Psalm 43-78
New King James Version
Prayer to God in Time of Trouble
43 Vindicate (A)me, O God,
And (B)plead my cause against an ungodly nation;
Oh, deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man!
2 For You are the God of my strength;
Why do You cast me off?
(C)Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?
3 (D)Oh, send out Your light and Your truth!
Let them lead me;
Let them bring me to (E)Your holy hill
And to Your [a]tabernacle.
4 Then I will go to the altar of God,
To God my exceeding joy;
And on the harp I will praise You,
O God, my God.
5 (F)Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God;
For I shall yet praise Him,
The [b]help of my countenance and my God.
Redemption Remembered in Present Dishonor
To the Chief Musician. A (G)Contemplation[c] of the sons of Korah.
44 We have heard with our ears, O God,
(H)Our fathers have told us,
The deeds You did in their days,
In days of old:
2 (I)You drove out the [d]nations with Your hand,
But them You planted;
You afflicted the peoples, and cast them out.
3 For (J)they did not gain possession of the land by their own sword,
Nor did their own arm save them;
But it was Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your countenance,
(K)Because You favored them.
4 (L)You are my King, [e]O God;
[f]Command victories for Jacob.
5 Through You (M)we will push down our enemies;
Through Your name we will trample those who rise up against us.
6 For (N)I will not trust in my bow,
Nor shall my sword save me.
7 But You have saved us from our enemies,
And have put to shame those who hated us.
8 (O)In God we boast all day long,
And praise Your name forever. Selah
9 But (P)You have cast us off and put us to shame,
And You do not go out with our armies.
10 You make us (Q)turn back from the enemy,
And those who hate us have taken [g]spoil for themselves.
11 (R)You have given us up like sheep intended for food,
And have (S)scattered us among the nations.
12 (T)You sell Your people for next to nothing,
And are not enriched by selling them.
13 (U)You make us a reproach to our neighbors,
A scorn and a derision to those all around us.
14 (V)You make us a byword among the nations,
(W)A shaking of the head among the peoples.
15 My dishonor is continually before me,
And the shame of my face has covered me,
16 Because of the voice of him who reproaches and reviles,
(X)Because of the enemy and the avenger.
17 (Y)All this has come upon us;
But we have not forgotten You,
Nor have we dealt falsely with Your covenant.
18 Our heart has not turned back,
(Z)Nor have our steps departed from Your way;
19 But You have severely broken us in (AA)the place of jackals,
And covered us (AB)with the shadow of death.
20 If we had forgotten the name of our God,
Or (AC)stretched[h] out our hands to a foreign god,
21 (AD)Would not God search this out?
For He knows the secrets of the heart.
22 (AE)Yet for Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
23 (AF)Awake! Why do You sleep, O Lord?
Arise! Do not cast us off forever.
24 (AG)Why do You hide Your face,
And forget our affliction and our oppression?
25 For (AH)our soul is bowed down to the [i]dust;
Our body clings to the ground.
26 Arise for our help,
And redeem us for Your mercies’ sake.
The Glories of the Messiah and His Bride
To the Chief Musician. (AI)Set to [j]“The Lilies.” A [k]Contemplation of the sons of Korah. A Song of Love.
45 My heart is overflowing with a good theme;
I recite my composition concerning the King;
My tongue is the pen of a [l]ready writer.
2 You are fairer than the sons of men;
(AJ)Grace is poured upon Your lips;
Therefore God has blessed You forever.
3 [m]Gird Your (AK)sword upon Your thigh, (AL)O Mighty One,
With Your (AM)glory and Your majesty.
4 (AN)And in Your majesty ride prosperously because of truth, humility, and righteousness;
And Your right hand shall teach You awesome things.
5 Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the King’s enemies;
The peoples fall under You.
6 (AO)Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;
A (AP)scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.
7 You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
Therefore God, Your God, has (AQ)anointed You
With the oil of (AR)gladness more than Your companions.
8 All Your garments are (AS)scented with myrrh and aloes and cassia,
Out of the ivory palaces, by which they have made You glad.
9 (AT)Kings’ daughters are among Your honorable women;
(AU)At Your right hand stands the queen in gold from Ophir.
10 Listen, O daughter,
Consider and incline your ear;
(AV)Forget your own people also, and your father’s house;
11 So the King will greatly desire your beauty;
(AW)Because He is your Lord, worship Him.
12 And the daughter of Tyre will come with a gift;
(AX)The rich among the people will seek your favor.
13 The royal daughter is all glorious within the palace;
Her clothing is woven with gold.
14 (AY)She shall be brought to the King in robes of many colors;
The virgins, her companions who follow her, shall be brought to You.
15 With gladness and rejoicing they shall be brought;
They shall enter the King’s palace.
16 Instead of Your fathers shall be Your sons,
(AZ)Whom You shall make princes in all the earth.
17 (BA)I will make Your name to be remembered in all generations;
Therefore the people shall praise You forever and ever.
God the Refuge of His People and Conqueror of the Nations
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. A Song (BB)for Alamoth.
46 God is our (BC)refuge and strength,
(BD)A[n] very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear,
Even though the earth be removed,
And though the mountains be carried into the [o]midst of the sea;
3 (BE)Though its waters roar and be troubled,
Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah
4 There is a (BF)river whose streams shall make glad the (BG)city of God,
The holy place of the [p]tabernacle of the Most High.
5 God is (BH)in the midst of her, she shall not be [q]moved;
God shall help her, just [r]at the break of dawn.
6 (BI)The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved;
He uttered His voice, the earth melted.
7 The (BJ)Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah
8 Come, behold the works of the Lord,
Who has made desolations in the earth.
9 (BK)He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
(BL)He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two;
(BM)He burns the chariot in the fire.
10 Be still, and know that I am God;
(BN)I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah
Praise to God, the Ruler of the Earth
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
47 Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples!
Shout to God with the voice of triumph!
2 For the Lord Most High is awesome;
He is a great (BO)King over all the earth.
3 (BP)He will subdue the peoples under us,
And the nations under our feet.
4 He will choose our (BQ)inheritance for us,
The excellence of Jacob whom He loves. Selah
5 (BR)God has gone up with a shout,
The Lord with the sound of a trumpet.
6 Sing praises to God, sing praises!
Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
7 (BS)For God is the King of all the earth;
(BT)Sing praises with understanding.
8 (BU)God reigns over the nations;
God (BV)sits on His (BW)holy throne.
9 The princes of the people have gathered together,
(BX)The people of the God of Abraham.
(BY)For the shields of the earth belong to God;
He is greatly exalted.
The Glory of God in Zion
A Song. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
48 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised
In the (BZ)city of our God,
In His holy mountain.
2 (CA)Beautiful in [s]elevation,
The joy of the whole earth,
Is Mount Zion on the sides of the north,
The city of the great King.
3 God is in her palaces;
He is known as her refuge.
4 For behold, (CB)the kings assembled,
They passed by together.
5 They saw it, and so they marveled;
They were troubled, they hastened away.
6 Fear (CC)took hold of them there,
And pain, as of a woman in birth pangs,
7 As when You break the (CD)ships of Tarshish
With an east wind.
8 As we have heard,
So we have seen
In the city of the Lord of hosts,
In the city of our God:
God will (CE)establish it forever. Selah
9 We have thought, O God, on (CF)Your lovingkindness,
In the midst of Your temple.
10 According to (CG)Your name, O God,
So is Your praise to the ends of the earth;
Your right hand is full of righteousness.
11 Let Mount Zion rejoice,
Let the daughters of Judah be glad,
Because of Your judgments.
12 Walk about Zion,
And go all around her.
Count her towers;
13 Mark well her bulwarks;
Consider her palaces;
That you may (CH)tell it to the generation following.
14 For this is God,
Our God forever and ever;
(CI)He will be our guide
[t]Even to death.
The Confidence of the Foolish
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
49 Hear this, all peoples;
Give ear, all inhabitants of the world,
2 Both low and high,
Rich and poor together.
3 My mouth shall speak wisdom,
And the meditation of my heart shall give understanding.
4 I will incline my ear to a proverb;
I will disclose my [u]dark saying on the harp.
5 Why should I fear in the days of evil,
When the iniquity at my heels surrounds me?
6 Those who (CJ)trust in their wealth
And boast in the multitude of their riches,
7 None of them can by any means redeem his brother,
Nor (CK)give to God a ransom for him—
8 For (CL)the redemption of their souls is costly,
And it shall cease forever—
9 That he should continue to live eternally,
And (CM)not [v]see the Pit.
