1 Do not fret because of evil men 1 or be envious of those who do wrong;
2 for like the grass they will soon wither, 2 like green plants they will soon die away.
3 Trust in the Lord and do good; 3 dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
4 Delight yourself in the Lord 4 and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the Lord; 5 trust in him and he will do this:
6 He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, 6 the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.
7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; 7 do not fret when men succeed in their ways, 7 when they carry out their wicked schemes.
8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; 8 do not fret—it leads only to evil.
9 For evil men will be cut off, 9 but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.
10 A little while, and the wicked will be no more; 10 though you look for them, they will not be found.
11 But the meek will inherit the land 11 and enjoy great peace.
12 The wicked plot against the righteous 12 and gnash their teeth at them;
13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked, 13 for he knows their day is coming.
14 The wicked draw the sword 14 and bend the bow 14 to bring down the poor and needy, 14 to slay those whose ways are upright.
15 But their swords will pierce their own hearts, 15 and their bows will be broken.
16 Better the little that the righteous have 16 than the wealth of many wicked;
17 for the power of the wicked will be broken, 17 but the Lord upholds the righteous.
18 The days of the blameless are known to the Lord, 18 and their inheritance will endure forever.
19 In times of disaster they will not wither; 19 in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.
20 But the wicked will perish: 20 The Lord's enemies will be like the beauty of the fields, 20 they will vanish—vanish like smoke.
21 The wicked borrow and do not repay, 21 but the righteous give generously;
22 those the Lord blesses will inherit the land, 22 but those he curses will be cut off.
23 If the Lord delights in a man's way, 23 he makes his steps firm;
24 though he stumble, he will not fall, 24 for the Lord upholds him with his hand.
25 I was young and now I am old, 25 yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken 25 or their children begging bread.
26 They are always generous and lend freely; 26 their children will be blessed.
27 Turn from evil and do good; 27 then you will dwell in the land forever.
28 For the Lord loves the just 28 and will not forsake his faithful ones. 28 They will be protected forever, 28 but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off;
29 the righteous will inherit the land 29 and dwell in it forever.
30 The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, 30 and his tongue speaks what is just.
31 The law of his God is in his heart; 31 his feet do not slip.
32 The wicked lie in wait for the righteous, 32 seeking their very lives;
33 but the Lord will not leave them in their power 33 or let them be condemned when brought to trial.
34 Wait for the Lord 34 and keep his way. 34 He will exalt you to inherit the land; 34 when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.
35 I have seen a wicked and ruthless man 35 flourishing like a green tree in its native soil,
36 but he soon passed away and was no more; 36 though I looked for him, he could not be found.
37 Consider the blameless, observe the upright; 37 there is a future[b] for the man of peace.
38 But all sinners will be destroyed; 38 the future[c] of the wicked will be cut off.
39 The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; 39 he is their stronghold in time of trouble.
40 The Lord helps them and delivers them; 40 he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, 40 because they take refuge in him.
1 1 1 A psalm of David. A petition.
1 O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger 1 or discipline me in your wrath.
2 For your arrows have pierced me, 2 and your hand has come down upon me.
3 Because of your wrath there is no health in my body; 3 my bones have no soundness because of my sin.
4 My guilt has overwhelmed me 4 like a burden too heavy to bear.
5 My wounds fester and are loathsome 5 because of my sinful folly.
6 I am bowed down and brought very low; 6 all day long I go about mourning.42:9
7 My back is filled with searing pain; 7 there is no health in my body.
8 I am feeble and utterly crushed; 8 I groan in anguish of heart.
9 All my longings lie open before you, O Lord; 9 my sighing is not hidden from you.
10 My heart pounds, my strength fails me; 10 even the light has gone from my eyes.
11 My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds; 11 my neighbors stay far away.
12 Those who seek my life set their traps, 12 those who would harm me talk of my ruin; 12 all day long they plot deception.
13 I am like a deaf man, who cannot hear, 13 like a mute, who cannot open his mouth;
14 I have become like a man who does not hear, 14 whose mouth can offer no reply.
15 I wait for you, O Lord; 15 you will answer, O Lord my God.
16 For I said, "Do not let them gloat 16 or exalt themselves over me when my foot slips."
17 For I am about to fall, 17 and my pain is ever with me.
18 I confess my iniquity; 18 I am troubled by my sin.
19 Many are those who are my vigorous enemies; 19 those who hate me without reason are numerous.
20 Those who repay my good with evil 20 slander me when I pursue what is good.
21 O Lord, do not forsake me; 21 be not far from me, O my God.
22 Come quickly to help me, 22 O Lord my Savior.
1 1 1 For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.
