Psalm 120-150

New American Standard Bible

Prayer for Rescue from the Treacherous.

A Song of ^[a]Ascents.

120 ^(A)I cried to the Lord in my trouble,
And He answered me.
²Rescue my soul, Lord, from ^(B)lying lips,
From a ^(C)deceitful tongue.
³What will He give to you, and what more will He do to you,
You ^(D)deceitful tongue?
⁴^(E)Sharp arrows of the warrior,
With the burning ^(F)coals of the broom tree!

⁵Woe to me, for I reside in ^(G)Meshech,
For I have settled among the ^(H)tents of ^(I)Kedar!
⁶Too long has my soul had its dwelling
With those who ^(J)hate peace.
⁷I ^(K)am for peace, but when I speak,
They are ^(L)for war.

The Lord, the Keeper of Israel.

A Song of Ascents.

121 I will ^(M)raise my eyes to ^(N)the mountains;
From where will my help come?
²My ^(O)help comes from the Lord,
Who ^(P)made heaven and earth.
³He will not ^(Q)allow your foot to slip;
He who ^(R)watches over you will not slumber.
⁴Behold, He who watches over Israel
Will neither slumber nor sleep.

⁵The Lord is your ^[b]^(S)protector;
The Lord is your ^(T)shade on your right hand.
⁶The ^(U)sun will not ^[c]beat down on you by day,
Nor the moon by night.
⁷The Lord will ^[d]^(V)protect you from all evil;
He will keep your soul.
⁸The Lord will ^[e]^(W)guard your going out and your coming in
^(X)From this time and forever.

Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem.

A Song of Ascents, of David.

122 I was glad when they said to me,
“Let’s ^(Y)go to the house of the Lord.”
²Our feet are standing
Within your ^(Z)gates, Jerusalem,
³Jerusalem, that has been ^(AA)built
As a city that is ^(AB)firmly joined together;
⁴To which the tribes ^(AC)go up, the tribes of ^[f]the Lord—
^[g]An ordinance for Israel—
To give thanks to the name of the Lord.
⁵For ^(AD)thrones were set there for judgment,
The thrones of the house of David.

⁶Pray for the ^(AE)peace of Jerusalem:
“May they prosper who ^(AF)love you.
⁷May peace be within your ^(AG)walls,
And prosperity within your ^(AH)palaces.”
⁸For the sake of my ^(AI)brothers and my friends,
I will now say, “^(AJ)May peace be within you.”
⁹For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
I will ^(AK)seek your good.

Prayer for the Lord’s Help.

A Song of Ascents.

123 To You I have ^(AL)raised my eyes,
You who ^(AM)are enthroned in the heavens!
²Behold, as the eyes of ^(AN)servants look to the hand of their master,
As the eyes of a female servant to the hand of her mistress,
So our ^(AO)eyes look to the Lord our God,
Until He is gracious to us.

³^(AP)Be gracious to us, Lord, be gracious to us,
For we have had much more than enough of ^(AQ)contempt.
⁴Our soul has had much more than enough
Of the ^(AR)scoffing of ^(AS)those who are at ease,
And with the ^(AT)contempt of the proud.

Praise for Rescue from Enemies.

A Song of Ascents, of David.

124 “^(AU)Had it not been the Lord who was on our side,”
^(AV)Let Israel say,
²“Had it not been the Lord who was on our side
When people rose up against us,
³Then they would have ^(AW)swallowed us alive,
When their ^(AX)anger was kindled against us;
⁴Then the ^(AY)waters would have flooded over us,
The stream would have ^[h]swept over our souls;
⁵Then the ^(AZ)raging waters would have ^[i]swept over our souls.”

⁶Blessed be the Lord,
Who has not given us ^[j]to be ^(BA)torn by their teeth.
⁷Our souls have ^(BB)escaped ^(BC)like a bird from the trapper’s ^(BD)snare;
The snare is broken and we have escaped.
⁸Our ^(BE)help is in the name of the Lord,
Who ^(BF)made heaven and earth.

The Lord Surrounds His People.

A Song of Ascents.

125 Those who trust in the Lord
Are like Mount Zion, which ^(BG)cannot be moved but ^(BH)remains forever.
²As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
So ^(BI)the Lord surrounds His people
^(BJ)From this time and forever.
³For the ^(BK)scepter of wickedness will not rest upon the ^[k]land of the righteous,
So that the righteous ^(BL)will not extend their hands to do wrong.

⁴^(BM)Do good, Lord, to those who are good
And to those who are ^(BN)upright in their hearts.
⁵But as for those who ^(BO)turn aside to their ^(BP)crooked ways,
The Lord will lead them away with those who ^(BQ)practice injustice.
^(BR)Peace be upon Israel.

Thanksgiving for Return from Captivity.

A Song of Ascents.

126 When the Lord ^(BS)brought back ^[l]the captives of Zion,
We were ^(BT)like those who dream.
²Then our ^(BU)mouth was filled with laughter
And our ^(BV)tongue with joyful shouting;
Then they said among the nations,
“The Lord has ^(BW)done great things for them.”
³The Lord has done great things for us;
We are ^(BX)joyful.

⁴Restore our fortunes, Lord,
As the ^[m]^(BY)streams in the ^[n]South.
⁵Those who sow in ^(BZ)tears shall harvest with ^(CA)joyful shouting.
⁶One who goes here and there weeping, carrying his bag of seed,
Shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.

Prosperity Comes from the Lord.

A Song of Ascents, of Solomon.

127 Unless the Lord ^(CB)builds a house,
They who build it labor in vain;
Unless the Lord ^(CC)guards a city,
The watchman stays awake in vain.
²It is futile for you to rise up early,
To ^[o]stay up late,
To ^(CD)eat the bread of painful labor;
This is how He gives to His ^(CE)beloved ^(CF)sleep.

³Behold, ^(CG)children are a ^[p]gift of the Lord,
The ^(CH)fruit of the womb is a reward.
⁴Like arrows in the hand of a ^(CI)warrior,
So are the children of one’s youth.
⁵^(CJ)Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them;
^(CK)They will not be ashamed
When they ^(CL)speak with their enemies ^(CM)in the gate.

Blessedness of the Fear of the Lord.

A Song of Ascents.

128 ^(CN)Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord,
Who ^(CO)walks in His ways.
²When you ^(CP)eat the ^(CQ)fruit of the labor of your hands,
You will be happy and ^(CR)it will go well for you.
³Your wife will be like a ^(CS)fruitful vine
^[q]Within your house,
Your children like ^(CT)olive plants
Around your table.
⁴Behold, for so shall a man
Who fears the Lord be blessed.

⁵^(CU)The Lord bless you ^(CV)from Zion,
And may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life.
⁶Indeed, may you see your ^(CW)children’s children.
^(CX)Peace be upon Israel!

Prayer for the Overthrow of Zion’s Enemies.

A Song of Ascents.

129 “^[r]Many times they have ^(CY)attacked me from my ^(CZ)youth up,”
^(DA)Let Israel say,
²“^[s]Many times they have attacked me from my youth up;
Yet they have ^(DB)not prevailed against me.
³The plowers plowed upon my back;
They lengthened their furrows.”
⁴The Lord ^(DC)is righteous;
He has cut up the ^(DD)ropes of the wicked.

⁵May all who ^(DE)hate Zion
Be ^(DF)put to shame and turned backward;
⁶May they be like ^(DG)grass upon the housetops,
Which withers before it ^[t]grows up;
⁷With which the harvester does not fill his ^[u]hand,
Or the binder of sheaves his ^[v]^(DH)arms;
⁸Nor do those who pass by say,
“The ^(DI)blessing of the Lord be upon you;
We bless you in the name of the Lord.”

Hope in the Lord’s Forgiving Love.

A Song of Ascents.

130 Out of the ^(DJ)depths I have cried to You, Lord.
²Lord, ^(DK)hear my voice!
Let ^(DL)Your ears be attentive
To the ^(DM)sound of my pleadings.
³If You, ^[w]Lord, were to keep account of guilty deeds,
Lord, who could ^(DN)stand?
⁴But there is ^(DO)forgiveness with You,
So that You may be ^[x]^(DP)revered.

