BOOK I

Psalms 1–41

Psalm 1

1Blessed is the one

who does not walk in step with the wicked

or stand in the way that sinners take

or sit in the company of mockers,

2but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,

and who meditates on his law day and night.

3That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,

which yields its fruit in season

and whose leaf does not wither—

whatever they do prospers.

4Not so the wicked!

They are like chaff

that the wind blows away.

5Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,

nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

6For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,

but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.

Psalm 2

1Why do the nations conspire

and the peoples plot in vain?

2The kings of the earth rise up

and the rulers band together

against the Lord and against his anointed, saying,

3“Let us break their chains

and throw off their shackles.”

4The One enthroned in heaven laughs;

the Lord scoffs at them.

5He rebukes them in his anger

and terrifies them in his wrath, saying,

6“I have installed my king

on Zion, my holy mountain.”

7I will proclaim the Lord’s decree:

He said to me, “You are my son;

today I have become your father.

8Ask me,

and I will make the nations your inheritance,

the ends of the earth your possession.

9You will break them with a rod of iron;

you will dash them to pieces like pottery.”

10Therefore, you kings, be wise;

be warned, you rulers of the earth.

11Serve the Lord with fear

and celebrate his rule with trembling.

12Kiss his son, or he will be angry

and your way will lead to your destruction,

for his wrath can flare up in a moment.

Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Psalm 3

A psalm of David. When he fled from his son Absalom.

1Lord, how many are my foes!

How many rise up against me!

2Many are saying of me,

“God will not deliver him.”

3But you, Lord, are a shield around me,

my glory, the One who lifts my head high.

4I call out to the Lord,

and he answers me from his holy mountain.

5I lie down and sleep;

I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.

6I will not fear though tens of thousands

assail me on every side.

7Arise, Lord!

Deliver me, my God!

Strike all my enemies on the jaw;

break the teeth of the wicked.

8From the Lord comes deliverance.

May your blessing be on your people.

Psalm 4

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm of David.

1Answer me when I call to you,

my righteous God.

Give me relief from my distress;

have mercy on me and hear my prayer.

2How long will you people turn my glory into shame?

How long will you love delusions and seek false gods?

3Know that the Lord has set apart his faithful servant for himself;

the Lord hears when I call to him.

4Tremble and do not sin;

when you are on your beds,

search your hearts and be silent.

5Offer the sacrifices of the righteous

and trust in the Lord.

6Many, Lord, are asking, “Who will bring us prosperity?”

Let the light of your face shine on us.

7Fill my heart with joy

when their grain and new wine abound.

8In peace I will lie down and sleep,

for you alone, Lord,

make me dwell in safety.

Psalm 5

For the director of music. For pipes. A psalm of David.

1Listen to my words, Lord,

consider my lament.

2Hear my cry for help,

my King and my God,

for to you I pray.

3In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice;

in the morning I lay my requests before you

and wait expectantly.

4For you are not a God who is pleased with wickedness;

with you, evil people are not welcome.

5The arrogant cannot stand

in your presence.

You hate all who do wrong;

6you destroy those who tell lies.

The bloodthirsty and deceitful

you, Lord, detest.

7But I, by your great love,

can come into your house;

in reverence I bow down

toward your holy temple.

8Lead me, Lord, in your righteousness

because of my enemies—

make your way straight before me.

9Not a word from their mouth can be trusted;

their heart is filled with malice.

Their throat is an open grave;

with their tongues they tell lies.

10Declare them guilty, O God!

Let their intrigues be their downfall.

Banish them for their many sins,

for they have rebelled against you.

11But let all who take refuge in you be glad;

let them ever sing for joy.

Spread your protection over them,

that those who love your name may rejoice in you.

12Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous;

you surround them with your favor as with a shield.

Psalm 6

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. According to sheminith. A psalm of David.

1Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger

or discipline me in your wrath.

2Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am faint;

heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony.

3My soul is in deep anguish.

How long, Lord, how long?

4Turn, Lord, and deliver me;

save me because of your unfailing love.

5Among the dead no one proclaims your name.

Who praises you from the grave?

6I am worn out from my groaning.

All night long I flood my bed with weeping

and drench my couch with tears.

7My eyes grow weak with sorrow;

they fail because of all my foes.

8Away from me, all you who do evil,

for the Lord has heard my weeping.

9The Lord has heard my cry for mercy;

the Lord accepts my prayer.

10All my enemies will be overwhelmed with shame and anguish;

they will turn back and suddenly be put to shame.

Psalm 7

A shiggaion of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning Cush, a Benjamite.

1Lord my God, I take refuge in you;

save and deliver me from all who pursue me,

2or they will tear me apart like a lion

and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue me.

3Lord my God, if I have done this

and there is guilt on my hands—

4if I have repaid my ally with evil

or without cause have robbed my foe—

5then let my enemy pursue and overtake me;

let him trample my life to the ground

and make me sleep in the dust.

6Arise, Lord, in your anger;

rise up against the rage of my enemies.

Awake, my God; decree justice.

7Let the assembled peoples gather around you,

while you sit enthroned over them on high.

8Let the Lord judge the peoples.

Vindicate me, Lord, according to my righteousness,

according to my integrity, O Most High.

9Bring to an end the violence of the wicked

and make the righteous secure—

you, the righteous God

who probes minds and hearts.

10My shield is God Most High,

who saves the upright in heart.

11God is a righteous judge,

a God who displays his wrath every day.

12If he does not relent,

he will sharpen his sword;

he will bend and string his bow.

13He has prepared his deadly weapons;

he makes ready his flaming arrows.

14Whoever is pregnant with evil

conceives trouble and gives birth to disillusionment.

15Whoever digs a hole and scoops it out

falls into the pit they have made.

16The trouble they cause recoils on them;

their violence comes down on their own heads.

17I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness;

I will sing the praises of the name of the Lord Most High.

Psalm 8In Hebrew texts 8:1-9 is numbered 8:2-10.

For the director of music. According to gittith.Title: Probably a musical term A psalm of David.

1Lord, our Lord,

how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory

in the heavens.

2Through the praise of children and infants

you have established a stronghold against your enemies,

to silence the foe and the avenger.

3When I consider your heavens,

the work of your fingers,

the moon and the stars,

which you have set in place,

4what is mankind that you are mindful of them,

human beings that you care for them?8:4 Or what is a human being that you are mindful of him, / a son of man that you care for him?

5You have made them8:5 Or him a little lower than the angels8:5 Or than God

and crowned them8:5 Or him with glory and honor.

6You made them rulers over the works of your hands;

you put everything under their8:6 Or made him ruler…; / …his feet:

7all flocks and herds,

and the animals of the wild,

8the birds in the sky,

and the fish in the sea,

all that swim the paths of the seas.

9Lord, our Lord,

how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Psalm 9

For the director of music. To the tune of “The Death of the Son.” A psalm of David.

1I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart;

I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.

2I will be glad and rejoice in you;

I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High.

3My enemies turn back;

they stumble and perish before you.

4For you have upheld my right and my cause,

sitting enthroned as the righteous judge.

5You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked;

you have blotted out their name for ever and ever.

6Endless ruin has overtaken my enemies,

you have uprooted their cities;

even the memory of them has perished.

7The Lord reigns forever;

he has established his throne for judgment.

8He rules the world in righteousness

and judges the peoples with equity.

9The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed,

a stronghold in times of trouble.