10 For he sees wise men die;
Likewise the fool and the senseless person perish,
And leave their wealth to others.
11 [w]Their inner thought is that their houses will last forever,
Their dwelling places to all generations;
They (CN)call their lands after their own names.
12 Nevertheless man, though in honor, does not [x]remain;
He is like the beasts that perish.
13 This is the way of those who are (CO)foolish,
And of their posterity who approve their sayings. Selah
14 Like sheep they are laid in the grave;
Death shall feed on them;
(CP)The upright shall have dominion over them in the morning;
(CQ)And their beauty shall be consumed in [y]the grave, far from their dwelling.
15 But God (CR)will redeem my soul from the power of [z]the grave,
For He shall (CS)receive me. Selah
16 Do not be afraid when one becomes rich,
When the glory of his house is increased;
17 For when he dies he shall carry nothing away;
His glory shall not descend after him.
18 Though while he lives (CT)he blesses himself
(For men will praise you when you do well for yourself),
19 He shall go to the generation of his fathers;
They shall never see (CU)light.[aa]
20 A man who is in honor, yet does not understand,
(CV)Is like the beasts that perish.
God the Righteous Judge
A Psalm of Asaph.
50 The (CW)Mighty One, God the Lord,
Has spoken and called the earth
From the rising of the sun to its going down.
2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,
(CX)God will shine forth.
3 Our God shall come, and shall not keep silent;
(CY)A fire shall devour before Him,
And it shall be very tempestuous all around Him.
4 (CZ)He shall call to the heavens from above,
And to the earth, that He may judge His people:
5 “Gather (DA)My saints together to Me,
(DB)Those who have [ab]made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.”
6 Let the (DC)heavens declare His righteousness,
For (DD)God Himself is Judge. Selah
7 “Hear, O My people, and I will speak,
O Israel, and I will testify against you;
(DE)I am God, your God!
8 (DF)I will not [ac]rebuke you (DG)for your sacrifices
Or your burnt offerings,
Which are continually before Me.
9 (DH)I will not take a bull from your house,
Nor goats out of your folds.
10 For every beast of the forest is Mine,
And the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 I know all the birds of the mountains,
And the wild beasts of the field are Mine.
12 “If I were hungry, I would not tell you;
(DI)For the world is Mine, and all its fullness.
13 (DJ)Will I eat the flesh of bulls,
Or drink the blood of goats?
14 (DK)Offer to God thanksgiving,
And (DL)pay your vows to the Most High.
15 (DM)Call upon Me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.”
16 But to the wicked God says:
“What right have you to declare My statutes,
Or take My covenant in your mouth,
17 (DN)Seeing you hate instruction
And cast My words behind you?
18 When you saw a thief, you (DO)consented[ad] with him,
And have been a (DP)partaker with adulterers.
19 You give your mouth to evil,
And (DQ)your tongue frames deceit.
20 You sit and speak against your brother;
You slander your own mother’s son.
21 These things you have done, and I kept silent;
(DR)You thought that I was altogether like you;
But I will rebuke you,
And (DS)set them in order before your eyes.
22 “Now consider this, you who (DT)forget God,
Lest I tear you in pieces,
And there be none to deliver:
23 Whoever offers praise glorifies Me;
And (DU)to him who orders his conduct aright
I will show the salvation of God.”
A Prayer of Repentance
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David (DV)when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.
51 Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
(DW)Blot out my transgressions.
2 (DX)Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me.
4 (DY)Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil (DZ)in Your sight—
(EA)That You may be found just [ae]when You speak,
And blameless when You judge.
5 (EB)Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
And in sin my mother conceived me.
6 Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts,
And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.
7 (EC)Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be (ED)whiter than snow.
8 Make me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken (EE)may rejoice.
9 Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities.
10 (EF)Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your (EG)Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your (EH)generous Spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You.
14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
15 O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.
16 For (EI)You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
17 (EJ)The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise.
18 Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion;
Build the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then You shall be pleased with (EK)the sacrifices of righteousness,
With burnt offering and whole burnt offering;
Then they shall offer bulls on Your altar.
The End of the Wicked and the Peace of the Godly
To the Chief Musician. A [af]Contemplation of David (EL)when Doeg the Edomite went and (EM)told Saul, and said to him, “David has gone to the house of Ahimelech.”
52 Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man?
The goodness of God endures continually.
2 Your tongue devises destruction,
Like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.
3 You love evil more than good,
Lying rather than speaking righteousness. Selah
4 You love all devouring words,
You deceitful tongue.
5 God shall likewise destroy you forever;
He shall take you away, and pluck you out of your dwelling place,
And uproot you from the land of the living. Selah
6 The righteous also shall see and fear,
And shall laugh at him, saying,
7 “Here is the man who did not make God his strength,
But trusted in the abundance of his riches,
And strengthened himself in his [ag]wickedness.”
8 But I am (EN)like a green olive tree in the house of God;
I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever.
9 I will praise You forever,
Because You have done it;
And in the presence of Your saints
I will wait on Your name, for it [ah]is good.
Folly of the Godless, and the Restoration of Israel(EO)
To the Chief Musician. Set to “Mahalath.” A [ai]Contemplation of David.
53 The (EP)fool has said in his heart,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity;
(EQ)There is none who does good.
2 God looks down from heaven upon the children of men,
To see if there are any who understand, who (ER)seek God.
3 Every one of them has turned aside;
They have together become corrupt;
There is none who does good,
No, not one.
4 Have the workers of iniquity (ES)no knowledge,
Who eat up my people as they eat bread,
And do not call upon God?
5 (ET)There they are in great fear
Where no fear was,
For God has scattered the bones of him who encamps against you;
You have put them to shame,
Because God has despised them.
6 (EU)Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion!
When God brings back [aj]the captivity of His people,
Let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad.
Answered Prayer for Deliverance from Adversaries
To the Chief Musician. With [ak]stringed instruments. A [al]Contemplation of David (EV)when the Ziphites went and said to Saul, “Is David not hiding with us?”
54 Save me, O God, by Your name,
And vindicate me by Your strength.
2 Hear my prayer, O God;
Give ear to the words of my mouth.
3 For strangers have risen up against me,
And oppressors have sought after my life;
They have not set God before them. Selah
4 Behold, God is my helper;
The Lord is with those who [am]uphold my life.
5 He will repay my enemies for their evil.
[an]Cut them off in Your [ao]truth.
6 I will freely sacrifice to You;
I will praise Your name, O Lord, for it is good.
7 For He has delivered me out of all trouble;
(EW)And my eye has seen its desire upon my enemies.
Trust in God Concerning the Treachery of Friends
To the Chief Musician. With [ap]stringed instruments. A [aq]Contemplation of David.
55 Give ear to my prayer, O God,
And do not hide Yourself from my supplication.
2 Attend to me, and hear me;
I (EX)am[ar] restless in my complaint, and moan noisily,
3 Because of the voice of the enemy,
Because of the oppression of the wicked;
(EY)For they bring down trouble upon me,
And in wrath they hate me.
4 (EZ)My heart is severely pained within me,
And the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
5 Fearfulness and trembling have come upon me,
And horror has overwhelmed me.
6 So I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove!
I would fly away and be at rest.
7 Indeed, I would wander far off,
And remain in the wilderness. Selah
8 I would hasten my escape
From the windy storm and tempest.”
9 Destroy, O Lord, and divide their [as]tongues,
For I have seen (FA)violence and strife in the city.
10 Day and night they go around it on its walls;
(FB)Iniquity and trouble are also in the midst of it.
11 Destruction is in its midst;
(FC)Oppression and deceit do not depart from its streets.
12 (FD)For it is not an enemy who reproaches me;
Then I could bear it.
Nor is it one who hates me who has (FE)exalted himself against me;
Then I could hide from him.
13 But it was you, a man my equal,
(FF)My companion and my acquaintance.
14 We took sweet counsel together,
And (FG)walked to the house of God in the throng.
15 Let death seize them;
Let them (FH)go down alive into [at]hell,
For wickedness is in their dwellings and among them.
16 As for me, I will call upon God,
And the Lord shall save me.
17 (FI)Evening and morning and at noon
I will pray, and cry aloud,
And He shall hear my voice.
18 He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me,
For (FJ)there were many against me.
19 God will hear, and afflict them,
(FK)Even He who abides from of old. Selah
Because they do not change,
Therefore they do not fear God.
