Psalm 68[a]

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

May God arise,(A) may his enemies be scattered;(B)
    may his foes flee(C) before him.
May you blow them away like smoke—(D)
    as wax melts(E) before the fire,
    may the wicked perish(F) before God.
But may the righteous be glad
    and rejoice(G) before God;
    may they be happy and joyful.

Sing to God, sing in praise of his name,(H)
    extol him who rides on the clouds[b](I);
    rejoice before him—his name is the Lord.(J)
A father to the fatherless,(K) a defender of widows,(L)
    is God in his holy dwelling.(M)
God sets the lonely(N) in families,[c](O)
    he leads out the prisoners(P) with singing;
    but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.(Q)

When you, God, went out(R) before your people,
    when you marched through the wilderness,[d](S)
the earth shook,(T) the heavens poured down rain,(U)
    before God, the One of Sinai,(V)
    before God, the God of Israel.(W)
You gave abundant showers,(X) O God;
    you refreshed your weary inheritance.
10 Your people settled in it,
    and from your bounty,(Y) God, you provided(Z) for the poor.

11 The Lord announces the word,
    and the women who proclaim it are a mighty throng:(AA)
12 “Kings and armies flee(AB) in haste;
    the women at home divide the plunder.(AC)
13 Even while you sleep among the sheep pens,[e](AD)
    the wings of my dove are sheathed with silver,
    its feathers with shining gold.”
14 When the Almighty[f] scattered(AE) the kings in the land,
    it was like snow fallen on Mount Zalmon.(AF)

15 Mount Bashan,(AG) majestic mountain,(AH)
    Mount Bashan, rugged mountain,
16 why gaze in envy, you rugged mountain,
    at the mountain where God chooses(AI) to reign,
    where the Lord himself will dwell forever?(AJ)
17 The chariots(AK) of God are tens of thousands
    and thousands of thousands;(AL)
    the Lord has come from Sinai into his sanctuary.[g]
18 When you ascended(AM) on high,(AN)
    you took many captives;(AO)
    you received gifts from people,(AP)
even from[h] the rebellious(AQ)
    that you,[i] Lord God, might dwell there.

19 Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior,(AR)
    who daily bears our burdens.(AS)
20 Our God is a God who saves;(AT)
    from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death.(AU)
21 Surely God will crush the heads(AV) of his enemies,
    the hairy crowns of those who go on in their sins.
22 The Lord says, “I will bring them from Bashan;
    I will bring them from the depths of the sea,(AW)
23 that your feet may wade in the blood of your foes,(AX)
    while the tongues of your dogs(AY) have their share.”

24 Your procession, God, has come into view,
    the procession of my God and King into the sanctuary.(AZ)
25 In front are the singers,(BA) after them the musicians;(BB)
    with them are the young women playing the timbrels.(BC)
26 Praise God in the great congregation;(BD)
    praise the Lord in the assembly of Israel.(BE)
27 There is the little tribe(BF) of Benjamin,(BG) leading them,
    there the great throng of Judah’s princes,
    and there the princes of Zebulun and of Naphtali.(BH)

28 Summon your power,(BI) God[j];
    show us your strength,(BJ) our God, as you have done(BK) before.
29 Because of your temple at Jerusalem
    kings will bring you gifts.(BL)
30 Rebuke the beast(BM) among the reeds,(BN)
    the herd of bulls(BO) among the calves of the nations.
Humbled, may the beast bring bars of silver.
    Scatter the nations(BP) who delight in war.(BQ)
31 Envoys will come from Egypt;(BR)
    Cush[k](BS) will submit herself to God.