1 I said, "I will watch my ways 1 and keep my tongue from sin; 1 I will put a muzzle on my mouth 1 as long as the wicked are in my presence."
2 But when I was silent and still, 2 not even saying anything good, 2 my anguish increased.
3 My heart grew hot within me, 3 and as I meditated, the fire burned; 3 then I spoke with my tongue:
4 "Show me, O Lord, my life's end 4 and the number of my days; 4 let me know how fleeting is my life.
5 You have made my days a mere handbreadth; 5 the span of my years is as nothing before you. 5 Each man's life is but a breath.Selah
6 Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro: 6 He bustles about, but only in vain; 6 he heaps up wealth, not knowing who will get it.
7 "But now, Lord, what do I look for? 7 My hope is in you.
8 Save me from all my transgressions; 8 do not make me the scorn of fools.
9 I was silent; I would not open my mouth, 9 for you are the one who has done this.
10 Remove your scourge from me; 10 I am overcome by the blow of your hand.
11 You rebuke and discipline men for their sin; 11 you consume their wealth like a moth— 11 each man is but a breath.Selah
12 "Hear my prayer, O Lord, 12 listen to my cry for help; 12 be not deaf to my weeping. 12 For I dwell with you as an alien, 12 a stranger, as all my fathers were.
13 Look away from me, that I may rejoice again 13 before I depart and am no more."
1 1 1 40:13-17pp — Ps 70:1-5 1 For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.
1 I waited patiently for the Lord; 1 he turned to me and heard my cry.
2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit, 2 out of the mud and mire; 2 he set my feet on a rock 2 and gave me a firm place to stand.
3 He put a new song in my mouth, 3 a hymn of praise to our God. 3 Many will see and fear 3 and put their trust in the Lord.
4 Blessed is the man 4 who makes the Lord his trust, 4 who does not look to the proud, 4 to those who turn aside to false gods.[d]
5 Many, O Lord my God, 5 are the wonders you have done. 5 The things you planned for us 5 no one can recount to you; 5 were I to speak and tell of them, 5 they would be too many to declare.
6 Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, 6 but my ears you have pierced[e][f]; 6 burnt offerings and sin offerings 6 you did not require.
7 Then I said, "Here I am, I have come— 7 it is written about me in the scroll.[g]
8 I desire to do your will, O my God; 8 your law is within my heart."
9 I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly; 9 I do not seal my lips, 9 as you know, O Lord.
10 I do not hide your righteousness in my heart; 10 I speak of your faithfulness and salvation. 10 I do not conceal your love and your truth 10 from the great assembly.
11 Do not withhold your mercy from me, O Lord; 11 may your love and your truth always protect me.
12 For troubles without number surround me; 12 my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see. 12 They are more than the hairs of my head, 12 and my heart fails within me.
13 Be pleased, O Lord, to save me; 13 O Lord, come quickly to help me.
14 May all who seek to take my life 14 be put to shame and confusion; 14 may all who desire my ruin 14 be turned back in disgrace.
15 May those who say to me, "Aha! Aha!" 15 be appalled at their own shame.
16 But may all who seek you 16 rejoice and be glad in you; 16 may those who love your salvation always say, 16 "The Lord be exalted!"
17 Yet I am poor and needy; 17 may the Lord think of me. 17 You are my help and my deliverer; 17 O my God, do not delay.
1 1 1 For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; 1 the Lord delivers him in times of trouble.
2 The Lord will protect him and preserve his life; 2 he will bless him in the land 2 and not surrender him to the desire of his foes.
3 The Lord will sustain him on his sickbed 3 and restore him from his bed of illness.
4 I said, "O Lord, have mercy on me; 4 heal me, for I have sinned against you."
5 My enemies say of me in malice, 5 "When will he die and his name perish?"
6 Whenever one comes to see me, 6 he speaks falsely, while his heart gathers slander; 6 then he goes out and spreads it abroad.
7 All my enemies whisper together against me; 7 they imagine the worst for me, saying,
8 "A vile disease has beset him; 8 he will never get up from the place where he lies."