10Those who know your name trust in you,

for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.

11Sing the praises of the Lord, enthroned in Zion;

proclaim among the nations what he has done.

12For he who avenges blood remembers;

he does not ignore the cries of the afflicted.

13Lord, see how my enemies persecute me!

Have mercy and lift me up from the gates of death,

14that I may declare your praises

in the gates of Daughter Zion,

and there rejoice in your salvation.

15The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug;

their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.

16The Lord is known by his acts of justice;

the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands.

17The wicked go down to the realm of the dead,

all the nations that forget God.

18But God will never forget the needy;

the hope of the afflicted will never perish.

19Arise, Lord, do not let mortals triumph;

let the nations be judged in your presence.

20Strike them with terror, Lord;

let the nations know they are only mortal.

Psalm 10

1Why, Lord, do you stand far off?

Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

2In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak,

who are caught in the schemes he devises.

3He boasts about the cravings of his heart;

he blesses the greedy and reviles the Lord.

4In his pride the wicked man does not seek him;

in all his thoughts there is no room for God.

5His ways are always prosperous;

your laws are rejected by him;

he sneers at all his enemies.

6He says to himself, “Nothing will ever shake me.”

He swears, “No one will ever do me harm.”

7His mouth is full of lies and threats;

trouble and evil are under his tongue.

8He lies in wait near the villages;

from ambush he murders the innocent.

His eyes watch in secret for his victims;

9like a lion in cover he lies in wait.

He lies in wait to catch the helpless;

he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net.

10His victims are crushed, they collapse;

they fall under his strength.

11He says to himself, “God will never notice;

he covers his face and never sees.”

12Arise, Lord! Lift up your hand, O God.

Do not forget the helpless.

13Why does the wicked man revile God?

Why does he say to himself,

“He won’t call me to account”?

14But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted;

you consider their grief and take it in hand.

The victims commit themselves to you;

you are the helper of the fatherless.

15Break the arm of the wicked man;

call the evildoer to account for his wickedness

that would not otherwise be found out.

16The Lord is King for ever and ever;

the nations will perish from his land.

17You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted;

you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,

18defending the fatherless and the oppressed,

so that mere earthly mortals

will never again strike terror.

Psalm 11

For the director of music. Of David.

1In the Lord I take refuge.

How then can you say to me:

“Flee like a bird to your mountain.

2For look, the wicked bend their bows;

they set their arrows against the strings

to shoot from the shadows

at the upright in heart.

3When the foundations are being destroyed,

what can the righteous do?”

4The Lord is in his holy temple;

the Lord is on his heavenly throne.

He observes everyone on earth;

his eyes examine them.

5The Lord examines the righteous,

but the wicked, those who love violence,

he hates with a passion.

6On the wicked he will rain

fiery coals and burning sulfur;

a scorching wind will be their lot.

7For the Lord is righteous,

he loves justice;

the upright will see his face.

Psalm 12

For the director of music. According to sheminith. A psalm of David.

1Help, Lord, for no one is faithful anymore;

those who are loyal have vanished from the human race.

2Everyone lies to their neighbor;

they flatter with their lips

but harbor deception in their hearts.

3May the Lord silence all flattering lips

and every boastful tongue—

4those who say,

“By our tongues we will prevail;

our own lips will defend us—who is lord over us?”

5“Because the poor are plundered and the needy groan,

I will now arise,” says the Lord.

“I will protect them from those who malign them.”

6And the words of the Lord are flawless,

like silver purified in a crucible,

like gold refined seven times.

7You, Lord, will keep the needy safe

and will protect us forever from the wicked,

8who freely strut about

when what is vile is honored by the human race.

Psalm 13

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

1How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?

How long will you hide your face from me?

2How long must I wrestle with my thoughts

and day after day have sorrow in my heart?

How long will my enemy triumph over me?

3Look on me and answer, Lord my God.

Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death,

4and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”

and my foes will rejoice when I fall.

5But I trust in your unfailing love;

my heart rejoices in your salvation.

6I will sing the Lord’s praise,

for he has been good to me.

Psalm 14

For the director of music. Of David.

1The fool says in his heart,

“There is no God.”

They are corrupt, their deeds are vile;

there is no one who does good.

2The Lord looks down from heaven

on all mankind

to see if there are any who understand,

any who seek God.

3All have turned away, all have become corrupt;

there is no one who does good,

not even one.

4Do all these evildoers know nothing?

They devour my people as though eating bread;

they never call on the Lord.

5But there they are, overwhelmed with dread,

for God is present in the company of the righteous.

6You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor,

but the Lord is their refuge.

7Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!

When the Lord restores his people,

let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!

Psalm 15

A psalm of David.

1Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent?

Who may live on your holy mountain?

2The one whose walk is blameless,

who does what is righteous,

who speaks the truth from their heart;

3whose tongue utters no slander,

who does no wrong to a neighbor,

and casts no slur on others;

4who despises a vile person

but honors those who fear the Lord;

who keeps an oath even when it hurts,

and does not change their mind;

5who lends money to the poor without interest;

who does not accept a bribe against the innocent.

Whoever does these things

will never be shaken.

Psalm 16

A miktam of David.

1Keep me safe, my God,

for in you I take refuge.

2I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;

apart from you I have no good thing.”

3I say of the holy people who are in the land,

“They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.”

4Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more.

I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods

or take up their names on my lips.

5Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup;

you make my lot secure.

6The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;

surely I have a delightful inheritance.

7I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;

even at night my heart instructs me.

8I keep my eyes always on the Lord.

With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

9Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;

my body also will rest secure,

10because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,

nor will you let your faithful one see decay.

11You make known to me the path of life;

you will fill me with joy in your presence,

with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Psalm 17

A prayer of David.

1Hear me, Lord, my plea is just;

listen to my cry.

Hear my prayer—

it does not rise from deceitful lips.

2Let my vindication come from you;

may your eyes see what is right.

3Though you probe my heart,

though you examine me at night and test me,

you will find that I have planned no evil;

my mouth has not transgressed.

4Though people tried to bribe me,

I have kept myself from the ways of the violent

through what your lips have commanded.

5My steps have held to your paths;

my feet have not stumbled.

6I call on you, my God, for you will answer me;

turn your ear to me and hear my prayer.

7Show me the wonders of your great love,

you who save by your right hand

those who take refuge in you from their foes.

8Keep me as the apple of your eye;

hide me in the shadow of your wings

9from the wicked who are out to destroy me,

from my mortal enemies who surround me.

10They close up their callous hearts,

and their mouths speak with arrogance.

11They have tracked me down, they now surround me,

with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground.

12They are like a lion hungry for prey,

like a fierce lion crouching in cover.

13Rise up, Lord, confront them, bring them down;

with your sword rescue me from the wicked.

14By your hand save me from such people, Lord,

from those of this world whose reward is in this life.

May what you have stored up for the wicked fill their bellies;

may their children gorge themselves on it,

and may there be leftovers for their little ones.

15As for me, I will be vindicated and will see your face;

when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.

Psalm 18In Hebrew texts 18:1-50 is numbered 18:2-51.

For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord. He sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said:

1I love you, Lord, my strength.

2The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;

my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,

my shield18:2 Or sovereign and the horn18:2 Horn here symbolizes strength. of my salvation, my stronghold.

3I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,

and I have been saved from my enemies.

4The cords of death entangled me;

the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.