20 He has (FL)put forth his hands against those who (FM)were at peace with him;
He has broken his [au]covenant.
21 (FN)The words of his mouth were smoother than butter,
But war was in his heart;
His words were softer than oil,
Yet they were drawn swords.
22 (FO)Cast your burden on the Lord,
And (FP)He shall sustain you;
He shall never permit the righteous to be [av]moved.
23 But You, O God, shall bring them down to the pit of destruction;
(FQ)Bloodthirsty and deceitful men (FR)shall not live out half their days;
But I will trust in You.
Prayer for Relief from Tormentors
To the Chief Musician. Set to [aw]“The Silent Dove in Distant Lands.” A Michtam of David when the (FS)Philistines captured him in Gath.
56 Be (FT)merciful to me, O God, for man would swallow me up;
Fighting all day he oppresses me.
2 My enemies would (FU)hound me all day,
For there are many who fight against me, O Most High.
3 Whenever I am afraid,
I will trust in You.
4 In God (I will praise His word),
In God I have put my trust;
(FV)I will not fear.
What can flesh do to me?
5 All day they twist my words;
All their thoughts are against me for evil.
6 They gather together,
They hide, they mark my steps,
When they lie in wait for my life.
7 Shall they escape by iniquity?
In anger cast down the peoples, O God!
8 You number my wanderings;
Put my tears into Your bottle;
(FW)Are they not in Your book?
9 When I cry out to You,
Then my enemies will turn back;
This I know, because (FX)God is for me.
10 In God (I will praise His word),
In the Lord (I will praise His word),
11 In God I have put my trust;
I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?
12 Vows made to You are binding upon me, O God;
I will render praises to You,
13 (FY)For You have delivered my soul from death.
Have You not kept my feet from falling,
That I may walk before God
In the (FZ)light of the living?
Prayer for Safety from Enemies(GA)
To the Chief Musician. Set to [ax]“Do Not Destroy.” A Michtam of David (GB)when he fled from Saul into the cave.
57 Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me!
For my soul trusts in You;
(GC)And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge,
(GD)Until these calamities have passed by.
2 I will cry out to God Most High,
To God (GE)who performs all things for me.
3 (GF)He shall send from heaven and save me;
He reproaches the one who [ay]would swallow me up. Selah
God (GG)shall send forth His mercy and His truth.
4 My soul is among lions;
I lie among the sons of men
Who are set on fire,
(GH)Whose teeth are spears and arrows,
And their tongue a sharp sword.
5 (GI)Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
Let Your glory be above all the earth.
6 (GJ)They have prepared a net for my steps;
My soul is bowed down;
They have dug a pit before me;
Into the midst of it they themselves have fallen. Selah
7 (GK)My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and give praise.
8 Awake, (GL)my glory!
Awake, lute and harp!
I will awaken the dawn.
9 (GM)I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing to You among the [az]nations.
10 (GN)For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens,
And Your truth unto the clouds.
11 (GO)Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
Let Your glory be above all the earth.
The Just Judgment of the Wicked
To the Chief Musician. Set to [ba]“Do Not Destroy.” A Michtam of David.
58 Do you indeed speak righteousness, you silent ones?
Do you judge uprightly, you sons of men?
2 No, in heart you work wickedness;
You weigh out the violence of your hands in the earth.
3 (GP)The wicked are estranged from the womb;
They go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies.
4 (GQ)Their poison is like the poison of a serpent;
They are like the deaf cobra that stops its ear,
5 Which will not (GR)heed the voice of charmers,
Charming ever so skillfully.
6 (GS)Break[bb] their teeth in their mouth, O God!
Break out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord!
7 (GT)Let them flow away as waters which run continually;
When he bends his bow,
Let his arrows be as if cut in pieces.
8 Let them be like a snail which melts away as it goes,
(GU)Like a stillborn child of a woman, that they may not see the sun.
9 Before your (GV)pots can feel the burning thorns,
He shall take them away (GW)as with a whirlwind,
As in His living and burning wrath.
10 The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the (GX)vengeance;
(GY)He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked,
11 (GZ)So that men will say,
“Surely there is a reward for the righteous;
Surely He is God who (HA)judges in the earth.”
The Assured Judgment of the Wicked
To the Chief Musician. Set to [bc]“Do Not Destroy.” A Michtam of David (HB)when Saul sent men, and they watched the house in order to kill him.
59 Deliver me from my enemies, O my God;
[bd]Defend me from those who rise up against me.
2 Deliver me from the workers of iniquity,
And save me from bloodthirsty men.
3 For look, they lie in wait for my life;
(HC)The mighty gather against me,
Not for my transgression nor for my sin, O Lord.
4 They run and prepare themselves through no fault of mine.
(HD)Awake to help me, and behold!
5 You therefore, O Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel,
Awake to punish all the [be]nations;
Do not be merciful to any wicked transgressors. Selah
6 (HE)At evening they return,
They growl like a dog,
And go all around the city.
7 Indeed, they belch with their mouth;
(HF)Swords are in their lips;
For they say, (HG)“Who hears?”
8 But (HH)You, O Lord, shall laugh at them;
You shall have all the [bf]nations in derision.
9 I will wait for You, O You [bg]his Strength;
(HI)For God is my [bh]defense.
10 [bi]My God of mercy shall (HJ)come to meet me;
God shall let (HK)me see my desire on my enemies.
11 Do not slay them, lest my people forget;
Scatter them by Your power,
And bring them down,
O Lord our shield.
12 (HL)For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips,
Let them even be taken in their pride,
And for the cursing and lying which they speak.
13 (HM)Consume them in wrath, consume them,
That they may not be;
And (HN)let them know that God rules in Jacob
To the ends of the earth. Selah
14 And (HO)at evening they return,
They growl like a dog,
And go all around the city.
15 They (HP)wander up and down for food,
And [bj]howl if they are not satisfied.
16 But I will sing of Your power;
Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning;
For You have been my defense
And refuge in the day of my trouble.
17 To You, (HQ)O my Strength, I will sing praises;
For God is my defense,
My God of mercy.
Urgent Prayer for the Restored Favor of God(HR)
To the Chief Musician. (HS)Set to [bk]“Lily of the Testimony.” A Michtam of David. For teaching. (HT)When he fought against Mesopotamia and Syria of Zobah, and Joab returned and killed twelve thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.
60 O God, (HU)You have cast us off;
You have broken us down;
You have been displeased;
Oh, restore us again!
2 You have made the earth tremble;
You have broken it;
(HV)Heal its breaches, for it is shaking.
3 (HW)You have shown Your people hard things;
(HX)You have made us drink the wine of [bl]confusion.
4 (HY)You have given a banner to those who fear You,
That it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah
5 (HZ)That Your beloved may be delivered,
Save with Your right hand, and hear me.
6 God has (IA)spoken in His holiness:
“I will rejoice;
I will (IB)divide (IC)Shechem
And measure out (ID)the Valley of Succoth.
7 Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine;
(IE)Ephraim also is the [bm]helmet for My head;
(IF)Judah is My lawgiver.
8 (IG)Moab is My washpot;
(IH)Over Edom I will cast My shoe;
(II)Philistia, shout in triumph because of Me.”
9 Who will bring me to the strong city?
Who will lead me to Edom?
10 Is it not You, O God, (IJ)who cast us off?
And You, O God, who did (IK)not go out with our armies?
11 Give us help from trouble,
(IL)For the help of man is useless.
12 Through God (IM)we will do valiantly,
For it is He who shall tread down our enemies.
Assurance of God’s Eternal Protection
To the Chief Musician. On [bn]a stringed instrument. A Psalm of David.
61 Hear my cry, O God;
Attend to my prayer.
2 From the end of the earth I will cry to You,
When my heart is overwhelmed;
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
3 For You have been a shelter for me,
(IN)A strong tower from the enemy.
4 I will abide in Your [bo]tabernacle forever;
(IO)I will trust in the shelter of Your wings. Selah
5 For You, O God, have heard my vows;
You have given me the heritage of those who fear Your name.
6 You will prolong the king’s life,
His years as many generations.
7 He shall abide before God forever.
Oh, prepare mercy (IP)and truth, which may [bp]preserve him!
8 So I will sing praise to Your name forever,
That I may daily perform my vows.
A Calm Resolve to Wait for the Salvation of God
To the Chief Musician. To (IQ)Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.
62 Truly (IR)my soul silently waits for God;
From Him comes my salvation.
