Sermon Central
Psalm 3-41
Psalm 3
2Many are saying of me, “God will not deliver him.”
3But you, LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high.
5I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.
7Arise, LORD ! Deliver me, my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked. 8From the LORD comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people.
Psalm 4
2How long will you people turn my glory into shame? How long will you love delusions and seek false gods
4Tremble and
5Offer the sacrifices of the righteous and trust in the LORD .
6Many, LORD, are asking, “Who will bring us prosperity?” Let the light of your face shine on us.
7Fill my heart with joy when their grain and new wine abound. 8In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, LORD, make me dwell in safety.
Psalm 5
2Hear my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray.
3In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.
4For you are not a God who is pleased with wickedness; with you, evil people are not welcome.
5The arrogant cannot stand in your presence. You hate all who do wrong;
6you destroy those who tell lies. The bloodthirsty and deceitful you, LORD, detest.
7But I, by your great love, can come into your house; in reverence I bow down toward your holy temple.
9Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with malice. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongues they tell lies.
10Declare them guilty, O God! Let their intrigues be their downfall. Banish them for their many sins, for they have rebelled against you.
11But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. 12Surely, LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.
Psalm 6
2Have mercy on me, LORD, for I am faint; heal me, LORD, for my bones are in agony.
3My soul is in deep anguish. How long, LORD, how long?
5Among the dead no one proclaims your name. Who praises you from the grave?
6I am worn out from my groaning. All night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears.
7My eyes grow weak with sorrow; they fail because of all my foes.
8Away from me, all you who do evil, for the LORD has heard my weeping.
9The LORD has heard my cry for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer. 10All my enemies will be overwhelmed with shame and anguish; they will turn back and suddenly be put to shame.
Psalm 7
3LORD my God, if I have done this and there is guilt on my hands—
4if I have repaid my ally with evil or without cause have robbed my foe—
5then let my enemy pursue and overtake me; let him trample my life to the ground and make me sleep in the dust.
6Arise, LORD, in your anger; rise up against the rage of my enemies. Awake, my God; decree justice.
7Let the assembled peoples gather around you, while you sit enthroned over them on high.
8Let the LORD judge the peoples. Vindicate me, LORD, according to my righteousness, according to my integrity, O Most High.
9Bring to an end the violence of the wicked and make the righteous secure— you, the righteous God who probes minds and hearts.
10My shield
11God is a righteous judge, a God who displays his wrath every day.
12If he does not relent, he
13He has prepared his deadly weapons; he makes ready his flaming arrows.
14Whoever is pregnant with evil conceives trouble and gives birth to disillusionment.
15Whoever digs a hole and scoops it out falls into the pit they have made.
16The trouble they cause recoils on them; their violence comes down on their own heads. 17I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness; I will sing the praises of the name of the LORD Most High.
Psalm 8
2Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.
4what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?
5You have made them
6You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their
8the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. 9LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
Psalm 9
2I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High.
3My enemies turn back; they stumble and perish before you.
4For you have upheld my right and my cause, sitting enthroned as the righteous judge.
5You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked; you have blotted out their name for ever and ever.
8He rules the world in righteousness and judges the peoples with equity.
9The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.
10Those who know your name trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.
11Sing the praises of the LORD, enthroned in Zion; proclaim among the nations what he has done.
12For he who avenges blood remembers; he does not ignore the cries of the afflicted.
13LORD, see how my enemies persecute me! Have mercy and lift me up from the gates of death,
14that I may declare your praises in the gates of Daughter Zion, and there rejoice in your salvation.
16The LORD is known by his acts of justice; the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands.
17The wicked go down to the realm of the dead, all the nations that forget God.
19Arise, LORD, do not let mortals triumph; let the nations be judged in your presence.
Psalm 10
2In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak, who are caught in the schemes he devises.
3He boasts about the cravings of his heart; he blesses the greedy and reviles the LORD .
4In his pride the wicked man does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.
5His ways are always prosperous; your laws are rejected by
6He says to himself, “Nothing will ever shake me.” He swears, “No one will ever do me harm.”