5The cords of the grave coiled around me;

the snares of death confronted me.

6In my distress I called to the Lord;

I cried to my God for help.

From his temple he heard my voice;

my cry came before him, into his ears.

7The earth trembled and quaked,

and the foundations of the mountains shook;

they trembled because he was angry.

8Smoke rose from his nostrils;

consuming fire came from his mouth,

burning coals blazed out of it.

9He parted the heavens and came down;

dark clouds were under his feet.

10He mounted the cherubim and flew;

he soared on the wings of the wind.

11He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him—

the dark rain clouds of the sky.

12Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced,

with hailstones and bolts of lightning.

13The Lord thundered from heaven;

the voice of the Most High resounded.18:13 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint (see also 2 Samuel 22:14); most Hebrew manuscripts resounded, / amid hailstones and bolts of lightning

14He shot his arrows and scattered the enemy,

with great bolts of lightning he routed them.

15The valleys of the sea were exposed

and the foundations of the earth laid bare

at your rebuke, Lord,

at the blast of breath from your nostrils.

16He reached down from on high and took hold of me;

he drew me out of deep waters.

17He rescued me from my powerful enemy,

from my foes, who were too strong for me.

18They confronted me in the day of my disaster,

but the Lord was my support.

19He brought me out into a spacious place;

he rescued me because he delighted in me.

20The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness;

according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.

21For I have kept the ways of the Lord;

I am not guilty of turning from my God.

22All his laws are before me;

I have not turned away from his decrees.

23I have been blameless before him

and have kept myself from sin.

24The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,

according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.

25To the faithful you show yourself faithful,

to the blameless you show yourself blameless,

26to the pure you show yourself pure,

but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.

27You save the humble

but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.

28You, Lord, keep my lamp burning;

my God turns my darkness into light.

29With your help I can advance against a troop18:29 Or can run through a barricade;

with my God I can scale a wall.

30As for God, his way is perfect:

The Lord’s word is flawless;

he shields all who take refuge in him.

31For who is God besides the Lord?

And who is the Rock except our God?

32It is God who arms me with strength

and keeps my way secure.

33He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;

he causes me to stand on the heights.

34He trains my hands for battle;

my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

35You make your saving help my shield,

and your right hand sustains me;

your help has made me great.

36You provide a broad path for my feet,

so that my ankles do not give way.

37I pursued my enemies and overtook them;

I did not turn back till they were destroyed.

38I crushed them so that they could not rise;

they fell beneath my feet.

39You armed me with strength for battle;

you humbled my adversaries before me.

40You made my enemies turn their backs in flight,

and I destroyed my foes.

41They cried for help, but there was no one to save them—

to the Lord, but he did not answer.

42I beat them as fine as windblown dust;

I trampled them18:42 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Syriac and Targum (see also 2 Samuel 22:43); Masoretic Text I poured them out like mud in the streets.

43You have delivered me from the attacks of the people;

you have made me the head of nations.

People I did not know now serve me,

44foreigners cower before me;

as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.

45They all lose heart;

they come trembling from their strongholds.

46The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock!

Exalted be God my Savior!

47He is the God who avenges me,

who subdues nations under me,

48who saves me from my enemies.

You exalted me above my foes;

from a violent man you rescued me.

49Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;

I will sing the praises of your name.

50He gives his king great victories;

he shows unfailing love to his anointed,

to David and to his descendants forever.

Psalm 19

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

1The heavens declare the glory of God;

the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

2Day after day they pour forth speech;

night after night they reveal knowledge.

3They have no speech, they use no words;

no sound is heard from them.

4Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,

their words to the ends of the world.

In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.

5It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,

like a champion rejoicing to run his course.

6It rises at one end of the heavens

and makes its circuit to the other;

nothing is deprived of its warmth.

7The law of the Lord is perfect,

refreshing the soul.

The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,

making wise the simple.

8The precepts of the Lord are right,

giving joy to the heart.

The commands of the Lord are radiant,

giving light to the eyes.

9The fear of the Lord is pure,

enduring forever.

The decrees of the Lord are firm,

and all of them are righteous.

10They are more precious than gold,

than much pure gold;

they are sweeter than honey,

than honey from the honeycomb.

11By them your servant is warned;

in keeping them there is great reward.

12But who can discern their own errors?

Forgive my hidden faults.

13Keep your servant also from willful sins;

may they not rule over me.

Then I will be blameless,

innocent of great transgression.

14May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart

be pleasing in your sight,

Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Psalm 20

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

1May the Lord answer you when you are in distress;

may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.

2May he send you help from the sanctuary

and grant you support from Zion.

3May he remember all your sacrifices

and accept your burnt offerings.

4May he give you the desire of your heart

and make all your plans succeed.

5May we shout for joy over your victory

and lift up our banners in the name of our God.

May the Lord grant all your requests.

6Now this I know:

The Lord gives victory to his anointed.

He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary

with the victorious power of his right hand.

7Some trust in chariots and some in horses,

but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.

8They are brought to their knees and fall,

but we rise up and stand firm.

9Lord, give victory to the king!

Answer us when we call!

Psalm 21

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

1The king rejoices in your strength, Lord.

How great is his joy in the victories you give!

2You have granted him his heart’s desire

and have not withheld the request of his lips.

3You came to greet him with rich blessings

and placed a crown of pure gold on his head.

4He asked you for life, and you gave it to him—

length of days, for ever and ever.

5Through the victories you gave, his glory is great;

you have bestowed on him splendor and majesty.

6Surely you have granted him unending blessings

and made him glad with the joy of your presence.

7For the king trusts in the Lord;

through the unfailing love of the Most High

he will not be shaken.

8Your hand will lay hold on all your enemies;

your right hand will seize your foes.

9When you appear for battle,

you will burn them up as in a blazing furnace.

The Lord will swallow them up in his wrath,

and his fire will consume them.

10You will destroy their descendants from the earth,

their posterity from mankind.

11Though they plot evil against you

and devise wicked schemes, they cannot succeed.

12You will make them turn their backs

when you aim at them with drawn bow.

13Be exalted in your strength, Lord;

we will sing and praise your might.

Psalm 22

For the director of music. To the tune of “The Doe of the Morning.” A psalm of David.

1My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

Why are you so far from saving me,

so far from my cries of anguish?

2My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,

by night, but I find no rest.

3Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;

you are the one Israel praises.

4In you our ancestors put their trust;

they trusted and you delivered them.

5To you they cried out and were saved;

in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

6But I am a worm and not a man,

scorned by everyone, despised by the people.

7All who see me mock me;

they hurl insults, shaking their heads.

8“He trusts in the Lord,” they say,

“let the Lord rescue him.

Let him deliver him,

since he delights in him.”

9Yet you brought me out of the womb;

you made me trust in you, even at my mother’s breast.

10From birth I was cast on you;

from my mother’s womb you have been my God.

11Do not be far from me,

for trouble is near

and there is no one to help.

12Many bulls surround me;

strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.

13Roaring lions that tear their prey

open their mouths wide against me.

14I am poured out like water,

and all my bones are out of joint.

My heart has turned to wax;

it has melted within me.

15My mouth is dried up like a potsherd,

and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;

you lay me in the dust of death.

16Dogs surround me,

a pack of villains encircles me;

they pierce my hands and my feet.

17All my bones are on display;

people stare and gloat over me.

18They divide my clothes among them

and cast lots for my garment.