2 He only is my rock and my salvation;
He is my [bq]defense;
I shall not be greatly (IS)moved.[br]
3 How long will you attack a man?
You shall be slain, all of you,
(IT)Like a leaning wall and a tottering fence.
4 They only consult to cast him down from his high position;
They (IU)delight in lies;
They bless with their mouth,
But they curse inwardly. Selah
5 My soul, wait silently for God alone,
For my [bs]expectation is from Him.
6 He only is my rock and my salvation;
He is my defense;
I shall not be [bt]moved.
7 (IV)In God is my salvation and my glory;
The rock of my strength,
And my refuge, is in God.
8 Trust in Him at all times, you people;
(IW)Pour out your heart before Him;
God is a refuge for us. Selah
9 (IX)Surely men of low degree are [bu]a vapor,
Men of high degree are a lie;
If they are weighed on the scales,
They are altogether lighter than vapor.
10 Do not trust in oppression,
Nor vainly hope in robbery;
(IY)If riches increase,
Do not set your heart on them.
11 God has spoken once,
Twice I have heard this:
That power belongs to God.
12 Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy;
For (IZ)You [bv]render to each one according to his work.
Joy in the Fellowship of God
A Psalm of David (JA)when he was in the wilderness of Judah.
63 O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
(JB)My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.
2 So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see (JC)Your power and Your glory.
3 (JD)Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
4 Thus I will bless You while I live;
I will (JE)lift up my hands in Your name.
5 My soul shall be satisfied as with [bw]marrow and [bx]fatness,
And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.
6 When (JF)I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches.
7 Because You have been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.
8 My soul follows close behind You;
Your right hand upholds me.
9 But those who seek my life, to destroy it,
Shall go into the lower parts of the earth.
10 They shall [by]fall by the sword;
They shall be [bz]a portion for jackals.
11 But the king shall rejoice in God;
(JG)Everyone who swears by Him shall glory;
But the mouth of those who speak lies shall be stopped.
Oppressed by the Wicked but Rejoicing in the Lord
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
64 Hear my voice, O God, in my [ca]meditation;
Preserve my life from fear of the enemy.
2 Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked,
From the rebellion of the workers of iniquity,
3 Who sharpen their tongue like a sword,
(JH)And bend their bows to shoot their arrows—bitter words,
4 That they may shoot in secret at the blameless;
Suddenly they shoot at him and do not fear.
5 They encourage themselves in an evil matter;
They talk of laying snares secretly;
(JI)They say, “Who will see them?”
6 They devise iniquities:
“We have perfected a shrewd scheme.”
Both the inward thought and the heart of man are deep.
7 But God shall shoot at them with an arrow;
Suddenly they shall be wounded.
8 So He will make them stumble over their own tongue;
(JJ)All who see them shall flee away.
9 All men shall fear,
And shall (JK)declare the work of God;
For they shall wisely consider His doing.
10 (JL)The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and trust in Him.
And all the upright in heart shall glory.
Praise to God for His Salvation and Providence
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. A Song.
65 Praise is awaiting You, O God, in Zion;
And to You the [cb]vow shall be performed.
2 O You who hear prayer,
(JM)To You all flesh will come.
3 Iniquities prevail against me;
As for our transgressions,
You will (JN)provide atonement for them.
4 (JO)Blessed is the man You (JP)choose,
And cause to approach You,
That he may dwell in Your courts.
(JQ)We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house,
Of Your holy temple.
5 By awesome deeds in righteousness You will answer us,
O God of our salvation,
You who are the confidence of all the ends of the earth,
And of the far-off seas;
6 Who established the mountains by His strength,
(JR)Being clothed with power;
7 (JS)You who still the noise of the seas,
The noise of their waves,
(JT)And the tumult of the peoples.
8 They also who dwell in the farthest parts are afraid of Your signs;
You make the outgoings of the morning and evening [cc]rejoice.
9 You [cd]visit the earth and (JU)water it,
You greatly enrich it;
(JV)The river of God is full of water;
You provide their grain,
For so You have prepared it.
10 You water its ridges abundantly,
You settle its furrows;
You make it soft with showers,
You bless its growth.
11 You crown the year with Your goodness,
And Your paths drip with abundance.
12 They drop on the pastures of the wilderness,
And the little hills rejoice on every side.
13 The pastures are clothed with flocks;
(JW)The valleys also are covered with grain;
They shout for joy, they also sing.
Praise to God for His Awesome Works
To the Chief Musician. A Song. A Psalm.
66 Make (JX)a joyful shout to God, all the earth!
2 Sing out the honor of His name;
Make His praise glorious.
3 Say to God,
“How (JY)awesome are Your works!
(JZ)Through the greatness of Your power
Your enemies shall submit themselves to You.
4 (KA)All the earth shall worship You
And sing praises to You;
They shall sing praises to Your name.” Selah
5 Come and see the works of God;
He is awesome in His doing toward the sons of men.
6 (KB)He turned the sea into dry land;
(KC)They went through the river on foot.
There we will rejoice in Him.
7 He rules by His power forever;
His eyes observe the nations;
Do not let the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah
8 Oh, bless our God, you peoples!
And make the voice of His praise to be heard,
9 Who keeps our soul among the living,
And does not allow our feet to [ce]be moved.
10 For (KD)You, O God, have tested us;
(KE)You have refined us as silver is refined.
11 (KF)You brought us into the net;
You laid affliction on our backs.
12 (KG)You have caused men to ride over our heads;
(KH)We went through fire and through water;
But You brought us out to [cf]rich fulfillment.
13 (KI)I will go into Your house with burnt offerings;
(KJ)I will pay You my [cg]vows,
14 Which my lips have uttered
And my mouth has spoken when I was in trouble.
15 I will offer You burnt sacrifices of fat animals,
With the sweet aroma of rams;
I will offer bulls with goats. Selah
16 Come and hear, all you who fear God,
And I will declare what He has done for my soul.
17 I cried to Him with my mouth,
And He was [ch]extolled with my tongue.
18 (KK)If I regard iniquity in my heart,
The Lord will not hear.
19 But certainly God (KL)has heard me;
He has attended to the voice of my prayer.
20 Blessed be God,
Who has not turned away my prayer,
Nor His mercy from me!
An Invocation and a Doxology
To the Chief Musician. On [ci]stringed instruments. A Psalm. A Song.
67 God be merciful to us and bless us,
And (KM)cause His face to shine upon us, Selah
2 That (KN)Your way may be known on earth,
(KO)Your salvation among all nations.
3 Let the peoples praise You, O God;
Let all the peoples praise You.
4 Oh, let the nations be glad and sing for joy!
For (KP)You shall judge the people righteously,
And govern the nations on earth. Selah
5 Let the peoples praise You, O God;
Let all the peoples praise You.
6 (KQ)Then the earth shall [cj]yield her increase;
God, our own God, shall bless us.
7 God shall bless us,
And all the ends of the earth shall fear Him.
The Glory of God in His Goodness to Israel
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. A Song.
68 Let (KR)God arise,
Let His enemies be scattered;
Let those also who hate Him flee before Him.
2 (KS)As smoke is driven away,
So drive them away;
(KT)As wax melts before the fire,
So let the wicked perish at the presence of God.
3 But (KU)let the righteous be glad;
Let them rejoice before God;
Yes, let them rejoice exceedingly.
4 Sing to God, sing praises to His name;
(KV)Extol[ck] Him who rides on the [cl]clouds,
(KW)By His name [cm]Yah,
And rejoice before Him.
5 (KX)A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows,
Is God in His holy habitation.
6 (KY)God sets the solitary in families;
(KZ)He brings out those who are bound into prosperity;
But (LA)the rebellious dwell in a dry land.
7 O God, (LB)when You went out before Your people,
When You marched through the wilderness, Selah
8 The earth shook;
The heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God;
Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
9 (LC)You, O God, sent a plentiful rain,
Whereby You confirmed Your inheritance,
When it was weary.
10 Your congregation dwelt in it;
(LD)You, O God, provided from Your goodness for the poor.
11 The Lord gave the word;
Great was the [cn]company of those who proclaimed it:
12 “Kings(LE) of armies flee, they flee,
And she who remains at home divides the [co]spoil.
13 (LF)Though you lie down among the [cp]sheepfolds,
(LG)You will be like the wings of a dove covered with silver,
And her feathers with yellow gold.”
14 (LH)When the Almighty scattered kings in it,
It was white as snow in Zalmon.
15 A mountain of God is the mountain of Bashan;
A mountain of many peaks is the mountain of Bashan.
