Psalms 2:1-30:12 Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?

MSB⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? ² The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together, against the LORD and against His Anointed One: ³ “Let us break Their chains and cast away Their cords.” ⁴ The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord taunts them. ⁵ Then He rebukes them in His anger, and terrifies them in His fury: ⁶ “I have installed My King on Zion, upon My holy mountain.” ⁷ I will proclaim the decree spoken to Me by the LORD: “You are My Son; today I have become Your Father. ⁸ Ask Me, and I will make the nations Your inheritance, the ends of the earth Your possession. ⁹ You will break them with an iron scepter; You will shatter them like pottery.” ¹⁰ Therefore be wise, O kings; be admonished, O judges of the earth. ¹¹ Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. ¹² Kiss the Son, lest He be angry and you perish in your rebellion, when His wrath ignites in an instant. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him. ³ ¹ A Psalm of David, when he fled from his son Absalom. O LORD, how my foes have increased! How many rise up against me! ² Many say of me, “God will not deliver him.” Selah ³ But You, O LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, and the One who lifts my head. ⁴ To the LORD I cry aloud, and He answers me from His holy mountain. Selah ⁵ I lie down and sleep; I wake again, for the LORD sustains me. ⁶ I will not fear the myriads set against me on every side. ⁷ Arise, O LORD! Save me, O my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked. ⁸ Salvation belongs to the LORD; may Your blessing be on Your people. Selah ⁴ ¹ For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments. A Psalm of David. Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved my distress; show me grace and hear my prayer. ² How long, O men, will my honor be maligned? How long will you love vanity and seek after lies? Selah ³ Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for Himself; the LORD hears when I call to Him. ⁴ Be angry, yet do not sin; on your bed, search your heart and be still. Selah ⁵ Offer the sacrifices of the righteous and trust in the LORD. ⁶ Many ask, “Who can show us the good?” Shine the light of Your face upon us, O LORD. ⁷ You have filled my heart with more joy than when grain and new wine abound. ⁸ I will lie down and sleep in peace, for You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety. ⁵ ¹ For the choirmaster, to be accompanied by flutes. A Psalm of David. Give ear to my words, O LORD; consider my groaning. ² Attend to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to You I pray. ³ In the morning, O LORD, You hear my voice; at daybreak I lay my plea before You and wait in expectation. ⁴ For You are not a God who delights in wickedness; no evil can dwell with You. ⁵ The boastful cannot stand in Your presence; You hate all workers of iniquity. ⁶ You destroy those who tell lies; the LORD abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit. ⁷ But I will enter Your house by the abundance of Your loving devotion; in reverence I will bow down toward Your holy temple. ⁸ Lead me, O LORD, in Your righteousness because of my enemies; make straight Your way before me. ⁹ For not a word they speak can be trusted; destruction lies within them. Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit. ¹⁰ Declare them guilty, O God; let them fall by their own devices. Drive them out for their many transgressions, for they have rebelled against You. ¹¹ But let all who take refuge in You rejoice; let them ever shout for joy. May You shelter them, that those who love Your name may rejoice in You. ¹² For surely You, O LORD, bless the righteous; You surround them with the shield of Your favor. ⁶ ¹ For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments, according to Sheminith. A Psalm of David. O LORD, do not rebuke me in Your anger or discipline me in Your wrath. ² Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am frail; heal me, O LORD, for my bones are in agony. ³ My soul is deeply distressed. How long, O LORD, how long? ⁴ Turn, O LORD, and deliver my soul; save me because of Your loving devotion. ⁵ For there is no mention of You in death; who can praise You from Sheol? ⁶ I am weary from groaning; all night I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears. ⁷ My eyes fail from grief; they grow dim because of all my foes. ⁸ Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity, for the LORD has heard my weeping. ⁹ The LORD has heard my cry for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer. ¹⁰ All my enemies will be ashamed and dismayed; they will turn back in sudden disgrace. ⁷ ¹ A Shiggaion of David, which he sang to the LORD concerning the words of Cush, a Benjamite. O LORD my God, I take refuge in You; save me and deliver me from all my pursuers, ² or they will shred my soul like a lion and tear me to pieces with no one to rescue me. ³ O LORD my God, if I have done