Psalm 75
For the music director; according to the al-tashcheth style; a psalm of Asaph; a song.
75:1 We give thanks to you, O God! We give thanks!
You reveal your presence;
people tell about your amazing deeds.
75:2 God says,
“At the appointed times,
I judge fairly.
75:3 When the earth and all its inhabitants dissolve in fear,
I make its pillars secure.” (Selah)
75:4 I say to the proud, “Do not be proud,”
and to the wicked, “Do not be so confident of victory!
75:5 Do not be so certain you have won!
Do not speak with your head held so high!
75:6 For victory does not come from the east or west,
or from the wilderness.
75:7 For God is the judge!
He brings one down and exalts another.
75:8 For the Lord holds in his hand a cup full
of foaming wine mixed with spices,
and pours it out.
Surely all the wicked of the earth
will slurp it up and drink it to its very last drop.”
75:9 As for me, I will continually tell what you have done;
I will sing praises to the God of Jacob!
75:10 God says,
“I will bring down all the power of the wicked;
the godly will be victorious.”
Psalm 76
For the music director; to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a psalm of Asaph, a song.
76:1 God has revealed himself in Judah;
in Israel his reputation is great.
76:2 He lives in Salem;
he dwells in Zion.
76:3 There he shattered the arrows,
the shield, the sword, and the rest of the weapons of war. (Selah)
76:4 You shine brightly and reveal your majesty,
as you descend from the hills where you killed your prey.
76:5 The bravehearted were plundered;
they “fell asleep.”
All the warriors were helpless.
76:6 At the sound of your battle cry, O God of Jacob,
both rider and horse “fell asleep.”
76:7 You are awesome! Yes, you!
Who can withstand your intense anger?
76:8 From heaven you announced what their punishment would be.
The earth was afraid and silent
76:9 when God arose to execute judgment,
and to deliver all the oppressed of the earth. (Selah)
76:10 Certainly your angry judgment upon men will bring you praise;
you reveal your anger in full measure.
76:11 Make vows to the Lord your God and repay them!
Let all those who surround him bring tribute to the awesome one!
76:12 He humbles princes;
the kings of the earth regard him as awesome.
Psalm 77
For the music director, Jeduthun; a psalm of Asaph.
77:1 I will cry out to God and call for help!
I will cry out to God and he will pay attention to me.
77:2 In my time of trouble I sought the Lord.
I kept my hand raised in prayer throughout the night.
I refused to be comforted.
77:3 I said, “I will remember God while I groan;
I will think about him while my strength leaves me.” (Selah)
77:4 You held my eyelids open;
I was troubled and could not speak.
77:5 I thought about the days of old,
about ancient times.
77:6 I said, “During the night I will remember the song I once sang;
I will think very carefully.”
I tried to make sense of what was happening.
77:7 I asked, “Will the Lord reject me forever?
Will he never again show me his favor?
77:8 Has his loyal love disappeared forever?
Has his promise failed forever?
77:9 Has God forgotten to be merciful?
Has his anger stifled his compassion?”
77:10 Then I said, “I am sickened by the thought
that the sovereign One might become inactive.
77:11 I will remember the works of the Lord.
Yes, I will remember the amazing things you did long ago!
77:12 I will think about all you have done;
I will reflect upon your deeds!”
77:13 O God, your deeds are extraordinary!
What god can compare to our great God?
77:14 You are the God who does amazing things;
you have revealed your strength among the nations.
77:15 You delivered your people by your strength –
the children of Jacob and Joseph. (Selah)
77:16 The waters saw you, O God,
the waters saw you and trembled.
Yes, the depths of the sea shook with fear.
77:17 The clouds poured down rain;
the skies thundered.
Yes, your arrows flashed about.
77:18 Your thunderous voice was heard in the wind;
the lightning bolts lit up the world;
the earth trembled and shook.
77:19 You walked through the sea;
you passed through the surging waters,
but left no footprints.
77:20 You led your people like a flock of sheep,
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
Psalm 78
A well-written song by Asaph.
78:1 Pay attention, my people, to my instruction!
Listen to the words I speak!
78:2 I will sing a song that imparts wisdom;
I will make insightful observations about the past.
78:3 What we have heard and learned –
that which our ancestors have told us –
78:4 we will not hide from their descendants.
We will tell the next generation
about the Lord’s praiseworthy acts,
about his strength and the amazing things he has done.
78:5 He established a rule in Jacob;
he set up a law in Israel.
He commanded our ancestors
to make his deeds known to their descendants,
78:6 so that the next generation, children yet to be born,
might know about them.
They will grow up and tell their descendants about them.
78:7 Then they will place their confidence in God.
They will not forget the works of God,
and they will obey his commands.
78:8 Then they will not be like their ancestors,
who were a stubborn and rebellious generation,
a generation that was not committed
and faithful to God.
78:9 The Ephraimites were armed with bows,
but they retreated in the day of battle.
78:10 They did not keep their covenant with God,
and they refused to obey his law.
78:11 They forgot what he had done,
the amazing things he had shown them.
78:12 He did amazing things in the sight of their ancestors,
in the land of Egypt, in the region of Zoan.
78:13 He divided the sea and led them across it;
he made the water stand in a heap.
78:14 He led them with a cloud by day,
and with the light of a fire all night long.
78:15 He broke open rocks in the wilderness,
and gave them enough water to fill the depths of the sea.
78:16 He caused streams to flow from the rock,
and made the water flow like rivers.
78:17 Yet they continued to sin against him,
and rebelled against the sovereign One in the desert.
78:18 They willfully challenged God
by asking for food to satisfy their appetite.
78:19 They insulted God, saying,
“Is God really able to give us food in the wilderness?
78:20 Yes, he struck a rock and water flowed out,
streams gushed forth.
But can he also give us food?
Will he provide meat for his people?”
78:21 When the Lord heard this, he was furious.
A fire broke out against Jacob,
and his anger flared up against Israel,
78:22 because they did not have faith in God,
and did not trust his ability to deliver them.
78:23 He gave a command to the clouds above,
and opened the doors in the sky.
78:24 He rained down manna for them to eat;
he gave them the grain of heaven.
78:25 Man ate the food of the mighty ones.
He sent them more than enough to eat.
78:26 He brought the east wind through the sky,
and by his strength led forth the south wind.
78:27 He rained down meat on them like dust,
birds as numerous as the sand on the seashores.
78:28 He caused them to fall right in the middle of their camp,
all around their homes.
78:29 They ate until they were stuffed;
he gave them what they desired.
78:30 They were not yet filled up,
their food was still in their mouths,
78:31 when the anger of God flared up against them.
He killed some of the strongest of them;
he brought the young men of Israel to their knees.
78:32 Despite all this, they continued to sin,
and did not trust him to do amazing things.
78:33 So he caused them to die unsatisfied
and filled with terror.
78:34 When he struck them down, they sought his favor;
they turned back and longed for God.
78:35 They remembered that God was their protector,
and that the sovereign God was their deliverer.
78:36 But they deceived him with their words,
and lied to him.
78:37 They were not really committed to him,
and they were unfaithful to his covenant.
78:38 Yet he is compassionate.
He forgives sin and does not destroy.
He often holds back his anger,
and does not stir up his fury.
78:39 He remembered that they were made of flesh,
and were like a wind that blows past and does not return.
78:40 How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness,
and insulted him in the desert!
78:41 They again challenged God,
and offended the Holy One of Israel.
78:42 They did not remember what he had done,
how he delivered them from the enemy,
78:43 when he performed his awesome deeds in Egypt,
and his acts of judgment in the region of Zoan.
78:44 He turned their rivers into blood,
and they could not drink from their streams.
78:45 He sent swarms of biting insects against them,
as well as frogs that overran their land.
78:46 He gave their crops to the grasshopper,
the fruit of their labor to the locust.
78:47 He destroyed their vines with hail,
and their sycamore-fig trees with driving rain.
78:48 He rained hail down on their cattle,
and hurled lightning bolts down on their livestock.
78:49 His raging anger lashed out against them,
He sent fury, rage, and trouble
as messengers who bring disaster.
78:50 He sent his anger in full force;
he did not spare them from death;
he handed their lives over to destruction.
78:51 He struck down all the firstborn in Egypt,
the firstfruits of their reproductive power in the tents of Ham.
78:52 Yet he brought out his people like sheep;
he led them through the wilderness like a flock.
78:53 He guided them safely along,
while the sea covered their enemies.
78:54 He brought them to the border of his holy land,
to this mountainous land which his right hand acquired.
78:55 He drove the nations out from before them;
he assigned them their tribal allotments
and allowed the tribes of Israel to settle down.
78:56 Yet they challenged and defied the sovereign God,
and did not obey his commands.
78:57 They were unfaithful and acted as treacherously as their ancestors;
they were as unreliable as a malfunctioning bow.
78:58 They made him angry with their pagan shrines,
and made him jealous with their idols.
78:59 God heard and was angry;
he completely rejected Israel.
78:60 He abandoned the sanctuary at Shiloh,
the tent where he lived among men.
78:61 He allowed the symbol of his strong presence to be captured;
he gave the symbol of his splendor into the hand of the enemy.
78:62 He delivered his people over to the sword,
and was angry with his chosen nation.
78:63 Fire consumed their young men,
and their virgins remained unmarried.
78:64 Their priests fell by the sword,
but their widows did not weep.
78:65 But then the Lord awoke from his sleep;
he was like a warrior in a drunken rage.
78:66 He drove his enemies back;
he made them a permanent target for insults.
78:67 He rejected the tent of Joseph;
he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim.
78:68 He chose the tribe of Judah,
and Mount Zion, which he loves.
78:69 He made his sanctuary as enduring as the heavens above;
as secure as the earth, which he established permanently.
78:70 He chose David, his servant,
and took him from the sheepfolds.
78:71 He took him away from following the mother sheep,
and made him the shepherd of Jacob, his people,
and of Israel, his chosen nation.
78:72 David cared for them with pure motives;
he led them with skill.
Psalm 79
A psalm of Asaph.
79:1 O God, foreigners have invaded your chosen land;
they have polluted your holy temple
and turned Jerusalem into a heap of ruins.
79:2 They have given the corpses of your servants
to the birds of the sky;
the flesh of your loyal followers
to the beasts of the earth.
79:3 They have made their blood flow like water
all around Jerusalem, and there is no one to bury them.
79:4 We have become an object of disdain to our neighbors;
those who live on our borders taunt and insult us.
79:5 How long will this go on, O Lord?
Will you stay angry forever?
How long will your rage burn like fire?
79:6 Pour out your anger on the nations that do not acknowledge you,
on the kingdoms that do not pray to you!
79:7 For they have devoured Jacob
and destroyed his home.
79:8 Do not hold us accountable for the sins of earlier generations!
Quickly send your compassion our way,
for we are in serious trouble!
79:9 Help us, O God, our deliverer!
For the sake of your glorious reputation, rescue us!
Forgive our sins for the sake of your reputation!
79:10 Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?”
Before our very eyes may the shed blood of your servants
be avenged among the nations!
79:11 Listen to the painful cries of the prisoners!
Use your great strength to set free those condemned to die!
79:12 Pay back our neighbors in full!
May they be insulted the same way they insulted you, O Lord!
79:13 Then we, your people, the sheep of your pasture,
will continually thank you.
We will tell coming generations of your praiseworthy acts.
Psalm 80
For the music director; according to the shushan-eduth style; a psalm of Asaph.
80:1 O shepherd of Israel, pay attention,
you who lead Joseph like a flock of sheep!
You who sit enthroned above the winged angels, reveal your splendor!
80:2 In the sight of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh reveal your power!
Come and deliver us!
80:3 O God, restore us!
Smile on us! Then we will be delivered!
80:4 O Lord God, invincible warrior!
How long will you remain angry at your people while they pray to you?
80:5 You have given them tears as food;
you have made them drink tears by the measure.
80:6 You have made our neighbors dislike us,
and our enemies insult us.
80:7 O God, invincible warrior, restore us!
Smile on us! Then we will be delivered!
80:8 You uprooted a vine from Egypt;
you drove out nations and transplanted it.
80:9 You cleared the ground for it;
it took root,
and filled the land.
80:10 The mountains were covered by its shadow,
the highest cedars by its branches.
80:11 Its branches reached the Mediterranean Sea,
and its shoots the Euphrates River.
80:12 Why did you break down its walls,
so that all who pass by pluck its fruit?
80:13 The wild boars of the forest ruin it;
the insects of the field feed on it.
80:14 O God, invincible warrior, come back!
Look down from heaven and take notice!
Take care of this vine,
80:15 the root your right hand planted,
the shoot you made to grow!
80:16 It is burned and cut down.
They die because you are displeased with them.
80:17 May you give support to the one you have chosen,
to the one whom you raised up for yourself!
80:18 Then we will not turn away from you.
Revive us and we will pray to you!
80:19 O Lord God, invincible warrior, restore us!
Smile on us! Then we will be delivered!
Psalm 81
For the music director; according to the gittith style; by Asaph.
81:1 Shout for joy to God, our source of strength!
Shout out to the God of Jacob!
81:2 Sing a song and play the tambourine,
the pleasant sounding harp, and the ten-stringed instrument!
81:3 Sound the ram’s horn on the day of the new moon,
and on the day of the full moon when our festival begins.
81:4 For observing the festival is a requirement for Israel;
it is an ordinance given by the God of Jacob.
81:5 He decreed it as a regulation in Joseph,
when he attacked the land of Egypt.
I heard a voice I did not recognize.
81:6 It said: “I removed the burden from his shoulder;
his hands were released from holding the basket.
81:7 In your distress you called out and I rescued you.
I answered you from a dark thundercloud.
I tested you at the waters of Meribah. (Selah)
81:8 I said, ‘Listen, my people!
I will warn you!
O Israel, if only you would obey me!
81:9 There must be no other god among you.
You must not worship a foreign god.
