Psalm 21

New American Standard Bible

Praise for Salvation.

For the music director. A Psalm of David.

21 Lord, in Your strength the king will ^(A)be glad,
And in Your ^[a]salvation how greatly he will rejoice!
²You have ^(B)given him his heart’s desire,
And You have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah
³For You ^(C)meet him with the blessings of good things;
You set a ^(D)crown of pure gold on his head.
⁴He asked for life from You,
You ^(E)gave it to him,
^(F)Length of days forever and ever.
⁵His ^(G)glory is great through Your ^[b]salvation,
^(H)Splendor and majesty You place upon him.
⁶For You make him ^[c]most ^(I)blessed forever;
You make him joyful ^(J)with the joy of Your presence.

⁷For the king ^(K)trusts in the Lord,
And through the faithfulness of the Most High ^(L)he will not be shaken.
⁸Your hand will ^(M)find all your enemies;
Your right hand will find those who hate you.
⁹You will make them ^(N)as a fiery oven in the time ^[d]of your anger;
The Lord will ^(O)swallow them up in His wrath,
And ^(P)fire will devour them.
¹⁰You will eliminate their ^[e]descendants from the earth,
And their ^[f]^(Q)children from among the sons of mankind.
¹¹Though they ^[g]^(R)intended evil against You
And ^(S)devised a plot,
They will not succeed.
¹²For You will ^(T)make them turn their back;
You will take aim at their faces ^(U)with Your bowstrings.
¹³Be exalted, Lord, in Your strength;
We will ^(V)sing and praise Your power.

Footnotes

Psalm 21:1 Or victory
Psalm 21:5 Or victory
Psalm 21:6 Lit blessings
Psalm 21:9 Or of your presence
Psalm 21:10 Lit fruit
Psalm 21:10 Lit seed
Psalm 21:11 Lit stretched out

Psalm 51

New American Standard Bible

A Contrite Sinner’s Prayer for Pardon.

For the music director. A Psalm of David, when ^[a]Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.

51 ^(A)Be gracious to me, God, according to Your faithfulness;
According to the greatness of ^(B)Your compassion, ^(C)wipe out my wrongdoings.
²^(D)Wash me thoroughly from my guilt
And ^(E)cleanse me from my sin.
³For I ^(F)know my wrongdoings,
And my sin is constantly before me.
⁴^(G)Against You, You only, I have sinned
And done what is ^(H)evil in Your sight,
So that ^(I)You ^[b]are justified ^[c]when You speak
And ^[d]blameless when You judge.

⁵Behold, I was ^(J)brought forth in guilt,
And in sin my mother conceived me.
⁶Behold, You desire ^(K)truth in the ^[e]innermost being,
And in secret You will ^(L)make wisdom known to me.
⁷^[f]Purify me ^(M)with hyssop, and I will be clean;
^[g]Cleanse me, and I will be ^(N)whiter than snow.
⁸^[h]Let me hear ^(O)joy and gladness,
Let the ^(P)bones You have broken rejoice.
⁹^(Q)Hide Your face from my sins
And wipe out all my guilty deeds.

¹⁰^(R)Create ^[i]in me a ^(S)clean heart, God,
And renew a ^(T)steadfast spirit within me.
¹¹^(U)Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your ^(V)Holy Spirit from me.
¹²Restore to me the ^(W)joy of Your salvation,
And sustain me with a ^(X)willing spirit.
¹³Then I will ^(Y)teach wrongdoers Your ways,
And sinners will ^[j]be ^(Z)converted to You.

¹⁴Save me from ^(AA)the guilt of bloodshed, God, ^(AB)the God of my salvation;
Then my ^(AC)tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness.
¹⁵Lord, ^[k]^(AD)open my lips,
So that my mouth may ^(AE)declare Your praise.
¹⁶For You ^(AF)do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it;
You do not take pleasure in burnt offering.
¹⁷The sacrifices of God are a ^(AG)broken spirit;
A broken and a contrite heart, God, You will not despise.

¹⁸^(AH)By Your favor do good to Zion;
^[l]^(AI)Build the walls of Jerusalem.
¹⁹Then You will delight in ^[m]^(AJ)righteous sacrifices,
In ^(AK)burnt offering and whole burnt offering;
Then ^[n]bulls will be offered on Your altar.