this, if injustice is on my hands, ⁴ if I have rewarded my ally with evil, if I have plundered my foe without cause, ⁵ then may my enemy pursue me and overtake me; may he trample me to the ground and leave my honor in the dust. Selah ⁶ Arise, O LORD, in Your anger; rise up against the fury of my enemies. Awake, my God, and ordain judgment. ⁷ Let the assembled peoples gather around You; take Your seat over them on high. ⁸ The LORD judges the peoples; vindicate me, O LORD, according to my righteousness and integrity. ⁹ Put an end to the evil of the wicked, but establish the righteous, O righteous God who searches hearts and minds. ¹⁰ My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart. ¹¹ God is a righteous judge and a God who feels indignation each day. ¹² If one does not repent, God will sharpen His sword; He has bent and strung His bow. ¹³ He has prepared His deadly weapons; He ordains His arrows with fire. ¹⁴ Behold, the wicked man travails with evil; he conceives trouble and births falsehood. ¹⁵ He has dug a hole and hollowed it out; he has fallen into a pit of his own making. ¹⁶ His trouble recoils on himself, and his violence falls on his own head. ¹⁷ I will thank the LORD for His righteousness and sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High. ⁸ ¹ For the choirmaster. According to Gittith. A Psalm of David. O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth! You have set Your glory above the heavens. ² From the mouths of children and infants You have ordained praise on account of Your adversaries, to silence the enemy and avenger. ³ When I behold Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place— ⁴ what is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You care for him? ⁵ You made him a little lower than the angels; You crowned him with glory and honor. ⁶ You made him ruler of the works of Your hands; You have placed everything under his feet: ⁷ all sheep and oxen, and even the beasts of the field, ⁸ the birds of the air and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. ⁹ O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth! ⁹ ¹ For the choirmaster. To the tune of “The Death of the Son.” A Psalm of David. I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart; I will recount all Your wonders. ² I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High. ³ When my enemies retreat, they stumble and perish before You. ⁴ For You have upheld my just cause; You sit on Your throne judging righteously. ⁵ You have rebuked the nations; You have destroyed the wicked; You have erased their name forever and ever. ⁶ The enemy has come to eternal ruin, and You have uprooted their cities; the very memory of them has vanished. ⁷ But the LORD abides forever; He has established His throne for judgment. ⁸ He judges the world with justice; He governs the people with equity. ⁹ The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. ¹⁰ Those who know Your name trust in You, for You, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You. ¹¹ Sing praises to the LORD, who dwells in Zion; proclaim His deeds among the nations. ¹² For the Avenger of bloodshed remembers; He does not ignore the cry of the afflicted. ¹³ Be merciful to me, O LORD; see how my enemies afflict me! Lift me up from the gates of death, ¹⁴ that I may declare all Your praises—that within the gates of Daughter Zion I may rejoice in Your salvation. ¹⁵ The nations have fallen into a pit of their making; their feet are caught in the net they have hidden. ¹⁶ The LORD is known by the justice He brings; the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands. Higgaion Selah ¹⁷ The wicked will return to Sheol—all the nations who forget God. ¹⁸ For the needy will not always be forgotten; nor the hope of the oppressed forever dashed. ¹⁹ Rise up, O LORD, do not let man prevail; let the nations be judged in Your presence. ²⁰ Lay terror upon them, O LORD; let the nations know they are but men. Selah ¹⁰ ¹ Why, O LORD, do You stand far off? Why do You hide in times of trouble? ² In pride the wicked pursue the needy; let them be caught in the schemes they devise. ³ For the wicked man boasts in the cravings of his heart; he blesses the greedy and reviles the LORD. ⁴ In his pride the wicked man does not seek Him; in all his schemes there is no God. ⁵ He is secure in his ways at all times; Your lofty judgments are far from him; he sneers at all his foes. ⁶ He says to himself, “I will not be moved; from age to age I am free of distress.” ⁷ His mouth is full of cursing, deceit, and violence; trouble and malice are under his tongue. ⁸ He lies in wait near the villages; in ambush he slays the innocent; his eyes watch in stealth for the helpless. ⁹ He lies in wait like a lion in a thicket; he lurks to seize the oppressed; he catches the lowly in his net. ¹⁰ They are crushed and beaten down; the hapless fall prey to his strength. ¹¹ He says to himself, “God has forgotten; He hides His face and never sees.” ¹² Arise, O LORD! Lift up Your hand, O God! Do not forget the helpless. ¹³ Why has the