16 Why do you [cq]fume with envy, you mountains of many peaks?
(LI)This is the mountain which God desires to dwell in;
Yes, the Lord will dwell in it forever.
17 (LJ)The chariots of God are twenty thousand,
Even thousands of thousands;
The Lord is among them as in Sinai, in the Holy Place.
18 (LK)You have ascended on high,
(LL)You have led captivity captive;
(LM)You have received gifts among men,
Even from (LN)the rebellious,
(LO)That the Lord God might dwell there.
19 Blessed be the Lord,
Who daily loads us with benefits,
The God of our salvation! Selah
20 Our God is the God of salvation;
And (LP)to God the Lord belong escapes from death.
21 But (LQ)God will wound the head of His enemies,
(LR)The hairy scalp of the one who still goes on in his trespasses.
22 The Lord said, “I will bring (LS)back from Bashan,
I will bring them back (LT)from the depths of the sea,
23 (LU)That [cr]your foot may crush them in blood,
(LV)And the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from your enemies.”
24 They have seen Your [cs]procession, O God,
The procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary.
25 (LW)The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after;
Among them were the maidens playing timbrels.
26 Bless God in the congregations,
The Lord, from (LX)the fountain of Israel.
27 (LY)There is little Benjamin, their leader,
The princes of Judah and their [ct]company,
The princes of Zebulun and the princes of Naphtali.
28 [cu]Your God has (LZ)commanded your strength;
Strengthen, O God, what You have done for us.
29 Because of Your temple at Jerusalem,
(MA)Kings will bring presents to You.
30 Rebuke the beasts of the reeds,
(MB)The herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples,
Till everyone (MC)submits himself with pieces of silver.
Scatter the peoples who delight in war.
31 (MD)Envoys will come out of Egypt;
(ME)Ethiopia will quickly (MF)stretch out her hands to God.
32 Sing to God, you (MG)kingdoms of the earth;
Oh, sing praises to the Lord, Selah
33 To Him (MH)who rides on the heaven of heavens, which were of old!
Indeed, He sends out His voice, a (MI)mighty voice.
34 (MJ)Ascribe strength to God;
His excellence is over Israel,
And His strength is in the clouds.
35 O God, (MK)You are more awesome than Your holy places.
The God of Israel is He who gives strength and power to His people.
Blessed be God!
An Urgent Plea for Help in Trouble
To the Chief Musician. Set to [cv]“The Lilies.” A Psalm of David.
69 Save me, O God!
For (ML)the waters have come up to my [cw]neck.
2 (MM)I sink in deep mire,
Where there is no standing;
I have come into deep waters,
Where the floods overflow me.
3 (MN)I am weary with my crying;
My throat is dry;
(MO)My eyes fail while I wait for my God.
4 Those who (MP)hate me without a cause
Are more than the hairs of my head;
They are mighty who would destroy me,
Being my enemies wrongfully;
Though I have stolen nothing,
I still must restore it.
5 O God, You know my foolishness;
And my sins are not hidden from You.
6 Let not those who [cx]wait for You, O Lord God of hosts, be ashamed because of me;
Let not those who seek You be [cy]confounded because of me, O God of Israel.
7 Because for Your sake I have borne reproach;
Shame has covered my face.
8 (MQ)I have become a stranger to my brothers,
And an alien to my mother’s children;
9 (MR)Because zeal for Your house has eaten me up,
(MS)And the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me.
10 When I wept and chastened my soul with fasting,
That became my reproach.
11 I also [cz]made sackcloth my garment;
I became a byword to them.
12 Those who [da]sit in the gate speak against me,
And I am the song of the (MT)drunkards.
13 But as for me, my prayer is to You,
O Lord, in the acceptable time;
O God, in the multitude of Your mercy,
Hear me in the truth of Your salvation.
14 Deliver me out of the mire,
And let me not sink;
Let me be delivered from those who hate me,
And out of the deep waters.
15 Let not the floodwater overflow me,
Nor let the deep swallow me up;
And let not the pit shut its mouth on me.
16 Hear me, O Lord, for Your lovingkindness is good;
Turn to me according to the multitude of Your tender mercies.
17 And do not hide Your face from Your servant,
For I am in trouble;
Hear me speedily.
18 Draw near to my soul, and redeem it;
Deliver me because of my enemies.
19 You know (MU)my reproach, my shame, and my dishonor;
My adversaries are all before You.
20 Reproach has broken my heart,
And I am full of [db]heaviness;
(MV)I looked for someone to take pity, but there was none;
And for (MW)comforters, but I found none.
21 They also gave me gall for my food,
(MX)And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
22 (MY)Let their table become a snare before them,
And their well-being a trap.
23 (MZ)Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see;
And make their loins shake continually.
24 (NA)Pour out Your indignation upon them,
And let Your wrathful anger take hold of them.
25 (NB)Let their dwelling place be desolate;
Let no one live in their tents.
26 For they persecute the ones (NC)You have struck,
And talk of the grief of those You have wounded.
27 (ND)Add iniquity to their iniquity,
(NE)And let them not come into Your righteousness.
28 Let them (NF)be blotted out of the book of the living,
(NG)And not be written with the righteous.
29 But I am poor and sorrowful;
Let Your salvation, O God, set me up on high.
30 (NH)I will praise the name of God with a song,
And will magnify Him with thanksgiving.
31 (NI)This also shall please the Lord better than an ox or bull,
Which has horns and hooves.
32 (NJ)The humble shall see this and be glad;
And you who seek God, (NK)your hearts shall live.
33 For the Lord hears the poor,
And does not despise (NL)His prisoners.
34 (NM)Let heaven and earth praise Him,
The seas (NN)and everything that moves in them.
35 (NO)For God will save Zion
And build the cities of Judah,
That they may dwell there and possess it.
36 Also, (NP)the [dc]descendants of His servants shall inherit it,
And those who love His name shall dwell in it.
Prayer for Relief from Adversaries(NQ)
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. (NR)To bring to remembrance.
70 Make haste, (NS)O God, to deliver me!
Make haste to help me, O Lord!
2 (NT)Let them be ashamed and confounded
Who seek my life;
Let them be [dd]turned back and confused
Who desire my hurt.
3 (NU)Let them be turned back because of their shame,
Who say, [de]“Aha, aha!”
4 Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
And let those who love Your salvation say continually,
“Let God be magnified!”
5 (NV)But I am poor and needy;
(NW)Make haste to me, O God!
You are my help and my deliverer;
O Lord, do not delay.
God the Rock of Salvation
71 In (NX)You, O Lord, I put my trust;
Let me never be put to shame.
2 (NY)Deliver me in Your righteousness, and cause me to escape;
(NZ)Incline Your ear to me, and save me.
3 (OA)Be my [df]strong refuge,
To which I may resort continually;
You have given the (OB)commandment to save me,
For You are my rock and my fortress.
4 (OC)Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked,
Out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.
5 For You are (OD)my hope, O Lord God;
You are my trust from my youth.
6 (OE)By You I have been [dg]upheld from birth;
You are He who took me out of my mother’s womb.
My praise shall be continually of You.
7 (OF)I have become as a wonder to many,
But You are my strong refuge.
8 Let (OG)my mouth be filled with Your praise
And with Your glory all the day.
9 Do not cast me off in the time of old age;
Do not forsake me when my strength fails.
10 For my enemies speak against me;
And those who lie in wait for my life (OH)take counsel together,
11 Saying, “God has forsaken him;
Pursue and take him, for there is none to deliver him.”
12 (OI)O God, do not be far from me;
O my God, (OJ)make haste to help me!
13 Let them be [dh]confounded and consumed
Who are adversaries of my life;
Let them be covered with reproach and dishonor
Who seek my hurt.
14 But I will hope continually,
And will praise You yet more and more.
15 My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And Your salvation all the day,
For I do not know their limits.
16 I will go in the strength of the Lord God;
I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only.
17 O God, You have taught me from my (OK)youth;
And to this day I declare Your wondrous works.
18 Now also (OL)when I am old and grayheaded,
O God, do not forsake me,
Until I declare Your strength to this generation,
Your power to everyone who is to come.
19 Also (OM)Your righteousness, O God, is [di]very high,
You who have done great things;
(ON)O God, who is like You?
20 (OO)You, who have shown me great and severe troubles,
(OP)Shall revive me again,
And bring me up again from the depths of the earth.
21 You shall increase my greatness,
And comfort me on every side.
