Psalms 87:1-150:6

ISV(i) 1 A psalm by the descendants of Korah. A song.
The Holy City for All People God’s foundation is in the holy mountains. 2 The LORD loves the gates of Zion more than the dwellings of Jacob. 3 Glorious things are spoken about you, city of God. Interlude 4 I will mention Rahab and Babylon among those who acknowledge me— including Philistia, Tyre, and Ethiopia— “This one was born there,” they say. 5 Indeed, about Zion it will be said: “More than one person was born in it,” and “The Most High himself did it.” 6 The LORD will record, as he registers the peoples, “This one was born there.” Interlude 7 Then singers, as they play their instruments, will declare, “All my roots are in you.”
88 1 A song. A psalm by the descendants of Korah. According to Machalath Leannoth. An instruction by Heman the Ezrahite.
A Cry for Help LORD, God of my salvation, by day and by night I cry out before you. 2 Let my prayer come before you; listen to my cry. 3 For my life is filled with troubles as I approach Sheol. 4 I am considered as one of those descending into the Pit, like a mighty man without strength, 5 released to remain with the dead, lying in a grave like a corpse, remembered no longer, and cut off from your power. 6 You have assigned me to the lowest part of the Pit, to the darkest depths. 7 Your anger lies heavily upon me; you pound me with all your waves. Interlude 8 You caused my acquaintances to shun me; you make me extremely abhorrent to them. Restrained, I am unable to go out. 9 My eyes languish on account of my affliction; all day long I call out to you, LORD, I spread out my hands to you. 10 Can you perform wonders for the dead? Can departed spirits stand up to praise you? Interlude 11 Can your gracious love be declared in the grave or your faithfulness in Abaddon? 12 Can your awesome deeds be known in darkness or your righteousness in the land of oblivion? 13 As for me, I cry out to you LORD, and in the morning my prayer greets you. 14 Why, LORD, have you rejected me? Why have you hidden your face from me? 15 Since my youth I have been oppressed and in danger of death. I bear your dread and am overwhelmed. 16 Your burning anger overwhelms me; your terrors destroy me. 17 Like waters, they engulf me all day long; they surround me on all sides. 18 You caused my friend and neighbor to shun me; and my acquaintances are confused.
89 1 An instruction. By Ethan, the Ezrahite
God’s Covenant with David I will sing forever about the gracious love of the LORD; from generation to generation I will declare your faithfulness with my mouth. 2 I will declare that your gracious love was established forever; in the heavens itself, you have established your faithfulness. 3 I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have made a promise to David, my servant. 4 “I will establish your dynasty forever, and I will lift up one who will build your throne from generation to generation.” Interlude 5 Even the heavens praise your awesome deeds, LORD, your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones. 6 For who in the skies compares to the LORD? Who is like the LORD among the divine beings? 7 God is feared in the council of the holy ones, revered by all those around him. 8 LORD God of the Heavenly Armies, who is as mighty as you, LORD? Your faithfulness surrounds you. 9 You rule over the majestic sea; when its waves surge, you calm them. 10 You crushed the proud one to death; with your powerful arm you scattered your enemies. 11 Heaven and the earth belong to you, the world and everything it contains— you established them. 12 The north and south—you created them; Tabor and Hermon joyously praise your name. 13 Your arm is strong; your hand is mighty; indeed, your right hand is victorious. 14 Righteousness and justice make up the foundation of your throne; gracious love and truth meet before you. 15 How happy are the people who can worship joyfully! LORD, they walk in the light of your presence. 16 In your name they rejoice all day long; they exult in your justice. 17 For you are their strength’s grandeur; by your favor you exalted our power. 18 Indeed, our shield belongs to the LORD, and our king to the Holy One of Israel.
19 God’s Describes His AnointedYou spoke to your faithful ones through a vision: “I will set a helper over a warrior. I will raise up a chosen one from the people. 20 I have found my servant David; I have anointed him with my sacred oil, 21 with whom my power will be firmly established; for my arm will strengthen him. 22 No enemy will deceive him; no wicked person will afflict him. 23 I will crush his enemies before him and strike those who hate him. 24 My faithfulness and gracious love will be with him, and in my name his power will be exalted. 25 I will place his hand over the sea, and his right hand over the rivers. 26 He will announce to me ‘You are my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation.’ 27 “Indeed, I myself made him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth. 28 I will show my gracious love toward him forever, since my covenant is securely established with him. 29 I will establish his dynasty forever, and his throne as long as heaven endures. 30 “But if his sons abandon my laws and do not follow my ordinances, 31 if they profane my statutes; and do not keep my commands, 32 then I will punish their disobedience with a rod and their iniquity with lashes. 33 But I will not cut off my gracious love from him, and I will not stop being faithful. 34 I will not dishonor my covenant, because I will not change what I have spoken. 35 I have sworn by my holiness once for all: I will not lie to David. 36 His dynasty will last forever and his throne will be like the sun before me. 37 It will be established forever like the moon, a faithful witness in the sky.” Interlude
38 A Commitment to PersevereBut you have spurned, rejected, and became angry with your anointed one. 39 You have dishonored the covenant with your servant; you have defiled his crown on the ground. 40 You have broken through all his walls; you have laid his fortresses in ruin. 41 All who pass by on their way plunder him; he has become a reproach to his neighbors. 42 You have exalted the right hand of his adversaries; you have caused all of his enemies to rejoice. 43 Moreover, you have turned back the edge of his sword and did not support him in battle. 44 You have caused his splendor to cease and cast down his throne to the ground. 45 You have caused the days of his youth to be cut short; you have covered him with shame. Interlude 46 How long, LORD, will you hide yourself? Forever? Will your anger continuously burn like fire? 47 Remember how short my lifetime is! How powerless have you created all human beings! 48 What valiant man can live and not see death? Who can deliver himself from the power of Sheol. Interlude 49 Where is your gracious love of old, Lord, that in your faithfulness you promised to David? 50 Remember, Lord, the reproach of your servant! I carry inside me all the insults of many people, 51 when your enemies reproached you, LORD, when they reproached the footsteps of your anointed. 52 Blessed is the LORD forever! Amen and amen!
90 1 A prayer by Moses, the godly man
Life is Short Lord, you’ve been our refuge from generation to generation. 2 Before the mountains were formed or the earth and the world were brought forth, you are God from eternity to eternity. 3 You return people to dust merely by saying, “Return, you mortals!” 4 One thousand years in your sight are but a single day that passes by, just like a night watch. 5 You will sweep them away while they are asleep— by morning they are like growing grass. 6 In the morning it blossoms and is renewed, but toward evening, it fades and withers. 7 Indeed, we are consumed by your anger and terrified by your wrath. 8 You have set our iniquities before you, what we have concealed in the light of your presence. 9 All our days pass away in your wrath; our years fade away and end like a sigh. 10 We live for 70 years, or 80 years if we’re healthy, yet even in the prime years there are troubles and sorrow. They pass by quickly and we fly away. 11 Who can know the intensity of your anger? Because our fear of you matches your wrath, 12 teach us to keep account of our days so we may develop inner wisdom. 13 Please return, LORD! When will it be? Comfort your servants. 14 Satisfy us in the morning with your gracious love so we may sing for joy and rejoice every day. 15 Cause us to rejoice throughout the time when you have afflicted us, the years when we have known trouble. 16 May your awesome deeds be revealed to your servants, as well as your splendor to their children. 17 May your favor be on us, Lord our God; make our endeavors successful; yes, make our endeavors secure!
91 1 A Davidic Psalm
God is My Refuge The one who lives in the shelter of the Most High, who rests in the shadow of the Almighty, 2 will say to the LORD, “You are my refuge, my fortress, and my God in whom I trust!” 3 He will surely deliver you from the hunter’s snare and from the destructive plague. 4 With his feathers he will cover you, under his wings you will find safety. His truth is your shield and armor. 5 You need not fear terror that stalks in the night, the arrow that flies in the day, 6 plague that strikes in the darkness, or calamity that destroys at noon. 7 If a thousand fall at your side or ten thousand at your right hand, it will not overcome you. 8 Only observe it with your eyes, and you will see how the wicked are paid back. 9 “LORD, you are my refuge!” Because you chose the Most High as your dwelling place, 10 no evil will fall upon you, and no affliction will approach your tent, 11 for he will command his angels to protect you in all your ways. 12 With their hands they will lift you up so you will not trip over a stone. 13 You will stomp on lions and snakes; you will trample young lions and serpents.
14 The LORD SpeaksBecause he has focused his love on me, I will deliver him. I will protect him because he knows my name. 15 When he calls out to me, I will answer him. I will be with him in his distress. I will deliver him, and I will honor him. 16 I will satisfy him with long life; I will show him my deliverance.
92 1 A Psalm. A song for the Sabbath Day
Praise and Thanksgiving to God It is good to give thanks to the LORD and to sing praise to your name, Most High; 2 to proclaim your gracious love in the morning and your faithfulness at night, 3 accompanied by a ten-stringed instrument and a lyre, and the contemplative sound of a harp. 4 Because you made me glad with your awesome deeds, LORD, I will sing for joy at the works of your hands. 5 How great are your works, LORD! Your thoughts are unfathomable. 6 A stupid man doesn’t know, and a fool can’t comprehend this: 7 Though the wicked sprout like grass; and all who practice iniquity flourish, it is they who will be eternally destroyed. 8 But you are exalted forever, LORD. 9 Look at your enemies, LORD! Look at your enemies, for they are destroyed; everyone who practices iniquity will be scattered. 10 You’ve grown my strength like the horn of a wild ox; I was anointed with fresh oil. 11 My eyes gloated over those who lie in wait for me; when those of evil intent attack me, my ears will hear. 12 The righteous will flourish like palm trees; they will grow like a cedar in Lebanon. 13 Planted in the LORD’s Temple, they will flourish in the courtyard of our God. 14 They will still bear fruit even in old age; they will be luxuriant and green. 15 They will proclaim: “The LORD is upright; my rock, in whom there is no injustice.”
93 1 God Reigns The LORD reigns! He is clothed in majesty; the LORD is clothed, and he is girded with strength. Indeed, the world is well established, and cannot be shaken. 2 Your throne has been established since time immemorial; you are king from eternity. 3 The rivers have flooded, LORD; the rivers have spoken aloud, the rivers have lifted up their crushing waves. 4 More than the sound of surging waters— the majestic waves of the sea— the LORD on high is majestic. 5 Your decrees are very trustworthy, and holiness always befits your house, LORD.
