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Psalm 42-72
Christian Standard Bible
Psalm 42-72
Christian Standard Bible
BOOK II
(Psalms 42–72)
Psalm 42
Longing for God
For the choir director. A Maskil of the sons of Korah.
1 As a deer longs for flowing streams,
so I long for you, God.(A)
2 I thirst for God, the living God.
When can I come and appear before God?(B)
3 My tears have been my food day and night,
while all day long people say to me,
“Where is your God?” (C)
4 I remember this as I pour out my heart:(D)
how I walked with many,
leading the festive procession to the house of God,
with joyful and thankful shouts.(E)
5 Why, my soul, are you so dejected?
Why are you in such turmoil?
Put your hope in God, for I will still praise him,
my Savior and my God.(F)
6 I[a] am deeply depressed;
therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan
and the peaks of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.(G)
7 Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your breakers and your billows have swept over me.(H)
8 The Lord will send his faithful love by day;(I)
his song will be with me in the night—
a prayer to the God of my life.
9 I will say to God, my rock,(J)
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about in sorrow
because of the enemy’s oppression?” (K)
10 My adversaries taunt me,
as if crushing my bones,
while all day long they say to me,
“Where is your God?” (L)
11 Why, my soul, are you so dejected?
Why are you in such turmoil?
Put your hope in God, for I will still praise him,
my Savior and my God.(M)
Psalm 43[b]
1 Vindicate me, God, and champion my cause
against an unfaithful nation;
rescue me from the deceitful and unjust person.(N)
2 For you are the God of my refuge.
Why have you rejected me?
Why must I go about in sorrow
because of the enemy’s oppression?(O)
3 Send your light and your truth; let them lead me.(P)
Let them bring me to your holy mountain,
to your dwelling place.(Q)
4 Then I will come to the altar of God,
to God, my greatest joy.(R)
I will praise you with the lyre,
God, my God.(S)
5 Why, my soul, are you so dejected?
Why are you in such turmoil?
Put your hope in God, for I will still praise him,
my Savior and my God.(T)
Psalm 44
Israel’s Complaint
For the choir director. A Maskil of the sons of Korah.
1 God, we have heard with our ears—
our ancestors have told us—
the work you accomplished in their days,
in days long ago:(U)
2 In order to plant them,
you displaced the nations by your hand;
in order to settle them,
you brought disaster on the peoples.(V)
3 For they did not take the land by their sword—
their arm did not bring them victory—
but by your right hand, your arm,
and the light of your face,(W)
because you were favorable toward them.(X)
4 You are my King, my God,
who ordains[c] victories for Jacob.(Y)
5 Through you we drive back our foes;
through your name we trample our enemies.(Z)
6 For I do not trust in my bow,
and my sword does not bring me victory.(AA)
7 But you give us victory over our foes
and let those who hate us be disgraced.(AB)
8 We boast in God all day long;(AC)
we will praise your name forever.(AD)Selah
9 But you have rejected and humiliated us;
you do not march out with our armies.(AE)
10 You make us retreat from the foe,
and those who hate us
have taken plunder for themselves.(AF)
11 You hand us over to be eaten like sheep
and scatter us among the nations.(AG)
12 You sell your people for nothing;
you make no profit from selling them.(AH)
13 You make us an object of reproach to our neighbors,
a source of mockery and ridicule to those around us.(AI)
14 You make us a joke among the nations,
a laughingstock[d] among the peoples.(AJ)
15 My disgrace is before me all day long,
and shame has covered my face,(AK)
16 because of the taunts[e] of the scorner and reviler,
because of the enemy and avenger.(AL)
17 All this has happened to us,
but we have not forgotten you
or betrayed your covenant.(AM)
18 Our hearts have not turned back;
our steps have not strayed from your path.(AN)
19 But you have crushed us in a haunt of jackals
and have covered us with deepest darkness.(AO)
20 If we had forgotten the name of our God
and spread out our hands to a foreign god,(AP)
21 wouldn’t God have found this out,
since he knows the secrets of the heart?(AQ)
22 Because of you we are being put to death all day long;
we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered.(AR)
23 Wake up, Lord! Why are you sleeping?
Get up! Don’t reject us forever!(AS)
24 Why do you hide
and forget our affliction and oppression?(AT)
25 For we have sunk down to the dust;
our bodies cling to the ground.(AU)
26 Rise up! Help us!
Redeem us because of your faithful love.(AV)
Psalm 45
A Royal Wedding Song
For the choir director: according to “The Lilies.”(AW) A Maskil of the sons of Korah. A love song.
1 My heart is moved by a noble theme
as I recite my verses to the king;
my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.(AX)
2 You are the most handsome of men;[f]
grace flows from your lips.(AY)
Therefore God has blessed you forever.(AZ)
3 Mighty warrior, strap your sword at your side.
In your majesty and splendor(BA)—
4 in your splendor ride triumphantly
in the cause of truth, humility, and justice.
May your right hand show your awe-inspiring acts.(BB)
5 Your sharpened arrows pierce the hearts of the king’s enemies;
the peoples fall under you.(BC)
6 Your throne,(BD) God, is[g] forever and ever;
the scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of justice.(BE)
7 You love righteousness and hate wickedness;(BF)
therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of joy
more than your companions.
8 Myrrh, aloes, and cassia perfume all your garments;
from ivory palaces harps bring you joy.(BG)
9 Kings’ daughters are among your honored women;(BH)
the queen, adorned with gold from Ophir,
stands at your right hand.(BI)
10 Listen, daughter, pay attention and consider:
Forget your people and your father’s house,(BJ)
11 and the king will desire your beauty.
Bow down to him, for he is your lord.(BK)
12 The daughter of Tyre, the wealthy people,
will seek your favor with gifts.(BL)
13 In her chamber, the royal daughter is all glorious,
her clothing embroidered with gold.(BM)
14 In colorful garments she is led to the king;
after her, the virgins, her companions, are brought to you.(BN)
15 They are led in with gladness and rejoicing;
they enter the king’s palace.(BO)
16 Your sons will succeed your ancestors;
you will make them princes throughout the land.(BP)
17 I will cause your name to be remembered for all generations;
therefore the peoples will praise you forever and ever.(BQ)
Psalm 46
God Our Refuge
For the choir director. A song of the sons of Korah. According to Alamoth.(BR)
1 God is our refuge and strength,
a helper who is always found
in times of trouble.(BS)
2 Therefore we will not be afraid,
though the earth trembles
and the mountains topple
into the depths of the seas,(BT)
3 though its water roars and foams
and the mountains quake with its turmoil.(BU)Selah
4 There is a river—
its streams delight the city of God,
the holy dwelling place of the Most High.(BV)
5 God is within her; she will not be toppled.
God will help her when the morning dawns.(BW)
6 Nations rage, kingdoms topple;
the earth melts when he lifts his voice.(BX)
7 The Lord of Armies is with us;
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.(BY)Selah
8 Come, see the works of the Lord,
who brings devastation on the earth.(BZ)
9 He makes wars cease throughout the earth.
He shatters bows and cuts spears to pieces;
he sets wagons ablaze.(CA)
10 “Stop fighting, and know that I am God,
exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth.”(CB)
11 The Lord of Armies is with us;
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.(CC)Selah
Psalm 47
God Our King
For the choir director. A psalm of the sons of Korah.
1 Clap your hands, all you peoples;(CD)
shout to God with a jubilant cry.(CE)
2 For the Lord, the Most High, is awe-inspiring,
a great King over the whole earth.(CF)
3 He subdues peoples under us
and nations under our feet.(CG)
4 He chooses for us our inheritance—
the pride of Jacob, whom he loves.(CH)Selah
5 God ascends among shouts of joy,
the Lord, with the sound of a ram’s horn.(CI)
6 Sing praise to God, sing praise;
sing praise to our King, sing praise!(CJ)
7 Sing a song of wisdom,[h]
for God is King of the whole earth.(CK)
8 God reigns over the nations;
God is seated on his holy throne.(CL)
9 The nobles of the peoples have assembled
with the people of the God of Abraham.(CM)
For the leaders[i] of the earth belong to God;
he is greatly exalted.(CN)
Psalm 48
Zion Exalted
A song. A psalm of the sons of Korah.
1 The Lord is great and highly praised
in the city of our God.(CO)
His holy mountain, 2 rising splendidly,
is the joy of the whole earth.
Mount Zion—the summit of Zaphon—
is the city of the great King.(CP)
3 God is known as a stronghold
in its citadels.(CQ)
4 Look! The kings assembled;
they advanced together.(CR)
5 They looked and froze with fear;
they fled in terror.(CS)
6 Trembling seized them there,
agony like that of a woman in labor,(CT)
7 as you wrecked the ships of Tarshish
with the east wind.(CU)
8 Just as we heard, so we have seen
in the city of the Lord of Armies,
in the city of our God;
God will establish it forever.(CV)Selah
9 God, within your temple,
we contemplate your faithful love.(CW)
10 Like your name, God, so your praise
reaches to the ends of the earth;(CX)
your right hand is filled with justice.(CY)
11 Mount Zion is glad.
Judah’s villages[j] rejoice
because of your judgments.(CZ)
12 Go around Zion, encircle it;
count its towers,
13 note its ramparts; tour its citadels
so that you can tell a future generation:(DA)
14 “This God, our God forever and ever—
he will always lead us.”[k](DB)
Psalm 49
Misplaced Trust in Wealth
For the choir director. A psalm of the sons of Korah.
