Psalm 83-85

Complete Jewish Bible

83 ⁽⁰⁾A song. A psalm of Asaf:

²⁽¹⁾God, don’t remain silent!
Don’t stay quiet, God, or still;
³⁽²⁾because here are your enemies, causing an uproar;
those who hate you are raising their heads,
⁴⁽³⁾craftily conspiring against your people,
consulting together against those you treasure.

⁵⁽⁴⁾They say, “Come, let’s wipe them out as a nation;
let the name of Isra’el be remembered no more!”
⁶⁽⁵⁾With one mind they plot their schemes;
the covenant they have made is against you —
⁷⁽⁶⁾the tents of Edom and the Yishma‘elim,
Mo’av and the Hagrim,
⁸⁽⁷⁾G’val, ‘Amon and ‘Amalek,
P’leshet with those living in Tzor; (Selah)
⁹⁽⁸⁾Ashur too is allied with them,
to reinforce the descendants of Lot.

¹⁰⁽⁹⁾Do to them as you did to Midyan,
to Sisra and Yavin at Vadi Kishon —
¹¹⁽¹⁰⁾they were destroyed at ‘Ein-Dor
and became manure for the ground.
¹²⁽¹¹⁾Make their leaders like ‘Orev and Ze’ev,
all their princes like Zevach and Tzalmuna,
¹³⁽¹²⁾who said, “Let’s take possession
of God’s meadows for ourselves.”

¹⁴⁽¹³⁾My God, make them like whirling dust,
like chaff driven by the wind.
¹⁵⁽¹⁴⁾Like fire burning up the forest,
like a flame that sets the mountains ablaze,
¹⁶⁽¹⁵⁾drive them away with your storm,
terrify them with your tempest.
¹⁷⁽¹⁶⁾Fill their faces with shame,
so that they will seek your name, Adonai.
¹⁸⁽¹⁷⁾Let them be ashamed and fearful forever;
yes, let them perish in disgrace.
¹⁹⁽¹⁸⁾Let them know that you alone,
whose name is Adonai,
are the Most High over all the earth.

84 ⁽⁰⁾For the leader. On the gittit. A psalm of the sons of Korach:

²⁽¹⁾How deeply loved are your dwelling-places,
Adonai-Tzva’ot!
³⁽²⁾My soul yearns, yes, faints with longing
for the courtyards of Adonai;
my heart and body cry for joy
to the living God.

⁴⁽³⁾As the sparrow finds herself a home
and the swallow her nest, where she lays her young,
[so my resting-place is] by your altars,
Adonai-Tzva’ot, my king and my God.

⁵⁽⁴⁾How happy are those who live in your house;
they never cease to praise you! (Selah)
⁶⁽⁵⁾How happy the man whose strength is in you,
in whose heart are [pilgrim] highways.

⁷⁽⁶⁾Passing through the [dry] Baka Valley,
they make it a place of springs,
and the early rain clothes it with blessings.
⁸⁽⁷⁾They go from strength to strength
and appear before God in Tziyon.

⁹⁽⁸⁾Adonai, God of armies, hear my prayer;
listen, God of Ya‘akov. (Selah)
¹⁰⁽⁹⁾God, see our shield [the king];
look at the face of your anointed.
¹¹⁽¹⁰⁾Better a day in your courtyards
than a thousand [days elsewhere].
Better just standing at the door of my God’s house
than living in the tents of the wicked.

¹²⁽¹¹⁾For Adonai, God, is a sun and a shield;
Adonai bestows favor and honor;
he will not withhold anything good
from those whose lives are pure.

¹³⁽¹²⁾Adonai-Tzva’ot,
how happy is anyone who trusts in you!

85 ⁽⁰⁾For the leader. A psalm of the sons of Korach:

²⁽¹⁾Adonai, you have shown favor to your land;
you have restored the fortunes of Ya‘akov,
³⁽²⁾taken away the guilt of your people,
pardoned all their sin, (Selah)
⁴⁽³⁾withdrawn all your wrath,
turned from your fierce anger.

⁵⁽⁴⁾Restore us, God of our salvation,
renounce your displeasure with us.
⁶⁽⁵⁾Are you to stay angry with us forever?
Will your fury last through all generations?

⁷⁽⁶⁾Won’t you revive us again,
so your people can rejoice in you?
⁸⁽⁷⁾Show us your grace, Adonai;
grant us your salvation.

⁹⁽⁸⁾I am listening. What will God, Adonai, say?
For he will speak peace to his people,
to his holy ones —
but only if they don’t relapse into folly.
¹⁰⁽⁹⁾His salvation is near for those who fear him,
so that glory will be in our land.
¹¹⁽¹⁰⁾Grace and truth have met together;
justice and peace have kissed each other.
¹²⁽¹¹⁾Truth springs up from the earth,
and justice looks down from heaven.
¹³⁽¹²⁾Adonai will also grant prosperity;
our land will yield its harvest.
¹⁴⁽¹³⁾Justice will walk before him
and make his footsteps a path.