19But you, Lord, do not be far from me.

You are my strength; come quickly to help me.

20Deliver me from the sword,

my precious life from the power of the dogs.

21Rescue me from the mouth of the lions;

save me from the horns of the wild oxen.

22I will declare your name to my people;

in the assembly I will praise you.

23You who fear the Lord, praise him!

All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!

Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!

24For he has not despised or scorned

the suffering of the afflicted one;

he has not hidden his face from him

but has listened to his cry for help.

25From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;

before those who fear you I will fulfill my vows.

26The poor will eat and be satisfied;

those who seek the Lord will praise him—

may your hearts live forever!

27All the ends of the earth

will remember and turn to the Lord,

and all the families of the nations

will bow down before him,

28for dominion belongs to the Lord

and he rules over the nations.

29All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;

all who go down to the dust will kneel before him—

those who cannot keep themselves alive.

30Posterity will serve him;

future generations will be told about the Lord.

31They will proclaim his righteousness,

declaring to a people yet unborn:

He has done it!

Psalm 23

A psalm of David.

1The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

2He makes me lie down in green pastures,

he leads me beside quiet waters,

3he refreshes my soul.

He guides me along the right paths

for his name’s sake.

4Even though I walk

through the darkest valley,

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me.

5You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

6Surely your goodness and love will follow me

all the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord

forever.

Psalm 24

Of David. A psalm.

1The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it,

the world, and all who live in it;

2for he founded it on the seas

and established it on the waters.

3Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord?

Who may stand in his holy place?

4The one who has clean hands and a pure heart,

who does not trust in an idol

or swear by a false god.

5They will receive blessing from the Lord

and vindication from God their Savior.

6Such is the generation of those who seek him,

who seek your face, God of Jacob.

7Lift up your heads, you gates;

be lifted up, you ancient doors,

that the King of glory may come in.

8Who is this King of glory?

The Lord strong and mighty,

the Lord mighty in battle.

9Lift up your heads, you gates;

lift them up, you ancient doors,

that the King of glory may come in.

10Who is he, this King of glory?

The Lord Almighty—

he is the King of glory.

Psalm 25

Of David.

1In you, Lord my God,

I put my trust.

2I trust in you;

do not let me be put to shame,

nor let my enemies triumph over me.

3No one who hopes in you

will ever be put to shame,

but shame will come on those

who are treacherous without cause.

4Show me your ways, Lord,

teach me your paths.

5Guide me in your truth and teach me,

for you are God my Savior,

and my hope is in you all day long.

6Remember, Lord, your great mercy and love,

for they are from of old.

7Do not remember the sins of my youth

and my rebellious ways;

according to your love remember me,

for you, Lord, are good.

8Good and upright is the Lord;

therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.

9He guides the humble in what is right

and teaches them his way.

10All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful

toward those who keep the demands of his covenant.

11For the sake of your name, Lord,

forgive my iniquity, though it is great.

12Who, then, are those who fear the Lord?

He will instruct them in the ways they should choose.

13They will spend their days in prosperity,

and their descendants will inherit the land.

14The Lord confides in those who fear him;

he makes his covenant known to them.

15My eyes are ever on the Lord,

for only he will release my feet from the snare.

16Turn to me and be gracious to me,

for I am lonely and afflicted.

17Relieve the troubles of my heart

and free me from my anguish.

18Look on my affliction and my distress

and take away all my sins.

19See how numerous are my enemies

and how fiercely they hate me!

20Guard my life and rescue me;

do not let me be put to shame,

for I take refuge in you.

21May integrity and uprightness protect me,

because my hope, Lord, is in you.

22Deliver Israel, O God,

from all their troubles!

Psalm 26

Of David.

1Vindicate me, Lord,

for I have led a blameless life;

I have trusted in the Lord

and have not faltered.

2Test me, Lord, and try me,

examine my heart and my mind;

3for I have always been mindful of your unfailing love

and have lived in reliance on your faithfulness.

4I do not sit with the deceitful,

nor do I associate with hypocrites.

5I abhor the assembly of evildoers

and refuse to sit with the wicked.

6I wash my hands in innocence,

and go about your altar, Lord,

7proclaiming aloud your praise

and telling of all your wonderful deeds.

8Lord, I love the house where you live,

the place where your glory dwells.

9Do not take away my soul along with sinners,

my life with those who are bloodthirsty,

10in whose hands are wicked schemes,

whose right hands are full of bribes.

11I lead a blameless life;

deliver me and be merciful to me.

12My feet stand on level ground;

in the great congregation I will praise the Lord.

Psalm 27

Of David.

1The Lord is my light and my salvation—

whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life—

of whom shall I be afraid?

2When the wicked advance against me

to devour me,

it is my enemies and my foes

who will stumble and fall.

3Though an army besiege me,

my heart will not fear;

though war break out against me,

even then I will be confident.

4One thing I ask from the Lord,

this only do I seek:

that I may dwell in the house of the Lord

all the days of my life,

to gaze on the beauty of the Lord

and to seek him in his temple.

5For in the day of trouble

he will keep me safe in his dwelling;

he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent

and set me high upon a rock.

6Then my head will be exalted

above the enemies who surround me;

at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;

I will sing and make music to the Lord.

7Hear my voice when I call, Lord;

be merciful to me and answer me.

8My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”

Your face, Lord, I will seek.

9Do not hide your face from me,

do not turn your servant away in anger;

you have been my helper.

Do not reject me or forsake me,

God my Savior.

10Though my father and mother forsake me,

the Lord will receive me.

11Teach me your way, Lord;

lead me in a straight path

because of my oppressors.

12Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,

for false witnesses rise up against me,

spouting malicious accusations.

13I remain confident of this:

I will see the goodness of the Lord

in the land of the living.

14Wait for the Lord;

be strong and take heart

and wait for the Lord.

Psalm 28

Of David.

1To you, Lord, I call;

you are my Rock,

do not turn a deaf ear to me.

For if you remain silent,

I will be like those who go down to the pit.

2Hear my cry for mercy

as I call to you for help,

as I lift up my hands

toward your Most Holy Place.

3Do not drag me away with the wicked,

with those who do evil,

who speak cordially with their neighbors

but harbor malice in their hearts.

4Repay them for their deeds

and for their evil work;

repay them for what their hands have done

and bring back on them what they deserve.

5Because they have no regard for the deeds of the Lord

and what his hands have done,

he will tear them down

and never build them up again.

6Praise be to the Lord,

for he has heard my cry for mercy.

7The Lord is my strength and my shield;

my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.

My heart leaps for joy,

and with my song I praise him.

8The Lord is the strength of his people,

a fortress of salvation for his anointed one.

9Save your people and bless your inheritance;

be their shepherd and carry them forever.

Psalm 29

A psalm of David.

1Ascribe to the Lord, you heavenly beings,

ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

2Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;

worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.

3The voice of the Lord is over the waters;

the God of glory thunders,

the Lord thunders over the mighty waters.

4The voice of the Lord is powerful;

the voice of the Lord is majestic.

5The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;

the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.

6He makes Lebanon leap like a calf,

Sirion like a young wild ox.

7The voice of the Lord strikes

with flashes of lightning.

8The voice of the Lord shakes the desert;

the Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh.

9The voice of the Lord twists the oaks

and strips the forests bare.

And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”

10The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;

the Lord is enthroned as King forever.

11The Lord gives strength to his people;

the Lord blesses his people with peace.