7His mouth is full of lies and threats; trouble and evil are under his tongue.
8He lies in wait near the villages; from ambush he murders the innocent. His eyes watch in secret for his victims;
10His victims are crushed, they collapse; they fall under his strength.
11He says to himself, “God will never notice; he covers his face and never sees.”
12Arise, LORD ! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless.
13Why does the wicked man revile God? Why does he say to himself, “He won’t call me to account”?
14But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to you; you are the helper of the fatherless.
15Break the arm of the wicked man; call the evildoer to account for his wickedness that would not otherwise be found out.
16The LORD is King for ever and ever; the nations will perish from his land.
17You, LORD, hear the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, 18defending the fatherless and the oppressed, so that mere earthly mortals will never again strike terror.
Psalm 11 1For the director of music. Of David. In the LORD I take refuge. How then can you say to me: “Flee like a bird to your mountain.
2For look, the wicked bend their bows; they set their arrows against the strings to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart.
3When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?”
4The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD is on his heavenly throne. He observes everyone on earth; his eyes examine them.
5The LORD examines the righteous, but the wicked, those who love violence, he hates with a passion. 7For the LORD is righteous, he loves justice; the upright will see his face.
Psalm 12
2Everyone lies to their neighbor; they flatter with their lips but harbor deception in their hearts.
4those who say, “By our tongues we will prevail; our own lips will defend us—who is lord over us?”
5“Because the poor are plundered and the needy groan, I will now arise,” says the LORD . “I will protect them from those who malign them.”
6And the words of the LORD are flawless, like silver purified in a crucible, like gold
7You, LORD, will keep the needy safe and will protect us forever from the wicked, 8who freely strut about when what is vile is honored by the human race.
2How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?
3Look on me and answer, LORD my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death,
4and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,” and my foes will rejoice when I fall.
5But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. 6I will sing the LORD ’s praise, for he has been good to me.
Psalm 14
1For the director of music. Of David. The fool
2The LORD looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.
3All have 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 the LORD . 7Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the LORD restores his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!
Psalm 15 1A psalm of David. LORD, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain?
3whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbor, and casts no slur on others;
4who despises a vile person but honors those who fear the LORD ; who keeps an oath even when it hurts, and does not change their mind; 5who lends money to the poor without interest; who does not accept a bribe against the innocent. Whoever does these things will never be shaken.
Psalm 16
1A miktam
2I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.”
3I say of the holy people who are in the land, “They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.”
4Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more. I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods or take up their names on my lips.
5LORD, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure.
6The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.
7I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me.
8I keep my eyes always on the LORD . With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
9Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, 11You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
Psalm 17 1A prayer of David. Hear me, LORD, my plea is just; listen to my cry. Hear my prayer— it does not rise from deceitful lips.
2Let my vindication come from you; may your eyes see what is right.
3Though you probe my heart, though you examine me at night and test me, you will find that I have planned no evil; my mouth has not transgressed.
6I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer.
7Show me the wonders of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes.
8Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings
9from the wicked who are out to destroy me, from my mortal enemies who surround me.
11They have tracked me down, they now surround me, with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground.
13Rise up, LORD, confront them, bring them down; with your sword rescue me from the wicked.
14By your hand save me from such people, LORD, from those of this world whose reward is in this life. May what you have stored up for the wicked fill their bellies; may their children gorge themselves on it, and may there be leftovers for their little ones. 15As for me, I will be vindicated and will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.
Psalm 18
3I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I have been saved from my enemies.
5The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me.
6In my distress I called to the LORD ; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears.
8Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it.
9He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet.
10He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind.
12Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced, with hailstones and bolts of lightning.
15The valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations of the earth laid bare at your rebuke, LORD, at the blast of breath from your nostrils.
16He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters.
17He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me.
18They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the LORD was my support.
19He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.
20The LORD has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.
22All his laws are before me; I have not turned away from his decrees.
23I have been blameless before him and have kept myself from sin.
26to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.
27You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.
28You, LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.