81:10 I am the Lord, your God,
the one who brought you out of the land of Egypt.
Open your mouth wide and I will fill it!’
81:11 But my people did not obey me;
Israel did not submit to me.
81:12 I gave them over to their stubborn desires;
they did what seemed right to them.
81:13 If only my people would obey me!
If only Israel would keep my commands!
81:14 Then I would quickly subdue their enemies,
and attack their adversaries.”
81:15 (May those who hate the Lord cower in fear before him!
May they be permanently humiliated!)
81:16 “I would feed Israel the best wheat,
and would satisfy your appetite with honey from the rocky cliffs.”
Psalm 82
A psalm of Asaph.
82:1 God stands in the assembly of El;
in the midst of the gods he renders judgment.
82:2 He says, “How long will you make unjust legal decisions
and show favoritism to the wicked? (Selah)
82:3 Defend the cause of the poor and the fatherless!
Vindicate the oppressed and suffering!
82:4 Rescue the poor and needy!
Deliver them from the power of the wicked!
82:5 They neither know nor understand.
They stumble around in the dark,
while all the foundations of the earth crumble.
82:6 I thought, ‘You are gods;
all of you are sons of the Most High.’
82:7 Yet you will die like mortals;
you will fall like all the other rulers.”
82:8 Rise up, O God, and execute judgment on the earth!
For you own all the nations.
Psalm 83
A song, a psalm of Asaph.
83:1 O God, do not be silent!
Do not ignore us! Do not be inactive, O God!
83:2 For look, your enemies are making a commotion;
those who hate you are hostile.
83:3 They carefully plot against your people,
and make plans to harm the ones you cherish.
83:4 They say, “Come on, let’s annihilate them so they are no longer a nation!
Then the name of Israel will be remembered no more.”
83:5 Yes, they devise a unified strategy;
they form an alliance against you.
83:6 It includes the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,
Moab and the Hagrites,
83:7 Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek,
Philistia and the inhabitants of Tyre.
83:8 Even Assyria has allied with them,
lending its strength to the descendants of Lot. (Selah)
83:9 Do to them as you did to Midian –
as you did to Sisera and Jabin at the Kishon River!
83:10 They were destroyed at Endor;
their corpses were like manure on the ground.
83:11 Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb,
and all their rulers like Zebah and Zalmunna,
83:12 who said, “Let’s take over the pastures of God!”
83:13 O my God, make them like dead thistles,
like dead weeds blown away by the wind!
83:14 Like the fire that burns down the forest,
or the flames that consume the mountainsides,
83:15 chase them with your gale winds,
and terrify them with your windstorm.
83:16 Cover their faces with shame,
so they might seek you, O Lord.
83:17 May they be humiliated and continually terrified!
May they die in shame!
83:18 Then they will know that you alone are the Lord,
the sovereign king over all the earth.
Psalm 84
For the music director; according to the gittith style; written by the Korahites, a psalm.
84:1 How lovely is the place where you live,
O Lord who rules over all!
84:2 I desperately want to be
in the courts of the Lord’s temple.
My heart and my entire being shout for joy
to the living God.
84:3 Even the birds find a home there,
and the swallow builds a nest,
where she can protect her young
near your altars, O Lord who rules over all,
my king and my God.
84:4 How blessed are those who live in your temple
and praise you continually! (Selah)
84:5 How blessed are those who find their strength in you,
and long to travel the roads that lead to your temple!
84:6 As they pass through the Baca Valley,
he provides a spring for them.
The rain even covers it with pools of water.
84:7 They are sustained as they travel along;
each one appears before God in Zion.
84:8 O Lord, sovereign God,
hear my prayer!
Listen, O God of Jacob! (Selah)
84:9 O God, take notice of our shield!
Show concern for your chosen king!
84:10 Certainly spending just one day in your temple courts is better
than spending a thousand elsewhere.
I would rather stand at the entrance to the temple of my God
than live in the tents of the wicked.
84:11 For the Lord God is our sovereign protector.
The Lord bestows favor and honor;
he withholds no good thing from those who have integrity.
84:12 O Lord who rules over all,
how blessed are those who trust in you!
Psalm 85
For the music director; written by the Korahites, a psalm.
85:1 O Lord, you showed favor to your land;
you restored the well-being of Jacob.
85:2 You pardoned the wrongdoing of your people;
you forgave all their sin. (Selah)
85:3 You withdrew all your fury;
you turned back from your raging anger.
85:4 Restore us, O God our deliverer!
Do not be displeased with us!
85:5 Will you stay mad at us forever?
Will you remain angry throughout future generations?
85:6 Will you not revive us once more?
Then your people will rejoice in you!
85:7 O Lord, show us your loyal love!
Bestow on us your deliverance!
85:8 I will listen to what God the Lord says.
For he will make peace with his people, his faithful followers.
Yet they must not return to their foolish ways.
85:9 Certainly his loyal followers will soon experience his deliverance;
then his splendor will again appear in our land.
85:10 Loyal love and faithfulness meet;
deliverance and peace greet each other with a kiss.
85:11 Faithfulness grows from the ground,
and deliverance looks down from the sky.
85:12 Yes, the Lord will bestow his good blessings,
and our land will yield its crops.
85:13 Deliverance goes before him,
and prepares a pathway for him.
Psalm 86
A prayer of David.
86:1 Listen O Lord! Answer me!
For I am oppressed and needy.
86:2 Protect me, for I am loyal!
O my God, deliver your servant, who trusts in you!
86:3 Have mercy on me, O Lord,
for I cry out to you all day long!
86:4 Make your servant glad,
for to you, O Lord, I pray!
86:5 Certainly O Lord, you are kind and forgiving,
and show great faithfulness to all who cry out to you.
86:6 O Lord, hear my prayer!
Pay attention to my plea for mercy!
86:7 In my time of trouble I cry out to you,
for you will answer me.
86:8 None can compare to you among the gods, O Lord!
Your exploits are incomparable!
86:9 All the nations, whom you created,
will come and worship you, O Lord.
They will honor your name.
86:10 For you are great and do amazing things.
You alone are God.
86:11 O Lord, teach me how you want me to live!
Then I will obey your commands.
Make me wholeheartedly committed to you!
86:12 O Lord, my God, I will give you thanks with my whole heart!
I will honor your name continually!
86:13 For you will extend your great loyal love to me,
and will deliver my life from the depths of Sheol.
86:14 O God, arrogant men attack me;
a gang of ruthless men, who do not respect you, seek my life.
86:15 But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and merciful God.
You are patient and demonstrate great loyal love and faithfulness.
86:16 Turn toward me and have mercy on me!
Give your servant your strength!
Deliver your slave!
86:17 Show me evidence of your favor!
Then those who hate me will see it and be ashamed,
for you, O Lord, will help me and comfort me.
Psalm 87
Written by the Korahites; a psalm, a song.
87:1 The Lord’s city is in the holy hills.
87:2 The Lord loves the gates of Zion
more than all the dwelling places of Jacob.
87:3 People say wonderful things about you,
O city of God. (Selah)
87:4 I mention Rahab and Babylon to my followers.
Here are Philistia and Tyre, along with Ethiopia.
It is said of them, “This one was born there.”
87:5 But it is said of Zion’s residents,
“Each one of these was born in her,
and the sovereign One makes her secure.”
87:6 The Lord writes in the census book of the nations,
“This one was born there.” (Selah)
87:7 As for the singers, as well as the pipers –
all of them sing within your walls.
Psalm 88
A song, a psalm written by the Korahites; for the music director; according to the machalath-leannoth style; a well-written song by Heman the Ezrachite.
88:1 O Lord God who delivers me!
By day I cry out
and at night I pray before you.
88:2 Listen to my prayer!
Pay attention to my cry for help!
88:3 For my life is filled with troubles
and I am ready to enter Sheol.
88:4 They treat me like those who descend into the grave.
I am like a helpless man,
88:5 adrift among the dead,
like corpses lying in the grave,
whom you remember no more,
and who are cut off from your power.
88:6 You place me in the lowest regions of the pit,
in the dark places, in the watery depths.
88:7 Your anger bears down on me,
and you overwhelm me with all your waves. (Selah)
88:8 You cause those who know me to keep their distance;
you make me an appalling sight to them.
I am trapped and cannot get free.
88:9 My eyes grow weak because of oppression.
I call out to you, O Lord, all day long;
I spread out my hands in prayer to you.
88:10 Do you accomplish amazing things for the dead?
Do the departed spirits rise up and give you thanks? (Selah)
88:11 Is your loyal love proclaimed in the grave,
or your faithfulness in the place of the dead?
88:12 Are your amazing deeds experienced in the dark region,
or your deliverance in the land of oblivion?
88:13 As for me, I cry out to you, O Lord;
in the morning my prayer confronts you.
88:14 O Lord, why do you reject me,
and pay no attention to me?
88:15 I am oppressed and have been on the verge of death since my youth.
I have been subjected to your horrors and am numb with pain.
88:16 Your anger overwhelms me;
your terrors destroy me.
88:17 They surround me like water all day long;
they join forces and encircle me.
88:18 You cause my friends and neighbors to keep their distance;
those who know me leave me alone in the darkness.
Psalm 89
A well-written song by Ethan the Ezrachite.
89:1 I will sing continually about the Lord’s faithful deeds;
to future generations I will proclaim your faithfulness.
89:2 For I say, “Loyal love is permanently established;
in the skies you set up your faithfulness.”
89:3 The Lord said,
“I have made a covenant with my chosen one;
I have made a promise on oath to David, my servant:
89:4 ‘I will give you an eternal dynasty
and establish your throne throughout future generations.’” (Selah)
89:5 O Lord, the heavens praise your amazing deeds,
as well as your faithfulness in the angelic assembly.
89:6 For who in the skies can compare to the Lord?
Who is like the Lord among the heavenly beings,
89:7 a God who is honored in the great angelic assembly,
and more awesome than all who surround him?
89:8 O Lord, sovereign God!
Who is strong like you, O Lord?
Your faithfulness surrounds you.
89:9 You rule over the proud sea.
When its waves surge, you calm them.
89:10 You crushed the Proud One and killed it;
with your strong arm you scattered your enemies.
89:11 The heavens belong to you, as does the earth.
You made the world and all it contains.
89:12 You created the north and the south.
Tabor and Hermon rejoice in your name.
89:13 Your arm is powerful,
your hand strong,
your right hand victorious.
89:14 Equity and justice are the foundation of your throne.
Loyal love and faithfulness characterize your rule.
89:15 How blessed are the people who worship you!
O Lord, they experience your favor.
89:16 They rejoice in your name all day long,
and are vindicated by your justice.
89:17 For you give them splendor and strength.
By your favor we are victorious.
89:18 For our shield belongs to the Lord,
our king to the Holy One of Israel.
89:19 Then you spoke through a vision to your faithful followers and said:
“I have energized a warrior;
I have raised up a young man from the people.
89:20 I have discovered David, my servant.
With my holy oil I have anointed him as king.
89:21 My hand will support him,
and my arm will strengthen him.
89:22 No enemy will be able to exact tribute from him;
a violent oppressor will not be able to humiliate him.
89:23 I will crush his enemies before him;
I will strike down those who hate him.
89:24 He will experience my faithfulness and loyal love,
and by my name he will win victories.
89:25 I will place his hand over the sea,
his right hand over the rivers.
89:26 He will call out to me,
‘You are my father, my God, and the protector who delivers me.’
89:27 I will appoint him to be my firstborn son,
the most exalted of the earth’s kings.
89:28 I will always extend my loyal love to him,
and my covenant with him is secure.
89:29 I will give him an eternal dynasty,
and make his throne as enduring as the skies above.
89:30 If his sons reject my law
and disobey my regulations,
89:31 if they break my rules
and do not keep my commandments,
89:32 I will punish their rebellion by beating them with a club,
their sin by inflicting them with bruises.
89:33 But I will not remove my loyal love from him,
nor be unfaithful to my promise.
89:34 I will not break my covenant
or go back on what I promised.
89:35 Once and for all I have vowed by my own holiness,
I will never deceive David.
89:36 His dynasty will last forever.
His throne will endure before me, like the sun,
89:37 it will remain stable, like the moon,
his throne will endure like the skies.” (Selah)
89:38 But you have spurned and rejected him;
you are angry with your chosen king.
89:39 You have repudiated your covenant with your servant;
you have thrown his crown to the ground.
89:40 You have broken down all his walls;
you have made his strongholds a heap of ruins.
89:41 All who pass by have robbed him;
he has become an object of disdain to his neighbors.
89:42 You have allowed his adversaries to be victorious,
and all his enemies to rejoice.
89:43 You turn back his sword from the adversary,
and have not sustained him in battle.
89:44 You have brought to an end his splendor,
and have knocked his throne to the ground.
89:45 You have cut short his youth,
and have covered him with shame. (Selah)
89:46 How long, O Lord, will this last?
Will you remain hidden forever?
Will your anger continue to burn like fire?
89:47 Take note of my brief lifespan!
Why do you make all people so mortal?
89:48 No man can live on without experiencing death,
or deliver his life from the power of Sheol. (Selah)
89:49 Where are your earlier faithful deeds, O Lord,
the ones performed in accordance with your reliable oath to David?
89:50 Take note, O Lord, of the way your servants are taunted,
and of how I must bear so many insults from people!
89:51 Your enemies, O Lord, hurl insults;
they insult your chosen king as they dog his footsteps.
89:52 The Lord deserves praise forevermore!
We agree! We agree!
Book 4(Psalms 90-106)
Psalm 90
A prayer of Moses, the man of God.
90:1 O Lord, you have been our protector through all generations!
90:2 Even before the mountains came into existence,
or you brought the world into being,
you were the eternal God.
90:3 You make mankind return to the dust,
and say, “Return, O people!”
90:4 Yes, in your eyes a thousand years
are like yesterday that quickly passes,
or like one of the divisions of the nighttime.