1 Hear this, all you peoples;
listen, all who inhabit the world,(DC)
2 both low and high,
rich and poor together.(DD)
3 My mouth speaks wisdom;
my heart’s meditation brings understanding.(DE)
4 I turn my ear to a proverb;
I explain my riddle with a lyre.(DF)
5 Why should I fear in times of trouble?
The iniquity of my foes surrounds me.(DG)
6 They trust in their wealth
and boast of their abundant riches.(DH)
7 Yet these cannot redeem a person[l]
or pay his ransom to God(DI)—
8 since the price of redeeming him is too costly,
one should forever stop trying[m](DJ)—
9 so that he may live forever
and not see the Pit.(DK)
10 For one can see that the wise die;
the foolish and stupid also pass away.(DL)
Then they leave their wealth to others.(DM)
11 Their graves are their permanent homes,[n]
their dwellings from generation to generation,
though they have named estates after themselves.(DN)
12 But despite his assets,[o] mankind will not last;
he is like the animals that perish.(DO)
13 This is the way of those who are arrogant,
and of their followers,
who approve of their words.[p](DP)Selah
14 Like sheep they are headed for Sheol;
Death will shepherd them.
The upright will rule over them in the morning,(DQ)
and their form will waste away in Sheol,[q]
far from their lofty abode.(DR)
15 But God will redeem me
from the power of Sheol,
for he will take me.(DS)Selah
16 Do not be afraid when a person gets rich,
when the wealth[r] of his house increases.(DT)
17 For when he dies, he will take nothing at all;
his wealth will not follow him down.(DU)
18 Though he blesses himself during his lifetime—
and you are acclaimed when you do well for yourself(DV)—
19 he will go to the generation of his ancestors;
they will never see the light.(DW)
20 Mankind, with his assets
but without understanding,
is like the animals that perish.(DX)
Psalm 50
God as Judge
A psalm of Asaph.(DY)
1 The Mighty One, God,[s] the Lord, speaks;
he summons the earth
from the rising of the sun to its setting.(DZ)
2 From Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God appears in radiance.[t](EA)
3 Our God is coming; he will not be silent!
Devouring fire precedes him,
and a storm rages around him.(EB)
4 On high, he summons heaven and earth
in order to judge his people:(EC)
5 “Gather my faithful ones to me,
those who made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”(ED)
6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness,(EE)
for God is the Judge.(EF)Selah
7 “Listen, my people, and I will speak;
I will testify against you, Israel.
I am God, your God.(EG)
8 I do not rebuke you for your sacrifices
or for your burnt offerings,
which are continually before me.(EH)
9 I will not take a bull from your household
or male goats from your pens,(EI)
10 for every animal of the forest is mine,
the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 I know every bird of the mountains,
and the creatures of the field are mine.(EJ)
12 If I were hungry, I would not tell you,
for the world and everything in it is mine.(EK)
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls
or drink the blood of goats?(EL)
14 Offer a thanksgiving sacrifice to God,(EM)
and pay your vows to the Most High.(EN)
15 Call on me in a day of trouble;
I will rescue you, and you will honor me.”(EO)
16 But God says to the wicked:
“What right do you have to recite my statutes
and to take my covenant on your lips?(EP)
17 You hate instruction
and fling my words behind you.(EQ)
18 When you see a thief,
you make friends with him,
and you associate with adulterers.(ER)
19 You unleash your mouth for evil
and harness your tongue for deceit.(ES)
20 You sit, maligning your brother,
slandering your mother’s son.(ET)
21 You have done these things, and I kept silent;
you thought I was just like you.(EU)
But I will rebuke you
and lay out the case before you.[u](EV)
22 “Understand this, you who forget God,
or I will tear you apart,
and there will be no one to rescue you.(EW)
23 Whoever offers a thanksgiving sacrifice honors me,
and whoever orders his conduct,
I will show him the salvation of God.”(EX)
Psalm 51
A Prayer for Restoration
For the choir director. A psalm of David, when the prophet Nathan came to him after he had gone to Bathsheba.(EY)
1 Be gracious to me, God,
according to your faithful love;
according to your abundant compassion,
blot out my rebellion.(EZ)
2 Completely wash away my guilt
and cleanse me from my sin.(FA)
3 For I am conscious of my rebellion,
and my sin is always before me.(FB)
4 Against you—you alone—I have sinned
and done this evil in your sight.(FC)
So you are right when you pass sentence;
you are blameless when you judge.(FD)
5 Indeed, I was guilty when I was born;
I was sinful when my mother conceived me.(FE)
6 Surely you desire integrity in the inner self,
and you teach me wisdom deep within.(FF)
7 Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.(FG)
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.(FH)
9 Turn your face away[v] from my sins
and blot out all my guilt.(FI)
10 God, create a clean heart for me
and renew a steadfast[w] spirit within me.(FJ)
11 Do not banish me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.(FK)
12 Restore the joy of your salvation to me,
and sustain me by giving me a willing spirit.(FL)
13 Then I will teach the rebellious your ways,
and sinners will return to you.(FM)
14 Save me from the guilt of bloodshed, God(FN)—
God of my salvation—
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.(FO)
15 Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.(FP)
16 You do not want a sacrifice, or I would give it;
you are not pleased with a burnt offering.(FQ)
17 The sacrifice pleasing to God is[x] a broken spirit.
You will not despise a broken and humbled heart, God.(FR)
18 In your good pleasure, cause Zion to prosper;
build the walls of Jerusalem.(FS)
19 Then you will delight in righteous sacrifices,
whole burnt offerings;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.(FT)
Psalm 52
God Judges the Proud
For the choir director. A Maskil of David. When Doeg the Edomite went and reported to Saul, telling him, “David went to Ahimelech’s house.”(FU)
1 Why boast about evil, you hero!(FV)
God’s faithful love is constant.(FW)
2 Like a sharpened razor,
your tongue devises destruction,
working treachery.(FX)
3 You love evil instead of good,
lying instead of speaking truthfully.(FY)Selah
4 You love any words that destroy,
you treacherous tongue!(FZ)
5 This is why God will bring you down forever.
He will take you, ripping you out of your tent;
he will uproot you from the land of the living.(GA)Selah
6 The righteous will see and fear,
and they will derisively say about that hero,[y](GB)
7 “Here is the man
who would not make God his refuge,
but trusted in the abundance of his riches,
taking refuge in his destructive behavior.”(GC)
8 But I am like a flourishing olive tree
in the house of God;(GD)
I trust in God’s faithful love forever and ever.(GE)
9 I will praise you forever for what you have done.
In the presence of your faithful people,
I will put my hope in your name, for it is good.(GF)
Psalm 53
A Portrait of Sinners
For the choir director: on Mahalath.(GG) A Maskil of David.
1 The fool says in his heart, “There’s no God.”
They are corrupt, and they do vile deeds.
There is no one who does good.(GH)
2 God looks down from heaven on the human race[z]
to see if there is one who is wise,
one who seeks God.(GI)
3 All have turned away;
all alike have become corrupt.
There is no one who does good,
not even one.(GJ)
4 Will evildoers never understand?
They consume my people as they consume bread;(GK)
they do not call on God.(GL)
5 Then they will be filled with dread—
dread like no other(GM)—
because God will scatter
the bones of those who besiege you.(GN)
You will put them to shame,
for God has rejected them.(GO)
6 Oh, that Israel’s deliverance would come from Zion!
When God restores the fortunes of his people,[aa]
let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.(GP)
Psalm 54
Prayer for Deliverance
For the choir director: with stringed instruments. A Maskil of David. When the Ziphites went and said to Saul, “Is David not hiding among us?” (GQ)
1 God, save me by your name,
and vindicate me by your might!(GR)
2 God, hear my prayer;
listen to the words from my mouth.(GS)
3 For strangers rise up against me,
and violent men intend to kill me.
They do not let God guide them.[ab](GT)Selah
4 God is my helper;
the Lord is the sustainer of my life.[ac](GU)
5 He will repay my adversaries for their evil.
Because of your faithfulness, annihilate them.(GV)
6 I will sacrifice a freewill offering to you.(GW)
I will praise your name, Lord,
because it is good.(GX)
7 For he has rescued me from every trouble,
and my eye has looked down on my enemies.(GY)
Psalm 55
Betrayal by a Friend
For the choir director: with stringed instruments. A Maskil of David.
1 God, listen to my prayer
and do not hide from my plea for help.(GZ)
2 Pay attention to me and answer me.(HA)
I am restless and in turmoil with my complaint,(HB)
3 because of the enemy’s words,[ad]
because of the pressure[ae] of the wicked.
For they bring down disaster on me
and harass me in anger.(HC)
4 My heart shudders within me;(HD)
terrors of death sweep over me.
5 Fear and trembling grip me;
horror has overwhelmed me.(HE)
6 I said, “If only I had wings like a dove!
I would fly away and find rest.(HF)
7 How far away I would flee;
I would stay in the wilderness.(HG)Selah
8 I would hurry to my shelter
from the raging wind and the storm.”(HH)
9 Lord, confuse[af] and confound their speech,[ag](HI)
for I see violence and strife in the city;
10 day and night they make the rounds on its walls.
Crime and trouble are within it;(HJ)
11 destruction is inside it;
oppression and deceit never leave its marketplace.(HK)
12 Now it is not an enemy who insults me—
otherwise I could bear it;
it is not a foe who rises up against me—
otherwise I could hide from him.
13 But it is you, a man who is my peer,
my companion and good friend!(HL)
14 We used to have close fellowship;
we walked with the crowd into the house of God.(HM)
15 Let death take them by surprise;(HN)
let them go down to Sheol alive,
because evil is in their homes and within them.(HO)
16 But I call to God,
and the Lord will save me.(HP)
17 I complain and groan morning, noon, and night,(HQ)
and he hears my voice.(HR)
18 Though many are against me,
he will redeem me from my battle unharmed.(HS)
19 God, the one enthroned from long ago,(HT)
will hear and will humiliate themSelah
because they do not change
and do not fear God.(HU)
20 My friend(HV) acts violently
against those at peace with him;(HW)
he violates his covenant.(HX)
21 His buttery words are smooth,
but war is in his heart.
His words are softer than oil,
but they are drawn swords.(HY)
22 Cast your burden on the Lord,
and he will sustain you;(HZ)
he will never allow the righteous to be shaken.(IA)
23 God, you will bring them down
to the Pit of destruction;(IB)
men of bloodshed and treachery
will not live out half their days.(IC)
But I will trust in you.(ID)
Psalm 56
A Call for God’s Protection
For the choir director: according to “A Silent Dove Far Away.” A Miktam of David. When the Philistines seized him in Gath.(IE)
1 Be gracious to me, God, for a man is trampling me;
he fights and oppresses me all day long.