Psalm 30

A psalm. A song. For the dedication of the temple. Of David.

1I will exalt you, Lord,

for you lifted me out of the depths

and did not let my enemies gloat over me.

2Lord my God, I called to you for help,

and you healed me.

3You, Lord, brought me up from the realm of the dead;

you spared me from going down to the pit.

4Sing the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people;

praise his holy name.

5For his anger lasts only a moment,

but his favor lasts a lifetime;

weeping may stay for the night,

but rejoicing comes in the morning.

6When I felt secure, I said,

“I will never be shaken.”

7Lord, when you favored me,

you made my royal mountain stand firm;

but when you hid your face,

I was dismayed.

8To you, Lord, I called;

to the Lord I cried for mercy:

9“What is gained if I am silenced,

if I go down to the pit?

Will the dust praise you?

Will it proclaim your faithfulness?

10Hear, Lord, and be merciful to me;

Lord, be my help.”

11You turned my wailing into dancing;

you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,

12that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.

Lord my God, I will praise you forever.

Psalm 31

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

1In you, Lord, I have taken refuge;

let me never be put to shame;

deliver me in your righteousness.

2Turn your ear to me,

come quickly to my rescue;

be my rock of refuge,

a strong fortress to save me.

3Since you are my rock and my fortress,

for the sake of your name lead and guide me.

4Keep me free from the trap that is set for me,

for you are my refuge.

5Into your hands I commit my spirit;

deliver me, Lord, my faithful God.

6I hate those who cling to worthless idols;

as for me, I trust in the Lord.

7I will be glad and rejoice in your love,

for you saw my affliction

and knew the anguish of my soul.

8You have not given me into the hands of the enemy

but have set my feet in a spacious place.

9Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress;

my eyes grow weak with sorrow,

my soul and body with grief.

10My life is consumed by anguish

and my years by groaning;

my strength fails because of my affliction,

and my bones grow weak.

11Because of all my enemies,

I am the utter contempt of my neighbors

and an object of dread to my closest friends—

those who see me on the street flee from me.

12I am forgotten as though I were dead;

I have become like broken pottery.

13For I hear many whispering,

“Terror on every side!”

They conspire against me

and plot to take my life.

14But I trust in you, Lord;

I say, “You are my God.”

15My times are in your hands;

deliver me from the hands of my enemies,

from those who pursue me.

16Let your face shine on your servant;

save me in your unfailing love.

17Let me not be put to shame, Lord,

for I have cried out to you;

but let the wicked be put to shame

and be silent in the realm of the dead.

18Let their lying lips be silenced,

for with pride and contempt

they speak arrogantly against the righteous.

19How abundant are the good things

that you have stored up for those who fear you,

that you bestow in the sight of all,

on those who take refuge in you.

20In the shelter of your presence you hide them

from all human intrigues;

you keep them safe in your dwelling

from accusing tongues.

21Praise be to the Lord,

for he showed me the wonders of his love

when I was in a city under siege.

22In my alarm I said,

“I am cut off from your sight!”

Yet you heard my cry for mercy

when I called to you for help.

23Love the Lord, all his faithful people!

The Lord preserves those who are true to him,

but the proud he pays back in full.

24Be strong and take heart,

all you who hope in the Lord.

Psalm 32

Of David. A maskil.

1Blessed is the one

whose transgressions are forgiven,

whose sins are covered.

2Blessed is the one

whose sin the Lord does not count against them

and in whose spirit is no deceit.

3When I kept silent,

my bones wasted away

through my groaning all day long.

4For day and night

your hand was heavy on me;

my strength was sapped

as in the heat of summer.

5Then I acknowledged my sin to you

and did not cover up my iniquity.

I said, “I will confess

my transgressions to the Lord.”

And you forgave

the guilt of my sin.

6Therefore let all the faithful pray to you

while you may be found;

surely the rising of the mighty waters

will not reach them.

7You are my hiding place;

you will protect me from trouble

and surround me with songs of deliverance.

8I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;

I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.

9Do not be like the horse or the mule,

which have no understanding

but must be controlled by bit and bridle

or they will not come to you.

10Many are the woes of the wicked,

but the Lord’s unfailing love

surrounds the one who trusts in him.

11Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous;

sing, all you who are upright in heart!

Psalm 33

1Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous;

it is fitting for the upright to praise him.

2Praise the Lord with the harp;

make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.

3Sing to him a new song;

play skillfully, and shout for joy.

4For the word of the Lord is right and true;

he is faithful in all he does.

5The Lord loves righteousness and justice;

the earth is full of his unfailing love.

6By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,

their starry host by the breath of his mouth.

7He gathers the waters of the sea into jars;

he puts the deep into storehouses.

8Let all the earth fear the Lord;

let all the people of the world revere him.

9For he spoke, and it came to be;

he commanded, and it stood firm.

10The Lord foils the plans of the nations;

he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.

11But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever,

the purposes of his heart through all generations.

12Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,

the people he chose for his inheritance.

13From heaven the Lord looks down

and sees all mankind;

14from his dwelling place he watches

all who live on earth—

15he who forms the hearts of all,

who considers everything they do.

16No king is saved by the size of his army;

no warrior escapes by his great strength.

17A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;

despite all its great strength it cannot save.

18But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him,

on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,

19to deliver them from death

and keep them alive in famine.

20We wait in hope for the Lord;

he is our help and our shield.

21In him our hearts rejoice,

for we trust in his holy name.

22May your unfailing love be with us, Lord,

even as we put our hope in you.

Psalm 34

Of David. When he pretended to be insane before Abimelek, who drove him away, and he left.

1I will extol the Lord at all times;

his praise will always be on my lips.

2I will glory in the Lord;

let the afflicted hear and rejoice.

3Glorify the Lord with me;

let us exalt his name together.

4I sought the Lord, and he answered me;

he delivered me from all my fears.

5Those who look to him are radiant;

their faces are never covered with shame.

6This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;

he saved him out of all his troubles.

7The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him,

and he delivers them.

8Taste and see that the Lord is good;

blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.

9Fear the Lord, you his holy people,

for those who fear him lack nothing.

10The lions may grow weak and hungry,

but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

11Come, my children, listen to me;

I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

12Whoever of you loves life

and desires to see many good days,

13keep your tongue from evil

and your lips from telling lies.

14Turn from evil and do good;

seek peace and pursue it.

15The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,

and his ears are attentive to their cry;

16but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil,

to blot out their name from the earth.

17The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;

he delivers them from all their troubles.

18The Lord is close to the brokenhearted

and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

19The righteous person may have many troubles,

but the Lord delivers him from them all;

20he protects all his bones,

not one of them will be broken.

21Evil will slay the wicked;

the foes of the righteous will be condemned.

22The Lord will rescue his servants;

no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.

Psalm 35

Of David.

1Contend, Lord, with those who contend with me;

fight against those who fight against me.

2Take up shield and armor;

arise and come to my aid.

3Brandish spear and javelin

against those who pursue me.

Say to me,

“I am your salvation.”

4May those who seek my life

be disgraced and put to shame;

may those who plot my ruin

be turned back in dismay.

5May they be like chaff before the wind,

with the angel of the Lord driving them away;

6may their path be dark and slippery,

with the angel of the Lord pursuing them.

7Since they hid their net for me without cause

and without cause dug a pit for me,

8may ruin overtake them by surprise—

may the net they hid entangle them,

may they fall into the pit, to their ruin.