90:5 You bring their lives to an end and they “fall asleep.”
In the morning they are like the grass that sprouts up;
90:6 in the morning it glistens and sprouts up;
at evening time it withers and dries up.
90:7 Yes, we are consumed by your anger;
we are terrified by your wrath.
90:8 You are aware of our sins;
you even know about our hidden sins.
90:9 Yes, throughout all our days we experience your raging fury;
the years of our lives pass quickly, like a sigh.
90:10 The days of our lives add up to seventy years,
or eighty, if one is especially strong.
But even one’s best years are marred by trouble and oppression.
Yes, they pass quickly and we fly away.
90:11 Who can really fathom the intensity of your anger?
Your raging fury causes people to fear you.
90:12 So teach us to consider our mortality,
so that we might live wisely.
90:13 Turn back toward us, O Lord!
How long must this suffering last?
Have pity on your servants!
90:14 Satisfy us in the morning with your loyal love!
Then we will shout for joy and be happy all our days!
90:15 Make us happy in proportion to the days you have afflicted us,
in proportion to the years we have experienced trouble!
90:16 May your servants see your work!
May their sons see your majesty!
90:17 May our sovereign God extend his favor to us!
Make our endeavors successful!
Yes, make them successful!
Psalm 91
91:1 As for you, the one who lives in the shelter of the sovereign One,
and resides in the protective shadow of the mighty king –
91:2 I say this about the Lord, my shelter and my stronghold,
my God in whom I trust –
91:3 he will certainly rescue you from the snare of the hunter
and from the destructive plague.
91:4 He will shelter you with his wings;
you will find safety under his wings.
His faithfulness is like a shield or a protective wall.
91:5 You need not fear the terrors of the night,
the arrow that flies by day,
91:6 the plague that comes in the darkness,
or the disease that comes at noon.
91:7 Though a thousand may fall beside you,
and a multitude on your right side,
it will not reach you.
91:8 Certainly you will see it with your very own eyes –
you will see the wicked paid back.
91:9 For you have taken refuge in the Lord,
my shelter, the sovereign One.
91:10 No harm will overtake you;
no illness will come near your home.
91:11 For he will order his angels
to protect you in all you do.
91:12 They will lift you up in their hands,
so you will not slip and fall on a stone.
91:13 You will subdue a lion and a snake;
you will trample underfoot a young lion and a serpent.
91:14 The Lord says,
“Because he is devoted to me, I will deliver him;
I will protect him because he is loyal to me.
91:15 When he calls out to me, I will answer him.
I will be with him when he is in trouble;
I will rescue him and bring him honor.
91:16 I will satisfy him with long life,
and will let him see my salvation.
Psalm 92
A psalm; a song for the Sabbath day.
92:1 It is fitting to thank the Lord,
and to sing praises to your name, O sovereign One!
92:2 It is fitting to proclaim your loyal love in the morning,
and your faithfulness during the night,
92:3 to the accompaniment of a ten-stringed instrument and a lyre,
to the accompaniment of the meditative tone of the harp.
92:4 For you, O Lord, have made me happy by your work.
I will sing for joy because of what you have done.
92:5 How great are your works, O Lord!
Your plans are very intricate!
92:6 The spiritually insensitive do not recognize this;
the fool does not understand this.
92:7 When the wicked sprout up like grass,
and all the evildoers glisten,
it is so that they may be annihilated.
92:8 But you, O Lord, reign forever!
92:9 Indeed, look at your enemies, O Lord!
Indeed, look at how your enemies perish!
All the evildoers are scattered!
92:10 You exalt my horn like that of a wild ox.
I am covered with fresh oil.
92:11 I gloat in triumph over those who tried to ambush me;
I hear the defeated cries of the evil foes who attacked me.
92:12 The godly grow like a palm tree;
they grow high like a cedar in Lebanon.
92:13 Planted in the Lord’s house,
they grow in the courts of our God.
92:14 They bear fruit even when they are old;
they are filled with vitality and have many leaves.
92:15 So they proclaim that the Lord, my protector,
is just and never unfair.
Psalm 93
93:1 The Lord reigns!
He is robed in majesty,
the Lord is robed,
he wears strength around his waist.
Indeed, the world is established, it cannot be moved.
93:2 Your throne has been secure from ancient times;
you have always been king.
93:3 The waves roar, O Lord,
the waves roar,
the waves roar and crash.
93:4 Above the sound of the surging water,
and the mighty waves of the sea,
the Lord sits enthroned in majesty.
93:5 The rules you set down are completely reliable.
Holiness aptly adorns your house, O Lord, forever.
Psalm 94
94:1 O Lord, the God who avenges!
O God who avenges, reveal your splendor!
94:2 Rise up, O judge of the earth!
Pay back the proud!
94:3 O Lord, how long will the wicked,
how long will the wicked celebrate?
94:4 They spew out threats and speak defiantly;
all the evildoers boast.
94:5 O Lord, they crush your people;
they oppress the nation that belongs to you.
94:6 They kill the widow and the one residing outside his native land,
and they murder the fatherless.
94:7 Then they say, “The Lord does not see this;
the God of Jacob does not take notice of it.”
94:8 Take notice of this, you ignorant people!
You fools, when will you ever understand?
94:9 Does the one who makes the human ear not hear?
Does the one who forms the human eye not see?
94:10 Does the one who disciplines the nations not punish?
He is the one who imparts knowledge to human beings!
94:11 The Lord knows that
peoples’ thoughts are morally bankrupt.
94:12 How blessed is the one whom you instruct, O Lord,
the one whom you teach from your law,
94:13 in order to protect him from times of trouble,
until the wicked are destroyed.
94:14 Certainly the Lord does not forsake his people;
he does not abandon the nation that belongs to him.
94:15 For justice will prevail,
and all the morally upright will be vindicated.
94:16 Who will rise up to defend me against the wicked?
Who will stand up for me against the evildoers?
94:17 If the Lord had not helped me,
I would have laid down in the silence of death.
94:18 If I say, “My foot is slipping,”
your loyal love, O Lord, supports me.
94:19 When worries threaten to overwhelm me,
your soothing touch makes me happy.
94:20 Cruel rulers are not your allies,
those who make oppressive laws.
94:21 They conspire against the blameless,
and condemn to death the innocent.
94:22 But the Lord will protect me,
and my God will shelter me.
94:23 He will pay them back for their sin.
He will destroy them because of their evil;
the Lord our God will destroy them.
Psalm 95
95:1 Come! Let’s sing for joy to the Lord!
Let’s shout out praises to our protector who delivers us!
95:2 Let’s enter his presence with thanksgiving!
Let’s shout out to him in celebration!
95:3 For the Lord is a great God,
a great king who is superior to all gods.
95:4 The depths of the earth are in his hand,
and the mountain peaks belong to him.
95:5 The sea is his, for he made it.
His hands formed the dry land.
95:6 Come! Let’s bow down and worship!
Let’s kneel before the Lord, our creator!
95:7 For he is our God;
we are the people of his pasture,
the sheep he owns.
Today, if only you would obey him!
95:8 He says, “Do not be stubborn like they were at Meribah,
like they were that day at Massah in the wilderness,
95:9 where your ancestors challenged my authority,
and tried my patience, even though they had seen my work.
95:10 For forty years I was continually disgusted with that generation,
and I said, ‘These people desire to go astray;
they do not obey my commands.’
95:11 So I made a vow in my anger,
‘They will never enter into the resting place I had set aside for them.’”
Psalm 96
96:1 Sing to the Lord a new song!
Sing to the Lord, all the earth!
96:2 Sing to the Lord! Praise his name!
Announce every day how he delivers!
96:3 Tell the nations about his splendor!
Tell all the nations about his amazing deeds!
96:4 For the Lord is great and certainly worthy of praise;
he is more awesome than all gods.
96:5 For all the gods of the nations are worthless,
but the Lord made the sky.
96:6 Majestic splendor emanates from him;
his sanctuary is firmly established and beautiful.
96:7 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the nations,
ascribe to the Lord splendor and strength!
96:8 Ascribe to the Lord the splendor he deserves!
Bring an offering and enter his courts!
96:9 Worship the Lord in holy attire!
Tremble before him, all the earth!
96:10 Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!
The world is established, it cannot be moved.
He judges the nations fairly.”
96:11 Let the sky rejoice, and the earth be happy!
Let the sea and everything in it shout!
96:12 Let the fields and everything in them celebrate!
Then let the trees of the forest shout with joy
96:13 before the Lord, for he comes!
For he comes to judge the earth!
He judges the world fairly,
and the nations in accordance with his justice.
Psalm 97
97:1 The Lord reigns!
Let the earth be happy!
Let the many coastlands rejoice!
97:2 Dark clouds surround him;
equity and justice are the foundation of his throne.
97:3 Fire goes before him;
on every side it burns up his enemies.
97:4 His lightning bolts light up the world;
the earth sees and trembles.
97:5 The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,
before the Lord of the whole earth.
97:6 The sky declares his justice,
and all the nations see his splendor.
97:7 All who worship idols are ashamed,
those who boast about worthless idols.
All the gods bow down before him.
97:8 Zion hears and rejoices,
the towns of Judah are happy,
because of your judgments, O Lord.
97:9 For you, O Lord, are the sovereign king over the whole earth;
you are elevated high above all gods.
97:10 You who love the Lord, hate evil!
He protects the lives of his faithful followers;
he delivers them from the power of the wicked.
97:11 The godly bask in the light;
the morally upright experience joy.
97:12 You godly ones, rejoice in the Lord!
Give thanks to his holy name.
Psalm 98
A psalm.
98:1 Sing to the Lord a new song,
for he performs amazing deeds!
His right hand and his mighty arm
accomplish deliverance.
98:2 The Lord demonstrates his power to deliver;
in the sight of the nations he reveals his justice.
98:3 He remains loyal and faithful to the family of Israel.
All the ends of the earth see our God deliver us.
98:4 Shout out praises to the Lord, all the earth!
Break out in a joyful shout and sing!
98:5 Sing to the Lord accompanied by a harp,
accompanied by a harp and the sound of music!
98:6 With trumpets and the blaring of the ram’s horn,
shout out praises before the king, the Lord!
98:7 Let the sea and everything in it shout,
along with the world and those who live in it!
98:8 Let the rivers clap their hands!
Let the mountains sing in unison
98:9 before the Lord!
For he comes to judge the earth!
He judges the world fairly,
and the nations in a just manner.
Psalm 99
99:1 The Lord reigns!
The nations tremble.
He sits enthroned above the winged angels;
the earth shakes.
99:2 The Lord is elevated in Zion;
he is exalted over all the nations.
99:3 Let them praise your great and awesome name!
He is holy!
99:4 The king is strong;
he loves justice.
You ensure that legal decisions will be made fairly;
you promote justice and equity in Jacob.
99:5 Praise the Lord our God!
Worship before his footstool!
He is holy!
99:6 Moses and Aaron were among his priests;
Samuel was one of those who prayed to him.
They prayed to the Lord and he answered them.
99:7 He spoke to them from a pillar of cloud;
they obeyed his regulations and the ordinance he gave them.
99:8 O Lord our God, you answered them.
They found you to be a forgiving God,
but also one who punished their sinful deeds.
99:9 Praise the Lord our God!
Worship on his holy hill,
for the Lord our God is holy!
Psalm 100
A thanksgiving psalm.
100:1 Shout out praises to the Lord, all the earth!
100:2 Worship the Lord with joy!
Enter his presence with joyful singing!
100:3 Acknowledge that the Lord is God!
He made us and we belong to him;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
100:4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give him thanks!
Praise his name!
100:5 For the Lord is good.
His loyal love endures,
and he is faithful through all generations.
Psalm 101
A psalm of David.
101:1 I will sing about loyalty and justice!
To you, O Lord, I will sing praises!
101:2 I will walk in the way of integrity.
When will you come to me?
I will conduct my business with integrity in the midst of my palace.
101:3 I will not even consider doing what is dishonest.
I hate doing evil;
I will have no part of it.
101:4 I will have nothing to do with a perverse person;
I will not permit evil.
101:5 I will destroy anyone who slanders his neighbor in secret.
I will not tolerate anyone who has a cocky demeanor and an arrogant attitude.
101:6 I will favor the honest people of the land,
and allow them to live with me.
Those who walk in the way of integrity will attend me.
101:7 Deceitful people will not live in my palace.
Liars will not be welcome in my presence.
101:8 Each morning I will destroy all the wicked people in the land,
and remove all evildoers from the city of the Lord.
Psalm 102
The prayer of an oppressed man, as he grows faint and pours out his lament before the Lord.
102:1 O Lord, hear my prayer!
Pay attention to my cry for help!
102:2 Do not ignore me in my time of trouble!
Listen to me!
When I call out to you, quickly answer me!
102:3 For my days go up in smoke,
and my bones are charred like a fireplace.
102:4 My heart is parched and withered like grass,
for I am unable to eat food.
102:5 Because of the anxiety that makes me groan,
my bones protrude from my skin.
102:6 I am like an owl in the wilderness;
I am like a screech owl among the ruins.
102:7 I stay awake;
I am like a solitary bird on a roof.
102:8 All day long my enemies taunt me;
those who mock me use my name in their curses.
102:9 For I eat ashes as if they were bread,
and mix my drink with my tears,
102:10 because of your anger and raging fury.
Indeed, you pick me up and throw me away.
102:11 My days are coming to an end,
and I am withered like grass.
102:12 But you, O Lord, rule forever,
and your reputation endures.
102:13 You will rise up and have compassion on Zion.
For it is time to have mercy on her,
for the appointed time has come.
102:14 Indeed, your servants take delight in her stones,
and feel compassion for the dust of her ruins.
102:15 The nations will respect the reputation of the Lord,
and all the kings of the earth will respect his splendor,
102:16 when the Lord rebuilds Zion,
and reveals his splendor,
102:17 when he responds to the prayer of the destitute,
and does not reject their request.