wicked man renounced God? He says to himself, “You will never call me to account.” ¹⁴ But You have regarded trouble and grief; You see to repay it by Your hand. The victim entrusts himself to You; You are the helper of the fatherless. ¹⁵ Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer; call him to account for his wickedness until none is left to be found. ¹⁶ The LORD is King forever and ever; the nations perish from His land. ¹⁷ You have heard, O LORD, the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their hearts. You will incline Your ear, ¹⁸ to vindicate the fatherless and oppressed, that the men of the earth may strike terror no more. ¹¹ ¹ For the choirmaster. Of David. In the LORD I take refuge. How then can you say to me: “Flee like a bird to your mountain! ² For behold, the wicked bend their bows. They set their arrow on the string to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart. ³ If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” ⁴ The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD is on His heavenly throne. His eyes are watching closely; they examine the sons of men. ⁵ The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked; His soul hates the lover of violence. ⁶ On the wicked He will rain down fiery coals and sulfur; a scorching wind will be their portion. ⁷ For the LORD is righteous; He loves justice. The upright will see His face. ¹² ¹ For the choirmaster. According to Sheminith. A Psalm of David. Help, O LORD, for the godly are no more; the faithful have vanished from among men. ² They lie to one another; they speak with flattering lips and a double heart. ³ May the LORD cut off all flattering lips and every boastful tongue. ⁴ They say, “With our tongues we will prevail. We own our lips—who can be our master?” ⁵ “For the cause of the oppressed and for the groaning of the needy, I will now arise,” says the LORD. “I will bring safety to him who yearns.” ⁶ The words of the LORD are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace, like gold purified sevenfold. ⁷ You, O LORD, will keep us; You will forever guard us from this generation. ⁸ The wicked wander freely, and vileness is exalted among men. ¹³ ¹ For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? ² How long must I wrestle in my soul, with sorrow in my heart each day? How long will my enemy dominate me? ³ Consider me and respond, O LORD my God. Give light to my eyes, lest I sleep in death, ⁴ lest my enemy say, “I have overcome him,” and my foes rejoice when I fall. ⁵ But I have trusted in Your loving devotion; my heart will rejoice in Your salvation. ⁶ I will sing to the LORD, for He has been good to me. ¹⁴ ¹ For the choirmaster. Of David. The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt; their acts are vile. There is no one who does good. ² The LORD looks down from heaven upon the sons of men to see if any understand, if any seek God. ³ All have turned away, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one. ⁴ Will the workers of iniquity never learn? They devour my people like bread; they refuse to call upon the LORD. ⁵ There they are, overwhelmed with dread, for God is in the company of the righteous. ⁶ You sinners frustrate the plans of the oppressed, yet the LORD is their shelter. ⁷ Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come from Zion! When the LORD restores His captive people, let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad! ¹⁵ ¹ A Psalm of David. O LORD, who may abide in Your tent? Who may dwell on Your holy mountain? ² He who walks with integrity and practices righteousness, who speaks the truth from his heart, ³ who has no slander on his tongue, who does no harm to his neighbor, who casts no scorn on his friend, ⁴ who despises the vile but honors those who fear the LORD, who does not revise a costly oath, ⁵ who lends his money without interest and refuses a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken. ¹⁶ ¹ A Miktam of David. Preserve me, O God, for in You I take refuge. ² I said to the LORD, “You are my Lord; apart from You I have no good thing.” ³ As for the saints in the land, they are the excellence in whom all my delight resides. ⁴ Sorrows will multiply to those who chase other gods. I will not pour out their libations of blood, or speak their names with my lips. ⁵ The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; You have made my lot secure. ⁶ The lines of my boundary have fallen in pleasant places; surely my inheritance is delightful. ⁷ I will bless the LORD who counsels me; even at night my conscience instructs me. ⁸ I have set the LORD always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. ⁹ Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will dwell securely. ¹⁰ For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol, nor will You let Your Holy One see decay. ¹¹ You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand. ¹⁷ ¹ A prayer of David. Hear, O LORD, my righteous plea; listen to my cry. Give ear to my prayer—it comes from lips free of deceit. ² May my vindication