29With your help I can advance against a troop
30As for God, his way is perfect: The LORD ’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him.
32It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure.
33He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he causes me to stand on the heights.
34He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
36You provide a broad path for my feet, so that my ankles do not give way.
37I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
38I crushed them so that they could not rise; they fell beneath my feet.
39You armed me with strength for battle; you humbled my adversaries before me.
40You made my enemies turn their backs in flight, and I destroyed my foes.
41They cried for help, but there was no one to save them— to the LORD, but he did not answer.
43You have delivered me from the attacks of the people; you have made me the head of nations. People I did not know now serve me,
44foreigners cower before me; as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.
45They all lose heart; they come trembling from their strongholds.
46The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior!
47He is the God who avenges me, who subdues nations under me,
48who saves me from my enemies. You exalted me above my foes; from a violent man you rescued me.
49Therefore I will praise you, LORD, among the nations; I will sing the praises of your name. 50He gives his king great victories; he shows unfailing love to his anointed, to David and to his descendants forever.
Psalm 19
2Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.
3They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them.
4Yet their voice
5It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
6It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth.
8The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
9The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the LORD are firm, and all of them are righteous.
11By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
12But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults.
13Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression. 14May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Psalm 20
3May he remember all your sacrifices and accept your burnt offerings.
4May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.
6Now this I know: The LORD gives victory to his anointed. He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary with the victorious power of his right hand.
7Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.
8They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm.
Psalm 21
5Through the victories you gave, his glory is great; you have bestowed on him splendor and majesty.
6Surely you have granted him unending blessings and made him glad with the joy of your presence.
7For the king trusts in the LORD ; through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken.
8Your hand will lay hold on all your enemies; your right hand will seize your foes.
9When you appear for battle, you will burn them up as in a blazing furnace. The LORD will swallow them up in his wrath, and his fire will consume them.
10You will destroy their descendants from the earth, their posterity from mankind.
11Though they plot evil against you and devise wicked schemes, they cannot succeed. 13Be exalted in your strength, LORD ; we will sing and praise your might.
Psalm 22
2My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest.
3Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises.
4In you our ancestors put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them.
5To you they cried out and were saved; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.
6But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by everyone, despised by the people.
7All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads.
8“He trusts in the LORD,” they say, “let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.”
9Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you, even at my mother’s breast.
10From birth I was cast on you; from my mother’s womb you have been my God.
11Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help.
13Roaring lions that tear their prey open their mouths wide against me.
14I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted within me.
15My mouth
16Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they pierce
17All my bones are on display; people stare and gloat over me.
18They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.
20Deliver me from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dogs.
22I will declare your name to my people; in the assembly I will praise you.
23You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!
24For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.
25From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly; before those who fear you
29All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before him— those who cannot keep themselves alive.
30Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord.
Psalm 23 1A psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,
3he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
4Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
Psalm 24 1Of David. A psalm. The earth is the LORD ’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;
3Who may ascend the mountain of the LORD ? Who may stand in his holy place?
4The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god.
5They will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God their Savior.
6Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, God of Jacob.
7Lift up your heads, you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.
9Lift up your heads, you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. 10Who is he, this King of glory? The LORD Almighty— he is the King of glory.
2I trust in you; do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me.
4Show me your ways, LORD, teach me your paths.
5Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.
6Remember, LORD, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old.
7Do not remember the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you, LORD, are good.
9He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.
10All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful toward those who keep the demands of his covenant.
11For the sake of your name, LORD, forgive my iniquity, though it is great.
12Who, then, are those who fear the LORD ? He will instruct them in the ways they should choose.
13They will spend their days in prosperity, and their descendants will inherit the land.
14The LORD confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them.
15My eyes are ever on the LORD, for only he will release my feet from the snare.
17Relieve the troubles of my heart and free me from my anguish.
20Guard my life and rescue me; do not let me be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.
21May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope, LORD,
Psalm 26 1Of David. Vindicate me, LORD, for I have led a blameless life; I have trusted in the LORD and have not faltered.