2 My adversaries trample me all day,
for many arrogantly fight against me.[ah](IF)
3 When I am afraid,
I will trust in you.(IG)
4 In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I will not be afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?(IH)
5 They twist my words all day long;
all their thoughts against me are evil.(II)
6 They stir up strife,[ai] they lurk,
they watch my steps
while they wait to take my life.(IJ)
7 Will they escape in spite of such sin?
God, bring down the nations in wrath.(IK)
8 You yourself have recorded my wanderings.[aj]
Put my tears in your bottle.
Are they not in your book?(IL)
9 Then my enemies will retreat on the day when I call.(IM)
This I know: God is for me.(IN)
10 In God, whose word I praise,
in the Lord, whose word I praise,
11 in God I trust; I will not be afraid.
What can mere humans do to me?(IO)
12 I am obligated by vows[ak] to you, God;
I will make my thanksgiving sacrifices to you.(IP)
13 For you rescued me from death,
even my feet from stumbling,
to walk before God in the light of life.(IQ)
Psalm 57
Praise for God’s Protection
For the choir director: “Do Not Destroy.” A Miktam of David. When he fled before Saul into the cave.(IR)
1 Be gracious to me, God, be gracious to me,
for I take refuge in you.
I will seek refuge in the shadow of your wings
until danger passes.(IS)
2 I call to God Most High,
to God who fulfills his purpose for me.[al](IT)
3 He reaches down from heaven and saves me,
challenging the one who tramples me.(IU)Selah
God sends his faithful love and truth.(IV)
4 I am surrounded by lions;
I lie down among devouring lions—
people whose teeth are spears and arrows,
whose tongues are sharp swords.(IW)
5 God, be exalted above the heavens;
let your glory be over the whole earth.(IX)
6 They prepared a net for my steps;
I was despondent.
They dug a pit ahead of me,
but they fell into it!(IY)Selah
7 My heart is confident, God, my heart is confident.
I will sing; I will sing praises.(IZ)
8 Wake up, my soul!
Wake up, harp and lyre!
I will wake up the dawn.(JA)
9 I will praise you, Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing praises to you among the nations.(JB)
10 For your faithful love is as high as the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches the clouds.(JC)
11 God, be exalted above the heavens;(JD)
let your glory be over the whole earth.(JE)
Psalm 58
A Cry against Injustice
For the choir director: “Do Not Destroy.” A Miktam of David.
1 Do you really speak righteously, you mighty ones?[am]
Do you judge people fairly?(JF)
2 No, you practice injustice in your hearts;
with your hands you weigh out violence in the land.(JG)
3 The wicked go astray from the womb;
liars wander about from birth.(JH)
4 They have venom like the venom of a snake,
like the deaf cobra that stops up its ears,(JI)
5 that does not listen to the sound of the charmers
who skillfully weave spells.(JJ)
6 God, knock the teeth out of their mouths;
Lord, tear out the young lions’ fangs.(JK)
7 May they vanish like water that flows by;
may they aim their blunted arrows.[an](JL)
8 Like a slug that moves along in slime,
like a woman’s miscarried child,
may they not see the sun.(JM)
9 Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns—
whether green or burning—
he will sweep them away.[ao](JN)
10 The righteous one will rejoice
when he sees the retribution;(JO)
he will wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.(JP)
11 Then people will say,
“Yes, there is a reward for the righteous!
There is a God who judges on earth!” (JQ)
Psalm 59
God Our Stronghold
For the choir director: “Do Not Destroy.” A Miktam of David. When Saul sent agents to watch the house and kill him.(JR)
1 Rescue me from my enemies, my God;(JS)
protect me from those who rise up against me.(JT)
2 Rescue me from evildoers,
and save me from men of bloodshed.(JU)
3 Because look, Lord, they set an ambush for me.(JV)
Powerful men attack me,
but not because of any sin or rebellion of mine.(JW)
4 For no fault of mine,
they run and take up a position.
Awake to help me, and take notice.(JX)
5 Lord God of Armies, you are the God of Israel.
Rise up to punish all the nations;
do not show favor to any wicked traitors.(JY)Selah
6 They return at evening, snarling like dogs
and prowling around the city.(JZ)
7 Look, they spew from their mouths—
sharp words from[ap] their lips.(KA)
“For who,” they say, “will hear?” (KB)
8 But you laugh at them, Lord;
you ridicule all the nations.(KC)
9 I will keep watch for you, my[aq] strength,
because God is my stronghold.(KD)
10 My faithful God[ar] will come to meet me;
God will let me look down on my adversaries.(KE)
11 Do not kill them; otherwise, my people will forget.
By your power, make them homeless wanderers(KF)
and bring them down,
Lord, our shield.(KG)
12 For the sin of their mouths and the words of their lips,
let them be caught in their pride.
They utter curses and lies.(KH)
13 Consume them in fury;
consume them until they are gone.(KI)
Then people will know throughout[as] the earth
that God rules over Jacob.(KJ)Selah
14 And they return at evening, snarling like dogs
and prowling around the city.(KK)
15 They scavenge for food;
they growl if they are not satisfied.(KL)
16 But I will sing of your strength
and will joyfully proclaim
your faithful love in the morning.(KM)
For you have been a stronghold for me,
a refuge in my day of trouble.(KN)
17 To you, my strength, I sing praises,
because God is my stronghold—
my faithful God.(KO)
Psalm 60
Prayer in Difficult Times
For the choir director: according to “The Lily of Testimony.”(KP) A Miktam of David for teaching. When he fought with Aram-naharaim and Aram-zobah, and Joab returned and struck Edom in Salt Valley, killing twelve thousand.(KQ)
1 God, you have rejected us;
you have broken us down;
you have been angry. Restore us
2 You have shaken the land and split it open.
Heal its fissures, for it shudders.(KS)
3 You have made your people suffer hardship;
you have given us wine to drink
that made us stagger.(KT)
4 You have given a signal flag to those who fear you,
so that they can flee before the archers.[au](KU)Selah
5 Save with your right hand, and answer me,
so that those you love may be rescued.(KV)
6 God has spoken in his sanctuary:[av]
“I will celebrate!
I will divide up Shechem.(KW)
I will apportion the Valley of Succoth.(KX)
7 Gilead is mine, Manasseh is mine,
and Ephraim is my helmet;(KY)
Judah is my scepter.(KZ)
8 Moab is my washbasin.(LA)
I throw my sandal on Edom;(LB)
I shout in triumph over Philistia.”(LC)
9 Who will bring me to the fortified city?
Who will lead me to Edom?(LD)
10 God, haven’t you rejected us?
God, you do not march out with our armies.(LE)
11 Give us aid against the foe,
for human help is worthless.(LF)
12 With God we will perform valiantly;(LG)
he will trample our foes.(LH)
Psalm 61
Security in God
For the choir director: on stringed instruments. Of David.
1 God, hear my cry;
pay attention to my prayer.(LI)
2 I call to you from the ends of the earth
when my heart is without strength.(LJ)
Lead me to a rock that is high above me,(LK)
3 for you have been a refuge for me,
a strong tower(LL) in the face of the enemy.
4 I will dwell in your tent forever
and take refuge under the shelter of your wings.(LM)Selah
5 God, you have heard my vows;(LN)
you have given a heritage
to those who fear your name.(LO)
6 Add days to the king’s life;
may his years span many generations.(LP)
7 May he sit enthroned before God forever.(LQ)
Appoint faithful love and truth to guard him.(LR)
8 Then I will continually sing of your name,(LS)
fulfilling my vows day by day.(LT)
Psalm 62
Trust in God Alone
For the choir director: according to Jeduthun.(LU) A psalm of David.
1 I am at rest in God alone;
my salvation comes from him.(LV)
2 He alone is my rock and my salvation,(LW)
my stronghold; I will never be shaken.(LX)
3 How long will you threaten a man?
Will all of you attack[aw]
as if he were a leaning wall
or a tottering fence?(LY)
4 They only plan to bring him down
from his high position.
They take pleasure in lying;
they bless with their mouths,
but they curse inwardly.(LZ)Selah
5 Rest in God alone, my soul,
for my hope comes from him.(MA)
6 He alone is my rock and my salvation,(MB)
my stronghold; I will not be shaken.(MC)
7 My salvation and glory depend on God, my strong rock.
My refuge is in God.(MD)
8 Trust in him at all times, you people;
pour out your hearts before him.
God is our refuge.(ME)Selah
9 Common people are only a vapor;
important people, an illusion.
Together on a scale,
they weigh less than[ax] a vapor.(MF)
10 Place no trust in oppression
or false hope in robbery.(MG)
If wealth increases,
don’t set your heart on it.(MH)
11 God has spoken once;
I have heard this twice:
strength belongs to God,(MI)
12 and faithful love belongs to you, Lord.
For you repay each according to his works.(MJ)
Psalm 63
Praise God Who Satisfies
A psalm of David. When he was in the Wilderness of Judah.(MK)
1 God, you are my God; I eagerly seek you.
I thirst for you;
my body faints for you
in a land that is dry, desolate, and without water.(ML)
2 So I gaze on you in the sanctuary
to see your strength and your glory.(MM)
3 My lips will glorify you
because your faithful love is better than life.(MN)
4 So I will bless you as long as I live;
at your name, I will lift up my hands.(MO)
5 You satisfy me as with rich food;[ay](MP)
my mouth will praise you with joyful lips.(MQ)
6 When I think of you as I lie on my bed,
I meditate on you during the night watches(MR)
7 because you are my helper;(MS)
I will rejoice in the shadow of your wings.(MT)
8 I follow close to you;
your right hand holds on to me.(MU)
9 But those who intend to destroy my life
will go into the depths of the earth.(MV)
10 They will be given over to the power of the sword;(MW)
they will become a meal for jackals.
