Psalm 73-81

New American Standard Bible

¹⁰ Therefore ^[h]his people return here,
And ^(N)abundant waters are drunk by them.
¹¹ They say, “^(O)How does God know?
And is there knowledge ^[i]with the Most High?”
¹² Behold, ^(P)these are the wicked;
And always ^(Q)at ease, they have increased in wealth.
¹³ Surely ^(R)in vain I have ^[j]kept my heart pure
And ^(S)washed my hands in innocence;
¹⁴ For I have been stricken ^(T)all day long,
And ^[k](U)punished every morning.

¹⁵ If I had said, “I will speak this way,”
Behold, I would have betrayed the ^(V)generation of Your children.
¹⁶ When I ^(W)thought of understanding this,
It was ^[l]troublesome in my sight
¹⁷ Until I entered the ^[m](X)sanctuary of God;
Then I perceived their ^(Y)end.
¹⁸ You indeed put them on ^(Z)slippery ground;
You dropped them into ^[n](AA)ruin.
¹⁹ How they are ^[o](AB)destroyed in a moment!
They are utterly swept away by ^(AC)sudden terrors!
²⁰ Like a ^(AD)dream when one awakes,
Lord, when ^(AE)stirred, You will ^(AF)despise their image.

²¹ When my ^(AG)heart was embittered
And I was ^(AH)pierced ^[p]within,
²² Then I was ^(AI)stupid and ignorant;
I was like an ^(AJ)animal ^[q]before You.
²³ Nevertheless ^(AK)I am continually with You;
You have taken hold of my right hand.
²⁴ You will ^(AL)guide me with Your plan,
And afterward ^(AM)receive me ^[r]to glory.

^25 (AN)Whom do I have in heaven but You?
And with You, I desire nothing on earth.
²⁶ My ^(AO)flesh and my heart may fail,
But God is the ^[s]strength of my heart and my ^(AP)portion forever.
²⁷ For, behold, ^(AQ)those who are far from You will ^(AR)perish;
You have destroyed all those who ^[t](AS)are unfaithful to You.
²⁸ But as for me, ^(AT)the nearness of God is good for me;
I have made the Lord ^[u]God my ^(AU)refuge,
So that I may ^(AV)tell of all Your works.

¹² Yet God is ^(BU)my King from long ago,
Who performs acts of salvation in the midst of the earth.
^13 [ag]You ^(BV)divided the sea by Your strength;
^[ah]You ^(BW)broke the heads of the ^(BX)sea monsters ^[ai]in the waters.
^14 [aj]You crushed the heads of ^[ak](BY)Leviathan;
You gave him as food for the ^[al]creatures ^(BZ)of the wilderness.
^15 [am]You ^(CA)broke open springs and torrents;
^[an]You ^(CB)dried up ever-flowing streams.
¹⁶ Yours is the day, Yours also is the night;
^[ao]You have ^(CC)prepared the ^[ap]light and the sun.
^17 [aq]You have ^(CD)established all the boundaries of the earth;
^[ar]You have ^[as]created ^(CE)summer and winter.

¹⁸ Remember this, ^[at]Lord, that the enemy has ^(CF)taunted You,
And a ^(CG)foolish people has treated Your name disrespectfully.
¹⁹ Do not give the soul of Your ^(CH)turtledove to the wild animal;
^(CI)Do not forget the life of Your afflicted forever.
²⁰ Consider the ^(CJ)covenant;
For the ^(CK)dark places of the land are full of the places of violence.
²¹ May the ^(CL)oppressed person not return dishonored;
May the ^(CM)afflicted and the needy praise Your name.

²² Arise, God, and ^(CN)plead Your own cause;
Remember ^[au]how the ^(CO)foolish person taunts You all day long.
²³ Do not forget the voice of Your ^(CP)adversaries,
The ^(CQ)uproar of those who rise against You, which ascends continually.

