senseless people do not know,

fools do not understand,

⁷that though the wicked spring up like grass

and all evildoers flourish,

they will be destroyed forever.

⁸But you, LORD, are forever exalted.

⁹For surely your enemies, LORD,

surely your enemies will perish;

all evildoers will be scattered.

¹⁰You have exalted my horn^[244] like that of a wild ox;

fine oils have been poured on me.

¹¹My eyes have seen the defeat of my adversaries;

my ears have heard the rout of my wicked foes.

¹²The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,

they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;

¹³planted in the house of the LORD,

they will flourish in the courts of our God.

¹⁴They will still bear fruit in old age,

they will stay fresh and green,

¹⁵proclaiming, “The LORD is upright;

he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.”

Psalm 93

¹The LORD reigns, he is robed in majesty;

the LORD is robed in majesty and armed with strength;

indeed, the world is established, firm and secure.

²Your throne was established long ago;

you are from all eternity.

³The seas have lifted up, LORD,

the seas have lifted up their voice;

the seas have lifted up their pounding waves.

⁴Mightier than the thunder of the great waters,

mightier than the breakers of the sea—

the LORD on high is mighty.

⁵Your statutes, LORD, stand firm;

holiness adorns your house

for endless days.

Psalm 94

¹The LORD is a God who avenges.

O God who avenges, shine forth.

²Rise up, Judge of the earth;

pay back to the proud what they deserve.

³How long, LORD, will the wicked,

how long will the wicked be jubilant?

⁴They pour out arrogant words;

all the evildoers are full of boasting.

⁵They crush your people, LORD;

they oppress your inheritance.

⁶They slay the widow and the foreigner;

they murder the fatherless.

⁷They say, “The LORD does not see;

the God of Jacob takes no notice.”

⁸Take notice, you senseless ones among the people;

you fools, when will you become wise?

⁹Does he who fashioned the ear not hear?

Does he who formed the eye not see?

¹⁰Does he who disciplines nations not punish?

Does he who teaches mankind lack knowledge?

¹¹The LORD knows all human plans;

he knows that they are futile.

¹²Blessed is the one you discipline, LORD,

the one you teach from your law;

¹³you grant them relief from days of trouble,

till a pit is dug for the wicked.

¹⁴For the LORD will not reject his people;

he will never forsake his inheritance.

¹⁵Judgment will again be founded on righteousness,

and all the upright in heart will follow it.

¹⁶Who will rise up for me against the wicked?

Who will take a stand for me against evildoers?

¹⁷Unless the LORD had given me help,

I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death.

¹⁸When I said, “My foot is slipping,”

your unfailing love, LORD, supported me.

¹⁹When anxiety was great within me,

your consolation brought me joy.

²⁰Can a corrupt throne be allied with you—

a throne that brings on misery by its decrees?

²¹The wicked band together against the righteous

and condemn the innocent to death.

²²But the LORD has become my fortress,

and my God the rock in whom I take refuge.

²³He will repay them for their sins

and destroy them for their wickedness;

the LORD our God will destroy them.

Psalm 95

¹Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD;

let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.

²Let us come before him with thanksgiving

and extol him with music and song.

³For the LORD is the great God,

the great King above all gods.

⁴In his hand are the depths of the earth,

and the mountain peaks belong to him.

⁵The sea is his, for he made it,

and his hands formed the dry land.

⁶Come, let us bow down in worship,

let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;

⁷for he is our God

and we are the people of his pasture,

the flock under his care.

Today, if only you would hear his voice,

⁸“Do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah,^[245]

as you did that day at Massah^[246] in the wilderness,

⁹where your ancestors tested me;

they tried me, though they had seen what I did.

¹⁰For forty years I was angry with that generation;

I said, ‘They are a people whose hearts go astray,

and they have not known my ways.’

¹¹So I declared on oath in my anger,

‘They shall never enter my rest.’ ”

Psalm 96

¹Sing to the LORD a new song;

sing to the LORD, all the earth.

²Sing to the LORD, praise his name;

proclaim his salvation day after day.

³Declare his glory among the nations,

his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

⁴For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;

he is to be feared above all gods.

⁵For all the gods of the nations are idols,

but the LORD made the heavens.

⁶Splendor and majesty are before him;

strength and glory are in his sanctuary.

⁷Ascribe to the LORD, all you families of nations,

ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.

⁸Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;

bring an offering and come into his courts.

⁹Worship the LORD in the splendor of his^[247] holiness;

tremble before him, all the earth.

¹⁰Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns.”

The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved;

he will judge the peoples with equity.

¹¹Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;

let the sea resound, and all that is in it.

¹²Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them;

let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.

¹³Let all creation rejoice before the LORD, for he comes,

he comes to judge the earth.

He will judge the world in righteousness

and the peoples in his faithfulness.

Psalm 97

¹The LORD reigns, let the earth be glad;

let the distant shores rejoice.

²Clouds and thick darkness surround him;

righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.

³Fire goes before him

and consumes his foes on every side.

⁴His lightning lights up the world;

the earth sees and trembles.

⁵The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,

before the Lord of all the earth.

⁶The heavens proclaim his righteousness,

and all peoples see his glory.

⁷All who worship images are put to shame,

those who boast in idols—

worship him, all you gods!

⁸Zion hears and rejoices

and the villages of Judah are glad

because of your judgments, LORD.

⁹For you, LORD, are the Most High over all the earth;

you are exalted far above all gods.

¹⁰Let those who love the LORD hate evil,

for he guards the lives of his faithful ones

and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.

¹¹Light shines^[248] on the righteous

and joy on the upright in heart.

¹²Rejoice in the LORD, you who are righteous,

and praise his holy name.