32 Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth,(BT)
    sing praise(BU) to the Lord,
33 to him who rides(BV) across the highest heavens, the ancient heavens,
    who thunders(BW) with mighty voice.(BX)
34 Proclaim the power(BY) of God,
    whose majesty(BZ) is over Israel,
    whose power is in the heavens.
35 You, God, are awesome(CA) in your sanctuary;(CB)
    the God of Israel gives power and strength(CC) to his people.(CD)

Praise be to God!(CE)

Psalm 69[l]

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

Save me, O God,
    for the waters(CF) have come up to my neck.(CG)
I sink in the miry depths,(CH)
    where there is no foothold.
I have come into the deep waters;
    the floods engulf me.
I am worn out calling for help;(CI)
    my throat is parched.
My eyes fail,(CJ)
    looking for my God.
Those who hate me(CK) without reason(CL)
    outnumber the hairs of my head;
many are my enemies without cause,(CM)
    those who seek to destroy me.(CN)
I am forced to restore
    what I did not steal.

You, God, know my folly;(CO)
    my guilt is not hidden from you.(CP)

Lord, the Lord Almighty,
    may those who hope in you
    not be disgraced because of me;
God of Israel,
    may those who seek you
    not be put to shame because of me.
For I endure scorn(CQ) for your sake,(CR)
    and shame covers my face.(CS)
I am a foreigner to my own family,
    a stranger to my own mother’s children;(CT)
for zeal for your house consumes me,(CU)
    and the insults of those who insult you fall on me.(CV)
10 When I weep and fast,(CW)
    I must endure scorn;
11 when I put on sackcloth,(CX)
    people make sport of me.
12 Those who sit at the gate(CY) mock me,
    and I am the song of the drunkards.(CZ)

13 But I pray to you, Lord,
    in the time of your favor;(DA)
in your great love,(DB) O God,
    answer me with your sure salvation.
14 Rescue me from the mire,
    do not let me sink;
deliver me from those who hate me,
    from the deep waters.(DC)
15 Do not let the floodwaters(DD) engulf me
    or the depths swallow me up(DE)
    or the pit close its mouth over me.(DF)

16 Answer me, Lord, out of the goodness of your love;(DG)
    in your great mercy turn to me.
17 Do not hide your face(DH) from your servant;
    answer me quickly,(DI) for I am in trouble.(DJ)
18 Come near and rescue me;
    deliver(DK) me because of my foes.

19 You know how I am scorned,(DL) disgraced and shamed;
    all my enemies are before you.
20 Scorn has broken my heart
    and has left me helpless;
I looked for sympathy, but there was none,
    for comforters,(DM) but I found none.(DN)
21 They put gall in my food
    and gave me vinegar(DO) for my thirst.(DP)

22 May the table set before them become a snare;
    may it become retribution and[m] a trap.(DQ)
23 May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see,
    and their backs be bent forever.(DR)
24 Pour out your wrath(DS) on them;
    let your fierce anger overtake them.
25 May their place be deserted;(DT)
    let there be no one to dwell in their tents.(DU)
26 For they persecute those you wound
    and talk about the pain of those you hurt.(DV)
27 Charge them with crime upon crime;(DW)
    do not let them share in your salvation.(DX)
28 May they be blotted out of the book of life(DY)
    and not be listed with the righteous.(DZ)

29 But as for me, afflicted and in pain—
    may your salvation, God, protect me.(EA)

30 I will praise God’s name in song(EB)
    and glorify him(EC) with thanksgiving.
31 This will please the Lord more than an ox,
    more than a bull with its horns and hooves.(ED)
32 The poor will see and be glad(EE)
    you who seek God, may your hearts live!(EF)
33 The Lord hears the needy(EG)
    and does not despise his captive people.