22 Also (OQ)with the lute I will praise You—
And Your faithfulness, O my God!
To You I will sing with the harp,
O (OR)Holy One of Israel.
23 My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing to You,
And (OS)my soul, which You have redeemed.
24 My tongue also shall talk of Your righteousness all the day long;
For they are confounded,
For they are brought to shame
Who seek my hurt.
Glory and Universality of the Messiah’s Reign
A Psalm (OT)of Solomon.
72 Give the king Your judgments, O God,
And Your righteousness to the king’s Son.
2 (OU)He will judge Your people with righteousness,
And Your poor with justice.
3 (OV)The mountains will bring peace to the people,
And the little hills, by righteousness.
4 (OW)He will bring justice to the poor of the people;
He will save the children of the needy,
And will [dj]break in pieces the oppressor.
5 [dk]They shall fear You
(OX)As long as the sun and moon endure,
Throughout all generations.
6 (OY)He shall come down like rain upon the grass before mowing,
Like showers that water the earth.
7 In His days the righteous shall flourish,
(OZ)And abundance of peace,
Until the moon is no more.
8 (PA)He shall have dominion also from sea to sea,
And from the River to the ends of the earth.
9 (PB)Those who dwell in the wilderness will bow before Him,
(PC)And His enemies will lick the dust.
10 (PD)The kings of Tarshish and of the isles
Will bring presents;
The kings of Sheba and Seba
Will offer gifts.
11 (PE)Yes, all kings shall fall down before Him;
All nations shall serve Him.
12 For He (PF)will deliver the needy when he cries,
The poor also, and him who has no helper.
13 He will spare the poor and needy,
And will save the souls of the needy.
14 He will redeem their life from oppression and violence;
And (PG)precious shall be their blood in His sight.
15 And He shall live;
And the gold of (PH)Sheba will be given to Him;
Prayer also will be made for Him continually,
And daily He shall be praised.
16 There will be an abundance of grain in the earth,
On the top of the mountains;
Its fruit shall wave like Lebanon;
(PI)And those of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth.
17 (PJ)His name shall endure forever;
His name shall continue as long as the sun.
And (PK)men shall be blessed in Him;
(PL)All nations shall call Him blessed.
18 (PM)Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
(PN)Who only does wondrous things!
19 And (PO)blessed be His glorious name forever!
(PP)And let the whole earth be filled with His glory.
Amen and Amen.
20 The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.
BOOK THREE
Psalms 73–89
The Tragedy of the Wicked, and the Blessedness of Trust in God
A Psalm of (PQ)Asaph.
73 Truly God is good to Israel,
To such as are pure in heart.
2 But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled;
My steps had nearly (PR)slipped.
3 (PS)For I was envious of the boastful,
When I saw the prosperity of the (PT)wicked.
4 For there are no [dl]pangs in their death,
But their strength is firm.
5 (PU)They are not in trouble as other men,
Nor are they plagued like other men.
6 Therefore pride serves as their necklace;
Violence covers them (PV)like a garment.
7 (PW)Their [dm]eyes bulge with abundance;
They have more than heart could wish.
8 (PX)They scoff and speak wickedly concerning oppression;
They (PY)speak [dn]loftily.
9 They set their mouth (PZ)against the heavens,
And their tongue walks through the earth.
10 Therefore his people return here,
(QA)And waters of a full cup are drained by them.
11 And they say, (QB)“How does God know?
And is there knowledge in the Most High?”
12 Behold, these are the ungodly,
Who are always at ease;
They increase in riches.
13 Surely I have [do]cleansed my heart in (QC)vain,
And washed my hands in innocence.
14 For all day long I have been plagued,
And chastened every morning.
15 If I had said, “I will speak thus,”
Behold, I would have been untrue to the generation of Your children.
16 When I thought how to understand this,
It was [dp]too painful for me—
17 Until I went into the sanctuary of God;
Then I understood their (QD)end.
18 Surely (QE)You set them in slippery places;
You cast them down to destruction.
19 Oh, how they are brought to desolation, as in a moment!
They are utterly consumed with terrors.
20 As a dream when one awakes,
So, Lord, when You awake,
You shall despise their image.
21 Thus my heart was grieved,
And I was [dq]vexed in my mind.
22 (QF)I was so foolish and ignorant;
I was like a beast before You.
23 Nevertheless I am continually with You;
You hold me by my right hand.
24 (QG)You will guide me with Your counsel,
And afterward receive me to glory.
25 (QH)Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.
26 (QI)My flesh and my heart fail;
But God is the [dr]strength of my heart and my (QJ)portion forever.
27 For indeed, (QK)those who are far from You shall perish;
You have destroyed all those who [ds]desert You for harlotry.
28 But it is good for me to (QL)draw near to God;
I have put my trust in the Lord God,
That I may (QM)declare all Your works.
A Plea for Relief from Oppressors
A [dt]Contemplation of Asaph.
74 O God, why have You cast us off forever?
Why does Your anger smoke against the sheep of Your pasture?
2 Remember Your congregation, which You have purchased of old,
The tribe of Your inheritance, which You have redeemed—
This Mount Zion where You have dwelt.
3 Lift up Your feet to the perpetual desolations.
The enemy has damaged everything in the sanctuary.
4 (QN)Your enemies roar in the midst of Your meeting place;
(QO)They set up their banners for signs.
5 They seem like men who lift up
Axes among the thick trees.
6 And now they break down its carved work, all at once,
With axes and hammers.
7 They have set fire to Your sanctuary;
They have defiled the dwelling place of Your name to the ground.
8 (QP)They said in their hearts,
“Let us [du]destroy them altogether.”
They have burned up all the meeting places of God in the land.
9 We do not see our signs;
(QQ)There is no longer any prophet;
Nor is there any among us who knows how long.
10 O God, how long will the adversary [dv]reproach?
Will the enemy blaspheme Your name forever?
11 (QR)Why do You withdraw Your hand, even Your right hand?
Take it out of Your bosom and destroy them.
12 For (QS)God is my King from of old,
Working salvation in the midst of the earth.
13 (QT)You divided the sea by Your strength;
You broke the heads of the [dw]sea serpents in the waters.
14 You broke the heads of [dx]Leviathan in pieces,
And gave him as food to the people inhabiting the wilderness.
15 (QU)You broke open the fountain and the flood;
(QV)You dried up mighty rivers.
16 The day is Yours, the night also is (QW)Yours;
(QX)You have prepared the light and the sun.
17 You have (QY)set all the borders of the earth;
(QZ)You have made summer and winter.
18 Remember this, that the enemy has reproached, O Lord,
And that a foolish people has blasphemed Your name.
19 Oh, do not deliver the life of Your turtledove to the wild beast!
Do not forget the life of Your poor forever.
20 (RA)Have respect to the covenant;
For the [dy]dark places of the earth are full of the [dz]haunts of [ea]cruelty.
21 Oh, do not let the oppressed return ashamed!
Let the poor and needy praise Your name.
22 Arise, O God, plead Your own cause;
Remember how the foolish man [eb]reproaches You daily.
23 Do not forget the voice of Your enemies;
The tumult of those who rise up against You increases continually.
Thanksgiving for God’s Righteous Judgment
To the Chief Musician. Set to (RB)“Do[ec] Not Destroy.” A Psalm of Asaph. A Song.
75 We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks!
For Your wondrous works declare that Your name is near.
2 “When I choose the [ed]proper time,
I will judge uprightly.
3 The earth and all its inhabitants are dissolved;
I set up its pillars firmly. Selah
4 “I said to the boastful, ‘Do not deal boastfully,’
And to the wicked, (RC)‘Do not [ee]lift up the horn.
5 Do not lift up your horn on high;
Do not speak with [ef]a stiff neck.’ ”
6 For exaltation comes neither from the east
Nor from the west nor from the south.
7 But (RD)God is the Judge:
(RE)He puts down one,
And exalts another.
8 For (RF)in the hand of the Lord there is a cup,
And the wine is red;
It is fully mixed, and He pours it out;
Surely its dregs shall all the wicked of the earth
Drain and drink down.
9 But I will declare forever,
I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
10 “All(RG) the [eg]horns of the wicked I will also cut off,
But (RH)the horns of the righteous shall be (RI)exalted.”
The Majesty of God in Judgment
To the Chief Musician. On [eh]stringed instruments. A Psalm of Asaph. A Song.
76 In (RJ)Judah God is known;
His name is great in Israel.
2 In [ei]Salem also is His tabernacle,
And His dwelling place in Zion.