2Test me, LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind;
3for I have always been mindful of your unfailing love and have lived in reliance on your faithfulness.
5I abhor the assembly of evildoers and refuse to sit with the wicked.
7proclaiming aloud your praise and telling of all your wonderful deeds.
8LORD, I love the house where you live, the place where your glory dwells.
9Do not take away my soul along with sinners, my life with those who are bloodthirsty,
10in whose hands are wicked schemes, whose right hands are full of bribes.
11I lead a blameless life; deliver me and be merciful to me. 12My feet stand on level ground; in the great congregation I will praise the LORD .
Psalm 27 1Of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?
2When the wicked advance against me to devour
3Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident.
4One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.
5For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock.
6Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the LORD .
7Hear my voice when I call, LORD ; be merciful to me and answer me.
8My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, LORD, I will seek.
9Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, God my Savior.
10Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me.
11Teach me your way, LORD ; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.
13I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. 14Wait for the LORD ; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD .
Psalm 28 1Of David. To you, LORD, I call; you are my Rock, do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you remain silent, I will be like those who go down to the pit.
2Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place.
3Do not drag me away with the wicked, with those who do evil, who speak cordially with their neighbors but harbor malice in their hearts.
4Repay them for their deeds and for their evil work; repay them for what their hands have done and bring back on them what they deserve.
5Because they have no regard for the deeds of the LORD and what his hands have done, he will tear them down and never build them up again.
6Praise be to the LORD, for he has heard my cry for mercy.
7The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.
8The LORD is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one.
Psalm 29 1A psalm of David. Ascribe to the LORD, you heavenly beings, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
3The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD thunders over the mighty waters.
4The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is majestic.
5The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
6He makes Lebanon leap like a calf, Sirion
7The voice of the LORD strikes with flashes of lightning.
8The voice of the LORD shakes the desert; the LORD shakes the Desert of Kadesh.
10The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD is enthroned as King forever. 11The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace.
Psalm 30
2LORD my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me.
3You, LORD, brought me up from the realm of the dead; you spared me from going down to the pit.
4Sing the praises of the LORD, you his faithful people; praise his holy name.
5For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.
6When I felt secure, I said, “I will never be shaken.”
7LORD, when you favored me, you made my royal mountain
8To you, LORD, I called; to the Lord I cried for mercy:
9“What is gained if I am silenced, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your faithfulness?
10Hear, LORD, and be merciful to me; LORD, be my help.”
11You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, 12that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. LORD my God, I will praise you forever.
Psalm 31
2Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me.
3Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me.
4Keep me free from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge.
5Into your hands I commit my spirit; deliver me, LORD, my faithful God.
6I hate those who cling to worthless idols; as for me, I trust in the LORD .
9Be merciful to me, LORD, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and body with grief.
10My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction,
11Because of all my enemies, I am the utter contempt of my neighbors and an object of dread to my closest friends— those who see me on the street flee from me.
12I am forgotten as though I were dead; I have become like broken pottery.
13For I hear many whispering, “Terror on every side!” They conspire against me and plot to take my life.
14But I trust in you, LORD ; I say, “You are my God.”
15My times are in your hands; deliver me from the hands of my enemies, from those who pursue me.
16Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love.
17Let me not be put to shame, LORD, for I have cried out to you; but let the wicked be put to shame and be silent in the realm of the dead.
18Let their lying lips be silenced, for with pride and contempt they speak arrogantly against the righteous.
20In the shelter of your presence you hide them from all human intrigues; you keep them safe in your dwelling from accusing tongues.
21Praise be to the LORD, for he showed me the wonders of his love when I was in a city under siege.
22In my alarm I said, “I am cut off from your sight!” Yet you heard my cry for mercy when I called to you for help.
23Love the LORD, all his faithful people! The LORD preserves those who are true to him, but the proud he pays back in full. 24Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD .
Psalm 32
1Of David. A maskil.
2Blessed is the one whose sin the LORD does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit.
3When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.
4For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.
5Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD .” And you forgave the guilt of my sin.
6Therefore let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found; surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them.
8I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.