9 Even my close friend, whom I trusted, 9 he who shared my bread, 9 has lifted up his heel against me.
10 But you, O Lord, have mercy on me; 10 raise me up, that I may repay them.
11 I know that you are pleased with me, 11 for my enemy does not triumph over me.
12 In my integrity you uphold me 12 and set me in your presence forever.
13 Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, 13 from everlasting to everlasting. 13 Amen and Amen.
1 BOOK II 1 Psalms 42-72 1 [h]
1 1 1 For the director of music. A maskil[i] of the Sons of Korah.
1 As the deer pants for streams of water, 1 so my soul pants for you, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. 2 When can I go and meet with God?
3 My tears have been my food 3 day and night, 3 while men say to me all day long, 3 "Where is your God?"
4 These things I remember 4 as I pour out my soul: 4 how I used to go with the multitude, 4 leading the procession to the house of God, 4 with shouts of joy and thanksgiving 4 among the festive throng.
5 Why are you downcast, O my soul? 5 Why so disturbed within me? 5 Put your hope in God, 5 for I will yet praise him, 5 my Savior and 5 6 5 my God. 5 My[j] soul is downcast within me; 5 therefore I will remember you 5 from the land of the Jordan, 5 the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep 7 in the roar of your waterfalls; 7 all your waves and breakers 7 have swept over me.
8 By day the Lord directs his love, 8 at night his song is with me— 8 a prayer to the God of my life.
9 I say to God my Rock, 9 "Why have you forgotten me? 9 Why must I go about mourning, 9 oppressed by the enemy?"
10 My bones suffer mortal agony 10 as my foes taunt me, 10 saying to me all day long, 10 "Where is your God?"
11 Why are you downcast, O my soul? 11 Why so disturbed within me? 11 Put your hope in God, 11 for I will yet praise him, 11 my Savior and my God.
1 Vindicate me, O God, 1 and plead my cause35:1 against an ungodly nation; 1 rescue me from deceitful and wicked men.
2 You are God my stronghold. 2 Why have you rejected me? 2 Why must I go about mourning, 2 oppressed by the enemy?
3 Send forth your light and your truth, 3 let them guide me; 3 let them bring me to your holy mountain, 3 to the place where you dwell.
4 Then will I go to the altar of God, 4 to God, my joy and my delight. 4 I will praise you with the harp, 4 O God, my God.
5 Why are you downcast, O my soul? 5 Why so disturbed within me? 5 Put your hope in God, 5 for I will yet praise him, 5 my Savior and my God.
1 1 1 For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil.[l]
1 We have heard with our ears, O God; 1 our fathers have told us 1 what you did in their days, 1 in days long ago.
2 With your hand you drove out the nations 2 and planted our fathers; 2 you crushed the peoples 2 and made our fathers flourish.
3 It was not by their sword that they won the land, 3 nor did their arm bring them victory; 3 it was your right hand, your arm, 3 and the light of your face, for you loved them.
4 You are my King and my God, 4 who decrees[m] victories for Jacob.
5 Through you we push back our enemies; 5 through your name we trample our foes.
6 I do not trust in my bow, 6 my sword does not bring me victory;
7 but you give us victory over our enemies, 7 you put our adversaries to shame.
8 In God we make our boast all day long, 8 and we will praise your name forever.Selah
9 But now you have rejected and humbled us; 9 you no longer go out with our armies.
10 You made us retreat before the enemy, 10 and our adversaries have plundered us.
11 You gave us up to be devoured like sheep 11 and have scattered us among the nations.Ps 106:27
12 You sold your people for a pittance, 12 gaining nothing from their sale.
13 You have made us a reproach to our neighbors, 13 the scorn and derision of those around us.
14 You have made us a byword among the nations; 14 the peoples shake their heads at us.
15 My disgrace is before me all day long, 15 and my face is covered with shame
16 at the taunts of those who reproach and revile me, 16 because of the enemy, who is bent on revenge.
17 All this happened to us, 17 though we had not forgotten you 17 or been false to your covenant.
18 Our hearts had not turned back; 18 our feet had not strayed from your path.
19 But you crushed us and made us a haunt for jackals 19 and covered us over with deep darkness.
20 If we had forgotten the name of our God 20 or spread out our hands to a foreign god,
21 would not God have discovered it, 21 since he knows the secrets of the heart?
22 Yet for your sake we face death all day long; 22 we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.
23 Awake, O Lord! Why do you sleep? 23 Rouse yourself ! Do not reject us forever.
24 Why do you hide your face 24 and forget our misery and oppression?
25 We are brought down to the dust; 25 our bodies cling to the ground.
26 Rise up and help us; 26 redeem us because of your unfailing love.
1 1 1 For the director of music. To the tune of "Lilies." Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil.[n] A wedding song.