94 1 God Avenges His Own God of vengeance, LORD God of vengeance, display your splendor! 2 Stand up, judge of the earth, and repay the proud. 3 How long will the wicked, LORD, how long will the wicked continue to triumph? 4 When they speak, they spew arrogance. Everyone who practices iniquity brags about it. 5 LORD, they have crushed your people, afflicting your heritage. 6 The wicked kill widows and foreigners; they murder orphans. 7 They say, “The LORD cannot see, and the God of Jacob will not notice.” 8 Pay attention, you dull ones among the crowds! You fools! Will you ever become wise? 9 The one who formed the ear can hear, can he not? The one who made the eyes can see, can he not? 10 The one who disciplines nations can rebuke them, can he not? The one who teaches mankind can discern, can he not? 11 The LORD knows the thoughts of human beings— that they are futile. 12 How blessed is the man whom you instruct, LORD, whom you teach from your Law, 13 keeping him calm when times are troubled until a pit has been dug for the wicked. 14 For the LORD will not forsake his people; he will not abandon his heritage. 15 Righteousness will be restored with justice, and all the pure of heart will follow it. 16 Who will rise up for me against the wicked? Who will stand for me against those who practice iniquity? 17 If the LORD had not been my helper, I would have quickly become silent. 18 When I say that my foot is shaking, your gracious love, LORD, will sustain me. 19 When my anxious inner thoughts become overwhelming, your comfort encourages me. 20 Will destructive national leaders, who plan wicked things through misuse of the Law, be allied with you? 21 They gather together against the righteous, condemning the innocent to death. 22 But the LORD is my stronghold, and my God, the rock, is my refuge. 23 He will repay them for their sin; he will annihilate them because of their evil. The LORD our God will annihilate them.
95 1 Worship and Obedience Come! Let us sing joyfully to the LORD! Let us shout for joy to the rock of our salvation. 2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us shout with songs of praise to him. 3 For the LORD is an awesome God; a great king above all divine beings. 4 He holds in his hand the lowest parts of the earth and the mountain peaks belong to him. 5 The sea that he made belongs to him, along with the dry land that his hands formed. 6 Come! Let us worship and bow down; let us kneel in the presence of the LORD, who made us. 7 For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the flock in his care. If only you would listen to his voice today, 8 do not be stubborn like your ancestors were at Meribah, as on that day at Massah, in the wilderness, 9 where your ancestors tested me. They tested me, even though they had seen my awesome deeds. 10 For forty years I loathed that generation, so I said, “They are a people whose hearts continuously err, and they have not understood my ways.” 11 So in my anger I declared an oath: “They are not to enter my place of rest.”
96 1 Give Glory to the LORD Sing a new song to the LORD! Sing to the LORD, all the earth! 2 Sing to the LORD! Bless his name! Proclaim his deliverance every day! 3 Declare his glory among the nations and his awesome deeds among all the peoples! 4 For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised; he is awesome above all gods. 5 For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the LORD made the heavens. 6 Splendor and majesty are before him; might and beauty are in his sanctuary. 7 Ascribe to the LORD, you families of peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength! 8 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name, bring an offering and enter his courts! 9 Worship the LORD in holy splendor; tremble before him, all the earth. 10 Declare among the nations, “The LORD reigns!” Indeed, he established the world so that it will not falter. He will judge people fairly. 11 The heavens will be glad and the earth will rejoice; even the sea and everything that fills it will roar. 12 The field and all that is in it will rejoice; then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy 13 in the LORD’s presence, because he is coming; indeed, he will come to judge the earth. He will judge the world fairly and its people reliably.
97 1 The LORD is King The LORD reigns! Let the earth rejoice! May many islands be glad! 2 Thick clouds are all around him; righteousness and justice are his throne’s foundation. 3 Fire goes out from his presence to consume his enemies on every side. 4 His lightning bolts light the world; the earth sees and shakes. 5 Mountains melt like wax in the LORD’s presence— In the presence of the LORD of all the earth. 6 The heavens declare his righteousness so that all the nations see his glory. 7 All who serve carved images— and those who praise idols—will be humiliated. Worship him, all you “gods”! 8 Zion hears and rejoices; the towns of Judah rejoice on account of your justice, LORD. 9 For you, LORD, are the Most High above all the earth; you are exalted high above all divine beings. 10 Hate evil, you who love the LORD! He guards the lives of those who love him, delivering them from domination by the wicked. 11 Light shines on the righteous; gladness on the morally upright. 12 Rejoice in the LORD, you righteous ones! Give thanks at the mention of his holiness!
98 1 A psalm
Sing Praise to the King Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done awesome deeds! His right hand and powerful arm have brought him victory. 2 The LORD has made his deliverance known; he has disclosed his justice before the nations. 3 He has remembered his gracious love; his faithfulness toward the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth saw our God’s deliverance. 4 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth! Break forth into joyful songs of praise! 5 Sing praises to the LORD with a lyre— with a lyre and a melodious song! 6 With trumpets and the sound of a ram’s horn shout in the presence of the LORD, the king! 7 Let the sea and everything in it shout, along with the world and its inhabitants; 8 let the rivers clap their hands in unison; and let the mountains sing for joy 9 in the LORD’s presence, who comes to judge the earth; He’ll judge the world righteously; and its people fairly.
99 1 The LORD is Holy The LORD reigns— let people tremble; he is seated above the cherubim— let the earth quake. 2 The LORD is great in Zion and is exalted above all peoples. 3 Let them praise your great and awesome name. He is holy! 4 A mighty king who loves justice, you have established fairness. You have exercised justice and righteousness over Jacob. 5 Exalt the LORD our God; worship and bow down at his footstool; He is holy! 6 Moses and Aaron were among his priests; Samuel also was among those who invoked his name. When they called on the LORD, he answered them. 7 In a pillar of cloud he spoke to them; they obeyed his decrees and the Law that he gave them. 8 LORD our God, you answered them; you were their God who forgave them, but also avenged their evil deeds. 9 Exalt the LORD our God and worship at his holy mountain, for the LORD our God is holy!
100 1 A psalm of thanksgiving
Give Thanks to the LORD Shout to the LORD all the earth! 2 Serve the LORD with joy. Come before him with a joyful shout! 3 Acknowledge that the LORD is God. He made us and we belong to him; we are his people and the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. Thank him and bless his name, 5 for the LORD is good and his gracious love stands forever. His faithfulness remains from generation to generation.
101 1 A Davidic Psalm
Remembering God’s Love I will sing about gracious love and justice; LORD, I will sing praise to you. 2 I will pay attention to living a life of integrity— when will I attain it? I will live with integrity of heart in my house. 3 I will not even think about doing anything lawless; I hate to do evil deeds; I will have none of it. 4 I will not allow anyone with a perverted mind in my presence; I will not be involved with anything evil. 5 I will destroy the one who secretly slanders a friend. I will not allow the proud and haughty to prevail. 6 My eyes are looking at the faithful of the land, so they may live with me; The one who lives a life of integrity will serve me. 7 A deceitful person will not sit in my house; A liar will not remain in my presence. 8 Every morning I will destroy all the wicked of the land, eliminating everyone who practices iniquity from the LORD’s city.
102 1 A prayer by the afflicted man who is overwhelmed and talks about his troubles with the LORD.
A Prayer for Help LORD, hear my prayer! May my cry for help come to you. 2 Do not hide your face from me when I am in trouble. Listen to me. When I call to out you, hurry to answer me! 3 For my days are vanishing like smoke; my bones are charred as in a fireplace. 4 Withered like grass, my heart is overwhelmed, and I have even forgotten to eat my food. 5 Because of the sound of my sighing, my bones cling to my skin. 6 I resemble a pelican in the wilderness or an owl in a desolate land. 7 I lie awake, yet I am like a bird isolated on a rooftop. 8 My enemies revile me all day long; those who ridicule me use my name to curse. 9 I have eaten ashes as food and mixed my drink with tears 10 because of your indignation and wrath, when you lifted and threw me away. 11 My life is like a declining shadow, and I am withering like a plant. 12 But you, LORD, are enthroned forever; You are remembered throughout all generations. 13 You will arise to extend compassion on Zion, for it is time to show her favor— the appointed time has come. 14 Your servants take pleasure in its stones and delight in its debris. 15 Nations will fear the name of the LORD, and all the kings of the earth, your splendor. 16 When the LORD rebuilds Zion, he will appear in his glory. 17 He will turn to the prayer of the destitute, not despising their prayer. 18 Write this for the next generation, that a people yet to be created will praise the LORD. 19 For when he looked down from his holy heights— the LORD looked over the earth from heaven— 20 to listen to the groans of prisoners, to set free those condemned to death, 21 so they would declare the name of the LORD in Zion and his praise in Jerusalem, 22 when people and kingdoms gather together to serve the LORD. 23 He has weakened my strength along the way. He has cut short my days. 24 I say, “My God, whose years continue through all generations, do not take me in the middle of my life. 25 You established the earth long ago; the heavens are the work of your hands. 26 They will perish, but you will remain; and they all will become worn out, like a garment. You will change them like clothing, and they will pass away. 27 But you remain the same; your years never end. 28 May the descendants of your servants live securely, and may their children be established in your presence.”
103 1 Davidic
Praise God, who Forgives Bless the LORD, my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. 2 Bless the LORD, my soul, and never forget any of his benefits: 3 He continues to forgive all your sins, he continues to heal all your diseases, 4 he continues to redeem your life from the Pit, and he continuously surrounds you with gracious love and compassion. 5 He keeps satisfying you with good things, and he keeps renewing your youth like the eagle’s. 6 The LORD continuously does what is right, executing justice for all who are being oppressed. 7 He revealed his plans to Moses and his deeds to the people of Israel. 8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious, patient, and abundantly rich in gracious love. 9 He does not maintain a dispute continuously or remain angry for all time. 10 He neither deals with us according to our sins, nor repays us equivalent to our iniquity. 11 As high as heaven rises above earth, so his gracious love strengthens those who fear him. 12 As distant as the east is from the west, that is how far he has removed our sins from us. 13 As a father has compassion for his children, so the LORD has compassion for those who fear him. 14 For he knows how we were formed, aware that we were made from dust. 15 A person’s life is like grass— it blossoms like wild flowers, 16 but when the wind blows through it, it withers away and no one remembers where it was. 17 Yet the LORD’s gracious love remains throughout eternity for those who fear him and his righteous acts extend to their children’s children, 18 to those who keep his covenant and to those who remember to observe his precepts. 19 The LORD has established his throne in heaven and his kingdom rules over all. 20 Bless the LORD, you angels who belong to him, you mighty warriors who carry out his commands, who are obedient to the sound of his words. 21 Bless the LORD, all his heavenly armies, his ministers who do his will. 22 Bless the LORD, all his creation, in all the places of his dominion. Bless the LORD, my soul.