⁶ For not from the east, nor from the west,
Nor from the ^[ay](DA)desert comes exaltation;
⁷ But ^(DB)God is the Judge;
He ^(DC)puts down one and exalts another.
⁸ For a ^(DD)cup is in the hand of the Lord, and the wine foams;
It is ^[az](DE)well mixed, and He pours out of this;
Certainly all the wicked of the earth must drain and ^(DF)drink its dregs.

⁹ But as for me, I will ^(DG)declare it forever;
I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
¹⁰ And ^[ba]He will cut off all the ^(DH)horns of the wicked,
But ^(DI)the horns of the righteous will be lifted up.

⁴ You are resplendent,
^[be]More majestic than the mountains of prey.
⁵ The ^(DP)stouthearted were plundered,
^[bf]They sank into sleep;
And none of the ^[bg]warriors could use his hands.
⁶ At Your ^(DQ)rebuke, God of Jacob,
Both ^[bh](DR)rider and horse were cast into a dead sleep.
⁷ You, You indeed are ^(DS)to be feared,
And ^(DT)who may stand in Your presence, ^[bi]once You are angry?

⁸ You caused judgment to be heard from heaven;
The earth ^(DU)feared and was still
⁹ When God ^(DV)arose to judgment,
To save all the humble of the earth. Selah
¹⁰ For the ^[bj](DW)wrath of mankind shall praise You;
You will encircle Yourself with a remnant of wrath.

^11 (DX)Make vows to the Lord your God and ^(DY)fulfill them;
All who are around Him are to ^(DZ)bring gifts to Him who is to be feared.
¹² He will cut off the spirit of princes;
He is ^[bk](EA)feared by the kings of the earth.

⁷ Will the Lord ^(EN)reject forever?
And will He ^(EO)never be favorable again?
⁸ Has His ^(EP)favor ceased forever?
Has His ^[bn](EQ)promise come to an end ^[bo]forever?
⁹ Has God ^(ER)forgotten to be gracious,
Or has He in anger ^[bp]withdrawn His ^(ES)compassion? Selah
¹⁰ Then I said, “^(ET)It is my ^[bq]grief,
That the ^(EU)right hand of the Most High has changed.”

¹¹ I shall remember the ^(EV)deeds of ^[br]the Lord;
I will certainly ^(EW)remember Your wonders of old.
¹² I will ^(EX)meditate on all Your work,
And on Your deeds with thanksgiving.
¹³ Your way, God, is ^(EY)holy;
^(EZ)What god is great like our God?
¹⁴ You are the ^(FA)God who works wonders;
You have ^(FB)made known Your strength among the peoples.
¹⁵ By Your ^[bs]power You have ^(FC)redeemed Your people,
The sons of Jacob and ^(FD)Joseph. Selah

¹⁶ The ^(FE)waters saw You, God;
The waters saw You, they were in anguish;
The ocean depths also trembled.
¹⁷ The ^(FF)clouds poured out water;
The skies ^[bt](FG)sounded out;
Your ^(FH)arrows ^[bu]flashed here and there.
¹⁸ The ^(FI)sound of Your thunder was in the whirlwind;
The ^(FJ)lightning lit up the world;
The ^(FK)earth trembled and shook.
¹⁹ Your ^(FL)way was in the sea
And Your paths in the mighty waters,
And Your footprints were not known.
²⁰ You ^(FM)led Your people like a flock
By the hand of ^(FN)Moses and Aaron.

⁵ For He established a ^(FW)testimony in Jacob,
And appointed a ^(FX)law in Israel,
Which He ^(FY)commanded our fathers
That they were to ^[bx](FZ)teach them to their children,
^6 (GA)So that the generation to come would know, ^(GB)the children yet to be born,
That they would arise and ^(GC)tell them to their children,
⁷ So that they would put their confidence in God
And ^(GD)not forget the works of God,
But ^(GE)comply with His commandments,
⁸ And ^(GF)not be like their fathers,
A ^(GG)stubborn and rebellious generation,
A generation that ^(GH)did not ^[by]prepare its heart
And whose spirit was not ^(GI)faithful to God.