1 My heart is stirred by a noble theme 1 as I recite my verses for the king; 1 my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.
2 You are the most excellent of men 2 and your lips have been anointed with grace, 2 since God has blessed you forever.
3 Gird your sword upon your side, O mighty one; 3 clothe yourself with splendor and majesty.
4 In your majesty ride forth victoriously 4 in behalf of truth, humility and righteousness; 4 let your right hand display awesome deeds.
5 Let your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king's enemies; 5 let the nations fall beneath your feet.
6 Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; 6 a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.
7 You love righteousness and hate wickedness; 7 therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions 7 by anointing you with the oil of joy.
8 All your robes are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia; 8 from palaces adorned with ivory 8 the music of the strings makes you glad.
9 Daughters of kings are among your honored women; 9 at your right hand is the royal bride in gold of Ophir.
10 Listen, O daughter, consider and give ear: 10 Forget your people and your father's house.
11 The king is enthralled by your beauty; 11 honor him, for he is your lord.
12 The Daughter of Tyre will come with a gift,[o] 12 men of wealth will seek your favor.
13 All glorious is the princess within her chamber; 13 her gown is interwoven with gold.
14 In embroidered garments she is led to the king; 14 her virgin companions follow her 14 and are brought to you.
15 They are led in with joy and gladness; 15 they enter the palace of the king.
16 Your sons will take the place of your fathers; 16 you will make them princes throughout the land.
17 I will perpetuate your memory through all generations; 17 therefore the nations will praise you for ever and ever.
1 1 1 For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. According to alamoth.[p] A song.
1 God is our refuge and strength, 1 an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way 2 and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam 3 and the mountains quake with their surging.Selah
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, 4 the holy place where the Most High dwells.
5 God is within her, she will not fall; 5 God will help her at break of day.
6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; 6 he lifts his voice, the earth melts.
7 The Lord Almighty is with us; 7 the God of Jacob is our fortress.Selah
8 Come and see the works of the Lord, 8 the desolations he has brought on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; 9 he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, 9 he burns the shields[q] with fire.
10 "Be still, and know that I am God; 10 I will be exalted among the nations, 10 I will be exalted in the earth."
11 The Lord Almighty is with us; 11 the God of Jacob is our fortress.Selah
1 1 1 For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.
1 Clap your hands, all you nations; 1 shout to God with cries of joy.
2 How awesome is the Lord Most High, 2 the great King over all the earth!
3 He subdued nations under us, 3 peoples under our feet.
4 He chose our inheritance for us, 4 the pride of Jacob, whom he loved.Selah
5 God has ascended amid shouts of joy, 5 the Lord amid the sounding of trumpets.
6 Sing praises to God, sing praises; 6 sing praises to our King, sing praises.
7 For God is the King of all the earth; 7 sing to him a psalm[r] of praise.
8 God reigns over the nations; 8 God is seated on his holy throne.
9 The nobles of the nations assemble 9 as the people of the God of Abraham, 9 for the kings[s] of the earth belong to God; 9 he is greatly exalted.
1 1 1 A song. A psalm of the Sons of Korah.
1 Great is the Lord, and most worthy of praise, 1 in the city of our God, his holy mountain.
2 It is beautiful in its loftiness, 2 the joy of the whole earth. 2 Like the utmost heights of Zaphon[t] is Mount Zion, 2 the[u] city of the Great King.
3 God is in her citadels; 3 he has shown himself to be her fortress.
4 When the kings joined forces, 4 when they advanced together,
5 they saw her and were astounded; 5 they fled in terror.
6 Trembling seized them there, 6 pain like that of a woman in labor.
7 You destroyed them like ships of Tarshish 7 shattered by an east wind.
8 As we have heard, 8 so have we seen 8 in the city of the Lord Almighty, 8 in the city of our God: 8 God makes her secure forever. Selah
9 Within your temple, O God, 9 we meditate on your unfailing love.
10 Like your name, O God, 10 your praise reaches to the ends of the earth; 10 your right hand is filled with righteousness.
11 Mount Zion rejoices, 11 the villages of Judah are glad 11 because of your judgments.
12 Walk about Zion, go around her, 12 count her towers,
13 consider well her ramparts, 13 view her citadels, 13 that you may tell of them to the next generation.