104 1 Davidic
Praise God, who Creates Bless the LORD, my soul; LORD, my God, you are very great. You are clothed in splendor and majesty; 2 you are wrapped in light like a garment, stretching out the sky like a curtain. 3 He lays the beams of his roof loft on the water above, making clouds his chariot, walking on the wings of the wind. 4 He makes the winds his messengers, blazing fires his servants. 5 He established the earth on its foundations, so that it never falters. 6 You covered the primeval ocean like a garment; the water stood above the mountains. 7 They flee at your rebuke; they rush away at the sound of your thunders. 8 Mountains rise up and valleys sink to the place you have ordained for them. 9 You have set a boundary they cannot cross; they will never again cover the earth. 10 He causes springs to gush forth into rivers that flow between the mountains. 11 They give water for animals of the field to drink; the wild donkeys quench their thirst. 12 Birds of the sky live beside them and chirp a song among the foliage. 13 He waters the mountains from his heavenly rooms; the earth is satisfied from the fruit of your work. 14 He causes grass to sprout for the cattle and plants for people to cultivate, to produce food from the land, 15 like wine that makes the heart of people happy, oil that makes the face glow, and food that sustains people. 16 The loftiest trees are satisfied, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted, 17 the birds build their nests there, and the heron builds its nest among the evergreen. 18 The high mountains are for wild goats; the cliffs are a refuge for the rock badger. 19 He made the moon to mark time; the sun knows its setting time. 20 You bring darkness and it becomes night; when every beast of the forest prowls. 21 Young lions roar for prey, seeking their food from God. 22 When the sun rises, they gather and lie down in their dens. 23 People go out to their work and labor until evening. 24 How numerous are your works, LORD! You have made them all wisely; the earth is filled with your creations. 25 There is the deep and wide sea, teeming with numberless creatures, living things small and great. 26 There, the ships pass through; Leviathan, which you created, frolics in it. 27 All of them look to you to provide them their food at the proper time. 28 They receive what you give them; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things. 29 When you withdraw your favor, they are disappointed; Take away their breath, and they die and return to dust. 30 When you send your spirit, they are created, and you replenish the surface of the earth. 31 May the glory of the LORD last forever; may the LORD rejoice in his works! 32 He looks at the earth and it shakes; he touches the mountains and they smoke. 33 I will sing to the LORD with my whole being; I will sing to my God continually! 34 May my thoughts be pleasing to him; indeed, I will rejoice in the LORD! 35 May sinners disappear from the land and the wicked live no longer. Bless the LORD, my soul! Hallelujah!
105 1 Thanksgiving for God’s Deliverance Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name, and make his deeds known among the people. 2 Sing to him! Praise him! Declare all his awesome deeds! 3 Exult in his holy name; let all those who seek the LORD rejoice! 4 Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his face continually. 5 Remember his awesome deeds that he has done, his wonders and the judgments he declared. 6 You descendants of Abraham, his servant, You children of Jacob, his chosen ones. 7 He is the LORD our God; his judgments extend to the entire earth. 8 He remembers his eternal covenant— every promise he made for a thousand generations, 9 like the covenant he made with Abraham, and his promise to Isaac. 10 He presented it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant. 11 He said: “I will give Canaan to you as the allotted portion that is your inheritance.” 12 When the Hebrews were few in number—so very few— and were sojourners in it, 13 they wandered from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another. 14 He did not allow anyone to oppress them, or any kings to reprove them. 15 “Don’t touch my anointed or hurt my prophets!” 16 He declared a famine on the land; destroying the entire food supply. 17 He sent a man before them— Joseph, who had been sold as a slave. 18 They bound his feet with fetters and placed an iron collar on his neck, 19 until the time his prediction came true, as the word of the LORD refined him. 20 He sent a king who released him, a ruler of people who set him free. 21 He made him the master over his household, the manager of all his possessions— 22 to discipline his rulers at will and make his elders wise. 23 Then Israel came to Egypt; indeed, Jacob lived in the land of Ham. 24 He caused his people to multiply greatly; and be more numerous than their enemies. 25 He caused them to hate his people and to deceive his servants. 26 He sent his servant Moses, along with Aaron, whom he had chosen. 27 They performed his signs among them, his wonders in the land of Ham. 28 He sent darkness, and it became dark. Did they not rebel against his words? 29 He turned their water into blood, so that the fish died. 30 Their land swarmed with frogs even to the chambers of their kings. 31 He spoke, and a swarm of insects invaded their land. 32 He sent hail instead of rain, and lightning throughout their land. 33 It destroyed their vines and their figs, breaking trees throughout their country. 34 Then he commanded the locust to come— grasshoppers without number. 35 They consumed every green plant in their land, and devoured the fruit of their soil. 36 He struck down every firstborn in their land, the first fruits of all their progeny. 37 Then he brought Israel out with silver and gold, and no one among his tribes stumbled. 38 The Egyptians rejoiced when they left, because fear of Israel descended on them. 39 He spread out a cloud for a cover, and fire for light at night. 40 Israel asked, and quail came; food from heaven satisfied them. 41 He opened a rock, and water gushed out flowing like a river in the desert. 42 Indeed, he remembered his sacred promise to his servant Abraham. 43 He led his people out with gladness, his chosen ones with shouts of joy. 44 He gave to them the land of nations; they inherited the labor of other people 45 so they might keep his statutes and observe his laws. Hallelujah!
106 1 The Unfaithfulness of God’s People Hallelujah! Give thanks to the LORD, since he is good, for his gracious love exists forever. 2 Who can fully describe the mighty acts of the LORD or proclaim all his praises? 3 How happy are those who enforce justice, who live righteously all the time. 4 Remember me, LORD, when you show favor to your people. Visit us with your deliverance, 5 to witness the prosperity of your chosen ones, to rejoice in your nation’s joy, to glory in your inheritance. 6 We have sinned, along with our ancestors; we have committed iniquity and wickedness. 7 In Egypt, our ancestors neither comprehended your awesome deeds nor remembered your abundant gracious love. Instead, they rebelled beside the sea, the Reed Sea. 8 He delivered for the sake of his name, to make his power known. 9 He shouted at the Reed Sea and it dried up; and led them through the sea as though through a desert. 10 He delivered them from the power of their foe; redeeming them from the power of their enemy. 11 The water overwhelmed their enemies, so that not one of them survived. 12 Then they believed his word and sung his praise. 13 But they quickly forgot his deeds and did not wait for his counsel. 14 They were overwhelmed with craving in the wilderness, so God tested them in the wasteland. 15 God granted them their request, but sent leanness into their lives. 16 They were envious of Moses in the camp, and of Aaron, the holy one of the LORD. 17 The earth opened and swallowed Dathan, closing over Abiram’s clan. 18 Then a fire burned among their company, a flame that set the wicked ablaze. 19 They fashioned a calf at Horeb and worshipped a carved image. 20 They exchanged their glory with the image of a grass-eating bull. 21 They forgot God their Savior, who performed great things in Egypt— 22 awesome deeds in the land of Ham, astonishing deeds at the Reed Sea. 23 He would have destroyed them but for Moses, his chosen one, who stood in the breach before him to avert his destructive wrath. 24 They rejected the desirable land, and they didn’t trust his promise. 25 They murmured in their tents, and didn’t listen to the voice of the LORD. 26 So he swore an oath concerning them— that he would cause them to die in the wilderness, 27 to cause their children to perish among the nations and be scattered among many lands. 28 For they adopted the worship of Baal Peor and ate sacrifices offered to the dead. 29 They had provoked anger by their deeds, so that a plague broke out against them. 30 But Phinehas intervened and prayed so that the plague was restrained. 31 And it was credited to him as a righteous act, from generation to generation—to eternity. 32 They provoked wrath at the waters of Meribah, and Moses suffered on account of them. 33 For they rebelled against him, so that he spoke thoughtlessly with his lips. 34 They never destroyed the people, as the LORD had commanded them. 35 Instead, they mingled among the nations and learned their ways. 36 They worshipped their idols, and this became a trap for them. 37 They sacrificed their sons and daughters to demons. 38 They shed innocent blood— the blood of their sons and daughters— whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, thereby polluting the land with blood. 39 Therefore, they became unclean because of what they did; they have acted like whores by their evil deeds. 40 The LORD’s anger burned against his people, so that he despised his own inheritance. 41 He turned them over to domination by nations where those who hated them ruled over them. 42 Their enemies oppressed them, so that they were humiliated by their power. 43 He delivered them many times, but they demonstrated rebellion by their evil plans; therefore they sunk deep in their sins. 44 Yet when he saw their distress and heard their cries for help, 45 he remembered his covenant with them, and so relented according to the greatness of his gracious love. 46 He caused all their captors to show compassion toward them. 47 Deliver us, LORD our God, gather us from among the nations so we may praise your holy name and rejoice in praising you. 48 Blessed are you, LORD God of Israel, from eternity to eternity; Let all the people say, “Amen!” Hallelujah!