3 There He broke the arrows of the bow,
The shield and sword of battle. Selah
4 You are more glorious and excellent
(RK)Than the mountains of prey.
5 (RL)The stouthearted were plundered;
(RM)They [ej]have sunk into their sleep;
And none of the mighty men have found the use of their hands.
6 (RN)At Your rebuke, O God of Jacob,
Both the chariot and horse were cast into a dead sleep.
7 You, Yourself, are to be feared;
And (RO)who may stand in Your presence
When once You are angry?
8 (RP)You caused judgment to be heard from heaven;
(RQ)The earth feared and was still,
9 When God (RR)arose to judgment,
To deliver all the oppressed of the earth. Selah
10 (RS)Surely the wrath of man shall praise You;
With the remainder of wrath You shall gird Yourself.
11 (RT)Make vows to the Lord your God, and pay them;
(RU)Let all who are around Him bring presents to Him who ought to be feared.
12 He shall cut off the spirit of princes;
(RV)He is awesome to the kings of the earth.
The Consoling Memory of God’s Redemptive Works
To the Chief Musician. (RW)To Jeduthun. A Psalm of Asaph.
77 I cried out to God with my voice—
To God with my voice;
And He gave ear to me.
2 In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord;
My hand was stretched out in the night without ceasing;
My soul refused to be comforted.
3 I remembered God, and was troubled;
I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah
4 You hold my eyelids open;
I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
5 I have considered the days of old,
The years of ancient times.
6 I call to remembrance my song in the night;
I meditate within my heart,
And my spirit [ek]makes diligent search.
7 Will the Lord cast off forever?
And will He be favorable no more?
8 Has His mercy ceased forever?
Has His (RX)promise failed [el]forevermore?
9 Has God forgotten to be gracious?
Has He in anger shut up His tender mercies? Selah
10 And I said, “This is my [em]anguish;
But I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High.”
11 I will remember the works of the Lord;
Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.
12 I will also meditate on all Your work,
And talk of Your deeds.
13 Your way, O God, is in [en]the (RY)sanctuary;
Who is so great a God as our God?
14 You are the God who does wonders;
You have declared Your strength among the peoples.
15 You have with Your arm redeemed Your people,
The sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah
16 The waters saw You, O God;
The waters saw You, they were (RZ)afraid;
The depths also trembled.
17 The clouds poured out water;
The skies sent out a sound;
Your arrows also flashed about.
18 The voice of Your thunder was in the whirlwind;
The lightnings lit up the world;
The earth trembled and shook.
19 Your way was in the sea,
Your path in the great waters,
And Your footsteps were not known.
20 You led Your people like a flock
By the hand of Moses and Aaron.
God’s Kindness to Rebellious Israel
A (SA)Contemplation[eo] of Asaph.
78 Give ear, O my people, to my law;
Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth in a (SB)parable;
I will utter [ep]dark sayings of old,
3 Which we have heard and known,
And our fathers have told us.
4 (SC)We will not hide them from their children,
(SD)Telling to the generation to come the praises of the Lord,
And His strength and His wonderful works that He has done.
5 For (SE)He established a testimony in Jacob,
And appointed a law in Israel,
Which He commanded our fathers,
That (SF)they should make them known to their children;
6 (SG)That the generation to come might know them,
The children who would be born,
That they may arise and declare them to their children,
7 That they may set their hope in God,
And not forget the works of God,
But keep His commandments;
8 And (SH)may not be like their fathers,
(SI)A stubborn and rebellious generation,
A generation (SJ)that did not [eq]set its heart aright,
And whose spirit was not faithful to God.
9 The children of Ephraim, being armed and [er]carrying bows,
Turned back in the day of battle.
10 (SK)They did not keep the covenant of God;
They refused to walk in His law,
11 And (SL)forgot His works
And His wonders that He had shown them.
12 (SM)Marvelous things He did in the sight of their fathers,
In the land of Egypt, (SN)in the field of Zoan.
13 (SO)He divided the sea and caused them to pass through;
And (SP)He made the waters stand up like a heap.
14 (SQ)In the daytime also He led them with the cloud,
And all the night with a light of fire.
15 (SR)He split the rocks in the wilderness,
And gave them drink in abundance like the depths.
16 He also brought (SS)streams out of the rock,
And caused waters to run down like rivers.
17 But they sinned even more against Him
By (ST)rebelling against the Most High in the wilderness.
18 And (SU)they tested God in their heart
By asking for the food of their fancy.
19 (SV)Yes, they spoke against God:
They said, “Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?
20 (SW)Behold, He struck the rock,
So that the waters gushed out,
And the streams overflowed.
Can He give bread also?
Can He provide meat for His people?”
21 Therefore the Lord heard this and (SX)was furious;
So a fire was kindled against Jacob,
And anger also came up against Israel,
22 Because they (SY)did not believe in God,
And did not trust in His salvation.
23 Yet He had commanded the clouds above,
(SZ)And opened the doors of heaven,
24 (TA)Had rained down manna on them to eat,
And given them of the [es]bread of (TB)heaven.
25 Men ate angels’ food;
He sent them food to [et]the full.
26 (TC)He caused an east wind to blow in the heavens;
And by His power He brought in the south wind.
27 He also rained meat on them like the dust,
Feathered fowl like the sand of the seas;
28 And He let them fall in the midst of their camp,
All around their dwellings.
29 (TD)So they ate and were well filled,
For He gave them their own desire.
30 They were not [eu]deprived of their craving;
But (TE)while their food was still in their mouths,
31 The wrath of God came against them,
And slew the stoutest of them,
And struck down the choice men of Israel.
32 In spite of this (TF)they still sinned,
And (TG)did not believe in His wondrous works.
33 (TH)Therefore their days He consumed in futility,
And their years in fear.
34 (TI)When He slew them, then they sought Him;
And they returned and sought earnestly for God.
35 Then they remembered that (TJ)God was their rock,
And the Most High God (TK)their Redeemer.
36 Nevertheless they (TL)flattered Him with their mouth,
And they lied to Him with their tongue;
37 For their heart was not steadfast with Him,
Nor were they faithful in His covenant.
38 (TM)But He, being full of (TN)compassion, forgave their iniquity,
And did not destroy them.
Yes, many a time (TO)He turned His anger away,
And (TP)did not stir up all His wrath;
39 For (TQ)He remembered (TR)that they were but flesh,
(TS)A breath that passes away and does not come again.
40 How often they (TT)provoked[ev] Him in the wilderness,
And grieved Him in the desert!
41 Yes, (TU)again and again they tempted God,
And limited the Holy One of Israel.
42 They did not remember His [ew]power:
The day when He redeemed them from the enemy,
43 When He worked His signs in Egypt,
And His wonders in the field of Zoan;
44 (TV)Turned their rivers into blood,
And their streams, that they could not drink.
45 (TW)He sent swarms of flies among them, which devoured them,
And (TX)frogs, which destroyed them.
46 He also gave their crops to the caterpillar,
And their labor to the (TY)locust.
47 (TZ)He destroyed their vines with hail,
And their sycamore trees with frost.
48 He also gave up their (UA)cattle to the hail,
And their flocks to fiery [ex]lightning.
49 He cast on them the fierceness of His anger,
Wrath, indignation, and trouble,
By sending angels of destruction among them.
50 He made a path for His anger;
He did not spare their soul from death,
But gave [ey]their life over to the plague,
51 And destroyed all the (UB)firstborn in Egypt,
The first of their strength in the tents of Ham.
52 But He (UC)made His own people go forth like sheep,
And guided them in the wilderness like a flock;
53 And He (UD)led them on safely, so that they did not fear;
But the sea (UE)overwhelmed their enemies.
54 And He brought them to His (UF)holy border,
This mountain (UG)which His right hand had acquired.
55 (UH)He also drove out the nations before them,
(UI)Allotted them an inheritance by [ez]survey,
And made the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents.
56 (UJ)Yet they tested and provoked the Most High God,
And did not keep His testimonies,
57 But (UK)turned back and acted unfaithfully like their fathers;
They were turned aside (UL)like a deceitful bow.
58 (UM)For they provoked Him to anger with their (UN)high places,
And moved Him to jealousy with their carved images.
59 When God heard this, He was furious,
And greatly abhorred Israel,
60 (UO)So that He forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh,
The tent He had placed among men,
61 (UP)And delivered His strength into captivity,
And His glory into the enemy’s hand.