⁵I wait for the Lord, my ^(DQ)soul waits,
And I ^[y]wait ^(DR)for His word.
⁶My soul waits in hope for the Lord
More than the watchmen ^(DS)for the morning;
Yes, more than the watchmen for the morning.
⁷Israel, ^(DT)wait for the Lord;
For with the Lord there is ^(DU)mercy,
And with Him is ^(DV)abundant redemption.
⁸And He will ^(DW)redeem Israel
From all his guilty deeds.

Childlike Trust in the Lord.

A Song of Ascents, of David.

131 Lord, my heart is not ^(DX)proud, nor my eyes ^(DY)arrogant;
Nor do I ^[z]involve myself in ^(DZ)great matters,
Or in things ^(EA)too ^[aa]difficult for me.
²I have certainly ^(EB)soothed and quieted my soul;
Like a weaned ^(EC)child resting ^[ab]against his mother,
My soul ^[ac]within me is like a weaned child.
³Israel, ^(ED)wait for the Lord
^(EE)From this time on and forever.

Prayer for the Lord’s Blessing upon the Sanctuary.

A Song of Ascents.

132 Remember, Lord, in David’s behalf,
All ^(EF)his affliction;
²How he swore to the Lord
And vowed to ^(EG)the Mighty One of Jacob,
³“I certainly will not ^[ad]enter ^(EH)my house,
Nor ^[ae]lie on my bed;
⁴I will not ^(EI)give sleep to my eyes
Or slumber to my eyelids,
⁵Until I find a ^(EJ)place for the Lord,
^[af]A dwelling place for ^(EK)the Mighty One of Jacob.”

⁶Behold, we heard about it in ^(EL)Ephrathah,
We found it in the ^(EM)field of ^[ag]Jaar.
⁷Let’s go into His ^[ah]^(EN)dwelling place;
Let’s ^(EO)worship at His ^(EP)footstool.
⁸^(EQ)Arise, Lord, to Your ^(ER)resting place,
You and the ark of Your ^(ES)strength.
⁹May Your priests be ^(ET)clothed with righteousness,
And may Your ^(EU)godly ones sing for joy.

¹⁰For the sake of Your servant David,
Do not turn away the face of Your ^(EV)anointed.
¹¹The Lord has ^(EW)sworn to David
A truth from which He will not turn back:
“I will set upon your throne one ^(EX)from the fruit of your body.
¹²If your sons will keep My covenant
And My testimony which I will teach them,
Their sons also will ^(EY)sit upon your throne forever.”

¹³For the Lord has ^(EZ)chosen Zion;
He has ^(FA)desired it as His dwelling place.
¹⁴“This is My ^(FB)resting place forever;
Here I will ^(FC)dwell, for I have desired it.
¹⁵I will abundantly ^(FD)bless her food;
I will ^(FE)satisfy her needy with bread.
¹⁶I will also clothe her ^(FF)priests with salvation,
And her ^(FG)godly ones will sing aloud for joy.
¹⁷I will make the ^(FH)horn of David spring forth there;
I have prepared a ^(FI)lamp for My anointed.
¹⁸I will ^(FJ)clothe his enemies with shame,
But upon himself his ^(FK)crown will gleam.”

The Excellency of Brotherly Unity.

A Song of Ascents, of David.

133 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For ^(FL)brothers to live together in unity!
²It is like the precious ^(FM)oil on the head,
Running down upon the beard,
As on Aaron’s beard,
The oil which ran down upon the ^(FN)edge of his robes.
³It is like the ^(FO)dew of ^(FP)Hermon
Coming down upon the ^(FQ)mountains of Zion;
For the Lord ^(FR)commanded the blessing there—^(FS)life forever.

Greetings of Night Watchers.

A Song of Ascents.

134 Behold, ^(FT)bless the Lord, all you ^(FU)servants of the Lord,
Who ^[ai]^(FV)serve ^(FW)by night in the house of the Lord!
²^(FX)Lift up your hands to the ^(FY)sanctuary
And bless the Lord.
³May the Lord ^(FZ)bless you from Zion,
He who ^(GA)made heaven and earth.

Praise the Lord’s Wonderful Works. Futility of Idols.

135 ^[aj]^(GB)Praise ^[ak]the Lord!
Praise the name of the Lord;
Praise Him, you ^(GC)servants of the Lord,
²You who stand in the house of the Lord,
In the ^(GD)courtyards of the house of our God!
³^[al]Praise ^[am]the Lord, for ^(GE)the Lord is good;
^(GF)Sing praises to His name, ^(GG)for it is lovely.
⁴For ^[an]the Lord has ^(GH)chosen Jacob for Himself,
Israel as His ^(GI)own possession.

⁵For I know that ^(GJ)the Lord is great
And that our Lord is ^(GK)above all gods.
⁶^(GL)Whatever the Lord pleases, He does,
In heaven and on earth, in the seas and in all the ocean depths.
⁷^[ao]He ^(GM)causes the ^[ap]mist to ascend from the ends of the earth,
^[aq]He ^(GN)makes lightning for the rain;
^[ar]He ^(GO)brings forth the wind from His treasuries.

⁸^[as]He ^(GP)struck the firstborn of Egypt,
^[at]Both human firstborn and animal.
⁹^[au]He sent ^(GQ)signs and wonders into your midst, Egypt,
Upon ^(GR)Pharaoh and all his servants.
¹⁰^[av]^(GS)He ^(GT)struck many nations
And brought death to mighty kings,
¹¹^(GU)Sihon, king of the Amorites,
^(GV)Og, king of Bashan,
And ^(GW)all the kingdoms of Canaan;
¹²And He ^(GX)gave their land as an inheritance,
An inheritance to His people Israel.
¹³Your ^(GY)name, Lord, is everlasting,
The mention of You, Lord, is ^[aw]throughout all generations.
¹⁴For the Lord will ^(GZ)judge His people
And ^(HA)will have compassion on His servants.
¹⁵The ^(HB)idols of the nations are nothing but silver and gold,
The work of human hands.
¹⁶They have mouths, but they do not speak;
They have eyes, but they do not see;
¹⁷They have ears, but they do not hear,
Nor is there any breath at all in their mouths.
¹⁸Those who make them will become like them,
Yes, everyone who trusts in them.

¹⁹House of ^(HC)Israel, bless the Lord;
House of Aaron, bless the Lord;
²⁰House of Levi, bless the Lord;
You ^(HD)who ^[ax]revere the Lord, bless the Lord.
²¹Blessed be the Lord ^(HE)from Zion,
Who ^(HF)dwells in Jerusalem.
^[ay]Praise ^[az]the Lord!

Thanks for the Lord’s Goodness to Israel.

136 ^(HG)Give thanks to the Lord, for ^(HH)He is good,
For ^(HI)His ^[ba]faithfulness is everlasting.
²Give thanks to the ^(HJ)God of gods,
For His faithfulness is everlasting.
³Give thanks to the ^(HK)Lord of lords,
For His faithfulness is everlasting.
⁴To Him who ^(HL)alone does great ^[bb]wonders,
For His faithfulness is everlasting;
⁵To Him who ^(HM)made the heavens ^[bc]^(HN)with skill,
For His faithfulness is everlasting;
⁶To Him who ^(HO)spread out the earth above the waters,
For His faithfulness is everlasting;
⁷To Him who ^(HP)made the great lights,
For His faithfulness is everlasting:
⁸The ^(HQ)sun to rule ^[bd]by day,
For His faithfulness is everlasting,
⁹The ^(HR)moon and stars to rule ^[be]by night,
For His faithfulness is everlasting.