⁹ The sons of Ephraim ^[bz]were ^(GJ)archers equipped with bows,
Yet ^(GK)they turned back on the day of battle.
¹⁰ They ^(GL)did not keep the covenant of God
And refused to ^(GM)walk in His Law;
¹¹ They ^(GN)forgot His deeds
And His ^[ca]miracles that He had shown them.
^12 (GO)He performed wonders before their fathers
In the land of Egypt, in the ^(GP)field of Zoan.
¹³ He ^(GQ)divided the sea and caused them to pass through,
And He made the waters stand ^(GR)up like a heap.
¹⁴ Then He led them with the cloud by ^(GS)day
And all the night with a ^(GT)light of fire.
¹⁵ He ^(GU)split the rocks in the wilderness
And gave them plenty to drink like the ocean depths.
¹⁶ He ^(GV)brought forth streams from the rock
And made waters run down like rivers.

¹⁷ Yet they still continued to sin against Him,
To ^(GW)rebel against the Most High in the desert.
¹⁸ And in their heart they ^(GX)put God to the test
By asking for ^(GY)food ^[cb]that suited their taste.
¹⁹ Then they spoke against God;
They said, “^(GZ)Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?
²⁰ Behold, He ^(HA)struck the rock so that waters gushed out,
And streams were overflowing;
Can He also provide bread?
Will He prepare ^(HB)meat for His people?”

²¹ Therefore the Lord heard and ^[cc]was ^(HC)full of wrath;
And a fire was kindled against Jacob,
And anger also mounted against Israel,
²² Because they ^(HD)did not believe in God
And did not trust in His salvation.
²³ Yet He commanded the clouds above
And ^(HE)opened the doors of heaven;
²⁴ He ^(HF)rained down manna upon them to eat,
And gave them ^[cd](HG)food from heaven.
²⁵ Man ate the bread of ^[ce]angels;
He sent them ^[cf]food ^[cg](HH)in abundance.
²⁶ He ^(HI)made the east wind blow in the sky
And by His ^[ch]power He directed the south wind.
²⁷ When He rained meat upon them like the dust,
Even ^(HJ)winged fowl like the sand of the seas,
²⁸ He let them fall in the midst of ^[ci]their camp,
All around their dwellings.
²⁹ So they ^(HK)ate and were well filled,
And He ^[cj]satisfied their longing.
^30 [ck]Yet before they had abandoned their longing,
^(HL)While their food was in their mouths,
³¹ The ^(HM)anger of God rose against them
And killed ^[cl]some of their ^(HN)strongest ones,
And ^[cm]subdued the choice men of Israel.
³² In spite of all this they ^(HO)still sinned
And ^(HP)did not believe in His wonderful works.
³³ So He brought ^(HQ)their days to an end in futility,
And their years to an end in sudden terror.

³⁴ When He killed them, then they ^(HR)sought Him,
And they returned and searched ^(HS)diligently for God;
³⁵ And they remembered that God was their ^(HT)rock,
And the Most High God their ^(HU)Redeemer.
³⁶ But they ^(HV)flattered Him with their mouth
And ^(HW)lied to Him with their tongue.
³⁷ For their heart was not ^(HX)steadfast toward Him,
Nor were they faithful with His covenant.
³⁸ But He, being ^(HY)compassionate, ^[cn](HZ)forgave their wrongdoing and did not destroy them;
And often He ^[co](IA)restrained His anger
And did not stir up all His wrath.
³⁹ So ^(IB)He remembered that they were only ^(IC)flesh,
A ^[cp](ID)wind that passes and does not return.