come from Your presence; may Your eyes see what is right. ³ You have tried my heart; You have visited me in the night. You have tested me and found no evil; I have resolved not to sin with my mouth. ⁴ As for the deeds of men—by the word of Your lips I have avoided the ways of the violent. ⁵ My steps have held to Your paths; my feet have not slipped. ⁶ I call on You, O God, for You will answer me. Incline Your ear to me; hear my words. ⁷ Show the wonders of Your loving devotion, You who save by Your right hand those who seek refuge from their foes. ⁸ Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me in the shadow of Your wings ⁹ from the wicked who assail me, from my mortal enemies who surround me. ¹⁰ They have closed their callous hearts; their mouths speak with arrogance. ¹¹ They have tracked us down, and now surround us; their eyes are set to cast us to the ground, ¹² like a lion greedy for prey, like a young lion lurking in ambush. ¹³ Arise, O LORD, confront them! Bring them to their knees; deliver me from the wicked by Your sword, ¹⁴ from such men, O LORD, by Your hand—from men of the world whose portion is in this life. May You fill the bellies of Your treasured ones and satisfy their sons, so they leave their abundance to their children. ¹⁵ As for me, I will behold Your face in righteousness; when I awake, I will be satisfied in Your presence. ¹⁸ ¹ For the choirmaster. Of David the servant of the LORD, who sang this song to the LORD on the day the LORD had delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said: I love You, O LORD, my strength. ² The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer. My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. ³ I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies. ⁴ The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of chaos overwhelmed me. ⁵ The cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me. ⁶ In my distress I called upon the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From His temple He heard my voice, and my cry for His help reached His ears. ⁷ Then the earth shook and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains trembled; they were shaken because He burned with anger. ⁸ Smoke rose from His nostrils, and consuming fire came from His mouth; glowing coals blazed forth. ⁹ He parted the heavens and came down with dark clouds beneath His feet. ¹⁰ He mounted a cherub and flew; He soared on the wings of the wind. ¹¹ He made darkness His hiding place, and storm clouds a canopy around Him. ¹² From the brightness of His presence His clouds advanced—hailstones and coals of fire. ¹³ The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded—hailstones and coals of fire. ¹⁴ He shot His arrows and scattered the foes; He hurled lightning and routed them. ¹⁵ The channels of the sea appeared, and the foundations of the world were exposed, at Your rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of Your nostrils. ¹⁶ He reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters. ¹⁷ He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from foes too mighty for me. ¹⁸ They confronted me in my day of calamity, but the LORD was my support. ¹⁹ He brought me out into the open; He rescued me because He delighted in me. ²⁰ The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness; He has repaid me according to the cleanness of my hands. ²¹ For I have kept the ways of the LORD and have not wickedly departed from my God. ²² For all His ordinances are before me; I have not disregarded His statutes. ²³ And I have been blameless before Him and kept myself from iniquity. ²⁴ So the LORD has repaid me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in His sight. ²⁵ To the faithful You show Yourself faithful, to the blameless You show Yourself blameless; ²⁶ to the pure You show Yourself pure, but to the crooked You show Yourself shrewd. ²⁷ For You save an afflicted people, but You humble those with haughty eyes. ²⁸ For You, O LORD, light my lamp; my God lights up my darkness. ²⁹ For in You I can charge an army, and with my God I can scale a wall. ³⁰ As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him. ³¹ For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God? ³² It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way clear. ³³ He makes my feet like those of a deer and stations me upon the heights. ³⁴ He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. ³⁵ You have given me Your shield of salvation; Your right hand upholds me, and Your gentleness exalts me. ³⁶ You broaden the path beneath me so that my ankles do not give way. ³⁷ I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back until they were consumed. ³⁸ I crushed them so they could not rise; they have fallen under my feet. ³⁹ You have armed me with strength for battle; You have subdued my foes beneath me. ⁴⁰ You have made my enemies retreat before me; I put an end to those who hated me. ⁴¹ They cried for help, but there was no one to save them—to the LORD, but He did not answer. ⁴² I ground them as dust