11 But the king will rejoice in God;(MX)
all who swear by him will boast,
for the mouths of liars will be shut.(MY)
Psalm 64
Protection from Evildoers
For the choir director. A psalm of David.
1 God, hear my voice when I am in anguish.(MZ)
Protect my life from the terror of the enemy.(NA)
2 Hide me from the scheming of wicked people,(NB)
from the mob of evildoers,(NC)
3 who sharpen their tongues like swords
and aim bitter words like arrows,(ND)
4 shooting from concealed places at the blameless.
They shoot at him suddenly and are not afraid.(NE)
5 They adopt[az] an evil plan;
they talk about hiding traps and say,
“Who will see them?” [ba](NF)
6 They devise crimes and say,
“We have perfected a secret plan.”(NG)
The inner man and the heart are mysterious.(NH)
7 But God will shoot them with arrows;
suddenly, they will be wounded.(NI)
8 They will be made to stumble;
their own tongues work against them.
All who see them will shake their heads.(NJ)
9 Then everyone will fear
and will tell about God’s work,
for they will understand what he has done.(NK)
10 The righteous one rejoices in the Lord
and takes refuge in him;
all those who are upright in heart
will offer praise.(NL)
Psalm 65
God’s Care for the Earth
For the choir director. A psalm of David. A song.
1 Praise is rightfully yours,[bb]
God, in Zion;
vows to you will be fulfilled.(NM)
2 All humanity will come to you,
the one who hears prayer.(NN)
3 Iniquities overwhelm me;
only you can atone for our rebellions.(NO)
4 How happy is the one you choose
and bring near to live in your courts!
We will be satisfied with the goodness of your house,(NP)
the holiness of your temple.[bc](NQ)
5 You answer us in righteousness,
with awe-inspiring works,
God of our salvation,
the hope of all the ends of the earth
and of the distant seas.(NR)
6 You establish the mountains by your power;
you are robed with strength.(NS)
7 You silence the roar of the seas,
the roar of their waves,
and the tumult of the nations.(NT)
8 Those who live far away are awed by your signs;
you make east and west shout for joy.(NU)
9 You visit the earth and water it abundantly,
enriching it greatly.
God’s stream is filled with water,
for you prepare the earth in this way,
providing people with grain.(NV)
10 You soften it with showers and bless its growth,
soaking its furrows and leveling its ridges.(NW)
11 You crown the year with your goodness;
your carts overflow with plenty.[bd](NX)
12 The wilderness pastures overflow,
and the hills are robed with joy.(NY)
13 The pastures are clothed with flocks
and the valleys covered with grain.(NZ)
They shout in triumph; indeed, they sing.(OA)
Psalm 66
Praise for God’s Mighty Acts
For the choir director. A song. A psalm.
1 Let the whole earth shout joyfully to God!(OB)
2 Sing about the glory of his name;
make his praise glorious.(OC)
3 Say to God, “How awe-inspiring are your works!
Your enemies will cringe before you
because of your great strength.(OD)
4 The whole earth will worship you
and sing praise to you.
They will sing praise to your name.”(OE)Selah
5 Come and see the wonders of God;(OF)
his acts for humanity[be] are awe-inspiring.
6 He turned the sea into dry land,
and they crossed the river on foot.(OG)
There we rejoiced in him.(OH)
7 He rules forever by his might;
he keeps his eye on the nations.(OI)
The rebellious should not exalt themselves.(OJ)Selah
8 Bless our God, you peoples;
let the sound of his praise be heard.(OK)
9 He keeps us alive[bf]
and does not allow our feet to slip.(OL)
10 For you, God, tested us;
you refined us as silver is refined.(OM)
11 You lured us into a trap;
you placed burdens on our backs.(ON)
12 You let men ride over our heads;
we went through fire and water,
but you brought us out to abundance.[bg](OO)
13 I will enter your house with burnt offerings;
I will pay you my vows(OP)
14 that my lips promised
and my mouth spoke during my distress.(OQ)
15 I will offer you fattened sheep as burnt offerings,
with the fragrant smoke of rams;
I will sacrifice bulls with goats.(OR)Selah
16 Come and listen, all who fear God,
and I will tell what he has done for me.(OS)
17 I cried out to him with my mouth,
and praise was on my tongue.(OT)
18 If I had been aware of malice in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened.(OU)
19 However, God has listened;
he has paid attention to the sound of my prayer.(OV)
20 Blessed be God!
He has not turned away my prayer
or turned his faithful love from me.(OW)
Psalm 67
All Will Praise God
For the choir director: with stringed instruments. A psalm. A song.
1 May God be gracious to us and bless us;
may he make his face shine upon us(OX)Selah
2 so that your way may be known on earth,
your salvation among all nations.(OY)
3 Let the peoples praise you, God;
let all the peoples praise you.(OZ)
4 Let the nations rejoice and shout for joy,
for you judge the peoples with fairness
and lead the nations on earth.(PA)Selah
5 Let the peoples praise you, God,
let all the peoples praise you.(PB)
6 The earth has produced its harvest;
God, our God, blesses us.(PC)
7 God will bless us,
and all the ends of the earth will fear him.(PD)
Psalm 68
God’s Majestic Power
For the choir director. A psalm of David. A song.
1 God arises. His enemies scatter,
and those who hate him flee from his presence.(PE)
2 As smoke is blown away,
so you blow them away.
As wax melts before the fire,
so the wicked are destroyed before God.(PF)
3 But the righteous are glad;
they rejoice before God and celebrate with joy.(PG)
4 Sing to God! Sing praises to his name.
Exalt him who rides on the clouds[bh]—
his name is the Lord[bi]—and celebrate before him.(PH)
5 God in his holy dwelling is
a father of the fatherless
and a champion of widows.(PI)
6 God provides homes for those who are deserted.
He leads out the prisoners to prosperity,[bj]
but the rebellious live in a scorched land.(PJ)
7 God, when you went out before your people,
when you marched through the desert,Selah
8 the earth trembled and the skies poured rain
before God, the God of Sinai,[bk]
before God, the God of Israel.(PK)
9 You, God, showered abundant rain;
you revived your inheritance when it languished.(PL)
10 Your people settled in it;
God, you provided for the poor by your goodness.(PM)
11 The Lord gave the command;
a great company of women brought the good news:(PN)
12 “The kings of the armies flee—they flee!”
She who stays at home divides the spoil.(PO)
13 While[bl] you lie among the sheep pens,[bm]
the wings of a dove are covered with silver,
and its feathers with glistening gold.(PP)
14 When the Almighty scattered kings in the land,
it snowed on Zalmon.[bn](PQ)
15 Mount Bashan is God’s towering mountain;
Mount Bashan is a mountain of many peaks.(PR)
16 Why gaze with envy, you mountain peaks,
at the mountain God desired for his abode?
The Lord will dwell there forever!(PS)
17 God’s chariots are tens of thousands,
thousands and thousands;(PT)
the Lord is among them in the sanctuary[bo]
as he was at Sinai.(PU)
18 You ascended to the heights, taking away captives;
you received gifts from[bp] people,
even from the rebellious,
so that the Lord God might dwell there.[bq](PV)
19 Blessed be the Lord!
Day after day he bears our burdens;
God is our salvation.(PW)Selah
20 Our God is a God of salvation,
and escape from death belongs to the Lord my Lord.(PX)
21 Surely God crushes the heads of his enemies,
the hairy brow of one who goes on in his guilty acts.(PY)
22 The Lord said, “I will bring them back from Bashan;
I will bring them back from the depths of the sea(PZ)
23 so that your foot may wade[br] in blood
and your dogs’ tongues may have their share
from the enemies.”(QA)
24 People have seen your procession, God,
the procession of my God,
my King, in the sanctuary.(QB)
25 Singers lead the way,
with musicians following;
among them are young women
playing tambourines.(QC)
26 Bless God in the assemblies;
bless the Lord from the fountain of Israel.(QD)
27 There is Benjamin, the youngest, leading them,
the rulers of Judah in their assembly,[bs]
the rulers of Zebulun, the rulers of Naphtali.(QE)
28 Your God has decreed your strength.
Show your strength, God,
you who have acted on our behalf.(QF)
29 Because of your temple at Jerusalem,
kings will bring tribute to you.(QG)
30 Rebuke the beast in the reeds,
the herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples.(QH)
Trample underfoot those with bars of silver.[bt]
Scatter the peoples who take pleasure in war.(QI)
31 Ambassadors will come[bu] from Egypt;
Cush will stretch out its hands to God.(QJ)
32 Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth;
sing praise to the Lord,(QK)Selah
33 to him who rides in the ancient, highest heavens.(QL)
Look, he thunders with his powerful voice!(QM)
34 Ascribe power to God.
His majesty is over Israel;
his power is among the clouds.(QN)
35 God, you are awe-inspiring in your sanctuaries.
The God of Israel gives power and strength to his people.
Blessed be God!(QO)
Psalm 69
A Plea for Rescue
For the choir director: according to “The Lilies.”(QP) Of David.
1 Save me, God,
for the water has risen to my neck.(QQ)
2 I have sunk in deep mud, and there is no footing;
I have come into deep water,
and a flood sweeps over me.(QR)
3 I am weary from my crying;
my throat is parched.
My eyes fail, looking for my God.(QS)
4 Those who hate me without cause
are more numerous than the hairs of my head;
my deceitful enemies, who would destroy me,
are powerful.(QT)
Though I did not steal, I must repay.(QU)
5 God, you know my foolishness,
and my guilty acts are not hidden from you.(QV)
6 Do not let those who put their hope in you
be disgraced because of me,
Lord God of Armies;
do not let those who seek you
be humiliated because of me,
God of Israel.(QW)
7 For I have endured insults because of you,
and shame has covered my face.(QX)
8 I have become a stranger to my brothers
and a foreigner to my mother’s sons(QY)
9 because zeal for your house has consumed me,(QZ)
and the insults of those who insult you
have fallen on me.(RA)
10 I mourned and fasted,
but it brought me insults.(RB)
11 I wore sackcloth as my clothing,
and I was a joke to them.