⁴⁰ How often they ^(IE)rebelled against Him in the wilderness
And ^(IF)grieved Him in the ^(IG)desert!
⁴¹ Again and again they ^[cq](IH)tempted God,
And pained the ^(II)Holy One of Israel.
⁴² They ^(IJ)did not remember ^(IK)His ^[cr]power,
The day when He ^(IL)redeemed them from the enemy,
⁴³ When He performed His ^(IM)signs in Egypt
And His ^(IN)marvels in the field of Zoan,
⁴⁴ And ^(IO)turned their rivers to blood,
And their streams, so that they could not drink.
⁴⁵ He sent swarms of ^(IP)flies among them that devoured them,
And ^(IQ)frogs that destroyed them.
⁴⁶ He also gave their crops to the ^(IR)grasshopper
And the product of their labor to the ^(IS)locust.
⁴⁷ He ^[cs]destroyed their vines with ^(IT)hailstones
And their sycamore trees with frost.
⁴⁸ He also turned their ^(IU)cattle over to the hailstones,
And their herds to bolts of lightning.
⁴⁹ He ^(IV)sent His burning anger upon them,
Fury and indignation and trouble,
A band of ^[ct]destroying angels.
⁵⁰ He leveled a path for His anger;
He did not spare their souls from death,
But ^(IW)turned their lives over to the plague,
⁵¹ And ^(IX)struck all the firstborn in Egypt,
The ^(IY)first and best of their vigor in the tents of ^(IZ)Ham.
⁵² But He ^(JA)led His own people out like sheep,
And guided them in the wilderness ^(JB)like a flock;
⁵³ He led them ^(JC)safely, so that they did not fear;
But ^(JD)the sea engulfed their enemies.

⁵⁴ So ^(JE)He brought them to His holy ^[cu]land,
To this ^[cv](JF)hill country ^(JG)which His right hand had gained.
⁵⁵ He also ^(JH)drove out the nations from them
And ^(JI)apportioned them as an inheritance by measurement,
And had the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents.
⁵⁶ Yet they ^[cw](JJ)tempted and ^(JK)rebelled against the Most High God
And did not keep His testimonies,
⁵⁷ But turned back and ^(JL)acted treacherously like their fathers;
They ^(JM)turned aside like a treacherous bow.
⁵⁸ For they ^(JN)provoked Him with their ^(JO)high places
And ^(JP)moved Him to jealousy with their ^(JQ)carved images.
⁵⁹ When God heard them, He ^[cx]was filled with ^(JR)wrath
And He utterly ^(JS)rejected Israel;
⁶⁰ So that He ^(JT)abandoned the ^(JU)dwelling place at Shiloh,
The tent ^[cy]which He had pitched among people,
⁶¹ And He gave up His ^(JV)strength to captivity
And His glory ^(JW)into the hand of the enemy.
⁶² He also ^(JX)turned His people over to the sword,
And ^[cz]was filled with wrath at His inheritance.
^63 (JY)Fire devoured ^[da]His young men,
And ^[db]His ^(JZ)virgins had no wedding songs.
^64 [dc]His ^(KA)priests fell by the sword,
And ^[dd]His ^(KB)widows could not weep.

⁶⁵ Then the Lord ^(KC)awoke as if from sleep,
Like a ^(KD)warrior ^[de]overcome by wine.
⁶⁶ He ^[df](KE)drove His adversaries backward;
He put on them an everlasting disgrace.
⁶⁷ He also ^(KF)rejected the tent of Joseph,
And did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,
⁶⁸ But chose the tribe of Judah,
Mount ^(KG)Zion, which He loved.
⁶⁹ And He ^(KH)built His sanctuary like the heights,
Like the earth which He has established forever.
⁷⁰ He also ^(KI)chose His servant David
And took him from the sheepfolds;
⁷¹ From ^[dg](KJ)the care of the ^[dh]ewes ^(KK)with nursing lambs He brought him
To ^(KL)shepherd Jacob His people,
And Israel ^(KM)His inheritance.
⁷² So he shepherded them according to the ^(KN)integrity of his heart,
And guided them with his skillful hands.