¹⁰To Him who ^(HS)struck ^[bf]the Egyptians, that is, their firstborn,
For His faithfulness is everlasting,
¹¹And ^(HT)brought Israel out from their midst,
For His faithfulness is everlasting,
¹²With a ^(HU)strong hand and an ^(HV)outstretched arm,
For His faithfulness is everlasting.
¹³To Him who ^(HW)divided the ^[bg]Red Sea in parts,
For His faithfulness is everlasting,
¹⁴And ^(HX)allowed Israel to pass through the midst of it,
For His faithfulness is everlasting;
¹⁵But ^(HY)He ^[bh]overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the ^[bi]Red Sea,
For His faithfulness is everlasting.
¹⁶To Him who ^(HZ)led His people through the wilderness,
For His faithfulness is everlasting;
¹⁷To Him who ^(IA)struck great kings,
For His faithfulness is everlasting,
¹⁸And ^(IB)brought death to ^[bj]mighty kings,
For His faithfulness is everlasting:
¹⁹^(IC)Sihon, king of the Amorites,
For His faithfulness is everlasting,
²⁰And ^(ID)Og, king of Bashan,
For His faithfulness is everlasting,
²¹And ^(IE)gave their land as an inheritance,
For His faithfulness is everlasting,
²²An inheritance to His ^(IF)servant Israel,
For His faithfulness is everlasting.

²³Who ^(IG)remembered us in our lowliness,
For His faithfulness is everlasting,
²⁴And has ^(IH)rescued us from our enemies,
For His faithfulness is everlasting;
²⁵Who ^(II)gives food to all flesh,
For His faithfulness is everlasting.
²⁶Give thanks to the ^(IJ)God of heaven,
For His faithfulness is everlasting.

An Experience of the Captivity.

137 By the ^(IK)rivers of Babylon,
There we sat down and ^(IL)wept,
When we remembered Zion.
²Upon the ^[bk]^(IM)willows in the midst of it
We ^(IN)hung our ^[bl]harps.
³For there our captors ^[bm]^(IO)demanded of us ^[bn]songs,
And ^(IP)our tormentors, jubilation, saying,
“Sing for us one of the songs of Zion!”

⁴How can we sing ^(IQ)the Lord’s song
In a foreign land?
⁵If I ^(IR)forget you, Jerusalem,
May my right hand ^[bo]forget its skill.
⁶May my ^(IS)tongue cling to the roof of my mouth
If I do not remember you,
If I do not ^[bp]^(IT)exalt Jerusalem
Above my chief joy.

⁷Remember, Lord, against the sons of ^(IU)Edom
The day of Jerusalem,
Those who said, “Lay it bare, lay it bare
^(IV)To its foundation!”
⁸Daughter of Babylon, you ^[bq]^(IW)devastated one,
Blessed will be one who ^(IX)repays you
With ^[br]the retribution with which you have repaid us.
⁹Blessed will be one who seizes and ^(IY)dashes your children
Against the rock.

Thanksgiving for the Lord’s Favor.

A Psalm of David.

138 ^(IZ)I will give You thanks with all my heart;
I will sing Your praises before the ^(JA)gods.
²I will bow down ^(JB)toward Your holy temple
And ^(JC)give thanks to Your name for Your mercy and Your ^[bs]truth;
For You have ^(JD)made Your ^[bt]word great ^[bu]according to all Your name.
³On the day I ^(JE)called, You answered me;
You made me bold with ^(JF)strength in my soul.

⁴^(JG)All the kings of the earth will give thanks to You, Lord,
When they have heard the words of Your mouth.
⁵And they will ^(JH)sing of the ways of the Lord,
For ^(JI)great is the glory of the Lord.
⁶For ^(JJ)the Lord is exalted,
Yet He ^(JK)looks after the lowly,
But He knows the ^(JL)haughty from afar.

⁷Though I ^(JM)walk in the midst of trouble, You will ^[bv]^(JN)revive me;
You will ^(JO)reach out with Your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
And Your right hand will ^(JP)save me.
⁸The Lord will ^(JQ)accomplish what concerns me;
Your ^(JR)faithfulness, Lord, is everlasting;
^(JS)Do not abandon the ^(JT)works of Your hands.

God’s Omnipresence and Omniscience.

For the music director. A Psalm of David.

139 Lord, You have ^(JU)searched me and known me.
²You ^(JV)know ^[bw]when I sit down and ^[bx]when I get up;
You ^(JW)understand my thought from far away.
³You ^[by]^(JX)scrutinize my ^[bz]path and my lying down,
And are acquainted with all my ways.
⁴^[ca]Even before there is a word on my tongue,
Behold, Lord, You ^(JY)know it all.
⁵You have ^(JZ)encircled me behind and in front,
And ^(KA)placed Your hand upon me.
⁶Such ^(KB)knowledge is ^(KC)too wonderful for me;
It is too high, I cannot comprehend it.

⁷^(KD)Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
⁸^(KE)If I ascend to heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in ^[cb]Sheol, behold, ^(KF)You are there.
⁹If I take up the wings of the dawn,
If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,
¹⁰Even there Your hand will ^(KG)lead me,
And Your right hand will take hold of me.
¹¹If I say, “Surely the ^(KH)darkness will ^[cc]overwhelm me,
And the light around me will be night,”
¹²Even ^(KI)darkness is not dark ^[cd]to You,
And the night is as bright as the day.
^(KJ)Darkness and light are alike to You.

¹³For You ^(KK)created my innermost parts;
You ^(KL)wove me in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴I will give thanks to You, because ^[ce]I am awesomely and wonderfully made;
^(KM)Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
¹⁵My ^[cf]^(KN)frame was not hidden from You
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully formed in the ^(KO)depths of the earth;
¹⁶Your ^(KP)eyes have seen my formless substance;
And in ^(KQ)Your book were written
All the ^(KR)days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them.

¹⁷How precious also are Your ^(KS)thoughts for me, God!
How vast is the sum of them!
¹⁸Were I to count them, they would ^(KT)outnumber the sand.
When ^(KU)I awake, I am still with You.

¹⁹If only You would ^(KV)put the wicked to death, God;
^(KW)Leave me, ^(KX)you men of bloodshed.
²⁰For they ^(KY)speak ^[cg]against You wickedly,
And Your enemies ^[ch]^(KZ)take Your name in vain.
²¹Do I not ^(LA)hate those who hate You, Lord?
And do I not ^(LB)loathe those who rise up against You?
²²I hate them with the utmost hatred;
They have become my enemies.

²³^(LC)Search me, God, and know my heart;
^(LD)Put me to the test and know my anxious thoughts;
²⁴And see if there is any ^[ci]^(LE)hurtful way in me,
And ^(LF)lead me in the ^(LG)everlasting way.

Prayer for Protection against the Wicked.

For the music director. A Psalm of David.

140 ^(LH)Rescue me, Lord, from evil people;
Protect me from ^(LI)violent men
²Who ^(LJ)devise evil things in their hearts;
They ^(LK)continually stir up wars.
³They ^(LL)sharpen their tongues like a snake;
^(LM)The venom of a viper is under their lips. Selah

⁴^(LN)Keep me, Lord, from the hands of the wicked;
^(LO)Protect me from violent men
Who ^[cj]intend to ^[ck]^(LP)trip up my feet.
⁵The proud have ^(LQ)hidden a trap for me, and snares;
They have spread a ^(LR)net at the ^[cl]wayside;
They have set ^(LS)snares for me. Selah

⁶I ^(LT)said to the Lord, “You are my God;
^(LU)Listen, Lord, to the ^(LV)sound of my pleadings.
⁷^[cm]God the Lord, ^(LW)the strength of my salvation,
You have ^(LX)covered my head on the day of ^[cn]battle.
⁸Do not grant, Lord, the ^(LY)desires of the wicked;
Do not bring about ^(LZ)his evil planning, so that they are not exalted. Selah

⁹“As for the head of those who surround me,
May the ^(MA)harm of their lips cover them.
¹⁰May ^(MB)burning coals fall upon them;
May they be ^(MC)cast into the fire,
Into bottomless pits from which they ^(MD)cannot rise.
¹¹May a ^[co]slanderer not endure on the earth;
^(ME)May evil hunt a violent person ^[cp]violently.”

¹²I know that the Lord will ^(MF)maintain the cause of the afflicted,
And ^(MG)justice for the poor.
¹³Certainly the ^(MH)righteous will give thanks to Your name;
The ^(MI)upright will dwell in Your presence.

An Evening Prayer for Sanctification and Protection.

A Psalm of David.

141 Lord, I call upon You; ^(MJ)hurry to me!
^(MK)Listen to my voice when I call to You!
²May my prayer be ^[cq]counted as ^(ML)incense before You;
The ^(MM)raising of my hands as the ^(MN)evening offering.
³Set a ^(MO)guard, Lord, ^[cr]over my mouth;
Keep watch over the ^(MP)door of my lips.
⁴^(MQ)Do not incline my heart to any evil thing,
To practice deeds ^[cs]of wickedness
With people who ^(MR)do wrong;
And ^(MS)may I not taste their delicacies.