9Then my soul will rejoice in the Lord

and delight in his salvation.

10My whole being will exclaim,

“Who is like you, Lord?

You rescue the poor from those too strong for them,

the poor and needy from those who rob them.”

11Ruthless witnesses come forward;

they question me on things I know nothing about.

12They repay me evil for good

and leave me like one bereaved.

13Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth

and humbled myself with fasting.

When my prayers returned to me unanswered,

14I went about mourning

as though for my friend or brother.

I bowed my head in grief

as though weeping for my mother.

15But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee;

assailants gathered against me without my knowledge.

They slandered me without ceasing.

16Like the ungodly they maliciously mocked;

they gnashed their teeth at me.

17How long, Lord, will you look on?

Rescue me from their ravages,

my precious life from these lions.

18I will give you thanks in the great assembly;

among the throngs I will praise you.

19Do not let those gloat over me

who are my enemies without cause;

do not let those who hate me without reason

maliciously wink the eye.

20They do not speak peaceably,

but devise false accusations

against those who live quietly in the land.

21They sneer at me and say, “Aha! Aha!

With our own eyes we have seen it.”

22Lord, you have seen this; do not be silent.

Do not be far from me, Lord.

23Awake, and rise to my defense!

Contend for me, my God and Lord.

24Vindicate me in your righteousness, Lord my God;

do not let them gloat over me.

25Do not let them think, “Aha, just what we wanted!”

or say, “We have swallowed him up.”

26May all who gloat over my distress

be put to shame and confusion;

may all who exalt themselves over me

be clothed with shame and disgrace.

27May those who delight in my vindication

shout for joy and gladness;

may they always say, “The Lord be exalted,

who delights in the well-being of his servant.”

28My tongue will proclaim your righteousness,

your praises all day long.

Psalm 36

For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord.

1I have a message from God in my heart

concerning the sinfulness of the wicked:

There is no fear of God

before their eyes.

2In their own eyes they flatter themselves

too much to detect or hate their sin.

3The words of their mouths are wicked and deceitful;

they fail to act wisely or do good.

4Even on their beds they plot evil;

they commit themselves to a sinful course

and do not reject what is wrong.

5Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens,

your faithfulness to the skies.

6Your righteousness is like the highest mountains,

your justice like the great deep.

You, Lord, preserve both people and animals.

7How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!

People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.

8They feast on the abundance of your house;

you give them drink from your river of delights.

9For with you is the fountain of life;

in your light we see light.

10Continue your love to those who know you,

your righteousness to the upright in heart.

11May the foot of the proud not come against me,

nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.

12See how the evildoers lie fallen—

thrown down, not able to rise!

Psalm 37

Of David.

1Do not fret because of those who are evil

or be envious of those who do wrong;

2for like the grass they will soon wither,

like green plants they will soon die away.

3Trust in the Lord and do good;

dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

4Take delight in the Lord,

and he will give you the desires of your heart.

5Commit your way to the Lord;

trust in him and he will do this:

6He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,

your vindication like the noonday sun.

7Be still before the Lord

and wait patiently for him;

do not fret when people succeed in their ways,

when they carry out their wicked schemes.

8Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;

do not fret—it leads only to evil.

9For those who are evil will be destroyed,

but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.

10A little while, and the wicked will be no more;

though you look for them, they will not be found.

11But the meek will inherit the land

and enjoy peace and prosperity.

12The wicked plot against the righteous

and gnash their teeth at them;

13but the Lord laughs at the wicked,

for he knows their day is coming.

14The wicked draw the sword

and bend the bow

to bring down the poor and needy,

to slay those whose ways are upright.

15But their swords will pierce their own hearts,

and their bows will be broken.

16Better the little that the righteous have

than the wealth of many wicked;

17for the power of the wicked will be broken,

but the Lord upholds the righteous.

18The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care,

and their inheritance will endure forever.

19In times of disaster they will not wither;

in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

20But the wicked will perish:

Though the Lord’s enemies are like the flowers of the field,

they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke.

21The wicked borrow and do not repay,

but the righteous give generously;

22those the Lord blesses will inherit the land,

but those he curses will be destroyed.

23The Lord makes firm the steps

of the one who delights in him;

24though he may stumble, he will not fall,

for the Lord upholds him with his hand.

25I was young and now I am old,

yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken

or their children begging bread.

26They are always generous and lend freely;

their children will be a blessing.

27Turn from evil and do good;

then you will dwell in the land forever.

28For the Lord loves the just

and will not forsake his faithful ones.

Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed;

the offspring of the wicked will perish.

29The righteous will inherit the land

and dwell in it forever.

30The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,

and their tongues speak what is just.

31The law of their God is in their hearts;

their feet do not slip.

32The wicked lie in wait for the righteous,

intent on putting them to death;

33but the Lord will not leave them in the power of the wicked

or let them be condemned when brought to trial.

34Hope in the Lord

and keep his way.

He will exalt you to inherit the land;

when the wicked are destroyed, you will see it.

35I have seen a wicked and ruthless man

flourishing like a luxuriant native tree,

36but he soon passed away and was no more;

though I looked for him, he could not be found.

37Consider the blameless, observe the upright;

a future awaits those who seek peace.

38But all sinners will be destroyed;

there will be no future for the wicked.

39The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord;

he is their stronghold in time of trouble.

40The Lord helps them and delivers them;

he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,

because they take refuge in him.

Psalm 38

A psalm of David. A petition.

1Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger

or discipline me in your wrath.

2Your arrows have pierced me,

and your hand has come down on me.

3Because of your wrath there is no health in my body;

there is no soundness in my bones because of my sin.

4My guilt has overwhelmed me

like a burden too heavy to bear.

5My wounds fester and are loathsome

because of my sinful folly.

6I am bowed down and brought very low;

all day long I go about mourning.

7My back is filled with searing pain;

there is no health in my body.

8I am feeble and utterly crushed;

I groan in anguish of heart.

9All my longings lie open before you, Lord;

my sighing is not hidden from you.

10My heart pounds, my strength fails me;

even the light has gone from my eyes.

11My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds;

my neighbors stay far away.

12Those who want to kill me set their traps,

those who would harm me talk of my ruin;

all day long they scheme and lie.

13I am like the deaf, who cannot hear,

like the mute, who cannot speak;

14I have become like one who does not hear,

whose mouth can offer no reply.

15Lord, I wait for you;

you will answer, Lord my God.

16For I said, “Do not let them gloat

or exalt themselves over me when my feet slip.”

17For I am about to fall,

and my pain is ever with me.

18I confess my iniquity;

I am troubled by my sin.

19Many have become my enemies without cause;

those who hate me without reason are numerous.

20Those who repay my good with evil

lodge accusations against me,

though I seek only to do what is good.

21Lord, do not forsake me;

do not be far from me, my God.

22Come quickly to help me,

my Lord and my Savior.

Psalm 39In Hebrew texts 39:1-13 is numbered 39:2-14.

For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.

1I said, “I will watch my ways

and keep my tongue from sin;

I will put a muzzle on my mouth

while in the presence of the wicked.”

2So I remained utterly silent,

not even saying anything good.

But my anguish increased;

3my heart grew hot within me.

While I meditated, the fire burned;

then I spoke with my tongue:

4“Show me, Lord, my life’s end

and the number of my days;

let me know how fleeting my life is.