Footnotes

Psalm 51 Title 2 Sam 12:1
Psalm 51:4 Or may be in the right
Psalm 51:4 Many mss in Your words
Psalm 51:4 Lit pure
Psalm 51:6 Or inward parts
Psalm 51:7 Or May You purify...that I may be clean
Psalm 51:7 Or May You cleanse
Psalm 51:8 Or May You cause
Psalm 51:10 Lit for
Psalm 51:13 Or turn back
Psalm 51:15 Or may You open
Psalm 51:18 Or May You build
Psalm 51:19 Or sacrifices of righteousness
Psalm 51:19 Lit they will offer bulls

Psalm 81

New American Standard Bible

God’s Goodness and Israel’s Waywardness.

For the music director; ^[a]on the Gittith. A Psalm of Asaph.

81 ^(A)Sing for joy to God our ^(B)strength;
Shout ^(C)joyfully to the ^(D)God of Jacob.
²Raise a song, strike ^(E)the tambourine,
The sweet sounding ^(F)lyre with the ^(G)harp.
³Blow the trumpet at the ^(H)new moon,
At the full moon, on our ^(I)feast day.
⁴For it is a statute for Israel,
An ordinance of the God of Jacob.
⁵He established it as a testimony in Joseph
When he ^[b]^(J)went throughout the land of Egypt.
I heard a ^(K)language I did not know:

⁶“I ^[c]^(L)relieved his shoulder of the burden,
His hands were freed from the ^[d]basket.
⁷You ^(M)called in trouble and I rescued you;
I ^(N)answered you in the hiding place of thunder;
I put you to the test at the ^(O)waters of Meribah. Selah
⁸^(P)Hear, My people, and I will admonish you;
Israel, if you ^(Q)would listen to Me!
⁹There shall be no ^(R)strange god among you;
Nor shall you worship a foreign god.
¹⁰^(S)I, the Lord, am your God,
Who brought you up from the land of Egypt;
^(T)Open your mouth wide and I will ^(U)fill it.

¹¹“But My people ^(V)did not listen to My voice,
And Israel did not ^[e]obey Me.
¹²So I ^(W)gave ^[f]them over to the stubbornness of their heart,
To walk by their own plans.
¹³Oh that My people ^(X)would listen to Me,
That Israel would ^(Y)walk in My ways!
¹⁴I would quickly ^(Z)subdue their enemies
And ^(AA)turn My hand against their adversaries.
¹⁵^(AB)Those who hate the Lord would ^(AC)pretend to obey Him,
And their time of punishment would be forever.
¹⁶^[g]But I would feed you with the ^[h]^(AD)finest of the wheat,
And with ^(AE)honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”

Footnotes

Psalm 81 Title Or according to
Psalm 81:5 Lit went out over
Psalm 81:6 Lit removed his shoulder from
Psalm 81:6 Or brick load
Psalm 81:11 Lit yield to
Psalm 81:12 Lit him
Psalm 81:16 Lit He would feed him
Psalm 81:16 Lit fat

Psalm 111

New American Standard Bible

The Lord Praised for His Goodness.

111 ^[a]Praise ^[b]the Lord!
I ^(A)will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart,
In the ^(B)company of the upright and in the assembly.
²^(C)Great are the works of the Lord;
They are ^[c]^(D)studied by all who delight in them.
³^[d]^(E)Splendid and majestic is His work,
And ^(F)His righteousness endures forever.
⁴He has caused His ^[e]wonders ^[f]to be remembered;
The Lord is ^(G)gracious and compassionate.
⁵He has ^(H)given ^[g]food to those who ^[h]fear Him;
He will ^(I)remember His covenant forever.
⁶He has made known to His people the power of His works,
In giving them the inheritance of the nations.

⁷The works of His hands are ^[i]^(J)truth and justice;
All His precepts ^(K)are trustworthy.
⁸They are ^(L)upheld forever and ever;
They are performed in ^[j]^(M)truth and uprightness.
⁹He has sent ^(N)redemption to His people;
He has ^[k]ordained His covenant forever;
^(O)Holy and ^[l]awesome is His name.
¹⁰The ^[m]^(P)fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
All those who ^[n]follow ^(Q)His commandments have a good understanding;
His ^(R)praise endures forever.

Footnotes

Psalm 111:1 Or Hallelujah! I will
Psalm 111:1 Heb Yah
Psalm 111:2 Lit sought out
Psalm 111:3 Lit Splendor and majesty
Psalm 111:4 I.e., wonderful acts
Psalm 111:4 Lit a memorial
Psalm 111:5 Lit prey
Psalm 111:5 Or revere
Psalm 111:7 Or faithfulness
Psalm 111:8 Or faithfulness
Psalm 111:9 Lit commanded
Psalm 111:9 I.e., inspiring reverence
Psalm 111:10 Or reverence for
Psalm 111:10 Lit do them

Psalm 141

New American Standard Bible

An Evening Prayer for Sanctification and Protection.