⁵May the ^(MT)righteous strike me with mercy and discipline me;
It is ^(MU)oil for the head;
My head shall not refuse it,
For my prayer ^(MV)is still against their evil deeds.
⁶Their judges are ^(MW)thrown down by the sides of the rock,
And they hear my words, for they are pleasant.
⁷As when one ^(MX)plows and breaks open the earth,
Our ^(MY)bones have been scattered at the ^(MZ)mouth of ^[ct]Sheol.

⁸For my ^(NA)eyes are toward You, ^[cu]God, the Lord;
In You I ^(NB)take refuge; ^(NC)do not ^[cv]leave me defenseless.
⁹Keep me from the ^[cw]^(ND)jaws of the trap which they have set for me,
And from the ^(NE)snares of those who do wrong.
¹⁰May the wicked ^(NF)fall into their own nets,
While I pass by ^[cx]^(NG)safely.

Prayer for Help in Trouble.

^[cy]Maskil of David, when he was ^[cz]in the cave. A Prayer.

142 I ^(NH)cry out with my voice to the Lord;
With my voice I ^(NI)implore the Lord for compassion.
²I ^(NJ)pour out my complaint before Him;
I declare my ^(NK)trouble before Him.
³When ^(NL)my spirit felt weak within me,
You knew my path.
In the way where I walk
They have ^(NM)hidden a trap for me.
⁴Look to the right and see;
For there is ^(NN)no one who regards me favorably;
^[da]There is no ^(NO)escape for me;
^(NP)No one cares for my soul.

⁵I cried out to You, Lord;
I said, “You are ^(NQ)my refuge,
My ^(NR)portion in the ^(NS)land of the living.
⁶^(NT)Give Your attention to my cry,
For I have been ^(NU)brought very low;
Rescue me from my persecutors,
For they are too ^(NV)strong for me.
⁷^(NW)Bring my soul out of prison,
So that I may give thanks to Your name;
The righteous will surround me,
For You will ^(NX)look after me.”

Prayer for Help and Guidance.

A Psalm of David.

143 Hear my prayer, Lord,
^(NY)Listen to my pleadings!
Answer me in Your ^(NZ)faithfulness, in Your ^(OA)righteousness!
²And ^(OB)do not enter into judgment with Your servant,
For ^(OC)no person living is righteous in Your sight.
³For the enemy has persecuted my soul;
He has crushed my life ^(OD)to the ground;
He ^(OE)has made me dwell in dark places, like those who have long been dead.
⁴Therefore ^(OF)my spirit ^[db]feels weak within me;
My heart is ^[dc]^(OG)appalled within me.

⁵I ^(OH)remember the days of old;
I ^(OI)meditate on all Your accomplishments;
I ^(OJ)reflect on the work of Your hands.
⁶I ^(OK)spread out my hands to You;
My ^(OL)soul longs for You, like a weary land. Selah

⁷^(OM)Answer me quickly, Lord, my ^(ON)spirit fails;
^(OO)Do not hide Your face from me,
Or I will be the same as ^(OP)those who go down to the pit.
⁸Let me hear Your ^(OQ)faithfulness ^(OR)in the morning,
For I trust ^(OS)in You;
Teach me the ^(OT)way in which I should walk;
For to You I ^(OU)lift up my soul.
⁹^(OV)Save me, Lord, from my enemies;
^[dd]I take refuge in You.

¹⁰^(OW)Teach me to do Your will,
For You are my God;
Let ^(OX)Your good Spirit ^(OY)lead me on level ^[de]ground.
¹¹^(OZ)For the sake of Your name, Lord, ^(PA)revive me.
^(PB)In Your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble.
¹²And in Your faithfulness, ^[df]^(PC)destroy my enemies,
And ^(PD)eliminate all those who attack my soul,
For ^(PE)I am Your servant.

Prayer for Rescue and Prosperity.

A Psalm of David.

144 Blessed be the Lord, ^(PF)my rock,
Who ^(PG)trains my hands for war,
And my fingers for battle;
²My faithfulness and ^(PH)my fortress,
My ^(PI)stronghold and my savior,
My ^(PJ)shield and He in whom I take refuge,
Who ^(PK)subdues ^[dg]my people under me.
³Lord, ^(PL)what is man, that You look after him?
Or a son of man, that You think of him?
⁴^(PM)Man is like the breath;
His ^(PN)days are like a passing shadow.

⁵^(PO)Bend down Your heavens, Lord, and ^(PP)come down;
^(PQ)Touch the mountains, that they may smoke.
⁶Flash forth ^(PR)lightning and scatter them;
Send out Your ^(PS)arrows and confuse them.
⁷Reach out with Your hand ^(PT)from on high;
Rescue me and ^(PU)save me from great waters,
From the hand of ^(PV)foreigners
⁸Whose mouths ^(PW)speak deceit,
And whose ^(PX)right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

⁹God, I will sing a ^(PY)new song to You;
On a ^(PZ)harp of ten strings I will sing praises to You,
¹⁰Who ^(QA)gives salvation to kings,
Who ^(QB)rescues His servant David from the evil sword.
¹¹Rescue me and save me from the hand of ^(QC)foreigners,
Whose mouth ^(QD)speaks deceit
And whose ^(QE)right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

¹²When our sons in their youth are like ^(QF)growing plants,
And our daughters like ^(QG)corner pillars ^[dh]fashioned for a palace,
¹³Our ^(QH)granaries are full, providing every kind of produce,
And our flocks deliver thousands and ten thousands in our ^[di]fields;
¹⁴May our ^(QI)cattle ^[dj]be bred
Without ^[dk]^(QJ)mishap and without ^[dl]^(QK)loss,
May there be no ^(QL)outcry in our streets!
¹⁵Blessed are the people who are so situated;
^(QM)Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord!

The Lord Exalted for His Goodness.

A Psalm of Praise, of David.

145 I will ^(QN)exalt You, ^(QO)my God, the King,
And I will ^(QP)bless Your name forever and ever.
²Every day I will bless You,
And I will ^(QQ)praise Your name forever and ever.
³^(QR)Great is the Lord, and highly to be praised;
And His ^(QS)greatness is unsearchable.
⁴One ^(QT)generation will praise Your works to another,
And will declare Your mighty acts.
⁵On the ^(QU)glorious ^[dm]splendor of Your majesty
And ^(QV)on Your wonderful works, I will meditate.
⁶People will speak of the ^[dn]power of Your ^(QW)awesome acts,
And I will ^(QX)tell of Your greatness.
⁷They will burst forth ^[do]in speaking of Your ^(QY)abundant goodness,
And will ^(QZ)shout joyfully of Your righteousness.

⁸The Lord is ^(RA)gracious and compassionate;
Slow to anger and great in mercy.
⁹The Lord is ^(RB)good to all,
And His ^(RC)mercies are over all His works.
¹⁰^(RD)All Your works will give thanks to You, Lord,
And Your ^(RE)godly ones will bless You.
¹¹They will speak of the ^(RF)glory of Your kingdom,
And talk of Your might,
¹²To ^(RG)make known to the sons of mankind ^[dp]Your mighty acts,
And the ^(RH)glory of the majesty of ^[dq]Your kingdom.
¹³Your kingdom is ^[dr]an ^(RI)everlasting kingdom,
And Your dominion endures throughout all generations.
^[ds]The Lord is faithful in His words,
And holy in all His works.

¹⁴The Lord ^(RJ)supports all who fall,
And ^(RK)raises up all who are bowed down.
¹⁵The eyes of all ^[dt]look to You,
And You ^(RL)give them their food in due time.
¹⁶You ^(RM)open Your hand
And satisfy the desire of every living thing.

¹⁷The Lord is ^(RN)righteous in all His ways,
And kind in all His works.
¹⁸The Lord is ^(RO)near to all who call on Him,
To all who call on Him ^(RP)in truth.
¹⁹He will ^(RQ)fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He will also ^(RR)hear their cry for help and save them.
²⁰The Lord ^(RS)watches over all who love Him,
But He will destroy all the ^(RT)wicked.
²¹My ^(RU)mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
And ^(RV)all flesh will ^(RW)bless His holy name forever and ever.