107 1 Gratitude for God’s Deliverance Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His gracious love exists forever. 2 Let those who have been redeemed by the LORD declare it— those whom he redeemed from the power of the enemy, 3 those whom he gathered from other lands— from the east, west, north, and south. 4 They wandered in desolate wilderness; they found no road to a city where they could live. 5 Hungry and thirsty, their spirits failed. 6 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. 7 He led them in a straight way to find a city where they could live. 8 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his gracious love and his awesome deeds for mankind. 9 He has satisfied the one who thirsts, filling the hungry with what is good. 10 Some sat in deepest darkness, shackled with cruel iron, 11 because they had rebelled against the command of God, despising the advice of the Most High. 12 He humbled them through suffering, as they stumbled without a helper. 13 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble; he delivered them from their distress. 14 And he brought them out from darkness and the shadow of death, shattering their chains. 15 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his gracious love, and for his awesome deeds to mankind. 16 For he shattered bronze gates and cut through iron bars. 17 Because of their rebellious ways, fools suffered for their iniquities. 18 They loathed all food, and even reached the gates of death. 19 Yet when they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, he delivered them from certain destruction. 20 He issued his command and healed them; he delivered them from their destruction. 21 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his gracious love, and for his awesome deeds for mankind. 22 Let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving and talk about his works with shouts of joy. 23 Those who go down to the sea in ships, who work in the great waters, 24 witnessed the works of the LORD— his awesome deeds in the ocean’s depth. 25 He spoke and stirred up a windstorm that made its waves surge. 26 The people ascended skyward and descended to the depths, their courage melting away in their peril. 27 They reeled and staggered like a drunkard, as all their wisdom became useless. 28 Yet when they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, the LORD brought them out of their distress. 29 He calmed the storm and its waves quieted down. 30 So they rejoiced that the waves became quiet, and he led them to their desired haven. 31 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his gracious love and for his awesome deeds on behalf of mankind. 32 Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people and praise him in the counsel of the elders. 33 He turns rivers into a desert, springs of water into dry ground, 34 and a fruitful land into a salty waste, due to the wickedness of its inhabitants. 35 He turns a desert into a pool of water, dry land into springs of water. 36 There he settled the hungry, where they built a city to live in. 37 They sowed fields and planted vineyards that yielded a productive harvest. 38 Then he blessed them, and they became numerous; he multiplied their cattle. 39 But they became few in number, and humiliated by continued oppression, agony, and sorrow. 40 Having poured contempt on their nobles, causing them to err aimlessly in the way. 41 Yet he lifted the needy from affliction and made them families like a flock. 42 The upright see it and rejoice, but the mouth of an evil person is shut. 43 Let whoever is wise observe these things, that they may comprehend the gracious love of the LORD.
108 1 A song. A Davidic psalm.
A Plea for Victory My heart is firm, God; I will sing and praise you with my whole being. 2 Awake, harp and lyre! I will wake up at dawn. 3 I will give thanks to you among the peoples, LORD! I will sing praise to you among the nations. 4 For your gracious love extends to the sky, and your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. 5 May you be exalted above the heavens, God, and your glory be over all the earth. 6 In order that those you love may be rescued, deliver with your power and answer me! 7 God had promised in his sanctuary: “I will triumph and divide Shechem, then I will measure the valley of Succoth! 8 Gilead and Manasseh belong to me, while Ephraim is my chief stronghold and Judah is my scepter. 9 Moab is my washbasin; I will fling my shoe on Edom and shout over Philistia.” 10 Who will lead me to the fortified city? Who will lead me as far as Edom? 11 God, you have rejected us, have you not, since you did not march out with our army, God? 12 Give us help against the enemy, because human help is useless. 13 I will find strength in God, for he will trample on our foes.
109 1 To the Director. A Davidic psalm.
A Prayer against the Evil One God, whom I praise, do not be silent, 2 for the mouths of wicked and deceitful people are opened against me; they speak against me with lying tongues. 3 They surround me with hate-filled words, attacking me for no reason. 4 Instead of receiving my love, they accuse me, though I continue in prayer. 5 They devise evil against me instead of good, and hatred in place of my love. 6 Appoint an evil person over him; may an accuser stand at his right side. 7 When he is judged, may he be found guilty; may his prayer be regarded as sin. 8 May his days be few; may another take over his position. 9 May his children become fatherless, and his wife a widow. 10 May his children roam around begging, seeking food while driven far from their ruined homes. 11 May creditors seize all his possessions, and may foreigners loot the property he has acquired. 12 May no one extend gracious love to him, or show favor to his fatherless children. 13 May his descendants be eliminated, and their memory be erased from the next generation. 14 May his ancestors’ guilt be remembered in the LORD’s presence, and may his mother’s guilt not be erased. 15 May what they have done be continually in the LORD’s presence; and may their memory be excised from the earth. 16 For he didn’t think to extend gracious love; he harassed to death the poor, the needy, and the broken hearted. 17 He loved to curse—may his curses return upon him! He took no delight in blessing others— so may blessings be far from him. 18 He wore curses like a garment— may they enter his inner being like water and his bones like oil. 19 May those curses wrap around him like a garment, or like a belt that one always wears. 20 May this be the way the LORD repays my accuser, those who speak evil against me. 21 Now you, LORD my God, defend me for your name’s sake; because your gracious love is good, deliver me! 22 Indeed, I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me. 23 I am fading away like a shadow late in the day; I am shaken off like a locust. 24 My knees give way from fasting, and my skin is lean, deprived of oil. 25 I have become an object of derision to them— they shake their heads whenever they see me. 26 Help me, LORD my God! Deliver me in accord with your gracious love! 27 Then they will realize that your hand is in this— that you, LORD, have accomplished it. 28 They will curse, but you will bless. When they attack, they will be humiliated, while your servant rejoices. 29 May my accusers be clothed with shame and wrapped in their humiliation as with a robe. 30 I will give many thanks to the LORD with my mouth, praising him publicly, 31 for he stands at the right hand of the needy one, to deliver him from his accusers.
110 1 A Davidic psalm
A Priestly Ruler A declaration from the LORD to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.” 2 When the LORD extends your mighty scepter from Zion, rule in the midst of your enemies. 3 Your soldiers are willing volunteers on your day of battle; in majestic holiness, from the womb, from the dawn, the dew of your youth belongs to you. 4 The LORD took an oath and will never recant: “You are a priest forever, after the manner of Melchizedek.” 5 The Lord is at your right hand; he will utterly destroy kings in the time of his wrath. 6 He will execute judgment against the nations, filling graves with corpses. He will utterly destroy leaders far and wide. 7 He will drink from a stream on the way, then hold his head high.
111 1 Praise for God’s Amazing Deeds Hallelujah! I will give thanks to the LORD with all of my heart in the assembled congregation of the upright. 2 Great are the acts of the LORD; they are within reach of all who desire them. 3 Splendid and glorious are his awesome deeds, and his righteousness endures forever. 4 He is remembered for his awesome deeds; the LORD is gracious and compassionate. 5 He prepares food for those who fear him; he is ever mindful of his covenant. 6 He revealed his mighty deeds to his people by giving them a country of their own. 7 Whatever he does is reliable and just, and all his precepts are trustworthy, 8 sustained through all eternity, and fashioned in both truth and righteousness. 9 He sent deliverance to his people; he ordained his covenant to last forever; his name is holy and awesome. 10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; sound understanding belongs to those who practice it. Praise of God endures forever.
112 1 The Gracious Person Hallelujah! How happy is the person who fears the LORD, who truly delights in his commandments. 2 His descendants will be powerful in the land, a generation of the upright who will be blessed. 3 Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever. 4 A light shines in the darkness for the upright, for the one who is gracious, compassionate, and just. 5 It is good for the person who lends generously, conducting his affairs with fairness. 6 He will never be shaken; the one who is just will always be remembered. 7 He need not fear a bad report, for his heart is unshaken, since he trusts in the LORD. 8 His heart is steadfast, he will not fear. In the end he will look in triumph over his enemy. 9 He gives generously to the poor; his righteousness endures forever; his horn is exalted in honor. 10 The wicked person sees this and flies into a rage; his teeth gnash and wear away. The desire of the wicked will amount to nothing.
113 1 Praise to the Loving God Hallelujah! Give praise, you servants of the LORD. Praise the name of the LORD! 2 May the name of the LORD be blessed from now to eternity. 3 From rising to setting sun, may the name of the LORD be praised. 4 The LORD is exalted high above all the nations; his glory beyond the heavens. 5 Who is like the LORD our God, enthroned on high, 6 yet stooping low to observe the sky and the earth? 7 He lifts the poor person from the dust, raising the needy from the trash pile 8 and giving him a seat among nobles— with the nobles of his people. 9 He makes the barren woman among her household a happy mother of joyful children. Hallelujah!
114 1 Deliverance of Israel from Egypt When Israel came out of Egypt— the household of Jacob from a people of foreign speech— 2 Judah became his sanctuary and Israel his place of dominion. 3 The sea saw this and fled, the Jordan River ran backwards, 4 the mountains skipped like rams, and the hills like lambs. 5 What happened to you, sea, that you fled? Jordan, that you ran backwards? 6 Mountains, that you skipped like rams? and you hills, that you skipped like lambs? 7 Tremble then, earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob, 8 who turned the rock into a pool of water, the flinty rock into flowing springs.
115 1 The Impotence of Idols Not to us, LORD, not to us, but to your name be given glory on account of your gracious love and faithfulness. 2 Why should the nations ask “Where now is their God?” 3 when our God is in the heavens and he does whatever he desires? 4 Their idols are silver and gold, crafted by human hands. 5 They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see. 6 They have ears, but cannot hear; they have noses, but cannot smell. 7 They have hands, but cannot touch; feet, but cannot walk; they cannot even groan with their throats. 8 Those who craft them will become like them, as will all those who trust in them. 9 Israel, trust in the LORD! He is their helper and shield. 10 House of Aaron, trust in the LORD! He is their helper and shield. 11 You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD! He is their helper and shield. 12 The LORD remembers and blesses us. He will indeed bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron. 13 He will bless those who fear the LORD, both the important and the insignificant together. 14 May the LORD add to your numbers— to you and to your descendants. 15 May you be blessed by the LORD, who made the heavens and the earth. 16 The highest heavens belong to the LORD, but he gave the earth to human beings. 17 Neither can the dead praise the LORD, nor those who go down into the silence of death. 18 But we will bless the LORD from now to eternity. Hallelujah!