14 For this God is our God for ever and ever; 14 he will be our guide even to the end.
1 1 1 For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.
1 Hear this, all you peoples; 1 listen, all who live in this world,
2 both low and high, 2 rich and poor alike:
3 My mouth will speak words of wisdom; 3 the utterance from my heart will give understanding.
4 I will turn my ear to a proverb; 4 with the harp I will expound my riddle:
5 Why should I fear when evil days come, 5 when wicked deceivers surround me—
6 those who trust in their wealth 6 and boast of their great riches?
7 No man can redeem the life of another 7 or give to God a ransom for him—
8 the ransom for a life is costly, 8 no payment is ever enough—
9 that he should live on forever 9 and not see decay.
10 For all can see that wise men die; 10 the foolish and the senseless alike perish 10 and leave their wealth to others.
11 Their tombs will remain their houses[v] forever, 11 their dwellings for endless generations, 11 though they had[w] named lands after themselves.
12 But man, despite his riches, does not endure; 12 he is[x] like the beasts that perish.
13 This is the fate of those who trust in themselves, 13 and of their followers, who approve their sayings.Selah
14 Like sheep they are destined for the grave,[y] 14 and death will feed on them. 14 The upright will rule over them in the morning; 14 their forms will decay in the grave,[z] 14 far from their princely mansions.
15 But God will redeem my life[aa] from the grave; 15 he will surely take me to himself.Selah
16 Do not be overawed when a man grows rich, 16 when the splendor of his house increases;
17 for he will take nothing with him when he dies, 17 his splendor will not descend with him.
18 Though while he lived he counted himself blessed— 18 and men praise you when you prosper—
19 he will join the generation of his fathers, 19 who will never see the light of life.
20 A man who has riches without understanding 20 is like the beasts that perish.
1 The Mighty One, God, the Lord, 1 speaks and summons the earth 1 from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets.
2 From Zion, perfect in beauty, 2 God shines forth.
3 Our God comes and will not be silent; 3 a fire devours before him, 3 and around him a tempest rages.
4 He summons the heavens above, 4 and the earth, that he may judge his people:
5 "Gather to me my consecrated ones, 5 who made a covenant with me by sacrifice."
6 And the heavens proclaim his righteousness, 6 for God himself is judge.Selah
7 "Hear, O my people, and I will speak, 7 O Israel, and I will testify against you: 7 I am God, your God.
8 I do not rebuke you for your sacrifices 8 or your burnt offerings, which are ever before me.
9 I have no need of a bull from your stall 9 or of goats from your pens,
10 for every animal of the forest is mine, 10 and the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 I know every bird in the mountains, 11 and the creatures of the field are mine.
12 If I were hungry I would not tell you, 12 for the world is mine, and all that is in it.
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls 13 or drink the blood of goats?
14 Sacrifice thank offerings to God, 14 fulfill your vows to the Most High,
15 and call upon me in the day of trouble; 15 I will deliver you, and you will honor me."
16 But to the wicked, God says: 16 "What right have you to recite my laws 16 or take my covenant on your lips?
17 You hate my instruction 17 and cast my words behind you.
18 When you see a thief, you join with him; 18 you throw in your lot with adulterers.
19 You use your mouth for evil 19 and harness your tongue to deceit.
20 You speak continually against your brother 20 and slander your own mother's son.
21 These things you have done and I kept silent; 21 you thought I was altogether[ab]' was like you. 21 But I will rebuke you 21 and accuse you to your face.
22 "Consider this, you who forget God, 22 or I will tear you to pieces, with none to rescue:
23 He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, 23 and he prepares the way 23 so that I may show him[ac] the salvation of God."
1 1 1 For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.
1 Have mercy on me, O God, 1 according to your unfailing love; 1 according to your great compassion 1 blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash away all my iniquity 2 and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I know my transgressions, 3 and my sin is always before me.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned 4 and done what is evil in your sight, 4 so that you are proved right when you speak 4 and justified when you judge.
5 Surely I was sinful at birth, 5 sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
6 Surely you desire truth in the inner parts[ad]; 6 you teach[ae] me wisdom in the inmost place.
7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; 7 wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness; 8 let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins 9 and blot out all my iniquity.
10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, 10 and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me from your presence 11 or take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation 12 and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, 13 and sinners will turn back to you.
14 Save me from bloodguilt, O God, 14 the God who saves me, 14 and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
15 O Lord, open my lips, 15 and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