102:18 The account of his intervention will be recorded for future generations;
people yet to be born will praise the Lord.
102:19 For he will look down from his sanctuary above;
from heaven the Lord will look toward earth,
102:20 in order to hear the painful cries of the prisoners,
and to set free those condemned to die,
102:21 so they may proclaim the name of the Lord in Zion,
and praise him in Jerusalem,
102:22 when the nations gather together,
and the kingdoms pay tribute to the Lord.
102:23 He has taken away my strength in the middle of life;
he has cut short my days.
102:24 I say, “O my God, please do not take me away in the middle of my life!
You endure through all generations.
102:25 In earlier times you established the earth;
the skies are your handiwork.
102:26 They will perish,
but you will endure.
They will wear out like a garment;
like clothes you will remove them and they will disappear.
102:27 But you remain;
your years do not come to an end.
102:28 The children of your servants will settle down here,
and their descendants will live securely in your presence.”
Psalm 103
By David.
103:1 Praise the Lord, O my soul!
With all that is within me, praise his holy name!
103:2 Praise the Lord, O my soul!
Do not forget all his kind deeds!
103:3 He is the one who forgives all your sins,
who heals all your diseases,
103:4 who delivers your life from the Pit,
who crowns you with his loyal love and compassion,
103:5 who satisfies your life with good things,
so your youth is renewed like an eagle’s.
103:6 The Lord does what is fair,
and executes justice for all the oppressed.
103:7 The Lord revealed his faithful acts to Moses,
his deeds to the Israelites.
103:8 The Lord is compassionate and merciful;
he is patient and demonstrates great loyal love.
103:9 He does not always accuse,
and does not stay angry.
103:10 He does not deal with us as our sins deserve;
he does not repay us as our misdeeds deserve.
103:11 For as the skies are high above the earth,
so his loyal love towers over his faithful followers.
103:12 As far as the eastern horizon is from the west,
so he removes the guilt of our rebellious actions from us.
103:13 As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on his faithful followers.
103:14 For he knows what we are made of;
he realizes we are made of clay.
103:15 A person’s life is like grass.
Like a flower in the field it flourishes,
103:16 but when the hot wind blows by, it disappears,
and one can no longer even spot the place where it once grew.
103:17 But the Lord continually shows loyal love to his faithful followers,
and is faithful to their descendants,
103:18 to those who keep his covenant,
who are careful to obey his commands.
103:19 The Lord has established his throne in heaven;
his kingdom extends over everything.
103:20 Praise the Lord, you angels of his,
you powerful warriors who carry out his decrees
and obey his orders!
103:21 Praise the Lord, all you warriors of his,
you servants of his who carry out his desires!
103:22 Praise the Lord, all that he has made,
in all the regions of his kingdom!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
Psalm 104
104:1 Praise the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, you are magnificent.
You are robed in splendor and majesty.
104:2 He covers himself with light as if it were a garment.
He stretches out the skies like a tent curtain,
104:3 and lays the beams of the upper rooms of his palace on the rain clouds.
He makes the clouds his chariot,
and travels along on the wings of the wind.
104:4 He makes the winds his messengers,
and the flaming fire his attendant.
104:5 He established the earth on its foundations;
it will never be upended.
104:6 The watery deep covered it like a garment;
the waters reached above the mountains.
104:7 Your shout made the waters retreat;
at the sound of your thunderous voice they hurried off –
104:8 as the mountains rose up,
and the valleys went down –
to the place you appointed for them.
104:9 You set up a boundary for them that they could not cross,
so that they would not cover the earth again.
104:10 He turns springs into streams;
they flow between the mountains.
104:11 They provide water for all the animals in the field;
the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
104:12 The birds of the sky live beside them;
they chirp among the bushes.
104:13 He waters the mountains from the upper rooms of his palace;
the earth is full of the fruit you cause to grow.
104:14 He provides grass for the cattle,
and crops for people to cultivate,
so they can produce food from the ground,
104:15 as well as wine that makes people feel so good,
and so they can have oil to make their faces shine,
as well as food that sustains people’s lives.
104:16 The trees of the Lord receive all the rain they need,
the cedars of Lebanon which he planted,
104:17 where the birds make nests,
near the evergreens in which the herons live.
104:18 The wild goats live in the high mountains;
the rock badgers find safety in the cliffs.
104:19 He made the moon to mark the months,
and the sun sets according to a regular schedule.
104:20 You make it dark and night comes,
during which all the beasts of the forest prowl around.
104:21 The lions roar for prey,
seeking their food from God.
104:22 When the sun rises, they withdraw
and sleep in their dens.
104:23 Men then go out to do their work,
and labor away until evening.
104:24 How many living things you have made, O Lord!
You have exhibited great skill in making all of them;
the earth is full of the living things you have made.
104:25 Over here is the deep, wide sea,
which teems with innumerable swimming creatures,
living things both small and large.
104:26 The ships travel there,
and over here swims the whale you made to play in it.
104:27 All of your creatures wait for you
to provide them with food on a regular basis.
104:28 You give food to them and they receive it;
you open your hand and they are filled with food.
104:29 When you ignore them, they panic.
When you take away their life’s breath, they die
and return to dust.
104:30 When you send your life-giving breath, they are created,
and you replenish the surface of the ground.
104:31 May the splendor of the Lord endure!
May the Lord find pleasure in the living things he has made!
104:32 He looks down on the earth and it shakes;
he touches the mountains and they start to smolder.
104:33 I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I exist!
104:34 May my thoughts be pleasing to him!
I will rejoice in the Lord.
104:35 May sinners disappear from the earth,
and the wicked vanish!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
Praise the Lord!
Psalm 105
105:1 Give thanks to the Lord!
Call on his name!
Make known his accomplishments among the nations!
105:2 Sing to him!
Make music to him!
Tell about all his miraculous deeds!
105:3 Boast about his holy name!
Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!
105:4 Seek the Lord and the strength he gives!
Seek his presence continually!
105:5 Recall the miraculous deeds he performed,
his mighty acts and the judgments he decreed,
105:6 O children of Abraham, God’s servant,
you descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen ones!
105:7 He is the Lord our God;
he carries out judgment throughout the earth.
105:8 He always remembers his covenantal decree,
the promise he made to a thousand generations –
105:9 the promise he made to Abraham,
the promise he made by oath to Isaac!
105:10 He gave it to Jacob as a decree,
to Israel as a lasting promise,
105:11 saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan
as the portion of your inheritance.”
105:12 When they were few in number,
just a very few, and resident aliens within it,
105:13 they wandered from nation to nation,
and from one kingdom to another.
105:14 He let no one oppress them;
he disciplined kings for their sake,
105:15 saying, “Don’t touch my chosen ones!
Don’t harm my prophets!”
105:16 He called down a famine upon the earth;
he cut off all the food supply.
105:17 He sent a man ahead of them –
Joseph was sold as a servant.
105:18 The shackles hurt his feet;
his neck was placed in an iron collar,
105:19 until the time when his prediction came true.
The Lord’s word proved him right.
105:20 The king authorized his release;
the ruler of nations set him free.
105:21 He put him in charge of his palace,
and made him manager of all his property,
105:22 giving him authority to imprison his officials
and to teach his advisers.
105:23 Israel moved to Egypt;
Jacob lived for a time in the land of Ham.
105:24 The Lord made his people very fruitful,
and made them more numerous than their enemies.
105:25 He caused them to hate his people,
and to mistreat his servants.
105:26 He sent his servant Moses,
and Aaron, whom he had chosen.
105:27 They executed his miraculous signs among them,
and his amazing deeds in the land of Ham.
105:28 He made it dark;
they did not disobey his orders.
105:29 He turned their water into blood,
and killed their fish.
105:30 Their land was overrun by frogs,
which even got into the rooms of their kings.
105:31 He ordered flies to come;
gnats invaded their whole territory.
105:32 He sent hail along with the rain;
there was lightning in their land.
105:33 He destroyed their vines and fig trees,
and broke the trees throughout their territory.
105:34 He ordered locusts to come,
innumerable grasshoppers.
105:35 They ate all the vegetation in their land,
and devoured the crops of their fields.
105:36 He struck down all the firstborn in their land,
the firstfruits of their reproductive power.
105:37 He brought his people out enriched with silver and gold;
none of his tribes stumbled.
105:38 Egypt was happy when they left,
for they were afraid of them.
105:39 He spread out a cloud for a cover,
and provided a fire to light up the night.
105:40 They asked for food, and he sent quails;
he satisfied them with food from the sky.
105:41 He opened up a rock and water flowed out;
a river ran through dry regions.
105:42 Yes, he remembered the sacred promise
he made to Abraham his servant.
105:43 When he led his people out, they rejoiced;
his chosen ones shouted with joy.
105:44 He handed the territory of nations over to them,
and they took possession of what other peoples had produced,
105:45 so that they might keep his commands
and obey his laws.
Praise the Lord!
Psalm 106
106:1 Praise the Lord!
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
and his loyal love endures!
106:2 Who can adequately recount the Lord’s mighty acts,
or relate all his praiseworthy deeds?
106:3 How blessed are those who promote justice,
and do what is right all the time!
106:4 Remember me, O Lord, when you show favor to your people!
Pay attention to me, when you deliver,
106:5 so I may see the prosperity of your chosen ones,
rejoice along with your nation,
and boast along with the people who belong to you.
106:6 We have sinned like our ancestors;
we have done wrong, we have done evil.
106:7 Our ancestors in Egypt failed to appreciate your miraculous deeds,
they failed to remember your many acts of loyal love,
and they rebelled at the sea, by the Red Sea.
106:8 Yet he delivered them for the sake of his reputation,
that he might reveal his power.
106:9 He shouted at the Red Sea and it dried up;
he led them through the deep water as if it were a desert.
106:10 He delivered them from the power of the one who hated them,
and rescued them from the power of the enemy.
106:11 The water covered their enemies;
not even one of them survived.
106:12 They believed his promises;
they sang praises to him.
106:13 They quickly forgot what he had done;
they did not wait for his instructions.
106:14 In the wilderness they had an insatiable craving for meat;
they challenged God in the desert.
106:15 He granted their request,
then struck them with a disease.
106:16 In the camp they resented Moses,
and Aaron, the Lord’s holy priest.
106:17 The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan;
it engulfed the group led by Abiram.
106:18 Fire burned their group;
the flames scorched the wicked.
106:19 They made an image of a calf at Horeb,
and worshiped a metal idol.
106:20 They traded their majestic God
for the image of an ox that eats grass.
106:21 They rejected the God who delivered them,
the one who performed great deeds in Egypt,
106:22 amazing feats in the land of Ham,
mighty acts by the Red Sea.
106:23 He threatened to destroy them,
but Moses, his chosen one, interceded with him
and turned back his destructive anger.
106:24 They rejected the fruitful land;
they did not believe his promise.
106:25 They grumbled in their tents;
they did not obey the Lord.
106:26 So he made a solemn vow
that he would make them die in the desert,
106:27 make their descendants die among the nations,
and scatter them among foreign lands.
106:28 They worshiped Baal of Peor,
and ate sacrifices offered to the dead.
106:29 They made the Lord angry by their actions,
and a plague broke out among them.
106:30 Phinehas took a stand and intervened,
and the plague subsided.
106:31 This brought him a reward,
an eternal gift.
106:32 They made him angry by the waters of Meribah,
and Moses suffered because of them,
106:33 for they aroused his temper,
and he spoke rashly.
106:34 They did not destroy the nations,
as the Lord had commanded them to do.
106:35 They mixed in with the nations
and learned their ways.
106:36 They worshiped their idols,
which became a snare to them.
106:37 They sacrificed their sons and daughters to demons.
106:38 They shed innocent blood –
the blood of their sons and daughters,
whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan.
The land was polluted by bloodshed.
106:39 They were defiled by their deeds,
and unfaithful in their actions.
106:40 So the Lord was angry with his people
and despised the people who belong to him.
106:41 He handed them over to the nations,
and those who hated them ruled over them.
106:42 Their enemies oppressed them;
they were subject to their authority.
106:43 Many times he delivered them,
but they had a rebellious attitude,
and degraded themselves by their sin.
106:44 Yet he took notice of their distress,
when he heard their cry for help.
106:45 He remembered his covenant with them,
and relented because of his great loyal love.
106:46 He caused all their conquerors
to have pity on them.
106:47 Deliver us, O Lord, our God!
Gather us from among the nations!
Then we will give thanks to your holy name,
and boast about your praiseworthy deeds.
106:48 The Lord God of Israel deserves praise,
in the future and forevermore.
Let all the people say, “We agree! Praise the Lord!”
Book 5(Psalms 107-150)
Psalm 107
107:1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
and his loyal love endures!
107:2 Let those delivered by the Lord speak out,
those whom he delivered from the power of the enemy,
107:3 and gathered from foreign lands,
from east and west,
from north and south.
107:4 They wandered through the wilderness on a desert road;
they found no city in which to live.
107:5 They were hungry and thirsty;
they fainted from exhaustion.
107:6 They cried out to the Lord in their distress;
he delivered them from their troubles.
107:7 He led them on a level road,
that they might find a city in which to live.
107:8 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his loyal love,
and for the amazing things he has done for people!
107:9 For he has satisfied those who thirst,
and those who hunger he has filled with food.
107:10 They sat in utter darkness,
bound in painful iron chains,
107:11 because they had rebelled against God’s commands,
and rejected the instructions of the sovereign king.
107:12 So he used suffering to humble them;
they stumbled and no one helped them up.
107:13 They cried out to the Lord in their distress;
he delivered them from their troubles.
107:14 He brought them out of the utter darkness,
and tore off their shackles.
107:15 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his loyal love,
and for the amazing things he has done for people!
107:16 For he shattered the bronze gates,
and hacked through the iron bars.