116 1 God, My Deliverer I love the LORD because he has heard my prayer for mercy; 2 for he listens to me whenever I call. 3 The ropes of death were wound around me and the anguish of Sheol came upon me; I encountered distress and sorrow. 4 Then I called on the name of the LORD, “LORD, please deliver me!” 5 The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is compassionate; 6 the LORD watches over the innocent; I was brought low, and he delivered me. 7 Return to your resting place, my soul, for the LORD treated you generously. 8 Indeed, you delivered my soul from death, my eyes from crying, and my feet from stumbling. 9 I will walk in the LORD’s presence in the lands of the living. 10 I will continue to believe, even when I say, “I am greatly afflicted” 11 and speak hastily, “All people are liars!” 12 What will I return to the LORD for all his benefits to me? 13 I will raise my cup of deliverance and invoke the LORD’s name. 14 I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people. 15 In the sight of the LORD, the death of his faithful ones is valued. 16 LORD, I am indeed your servant. I am your servant. I am the son of your handmaid. You have released my bonds. 17 I will bring you a thanksgiving offering and call on the name of the LORD! 18 I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people, 19 in the courts of the LORD’s house, in your midst, Jerusalem. Hallelujah!
117 1 A Call to Praise the LORD Praise the LORD, all you nations! Exalt him, all you peoples! 2 For great is his gracious love toward us, and the LORD’s faithfulness is eternal. Hallelujah!
118 1 Thanksgiving to God Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his gracious love is eternal. 2 Let Israel now say, “His gracious love is eternal.” 3 Let the house of Aaron now say, “His gracious love is eternal.” 4 Let those who fear the LORD now say, “His gracious love is eternal.” 5 I called on the LORD in my distress; the LORD answered me openly. 6 The LORD is with me. I will not be afraid. What can people do to me? 7 With the LORD beside me as my helper, I will triumph over those who hate me. 8 It is better to take shelter in the LORD than to trust in people. 9 It is better to take shelter in the LORD than to trust in princes. 10 All the nations surrounded me; but in the name of the LORD I will defeat them. 11 They surrounded me, they are around me; but in the name of the LORD I will defeat them. 12 They surrounded me like bees; but they will be extinguished like burning thorns. In the name of the LORD I will defeat them. 13 Indeed, you oppressed me so much that I nearly fell, but the LORD helped me. 14 The LORD is my strength and protector, for he has become my deliverer. 15 There’s exultation for deliverance in the tents of the righteous: “The right hand of the LORD is victorious! 16 The right hand of the LORD is exalted! The right hand of the LORD is victorious!” 17 I will not die, but I will live to recount the deeds of the LORD. 18 The LORD will discipline me severely, but he won’t hand me over to die. 19 Open for me the righteous gates so I may enter through them to give thanks to the LORD. 20 This is the LORD’s gate— The righteous will enter through it. 21 I will praise you because you have answered me and have become my deliverer. 22 The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. 23 This is from the LORD— it is awesome in our sight. 24 This is the day that the LORD has made; let’s rejoice and be glad in it. 25 Please LORD, deliver us! Please LORD, hurry and bring success now! 26 Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the LORD! Let us bless you from the LORD’s house. 27 The LORD is God—he will be our light! Bind the festival sacrifice with ropes to the horn at the altar. 28 You are my God, and I will praise you; my God, and I will exalt you. 29 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good and his gracious love is eternal.
119 1 Alef
Living in the Law of God How blessed are those whose life is blameless, who walk in the Law of the LORD! 2 How blessed are those who observe his decrees, who seek him with all of their heart, 3 who practice no evil while they walk in his ways. 4 You have commanded concerning your precepts, that they be guarded with diligence. 5 Oh, that my ways were steadfast, so I may keep your statutes. 6 Then I will not be ashamed, since my eyes will be fixed on all of your commands. 7 I will praise you with an upright heart, as I learn your righteous decrees. 8 I will keep your statutes; do not ever abandon me.
9 Bet
The Benefits of the WordHow can a young man keep his behavior pure? By guarding it in accordance with your word. 10 I have sought you with all of my heart; do not let me drift away from your commands. 11 I have stored what you have said in my heart, so I won’t sin against you. 12 Blessed are you, LORD! Teach me your statutes. 13 I have spoken with my lips about all your decrees that you have announced. 14 I find joy in the path of your decrees, as if I owned all kinds of riches. 15 I will meditate on your precepts, and I will respect your ways. 16 I am delighted with your statutes; I will not forget your word.
17 Gimmel
Living and Keeping God’s WordDeal kindly with your servant so I may live and keep your word. 18 Open my eyes so that I will observe amazing things from your instruction. 19 Since I am a stranger on the earth, do not hide your commands from me. 20 My soul is consumed with longing for your decrees at all times. 21 You rebuke the accursed ones, who wander from your commands. 22 Remove scorn and disrespect from me, for I observe your decrees. 23 Though nobles take their seat and gossip about me, your servant will meditate on your statutes. 24 I take joy in your decrees, for they are my counselors.
25 Daleth
Strength Comes from the WordMy soul clings to the dust; revive me according to your word. 26 I have talked about my ways, and you have answered me; Teach me your statutes. 27 Help me understand how your precepts function, and I will meditate on your wondrous acts. 28 I weep because of sorrow; fortify me according to your word. 29 Remove false paths from me; and graciously give me your instruction. 30 I have chosen the faithful way; I have firmly placed your ordinances before me. 31 I cling to your decrees; LORD, do not put me to shame. 32 I eagerly race along the way of your commands, for you enable me to do so.
33 He
Instructed by the WordTeach me, LORD, about the way of your statutes, and I will observe them without fail. 34 Give me understanding and I will observe your instruction. I will keep it with all of my heart. 35 Help me live my life by your commands, because my joy is in them. 36 Turn my heart to your decrees and away from unjust gain. 37 Turn my eyes away from gazing at worthless things, and revive me by your ways. 38 Confirm your promise to your servant, which is for those who fear you. 39 Turn away the shame that I dread, because your ordinances are good. 40 Look, I long for your precepts; revive me through your righteousness.
41 Vav
A Song of PraiseMay your gracious love come to me, LORD, your salvation, just as you said. 42 Then I can answer the one who insults me, for I place my trust in your word. 43 Never take your truthful words from me, For I wait for your ordinances. 44 Then I will always keep your Law, forever and ever, 45 I will walk in liberty, for I seek your precepts. 46 Then I will speak of your decrees before kings and not be ashamed. 47 I will take delight in your commands, which I love. 48 I will lift up my hands to your commands, which I love, and I will meditate on your statutes.
49 Zayin
Remembering What God Has SaidRemember what you said to your servant, by which you caused me to hope. 50 This is what comforts me in my troubles: that what you say revives me. 51 Even though the arrogant utterly deride me, I do not turn away from your instruction. 52 I have remembered your ancient ordinances, LORD, and I take comfort in them. 53 I burn with indignation because of the wicked who forsake your instruction. 54 Your statutes are my songs, no matter where I make my home. 55 In the night I remember your name, LORD, and keep your instruction. 56 I have made it my personal responsibility to keep your precepts.
57 Cheth
Keeping God’s WordThe LORD is my inheritance; I have given my promise to keep your word. 58 I have sought your favor with all of my heart; be gracious to me according to your promise. 59 I examined my lifestyle and set my feet in the direction of your decrees. 60 I hurried and did not procrastinate to keep your commands. 61 Though the ropes of the wicked have ensnared me, I have not forgotten your instruction. 62 At midnight I will get up to thank you for your righteous ordinances. 63 I am united with all who fear you, and with everyone who keeps your precepts. 64 LORD, the earth overflows with your gracious love! Teach me your statutes.
65 Teth
Praise for God’s WordLORD, you have dealt well with your servant, according to your word. 66 Teach me both knowledge and appropriate discretion, because I believe in your commands. 67 Before I was humbled, I wandered away, but now I observe your words. 68 LORD, you are good, and do what is good; teach me your statutes. 69 The arrogant have accused me falsely; but I will observe your precepts wholeheartedly. 70 Their minds are clogged as with greasy fat, but I find joy in your instruction. 71 It was for my good that I was humbled; so that I would learn your statutes. 72 Instruction that comes from you is better for me than thousands of gold and silver coins.
73 Yod
Prayer for God’s GraceYour hands made and formed me; give me understanding, that I may learn your commands. 74 May those who fear you see me and be glad, for I have hoped in your word. 75 I know, LORD, that your decrees are just, and that you have rightfully humbled me. 76 May your gracious love comfort me in accordance with your promise to your servant. 77 May your mercies come to me that I may live, for your instruction is my delight. 78 May the arrogant become ashamed, because they have subverted me with deceit; as for me, I will meditate on your precepts. 79 May those who fear you turn to me, along with those who know your decrees. 80 May my heart be blameless with respect to your statutes so that I may not become ashamed.
81 Kaf
On Obeying God’s WordI long for your deliverance; I have looked to your word, placing my hope in it. 82 My eyes grow weary with respect to what you have promised— I keep asking, “When will you comfort me?” 83 Though I have become like a water skin dried by smoke, I have not forgotten your statutes. 84 How many days must your servant endure this? When will you judge those who persecute me? 85 The arrogant have dug pitfalls for me disobeying your instruction. 86 All of your commands are reliable. I am persecuted without cause—help me! 87 Though the arrogant nearly destroyed me on earth, I did not abandon your precepts. 88 Revive me according to your gracious love; and I will keep the decrees that you have proclaimed.
89 Lamed
Pay Attention to God’s WordYour word is forever, LORD; it is firmly established in heaven. 90 Your faithfulness continues from generation to generation. You established the earth, and it stands firm. 91 To this day they stand by means of your rulings, for all things serve you. 92 Had your instruction not been my pleasure, I would have died in my affliction. 93 I will never forget your precepts, for you have revived me with them. 94 I am yours, so save me, since I have sought your precepts. 95 The wicked lay in wait to destroy me, while I ponder your decrees. 96 I have observed that all things have their limit, but your commandment is very broad.
97 Mem
Loving God’s WordHow I love your instruction! Every day it is my meditation. 98 Your commands make me wiser than my adversaries, since they are always with me. 99 I am more insightful than my teachers, because your decrees are my meditations. 100 I have more common sense than the elders, for I observe your precepts. 101 I keep away from every evil choice so that I may keep your word. 102 I do not avoid your judgments, for you pointed them out to me. 103 How pleasing is what you have to say to me— tasting better than honey. 104 I obtain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every false way.