5You have made my days a mere handbreadth;

the span of my years is as nothing before you.

Everyone is but a breath,

even those who seem secure.39:5 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 11.

6“Surely everyone goes around like a mere phantom;

in vain they rush about, heaping up wealth

without knowing whose it will finally be.

7“But now, Lord, what do I look for?

My hope is in you.

8Save me from all my transgressions;

do not make me the scorn of fools.

9I was silent; I would not open my mouth,

for you are the one who has done this.

10Remove your scourge from me;

I am overcome by the blow of your hand.

11When you rebuke and discipline anyone for their sin,

you consume their wealth like a moth—

surely everyone is but a breath.

12“Hear my prayer, Lord,

listen to my cry for help;

do not be deaf to my weeping.

I dwell with you as a foreigner,

a stranger, as all my ancestors were.

13Look away from me, that I may enjoy life again

before I depart and am no more.”

Psalm 40

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

1I waited patiently for the Lord;

he turned to me and heard my cry.

2He lifted me out of the slimy pit,

out of the mud and mire;

he set my feet on a rock

and gave me a firm place to stand.

3He put a new song in my mouth,

a hymn of praise to our God.

Many will see and fear the Lord

and put their trust in him.

4Blessed is the one

who trusts in the Lord,

who does not look to the proud,

to those who turn aside to false gods.

5Many, Lord my God,

are the wonders you have done,

the things you planned for us.

None can compare with you;

were I to speak and tell of your deeds,

they would be too many to declare.

6Sacrifice and offering you did not desire—

but my ears you have opened—

burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require.

7Then I said, “Here I am, I have come—

it is written about me in the scroll.

8I desire to do your will, my God;

your law is within my heart.”

9I proclaim your saving acts in the great assembly;

I do not seal my lips, Lord,

as you know.

10I do not hide your righteousness in my heart;

I speak of your faithfulness and your saving help.

I do not conceal your love and your faithfulness

from the great assembly.

11Do not withhold your mercy from me, Lord;

may your love and faithfulness always protect me.

12For troubles without number surround me;

my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.

They are more than the hairs of my head,

and my heart fails within me.

13Be pleased to save me, Lord;

come quickly, Lord, to help me.

14May all who want to take my life

be put to shame and confusion;

may all who desire my ruin

be turned back in disgrace.

15May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”

be appalled at their own shame.

16But may all who seek you

rejoice and be glad in you;

may those who long for your saving help always say,

“The Lord is great!”

17But as for me, I am poor and needy;

may the Lord think of me.

You are my help and my deliverer;

you are my God, do not delay.

Psalm 41

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

1Blessed are those who have regard for the weak;

the Lord delivers them in times of trouble.

2The Lord protects and preserves them—

they are counted among the blessed in the land—

he does not give them over to the desire of their foes.

3The Lord sustains them on their sickbed

and restores them from their bed of illness.

4I said, “Have mercy on me, Lord;

heal me, for I have sinned against you.”

5My enemies say of me in malice,

“When will he die and his name perish?”

6When one of them comes to see me,

he speaks falsely, while his heart gathers slander;

then he goes out and spreads it around.

7All my enemies whisper together against me;

they imagine the worst for me, saying,

8“A vile disease has afflicted him;

he will never get up from the place where he lies.”

9Even my close friend,

someone I trusted,

one who shared my bread,

has turned against me.

10But may you have mercy on me, Lord;

raise me up, that I may repay them.

11I know that you are pleased with me,

for my enemy does not triumph over me.

12Because of my integrity you uphold me

and set me in your presence forever.

13Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,

from everlasting to everlasting.

Amen and Amen.

BOOK II

Psalms 42–72

Psalm 42

For the director of music. A maskil of the Sons of Korah.

1As the deer pants for streams of water,

so my soul pants for you, my God.

2My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.

When can I go and meet with God?

3My tears have been my food

day and night,

while people say to me all day long,

“Where is your God?”

4These things I remember

as I pour out my soul:

how I used to go to the house of God

under the protection of the Mighty One

with shouts of joy and praise

among the festive throng.

5Why, 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.

6My soul is downcast within me;

therefore I will remember you

from the land of the Jordan,

the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.

7Deep calls to deep

in the roar of your waterfalls;

all your waves and breakers

have swept over me.

8By day the Lord directs his love,

at night his song is with me—

a prayer to the God of my life.

9I say to God my Rock,

“Why have you forgotten me?

Why must I go about mourning,

oppressed by the enemy?”

10My bones suffer mortal agony

as my foes taunt me,

saying to me all day long,

“Where is your God?”

11Why, 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.

Psalm 43

1Vindicate me, my God,

and plead my cause

against an unfaithful nation.

Rescue me from those who are

deceitful and wicked.

2You are God my stronghold.

Why have you rejected me?

Why must I go about mourning,

oppressed by the enemy?

3Send me your light and your faithful care,

let them lead me;

let them bring me to your holy mountain,

to the place where you dwell.

4Then I will go to the altar of God,

to God, my joy and my delight.

I will praise you with the lyre,

O God, my God.

5Why, 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.

Psalm 44

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil.

1We have heard it with our ears, O God;

our ancestors have told us

what you did in their days,

in days long ago.

2With your hand you drove out the nations

and planted our ancestors;

you crushed the peoples

and made our ancestors flourish.

3It was not by their sword that they won the land,

nor did their arm bring them victory;

it was your right hand, your arm,

and the light of your face, for you loved them.

4You are my King and my God,

who decrees victories for Jacob.

5Through you we push back our enemies;

through your name we trample our foes.

6I put no trust in my bow,

my sword does not bring me victory;

7but you give us victory over our enemies,

you put our adversaries to shame.

8In God we make our boast all day long,

and we will praise your name forever.

9But now you have rejected and humbled us;

you no longer go out with our armies.

10You made us retreat before the enemy,

and our adversaries have plundered us.

11You gave us up to be devoured like sheep

and have scattered us among the nations.

12You sold your people for a pittance,

gaining nothing from their sale.

13You have made us a reproach to our neighbors,

the scorn and derision of those around us.

14You have made us a byword among the nations;

the peoples shake their heads at us.

15I live in disgrace all day long,

and my face is covered with shame

16at the taunts of those who reproach and revile me,

because of the enemy, who is bent on revenge.

17All this came upon us,

though we had not forgotten you;

we had not been false to your covenant.

18Our hearts had not turned back;

our feet had not strayed from your path.

19But you crushed us and made us a haunt for jackals;

you covered us over with deep darkness.

20If we had forgotten the name of our God

or spread out our hands to a foreign god,

21would not God have discovered it,

since he knows the secrets of the heart?

22Yet for your sake we face death all day long;

we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.

23Awake, Lord! Why do you sleep?

Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever.

24Why do you hide your face

and forget our misery and oppression?

25We are brought down to the dust;

our bodies cling to the ground.

26Rise up and help us;

rescue us because of your unfailing love.

Psalm 45

For the director of music. To the tune of “Lilies.” Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil. A wedding song.

1My heart is stirred by a noble theme

as I recite my verses for the king;

my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.

2You are the most excellent of men

and your lips have been anointed with grace,

since God has blessed you forever.

3Gird your sword on your side, you mighty one;

clothe yourself with splendor and majesty.

4In your majesty ride forth victoriously

in the cause of truth, humility and justice;

let your right hand achieve awesome deeds.