12 Those who sit at the city gate talk about me,
and drunkards make up songs about me.(RC)
13 But as for me, Lord,
my prayer to you is for a time of favor.
In your abundant, faithful love, God,
answer me with your sure salvation.(RD)
14 Rescue me from the miry mud; don’t let me sink.
Let me be rescued from those who hate me
and from the deep water.(RE)
15 Don’t let the floodwaters sweep over me
or the deep swallow me up;
don’t let the Pit close its mouth over me.(RF)
16 Answer me, Lord,
for your faithful love is good.
In keeping with your abundant compassion,
turn to me.(RG)
17 Don’t hide your face from your servant,
for I am in distress.
Answer me quickly!(RH)
18 Come near to me and redeem me;
ransom me because of my enemies.(RI)
19 You know the insults I endure—
my shame and disgrace.
You are aware of all my adversaries.(RJ)
20 Insults have broken my heart,
and I am in despair.
I waited for sympathy,
but there was none;
for comforters, but found no one.(RK)
21 Instead, they gave me gall for my food,
and for my thirst
they gave me vinegar to drink.(RL)
22 Let their table set before them be a snare,
and let it be a trap for their allies.(RM)
23 Let their eyes grow too dim to see,
and let their hips continually quake.(RN)
24 Pour out your rage on them,
and let your burning anger overtake them.(RO)
25 Make their fortification desolate;
may no one live in their tents.(RP)
26 For they persecute the one you struck
and talk about the pain of those you wounded.(RQ)
27 Charge them with crime on top of crime;
do not let them share in your righteousness.(RR)
28 Let them be erased from the book of life
and not be recorded with the righteous.(RS)
29 But as for me—poor and in pain—
let your salvation protect me, God.(RT)
30 I will praise God’s name with song
and exalt him with thanksgiving.(RU)
31 That will please the Lord more than an ox,
more than a bull with horns and hooves.(RV)
32 The humble will see it and rejoice.
You who seek God, take heart!(RW)
33 For the Lord listens to the needy
and does not despise
his own who are prisoners.(RX)
34 Let heaven and earth praise him,
the seas and everything that moves in them,(RY)
35 for God will save Zion
and build up[bv] the cities of Judah.
They will live there and possess it.(RZ)
36 The descendants of his servants will inherit it,
and those who love his name will live in it.(SA)
Psalm 70
A Call for Deliverance
For the choir director. Of David. To bring remembrance.(SB)
1 God, hurry to rescue me.
Lord, hurry to help me!(SC)
2 Let those who seek to kill me
be disgraced and confounded;
let those who wish me harm
be turned back and humiliated.
3 Let those who say, “Aha, aha!”
retreat because of their shame.(SD)
4 Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you;
let those who love your salvation
continually say, “God is great!” (SE)
5 I am oppressed and needy;
hurry to me, God.
You are my help and my deliverer;
Lord, do not delay.(SF)
Psalm 71
God’s Help in Old Age
1 Lord, I seek refuge in you;
let me never be disgraced.(SG)
2 In your justice, rescue and deliver me;
listen closely to me and save me.(SH)
3 Be a rock of refuge for me,
where I can always go.
Give the command to save me,
for you are my rock and fortress.(SI)
4 Deliver me, my God, from the power of the wicked,
from the grasp of the unjust and oppressive.(SJ)
5 For you are my hope, Lord God,
my confidence from my youth.(SK)
6 I have leaned on you from birth;
you took me from my mother’s womb.(SL)
My praise is always about you.(SM)
7 I am like a miraculous sign to many,
and you are my strong refuge.(SN)
8 My mouth is full of praise
and honor to you all day long.(SO)
9 Don’t discard me in my old age.
As my strength fails, do not abandon me.(SP)
10 For my enemies talk about me,
and those who spy on me plot together,(SQ)
11 saying, “God has abandoned him;
chase him and catch him,
for there is no one to rescue him.”(SR)
12 God, do not be far from me;
my God, hurry to help me.(SS)
13 May my adversaries be disgraced and destroyed;
may those who intend to harm me
be covered with disgrace and humiliation.(ST)
14 But I will hope continually
and will praise you more and more.(SU)
15 My mouth will tell about your righteousness
and your salvation all day long,
though I cannot sum them up.(SV)
16 I come because of the mighty acts of the Lord God;
I will proclaim your righteousness, yours alone.(SW)
17 God, you have taught me from my youth,
and I still proclaim your wondrous works.(SX)
18 Even while I am old and gray,
God, do not abandon me,(SY)
while I proclaim your power
to another generation,
your strength to all who are to come.(SZ)
19 Your righteousness reaches the heights, God,
you who have done great things;
God, who is like you?(TA)
20 You caused me to experience
many troubles and misfortunes,(TB)
but you will revive me again.(TC)
You will bring me up again,
even from the depths of the earth.(TD)
21 You will increase my honor
and comfort me once again.(TE)
22 Therefore, I will praise you with a harp
for your faithfulness, my God;
I will sing to you with a lyre,
Holy One of Israel.(TF)
23 My lips will shout for joy
when I sing praise to you
because you have redeemed me.(TG)
24 Therefore, my tongue will proclaim
your righteousness all day long,
for those who intend to harm me
will be disgraced and confounded.(TH)
Psalm 72
A Prayer for the King
Of Solomon.(TI)
1 God, give your justice to the king
and your righteousness to the king’s son.(TJ)
2 He will judge your people with righteousness
and your afflicted ones with justice.(TK)
3 May the mountains bring well-being[bw] to the people
and the hills, righteousness.(TL)
4 May he vindicate the afflicted among the people,
help the poor,
and crush the oppressor.(TM)
5 May they fear you[bx] while the sun endures
and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.(TN)
6 May the king be like rain that falls on the cut grass,
like spring showers that water the earth.(TO)
7 May the righteous[by] flourish in his days
and well-being abound
until the moon is no more.(TP)
8 May he rule from sea to sea
and from the Euphrates
to the ends of the earth.(TQ)
9 May desert tribes kneel before him
and his enemies lick the dust.(TR)
10 May the kings of Tarshish
and the coasts and islands bring tribute,
the kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts.(TS)
11 Let all kings bow in homage to him,
all nations serve him.(TT)
12 For he will rescue the poor who cry out
and the afflicted who have no helper.(TU)
13 He will have pity on the poor and helpless
and save the lives of the poor.(TV)
14 He will redeem them from oppression and violence,
for their lives are[bz] precious[ca] in his sight.(TW)
15 May he live long!
May gold from Sheba be given to him.
May prayer be offered for him continually,
and may he be blessed all day long.(TX)
16 May there be plenty of grain in the land;
may it wave on the tops of the mountains.
May its crops be like Lebanon.
May people flourish in the cities
like the grass of the field.(TY)
17 May his name endure forever;
as long as the sun shines,
may his fame increase.
May all nations be blessed by him
and call him blessed.(TZ)
18 Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
who alone does wonders.(UA)
19 Blessed be his glorious name forever;
the whole earth is filled with his glory.(UB)
Amen and amen.
20 The prayers of David son of Jesse are concluded.(UC)
Footnotes
- 42:5–6 Some Hb mss, LXX, Syr; other Hb mss read him, the salvation of his presence. 6 My God, I
- 43:0 Many Hb mss connect Pss 42 and 43
- 44:4 LXX, Syr, Aq; MT reads King, God; ordain
- 44:14 Lit shaking of the head
- 44:16 Lit voice
- 45:2 Or of the descendants of Adam
- 45:6 Or Your divine throne is, or Your throne is God’s
- 47:7 Or Sing a maskil
- 47:9 Lit shields
- 48:11 Lit daughters
- 48:14 Some Hb mss, LXX; other Hb mss read over death
- 49:7 Or Certainly he cannot redeem himself, or Yet he cannot redeem a brother
- 49:8 Or costly, it will cease forever
- 49:11 LXX, Syr, Tg; MT reads Their inner thought is that their houses are eternal
- 49:12 Or honor
- 49:13 Lit and after them with their mouth they were pleased
- 49:14 Hb obscure
- 49:16 Or glory, also in v. 17
- 50:1 Or The God of gods
- 50:2 Or God shines forth
- 50:21 Lit lay it out before your eyes
- 51:9 Lit Hide your face
- 51:10 Or right
- 51:17 Lit The sacrifices of God are
- 52:6 Lit about him
- 53:2 Or the descendants of Adam
- 53:6 Or restores his captive people
- 54:3 Lit They do not set God in front of them
- 54:4 Or is with those who sustain my life
- 55:3 Lit voice
- 55:3 Or threat, or oppression
- 55:9 Or destroy
- 55:9 Lit and divide their tongue
- 56:2 Or many fight against me, O exalted one, or many fight against me from the heights
- 56:6 Or They attack
- 56:8 Or misery
- 56:12 Lit On me the vows
- 57:2 Or who avenges me
- 58:1 Or Can you really speak righteousness in silence?