107:17 They acted like fools in their rebellious ways,
and suffered because of their sins.
107:18 They lost their appetite for all food,
and they drew near the gates of death.
107:19 They cried out to the Lord in their distress;
he delivered them from their troubles.
107:20 He sent them an assuring word and healed them;
he rescued them from the pits where they were trapped.
107:21 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his loyal love,
and for the amazing things he has done for people!
107:22 Let them present thank offerings,
and loudly proclaim what he has done!
107:23 Some traveled on the sea in ships,
and carried cargo over the vast waters.
107:24 They witnessed the acts of the Lord,
his amazing feats on the deep water.
107:25 He gave the order for a windstorm,
and it stirred up the waves of the sea.
107:26 They reached up to the sky,
then dropped into the depths.
The sailors’ strength left them because the danger was so great.
107:27 They swayed and staggered like a drunk,
and all their skill proved ineffective.
107:28 They cried out to the Lord in their distress;
he delivered them from their troubles.
107:29 He calmed the storm,
and the waves grew silent.
107:30 The sailors rejoiced because the waves grew quiet,
and he led them to the harbor they desired.
107:31 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his loyal love,
and for the amazing things he has done for people!
107:32 Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people!
Let them praise him in the place where the leaders preside!
107:33 He turned streams into a desert,
springs of water into arid land,
107:34 and a fruitful land into a barren place,
because of the sin of its inhabitants.
107:35 As for his people, he turned a desert into a pool of water,
and a dry land into springs of water.
107:36 He allowed the hungry to settle there,
and they established a city in which to live.
107:37 They cultivated fields,
and planted vineyards,
which yielded a harvest of fruit.
107:38 He blessed them so that they became very numerous.
He would not allow their cattle to decrease in number.
107:39 As for their enemies, they decreased in number and were beaten down,
because of painful distress and suffering.
107:40 He would pour contempt upon princes,
and he made them wander in a wasteland with no road.
107:41 Yet he protected the needy from oppression,
and cared for his families like a flock of sheep.
107:42 When the godly see this, they rejoice,
and every sinner shuts his mouth.
107:43 Whoever is wise, let him take note of these things!
Let them consider the Lord’s acts of loyal love!
Psalm 108
A song, a psalm of David.
108:1 I am determined, O God!
I will sing and praise you with my whole heart.
108:2 Awake, O stringed instrument and harp!
I will wake up at dawn!
108:3 I will give you thanks before the nations, O Lord!
I will sing praises to you before foreigners!
108:4 For your loyal love extends beyond the sky,
and your faithfulness reaches the clouds.
108:5 Rise up above the sky, O God!
May your splendor cover the whole earth!
108:6 Deliver by your power and answer me,
so that the ones you love may be safe.
108:7 God has spoken in his sanctuary:
“I will triumph! I will parcel out Shechem,
the valley of Succoth I will measure off.
108:8 Gilead belongs to me,
as does Manasseh!
Ephraim is my helmet,
Judah my royal scepter.
108:9 Moab is my wash basin.
I will make Edom serve me.
I will shout in triumph over Philistia.”
108:10 Who will lead me into the fortified city?
Who will bring me to Edom?
108:11 Have you not rejected us, O God?
O God, you do not go into battle with our armies.
108:12 Give us help against the enemy,
for any help men might offer is futile.
108:13 By God’s power we will conquer;
he will trample down our enemies.
Psalm 109
For the music director, a psalm of David.
109:1 O God whom I praise, do not ignore me!
109:2 For they say cruel and deceptive things to me;
they lie to me.
109:3 They surround me and say hateful things;
they attack me for no reason.
109:4 They repay my love with accusations,
but I continue to pray.
109:5 They repay me evil for good,
and hate for love.
109:6 Appoint an evil man to testify against him!
May an accuser stand at his right side!
109:7 When he is judged, he will be found guilty!
Then his prayer will be regarded as sinful.
109:8 May his days be few!
May another take his job!
109:9 May his children be fatherless,
and his wife a widow!
109:10 May his children roam around begging,
asking for handouts as they leave their ruined home!
109:11 May the creditor seize all he owns!
May strangers loot his property!
109:12 May no one show him kindness!
May no one have compassion on his fatherless children!
109:13 May his descendants be cut off!
May the memory of them be wiped out by the time the next generation arrives!
109:14 May his ancestors’ sins be remembered by the Lord!
May his mother’s sin not be forgotten!
109:15 May the Lord be constantly aware of them,
and cut off the memory of his children from the earth!
109:16 For he never bothered to show kindness;
he harassed the oppressed and needy,
and killed the disheartened.
109:17 He loved to curse others, so those curses have come upon him.
He had no desire to bless anyone, so he has experienced no blessings.
109:18 He made cursing a way of life,
so curses poured into his stomach like water
and seeped into his bones like oil.
109:19 May a curse attach itself to him, like a garment one puts on,
or a belt one wears continually!
109:20 May the Lord repay my accusers in this way,
those who say evil things about me!
109:21 O sovereign Lord,
intervene on my behalf for the sake of your reputation!
Because your loyal love is good, deliver me!
109:22 For I am oppressed and needy,
and my heart beats violently within me.
109:23 I am fading away like a shadow at the end of the day;
I am shaken off like a locust.
109:24 I am so starved my knees shake;
I have turned into skin and bones.
109:25 I am disdained by them.
When they see me, they shake their heads.
109:26 Help me, O Lord my God!
Because you are faithful to me, deliver me!
109:27 Then they will realize this is your work,
and that you, Lord, have accomplished it.
109:28 They curse, but you will bless.
When they attack, they will be humiliated,
but your servant will rejoice.
109:29 My accusers will be covered with shame,
and draped in humiliation as if it were a robe.
109:30 I will thank the Lord profusely,
in the middle of a crowd I will praise him,
109:31 because he stands at the right hand of the needy,
to deliver him from those who threaten his life.
Psalm 110
A psalm of David.
110:1 Here is the Lord’s proclamation to my lord:
“Sit down at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool!”
110:2 The Lord extends your dominion from Zion.
Rule in the midst of your enemies!
110:3 Your people willingly follow you when you go into battle.
On the holy hills at sunrise the dew of your youth belongs to you.
110:4 The Lord makes this promise on oath and will not revoke it:
“You are an eternal priest after the pattern of Melchizedek.”
110:5 O sovereign Lord, at your right hand
he strikes down kings in the day he unleashes his anger.
110:6 He executes judgment against the nations;
he fills the valleys with corpses;
he shatters their heads over the vast battlefield.
110:7 From the stream along the road he drinks;
then he lifts up his head.
Psalm 111
111:1 Praise the Lord!
I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart,
in the assembly of the godly and the congregation.
111:2 The Lord’s deeds are great,
eagerly awaited by all who desire them.
111:3 His work is majestic and glorious,
and his faithfulness endures forever.
111:4 He does amazing things that will be remembered;
the Lord is merciful and compassionate.
111:5 He gives food to his faithful followers;
he always remembers his covenant.
111:6 He announced that he would do mighty deeds for his people,
giving them a land that belonged to other nations.
111:7 His acts are characterized by faithfulness and justice;
all his precepts are reliable.
111:8 They are forever firm,
and should be faithfully and properly carried out.
111:9 He delivered his people;
he ordained that his covenant be observed forever.
His name is holy and awesome.
111:10 To obey the Lord is the fundamental principle for wise living;
all who carry out his precepts acquire good moral insight.
He will receive praise forever.
Psalm 112
112:1 Praise the Lord!
How blessed is the one who obeys the Lord,
who takes great delight in keeping his commands.
112:2 His descendants will be powerful on the earth;
the godly will be blessed.
112:3 His house contains wealth and riches;
his integrity endures.
112:4 In the darkness a light shines for the godly,
for each one who is merciful, compassionate, and just.
112:5 It goes well for the one who generously lends money,
and conducts his business honestly.
112:6 For he will never be upended;
others will always remember one who is just.
112:7 He does not fear bad news.
He is confident; he trusts in the Lord.
112:8 His resolve is firm; he will not succumb to fear
before he looks in triumph on his enemies.
112:9 He generously gives to the needy;
his integrity endures.
He will be vindicated and honored.
112:10 When the wicked see this, they will worry;
they will grind their teeth in frustration and melt away;
the desire of the wicked will perish.
Psalm 113
113:1 Praise the Lord!
Praise, you servants of the Lord,
praise the name of the Lord!
113:2 May the Lord’s name be praised
now and forevermore!
113:3 From east to west
the Lord’s name is deserving of praise.
113:4 The Lord is exalted over all the nations;
his splendor reaches beyond the sky.
113:5 Who can compare to the Lord our God,
who sits on a high throne?
113:6 He bends down to look
at the sky and the earth.
113:7 He raises the poor from the dirt,
and lifts up the needy from the garbage pile,
113:8 that he might seat him with princes,
with the princes of his people.
113:9 He makes the barren woman of the family
a happy mother of children.
Praise the Lord!
Psalm 114
114:1 When Israel left Egypt,
when the family of Jacob left a foreign nation behind,
114:2 Judah became his sanctuary,
Israel his kingdom.
114:3 The sea looked and fled;
the Jordan River turned back.
114:4 The mountains skipped like rams,
the hills like lambs.
114:5 Why do you flee, O sea?
Why do you turn back, O Jordan River?
114:6 Why do you skip like rams, O mountains,
like lambs, O hills?
114:7 Tremble, O earth, before the Lord –
before the God of Jacob,
114:8 who turned a rock into a pool of water,
a hard rock into springs of water!
Psalm 115
115:1 Not to us, O Lord, not to us!
But to your name bring honor,
for the sake of your loyal love and faithfulness.
115:2 Why should the nations say,
“Where is their God?”
115:3 Our God is in heaven!
He does whatever he pleases!
115:4 Their idols are made of silver and gold –
they are man-made.
115:5 They have mouths, but cannot speak,
eyes, but cannot see,
115:6 ears, but cannot hear,
noses, but cannot smell,
115:7 hands, but cannot touch,
feet, but cannot walk.
They cannot even clear their throats.
115:8 Those who make them will end up like them,
as will everyone who trusts in them.
115:9 O Israel, trust in the Lord!
He is their deliverer and protector.
115:10 O family of Aaron, trust in the Lord!
He is their deliverer and protector.
115:11 You loyal followers of the Lord, trust in the Lord!
He is their deliverer and protector.
115:12 The Lord takes notice of us, he will bless –
he will bless the family of Israel,
he will bless the family of Aaron.
115:13 He will bless his loyal followers,
both young and old.
115:14 May he increase your numbers,
yours and your children’s!
115:15 May you be blessed by the Lord,
the creator of heaven and earth!
115:16 The heavens belong to the Lord,
but the earth he has given to mankind.
115:17 The dead do not praise the Lord,
nor do any of those who descend into the silence of death.
115:18 But we will praise the Lord
now and forevermore.
Praise the Lord!
Psalm 116
116:1 I love the Lord
because he heard my plea for mercy,
116:2 and listened to me.
As long as I live, I will call to him when I need help.
116:3 The ropes of death tightened around me,
the snares of Sheol confronted me.
I was confronted with trouble and sorrow.
116:4 I called on the name of the Lord,
“Please Lord, rescue my life!”
116:5 The Lord is merciful and fair;
our God is compassionate.
116:6 The Lord protects the untrained;
I was in serious trouble and he delivered me.
116:7 Rest once more, my soul,
for the Lord has vindicated you.
116:8 Yes, Lord, you rescued my life from death,
and kept my feet from stumbling.
116:9 I will serve the Lord
in the land of the living.
116:10 I had faith when I said,
“I am severely oppressed.”
116:11 I rashly declared,
“All men are liars.”
116:12 How can I repay the Lord
for all his acts of kindness to me?
116:13 I will celebrate my deliverance,
and call on the name of the Lord.
116:14 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord
before all his people.
116:15 The Lord values
the lives of his faithful followers.
116:16 Yes, Lord! I am indeed your servant;
I am your lowest slave.
You saved me from death.
116:17 I will present a thank offering to you,
and call on the name of the Lord.
116:18 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord
before all his people,
116:19 in the courts of the Lord’s temple,
in your midst, O Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord!
Psalm 117
117:1 Praise the Lord, all you nations!
Applaud him, all you foreigners!
117:2 For his loyal love towers over us,
and the Lord’s faithfulness endures.
Praise the Lord!
Psalm 118
118:1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good
and his loyal love endures!
118:2 Let Israel say,
“Yes, his loyal love endures!”
118:3 Let the family of Aaron say,
“Yes, his loyal love endures!”
118:4 Let the loyal followers of the Lord say,
“Yes, his loyal love endures!”
118:5 In my distress I cried out to the Lord.
The Lord answered me and put me in a wide open place.
118:6 The Lord is on my side, I am not afraid!
What can people do to me?
118:7 The Lord is on my side as my helper.
I look in triumph on those who hate me.
118:8 It is better to take shelter in the Lord
than to trust in people.
118:9 It is better to take shelter in the Lord
than to trust in princes.
118:10 All the nations surrounded me.
Indeed, in the name of the Lord I pushed them away.
118:11 They surrounded me, yes, they surrounded me.
Indeed, in the name of the Lord I pushed them away.
118:12 They surrounded me like bees.
But they disappeared as quickly as a fire among thorns.
Indeed, in the name of the Lord I pushed them away.
118:13 “You aggressively attacked me and tried to knock me down,
but the Lord helped me.
118:14 The Lord gives me strength and protects me;
he has become my deliverer.”
118:15 They celebrate deliverance in the tents of the godly.
The Lord’s right hand conquers,
118:16 the Lord’s right hand gives victory,
the Lord’s right hand conquers.
118:17 I will not die, but live,
and I will proclaim what the Lord has done.
118:18 The Lord severely punished me,
but he did not hand me over to death.
118:19 Open for me the gates of the just king’s temple!