10Many are the woes of the wicked, but the LORD ’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him.
Psalm 33 1Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him.
2Praise the LORD with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.
3Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy.
4For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does.
5The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love.
6By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.
7He gathers the waters of the sea into jars
8Let all the earth fear the LORD ; let all the people of the world revere him.
10The LORD foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
11But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.
15he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do.
17A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save.
18But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,
19to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.
20We wait in hope for the LORD ; he is our help and our shield.
21In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. 22May your unfailing love be with us, LORD, even as we put our hope in you.
Psalm 34
2I will glory in the LORD ; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
3Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together.
4I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.
5Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.
6This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles.
7The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.
8Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
9Fear the LORD, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing.
10The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
12Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days,
13keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies.
14Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.
15The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry;
16but the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to blot out their name from the earth.
17The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.
19The righteous person may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all;
20he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.
21Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of the righteous will be condemned. 22The LORD will rescue his servants; no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.
Psalm 35 1Of David. Contend, LORD, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me.
2Take up shield and armor; arise and come to my aid.
3Brandish spear and javelin
4May those who seek my life be disgraced and put to shame; may those who plot my ruin be turned back in dismay.
5May they be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of the LORD driving them away;
6may their path be dark and slippery, with the angel of the LORD pursuing them.
7Since they hid their net for me without cause and without cause dug a pit for me,
8may ruin overtake them by surprise— may the net they hid entangle them, may they fall into the pit, to their ruin.
9Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD and delight in his salvation.
10My whole being will exclaim, “Who is like you, LORD ? You rescue the poor from those too strong for them, the poor and needy from those who rob them.”
11Ruthless witnesses come forward; they question me on things I know nothing about.
12They repay me evil for good and leave me like one bereaved.
13Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth and humbled myself with fasting. When my prayers returned to me unanswered,
15But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee; assailants gathered against me without my knowledge. They slandered me without ceasing.
18I will give you thanks in the great assembly; among the throngs I will praise you.
19Do not let those gloat over me who are my enemies without cause; do not let those who hate me without reason maliciously wink the eye.
20They do not speak peaceably, but devise false accusations against those who live quietly in the land.
21They sneer at me and say, “Aha! Aha! With our own eyes we have seen it.”
23Awake, and rise to my defense! Contend for me, my God and Lord.
24Vindicate me in your righteousness, LORD my God; do not let them gloat over me.
26May all who gloat over my distress be put to shame and confusion; may all who exalt themselves over me be clothed with shame and disgrace.
27May those who delight in my vindication shout for joy and gladness; may they always say, “The LORD be exalted, who delights in the well-being of his servant.” 28My tongue will proclaim your righteousness, your praises all day long.
Psalm 36
2In their own eyes they flatter themselves too much to detect or hate their sin.
3The words of their mouths are wicked and deceitful; they fail to act wisely or do good.
4Even on their beds they plot evil; they commit themselves to a sinful course and do not reject what is wrong.
6Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep. You, LORD, preserve both people and animals.
7How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
8They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights.
9For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.
11May the foot of the proud not come against me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away. 12See how the evildoers lie fallen— thrown down, not able to rise!
Psalm 37
2for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.
3Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
4Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5Commit your way to the LORD ; trust in him and he will do this:
6He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.
7Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.
8Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil.
9For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.
10A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found.
11But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity.
12The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them;
13but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming.
14The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright.
15But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken.
16Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked;
17for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous.
18The blameless spend their days under the LORD ’s care, and their inheritance will endure forever.
19In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.
20But the wicked will perish: Though the LORD ’s enemies are like the flowers of the field, they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke.
21The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously;
22those the LORD blesses will inherit the land, but those he curses will be destroyed.
23The LORD makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him;
25I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.
26They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be a blessing.
27Turn from evil and do good; then you will dwell in the land forever.
29The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever.
30The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom, and their tongues speak what is just.
31The law of their God is in their hearts; their feet do not slip.
33but the LORD will not leave them in the power of the wicked or let them be condemned when brought to trial.
34Hope in the LORD and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are destroyed, you will see it.