A Psalm of David.

141 Lord, I call upon You; ^(A)hurry to me!
^(B)Listen to my voice when I call to You!
²May my prayer be ^[a]counted as ^(C)incense before You;
The ^(D)raising of my hands as the ^(E)evening offering.
³Set a ^(F)guard, Lord, ^[b]over my mouth;
Keep watch over the ^(G)door of my lips.
⁴^(H)Do not incline my heart to any evil thing,
To practice deeds ^[c]of wickedness
With people who ^(I)do wrong;
And ^(J)may I not taste their delicacies.

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

⁸For my ^(R)eyes are toward You, ^[e]God, the Lord;
In You I ^(S)take refuge; ^(T)do not ^[f]leave me defenseless.
⁹Keep me from the ^[g]^(U)jaws of the trap which they have set for me,
And from the ^(V)snares of those who do wrong.
¹⁰May the wicked ^(W)fall into their own nets,
While I pass by ^[h]^(X)safely.

Footnotes

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

Proverbs 21

New American Standard Bible

On Life and Conduct

21 The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord;
He ^(A)turns it wherever He pleases.
²^(B)Every person’s way is right in his own eyes,
But the Lord ^(C)examines the hearts.
³To do ^(D)righteousness and justice
Is preferred by the Lord more than sacrifice.
⁴Haughty eyes and a proud heart,
The ^(E)lamp of the wicked, is sin.
⁵The plans of the ^(F)diligent certainly lead to advantage,
But everyone ^(G)who is in a hurry certainly comes to poverty.
⁶The ^(H)acquisition of treasures by a lying tongue
Is a fleeting vapor, the ^[a]pursuit of ^(I)death.
⁷The violence of the wicked will sweep them away,
Because they ^(J)refuse to act with justice.
⁸The way of a guilty person is ^(K)crooked,
But as for the pure, his conduct is upright.
⁹It is better to live on a corner of a roof
Than ^[b]in a house shared with a contentious woman.
¹⁰The soul of the wicked desires evil;
His ^(L)neighbor is shown no compassion in his eyes.
¹¹When the ^(M)scoffer is punished, the naive becomes wise;
But when the wise is instructed, he receives knowledge.
¹²The ^[c]righteous one considers the house of the wicked,
Bringing the ^(N)wicked to ruin.
¹³One who ^(O)shuts his ear to the outcry of the poor
Will also call out himself, and not be ^(P)answered.
¹⁴A ^(Q)gift in secret subdues anger,
And a bribe ^[d]in an inside pocket, strong wrath.
¹⁵The exercise of justice is joy for the righteous,
But ^(R)terror to those who practice injustice.
¹⁶A person who wanders from the way of understanding
Will ^(S)rest in the assembly of the ^[e]dead.
¹⁷One who ^(T)loves pleasure will become a poor person;
One who loves wine and oil will not become rich.
¹⁸The wicked is a ^(U)ransom for the righteous,
And the ^(V)treacherous is in the place of the upright.
¹⁹^(W)It is better to live in a desert land
Than with a contentious and irritating woman.
²⁰There is precious ^(X)treasure and oil in the home of the wise,
But a foolish person ^(Y)swallows it up.
²¹One who ^(Z)pursues righteousness and loyalty
Finds life, righteousness, and honor.
²²A ^(AA)wise person scales the city of the mighty
And brings down the ^[f]stronghold in which they trust.
²³One who ^(AB)guards his mouth and his tongue,
Guards his soul from troubles.
²⁴“Proud,” “Arrogant,” “^(AC)Scoffer,” are his names,
One who acts with ^(AD)insolent pride.
²⁵The ^(AE)desire of the ^[g]lazy one puts him to death,
For his hands refuse to work;
²⁶All day long he ^[h]is craving,
While the righteous ^(AF)gives and does not hold back.
²⁷The ^(AG)sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination,
How much more when he brings it with evil intent!
²⁸A ^(AH)false witness will perish,
But a person who listens will speak forever.
²⁹A wicked person ^[i]^(AI)displays a bold face,
But as for the ^(AJ)upright, he makes his way sure.
³⁰There is ^(AK)no wisdom, no understanding,
And no ^[j]plan against the Lord.
³¹The ^(AL)horse is prepared for the day of battle,
But the ^(AM)victory belongs to the Lord.