The Lord, an Abundant Helper.

146 ^[du]Praise ^[dv]the Lord!
^(RX)Praise the Lord, my soul!
²I will praise the Lord ^(RY)while I live;
I will ^(RZ)sing praises to my God while I ^[dw]have my being.
³^(SA)Do not trust in noblemen,
In ^[dx]mortal ^(SB)man, in whom there is ^(SC)no salvation.
⁴His ^(SD)spirit departs, he ^(SE)returns to ^[dy]the earth;
On that very day his ^(SF)plans perish.
⁵^(SG)Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
Whose ^(SH)hope is in the Lord his God,
⁶Who ^(SI)made heaven and earth,
The ^(SJ)sea and everything that is in them;
Who ^(SK)keeps ^[dz]faith forever;
⁷Who ^(SL)executes justice for the oppressed;
Who ^(SM)gives food to the hungry.
The Lord ^(SN)frees the prisoners.

⁸The Lord ^(SO)opens the eyes of those who are blind;
The Lord ^(SP)raises up those who are bowed down;
The Lord ^(SQ)loves the righteous.
⁹The Lord ^(SR)watches over strangers;
He ^[ea]^(SS)supports the fatherless and the widow,
But He ^[eb]thwarts ^(ST)the way of the wicked.
¹⁰The Lord will ^(SU)reign forever,
Your God, Zion, to all generations.
^[ec]Praise ^[ed]the Lord!

Praise for Jerusalem’s Restoration and Prosperity.

147 ^[ee]Praise ^[ef]the Lord!
For ^(SV)it is good to sing praises to our God;
For ^[eg]it is pleasant and praise is ^[eh]^(SW)beautiful.
²The Lord ^(SX)builds up Jerusalem;
He ^(SY)gathers the outcasts of Israel.
³He heals the ^(SZ)brokenhearted
And ^(TA)binds up their ^[ei]wounds.
⁴He ^(TB)counts the number of the stars;
He ^[ej]^(TC)gives names to all of them.
⁵^(TD)Great is our Lord and abundant in strength;
His ^(TE)understanding is ^[ek]infinite.
⁶The Lord ^[el]^(TF)supports the afflicted;
He brings the wicked down to the ground.

⁷^(TG)Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
Sing praises to our God on the lyre;
⁸It is He who ^(TH)covers the heavens with clouds,
Who ^(TI)provides rain for the earth,
Who ^(TJ)makes grass sprout on the mountains.
⁹It is He who ^(TK)gives an animal its food,
And feeds ^(TL)young ravens that cry.
¹⁰He does not delight in ^[em]the strength of the ^(TM)horse;
He ^(TN)does not take pleasure in the ^[en]legs of a man.
¹¹The Lord ^(TO)favors those who fear Him,
^(TP)Those who wait for His ^[eo]faithfulness.

¹²Praise the Lord, Jerusalem!
Praise your God, Zion!
¹³For He has strengthened the ^(TQ)bars of your gates;
He has ^(TR)blessed your sons among you.
¹⁴He ^(TS)makes ^[ep]peace in your borders;
He ^(TT)satisfies you with ^(TU)the ^[eq]finest of the wheat.
¹⁵He sends His ^(TV)command to the earth;
His ^(TW)word runs very swiftly.
¹⁶He ^[er]showers ^(TX)snow like wool;
He scatters the ^(TY)frost like ashes.
¹⁷He hurls His ^(TZ)ice as fragments;
Who can stand before His ^(UA)cold?
¹⁸He ^(UB)sends His word and makes them melt;
He ^(UC)makes His wind blow, and the waters flow.
¹⁹He ^(UD)declares His words to Jacob,
His ^(UE)statutes and His judgments to Israel.
²⁰He ^(UF)has not dealt this way with any other nation;
And as for His judgments, ^[es]they have ^(UG)not known them.
^[et]Praise ^[eu]the Lord!

The Whole Creation Invoked to Praise the Lord.

148 ^[ev]Praise ^[ew]the Lord!
Praise the Lord ^(UH)from the heavens;
Praise Him ^(UI)in the heights!
²Praise Him, ^(UJ)all His angels;
Praise Him, ^(UK)all His heavenly armies!
³Praise Him, sun and moon;
Praise Him, all stars of light!
⁴Praise Him, ^[ex]^(UL)highest heavens,
And the ^(UM)waters that are above the heavens!
⁵They are to praise the name of the Lord,
For ^(UN)He commanded and they were created.
⁶He has also ^(UO)established them forever and ever;
He has made a ^(UP)decree, and it will not pass away.

⁷Praise the Lord from the earth,
^(UQ)Sea monsters, and all the ocean ^(UR)depths;
⁸^(US)Fire and hail, ^(UT)snow and ^(UU)clouds;
^(UV)Stormy wind, ^(UW)fulfilling His word;
⁹^(UX)Mountains and all hills;
Fruit ^(UY)trees and all cedars;
¹⁰^(UZ)Animals and all cattle;
^(VA)Crawling things and winged fowl;
¹¹^(VB)Kings of the earth and all peoples;
Rulers and all judges of the earth;
¹²Both young men and virgins;
Old men and children.

¹³They are to praise the name of the Lord,
For His ^(VC)name alone is exalted;
His ^(VD)majesty is above earth and heaven.
¹⁴And He has ^(VE)lifted up a horn for His people,
^(VF)Praise for all His godly ones,
For the sons of Israel, a people ^(VG)near to Him.
^[ey]Praise ^[ez]the Lord!

Israel Invoked to Praise the Lord.

149 ^[fa]Praise ^[fb]the Lord!
Sing a ^(VH)new song to the Lord,
And His praise ^(VI)in the congregation of the godly ones.
²Israel shall be joyful in ^(VJ)his Maker;
The sons of Zion shall rejoice in their ^(VK)King.
³They shall praise His name with ^(VL)dancing;
They shall sing praises to Him with ^(VM)tambourine and lyre.
⁴For the Lord ^(VN)takes pleasure in His people;
He will ^(VO)glorify the lowly with salvation.

⁵The ^(VP)godly ones shall be jubilant in glory;
They shall ^(VQ)sing for joy on their beds.
⁶The ^(VR)high praises of God shall be in their ^[fc]mouths,
And a ^(VS)two-edged ^(VT)sword in their hands,
⁷To ^(VU)execute vengeance on the nations,
And punishment on the peoples,
⁸To bind their kings ^(VV)with chains,
And their ^(VW)dignitaries with shackles of iron,
⁹To ^(VX)execute against them the judgment written.
This is an ^(VY)honor for all His godly ones.
^[fd]Praise ^[fe]the Lord!

A Psalm of Praise.

150 ^[ff]Praise ^[fg]the Lord!
Praise God in His ^(VZ)sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty ^[fh]^(WA)expanse.
²Praise Him for His ^(WB)mighty deeds;
Praise Him according to His excellent ^(WC)greatness.

³Praise Him with ^(WD)trumpet sound;
Praise Him with ^(WE)harp and lyre.
⁴Praise Him with ^(WF)tambourine and dancing;
Praise Him with ^(WG)stringed instruments and ^(WH)flute.
⁵Praise Him with loud ^(WI)cymbals;
Praise Him with resounding cymbals.
⁶^(WJ)Everything that has breath shall praise ^[fi]the Lord.
^[fj]Praise ^[fk]the Lord!