in the face of the wind; I trampled them like mud in the streets. ⁴³ You have delivered me from the strife of the people; You have made me the head of nations; a people I had not known shall serve me. ⁴⁴ When they hear me, they obey me; foreigners cower before me. ⁴⁵ Foreigners lose heart and come trembling from their strongholds. ⁴⁶ The LORD lives, and blessed be my Rock! And may the God of my salvation be exalted— ⁴⁷ the God who avenges me and subdues nations beneath me, ⁴⁸ who delivers me from my enemies. You exalt me above my foes; You rescue me from violent men. ⁴⁹ Therefore I will praise You, O LORD, among the nations; I will sing praises to Your name. ⁵⁰ Great salvation He brings to His king. He shows loving devotion to His anointed, to David and his descendants forever. ¹⁹ ¹ For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. ² Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. ³ Without speech or language, without a sound to be heard, ⁴ their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens He has pitched a tent for the sun. ⁵ Like a bridegroom emerging from his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course, ⁶ it rises at one end of the heavens and runs its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth. ⁷ The Law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is trustworthy, making wise the simple. ⁸ The precepts of the LORD are right, bringing joy to the heart; the commandments of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. ⁹ The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever; the judgments of the LORD are true, being altogether righteous. ¹⁰ They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. ¹¹ By them indeed Your servant is warned; in keeping them is great reward. ¹² Who can discern his own errors? Cleanse me from my hidden faults. ¹³ Keep Your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless and cleansed of great transgression. ¹⁴ May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. ²⁰ ¹ For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you. ² May He send you help from the sanctuary and sustain you from Zion. ³ May He remember all your gifts and look favorably on your burnt offerings. Selah ⁴ May He give you the desires of your heart and make all your plans succeed. ⁵ May we shout for joy at your victory and raise a banner in the name of our God. May the LORD grant all your petitions. ⁶ Now I know that the LORD saves His anointed; He answers him from His holy heaven with the saving power of His right hand. ⁷ Some trust in chariots and others in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. ⁸ They collapse and fall, but we rise up and stand firm. ⁹ O LORD, save the king. Answer us on the day we call. ²¹ ¹ For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. O LORD, the king rejoices in Your strength. How greatly he exults in Your salvation! ² You have granted his heart’s desire and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah ³ For You welcomed him with rich blessings; You placed on his head a crown of pure gold. ⁴ He asked You for life, and You granted it—length of days, forever and ever. ⁵ Great is his glory in Your salvation; You bestow on him splendor and majesty. ⁶ For You grant him blessings forever; You cheer him with joy in Your presence. ⁷ For the king trusts in the LORD; through the loving devotion of the Most High, he will not be shaken. ⁸ Your hand will apprehend all Your enemies; Your right hand will seize those who hate You. ⁹ You will place them in a fiery furnace at the time of Your appearing. In His wrath the LORD will engulf them, and the fire will consume them. ¹⁰ You will wipe their descendants from the earth, and their offspring from the sons of men. ¹¹ Though they intend You harm, the schemes they devise will not prevail. ¹² For You will put them to flight when Your bow is trained upon them. ¹³ Be exalted, O LORD, in Your strength; we will sing and praise Your power. ²² ¹ For the choirmaster. To the tune of “The Doe of the Dawn.” A Psalm of David. My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Why are You so far from saving me, so far from my words of groaning? ² I cry out by day, O my God, but You do not answer, and by night, but I have no rest. ³ Yet You are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. ⁴ In You our fathers trusted; they trusted and You delivered them. ⁵ They cried out to You and were set free; they trusted in You and were not disappointed. ⁶ But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people. ⁷ All who see me mock me; they sneer and shake their heads: ⁸ “He trusts in the LORD, let the LORD deliver him; let the LORD rescue him, since He delights in him.” ⁹ Yet You brought me forth from the womb; You made me secure at my mother’s breast. ¹⁰ From birth I was cast upon You; from my mother’s womb You have been my God. ¹¹ Be not far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help. ¹² Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me. ¹³ They open their jaws against me like lions