I will enter through them and give thanks to the Lord.
118:20 This is the Lord’s gate –
the godly enter through it.
118:21 I will give you thanks, for you answered me,
and have become my deliverer.
118:22 The stone which the builders discarded
has become the cornerstone.
118:23 This is the Lord’s work.
We consider it amazing!
118:24 This is the day the Lord has brought about.
We will be happy and rejoice in it.
118:25 Please Lord, deliver!
Please Lord, grant us success!
118:26 May the one who comes in the name of the Lord be blessed!
We will pronounce blessings on you in the Lord’s temple.
118:27 The Lord is God and he has delivered us.
Tie the offering with ropes
to the horns of the altar!
118:28 You are my God and I will give you thanks!
You are my God and I will praise you!
118:29 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good
and his loyal love endures!
Psalm 119
א (Alef)
119:1 How blessed are those whose actions are blameless,
who obey the law of the Lord.
119:2 How blessed are those who observe his rules,
and seek him with all their heart,
119:3 who, moreover, do no wrong,
but follow in his footsteps.
119:4 You demand that your precepts
be carefully kept.
119:5 If only I were predisposed
to keep your statutes!
119:6 Then I would not be ashamed,
if I were focused on all your commands.
119:7 I will give you sincere thanks,
when I learn your just regulations.
119:8 I will keep your statutes.
Do not completely abandon me!
ב (Bet)
119:9 How can a young person maintain a pure life?
By guarding it according to your instructions!
119:10 With all my heart I seek you.
Do not allow me to stray from your commands!
119:11 In my heart I store up your words,
so I might not sin against you.
119:12 You deserve praise, O Lord!
Teach me your statutes!
119:13 With my lips I proclaim
all the regulations you have revealed.
119:14 I rejoice in the lifestyle prescribed by your rules
as if they were riches of all kinds.
119:15 I will meditate on your precepts
and focus on your behavior.
119:16 I find delight in your statutes;
I do not forget your instructions.
ג (Gimel)
119:17 Be kind to your servant!
Then I will live and keep your instructions.
119:18 Open my eyes so I can truly see
the marvelous things in your law!
119:19 I am like a foreigner in this land.
Do not hide your commands from me!
119:20 I desperately long to know
your regulations at all times.
119:21 You reprimand arrogant people.
Those who stray from your commands are doomed.
119:22 Spare me shame and humiliation,
for I observe your rules.
119:23 Though rulers plot and slander me,
your servant meditates on your statutes.
119:24 Yes, I find delight in your rules;
they give me guidance.
ד (Dalet)
119:25 I collapse in the dirt.
Revive me with your word!
119:26 I told you about my ways and you answered me.
Teach me your statutes!
119:27 Help me to understand what your precepts mean!
Then I can meditate on your marvelous teachings.
119:28 I collapse from grief.
Sustain me by your word!
119:29 Remove me from the path of deceit!
Graciously give me your law!
119:30 I choose the path of faithfulness;
I am committed to your regulations.
119:31 I hold fast to your rules.
O Lord, do not let me be ashamed!
119:32 I run along the path of your commands,
for you enable me to do so.
ה (He)
119:33 Teach me, O Lord, the lifestyle prescribed by your statutes,
so that I might observe it continually.
119:34 Give me understanding so that I might observe your law,
and keep it with all my heart.
119:35 Guide me in the path of your commands,
for I delight to walk in it.
119:36 Give me a desire for your rules,
rather than for wealth gained unjustly.
119:37 Turn my eyes away from what is worthless!
Revive me with your word!
119:38 Confirm to your servant your promise,
which you made to the one who honors you.
119:39 Take away the insults that I dread!
Indeed, your regulations are good.
119:40 Look, I long for your precepts.
Revive me with your deliverance!
ו (Vav)
119:41 May I experience your loyal love, O Lord,
and your deliverance, as you promised.
119:42 Then I will have a reply for the one who insults me,
for I trust in your word.
119:43 Do not completely deprive me of a truthful testimony,
for I await your justice.
119:44 Then I will keep your law continually
now and for all time.
119:45 I will be secure,
for I seek your precepts.
119:46 I will speak about your regulations before kings
and not be ashamed.
119:47 I will find delight in your commands,
which I love.
119:48 I will lift my hands to your commands,
which I love,
and I will meditate on your statutes.
ז (Zayin)
119:49 Remember your word to your servant,
for you have given me hope.
119:50 This is what comforts me in my trouble,
for your promise revives me.
119:51 Arrogant people do nothing but scoff at me.
Yet I do not turn aside from your law.
119:52 I remember your ancient regulations,
O Lord, and console myself.
119:53 Rage takes hold of me because of the wicked,
those who reject your law.
119:54 Your statutes have been my songs
in the house where I live.
119:55 I remember your name during the night, O Lord,
and I will keep your law.
119:56 This has been my practice,
for I observe your precepts.
ח (Khet)
119:57 The Lord is my source of security.
I have determined to follow your instructions.
119:58 I seek your favor with all my heart.
Have mercy on me as you promised!
119:59 I consider my actions
and follow your rules.
119:60 I keep your commands
eagerly and without delay.
119:61 The ropes of the wicked tighten around me,
but I do not forget your law.
119:62 In the middle of the night I arise to thank you
for your just regulations.
119:63 I am a friend to all your loyal followers,
and to those who keep your precepts.
119:64 O Lord, your loyal love fills the earth.
Teach me your statutes!
ט (Tet)
119:65 You are good to your servant,
O Lord, just as you promised.
119:66 Teach me proper discernment and understanding!
For I consider your commands to be reliable.
119:67 Before I was afflicted I used to stray off,
but now I keep your instructions.
119:68 You are good and you do good.
Teach me your statutes!
119:69 Arrogant people smear my reputation with lies,
but I observe your precepts with all my heart.
119:70 Their hearts are calloused,
but I find delight in your law.
119:71 It was good for me to suffer,
so that I might learn your statutes.
119:72 The law you have revealed is more important to me
than thousands of pieces of gold and silver.
י (Yod)
119:73 Your hands made me and formed me.
Give me understanding so that I might learn your commands.
119:74 Your loyal followers will be glad when they see me,
for I find hope in your word.
119:75 I know, Lord, that your regulations are just.
You disciplined me because of your faithful devotion to me.
119:76 May your loyal love console me,
as you promised your servant.
119:77 May I experience your compassion, so I might live!
For I find delight in your law.
119:78 May the arrogant be humiliated, for they have slandered me!
But I meditate on your precepts.
119:79 May your loyal followers turn to me,
those who know your rules.
119:80 May I be fully committed to your statutes,
so that I might not be ashamed.
כ (Kaf)
119:81 I desperately long for your deliverance.
I find hope in your word.
119:82 My eyes grow tired as I wait for your promise to be fulfilled.
I say, “When will you comfort me?”
119:83 For I am like a wineskin dried up in smoke.
I do not forget your statutes.
119:84 How long must your servant endure this?
When will you judge those who pursue me?
119:85 The arrogant dig pits to trap me,
which violates your law.
119:86 All your commands are reliable.
I am pursued without reason. Help me!
119:87 They have almost destroyed me here on the earth,
but I do not reject your precepts.
119:88 Revive me with your loyal love,
that I might keep the rules you have revealed.
ל (Lamed)
119:89 O Lord, your instructions endure;
they stand secure in heaven.
119:90 You demonstrate your faithfulness to all generations.
You established the earth and it stood firm.
119:91 Today they stand firm by your decrees,
for all things are your servants.
119:92 If I had not found encouragement in your law,
I would have died in my sorrow.
119:93 I will never forget your precepts,
for by them you have revived me.
119:94 I belong to you. Deliver me!
For I seek your precepts.
119:95 The wicked prepare to kill me,
yet I concentrate on your rules.
119:96 I realize that everything has its limits,
but your commands are beyond full comprehension.
מ (Mem)
119:97 O how I love your law!
All day long I meditate on it.
119:98 Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies,
for I am always aware of them.
119:99 I have more insight than all my teachers,
for I meditate on your rules.
119:100 I am more discerning than those older than I,
for I observe your precepts.
119:101 I stay away from the evil path,
so that I might keep your instructions.
119:102 I do not turn aside from your regulations,
for you teach me.
119:103 Your words are sweeter
in my mouth than honey!
119:104 Your precepts give me discernment.
Therefore I hate all deceitful actions.
נ (Nun)
119:105 Your word is a lamp to walk by,
and a light to illumine my path.
119:106 I have vowed and solemnly sworn
to keep your just regulations.
119:107 I am suffering terribly.
O Lord, revive me with your word!
119:108 O Lord, please accept the freewill offerings of my praise!
Teach me your regulations!
119:109 My life is in continual danger,
but I do not forget your law.
119:110 The wicked lay a trap for me,
but I do not wander from your precepts.
119:111 I claim your rules as my permanent possession,
for they give me joy.
119:112 I am determined to obey your statutes
at all times, to the very end.
ס (Samek)
ֹ119:113 I hate people with divided loyalties,
but I love your law.
119:114 You are my hiding place and my shield.
I find hope in your word.
119:115 Turn away from me, you evil men,
so that I can observe the commands of my God.
119:116 Sustain me as you promised, so that I will live.
Do not disappoint me!
119:117 Support me, so that I will be delivered.
Then I will focus on your statutes continually.
119:118 You despise all who stray from your statutes,
for they are deceptive and unreliable.
119:119 You remove all the wicked of the earth like slag.
Therefore I love your rules.
119:120 My body trembles because I fear you;
I am afraid of your judgments.
ע (Ayin)
119:121 I do what is fair and right.
Do not abandon me to my oppressors!
119:122 Guarantee the welfare of your servant!
Do not let the arrogant oppress me!
119:123 My eyes grow tired as I wait for your deliverance,
for your reliable promise to be fulfilled.
119:124 Show your servant your loyal love!
Teach me your statutes!
119:125 I am your servant. Give me insight,
so that I can understand your rules.
119:126 It is time for the Lord to act –
they break your law!
119:127 For this reason I love your commands
more than gold, even purest gold.
119:128 For this reason I carefully follow all your precepts.
I hate all deceitful actions.
פ (Pe)
119:129 Your rules are marvelous.
Therefore I observe them.
119:130 Your instructions are a doorway through which light shines.
They give insight to the untrained.
119:131 I open my mouth and pant,
because I long for your commands.
119:132 Turn toward me and extend mercy to me,
as you typically do to your loyal followers.
119:133 Direct my steps by your word!
Do not let any sin dominate me!
119:134 Deliver me from oppressive men,
so that I can keep your precepts.
119:135 Smile on your servant!
Teach me your statutes!
119:136 Tears stream down from my eyes,
because people do not keep your law.
צ (Tsade)
119:137 You are just, O Lord,
and your judgments are fair.
119:138 The rules you impose are just,
and absolutely reliable.
119:139 My zeal consumes me,
for my enemies forget your instructions.
119:140 Your word is absolutely pure,
and your servant loves it!
119:141 I am insignificant and despised,
yet I do not forget your precepts.
119:142 Your justice endures,
and your law is reliable.
119:143 Distress and hardship confront me,
yet I find delight in your commands.
119:144 Your rules remain just.
Give me insight so that I can live.
ק (Qof)
119:145 I cried out with all my heart, “Answer me, O Lord!
I will observe your statutes.”
119:146 I cried out to you, “Deliver me,
so that I can keep your rules.”
119:147 I am up before dawn crying for help.
I find hope in your word.
119:148 My eyes anticipate the nighttime hours,
so that I can meditate on your word.
119:149 Listen to me because of your loyal love!
O Lord, revive me, as you typically do!
119:150 Those who are eager to do wrong draw near;
they are far from your law.
119:151 You are near, O Lord,
and all your commands are reliable.
119:152 I learned long ago that
you ordained your rules to last.
ר (Resh)
119:153 See my pain and rescue me!
For I do not forget your law.
119:154 Fight for me and defend me!
Revive me with your word!
119:155 The wicked have no chance for deliverance,
for they do not seek your statutes.
119:156 Your compassion is great, O Lord.
Revive me, as you typically do!
119:157 The enemies who chase me are numerous.
Yet I do not turn aside from your rules.
119:158 I take note of the treacherous and despise them,
because they do not keep your instructions.
119:159 See how I love your precepts!
O Lord, revive me with your loyal love!
119:160 Your instructions are totally reliable;
all your just regulations endure.
שׂ/שׁ (Sin/Shin)
119:161 Rulers pursue me for no reason,
yet I am more afraid of disobeying your instructions.
119:162 I rejoice in your instructions,
like one who finds much plunder.
119:163 I hate and despise deceit;
I love your law.
119:164 Seven times a day I praise you
because of your just regulations.
119:165 Those who love your law are completely secure;
nothing causes them to stumble.
119:166 I hope for your deliverance, O Lord,
and I obey your commands.
119:167 I keep your rules;
I love them greatly.
119:168 I keep your precepts and rules,
for you are aware of everything I do.
ת (Tav)
119:169 Listen to my cry for help, O Lord!
Give me insight by your word!
119:170 Listen to my appeal for mercy!
Deliver me, as you promised.
119:171 May praise flow freely from my lips,
for you teach me your statutes.
119:172 May my tongue sing about your instructions,
for all your commands are just.
119:173 May your hand help me,
for I choose to obey your precepts.
119:174 I long for your deliverance, O Lord;
I find delight in your law.
119:175 May I live and praise you!
May your regulations help me!
119:176 I have wandered off like a lost sheep.
Come looking for your servant,
for I do not forget your commands.
Psalm 120
A song of ascents.
120:1 In my distress I cried out
to the Lord and he answered me.
120:2 I said, “O Lord, rescue me
from those who lie with their lips
and those who deceive with their tongue.
120:3 How will he severely punish you,
you deceptive talker?
120:4 Here’s how! With the sharp arrows of warriors,
with arrowheads forged over the hot coals.