Footnotes

Psalm 120 Title Ex 34:24; 1 Kin 12:27
Psalm 121:5 Or keeper
Psalm 121:6 Lit strike you
Psalm 121:7 Or keep
Psalm 121:8 Or keep
Psalm 122:4 Heb Yah
Psalm 122:4 Or A testimony
Psalm 124:4 Or passed over
Psalm 124:5 Or passed over
Psalm 124:6 Lit as a prey to
Psalm 125:3 Lit lot
Psalm 126:1 Or those who returned to
Psalm 126:4 Lit stream-beds
Psalm 126:4 Heb Negev
Psalm 127:2 Lit sit late
Psalm 127:3 Or heritage
Psalm 128:3 Lit In the innermost parts of
Psalm 129:1 Lit Much
Psalm 129:2 Lit Much
Psalm 129:6 Lit draws out
Psalm 129:7 Lit palm
Psalm 129:7 Lit the fold of his robe
Psalm 130:3 Heb Yah
Psalm 130:4 Or feared
Psalm 130:5 Or hope in
Psalm 131:1 Lit go after, walk
Psalm 131:1 Or marvelous
Psalm 131:2 Or upon
Psalm 131:2 Or upon
Psalm 132:3 Lit come into the tabernacle of
Psalm 132:3 Lit go up into the couch of
Psalm 132:5 Lit Dwelling places
Psalm 132:6 Or the wood
Psalm 132:7 Lit dwelling places
Psalm 134:1 Lit stand
Psalm 135:1 Or Hallelujah!
Psalm 135:1 Heb Yah
Psalm 135:3 Or Hallelujah!
Psalm 135:3 Heb Yah
Psalm 135:4 Heb Yah
Psalm 135:7 Lit The one who
Psalm 135:7 I.e., clouds
Psalm 135:7 Lit The one who
Psalm 135:7 Lit The one who
Psalm 135:8 Lit The one who
Psalm 135:8 Lit From man to animal
Psalm 135:9 Lit The one who
Psalm 135:10 Lit The one who
Psalm 135:13 Lit to
Psalm 135:20 Lit fear
Psalm 135:21 Or Hallelujah!
Psalm 135:21 Heb Yah
Psalm 136:1 Or mercy, and so throughout the Psalm
Psalm 136:4 I.e., wonderful acts
Psalm 136:5 Lit with understanding
Psalm 136:8 Or over the
Psalm 136:9 Or over the
Psalm 136:10 Lit Egypt
Psalm 136:13 Lit Sea of Reeds
Psalm 136:15 Lit shook off
Psalm 136:15 Lit Sea of Reeds
Psalm 136:18 Lit majestic
Psalm 137:2 Or poplars
Psalm 137:2 Lit lyres
Psalm 137:3 Lit asked
Psalm 137:3 Lit words of song
Psalm 137:5 I.e., become useless
Psalm 137:6 Lit cause to ascend
Psalm 137:8 Or devastator
Psalm 137:8 Lit your requital
Psalm 138:2 Or faithfulness
Psalm 138:2 Or promise
Psalm 138:2 Or together with
Psalm 138:7 Or keep me alive
Psalm 139:2 Lit my sitting
Psalm 139:2 Lit my rising
Psalm 139:3 Lit winnow
Psalm 139:3 Or journeying
Psalm 139:4 Lit For there is not
Psalm 139:8 I.e., the netherworld
Psalm 139:11 Lit bruise; some commentators cover
Psalm 139:12 Lit from
Psalm 139:14 Some ancient versions You are fearfully wonderful
Psalm 139:15 Lit bones were
Psalm 139:20 Or of
Psalm 139:20 Some mss lift themselves up against You
Psalm 139:24 Lit way of pain
Psalm 140:4 Or devise
Psalm 140:4 Lit push
Psalm 140:5 Lit track
Psalm 140:7 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
Psalm 140:7 Lit weapons
Psalm 140:11 Lit man of tongue
Psalm 140:11 Lit blow upon blow
Psalm 141:2 Lit fixed
Psalm 141:3 Lit to
Psalm 141:4 Lit in
Psalm 141:7 I.e., the netherworld
Psalm 141:8 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
Psalm 141:8 Lit pour out my soul
Psalm 141:9 Lit hands of the trap
Psalm 141:10 Lit altogether
Psalm 142 Title Possibly Contemplative; or Didactic; or Skillful Psalm
Psalm 142 Title 1 Sam 22:1; 24:3
Psalm 142:4 Lit Escape has perished from me
Psalm 143:4 Or faints within
Psalm 143:4 Or desolate
Psalm 143:9 Lit To You have I hidden
Psalm 143:10 Lit land
Psalm 143:12 Or silence
Psalm 144:2 Another reading is peoples
Psalm 144:12 Lit cut after the pattern of
Psalm 144:13 Lit outside
Psalm 144:14 Lit be laden
Psalm 144:14 Lit breach
Psalm 144:14 Lit going out; i.e., miscarriage
Psalm 145:5 Or majesty of Your splendor
Psalm 145:6 Or strength
Psalm 145:7 Lit the mention of
Psalm 145:12 Lit His
Psalm 145:12 Lit His
Psalm 145:13 Lit a kingdom of all ages
Psalm 145:13 The Lord...His works in LXX (cf. DSS); not found in MT
Psalm 145:15 Lit wait; or hope for
Psalm 146:1 Or Hallelujah!
Psalm 146:1 Heb Yah
Psalm 146:2 Lit still am
Psalm 146:3 Lit a son of man
Psalm 146:4 Lit his earth
Psalm 146:6 Or truth
Psalm 146:9 Or relieves
Psalm 146:9 Lit bends
Psalm 146:10 Or Hallelujah!
Psalm 146:10 Heb Yah
Psalm 147:1 Or Hallelujah!
Psalm 147:1 Heb Yah
Psalm 147:1 Or He is delightful
Psalm 147:1 Or fitting
Psalm 147:3 Lit pains
Psalm 147:4 Or calls them all by their names
Psalm 147:5 Lit innumerable
Psalm 147:6 Or relieves
Psalm 147:10 I.e., as a military asset
Psalm 147:10 I.e., as a military asset
Psalm 147:11 Or mercy
Psalm 147:14 Lit your borders peace
Psalm 147:14 Lit fat
Psalm 147:16 Lit gives
Psalm 147:20 I.e., the other nations
Psalm 147:20 Or Hallelujah!
Psalm 147:20 Heb Yah
Psalm 148:1 Or Hallelujah!
Psalm 148:1 Heb Yah
Psalm 148:4 Lit heavens of heavens
Psalm 148:14 Or Hallelujah!
Psalm 148:14 Heb Yah
Psalm 149:1 Or Hallelujah!
Psalm 149:1 Heb Yah
Psalm 149:6 Lit throat
Psalm 149:9 Or Hallelujah!
Psalm 149:9 Heb Yah
Psalm 150:1 Or Hallelujah!
Psalm 150:1 Heb Yah
Psalm 150:1 Or firmament; i.e., atmosphere and space
Psalm 150:6 Heb Yah
Psalm 150:6 Or Hallelujah!
Psalm 150:6 Heb Yah

Proverbs 1-6

New American Standard Bible

The Usefulness of Proverbs

1 The ^(A)proverbs of Solomon ^(B)the son of David, king of Israel:

²To know ^(C)wisdom and instruction,
To discern the sayings of ^(D)understanding,
³To ^(E)receive instruction in wise behavior,
^(F)Righteousness, justice, and integrity;
⁴To give ^(G)prudence to the naive,
To the youth ^(H)knowledge and discretion,
⁵A wise person will hear and ^(I)increase in learning,
And a ^(J)person of understanding will acquire wise counsel,
⁶To understand a proverb and a saying,
The words of the wise and their ^(K)riddles.

⁷^(L)The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
Fools despise wisdom and instruction.

The Enticement of Sinners

⁸^(M)Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction,
And ^(N)do not ignore your mother’s teaching;
⁹For they are a ^(O)graceful wreath for your head
And ^(P)necklaces for your neck.
¹⁰My son, if sinners ^(Q)entice you,
^(R)Do not consent.
¹¹If they say, “Come with us,
Let’s ^(S)lie in wait for blood,
Let’s ^(T)ambush the innocent without cause;
¹²Let’s ^(U)swallow them alive like Sheol,
Even whole, like those who ^(V)go down to the pit;
¹³We will find all kinds of precious wealth,
We will fill our houses with plunder;
¹⁴Throw in your lot ^[a]with us;
We will all have one money bag,”
¹⁵My son, ^(W)do not walk on the way with them.
^(X)Keep your feet from their path,
¹⁶For ^(Y)their feet run to evil,
And they are quick to shed blood.
¹⁷Indeed, it is ^[b]useless to spread the baited net
In the sight of any ^[c]bird;
¹⁸But they ^(Z)lie in wait for their own blood;
They ambush their own lives.
¹⁹Such are the ways of everyone who ^(AA)makes unjust gain;
It takes away the life of its possessors.