that roar and maul. ¹⁴ I am poured out like water, and all my bones are disjointed. My heart is like wax; it melts away within me. ¹⁵ My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You lay me in the dust of death. ¹⁶ For dogs surround me; a band of evil men encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet. ¹⁷ I can count all my bones; they stare and gloat over me. ¹⁸ They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing. ¹⁹ But You, O LORD, be not far off; O my Strength, come quickly to help me. ²⁰ Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of wild dogs. ²¹ Save me from the mouth of the lion; at the horns of the wild oxen You have answered me! ²² I will proclaim Your name to my brothers; I will praise You in the assembly. ²³ You who fear the LORD, praise Him! All descendants of Jacob, honor Him! All offspring of Israel, revere Him! ²⁴ For He has not despised or detested the torment of the afflicted. He has not hidden His face from him, but has attended to his cry for help. ²⁵ My praise for You resounds in the great assembly; I will fulfill my vows before those who fear You. ²⁶ The poor will eat and be satisfied; those who seek the LORD will praise Him. May your hearts live forever! ²⁷ All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD. All the families of the nations will bow down before Him. ²⁸ For dominion belongs to the LORD and He rules over the nations. ²⁹ All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before Him—even those unable to preserve their lives. ³⁰ Posterity will serve Him; they will declare the Lord to a new generation. ³¹ They will come and proclaim His righteousness to a people yet unborn—all that He has done. ²³ ¹ A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. ² He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. ³ He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for the sake of His name. ⁴ Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. ⁵ You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. ⁶ Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. ²⁴ ¹ A Psalm of David. The earth is the LORD’s, and the fullness thereof, the world and all who dwell therein. ² For He has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters. ³ Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in His holy place? ⁴ He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear deceitfully. ⁵ He will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from the God of his salvation. ⁶ Such is the generation of those who seek Him, who seek Your face, O God of Jacob. Selah ⁷ Lift up your heads, O gates! Be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of Glory may enter! ⁸ Who is this King of Glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. ⁹ Lift up your heads, O gates! Be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of Glory may enter! ¹⁰ Who is He, this King of Glory? The LORD of Hosts—He is the King of Glory. Selah ²⁵ ¹ Of David. To You, O LORD, I lift up my soul; ² in You, my God, I trust. Do not let me be put to shame; do not let my enemies exult over me. ³ Surely none who wait for You will be put to shame; but those who are faithless without cause will be disgraced. ⁴ Show me Your ways, O LORD; teach me Your paths. ⁵ Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; all day long I wait for You. ⁶ Remember, O LORD, Your compassion and loving devotion, for they are from age to age. ⁷ Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my rebellious acts; remember me according to Your loving devotion, because of Your goodness, O LORD. ⁸ Good and upright is the LORD; therefore He shows sinners the way. ⁹ He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them His way. ¹⁰ All the LORD’s ways are loving and faithful to those who keep His covenant and His decrees. ¹¹ For the sake of Your name, O LORD, forgive my iniquity, for it is great. ¹² Who is the man who fears the LORD? He will instruct him in the path chosen for him. ¹³ His soul will dwell in prosperity, and his descendants will inherit the land. ¹⁴ The LORD confides in those who fear Him, and reveals His covenant to them. ¹⁵ My eyes are always on the LORD, for He will free my feet from the mesh. ¹⁶ Turn to me and be gracious, for I am lonely and afflicted. ¹⁷ The troubles of my heart increase; free me from my distress. ¹⁸ Consider my affliction and trouble, and take away all my sins. ¹⁹ Consider my enemies, for they are many, and they hate me with vicious hatred. ²⁰ Guard my soul and deliver me; let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in You. ²¹ May integrity and uprightness preserve me, because I wait for You. ²² Redeem Israel, O God, from all its distress. ²⁶ ¹ Of David. Vindicate me, O LORD! For I have walked with integrity; I have trusted in the LORD without wavering. ² Test me, O LORD, and try me; examine my heart and mind. ³ For Your loving devotion is before my eyes, and I have walked in Your truth. ⁴ I do not sit with deceitful men, nor keep company with hypocrites. ⁵ I hate the mob of