5Let your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king’s enemies;

let the nations fall beneath your feet.

6Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever;

a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.

7You love righteousness and hate wickedness;

therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions

by anointing you with the oil of joy.

8All your robes are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia;

from palaces adorned with ivory

the music of the strings makes you glad.

9Daughters of kings are among your honored women;

at your right hand is the royal bride in gold of Ophir.

10Listen, daughter, and pay careful attention:

Forget your people and your father’s house.

11Let the king be enthralled by your beauty;

honor him, for he is your lord.

12The city of Tyre will come with a gift,

people of wealth will seek your favor.

13All glorious is the princess within her chamber;

her gown is interwoven with gold.

14In embroidered garments she is led to the king;

her virgin companions follow her—

those brought to be with her.

15Led in with joy and gladness,

they enter the palace of the king.

16Your sons will take the place of your fathers;

you will make them princes throughout the land.

17I will perpetuate your memory through all generations;

therefore the nations will praise you for ever and ever.

Psalm 46

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. According to alamoth. A song.

1God is our refuge and strength,

an ever-present help in trouble.

2Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way

and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

3though its waters roar and foam

and the mountains quake with their surging.

4There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,

the holy place where the Most High dwells.

5God is within her, she will not fall;

God will help her at break of day.

6Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;

he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

7The Lord Almighty is with us;

the God of Jacob is our fortress.

8Come and see what the Lord has done,

the desolations he has brought on the earth.

9He makes wars cease

to the ends of the earth.

He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;

he burns the shields with fire.

10He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth.”

11The Lord Almighty is with us;

the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Psalm 47

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

1Clap your hands, all you nations;

shout to God with cries of joy.

2For the Lord Most High is awesome,

the great King over all the earth.

3He subdued nations under us,

peoples under our feet.

4He chose our inheritance for us,

the pride of Jacob, whom he loved.

5God has ascended amid shouts of joy,

the Lord amid the sounding of trumpets.

6Sing praises to God, sing praises;

sing praises to our King, sing praises.

7For God is the King of all the earth;

sing to him a psalm of praise.

8God reigns over the nations;

God is seated on his holy throne.

9The nobles of the nations assemble

as the people of the God of Abraham,

for the kings of the earth belong to God;

he is greatly exalted.

Psalm 48

A song. A psalm of the Sons of Korah.

1Great is the Lord, and most worthy of praise,

in the city of our God, his holy mountain.

2Beautiful in its loftiness,

the joy of the whole earth,

like the heights of Zaphon is Mount Zion,

the city of the Great King.

3God is in her citadels;

he has shown himself to be her fortress.

4When the kings joined forces,

when they advanced together,

5they saw her and were astounded;

they fled in terror.

6Trembling seized them there,

pain like that of a woman in labor.

7You destroyed them like ships of Tarshish

shattered by an east wind.

8As 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.

9Within your temple, O God,

we meditate on your unfailing love.

10Like your name, O God,

your praise reaches to the ends of the earth;

your right hand is filled with righteousness.

11Mount Zion rejoices,

the villages of Judah are glad

because of your judgments.

12Walk about Zion, go around her,

count her towers,

13consider well her ramparts,

view her citadels,

that you may tell of them

to the next generation.

14For this God is our God for ever and ever;

he will be our guide even to the end.

Psalm 49In Hebrew texts 49:1-20 is numbered 49:2-21.

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

1Hear this, all you peoples;

listen, all who live in this world,

2both low and high,

rich and poor alike:

3My mouth will speak words of wisdom;

the meditation of my heart will give you understanding.

4I will turn my ear to a proverb;

with the harp I will expound my riddle:

5Why should I fear when evil days come,

when wicked deceivers surround me—

6those who trust in their wealth

and boast of their great riches?

7No one can redeem the life of another

or give to God a ransom for them—

8the ransom for a life is costly,

no payment is ever enough—

9so that they should live on forever

and not see decay.

10For all can see that the wise die,

that the foolish and the senseless also perish,

leaving their wealth to others.

11Their tombs will remain their houses49:11 Septuagint and Syriac; Hebrew In their thoughts their houses will remain forever,

their dwellings for endless generations,

though they had49:11 Or generations, / for they have named lands after themselves.

12People, despite their wealth, do not endure;

they are like the beasts that perish.

13This is the fate of those who trust in themselves,

and of their followers, who approve their sayings.49:13 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 15.

14They are like sheep and are destined to die;

death will be their shepherd

(but the upright will prevail over them in the morning).

Their forms will decay in the grave,

far from their princely mansions.

15But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead;

he will surely take me to himself.

16Do not be overawed when others grow rich,

when the splendor of their houses increases;

17for they will take nothing with them when they die,

their splendor will not descend with them.

18Though while they live they count themselves blessed—

and people praise you when you prosper—

19they will join those who have gone before them,

who will never again see the light of life.

20People who have wealth but lack understanding

are like the beasts that perish.

Psalm 50

A psalm of Asaph.

1The Mighty One, God, the Lord,

speaks and summons the earth

from the rising of the sun to where it sets.

2From Zion, perfect in beauty,

God shines forth.

3Our God comes

and will not be silent;

a fire devours before him,

and around him a tempest rages.

4He summons the heavens above,

and the earth, that he may judge his people:

5“Gather to me this consecrated people,

who made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”

6And the heavens proclaim his righteousness,

for he is a God of justice.

7“Listen, my people, and I will speak;

I will testify against you, Israel:

I am God, your God.

8I bring no charges against you concerning your sacrifices

or concerning your burnt offerings, which are ever before me.

9I have no need of a bull from your stall

or of goats from your pens,

10for every animal of the forest is mine,

and the cattle on a thousand hills.

11I know every bird in the mountains,

and the insects in the fields are mine.

12If I were hungry I would not tell you,

for the world is mine, and all that is in it.

13Do I eat the flesh of bulls

or drink the blood of goats?

14“Sacrifice thank offerings to God,

fulfill your vows to the Most High,

15and call on me in the day of trouble;

I will deliver you, and you will honor me.”

16But to the wicked person, God says:

“What right have you to recite my laws

or take my covenant on your lips?

17You hate my instruction

and cast my words behind you.

18When you see a thief, you join with him;

you throw in your lot with adulterers.

19You use your mouth for evil

and harness your tongue to deceit.

20You sit and testify against your brother

and slander your own mother’s son.

21When you did these things and I kept silent,

you thought I was exactly like you.

But I now arraign you

and set my accusations before you.

22“Consider this, you who forget God,

or I will tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue you:

23Those who sacrifice thank offerings honor me,

and to the blameless I will show my salvation.”

Psalm 51

For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.

1Have mercy on me, O God,

according to your unfailing love;

according to your great compassion

blot out my transgressions.

2Wash away all my iniquity

and cleanse me from my sin.

3For I know my transgressions,

and my sin is always before me.

4Against you, you only, have I sinned

and done what is evil in your sight;

so you are right in your verdict

and justified when you judge.

5Surely I was sinful at birth,

sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

6Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;

you taught me wisdom in that secret place.

7Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;

wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

8Let me hear joy and gladness;

let the bones you have crushed rejoice.

9Hide your face from my sins

and blot out all my iniquity.

10Create in me a pure heart, O God,

and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

11Do not cast me from your presence

or take your Holy Spirit from me.

12Restore to me the joy of your salvation

and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

13Then I will teach transgressors your ways,