Wisdom Warns

²⁰^(AB)Wisdom shouts in the street,
She ^[d]raises her voice in the public square;
²¹At the head of the noisy streets she cries out;
At the entrance of the gates in the city she declares her sayings:
²²“How long, you ^(AC)naive ones, will you love simplistic thinking?
And how long will ^(AD)scoffers delight themselves in scoffing
And fools ^(AE)hate knowledge?
²³Turn to my rebuke,
Behold, I will ^(AF)pour out my spirit on you;
I will make my words known to you.
²⁴Because ^(AG)I called and you ^(AH)refused,
I ^(AI)stretched out my hand and no one paid attention;
²⁵And you ^(AJ)neglected all my advice
And did not ^(AK)want my rebuke;
²⁶I will also ^(AL)laugh at your ^(AM)disaster;
I will mock when your ^(AN)dread comes,
²⁷When your dread comes like a storm
And your disaster comes like a ^(AO)whirlwind,
When distress and anguish come upon you.
²⁸Then they will ^(AP)call on me, but I will not answer;
They will ^(AQ)seek me diligently but will not find me,
²⁹Because they ^(AR)hated knowledge
And did not choose the fear of the Lord.
³⁰They ^(AS)did not accept my advice,
They disdainfully rejected every rebuke from me.
³¹So they shall ^(AT)eat of the fruit of their own way,
And be ^(AU)filled with their own schemes.
³²For the ^(AV)faithlessness of the naive will kill them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them.
³³But ^(AW)whoever listens to me will live securely
And will be at ease from the dread of evil.”

The Pursuit of Wisdom Brings Security

2 My son, if you will ^(AX)receive my words
And ^(AY)treasure my commandments within you,
²^(AZ)Make your ear attentive to wisdom;
Incline your heart to understanding.
³For if you cry out for insight,
And ^[e]raise your voice for understanding;
⁴If you seek her as ^(BA)silver
And search for her as for ^(BB)hidden treasures;
⁵Then you will understand the ^(BC)fear of the Lord,
And discover the knowledge of God.
⁶For ^(BD)the Lord gives wisdom;
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
⁷He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
He is a ^(BE)shield to those who walk in integrity,
⁸Guarding the paths of justice,
And He ^(BF)watches over the way of His godly ones.
⁹Then you will discern ^(BG)righteousness, justice,
And integrity, and every ^(BH)good path.
¹⁰For ^(BI)wisdom will enter your heart,
And ^(BJ)knowledge will be delightful to your soul;
¹¹Discretion will ^(BK)watch over you,
Understanding will guard you,
¹²To ^(BL)rescue you from the way of evil,
From a person who speaks ^(BM)perverse things;
¹³From those who ^(BN)leave the paths of uprightness
To walk in the ^(BO)ways of darkness;
¹⁴Who ^(BP)delight in doing evil
And rejoice in the perversity of evil;
¹⁵Whose paths are ^(BQ)crooked,
And who are devious in their ways;
¹⁶To ^(BR)rescue you from the strange woman,
From the ^(BS)foreign woman who flatters with her words,
¹⁷Who leaves the ^(BT)companion of her youth
And forgets the ^(BU)covenant of her God;
¹⁸For ^(BV)her house sinks down to death,
And her tracks lead to the ^[f]dead;
¹⁹None ^(BW)who go to her return,
Nor do they reach the ^(BX)paths of life.
²⁰So you will ^(BY)walk in the way of good people
And keep to the ^(BZ)paths of the righteous.
²¹For ^(CA)the upright will live in the land,
And ^(CB)the blameless will remain in it;
²²But ^(CC)the wicked will be eliminated from the land,
And ^(CD)the treacherous will be ^(CE)torn away from it.

The Rewards of Wisdom

3 My son, ^(CF)do not forget my ^[g]teaching,
But have your heart ^(CG)comply with my commandments;
²For ^(CH)length of days and years of life
And peace they will add to you.
³Do not let ^(CI)kindness and truth leave you;
^(CJ)Bind them around your neck,
^(CK)Write them on the tablet of your heart.
⁴So you will ^(CL)find favor and a ^(CM)good ^[h]reputation
In the sight of God and man.
⁵^(CN)Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And ^(CO)do not lean on your own understanding.
⁶In all your ways ^(CP)acknowledge Him,
And He will ^(CQ)make your paths straight.
⁷^(CR)Do not be wise in your own eyes;
^(CS)Fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
⁸It will be ^(CT)healing to your ^[i]body
And ^(CU)refreshment to your bones.
⁹^(CV)Honor the Lord from your wealth,
And from the ^(CW)first of all your produce;
¹⁰Then your ^(CX)barns will be filled with plenty,
And your ^(CY)vats will overflow with new wine.
¹¹^(CZ)My son, do not reject the ^[j]discipline of the Lord
Or loathe His rebuke,
¹²For ^(DA)whom the Lord loves He disciplines,
Just ^(DB)as a father disciplines the son in whom he delights.

¹³^(DC)Blessed is a person who finds wisdom,
And one who obtains understanding.
¹⁴For ^[k]her ^(DD)profit is better than the profit of silver,
And her produce better than gold.
¹⁵She is ^(DE)more precious than ^[l]jewels,
And nothing you desire compares with her.
¹⁶^[m]^(DF)Long life is in her right hand;
In her left hand are ^(DG)riches and honor.
¹⁷Her ^(DH)ways are pleasant ways,
And all her paths are ^(DI)peace.
¹⁸She is a ^(DJ)tree of life to those who take hold of her,
And happy are those who hold on to her.
¹⁹The Lord founded the earth ^(DK)by wisdom,
He ^(DL)established the heavens by understanding.
²⁰By His knowledge the ^(DM)ocean depths were burst open,
And the ^(DN)clouds drip with dew.
²¹My son, see that ^(DO)they do not escape from your sight;
Comply with sound wisdom and discretion,
²²And they will be ^(DP)life to your soul
And ^(DQ)adornment to your neck.
²³Then you will ^(DR)walk in your way securely,
And your foot will not ^(DS)stumble.
²⁴When you ^(DT)lie down, you will not be afraid;
When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
²⁵^(DU)Do not be afraid of sudden danger,
Nor of ^(DV)trouble from the wicked when it comes;
²⁶For the Lord will be ^[n]your confidence,
And will ^(DW)keep your foot from being caught.

²⁷^(DX)Do not withhold good from ^[o]those to whom it is due,
When it is in your power to do it.
²⁸^(DY)Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back,
And tomorrow I will give it to you,”
When you have it with you.
²⁹^(DZ)Do not devise harm against your neighbor,
While he lives securely beside you.
³⁰^(EA)Do not contend with a person for no reason,
If he has done you no harm.
³¹^(EB)Do not envy a violent person,
And do not choose any of his ways.
³²For the ^(EC)devious are an abomination to the Lord;
But ^[p]He is ^(ED)intimate with the upright.
³³The ^(EE)curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked,
But He ^(EF)blesses the home of the righteous.
³⁴Though ^(EG)He scoffs at the scoffers,
Yet ^(EH)He gives grace to the needy.
³⁵^(EI)The wise will inherit honor,
But fools ^[q]increase dishonor.

A Father’s Instruction

4 Listen, my sons, to the ^(EJ)instruction of a father,
And ^(EK)pay attention so that you may ^[r]gain understanding,
²For I give you good ^(EL)teaching;
^(EM)Do not abandon my ^[s]instruction.
³When I was a son to my father,
^(EN)Tender and ^(EO)the only son in the sight of my mother,
⁴He ^(EP)taught me and said to me,
“Let your heart ^(EQ)take hold of my words;
^(ER)Keep my commandments and live;
⁵^(ES)Acquire wisdom! ^(ET)Acquire understanding!
Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
⁶Do not abandon her, and she will guard you;
^(EU)Love her, and she will watch over you.
⁷^(EV)The ^[t]beginning of wisdom is: ^(EW)Acquire wisdom;
And with all your possessions, acquire understanding.
⁸^(EX)Prize her, and she will exalt you;
She will honor you if you embrace her.
⁹She will place ^(EY)on your head a garland of grace;
She will present you with a crown of beauty.”