- 58:7 Hb obscure
- 58:9 Or thorns, he will sweep it away, whether raw or cooking
- 59:7 Lit swords are on
- 59:9 Some Hb mss, LXX, Vg, Tg; other Hb mss read his
- 59:10 Alt Hb tradition reads My God in his faithful love
- 59:13 Lit know to the ends of
- 60:1 Or Turn back to us
- 60:4 Or can rally before the archers, or can rally because of the truth
- 60:6 Or has promised by his holy nature
- 62:3 Some Hb mss read you be struck down
- 62:9 Lit they go up more than
- 63:5 Lit with fat and fatness
- 64:5 Or They strengthen themselves with
- 64:5 Or it
- 65:1 Or Praise is silence to you, or Praise awaits you
- 65:4 Or house, your holy temple
- 65:11 Lit your paths drip with fat
- 66:5 Or for the descendants of Adam
- 66:9 Lit He sets our soul in life
- 66:12 Or a place of satisfaction
- 68:4 Or rides through the desert
- 68:4 Hb Yah
- 68:6 Or prisoners with joyous music; Hb uncertain
- 68:8 Or God, this one of Sinai
- 68:13 Or If
- 68:13 Or the campfires, or the saddlebags; Hb obscure
- 68:14 Or Black Mountain
- 68:17 Or in holiness, also in v. 24
- 68:18 Lit among
- 68:18 Or even those rebelling against the Lord God’s living there; Hb obscure
- 68:23 LXX, Syr read dip
- 68:27 Hb obscure
- 68:30 Or peoples, trampling on those who take pleasure in silver, or peoples, trampling on the bars of silver, or peoples, who trample each other for bars of silver
- 68:31 Or They bring red cloth, or They bring bronze
- 69:35 Or and rebuild
- 72:3 Or peace, also in v. 7
- 72:5 LXX reads May he continue
- 72:7 Some Hb mss, LXX, Syr, Jer read May righteousness
- 72:14 Lit their blood is
- 72:14 Or valuable
Psalm 42-59
New International Version
Psalm 42-59
New International Version
BOOK II
Psalms 42–72
Psalm 42[a][b]
For the director of music. A maskil[c] of the Sons of Korah.
1 As the deer(A) pants for streams of water,(B)
so my soul pants(C) for you, my God.
2 My soul thirsts(D) for God, for the living God.(E)
When can I go(F) and meet with God?
3 My tears(G) have been my food
day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”(H)
4 These things I remember
as I pour out my soul:(I)
how I used to go to the house of God(J)
under the protection of the Mighty One[d]
with shouts of joy(K) and praise(L)
among the festive throng.(M)
5 Why, my soul, are you downcast?(N)
Why so disturbed(O) within me?
Put your hope in God,(P)
for I will yet praise(Q) him,
my Savior(R) and my God.(S)
6 My soul is downcast within me;
therefore I will remember(T) you
from the land of the Jordan,(U)
the heights of Hermon(V)—from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep(W)
in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
have swept over me.(X)
8 By day the Lord directs his love,(Y)
at night(Z) his song(AA) is with me—
a prayer to the God of my life.(AB)
9 I say to God my Rock,(AC)
“Why have you forgotten(AD) me?
Why must I go about mourning,(AE)
oppressed(AF) by the enemy?”(AG)
10 My bones suffer mortal agony(AH)
as my foes taunt(AI) me,
saying to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”(AJ)
11 Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.(AK)
Psalm 43[e]
1 Vindicate me, my God,
and plead my cause(AL)
against an unfaithful nation.
Rescue me(AM) from those who are
deceitful and wicked.(AN)
2 You are God my stronghold.
Why have you rejected(AO) me?
Why must I go about mourning,(AP)
oppressed by the enemy?(AQ)
3 Send me your light(AR) and your faithful care,(AS)
let them lead me;(AT)
let them bring me to your holy mountain,(AU)
to the place where you dwell.(AV)
4 Then I will go(AW) to the altar(AX) of God,
to God, my joy(AY) and my delight.(AZ)
I will praise you with the lyre,(BA)
O God, my God.
5 Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.(BB)
Psalm 44[f]
For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil.[g]
1 We have heard it with our ears,(BC) O God;
our ancestors have told us(BD)
what you did in their days,
in days long ago.(BE)
2 With your hand you drove out(BF) the nations
and planted(BG) our ancestors;
you crushed(BH) the peoples
and made our ancestors flourish.(BI)
3 It was not by their sword(BJ) that they won the land,
nor did their arm bring them victory;
it was your right hand,(BK) your arm,(BL)
and the light(BM) of your face, for you loved(BN) them.
4 You are my King(BO) and my God,(BP)
who decrees[h] victories(BQ) for Jacob.
5 Through you we push back(BR) our enemies;
through your name we trample(BS) our foes.
6 I put no trust in my bow,(BT)
my sword does not bring me victory;
7 but you give us victory(BU) over our enemies,
you put our adversaries to shame.(BV)
8 In God we make our boast(BW) all day long,(BX)
and we will praise your name forever.[i](BY)
9 But now you have rejected(BZ) and humbled us;(CA)
you no longer go out with our armies.(CB)
10 You made us retreat(CC) before the enemy,
and our adversaries have plundered(CD) us.
11 You gave us up to be devoured like sheep(CE)
and have scattered us among the nations.(CF)
12 You sold your people for a pittance,(CG)
gaining nothing from their sale.
13 You have made us a reproach(CH) to our neighbors,(CI)
the scorn(CJ) and derision(CK) of those around us.
14 You have made us a byword(CL) among the nations;
the peoples shake their heads(CM) at us.
15 I live in disgrace(CN) all day long,
and my face is covered with shame(CO)
16 at the taunts(CP) of those who reproach and revile(CQ) me,
because of the enemy, who is bent on revenge.(CR)
17 All this came upon us,
though we had not forgotten(CS) you;
we had not been false to your covenant.
18 Our hearts had not turned(CT) back;
our feet had not strayed from your path.
19 But you crushed(CU) us and made us a haunt for jackals;(CV)
you covered us over with deep darkness.(CW)
20 If we had forgotten(CX) the name of our God
or spread out our hands to a foreign god,(CY)
21 would not God have discovered it,
since he knows the secrets of the heart?(CZ)
22 Yet for your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep(DA) to be slaughtered.(DB)
23 Awake,(DC) Lord! Why do you sleep?(DD)
Rouse yourself!(DE) Do not reject us forever.(DF)
24 Why do you hide your face(DG)
and forget(DH) our misery and oppression?(DI)
25 We are brought down to the dust;(DJ)
our bodies cling to the ground.
26 Rise up(DK) and help us;
rescue(DL) us because of your unfailing love.(DM)
Psalm 45[j]
For the director of music. To the tune of “Lilies.” Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil.[k] A wedding song.(DN)
1 My heart is stirred by a noble theme
as I recite my verses for the king;
my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.
2 You are the most excellent of men
and your lips have been anointed with grace,(DO)
since God has blessed you forever.(DP)
3 Gird your sword(DQ) on your side, you mighty one;(DR)
clothe yourself with splendor and majesty.(DS)
4 In your majesty ride forth victoriously(DT)
in the cause of truth, humility and justice;(DU)
let your right hand(DV) achieve awesome deeds.(DW)
5 Let your sharp arrows(DX) pierce the hearts(DY) of the king’s enemies;(DZ)
let the nations fall beneath your feet.
6 Your throne, O God,[l] will last for ever and ever;(EA)
a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.
7 You love righteousness(EB) and hate wickedness;(EC)
therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
by anointing(ED) you with the oil of joy.(EE)
8 All your robes are fragrant(EF) with myrrh(EG) and aloes(EH) and cassia;(EI)
from palaces adorned with ivory(EJ)
the music of the strings(EK) makes you glad.
9 Daughters of kings(EL) are among your honored women;
at your right hand(EM) is the royal bride(EN) in gold of Ophir.(EO)
10 Listen, daughter,(EP) and pay careful attention:(EQ)
Forget your people(ER) and your father’s house.
11 Let the king be enthralled by your beauty;(ES)
honor(ET) him, for he is your lord.(EU)
12 The city of Tyre(EV) will come with a gift,[m](EW)
people of wealth will seek your favor.
13 All glorious(EX) is the princess within her chamber;
her gown is interwoven with gold.(EY)
14 In embroidered garments(EZ) she is led to the king;(FA)
her virgin companions(FB) follow her—
those brought to be with her.
15 Led in with joy and gladness,(FC)
they enter the palace of the king.
16 Your sons will take the place of your fathers;
you will make them princes(FD) throughout the land.
17 I will perpetuate your memory through all generations;(FE)
therefore the nations will praise you(FF) for ever and ever.(FG)
Psalm 46[n]
For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. According to alamoth.[o] A song.
1 God is our refuge(FH) and strength,(FI)
an ever-present(FJ) help(FK) in trouble.(FL)
2 Therefore we will not fear,(FM) though the earth give way(FN)
and the mountains fall(FO) into the heart of the sea,(FP)
3 though its waters roar(FQ) and foam(FR)
and the mountains quake(FS) with their surging.[p]
4 There is a river(FT) whose streams(FU) make glad the city of God,(FV)
the holy place where the Most High(FW) dwells.(FX)
5 God is within her,(FY) she will not fall;(FZ)
God will help(GA) her at break of day.
6 Nations(GB) are in uproar,(GC) kingdoms(GD) fall;
he lifts his voice,(GE) the earth melts.(GF)
8 Come and see what the Lord has done,(GK)
the desolations(GL) he has brought on the earth.
9 He makes wars(GM) cease
to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow(GN) and shatters the spear;
he burns the shields[q] with fire.(GO)
10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;(GP)
I will be exalted(GQ) among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
Psalm 47[r]
For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.
2 For the Lord Most High(GV) is awesome,(GW)
the great King(GX) over all the earth.
3 He subdued(GY) nations under us,
peoples under our feet.
4 He chose our inheritance(GZ) for us,
the pride of Jacob,(HA) whom he loved.[s]
5 God has ascended(HB) amid shouts of joy,(HC)
the Lord amid the sounding of trumpets.(HD)
6 Sing praises(HE) to God, sing praises;
sing praises to our King, sing praises.
7 For God is the King of all the earth;(HF)
sing to him a psalm(HG) of praise.
8 God reigns(HH) over the nations;
God is seated on his holy throne.(HI)
9 The nobles of the nations assemble
as the people of the God of Abraham,
for the kings[t] of the earth belong to God;(HJ)
he is greatly exalted.(HK)
Psalm 48[u]
A song. A psalm of the Sons of Korah.