105 Nun
God’s Word a LightYour word is a lamp for my feet, a light for my pathway. 106 I have given my word and affirmed it, to keep your righteous judgments. 107 I am severely afflicted. Revive me, LORD, according to your word. 108 LORD, please accept my voluntary offerings of praise, and teach me your judgments. 109 Though I constantly take my life in my hands, I do not forget your instruction. 110 Though the wicked lay a trap for me, I haven’t wandered away from your precepts. 111 I have inherited your decrees forever, because they are the joy of my heart. 112 As a result, I am determined to carry out your statutes forever.
113 Samek
Loving God’s LawI despise the double-minded, but I love your instruction. 114 You are my fortress and shield; I hope in your word. 115 Leave me, you who practice evil, that I may observe the commands of my God. 116 Sustain me, God, as you have promised, and I will live. Do not let me be ashamed of my hope. 117 Support me, that I may be saved, and I will carry out your statutes consistently. 118 You reject all who wander from your statutes, since their deceitfulness is vain. 119 You remove all the wicked of the earth like dross; therefore I love your decrees. 120 My flesh trembles out of fear of you, and I am in awe of your judgments.
121 Ayin
Praying for God’s DeliveranceI have acted with justice and righteousness; do not abandon me to my oppressors. 122 Back up your servant in a positive way; do not let the arrogant oppress me. 123 My eyes fail as I look for your salvation and for your righteous promise. 124 Act toward your servant consistent with your gracious love, and teach me your statutes. 125 Since I am your servant, give me understanding, so I will know your decrees. 126 It is time for the LORD to act, since they have violated your instruction. 127 I truly love your commands more than gold, including fine gold. 128 I truly consider all of your precepts—all of them—to be just, while I despise every false way.
129 Peyh
Living in God’s WordYour decrees are wonderful— that’s why I observe them. 130 The disclosure of your words illuminates, providing understanding to the simple. 131 I open my mouth and pant as I long for your commands. 132 Turn in my direction and show mercy to me, as you have decreed regarding those who love your name. 133 Direct my footsteps by your promise, and do not let any kind of iniquity rule over me. 134 Deliver me from human oppression and I will keep your precepts. 135 Show favor to your servant, and teach me your statutes. 136 My eyes shed rivers of tears, when others do not obey your instruction.
137 Tsade
God’s Righteous DecreesLORD, you are righteous, and your judgments are right. 138 You have ordered your decrees to us rightly, and they are very faithful. 139 My zeal consumes me because my enemies forget your words. 140 Your word is very pure, and your servant loves it. 141 Though I may be small and despised, I do not neglect your precepts. 142 Your righteousness is an eternal righteousness, and your instruction is true. 143 Though trouble and anguish overwhelm me, your commands remain my delight. 144 Your righteous decrees are eternal; give me understanding, and I will live.
145 Qof
Waiting in HopeI have cried out with all of my heart. Answer me, LORD! I will observe your statutes. 146 I have called out to you, “Save me, so I may keep your decrees.” 147 I get up before dawn and cry for help; I place my hope in your word. 148 I look forward to the night watches, when I may meditate on what you have said. 149 Hear my voice according to your gracious love. LORD, revive me in keeping with your justice. 150 Those who pursue wickedness draw near; they remain far from your instruction. 151 You are near, LORD, and all of your commands are true. 152 I discovered long ago about your decrees that you have confirmed them forever.
153 Resh
God’s Word is TruthLook on my misery, and rescue me, for I do not ignore your instruction. 154 Defend my case and redeem me; revive me according to your promise. 155 Deliverance remains remote from the wicked, for they do not seek your statutes. 156 Your mercies are magnificent, LORD; revive me according to your judgments. 157 Though my persecutors and adversaries are numerous, I do not turn aside from your decrees. 158 I watch the treacherous, and despise them, because they do not do what you have said. 159 Look how I love your precepts, LORD; revive me according to your gracious love. 160 The sum of your word is truth, and each righteous ordinance of yours is everlasting.
161 Sin/Shin
Loving God’s InstructionThough nobles persecute me for no reason, my heart stands in awe of your words. 162 I find joy at what you have said like one who has discovered a great treasure. 163 I despise and hate falsehood, but I love your instruction. 164 I praise you seven times a day because of your righteous ordinances. 165 Great peace belongs to those who love your instruction, and nothing makes them stumble. 166 I am looking in hope for your deliverance, LORD, as I carry out your commands. 167 My soul treasures your decrees, and I love them deeply. 168 I keep your precepts and your decrees because all of my ways are before you.
169 Tav
The Joy of God’s WordMay my cry arise before you, LORD; give me understanding according to your word. 170 Let my request come before you; deliver me, as you have promised. 171 May my lips utter praise, for you teach me your statutes. 172 May my tongue sing about your promise, for all of your commands are right. 173 May your hand stand ready to assist me, for I have chosen your precepts. 174 I am longing for your deliverance, LORD, and your instruction is my joy. 175 Let me live, and I will praise you; let your ordinances help me. 176 I have wandered away like a lost sheep; come find your servant, for I do not forget your commands.
120 1 A Song of Ascents
A Prayer for Deliverance I cried to the LORD in my distress, and he responded to me. 2 “LORD, deliver me from lips that lie and tongues that deceive.” 3 What will be given to you, and what will be done to you, you treacherous tongue? 4 Like a sharp arrow from a warrior, along with fiery coals from juniper trees! 5 How terrible for me, that I am an alien in Meshech, that I reside among the tents of Kedar! 6 I have resided too long with those who hate peace. 7 I am in favor of peace; but when I speak, they are in favor of war.
121 1 A Song of Ascents
The Guardian of God’s People I lift up my eyes toward the mountains— from where will my help come? 2 My help is from the LORD, maker of heaven and earth. 3 He will never let your foot slip, nor will your guardian become drowsy. 4 Look! The one who is guarding Israel never sleeps and does not take naps. 5 The LORD is your guardian; the LORD is your shade at your right side. 6 The sun will not ravage you by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The LORD will guard you from all evil, preserving your life. 8 The LORD will guard your goings and comings, from this time on and forever.
122 1 A Davidic Song of Ascents
Up to Jerusalem I rejoiced when they kept on asking me, “Let us go to the LORD’s Temple.” 2 Our feet are standing inside your gates, Jerusalem. 3 Jerusalem stands built up, a city knitted together. 4 To it the tribes ascend— the tribes of the LORD— as decreed to Israel, to give thanks to the name of the LORD. 5 For thrones are established there for judgment, thrones of the house of David. 6 Pray for peace for Jerusalem: “May those who love you be at peace! 7 May peace be within your ramparts, and prosperity within your fortresses.” 8 For the sake of my relatives and friends I will now say, “May there be peace within you.” 9 For the sake of the Temple of the LORD our God, I will seek your welfare.
123 1 A Song of Ascents
A Prayer for Relief To you, who sit enthroned in heaven, I lift up my eyes. 2 Consider this: as the eyes of a servant focus on what his master provides, and as the eyes of a female servant focus on what her mistress provides, so our eyes focus on the LORD our God, until he has mercy on us. 3 Have mercy on us, LORD, have mercy, for we have had more than enough of contempt. 4 Our lives overflow with scorn from those who live at ease, with contempt from those who are proud.
124 1 A Davidic Song of Ascents
God is for Us If the LORD had not been on our side— let Israel now say— 2 if the LORD had not been on our side, when men came against us, 3 then they would have devoured us alive, when their anger burned against us. 4 Then the flood waters would have overwhelmed us, the torrent would have flooded over us; 5 the swollen waters would have swept us away. 6 Blessed be the LORD, who did not give us as prey to their teeth. 7 We have escaped like a bird from the hunter’s trap. The trap has been broken, and we have escaped. 8 Our help is in the name of the LORD, the maker of heaven and earth.
125 1 A Song of Ascents
God is Secure Those who are trusting in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be overthrown. They remain forever. 2 Just as mountains encircle Jerusalem, so the LORD encircles his people, from now to eternity. 3 For evil’s scepter will not rest on the land that has been allotted to the righteous, and so the righteous will not direct themselves to do wrong. 4 LORD, do good to those who are good, and to those who are upright in heart. 5 But for those who choose their own devious paths, the LORD will lead them away, along with those who practice evil. Peace be upon Israel.
126 1 A Song of Ascents
The Exiles Restored When the LORD brought back Zion’s exiles, we were like dreamers. 2 Then our mouths were filled with laughter, and our tongues formed joyful shouts. Then it was said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.” 3 The great things that the LORD has done for us gladden us. 4 Restore our exiles, LORD, like the streams of the Negev. 5 Those who weep while they plant will sing for joy while they harvest. 6 The one who goes out weeping, carrying a bag of seeds, will surely return with a joyful song, bearing sheaves from his harvest.
127 1 A Solomonic Song of Ascents
God’s Blessing in the Family Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor uselessly. Unless the LORD guards the city, its security forces keep watch uselessly. 2 It is useless to get up early and to stay up late, eating the food of exhausting labor— truly he gives sleep to those he loves. 3 Children are a gift from the LORD; a productive womb, the LORD’s reward. 4 As arrows in the hand of a warrior, so also are children born during one’s youth. 5 How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them! He will not be ashamed as they confront their enemies at the city gate.
128 1 A Song of Ascents
The Blessings of Fearing God How blessed are all who fear the LORD as they follow in his ways. 2 You will eat from the work of your hands; you will be happy, and it will go well for you. 3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children like olive shoots surrounding your table. 4 See how the man will be blessed who fears the LORD. 5 May the LORD bless you from Zion, and may you observe the prosperity of Jerusalem every day that you live! 6 And may you see your children’s children! Peace be on Israel!
129 1 A Song of Ascents
God Defeats Israel’s Enemies “Since my youth they have often persecuted me,” let Israel repeat it, 2 “Since my youth they have often persecuted me, yet they haven’t defeated me. 3 Wicked people ploughed over my back, creating long-lasting wounds.” 4 The LORD is righteous— he has cut me free from the cords of the wicked. 5 Let all who hate Zion be turned away and be ashamed. 6 May they become like a tuft of grass on a roof top, that withers before it takes root— 7 not enough to fill one’s hand or to bundle in one’s arms. 8 And may those who pass by never tell them, “May the LORD’s blessing be upon you. We bless you in the name of the LORD.”