¹⁰Listen, my son, and ^(EZ)accept my sayings,
And the ^(FA)years of your life will be many.
¹¹I have ^(FB)instructed you in the way of wisdom;
I have led you in upright paths.
¹²When you walk, your ^(FC)steps will not be hampered;
And if you run, you ^(FD)will not stumble.
¹³^(FE)Take hold of instruction; do not let go.
Guard her, for she is your ^(FF)life.
¹⁴^(FG)Do not enter the path of the wicked
And do not proceed in the way of evil people.
¹⁵Avoid it, do not pass by it;
Turn away from it and pass on.
¹⁶For they ^(FH)cannot sleep unless they do evil;
And ^[u]they are robbed of sleep unless they make someone stumble.
¹⁷For they ^(FI)eat the bread of wickedness,
And drink the wine of violence.
¹⁸But the ^(FJ)path of the righteous is like the ^(FK)light of dawn
That ^(FL)shines brighter and brighter until the ^(FM)full day.
¹⁹The ^(FN)way of the wicked is like darkness;
They do not know over what they ^[v]^(FO)stumble.

²⁰My son, ^(FP)pay attention to my words;
^(FQ)Incline your ear to my sayings.
²¹^(FR)They are not to escape from your sight;
^(FS)Keep them in the midst of your heart.
²²For they are ^(FT)life to those who find them,
And ^(FU)healing to all ^[w]their body.
²³Watch over your heart with all diligence,
For ^(FV)from it flow the springs of life.
²⁴Rid yourself of a ^(FW)deceitful mouth
And ^(FX)keep devious ^[x]speech far from you.
²⁵Let your eyes look directly ahead
And let your ^[y]gaze be fixed straight in front of you.
²⁶^(FY)^[z]Watch the path of your feet,
And all your ^(FZ)ways will be established.
²⁷^(GA)Do not turn to the right or to the left;
^(GB)Turn your foot from evil.

Pitfalls of Immorality

5 My son, ^(GC)pay attention to my wisdom,
^(GD)Incline your ear to my understanding,
²So that you may ^(GE)maintain discretion
And your ^(GF)lips may comply with knowledge.
³For the lips of an ^[aa]^(GG)adulteress ^(GH)drip honey,
And her ^[ab]speech is ^(GI)smoother than oil;
⁴But in the end she is ^(GJ)bitter as wormwood,
^(GK)Sharp as a two-edged sword.
⁵Her feet ^(GL)go down to death,
Her steps take hold of Sheol.
⁶^[ac]She does not ponder the ^(GM)path of life;
Her ways are ^(GN)unstable, she ^(GO)does not know it.

⁷^(GP)Now then, my sons, listen to me
And ^(GQ)do not turn away from the words of my mouth.
⁸^(GR)Keep your way far from her,
And do not go near the ^(GS)door of her house,
⁹Otherwise you will give your vigor to others,
And your years to the cruel one;
¹⁰And strangers will be filled with your strength,
And your hard-earned possessions will go to the house of a foreigner;
¹¹And you will groan ^[ad]in ^[ae]the end,
When your flesh and your body are consumed;
¹²And you say, “How I ^(GT)hated instruction!
And my heart ^(GU)disdainfully rejected rebuke!
¹³I did not listen to the voice of my ^(GV)teachers,
Nor incline my ear to my instructors!
¹⁴I was almost in total ruin
In the midst of the assembly and congregation.”

¹⁵Drink water from your own cistern,
And ^[af]fresh water from your own well.
¹⁶Should your ^(GW)springs overflow into the street,
Streams of water in the public squares?
¹⁷Let them be yours alone,
And not for strangers with you.
¹⁸Let your ^(GX)fountain be blessed,
And ^(GY)rejoice in the ^(GZ)wife of your youth.
¹⁹Like a loving ^(HA)doe and a graceful mountain goat,
Let her breasts satisfy you at all times;
Be ^[ag]exhilarated always with her love.
²⁰For why should you, my son, be exhilarated with an ^[ah]^(HB)adulteress,
And embrace the breasts of a ^(HC)foreigner?
²¹For the ^(HD)ways of everyone are before the eyes of the Lord,
And He ^(HE)observes all his paths.
²²His ^(HF)own wrongdoings will trap the wicked,
And he will be held by the ropes of his sin.
²³He will ^(HG)die for lack of instruction,
And in the greatness of his foolishness he will go astray.

Parental Counsel

6 My son, if you have become a ^(HH)guarantor for your neighbor,
Or have given a handshake for a stranger,
²If you have been ensnared by the words of your mouth,
Or caught by the words of your mouth,
³Then do this, my son, and save yourself:
Since you have come into the ^[ai]hand of your neighbor,
Go, humble yourself, and be urgent with your neighbor to free yourself.
⁴Give no ^(HI)sleep to your eyes,
Nor slumber to your eyelids;
⁵Save yourself like a gazelle from the hunter’s hand,
And like a ^(HJ)bird from the hand of the fowler.

⁶Go to the ^(HK)ant, you ^[aj]^(HL)lazy one,
Observe its ways and be wise,
⁷Which, having ^(HM)no chief,
Officer, or ruler,
⁸Prepares its food ^(HN)in the summer
And gathers its provision in the harvest.
⁹How long will you lie down, you ^[ak]lazy one?
When will you arise from your sleep?
¹⁰“^(HO)A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to ^[al]rest,”
¹¹^(HP)Then your poverty will come in like a ^[am]drifter,
And your need like ^[an]an armed man.

¹²A ^(HQ)worthless person, a wicked man,
Is one who walks with a ^(HR)perverse mouth,
¹³Who ^(HS)winks with his eyes, who ^[ao]signals with his feet,
Who ^[ap]points with his fingers;
¹⁴Who, with ^(HT)perversion in his heart, continually ^(HU)devises evil,
Who ^[aq]^(HV)spreads strife.
¹⁵Therefore ^(HW)his disaster will come suddenly;
^(HX)Instantly he will be broken and there will be ^(HY)no healing.

¹⁶There are six things that the Lord hates,
Seven that are an abomination ^[ar]to Him:
¹⁷^(HZ)Haughty eyes, a ^(IA)lying tongue,
And hands that ^(IB)shed innocent blood,
¹⁸A heart that devises ^(IC)wicked plans,
^(ID)Feet that run rapidly to evil,
¹⁹A ^(IE)false witness who declares lies,
And one who ^[as]^(IF)spreads strife among brothers.

²⁰^(IG)My son, comply with the commandment of your father,
And do not ignore the ^[at]teaching of your mother;
²¹^(IH)Bind them continually on your heart;
Tie them around your neck.
²²When you ^(II)walk, ^[au]they will guide you;
When you sleep, ^[av]they will watch over you;
And when you awake, ^[aw]they will talk to you.
²³For ^(IJ)the commandment is a lamp and the ^[ax]teaching is light;
And rebukes for discipline are the way of life
²⁴To ^(IK)keep you from the evil woman,
From the smooth tongue of the foreign woman.
²⁵^(IL)Do not desire her beauty in your heart,
Nor let her capture you with her ^(IM)eyelids.
²⁶For ^(IN)the price of a prostitute reduces one to a loaf of bread,
And ^[ay]an adulteress ^(IO)hunts for a precious life.
²⁷Can anyone take fire in his lap
And his clothes not be burned?
²⁸Or can a person walk on hot coals
And his feet not be scorched?
²⁹So is the one who ^(IP)goes in to his neighbor’s wife;
Whoever touches her ^(IQ)will not ^[az]go unpunished.
³⁰People do not despise a thief if he steals
To ^(IR)satisfy ^[ba]himself when he is hungry;
³¹But when he is found, he must ^(IS)repay seven times as much;
He must give up all the property of his house.
³²One who commits adultery with a woman is ^(IT)lacking ^[bb]sense;
He who would ^(IU)destroy ^[bc]himself commits it.
³³He will find wounds and disgrace,
And his shame will not be removed.
³⁴For ^(IV)jealousy ^[bd]enrages a man,
And he will not have compassion on the ^(IW)day of vengeance.