1 Great is the Lord,(HL) and most worthy of praise,(HM)
in the city of our God,(HN) his holy mountain.(HO)
2 Beautiful(HP) in its loftiness,
the joy of the whole earth,
like the heights of Zaphon[v](HQ) is Mount Zion,(HR)
the city of the Great King.(HS)
3 God is in her citadels;(HT)
he has shown himself to be her fortress.(HU)
4 When the kings joined forces,
when they advanced together,(HV)
5 they saw her and were astounded;
they fled in terror.(HW)
6 Trembling seized(HX) them there,
pain like that of a woman in labor.(HY)
7 You destroyed them like ships of Tarshish(HZ)
shattered by an east wind.(IA)
8 As we have heard,
so we have seen
in the city of the Lord Almighty,
in the city of our God:
God makes her secure
forever.[w](IB)
9 Within your temple, O God,
we meditate(IC) on your unfailing love.(ID)
10 Like your name,(IE) O God,
your praise reaches to the ends of the earth;(IF)
your right hand is filled with righteousness.
11 Mount Zion rejoices,
the villages of Judah are glad
because of your judgments.(IG)
12 Walk about Zion, go around her,
count her towers,(IH)
13 consider well her ramparts,(II)
view her citadels,(IJ)
that you may tell of them
to the next generation.(IK)
14 For this God is our God for ever and ever;
he will be our guide(IL) even to the end.
Psalm 49[x]
For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.
1 Hear(IM) this, all you peoples;(IN)
listen, all who live in this world,(IO)
2 both low and high,(IP)
rich and poor alike:
3 My mouth will speak words of wisdom;(IQ)
the meditation of my heart will give you understanding.(IR)
4 I will turn my ear to a proverb;(IS)
with the harp(IT) I will expound my riddle:(IU)
5 Why should I fear(IV) when evil days come,
when wicked deceivers surround me—
6 those who trust in their wealth(IW)
and boast(IX) of their great riches?(IY)
7 No one can redeem the life of another
or give to God a ransom for them—
8 the ransom(IZ) for a life is costly,
no payment is ever enough—(JA)
9 so that they should live on(JB) forever
and not see decay.(JC)
10 For all can see that the wise die,(JD)
that the foolish and the senseless(JE) also perish,
leaving their wealth(JF) to others.(JG)
11 Their tombs(JH) will remain their houses[y] forever,
their dwellings for endless generations,(JI)
though they had[z] named(JJ) lands after themselves.
13 This is the fate of those who trust in themselves,(JM)
and of their followers, who approve their sayings.[aa]
14 They are like sheep and are destined(JN) to die;(JO)
death will be their shepherd
(but the upright will prevail(JP) over them in the morning).
Their forms will decay in the grave,
far from their princely mansions.
15 But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead;(JQ)
he will surely take me to himself.(JR)
16 Do not be overawed when others grow rich,
when the splendor of their houses increases;
17 for they will take nothing(JS) with them when they die,
their splendor will not descend with them.(JT)
18 Though while they live they count themselves blessed—(JU)
and people praise you when you prosper—
19 they will join those who have gone before them,(JV)
who will never again see the light(JW) of life.
Psalm 50
A psalm of Asaph.
1 The Mighty One, God, the Lord,(JZ)
speaks and summons the earth
from the rising of the sun to where it sets.(KA)
2 From Zion,(KB) perfect in beauty,(KC)
God shines forth.(KD)
3 Our God comes(KE)
and will not be silent;(KF)
a fire devours(KG) before him,(KH)
and around him a tempest(KI) rages.
4 He summons the heavens above,
and the earth,(KJ) that he may judge his people:(KK)
5 “Gather to me this consecrated people,(KL)
who made a covenant(KM) with me by sacrifice.”
6 And the heavens proclaim(KN) his righteousness,
for he is a God of justice.[ab][ac](KO)
7 “Listen, my people, and I will speak;
I will testify(KP) against you, Israel:
I am God, your God.(KQ)
8 I bring no charges(KR) against you concerning your sacrifices
or concerning your burnt offerings,(KS) which are ever before me.
9 I have no need of a bull(KT) from your stall
or of goats(KU) from your pens,(KV)
10 for every animal of the forest(KW) is mine,
and the cattle on a thousand hills.(KX)
11 I know every bird(KY) in the mountains,
and the insects in the fields(KZ) are mine.
12 If I were hungry I would not tell you,
for the world(LA) is mine, and all that is in it.(LB)
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls
or drink the blood of goats?
14 “Sacrifice thank offerings(LC) to God,
fulfill your vows(LD) to the Most High,(LE)
15 and call(LF) on me in the day of trouble;(LG)
I will deliver(LH) you, and you will honor(LI) me.”
16 But to the wicked person, God says:
“What right have you to recite my laws
or take my covenant(LJ) on your lips?(LK)
17 You hate(LL) my instruction
and cast my words behind(LM) you.
18 When you see a thief, you join(LN) with him;
you throw in your lot with adulterers.(LO)
19 You use your mouth for evil
and harness your tongue to deceit.(LP)
20 You sit and testify against your brother(LQ)
and slander your own mother’s son.
21 When you did these things and I kept silent,(LR)
you thought I was exactly[ad] like you.
But I now arraign(LS) you
and set my accusations(LT) before you.
22 “Consider this, you who forget God,(LU)
or I will tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue you:(LV)
23 Those who sacrifice thank offerings honor me,
and to the blameless[ae] I will show my salvation.(LW)”
Psalm 51[af]
For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.(LX)
1 Have mercy(LY) on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;(LZ)
according to your great compassion(MA)
blot out(MB) my transgressions.(MC)
2 Wash away(MD) all my iniquity
and cleanse(ME) me from my sin.
3 For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.(MF)
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned(MG)
and done what is evil in your sight;(MH)
so you are right in your verdict
and justified when you judge.(MI)
5 Surely I was sinful(MJ) at birth,(MK)
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
6 Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
you taught me wisdom(ML) in that secret place.(MM)
7 Cleanse(MN) me with hyssop,(MO) and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.(MP)
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;(MQ)
let the bones(MR) you have crushed rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins(MS)
and blot out(MT) all my iniquity.
10 Create in me a pure heart,(MU) O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.(MV)
11 Do not cast me(MW) from your presence(MX)
or take your Holy Spirit(MY) from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation(MZ)
and grant me a willing spirit,(NA) to sustain me.(NB)
13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,(NC)
so that sinners(ND) will turn back to you.(NE)
14 Deliver me(NF) from the guilt of bloodshed,(NG) O God,
you who are God my Savior,(NH)
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.(NI)
15 Open my lips, Lord,(NJ)
and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 You do not delight in sacrifice,(NK) or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
17 My sacrifice,(NL) O God, is[ag] a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart(NM)
you, God, will not despise.
18 May it please you to prosper Zion,(NN)
to build up the walls of Jerusalem.(NO)
19 Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous,(NP)
in burnt offerings(NQ) offered whole;
then bulls(NR) will be offered on your altar.
Psalm 52[ah]
For the director of music. A maskil[ai] of David. When Doeg the Edomite(NS) had gone to Saul and told him: “David has gone to the house of Ahimelek.”
1 Why do you boast of evil, you mighty hero?
Why do you boast(NT) all day long,(NU)
you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God?
2 You who practice deceit,(NV)
your tongue plots destruction;(NW)
it is like a sharpened razor.(NX)
3 You love evil(NY) rather than good,
falsehood(NZ) rather than speaking the truth.[aj]
4 You love every harmful word,
you deceitful tongue!(OA)
5 Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin:
He will snatch you up and pluck(OB) you from your tent;
he will uproot(OC) you from the land of the living.(OD)
6 The righteous will see and fear;
they will laugh(OE) at you, saying,
7 “Here now is the man
who did not make God his stronghold(OF)
but trusted in his great wealth(OG)
and grew strong by destroying others!”
8 But I am like an olive tree(OH)
flourishing in the house of God;
I trust(OI) in God’s unfailing love
for ever and ever.
9 For what you have done I will always praise you(OJ)
in the presence of your faithful people.(OK)
And I will hope in your name,(OL)
for your name is good.(OM)
Psalm 53[ak](ON)
For the director of music. According to mahalath.[al] A maskil[am] of David.
1 The fool(OO) says in his heart,
“There is no God.”(OP)
They are corrupt, and their ways are vile;
there is no one who does good.
2 God looks down from heaven(OQ)
on all mankind
to see if there are any who understand,(OR)
any who seek God.(OS)
3 Everyone has turned away, all have become corrupt;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.(OT)
4 Do all these evildoers know nothing?
They devour my people as though eating bread;
they never call on God.
5 But there they are, overwhelmed with dread,
where there was nothing to dread.(OU)
God scattered the bones(OV) of those who attacked you;(OW)
you put them to shame,(OX) for God despised them.(OY)
6 Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
When God restores his people,
let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!
Psalm 54[an]
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A maskil[ao] of David. When the Ziphites(OZ) had gone to Saul and said, “Is not David hiding among us?”
1 Save me(PA), O God, by your name;(PB)
vindicate me by your might.(PC)
2 Hear my prayer, O God;(PD)
listen to the words of my mouth.
3 Arrogant foes are attacking me;(PE)
ruthless people(PF) are trying to kill me(PG)—
people without regard for God.[ap](PH)
6 I will sacrifice a freewill offering(PM) to you;
I will praise(PN) your name, Lord, for it is good.(PO)
7 You have delivered me(PP) from all my troubles,
and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes.(PQ)
Psalm 55[aq]
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A maskil[ar] of David.
1 Listen to my prayer, O God,
do not ignore my plea;(PR)
2 hear me and answer me.(PS)
My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught(PT)
3 because of what my enemy is saying,
because of the threats of the wicked;
for they bring down suffering on me(PU)
and assail(PV) me in their anger.(PW)
4 My heart is in anguish(PX) within me;
the terrors(PY) of death have fallen on me.
5 Fear and trembling(PZ) have beset me;
horror(QA) has overwhelmed me.
6 I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!
I would fly away and be at rest.
7 I would flee far away
and stay in the desert;[as](QB)
8 I would hurry to my place of shelter,(QC)
far from the tempest and storm.(QD)”
9 Lord, confuse the wicked, confound their words,(QE)
for I see violence and strife(QF) in the city.(QG)
10 Day and night they prowl(QH) about on its walls;
malice and abuse are within it.
11 Destructive forces(QI) are at work in the city;
threats and lies(QJ) never leave its streets.