130 1 A Song of Ascents
A Prayer for Mercy I cry to you from the depths, LORD, 2 Lord, listen to my voice; let your ears pay attention to what I ask of you! 3 LORD, if you were to record iniquities, Lord, who could remain standing? 4 But with you there is forgiveness, so that you may be feared. 5 I wait for the LORD; my soul waits, and I will hope in his word. 6 My soul looks to the Lord more than watchmen look for the morning— more, indeed, than watchmen for the morning. 7 Israel, hope in the LORD! For with the LORD there is gracious love, along with abundant redemption. 8 And he will redeem Israel from all its sins.
131 1 A Davidic Song of Ascents
Hope in the LORD LORD, my heart is not arrogant, nor do I look haughty. I do not aspire to great things, nor concern myself with things beyond my ability. 2 Instead, I have composed and quieted myself like a weaned child with its mother; I am like a weaned child. 3 Place your hope in the LORD, Israel, both now and forever.
132 1 A Song of Ascents
The LORD Lives in Zion LORD, remember in David’s favor all of his troubles; 2 how he swore an oath to the LORD, vowing to the Mighty One of Jacob, 3 “I will not enter my house, or lie down on my bed, 4 or let myself go to sleep or even take a nap, 5 until I locate a place for the LORD, a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.” 6 We heard about it in Ephrata; we found it in the fields of Jaar. 7 Let’s go to his dwelling place and worship at his footstool. 8 Arise, LORD, and go to your resting place, you and the ark of your strength. 9 May your priests be clothed with righteousness and may your godly ones shout for joy. 10 For the sake of your servant David, don’t turn away the face of your anointed one. 11 The LORD made an oath to David from which he will not retreat: “One of your sons I will set in place on your throne. 12 If your sons keep my covenant and my statutes that I will teach them, then their sons will also sit on your throne forever.” 13 For the LORD has chosen Zion, desiring it as his dwelling place. 14 “This is my resting place forever. Here I will live, because I desire to do so. 15 I will bless its provisions abundantly; I will satiate its poor with food. 16 I will clothe its priests with salvation and its godly ones will shout for joy. 17 There I will create a power base for David— I have prepared a lamp for my anointed one. 18 I will clothe his enemies with disgrace, but on him his crown will shine.”
133 1 A Davidic Song of Ascents
The Significance of Unity Look how good and how pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! 2 It is like precious oil on the head, descending to the beard— even to Aaron’s beard— and flowing down to the edge of his robes. 3 It is like the dew of Hermon falling on Zion’s mountains. For there the LORD commanded his blessing— life everlasting.
134 1 A Song of Ascents
Praise to the Creator Now bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD who serve nightly in the LORD’s Temple. 2 Lift up your hands to the Holy Place and bless the LORD. 3 May the LORD who fashions heaven and earth bless you from Zion.
135 1 Praising God for His Graciousness Hallelujah! Praise the name of the LORD! Give praise, you servants of the LORD, 2 you who are standing in the LORD’s Temple, in the courtyards of the house of our God. 3 Praise the LORD, because the LORD is good; Sing to his name, for he is gracious. 4 It is Jacob whom the LORD chose for himself— Israel as his personal possession. 5 Indeed, I know that the LORD is great, and that our Lord surpasses all gods. 6 The LORD does whatever pleases him in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all its deep regions. 7 He makes the clouds rise from the ends of the earth, fashioning lightning for the rain, bringing the wind from his storehouses. 8 It was the LORD who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, including both men and animals. 9 He sent signs and wonders among you, Egypt, before Pharaoh and all his servants. 10 He struck down many nations, killing many kings— 11 Sihon, king of the Amorites, Og, king of Bashan, and every kingdom of Canaan— 12 and he gave their land as an inheritance, an inheritance to his people Israel. 13 Your name, LORD, exists forever, and your reputation, LORD, throughout the ages. 14 For the LORD will vindicate his people, and he will show compassion on his servants. 15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold, worked by the hands of human beings. 16 Mouths are attributed to them, but they cannot speak; sight is attributed to them, but they cannot see; 17 ears are attributed to them, but they do not hear, and there is no breath in their mouths. 18 Those who craft them— and all who trust in them— will become like them. 19 House of Israel, bless the LORD! House of Aaron, bless the LORD! 20 House of Levi, bless the LORD! You who fear the LORD, bless the LORD! 21 Blessed be the LORD from Zion, he who lives in Jerusalem. Hallelujah!
136 1 God’s Gracious Love Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his gracious love is everlasting. 2 Give thanks to the God of gods, for his gracious love is everlasting. 3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his gracious love is everlasting— 4 To the one who alone does great and wondrous things, for his gracious love is everlasting— 5 to the one who by wisdom made the heavens, for his gracious love is everlasting— 6 to the one who spread out the earth over the waters, for his gracious love is everlasting— 7 to the one who made the great lights, for his gracious love is everlasting— 8 the sun to illumine the day, for his gracious love is everlasting— 9 and the moon and stars to illumine the night, for his gracious love is everlasting— 10 to the one who struck the firstborn of Egypt, for his gracious love is everlasting— 11 and brought Israel out from among them, for his gracious love is everlasting— 12 with a strong hand and an active arm, for his gracious love is everlasting. 13 To the one who split the Reed Sea in two for his gracious love is everlasting— 14 and made Israel pass through the middle of it, for his gracious love is everlasting— 15 and cast Pharaoh and his armies into the Reed Sea, for his gracious love is everlasting. 16 To the one who led his people into the wilderness, for his gracious love is everlasting— 17 to the one who struck down great kings, for his gracious love is everlasting— 18 and killed famous kings, for his gracious love is everlasting— 19 including Sihon king of the Amorites, for his gracious love is everlasting— 20 and Og king of Bashan, for his gracious love is everlasting— 21 and gave their land as an inheritance, for his gracious love is everlasting— 22 to Israel his servant as a possession, for his gracious love is everlasting— 23 He it is who remembered us in our lowly circumstances, for his gracious love is everlasting— 24 and rescued us from our enemies, for his gracious love is everlasting. 25 He gives food to all creatures, for his gracious love is everlasting. 26 Give thanks to the God of Heaven, for his gracious love is everlasting.
137 1 Remembering Jerusalem There we sat down and cried— by the rivers of Babylon— as we remembered Zion. 2 On the willows there we hung our harps, 3 for it was there that our captors asked us for songs and our torturers demanded joy from us, “Sing us one of the songs about Zion!” 4 How are we to sing the song of the LORD on foreign soil? 5 If I forget you, Jerusalem, may my right hand cease to function. 6 May my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth if I don’t remember you, if I don’t consider Jerusalem to be more important than my highest joy. 7 Remember the day of Jerusalem’s fall, LORD, because of the Edomites, who kept saying, “Tear it down! Tear it right down to its foundations!” 8 Daughter of Babylon! You devastator! How blessed will be the one who pays you back for what you have done to us. 9 How blessed will be the one who seizes your young children and pulverizes them against the cliff!
138 1 Thanksgiving to God LORD, I thank you with all of my heart; because you heard the words that I spoke, I will sing your praise before the heavenly beings. 2 I will bow down in worship toward your holy Temple and give thanks to your name for your gracious love and truth, for you have done great things to carry out your word consistent with your name. 3 When I called out, you answered me; you strengthened me. 4 LORD, all the kings of the earth will give you thanks, for they have heard what you have spoken. 5 They will sing about the ways of the LORD, for great is the glory of the LORD! 6 Though the LORD is highly exalted, yet he pays attention to those who are lowly regarded, but he is aware of the arrogant from afar. 7 Though I walk straight into trouble, you preserve my life, stretching out your hand to fight the vehemence of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me. 8 The LORD will complete what his purpose is for me. LORD, your gracious love is eternal; do not abandon your personal work in me.
139 1 To the Music Director: A Davidic Song
God’s Knowledge and Presence LORD, you have examined me; you have known me. 2 You know when I rest and when I am active. You understand what I am thinking when I am distant from you. 3 You scrutinize my life and my rest; you are familiar with all of my ways. 4 Even before I have formed a word with my tongue, you, LORD, know it completely! 5 You encircle me from back to front, placing your hand upon me. 6 Knowledge like this is too amazing for me. It is beyond my reach, and I cannot fathom it.
7 The Magnitude of GodWhere can I flee from your spirit? Or where will I run from your presence? 8 If I rise to heaven, there you are! If I lay down with the dead, there you are! 9 If I take wings with the dawn and settle down on the western horizon 10 your hand will guide me there, too, while your right hand keeps a firm grip on me. 11 If I say, “Darkness will surely conceal me, and the light around me will become night,” 12 even darkness isn’t dark to you, darkness and light are the same to you. 13 It was you who formed my internal organs, fashioning me within my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you, because you are fearful and wondrous! Your work is wonderful, and I am fully aware of it. 15 My frame was not hidden from you while I was being crafted in a hidden place, knit together in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes looked upon my embryo, and everything was recorded in your book. The days scheduled for my formation were inscribed, even though not one of them had come yet. 17 How deep are your thoughts, God! How great is their number! 18 Were I to count them, they would number more than the sand. When I awake, I will be with you. 19 God, if only you would execute the wicked, so that the men guilty of bloodshed would get away from me, 20 who speak against you with evil motives, your enemies who are acting in vain. 21 I hate those who hate you, LORD, do I not? I loathe those who rebel against you, do I not ? 22 With consummate hatred I hate them; I consider them my enemies. 23 Examine me, God, and know my mind, test me, and know my thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive tendency in me, and lead me in the eternal way.
140 1 To the Music Director: A Davidic Song
A Prayer for Deliverance Deliver me, LORD, from evil people, preserve me from violent men, 2 who craft evil plans in their minds, inciting wars every day. 3 They sharpen their tongues like a serpent; the venom of vipers is on their lips. Interlude 4 Protect me, LORD, from the control of evil people, from violent men who have planned to trip me. 5 The arrogant have laid a trap for me; they have spread a net with ropes, lining it with snares along the way. Interlude 6 So I say to the LORD, “You are my God; listen to my voice as I plead for mercy, LORD. 7 LORD, my Lord, my strong deliverer, you have protected my head in the time of battle. 8 Never grant, LORD, the desires of the wicked; never condone their plans so they cannot exalt themselves. Interlude 9 May those who surround me discover that the trouble they talk about falls on their own head! 10 May burning coals fall on them; may they be cast into fire, and into miry pits, never to rise again. 11 Let not the slanderer become established in the land. May evil quickly hunt down the violent man. 12 I know that the LORD will act on behalf of the tormented, providing justice for the needy. 13 Surely the righteous will give thanks to your name, while the upright live in your presence.