34 Let heaven and earth praise him,
    the seas and all that move in them,(EH)
35 for God will save Zion(EI)
    and rebuild the cities of Judah.(EJ)
Then people will settle there and possess it;
36     the children of his servants will inherit it,(EK)
    and those who love his name will dwell there.(EL)

Psalm 70[n](EM)

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

Hasten, O God, to save me;
    come quickly, Lord, to help me.(EN)

May those who want to take my life(EO)
    be put to shame and confusion;
may all who desire my ruin
    be turned back in disgrace.(EP)
May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”(EQ)
    turn back because of their shame.
But may all who seek you(ER)
    rejoice and be glad(ES) in you;
may those who long for your saving help always say,
    “The Lord is great!”(ET)

But as for me, I am poor and needy;(EU)
    come quickly to me,(EV) O God.
You are my help(EW) and my deliverer;(EX)
    Lord, do not delay.(EY)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 68:1 In Hebrew texts 68:1-35 is numbered 68:2-36.
  2. Psalm 68:4 Or name, / prepare the way for him who rides through the deserts
  3. Psalm 68:6 Or the desolate in a homeland
  4. Psalm 68:7 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 19 and 32.
  5. Psalm 68:13 Or the campfires; or the saddlebags
  6. Psalm 68:14 Hebrew Shaddai
  7. Psalm 68:17 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text Lord is among them at Sinai in holiness
  8. Psalm 68:18 Or gifts for people, / even
  9. Psalm 68:18 Or they
  10. Psalm 68:28 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint and Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts Your God has summoned power for you
  11. Psalm 68:31 That is, the upper Nile region
  12. Psalm 69:1 In Hebrew texts 69:1-36 is numbered 69:2-37.
  13. Psalm 69:22 Or snare / and their fellowship become
  14. Psalm 70:1 In Hebrew texts 70:1-5 is numbered 70:2-6.

Psalm 86

A prayer of David.

Hear me, Lord, and answer(A) me,
    for I am poor and needy.
Guard my life, for I am faithful to you;
    save your servant who trusts in you.(B)
You are my God; have mercy(C) on me, Lord,
    for I call(D) to you all day long.
Bring joy to your servant, Lord,
    for I put my trust(E) in you.

You, Lord, are forgiving and good,
    abounding in love(F) to all who call to you.
Hear my prayer, Lord;
    listen to my cry(G) for mercy.
When I am in distress,(H) I call(I) to you,
    because you answer(J) me.

Among the gods(K) there is none like you,(L) Lord;
    no deeds can compare with yours.
All the nations you have made
    will come(M) and worship(N) before you, Lord;
    they will bring glory(O) to your name.
10 For you are great(P) and do marvelous deeds;(Q)
    you alone(R) are God.

11 Teach me your way,(S) Lord,
    that I may rely on your faithfulness;(T)
give me an undivided(U) heart,
    that I may fear(V) your name.
12 I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart;(W)
    I will glorify your name forever.
13 For great is your love toward me;
    you have delivered me(X) from the depths,
    from the realm of the dead.(Y)

14 Arrogant foes are attacking me, O God;
    ruthless people are trying to kill me—
    they have no regard for you.(Z)
15 But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious(AA) God,
    slow to anger,(AB) abounding(AC) in love and faithfulness.(AD)
16 Turn to me(AE) and have mercy(AF) on me;
    show your strength(AG) in behalf of your servant;
save me, because I serve you
    just as my mother did.(AH)
17 Give me a sign(AI) of your goodness,
    that my enemies may see it and be put to shame,
    for you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.

Psalm 101

Of David. A psalm.

I will sing of your love(A) and justice;
    to you, Lord, I will sing praise.
I will be careful to lead a blameless life(B)
    when will you come to me?

I will conduct the affairs(C) of my house
    with a blameless heart.
I will not look with approval
    on anything that is vile.(D)

I hate what faithless people do;(E)
    I will have no part in it.
The perverse of heart(F) shall be far from me;
    I will have nothing to do with what is evil.

Whoever slanders their neighbor(G) in secret,
    I will put to silence;
whoever has haughty eyes(H) and a proud heart,
    I will not tolerate.

My eyes will be on the faithful in the land,
    that they may dwell with me;
the one whose walk is blameless(I)
    will minister to me.

No one who practices deceit
    will dwell in my house;
no one who speaks falsely
    will stand in my presence.

Every morning(J) I will put to silence
    all the wicked(K) in the land;
I will cut off every evildoer(L)
    from the city of the Lord.(M)

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