62 (UQ)He also gave His people over to the sword,
And was furious with His inheritance.
63 The fire consumed their young men,
And (UR)their maidens were not given in marriage.
64 (US)Their priests fell by the sword,
And (UT)their widows made no lamentation.
65 Then the Lord awoke as from sleep,
(UU)Like a mighty man who shouts because of wine.
66 And (UV)He beat back His enemies;
He put them to a perpetual reproach.
67 Moreover He rejected the tent of Joseph,
And did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,
68 But chose the tribe of Judah,
Mount Zion (UW)which He loved.
69 And He built His (UX)sanctuary like the heights,
Like the earth which He has established forever.
70 (UY)He also chose David His servant,
And took him from the sheepfolds;
71 From following (UZ)the ewes that had young He brought him,
(VA)To shepherd Jacob His people,
And Israel His inheritance.
72 So he shepherded them according to the (VB)integrity of his heart,
And guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.
Footnotes
- Psalm 43:3 dwelling places
- Psalm 43:5 Lit. salvation
- Psalm 44:1 Heb. Maschil
- Psalm 44:2 Gentiles, heathen
- Psalm 44:4 So with MT, Tg.; LXX, Vg. and my God
- Psalm 44:4 So with MT, Tg.; LXX, Syr., Vg. Who commands
- Psalm 44:10 plunder
- Psalm 44:20 Worshiped
- Psalm 44:25 Ground, in humiliation
- Psalm 45:1 Heb. Shoshannim
- Psalm 45:1 Heb. Maschil
- Psalm 45:1 skillful
- Psalm 45:3 Belt on
- Psalm 46:1 An abundantly available help
- Psalm 46:2 Lit. heart
- Psalm 46:4 dwelling places
- Psalm 46:5 shaken
- Psalm 46:5 Lit. at the turning of the morning
- Psalm 48:2 height
- Psalm 48:14 So with MT, Syr.; LXX, Vg. Forever
- Psalm 49:4 riddle
- Psalm 49:9 experience corruption
- Psalm 49:11 LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg. Their graves shall be their houses forever
- Psalm 49:12 So with MT, Tg.; LXX, Syr., Vg. understand (cf. v. 20)
- Psalm 49:14 Or Sheol
- Psalm 49:15 Or Sheol
- Psalm 49:19 The light of life
- Psalm 50:5 Lit. cut
- Psalm 50:8 reprove
- Psalm 50:18 LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg. ran
- Psalm 51:4 LXX, Tg., Vg. in Your words
- Psalm 52:1 Heb. Maschil
- Psalm 52:7 Lit. desire, in evil sense
- Psalm 52:9 Or has a good reputation
- Psalm 53:1 Heb. Maschil
- Psalm 53:6 Or His captive people
- Psalm 54:1 Heb. neginoth
- Psalm 54:1 Heb. Maschil
- Psalm 54:4 sustain my soul
- Psalm 54:5 Destroy them
- Psalm 54:5 Or faithfulness
- Psalm 55:1 Heb. neginoth
- Psalm 55:1 Heb. Maschil
- Psalm 55:2 wander
- Psalm 55:9 speech, their counsel
- Psalm 55:15 Or Sheol
- Psalm 55:20 treaty
- Psalm 55:22 shaken
- Psalm 56:1 Heb. Jonath Elem Rechokim
- Psalm 57:1 Heb. Al Tashcheth
- Psalm 57:3 snaps at or hounds me, or crushes me
- Psalm 57:9 Gentiles
- Psalm 58:1 Heb. Al Tashcheth
- Psalm 58:6 Break away
- Psalm 59:1 Heb. Al Tashcheth
- Psalm 59:1 Lit. Set me on high
- Psalm 59:5 Gentiles
- Psalm 59:8 Gentiles
- Psalm 59:9 So with MT, Syr.; some Heb. mss., LXX, Tg., Vg. my Strength
- Psalm 59:9 Lit. fortress
- Psalm 59:10 So with Qr.; some Heb. mss., LXX, Vg. My God, His mercy; Kt., some Heb. mss., Tg. O God, my mercy; Syr. O God, Your mercy
- Psalm 59:15 So with LXX, Vg.; MT, Syr., Tg. spend the night
- Psalm 60:1 Heb. Shushan Eduth
- Psalm 60:3 staggering
- Psalm 60:7 Lit. protection
- Psalm 61:1 Heb. neginah
- Psalm 61:4 tent
- Psalm 61:7 Lit. guard or keep
- Psalm 62:2 strong tower
- Psalm 62:2 shaken
- Psalm 62:5 hope
- Psalm 62:6 shaken
- Psalm 62:9 vanity
- Psalm 62:12 reward
- Psalm 63:5 Lit. fat
- Psalm 63:5 Abundance
- Psalm 63:10 Lit. pour him out by the hand of the sword
- Psalm 63:10 Prey
- Psalm 64:1 complaint
- Psalm 65:1 A promised deed
- Psalm 65:8 shout for joy
- Psalm 65:9 give attention to
- Psalm 66:9 slip
- Psalm 66:12 abundance
- Psalm 66:13 Promised deeds
- Psalm 66:17 praised
- Psalm 67:1 Heb. neginoth
- Psalm 67:6 give her produce
- Psalm 68:4 Praise
- Psalm 68:4 MT deserts; Tg. heavens (cf. v. 34 and Is. 19:1)
- Psalm 68:4 Lit. Lord, a shortened Heb. form
- Psalm 68:11 host
- Psalm 68:12 plunder
- Psalm 68:13 Or saddlebags
- Psalm 68:16 Lit. stare
- Psalm 68:23 LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg. you may dip your foot
- Psalm 68:24 Lit. goings
- Psalm 68:27 throng
- Psalm 68:28 LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg. Command, O God
- Psalm 69:1 Heb. Shoshannim
- Psalm 69:1 Lit. soul
- Psalm 69:6 Wait in faith
- Psalm 69:6 dishonored
- Psalm 69:11 Symbolic of sorrow
- Psalm 69:12 Sit as judges
- Psalm 69:20 Lit. sickness
- Psalm 69:36 Lit. seed
- Psalm 70:2 So with MT, LXX, Tg., Vg.; some Heb. mss., Syr. appalled (cf. 40:15)
- Psalm 70:3 An expression of scorn
- Psalm 71:3 Lit. rock of refuge or rock of habitation
- Psalm 71:6 sustained from the womb
- Psalm 71:13 ashamed
- Psalm 71:19 great, lit. to the height of heaven
- Psalm 72:4 crush
- Psalm 72:5 So with MT, Tg.; LXX, Vg. They shall continue
- Psalm 73:4 pains
- Psalm 73:7 Tg. face bulges; LXX, Syr., Vg. iniquity bulges
- Psalm 73:8 Proudly
- Psalm 73:13 kept my heart pure in vain
- Psalm 73:16 troublesome in my eyes
- Psalm 73:21 Lit. pierced in my kidneys
- Psalm 73:26 Lit. rock
- Psalm 73:27 Are unfaithful to You
- Psalm 74:1 Heb. Maschil
- Psalm 74:8 oppress
- Psalm 74:10 revile
- Psalm 74:13 sea monsters
- Psalm 74:14 A large sea creature of unknown identity
- Psalm 74:20 hiding places
- Psalm 74:20 homes
- Psalm 74:20 violence
- Psalm 74:22 reviles or taunts
- Psalm 75:1 Heb. Al Tashcheth
- Psalm 75:2 appointed
- Psalm 75:4 Raise the head proudly like a horned animal
- Psalm 75:5 Insolent pride
- Psalm 75:10 Strength
- Psalm 76:1 Heb. neginoth
- Psalm 76:2 Jerusalem
- Psalm 76:5 Lit. have slumbered their sleep
- Psalm 77:6 ponders diligently
- Psalm 77:8 Lit. unto generation and generation
- Psalm 77:10 Lit. infirmity
- Psalm 77:13 Or holiness
- Psalm 78:1 Heb. Maschil
- Psalm 78:2 obscure sayings or riddles
- Psalm 78:8 Lit. prepare its heart
- Psalm 78:9 Lit. bow shooters
- Psalm 78:24 Lit. grain
- Psalm 78:25 satiation
- Psalm 78:30 Lit. separated
- Psalm 78:40 rebelled against Him
- Psalm 78:42 Lit. hand
- Psalm 78:48 lightning bolts
- Psalm 78:50 Or their beasts
- Psalm 78:55 surveyed measurement, lit. measuring cord
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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