evildoers, and refuse to sit with the wicked. ⁶ I wash my hands in innocence that I may go about Your altar, O LORD, ⁷ to raise my voice in thanksgiving and declare all Your wonderful works. ⁸ O LORD, I love the house where You dwell, the place where Your glory resides. ⁹ Do not take my soul away with sinners, or my life with men of bloodshed, ¹⁰ in whose hands are wicked schemes, whose right hands are full of bribes. ¹¹ But I will walk with integrity; redeem me and be merciful to me. ¹² My feet stand on level ground; in the congregations I will bless the LORD. ²⁷ ¹ Of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—whom shall I dread? ² When the wicked came upon me to devour my flesh, my enemies and foes stumbled and fell. ³ Though an army encamps around me, my heart will not fear; though a war breaks out against me, I will keep my trust. ⁴ One thing I have asked of the LORD; this is what I desire: to dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and seek Him in His temple. ⁵ For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter; He will conceal me under the cover of His tent; He will set me high upon a rock. ⁶ Then my head will be held high above my enemies around me. At His tabernacle I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the LORD. ⁷ Hear, O LORD, my voice when I call; be merciful and answer me. ⁸ My heart said, “Seek His face.” Your face, O LORD, I will seek. ⁹ Hide not Your face from me, nor turn away Your servant in anger. You have been my helper; do not leave me or forsake me, O God of my salvation. ¹⁰ Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me. ¹¹ Teach me Your way, O LORD, and lead me on a level path, because of my oppressors. ¹² Do not hand me over to the will of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, breathing out violence. ¹³ Still I am certain to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. ¹⁴ Wait patiently for the LORD; be strong and courageous. Wait patiently for the LORD! ²⁸ ¹ Of David. To You, O LORD, I call; be not deaf to me, O my Rock. For if You remain silent, I will be like those descending to the Pit. ² Hear my cry for mercy when I call to You for help, when I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary. ³ Do not drag me away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity, who speak peace to their neighbors while malice is in their hearts. ⁴ Repay them according to their deeds and for their works of evil. Repay them for what their hands have done; bring back on them what they deserve. ⁵ Since they show no regard for the works of the LORD or what His hands have done, He will tear them down and never rebuild them. ⁶ Blessed be the LORD, for He has heard my cry for mercy. ⁷ The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. Therefore my heart rejoices, and I give thanks to Him with my song. ⁸ The LORD is the strength of His people, a stronghold of salvation for His anointed. ⁹ Save Your people and bless Your inheritance; shepherd them and carry them forever. ²⁹ ¹ A Psalm of David. Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. ² Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name; worship the LORD in the splendor of His holiness. ³ The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders; the LORD is heard over many waters. ⁴ The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is majestic. ⁵ The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD shatters the cedars of Lebanon. ⁶ He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox. ⁷ The voice of the LORD strikes with flames of fire. ⁸ The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; the LORD shakes the Wilderness of Kadesh. ⁹ The voice of the LORD twists the oaks and strips the forests bare. And in His temple all cry, “Glory!” ¹⁰ The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD is enthroned as King forever. ¹¹ The LORD gives His people strength; the LORD blesses His people with peace. ³⁰ ¹ A Psalm. A song for the dedication of the temple. Of David. I will exalt You, O LORD, for You have lifted me up and have not allowed my foes to rejoice over me. ² O LORD my God, I cried to You for help, and You healed me. ³ O LORD, You pulled me up from Sheol; You spared me from descending into the Pit. ⁴ Sing to the LORD, O you His saints, and praise His holy name. ⁵ For His anger is fleeting, but His favor lasts a lifetime. Weeping may stay the night, but joy comes in the morning. ⁶ In prosperity I said, “I will never be shaken.” ⁷ O LORD, You favored me; You made my mountain stand strong. When You hid Your face, I was dismayed. ⁸ To You, O LORD, I called, and I begged my Lord for mercy: ⁹ “What gain is there in my bloodshed, in my descent to the Pit? Will the dust praise You? Will it proclaim Your faithfulness? ¹⁰ Hear me, O LORD, and have mercy; O LORD, be my helper.” ¹¹ You turned my mourning into dancing; You peeled off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, ¹² that my heart may sing Your praises and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks forever.