^8 (LD)Do not ^[dk]hold us responsible for ^[dl]the guilty deeds of our forefathers;
Let Your compassion come quickly to ^(LE)meet us,
For we have ^(LF)become very low.
^9 (LG)Help us, God of our salvation, for the glory of ^(LH)Your name;
And save us and ^[dm](LI)forgive our sins ^(LJ)for the sake of Your name.
^10 (LK)Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?”
Let ^(LL)vengeance for the blood of Your servants which has been shed
Be known among the nations in our sight.
¹¹ Let ^(LM)the groaning of the prisoner come before You;
According to the greatness of Your ^[dn]power, let ^[do]those who are ^(LN)doomed to die remain.
¹² And return to our neighbors ^(LO)seven times as much ^(LP)into their lap
Their ^(LQ)taunts with which they have taunted You, Lord.
¹³ So we Your people and the ^(LR)sheep of Your ^[dp]pasture
Will ^(LS)give thanks to You forever;
To all generations we will ^(LT)tell of Your praise.

^4 (MB)Lord God of armies,
^(MC)How long will You ^[dt]be angry with the prayer of Your people?
⁵ You have fed them with the ^(MD)bread of tears,
And You have made them drink tears in ^[du]large measure.
⁶ You make us ^[dv]an object of contention ^(ME)to our neighbors,
And our enemies laugh among themselves.
⁷ God of armies, restore us
And make Your face shine upon us, ^[dw]and we will be saved.

⁸ You removed a ^(MF)vine from Egypt;
You ^(MG)drove out the ^[dx]nations and ^(MH)planted it.
⁹ You ^(MI)cleared the ground before it,
And it ^(MJ)took deep root and filled the land.
¹⁰ The mountains were covered with its shadow,
And ^[dy]the cedars of God with its ^(MK)branches.
¹¹ It was sending out its branches ^(ML)to the sea
And its shoots to the Euphrates River.
¹² Why have You ^(MM)broken down its ^[dz]hedges,
So that all who pass that way pick its fruit?
¹³ A boar from the forest ^(MN)eats it away,
And whatever moves in the field feeds on it.

¹⁴ God of armies, do ^(MO)turn back;
^(MP)Look down from heaven and see, and take care of this vine,
¹⁵ The ^[ea](MQ)shoot which Your right hand has planted,
And of the ^[eb]son whom You have ^[ec]strengthened for Yourself.
¹⁶ It is ^(MR)burned with fire, it is cut down;
They perish from the ^(MS)rebuke of Your face.
¹⁷ Let ^(MT)Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand,
Upon the son of man whom You ^(MU)made strong for Yourself.
¹⁸ Then we will not ^(MV)turn back from You;
^(MW)Revive us, and we will call upon Your name.
¹⁹ Lord God of armies, ^(MX)restore us;
Make Your face shine upon us, ^[ed]and we will be saved.

⁶ “I ^[eg](NJ)relieved his shoulder of the burden,
His hands were freed from the ^[eh]basket.
⁷ You ^(NK)called in trouble and I rescued you;
I ^(NL)answered you in the hiding place of thunder;
I put you to the test at the ^(NM)waters of Meribah. Selah
^8 (NN)Hear, My people, and I will admonish you;
Israel, if you ^(NO)would listen to Me!
⁹ There shall be no ^(NP)strange god among you;
Nor shall you worship a foreign god.
^10 (NQ)I, the Lord, am your God,
Who brought you up from the land of Egypt;
^(NR)Open your mouth wide and I will ^(NS)fill it.

¹¹ “But My people ^(NT)did not listen to My voice,
And Israel did not ^[ei]obey Me.
¹² So I ^(NU)gave ^[ej]them over to the stubbornness of their heart,
To walk by their own plans.
¹³ Oh that My people ^(NV)would listen to Me,
That Israel would ^(NW)walk in My ways!
¹⁴ I would quickly ^(NX)subdue their enemies
And ^(NY)turn My hand against their adversaries.
^15 (NZ)Those who hate the Lord would ^(OA)pretend to obey Him,
And their time of punishment would be forever.
^16 [ek]But I would feed you with the ^[el](OB)finest of the wheat,
And with ^(OC)honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”