35I have seen a wicked and ruthless man flourishing like a luxuriant native tree,
36but he soon passed away and was no more; though I looked for him, he could not be found.
37Consider the blameless, observe the upright; a future awaits those who seek peace.
38But all sinners will be destroyed; there will be no future
39The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD ; he is their stronghold in time of trouble. 40The LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.
Psalm 38
2Your arrows have pierced me, and your hand has come down on me.
3Because of your wrath there is no health in my body; there is no soundness in my bones because of my sin.
4My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear.
5My wounds fester and are loathsome because of my sinful folly.
6I am bowed down and brought very low; all day long I go about mourning.
8I am feeble and utterly crushed; I groan in anguish of heart.
9All my longings lie open before you, Lord; my sighing is not hidden from you.
11My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds; my neighbors stay far away.
12Those who want to kill me set their traps, those who would harm me talk of my ruin; all day long they scheme and lie.
13I am like the deaf, who cannot hear, like the mute, who cannot speak;
14I have become like one who does not hear, whose mouth can offer no reply.
15LORD, I wait for you; you will answer, Lord my God.
16For I said, “Do not let them gloat or exalt themselves over me when my feet slip.”
17For I am about to fall, and my pain is ever with me.
18I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin.
19Many have become my enemies without cause
20Those who repay my good with evil lodge accusations against me, though I seek only to do what is good.
21LORD, do not forsake me; do not be far from me, my God. 22Come quickly to help me, my Lord and my Savior.
Psalm 39
2So I remained utterly silent, not even saying anything good. But my anguish increased;
3my heart grew hot within me. While I meditated, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue:
4“Show me, LORD, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is.
5You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure.
6“Surely everyone goes around like a mere phantom; in vain they rush about, heaping up wealth without knowing whose it will finally be.
7“But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you.
8Save me from all my transgressions; do not make me the scorn of fools.
9I was silent; I would not open my mouth, for you are the one who has done this.
10Remove your scourge from me; I am overcome by the blow of your hand.
11When you rebuke and discipline anyone for their sin, you consume their wealth like a moth— surely everyone is but a breath.
12“Hear my prayer, LORD, listen to my cry for help; do not be deaf to my weeping. I dwell with you as a foreigner, a stranger, as all my ancestors were. 13Look away from me, that I may enjoy life again before I depart and am no more.”
Psalm 40
2He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.
3He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the LORD and put their trust in him.
4Blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods.
5Many, LORD my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us. None can compare with you; were I to speak and tell of your deeds, they would be too many to declare.
6Sacrifice and offering you did not desire— but my ears you have opened
7Then I said, “Here I am, I have come— it is written about me in the scroll.
8I desire to do your will, my God; your law is within my heart.”
9I proclaim your saving acts in the great assembly; I do not seal my lips, LORD, as you know.
10I do not hide your righteousness in my heart; I speak of your faithfulness and your saving help. I do not conceal your love and your faithfulness from the great assembly.
11Do not withhold your mercy from me, LORD ; may your love and faithfulness always protect me.
12For troubles without number surround me; my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see. They are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart fails within me.
15May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!” be appalled at their own shame.
16But 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!” 17But as for me, I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me. You are my help and my deliverer; you are my God, do not delay.
Psalm 41
2The LORD protects and preserves them— they are counted among the blessed in the land— he does not give them over to the desire of their foes.
3The LORD sustains them on their sickbed and restores them from their bed of illness.
4I said, “Have mercy on me, LORD ; heal me, for I have sinned against you.”
5My enemies say of me in malice, “When will he die and his name perish?”
6When one of them comes to see me, he speaks falsely, while his heart gathers slander; then he goes out and spreads it around.
7All my enemies whisper together against me; they imagine the worst for me, saying,
9Even my close friend, someone I trusted, one who shared my bread, has turned
10But may you have mercy on me, LORD ; raise me up, that I may repay them.
11I know that you are pleased with me, for my enemy does not triumph over me.
12Because of my integrity you uphold me and set me in your presence forever.