141 1 A Davidic Song
A Prayer for Maturity LORD, I call to you, be quick to listen to me when I cry out! 2 Let my prayer be like incense offered before you, and my uplifted hands like the evening sacrifice. 3 LORD, set a guard over my mouth; keep watch over the door to my lips. 4 Don’t let my heart turn toward evil or involve itself in wicked activities with men who practice iniquity. Let me not feast on their delicacies. 5 Let one who is righteous strike me; It is an act of gracious love. Let him rebuke me, because it is oil for my head; do not let my head refuse it. My prayers continuously will be against their wicked activities. 6 When their judges are thrown off the cliff, the people will hear my words, for they are appropriate. 7 Just as one plows and breaks up the earth, our bones are scattered near the entrance to the place of the dead. 8 Nevertheless, my eyes are on you, Lord GOD, as I seek protection in you. Don’t leave me defenseless! 9 Protect me from the trap laid for me and from the snares of those who practice evil. 10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I come through.
142 1 A Davidic Song, when he was in the cave. A prayer.
A Call to God for Help My voice cries out to the LORD; my voice pleads for mercy to the LORD. 2 I pour out my complaint to him, telling him all of my troubles. 3 Though my spirit grows faint within me, you are aware of my path. Wherever I go, they have hidden a trap for me. 4 I look to my right and observe— no one is concerned about me. There is nowhere I can go for refuge, and no one cares for me. 5 So I cry to you, Lord, declaring, “You are my refuge, my only possession while I am on this earth.” 6 Pay attention to my cry, for I have been brought very low. Deliver me from my tormentors, for they are far too strong for me. 7 Break me out of this prison, so I can give thanks to your name. The righteous will surround me, for you will deal generously with me.
143 1 A Davidic Song
Longing for God LORD, hear my prayer; pay attention to my request, because you are faithful; answer me in your righteousness. 2 Do not enter into judgment with your servant, for no living person is righteous in your sight. 3 For those who oppose me are pursuing my life, crushing me to the ground, making me sit in darkness like those who died long ago. 4 As a result, my spirit is desolate within me, and my mind within me is appalled. 5 I remember the former times, meditating on everything you have done. I think about the work of your hands. 6 I stretch out my hands toward you, longing for you like a parched land. Interlude 7 Answer me quickly, LORD; my spirit is failing. Do not hide your face from me; otherwise, I will become like those who descend to the Pit, 8 In the morning let me hear of your gracious love, for in you I trust. Cause me to know the way I should take, because I have set my hope on you. 9 Deliver me from my enemies, LORD. I have taken refuge in you. 10 Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground. 11 For the sake of your name, LORD, preserve my life. Because you are righteous, bring me out of trouble. 12 Because of your gracious love, you will cut off my enemies. You will destroy all who oppose me, for I am your servant.
144 1 Davidic
A Song for God’s Provision Blessed be the LORD, my rock, who trains my hands for battle and my fingers for warfare, 2 he is my gracious love and my fortress, my strong tower and my deliverer, my shield and the one in whom I find refuge, who subdues peoples under me. 3 LORD, what are human beings, that you should care about them, or mortal man, that you should think about him? 4 The human person is a mere empty breath; his days are like a fading shadow. 5 Bow your heavens, LORD, and descend; touch the mountains, and they will smolder. 6 Send forth lightning and scatter the enemy, shoot your arrows and confuse them. 7 Reach down your hand from your high place; rescue me and deliver me from mighty waters, from the control of foreigners. 8 Their mouths speak lies, and their right hand deceives, 9 God, I will sing a new song to you. On a harp of ten strings I will play to you— 10 to you who gives victory to kings, rescuing his servant David from cruel swords. 11 Rescue me and deliver me from the control of foreigners, whose mouths speak lies, and whose right hand deceives. 12 May our sons in their youth be like full-grown plants, and our daughters like pillars destined to decorate a palace. 13 May our granaries be filled, storing produce in abundance; may our sheep bring forth thousands, even tens of thousands in our fields. 14 May our cattle grow heavy with young, with no damage or loss. May there be no cry of anguish in our streets! 15 Happy are the people to whom these things come; happy are the people whose God is the LORD.
145 1 A Davidic Psalm
Praising God for His Works I will speak highly of you, my God and King, and I will bless your name forever and ever. 2 I will bless you every day and I will praise your name forever and ever. 3 The LORD is great, and to be praised highly, though his greatness is indescribable. 4 One generation will acclaim your works to another and will describe your mighty actions. 5 I will speak about the glorious splendor of your majesty as well as your awesome actions. 6 People will speak about the might of your great deeds, and I will announce your greatness. 7 They will extol the fame of your abundant goodness, and will sing out loud about your righteousness. 8 Gracious and merciful is the LORD, slow to become angry, and overflowing with gracious love. 9 The LORD is good to everyone and his mercies extend to everything he does. 10 LORD, everything you have done will praise you, and your holy ones will bless you. 11 They will speak about the glory of your kingdom, and they will talk about your might, 12 in order to make known your mighty acts to mankind as well as the majestic splendor of your kingdom. 13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your authority endures from one generation to another. 13bGod is faithful about everything he says and merciful in everything he does. 14 The LORD supports everyone who falls and raises up those who are bowed down. 15 Everyone’s eyes are on you, as you give them their food in due time. 16 You open your hand and keep on satisfying the desire of every living thing. 17 The LORD is righteous in all of his ways and graciously loving in all of his activities. 18 The LORD remains near to all who call out to him, to everyone who calls out to him sincerely. 19 He fulfills the desire of those who fear him, hearing their cry and saving them. 20 The LORD preserves everyone who loves him, but he will destroy all of the wicked. 21 My mouth will praise the LORD, and all creatures will bless his holy name forever and ever.
146 1 Praise to God the Help of Israel Hallelujah! Praise the LORD, my soul! 2 I will praise the LORD as long as I live, singing praises to my God while I exist. 3 Do not look to nobles, nor to mere human beings who cannot save. 4 When they stop breathing, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans evaporate! 5 Happy is the one whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, 6 maker of heaven and earth, the seas and everything in them, forever the guardian of truth, 7 who brings justice for the oppressed, and who gives food to the hungry. The LORD frees the prisoners; 8 the LORD gives sight to the blind. The LORD lifts up those who are weighed down. The LORD loves the righteous. 9 The LORD stands guard over the stranger; he supports both widows and orphans, but makes the path of the wicked slippery. 10 The LORD will reign forever, your God, Zion, for all generations! Hallelujah!
147 1 Praise for God’s Provision Hallelujah! It is good to sing praise to our God, and it is fitting to sing glorious praise. 2 The LORD rebuilds Jerusalem; he gathers together the outcasts of Israel. 3 He heals the brokenhearted, binding up their injuries. 4 He keeps track of the number of stars, assigning names to all of them. 5 Our Lord is great, and rich in power; his understanding has no limitation. 6 The LORD supports the afflicted while he casts the wicked to the ground. 7 Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving, and compose music to our God with the lyre. 8 He shields the heavens with clouds, preparing rain for the earth and making grass grow on the hills. 9 He gives wild animals their food, including the young ravens when they cry. 10 He takes no delight in the strength of a horse, and gains no pleasure in the runner’s swiftness. 11 But the LORD is pleased with those who fear him, with those who depend on his gracious love. 12 Glorify the LORD, Jerusalem! Praise your God, Zion! 13 For he has strengthened the bars of your gates, blessing your children within you. 14 He grants peace within your borders, satisfying you with the finest of wheat. 15 He sends out his command to the earth, making his word go forth quickly. 16 He supplies snow like wool, scattering frost like ashes. 17 He casts down his ice crystals like bread fragments. Who can endure his freezing cold? 18 He sends out his word and melts them. He makes his wind blow and the water flows. 19 He declares his words to Jacob, his statutes and decrees to Israel. 20 He has not dealt with any other nation like this; they never knew his decrees. Hallelujah!
148 1 Let All the Earth Praise the LORD Hallelujah! Praise the LORD from heaven; praise him in the highest places. 2 Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his armies! 3 Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars. 4 Praise him, you heaven of heavens, and you waters above the heavens. 5 Let them praise the name of the LORD, for he himself gave the command that they be created. 6 He set them in place to last forever and ever; he gave the command and will not rescind it. 7 Praise the LORD, you from the earth, you creatures of the sea and all you depths, 8 fire, hail, snow, fog, and wind storm that carry out his command, 9 mountains and every hill, fruit trees and cedars, 10 living creatures and livestock, insects and flying birds, 11 earthly kings and all peoples, nobles and all court officials of the earth, 12 young men and young women alike, along with older people and children. 13 Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is lifted up; his majesty transcends earth and heaven. 14 He has raised up a source of strength for his people, an object of praise for all of his holy ones, that is, for the people of Israel who are near him. Hallelujah!
149 1 A Song About Rejoicing in God Hallelujah! Sing a new song to the LORD, praising him where the godly gather together. 2 May Israel rejoice in its Maker, and Zion’s descendants in their King! 3 May they praise his name with dancing, chanting songs to him with tambourines and lyres. 4 For the LORD is pleased with his people; he beautifies the afflicted with salvation. 5 May those he loves be exalted, singing for joy on their couches. 6 Let high praises to God be heard in their throats, while they wield two-edged swords in their hands 7 as they bring retribution to nations and punishment to peoples, 8 binding their kings with chains, their officials with iron bands, 9 and executing the judgment written against them. This is honor for all the ones he loves. Hallelujah!
150 1 A Psalm of Praise Hallelujah! Praise God in his Holy Place. Praise him in his great expanse. 2 Praise him for his mighty works. Praise him according to his excellent greatness. 3 Praise him with trumpet sounding. Praise him with stringed instrument and harp. 4 Praise him with tambourine and dancing. Praise him with stringed and wind instruments. 5 Praise him with loud cymbals. Praise him with reverberating cymbals. 6 Let everyone who breathes praise the LORD. Hallelujah!