120:5 How miserable I am!
For I have lived temporarily in Meshech;
I have resided among the tents of Kedar.
120:6 For too long I have had to reside
with those who hate peace.
120:7 I am committed to peace,
but when I speak, they want to make war.
Psalm 121
A song of ascents.
121:1 I look up toward the hills.
From where does my help come?
121:2 My help comes from the Lord,
the Creator of heaven and earth!
121:3 May he not allow your foot to slip!
May your protector not sleep!
121:4 Look! Israel’s protector
does not sleep or slumber!
121:5 The Lord is your protector;
the Lord is the shade at your right hand.
121:6 The sun will not harm you by day,
or the moon by night.
121:7 The Lord will protect you from all harm;
he will protect your life.
121:8 The Lord will protect you in all you do,
now and forevermore.
Psalm 122
A song of ascents, by David.
122:1 I was glad because they said to me,
“We will go to the Lord’s temple.”
122:2 Our feet are standing
inside your gates, O Jerusalem.
122:3 Jerusalem is a city designed
to accommodate an assembly.
122:4 The tribes go up there,
the tribes of the Lord,
where it is required that Israel
give thanks to the name of the Lord.
122:5 Indeed, the leaders sit there on thrones and make legal decisions,
on the thrones of the house of David.
122:6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
May those who love her prosper!
122:7 May there be peace inside your defenses,
and prosperity inside your fortresses!
122:8 For the sake of my brothers and my neighbors
I will say, “May there be peace in you!”
122:9 For the sake of the temple of the Lord our God
I will pray for you to prosper.
Psalm 123
A song of ascents.
123:1 I look up toward you,
the one enthroned in heaven.
123:2 Look, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a female servant look to the hand of her mistress,
so my eyes will look to the Lord, our God, until he shows us favor.
123:3 Show us favor, O Lord, show us favor!
For we have had our fill of humiliation, and then some.
123:4 We have had our fill
of the taunts of the self-assured,
of the contempt of the proud.
Psalm 124
A song of ascents, by David.
124:1 “If the Lord had not been on our side” –
let Israel say this! –
124:2 if the Lord had not been on our side,
when men attacked us,
124:3 they would have swallowed us alive,
when their anger raged against us.
124:4 The water would have overpowered us;
the current would have overwhelmed us.
124:5 The raging water
would have overwhelmed us.
124:6 The Lord deserves praise,
for he did not hand us over as prey to their teeth.
124:7 We escaped with our lives, like a bird from a hunter’s snare.
The snare broke, and we escaped.
124:8 Our deliverer is the Lord,
the Creator of heaven and earth.
Psalm 125
A song of ascents.
125:1 Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion;
it cannot be upended and will endure forever.
125:2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
so the Lord surrounds his people,
now and forevermore.
125:3 Indeed, the scepter of a wicked king will not settle
upon the allotted land of the godly.
Otherwise the godly might
do what is wrong.
125:4 Do good, O Lord, to those who are good,
to the morally upright!
125:5 As for those who are bent on traveling a sinful path,
may the Lord remove them, along with those who behave wickedly!
May Israel experience peace!
Psalm 126
A song of ascents.
126:1 When the Lord restored the well-being of Zion,
we thought we were dreaming.
126:2 At that time we laughed loudly
and shouted for joy.
At that time the nations said,
“The Lord has accomplished great things for these people.”
126:3 The Lord did indeed accomplish great things for us.
We were happy.
126:4 O Lord, restore our well-being,
just as the streams in the arid south are replenished.
126:5 Those who shed tears as they plant
will shout for joy when they reap the harvest.
126:6 The one who weeps as he walks along, carrying his bag of seed,
will certainly come in with a shout of joy, carrying his sheaves of grain.
Psalm 127
A song of ascents, by Solomon.
127:1 If the Lord does not build a house,
then those who build it work in vain.
If the Lord does not guard a city,
then the watchman stands guard in vain.
127:2 It is vain for you to rise early, come home late,
and work so hard for your food.
Yes, he can provide for those whom he loves even when they sleep.
127:3 Yes, sons are a gift from the Lord,
the fruit of the womb is a reward.
127:4 Sons born during one’s youth
are like arrows in a warrior’s hand.
127:5 How blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them!
They will not be put to shame when they confront enemies at the city gate.
Psalm 128
A song of ascents.
128:1 How blessed is every one of the Lord’s loyal followers,
each one who keeps his commands!
128:2 You will eat what you worked so hard to grow.
You will be blessed and secure.
128:3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
in the inner rooms of your house;
your children will be like olive branches,
as they sit all around your table.
128:4 Yes indeed, the man who fears the Lord
will be blessed in this way.
128:5 May the Lord bless you from Zion,
that you might see Jerusalem prosper
all the days of your life,
128:6 and that you might see your grandchildren.
May Israel experience peace!
Psalm 129
A song of ascents.
129:1 “Since my youth they have often attacked me,”
let Israel say.
129:2 “Since my youth they have often attacked me,
but they have not defeated me.
129:3 The plowers plowed my back;
they made their furrows long.
129:4 The Lord is just;
he cut the ropes of the wicked.”
129:5 May all who hate Zion
be humiliated and turned back!
129:6 May they be like the grass on the rooftops
which withers before one can even pull it up,
129:7 which cannot fill the reaper’s hand,
or the lap of the one who gathers the grain!
129:8 Those who pass by will not say,
“May you experience the Lord’s blessing!
We pronounce a blessing on you in the name of the Lord.”
Psalm 130
A song of ascents.
130:1 From the deep water I cry out to you, O Lord.
130:2 O Lord, listen to me!
Pay attention to my plea for mercy!
130:3 If you, O Lord, were to keep track of sins,
O Lord, who could stand before you?
130:4 But you are willing to forgive,
so that you might be honored.
130:5 I rely on the Lord,
I rely on him with my whole being;
I wait for his assuring word.
130:6 I yearn for the Lord,
more than watchmen do for the morning,
yes, more than watchmen do for the morning.
130:7 O Israel, hope in the Lord,
for the Lord exhibits loyal love,
and is more than willing to deliver.
130:8 He will deliver Israel
from all the consequences of their sins.
Psalm 131
A song of ascents, by David.
131:1 O Lord, my heart is not proud,
nor do I have a haughty look.
I do not have great aspirations,
or concern myself with things that are beyond me.
131:2 Indeed I am composed and quiet,
like a young child carried by its mother;
I am content like the young child I carry.
131:3 O Israel, hope in the Lord
now and forevermore!
Psalm 132
A song of ascents.
132:1 O Lord, for David’s sake remember
all his strenuous effort,
132:2 and how he made a vow to the Lord,
and swore an oath to the powerful ruler of Jacob.
132:3 He said, “I will not enter my own home,
or get into my bed.
132:4 I will not allow my eyes to sleep,
or my eyelids to slumber,
132:5 until I find a place for the Lord,
a fine dwelling place for the powerful ruler of Jacob.”
132:6 Look, we heard about it in Ephrathah,
we found it in the territory of Jaar.
132:7 Let us go to his dwelling place!
Let us worship before his footstool!
132:8 Ascend, O Lord, to your resting place,
you and the ark of your strength!
132:9 May your priests be clothed with integrity!
May your loyal followers shout for joy!
132:10 For the sake of David, your servant,
do not reject your chosen king!
132:11 The Lord made a reliable promise to David;
he will not go back on his word.
He said, “I will place one of your descendants on your throne.
132:12 If your sons keep my covenant
and the rules I teach them,
their sons will also sit on your throne forever.”
132:13 Certainly the Lord has chosen Zion;
he decided to make it his home.
132:14 He said, “This will be my resting place forever;
I will live here, for I have chosen it.
132:15 I will abundantly supply what she needs;
I will give her poor all the food they need.
132:16 I will protect her priests,
and her godly people will shout exuberantly.
132:17 There I will make David strong;
I have determined that my chosen king’s dynasty will continue.
132:18 I will humiliate his enemies,
and his crown will shine.
Psalm 133
A song of ascents, by David.
133:1 Look! How good and how pleasant it is
when brothers live together!
133:2 It is like fine oil poured on the head
which flows down the beard –
Aaron’s beard,
and then flows down his garments.
133:3 It is like the dew of Hermon,
which flows down upon the hills of Zion.
Indeed that is where the Lord has decreed
a blessing will be available – eternal life.
Psalm 134
A song of ascents.
134:1 Attention! Praise the Lord,
all you servants of the Lord,
who serve in the Lord’s temple during the night.
134:2 Lift your hands toward the sanctuary
and praise the Lord!
134:3 May the Lord, the Creator of heaven and earth,
bless you from Zion!
Psalm 135
135:1 Praise the Lord!
Praise the name of the Lord!
Offer praise, you servants of the Lord,
135:2 who serve in the Lord’s temple,
in the courts of the temple of our God.
135:3 Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good!
Sing praises to his name, for it is pleasant!
135:4 Indeed, the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself,
Israel to be his special possession.
135:5 Yes, I know the Lord is great,
and our Lord is superior to all gods.
135:6 He does whatever he pleases
in heaven and on earth,
in the seas and all the ocean depths.
135:7 He causes the clouds to arise from the end of the earth,
makes lightning bolts accompany the rain,
and brings the wind out of his storehouses.
135:8 He struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
including both men and animals.
135:9 He performed awesome deeds and acts of judgment
in your midst, O Egypt,
against Pharaoh and all his servants.
135:10 He defeated many nations,
and killed mighty kings –
135:11 Sihon, king of the Amorites,
and Og, king of Bashan,
and all the kingdoms of Canaan.
135:12 He gave their land as an inheritance,
as an inheritance to Israel his people.
135:13 O Lord, your name endures,
your reputation, O Lord, lasts.
135:14 For the Lord vindicates his people,
and has compassion on his servants.
135:15 The nations’ idols are made of silver and gold,
they are man-made.
135:16 They have mouths, but cannot speak,
eyes, but cannot see,
135:17 and ears, but cannot hear.
Indeed, they cannot breathe.
135:18 Those who make them will end up like them,
as will everyone who trusts in them.
135:19 O family of Israel, praise the Lord!
O family of Aaron, praise the Lord!
135:20 O family of Levi, praise the Lord!
You loyal followers of the Lord, praise the Lord!
135:21 The Lord deserves praise in Zion –
he who dwells in Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord!
Psalm 136
136:1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his loyal love endures.
136:2 Give thanks to the God of gods,
for his loyal love endures.
136:3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
for his loyal love endures,
136:4 to the one who performs magnificent, amazing deeds all by himself,
for his loyal love endures,
136:5 to the one who used wisdom to make the heavens,
for his loyal love endures,
136:6 to the one who spread out the earth over the water,
for his loyal love endures,
136:7 to the one who made the great lights,
for his loyal love endures,
136:8 the sun to rule by day,
for his loyal love endures,
136:9 the moon and stars to rule by night,
for his loyal love endures,
136:10 to the one who struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
for his loyal love endures,
136:11 and led Israel out from their midst,
for his loyal love endures,
136:12 with a strong hand and an outstretched arm,
for his loyal love endures,
136:13 to the one who divided the Red Sea in two,
for his loyal love endures,
136:14 and led Israel through its midst,
for his loyal love endures,
136:15 and tossed Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea,
for his loyal love endures,
136:16 to the one who led his people through the wilderness,
for his loyal love endures,
136:17 to the one who struck down great kings,
for his loyal love endures,
136:18 and killed powerful kings,
for his loyal love endures,
136:19 Sihon, king of the Amorites,
for his loyal love endures,
136:20 Og, king of Bashan,
for his loyal love endures,
136:21 and gave their land as an inheritance,
for his loyal love endures,
136:22 as an inheritance to Israel his servant,
for his loyal love endures,
136:23 to the one who remembered us when we were down,
for his loyal love endures,
136:24 and snatched us away from our enemies,
for his loyal love endures,
136:25 to the one who gives food to all living things,
for his loyal love endures.
136:26 Give thanks to the God of heaven,
for his loyal love endures!
Psalm 137
137:1 By the rivers of Babylon
we sit down and weep
when we remember Zion.
137:2 On the poplars in her midst
we hang our harps,
137:3 for there our captors ask us to compose songs;
those who mock us demand that we be happy, saying:
“Sing for us a song about Zion!”
137:4 How can we sing a song to the Lord
in a foreign land?
137:5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
may my right hand be crippled!
137:6 May my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth,
if I do not remember you,
and do not give Jerusalem priority
over whatever gives me the most joy.
137:7 Remember, O Lord, what the Edomites did
on the day Jerusalem fell.
They said, “Tear it down, tear it down,
right to its very foundation!”
137:8 O daughter Babylon, soon to be devastated!
How blessed will be the one who repays you
for what you dished out to us!
137:9 How blessed will be the one who grabs your babies
and smashes them on a rock!
Psalm 138
By David.
138:1 I will give you thanks with all my heart;
before the heavenly assembly I will sing praises to you.
138:2 I will bow down toward your holy temple,
and give thanks to your name,
because of your loyal love and faithfulness,
for you have exalted your promise above the entire sky.
138:3 When I cried out for help, you answered me.
You made me bold and energized me.
138:4 Let all the kings of the earth give thanks to you, O Lord,
when they hear the words you speak.
138:5 Let them sing about the Lord’s deeds,
for the Lord’s splendor is magnificent.
138:6 Though the Lord is exalted, he takes note of the lowly,
and recognizes the proud from far away.
138:7 Even when I must walk in the midst of danger, you revive me.
You oppose my angry enemies,
and your right hand delivers me.
138:8 The Lord avenges me.
O Lord, your loyal love endures.
Do not abandon those whom you have made!
Psalm 139
For the music director, a psalm of David.
139:1 O Lord, you examine me and know.
139:2 You know when I sit down and when I get up;
even from far away you understand my motives.