12 If an enemy were insulting me,
I could endure it;
if a foe were rising against me,
I could hide.
13 But it is you, a man like myself,
my companion, my close friend,(QK)
14 with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship(QL)
at the house of God,(QM)
as we walked about
among the worshipers.
15 Let death take my enemies by surprise;(QN)
let them go down alive to the realm of the dead,(QO)
for evil finds lodging among them.
16 As for me, I call to God,
and the Lord saves me.
17 Evening,(QP) morning(QQ) and noon(QR)
I cry out in distress,
and he hears my voice.
18 He rescues me unharmed
from the battle waged against me,
even though many oppose me.
19 God, who is enthroned from of old,(QS)
who does not change—
he will hear(QT) them and humble them,
because they have no fear of God.(QU)
20 My companion attacks his friends;(QV)
he violates his covenant.(QW)
21 His talk is smooth as butter,(QX)
yet war is in his heart;
his words are more soothing than oil,(QY)
yet they are drawn swords.(QZ)
22 Cast your cares on the Lord
and he will sustain you;(RA)
he will never let
the righteous be shaken.(RB)
23 But you, God, will bring down the wicked
into the pit(RC) of decay;
the bloodthirsty and deceitful(RD)
will not live out half their days.(RE)
But as for me, I trust in you.(RF)
Psalm 56[at]
For the director of music. To the tune of “A Dove on Distant Oaks.” Of David. A miktam.[au] When the Philistines had seized him in Gath.
1 Be merciful to me,(RG) my God,
for my enemies are in hot pursuit;(RH)
all day long they press their attack.(RI)
2 My adversaries pursue me all day long;(RJ)
in their pride many are attacking me.(RK)
3 When I am afraid,(RL) I put my trust in you.(RM)
4 In God, whose word I praise—(RN)
in God I trust and am not afraid.(RO)
What can mere mortals do to me?(RP)
5 All day long they twist my words;(RQ)
all their schemes are for my ruin.
6 They conspire,(RR) they lurk,
they watch my steps,(RS)
hoping to take my life.(RT)
7 Because of their wickedness do not[av] let them escape;(RU)
in your anger, God, bring the nations down.(RV)
8 Record my misery;
list my tears on your scroll[aw](RW)—
are they not in your record?(RX)
9 Then my enemies will turn back(RY)
when I call for help.(RZ)
By this I will know that God is for me.(SA)
10 In God, whose word I praise,
in the Lord, whose word I praise—
11 in God I trust and am not afraid.
What can man do to me?
12 I am under vows(SB) to you, my God;
I will present my thank offerings to you.
13 For you have delivered me from death(SC)
and my feet from stumbling,
that I may walk before God
in the light of life.(SD)
Psalm 57[ax](SE)
For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.[ay] When he had fled from Saul into the cave.(SF)
1 Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me,
for in you I take refuge.(SG)
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings(SH)
until the disaster has passed.(SI)
2 I cry out to God Most High,
to God, who vindicates me.(SJ)
3 He sends from heaven and saves me,(SK)
rebuking those who hotly pursue me—[az](SL)
God sends forth his love and his faithfulness.(SM)
4 I am in the midst of lions;(SN)
I am forced to dwell among ravenous beasts—
men whose teeth are spears and arrows,
whose tongues are sharp swords.(SO)
5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth.(SP)
6 They spread a net for my feet(SQ)—
I was bowed down(SR) in distress.
They dug a pit(SS) in my path—
but they have fallen into it themselves.(ST)
7 My heart, O God, is steadfast,
my heart is steadfast;(SU)
I will sing and make music.
8 Awake, my soul!
Awake, harp and lyre!(SV)
I will awaken the dawn.
9 I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
I will sing of you among the peoples.
10 For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies.(SW)
Psalm 58[ba]
For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.[bb]
1 Do you rulers indeed speak justly?(SZ)
Do you judge people with equity?
2 No, in your heart you devise injustice,(TA)
and your hands mete out violence on the earth.(TB)
3 Even from birth the wicked go astray;
from the womb they are wayward, spreading lies.
4 Their venom is like the venom of a snake,(TC)
like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears,
5 that will not heed(TD) the tune of the charmer,(TE)
however skillful the enchanter may be.
6 Break the teeth in their mouths, O God;(TF)
Lord, tear out the fangs of those lions!(TG)
7 Let them vanish like water that flows away;(TH)
when they draw the bow, let their arrows fall short.(TI)
8 May they be like a slug that melts away as it moves along,(TJ)
like a stillborn child(TK) that never sees the sun.
9 Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns(TL)—
whether they be green or dry—the wicked will be swept away.[bc](TM)
10 The righteous will be glad(TN) when they are avenged,(TO)
when they dip their feet in the blood of the wicked.(TP)
11 Then people will say,
“Surely the righteous still are rewarded;(TQ)
surely there is a God who judges the earth.”(TR)
Psalm 59[bd]
For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.[be] When Saul had sent men to watch David’s house(TS) in order to kill him.
1 Deliver me from my enemies, O God;(TT)
be my fortress against those who are attacking me.(TU)
2 Deliver me from evildoers(TV)
and save me from those who are after my blood.(TW)
3 See how they lie in wait for me!
Fierce men conspire(TX) against me
for no offense or sin of mine, Lord.
4 I have done no wrong,(TY) yet they are ready to attack me.(TZ)
Arise to help me; look on my plight!(UA)
5 You, Lord God Almighty,
you who are the God of Israel,(UB)
rouse yourself(UC) to punish all the nations;(UD)
show no mercy to wicked traitors.[bf](UE)
6 They return at evening,
snarling like dogs,(UF)
and prowl about the city.
7 See what they spew from their mouths(UG)—
the words from their lips are sharp as swords,(UH)
and they think, “Who can hear us?”(UI)
8 But you laugh at them, Lord;(UJ)
you scoff at all those nations.(UK)
9 You are my strength,(UL) I watch for you;
you, God, are my fortress,(UM)
10 my God on whom I can rely.
God will go before me
and will let me gloat over those who slander me.
11 But do not kill them, Lord our shield,[bg](UN)
or my people will forget.(UO)
In your might uproot them
and bring them down.(UP)
12 For the sins of their mouths,(UQ)
for the words of their lips,(UR)
let them be caught in their pride.(US)
For the curses and lies they utter,
13 consume them in your wrath,
consume them till they are no more.(UT)
Then it will be known to the ends of the earth
that God rules over Jacob.(UU)
14 They return at evening,
snarling like dogs,
and prowl about the city.
15 They wander about for food(UV)
and howl if not satisfied.
Footnotes
- Psalm 42:1 In many Hebrew manuscripts Psalms 42 and 43 constitute one psalm.
- Psalm 42:1 In Hebrew texts 42:1-11 is numbered 42:2-12.
- Psalm 42:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 42:4 See Septuagint and Syriac; the meaning of the Hebrew for this line is uncertain.
- Psalm 43:1 In many Hebrew manuscripts Psalms 42 and 43 constitute one psalm.
- Psalm 44:1 In Hebrew texts 44:1-26 is numbered 44:2-27.
- Psalm 44:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 44:4 Septuagint, Aquila and Syriac; Hebrew King, O God; / command
- Psalm 44:8 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
- Psalm 45:1 In Hebrew texts 45:1-17 is numbered 45:2-18.
- Psalm 45:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 45:6 Here the king is addressed as God’s representative.
- Psalm 45:12 Or A Tyrian robe is among the gifts
- Psalm 46:1 In Hebrew texts 46:1-11 is numbered 46:2-12.
- Psalm 46:1 Title: Probably a musical term
- Psalm 46:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 7 and 11.
- Psalm 46:9 Or chariots
- Psalm 47:1 In Hebrew texts 47:1-9 is numbered 47:2-10.
- Psalm 47:4 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
- Psalm 47:9 Or shields
- Psalm 48:1 In Hebrew texts 48:1-14 is numbered 48:2-15.
- Psalm 48:2 Zaphon was the most sacred mountain of the Canaanites.
- Psalm 48:8 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
- Psalm 49:1 In Hebrew texts 49:1-20 is numbered 49:2-21.
- Psalm 49:11 Septuagint and Syriac; Hebrew In their thoughts their houses will remain
- Psalm 49:11 Or generations, / for they have
- Psalm 49:13 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 15.
- Psalm 50:6 With a different word division of the Hebrew; Masoretic Text for God himself is judge
- Psalm 50:6 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
- Psalm 50:21 Or thought the ‘I am’ was
- Psalm 50:23 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; the meaning of the Masoretic Text for this phrase is uncertain.
- Psalm 51:1 In Hebrew texts 51:1-19 is numbered 51:3-21.
- Psalm 51:17 Or The sacrifices of God are
- Psalm 52:1 In Hebrew texts 52:1-9 is numbered 52:3-11.
- Psalm 52:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 52:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 5.
- Psalm 53:1 In Hebrew texts 53:1-6 is numbered 53:2-7.
- Psalm 53:1 Title: Probably a musical term
- Psalm 53:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 54:1 In Hebrew texts 54:1-7 is numbered 54:3-9.
- Psalm 54:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 54:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
- Psalm 55:1 In Hebrew texts 55:1-23 is numbered 55:2-24.
- Psalm 55:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 55:7 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and in the middle of verse 19.
- Psalm 56:1 In Hebrew texts 56:1-13 is numbered 56:2-14.
- Psalm 56:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 56:7 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text does not have do not.
- Psalm 56:8 Or misery; / put my tears in your wineskin
- Psalm 57:1 In Hebrew texts 57:1-11 is numbered 57:2-12.
- Psalm 57:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 57:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 6.
- Psalm 58:1 In Hebrew texts 58:1-11 is numbered 58:2-12.
- Psalm 58:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 58:9 The meaning of the Hebrew for this verse is uncertain.
- Psalm 59:1 In Hebrew texts 59:1-17 is numbered 59:2-18.
- Psalm 59:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 59:5 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 13.
- Psalm 59:11 Or sovereign
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