139:3 You carefully observe me when I travel or when I lie down to rest;
you are aware of everything I do.
139:4 Certainly my tongue does not frame a word
without you, O Lord, being thoroughly aware of it.
139:5 You squeeze me in from behind and in front;
you place your hand on me.
139:6 Your knowledge is beyond my comprehension;
it is so far beyond me, I am unable to fathom it.
139:7 Where can I go to escape your spirit?
Where can I flee to escape your presence?
139:8 If I were to ascend to heaven, you would be there.
If I were to sprawl out in Sheol, there you would be.
139:9 If I were to fly away on the wings of the dawn,
and settle down on the other side of the sea,
139:10 even there your hand would guide me,
your right hand would grab hold of me.
139:11 If I were to say, “Certainly the darkness will cover me,
and the light will turn to night all around me,”
139:12 even the darkness is not too dark for you to see,
and the night is as bright as day;
darkness and light are the same to you.
139:13 Certainly you made my mind and heart;
you wove me together in my mother’s womb.
139:14 I will give you thanks because your deeds are awesome and amazing.
You knew me thoroughly;
139:15 my bones were not hidden from you,
when I was made in secret
and sewed together in the depths of the earth.
139:16 Your eyes saw me when I was inside the womb.
All the days ordained for me
were recorded in your scroll
before one of them came into existence.
139:17 How difficult it is for me to fathom your thoughts about me, O God!
How vast is their sum total!
139:18 If I tried to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
Even if I finished counting them,
I would still have to contend with you.
139:19 If only you would kill the wicked, O God!
Get away from me, you violent men!
139:20 They rebel against you and act deceitfully;
your enemies lie.
139:21 O Lord, do I not hate those who hate you,
and despise those who oppose you?
139:22 I absolutely hate them,
they have become my enemies!
139:23 Examine me, and probe my thoughts!
Test me, and know my concerns!
139:24 See if there is any idolatrous tendency in me,
and lead me in the reliable ancient path!
Psalm 140
For the music director; a psalm of David.
140:1 O Lord, rescue me from wicked men!
Protect me from violent men,
140:2 who plan ways to harm me.
All day long they stir up conflict.
140:3 Their tongues wound like a serpent;
a viper’s venom is behind their lips. (Selah)
140:4 O Lord, shelter me from the power of the wicked!
Protect me from violent men,
who plan to knock me over.
140:5 Proud men hide a snare for me;
evil men spread a net by the path;
they set traps for me. (Selah)
140:6 I say to the Lord, “You are my God.”
O Lord, pay attention to my plea for mercy!
140:7 O sovereign Lord, my strong deliverer,
you shield my head in the day of battle.
140:8 O Lord, do not let the wicked have their way!
Do not allow their plan to succeed when they attack! (Selah)
140:9 As for the heads of those who surround me –
may the harm done by their lips overwhelm them!
140:10 May he rain down fiery coals upon them!
May he throw them into the fire!
From bottomless pits they will not escape.
140:11 A slanderer will not endure on the earth;
calamity will hunt down a violent man and strike him down.
140:12 I know that the Lord defends the cause of the oppressed
and vindicates the poor.
140:13 Certainly the godly will give thanks to your name;
the morally upright will live in your presence.
Psalm 141
A psalm of David.
141:1 O Lord, I cry out to you. Come quickly to me!
Pay attention to me when I cry out to you!
141:2 May you accept my prayer like incense,
my uplifted hands like the evening offering!
141:3 O Lord, place a guard on my mouth!
Protect the opening of my lips!
141:4 Do not let me have evil desires,
or participate in sinful activities
with men who behave wickedly.
I will not eat their delicacies.
141:5 May the godly strike me in love and correct me!
May my head not refuse choice oil!
Indeed, my prayer is a witness against their evil deeds.
141:6 They will be thrown down the side of a cliff by their judges.
They will listen to my words, for they are pleasant.
141:7 As when one plows and breaks up the soil,
so our bones are scattered at the mouth of Sheol.
141:8 Surely I am looking to you, O sovereign Lord.
In you I take shelter.
Do not expose me to danger!
141:9 Protect me from the snare they have laid for me,
and the traps the evildoers have set.
141:10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
while I escape.
Psalm 142
A well-written song by David, when he was in the cave; a prayer.
142:1 To the Lord I cry out;
to the Lord I plead for mercy.
142:2 I pour out my lament before him;
I tell him about my troubles.
142:3 Even when my strength leaves me,
you watch my footsteps.
In the path where I walk
they have hidden a trap for me.
142:4 Look to the right and see!
No one cares about me.
I have nowhere to run;
no one is concerned about my life.
142:5 I cry out to you, O Lord;
I say, “You are my shelter,
my security in the land of the living.”
142:6 Listen to my cry for help,
for I am in serious trouble!
Rescue me from those who chase me,
for they are stronger than I am.
142:7 Free me from prison,
that I may give thanks to your name.
Because of me the godly will assemble,
for you will vindicate me.
Psalm 143
A psalm of David.
143:1 O Lord, hear my prayer!
Pay attention to my plea for help!
Because of your faithfulness and justice, answer me!
143:2 Do not sit in judgment on your servant,
for no one alive is innocent before you.
143:3 Certainly my enemies chase me.
They smash me into the ground.
They force me to live in dark regions,
like those who have been dead for ages.
143:4 My strength leaves me;
I am absolutely shocked.
143:5 I recall the old days;
I meditate on all you have done;
I reflect on your accomplishments.
143:6 I spread my hands out to you in prayer;
my soul thirsts for you in a parched land.
143:7 Answer me quickly, Lord!
My strength is fading.
Do not reject me,
or I will join those descending into the grave.
143:8 May I hear about your loyal love in the morning,
for I trust in you.
Show me the way I should go,
because I long for you.
143:9 Rescue me from my enemies, O Lord!
I run to you for protection.
143:10 Teach me to do what pleases you,
for you are my God.
May your kind presence
lead me into a level land.
143:11 O Lord, for the sake of your reputation, revive me!
Because of your justice, rescue me from trouble!
143:12 As a demonstration of your loyal love, destroy my enemies!
Annihilate all who threaten my life,
for I am your servant.
Psalm 144
By David.
144:1 The Lord, my protector, deserves praise –
the one who trains my hands for battle,
and my fingers for war,
144:2 who loves me and is my stronghold,
my refuge and my deliverer,
my shield and the one in whom I take shelter,
who makes nations submit to me.
144:3 O Lord, of what importance is the human race, that you should notice them?
Of what importance is mankind, that you should be concerned about them?
144:4 People are like a vapor,
their days like a shadow that disappears.
144:5 O Lord, make the sky sink and come down!
Touch the mountains and make them smolder!
144:6 Hurl lightning bolts and scatter them!
Shoot your arrows and rout them!
144:7 Reach down from above!
Grab me and rescue me from the surging water,
from the power of foreigners,
144:8 who speak lies,
and make false promises.
144:9 O God, I will sing a new song to you!
Accompanied by a ten-stringed instrument, I will sing praises to you,
144:10 the one who delivers kings,
and rescued David his servant from a deadly sword.
144:11 Grab me and rescue me from the power of foreigners,
who speak lies,
and make false promises.
144:12 Then our sons will be like plants,
that quickly grow to full size.
Our daughters will be like corner pillars,
carved like those in a palace.
144:13 Our storehouses will be full,
providing all kinds of food.
Our sheep will multiply by the thousands
and fill our pastures.
144:14 Our cattle will be weighted down with produce.
No one will break through our walls,
no one will be taken captive,
and there will be no terrified cries in our city squares.
144:15 How blessed are the people who experience these things!
How blessed are the people whose God is the Lord!
Psalm 145
A psalm of praise, by David.
145:1 I will extol you, my God, O king!
I will praise your name continually!
145:2 Every day I will praise you!
I will praise your name continually!
145:3 The Lord is great and certainly worthy of praise!
No one can fathom his greatness!
145:4 One generation will praise your deeds to another,
and tell about your mighty acts!
145:5 I will focus on your honor and majestic splendor,
and your amazing deeds!
145:6 They will proclaim the power of your awesome acts!
I will declare your great deeds!
145:7 They will talk about the fame of your great kindness,
and sing about your justice.
145:8 The Lord is merciful and compassionate;
he is patient and demonstrates great loyal love.
145:9 The Lord is good to all,
and has compassion on all he has made.
145:10 All he has made will give thanks to the Lord.
Your loyal followers will praise you.
145:11 They will proclaim the splendor of your kingdom;
they will tell about your power,
145:12 so that mankind might acknowledge your mighty acts,
and the majestic splendor of your kingdom.
145:13 Your kingdom is an eternal kingdom,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
145:14 The Lord supports all who fall,
and lifts up all who are bent over.
145:15 Everything looks to you in anticipation,
and you provide them with food on a regular basis.
145:16 You open your hand,
and fill every living thing with the food they desire.
145:17 The Lord is just in all his actions,
and exhibits love in all he does.
145:18 The Lord is near all who cry out to him,
all who cry out to him sincerely.
145:19 He satisfies the desire of his loyal followers;
he hears their cry for help and delivers them.
145:20 The Lord protects those who love him,
but he destroys all the wicked.
145:21 My mouth will praise the Lord.
Let all who live praise his holy name forever!
Psalm 146
146:1 Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
146:2 I will praise the Lord as long as I live!
I will sing praises to my God as long as I exist!
146:3 Do not trust in princes,
or in human beings, who cannot deliver!
146:4 Their life’s breath departs, they return to the ground;
on that day their plans die.
146:5 How blessed is the one whose helper is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord his God,
146:6 the one who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them,
who remains forever faithful,
146:7 vindicates the oppressed,
and gives food to the hungry.
The Lord releases the imprisoned.
146:8 The Lord gives sight to the blind.
The Lord lifts up all who are bent over.
The Lord loves the godly.
146:9 The Lord protects those residing outside their native land;
he lifts up the fatherless and the widow,
but he opposes the wicked.
146:10 The Lord rules forever,
your God, O Zion, throughout the generations to come!
Praise the Lord!
Psalm 147
147:1 Praise the Lord,
for it is good to sing praises to our God!
Yes, praise is pleasant and appropriate!
147:2 The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem,
and gathers the exiles of Israel.
147:3 He heals the brokenhearted,
and bandages their wounds.
147:4 He counts the number of the stars;
he names all of them.
147:5 Our Lord is great and has awesome power;
there is no limit to his wisdom.
147:6 The Lord lifts up the oppressed,
but knocks the wicked to the ground.
147:7 Offer to the Lord a song of thanks!
Sing praises to our God to the accompaniment of a harp!
147:8 He covers the sky with clouds,
provides the earth with rain,
and causes grass to grow on the hillsides.
147:9 He gives food to the animals,
and to the young ravens when they chirp.
147:10 He is not enamored with the strength of a horse,
nor is he impressed by the warrior’s strong legs.
147:11 The Lord takes delight in his faithful followers,
and in those who wait for his loyal love.
147:12 Extol the Lord, O Jerusalem!
Praise your God, O Zion!
147:13 For he makes the bars of your gates strong.
He blesses your children within you.
147:14 He brings peace to your territory.
He abundantly provides for you the best grain.
147:15 He sends his command through the earth;
swiftly his order reaches its destination.
147:16 He sends the snow that is white like wool;
he spreads the frost that is white like ashes.
147:17 He throws his hailstones like crumbs.
Who can withstand the cold wind he sends?
147:18 He then orders it all to melt;
he breathes on it, and the water flows.
147:19 He proclaims his word to Jacob,
his statutes and regulations to Israel.
147:20 He has not done so with any other nation;
they are not aware of his regulations.
Praise the Lord!
Psalm 148
148:1 Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the sky!
Praise him in the heavens!
148:2 Praise him, all his angels!
Praise him, all his heavenly assembly!
148:3 Praise him, O sun and moon!
Praise him, all you shiny stars!
148:4 Praise him, O highest heaven,
and you waters above the sky!
148:5 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for he gave the command and they came into existence.
148:6 He established them so they would endure;
he issued a decree that will not be revoked.
148:7 Praise the Lord from the earth,
you sea creatures and all you ocean depths,
148:8 O fire and hail, snow and clouds,
O stormy wind that carries out his orders,
148:9 you mountains and all you hills,
you fruit trees and all you cedars,
148:10 you animals and all you cattle,
you creeping things and birds,
148:11 you kings of the earth and all you nations,
you princes and all you leaders on the earth,
148:12 you young men and young women,
you elderly, along with you children!
148:13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is exalted;
his majesty extends over the earth and sky.
148:14 He has made his people victorious,
and given all his loyal followers reason to praise –
the Israelites, the people who are close to him.
Praise the Lord!
Psalm 149
149:1 Praise the Lord!
Sing to the Lord a new song!
Praise him in the assembly of the godly!
149:2 Let Israel rejoice in their Creator!
Let the people of Zion delight in their king!
149:3 Let them praise his name with dancing!
Let them sing praises to him to the accompaniment of the tambourine and harp!
149:4 For the Lord takes delight in his people;
he exalts the oppressed by delivering them.
149:5 Let the godly rejoice because of their vindication!
Let them shout for joy upon their beds!
149:6 May they praise God
while they hold a two-edged sword in their hand,
149:7 in order to take revenge on the nations,
and punish foreigners.
149:8 They bind their kings in chains,
and their nobles in iron shackles,
149:9 and execute the judgment to which their enemies have been sentenced.
All his loyal followers will be vindicated.
Praise the Lord!
Psalm 150
150:1 Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his sanctuary!
Praise him in the sky, which testifies to his strength!
150:2 Praise him for his mighty acts!
Praise him for his surpassing greatness!
150:3 Praise him with the blast of the horn!
Praise him with the lyre and the harp!
150:4 Praise him with the tambourine and with dancing!
Praise him with stringed instruments and the flute!
150:5 Praise him with loud cymbals!
Praise him with clanging cymbals!
150:6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!