A Petition to Be Saved from Death.

A Song. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. For the music director; according to Mahalath Leannoth. A [a]Maskil of Heman [b]the Ezrahite.

88 Lord, the (A)God of my salvation,
I have (B)cried out by day and in the night before You.
Let my prayer (C)come before You;
(D)Incline Your ear to my cry!
For my (E)soul has [c]had enough troubles,
And (F)my life has approached [d]Sheol.
I am counted among those who (G)go down to the pit;
I have become like a man (H)without strength,
[e]Abandoned (I)among the dead,
Like the slain who lie in the grave,
Whom You no longer remember,
And they are (J)cut off from Your hand.
You have put me in (K)the lowest pit,
In (L)dark places, in the (M)depths.
Your wrath (N)has rested upon me,
And You have afflicted me with (O)all Your waves. Selah
You have removed (P)my acquaintances far from me;
You have made me an [f](Q)object of loathing to them;
I am (R)shut up and cannot go out.
My (S)eye grows dim from misery;
I have (T)called upon You every day, Lord;
I have (U)spread out my [g]hands to You.

10 Will You perform wonders for the dead?
Or will (V)the departed spirits rise and praise You? Selah
11 Will Your graciousness be declared in the grave,
Your faithfulness in [h]Abaddon?
12 Will Your wonders be made known in the (W)darkness?
And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?

13 But I, Lord, have cried out (X)to You for help,
And (Y)in the morning my prayer comes before You.
14 Lord, why (Z)do You reject my soul?
Why do You (AA)hide Your face from me?
15 I was miserable and (AB)about to die from my youth on;
I suffer (AC)Your terrors; I grow weary.
16 Your (AD)burning anger has passed over me;
Your terrors have [i](AE)destroyed me.
17 They have (AF)surrounded me (AG)like water all day long;
They have (AH)encircled me altogether.
18 You have removed (AI)lover and friend far from me;
My acquaintances are in a hiding place.

The Lords Covenant with David and Israel’s Afflictions.

A [j]Maskil of [k]Ethan [l]the Ezrahite.

89 I will (AJ)sing of the graciousness of the Lord forever;
To all generations I will (AK)make Your (AL)faithfulness known with my mouth.
For I have said, “(AM)Graciousness will be built up forever;
In the heavens You will establish Your (AN)faithfulness.”
“I have made a covenant with (AO)My chosen;
I have (AP)sworn to My servant David,
I will establish your [m](AQ)descendants forever
And build up your (AR)throne to all generations.” Selah

The (AS)heavens will praise Your wonders, Lord;
Your faithfulness also (AT)in the assembly of the (AU)holy ones.
For (AV)who in the skies is comparable to the Lord?
Who among the [n](AW)sons of the mighty is like the Lord,
A God (AX)greatly feared in the council of the (AY)holy ones,
And (AZ)awesome above all those who are around Him?
Lord God of armies, (BA)who is like You, mighty [o]Lord?
Your faithfulness also surrounds You.
You rule the surging of the sea;
When its waves rise, You (BB)calm them.
10 You Yourself crushed [p](BC)Rahab like one who is slain;
You (BD)scattered Your enemies with [q]Your mighty arm.

11 The (BE)heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours;
The (BF)world and [r]all it contains, You have established them.
12 The (BG)north and the south, You have created them;
(BH)Tabor and (BI)Hermon (BJ)shout for joy at Your name.
13 You have [s]a strong arm;
Your hand is mighty, Your (BK)right hand is exalted.
14 (BL)Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne;
(BM)Mercy and [t]truth go before You.
15 Blessed are the people who know the [u](BN)joyful sound!
Lord, they walk in the (BO)light of Your face.
16 In (BP)Your name they rejoice all the day,
And by Your righteousness they are exalted.
17 For You are the glory of (BQ)their strength,
And by Your favor [v]our (BR)horn is exalted.
18 For our (BS)shield belongs to the Lord,
[w]And our king to the (BT)Holy One of Israel.

19 [x]Once You spoke in vision to Your godly [y]ones,
And said, “I have [z]given help to one who is (BU)mighty;
I have exalted one (BV)chosen from the people.
20 I have (BW)found My servant David;
With My holy (BX)oil I have anointed him,
21 With whom (BY)My hand will be established;
My arm also will (BZ)strengthen him.
22 The enemy will not [aa]deceive him,
Nor will the [ab](CA)son of wickedness afflict him.
23 But I will (CB)crush his adversaries before him,
And strike those who hate him.
24 My (CC)faithfulness and My favor will be with him,
And in My name his (CD)horn will be exalted.
25 I will also place his hand (CE)on the sea,
And his right hand on the rivers.
26 He will call to Me, ‘You are (CF)my Father,
My God, and the (CG)rock of my salvation.’
27 I will also make him My (CH)firstborn,
The (CI)highest of the kings of the earth.
28 I will maintain My (CJ)favor for him forever,
And My (CK)covenant shall be confirmed to him.
29 So I will establish his [ac](CL)descendants forever,
And his (CM)throne (CN)as the days of heaven.

30 “If his sons (CO)abandon My Law
And do not walk in My judgments,
31 If they [ad]violate My statutes
And do not keep My commandments,
32 Then I will punish their wrongdoing with the (CP)rod,
And their guilt with [ae]afflictions.
33 But I will not [af]withhold (CQ)My favor from him,
Nor deal falsely in My faithfulness.
34 I will not [ag]violate My (CR)covenant,
Nor will I (CS)alter [ah]the utterance of My lips.
35 [ai]Once I have (CT)sworn by My holiness;
I will not lie to David.
36 His [aj](CU)descendants shall endure forever,
And his (CV)throne (CW)as the sun before Me.
37 It shall be established forever (CX)like the moon,
And a (CY)witness in the sky is faithful.” Selah

38 But You have (CZ)rejected and (DA)refused,
You have been full of wrath [ak]against Your (DB)anointed.
39 You have [al](DC)repudiated the covenant of Your servant;
You have (DD)profaned (DE)his crown [am]in the dust.
40 You have (DF)broken down all his walls;
You have (DG)brought his strongholds to ruin.
41 (DH)All who pass along the way plunder him;
He has become a (DI)disgrace to his neighbors.
42 You have (DJ)exalted the right hand of his adversaries;
You have (DK)made all his enemies rejoice.
43 You also turn back the edge of his sword,
And have (DL)not made him stand in battle.
44 You have put an end to his [an](DM)splendor
And cast his throne to the ground.
45 You have (DN)shortened the days of his youth;
You have (DO)covered him with shame. Selah

46 (DP)How long, Lord?
Will You hide Yourself forever?
Will Your (DQ)wrath burn like fire?
47 (DR)Remember [ao]what my lifespan is;
For what (DS)futility [ap]You have created all the sons of mankind!
48 What man can live and not (DT)see death?
Can he (DU)save his soul from the [aq]power of [ar]Sheol? Selah

49 Where are Your former acts of favor, Lord,
Which You (DV)swore to David in Your faithfulness?
50 Remember, Lord, the (DW)taunt against Your servants;
[as]How I carry in my heart the taunts of all the many peoples,
51 With which (DX)Your enemies have taunted, Lord,
With which they have taunted the footsteps of (DY)Your anointed.

52 (DZ)Blessed be the Lord forever!
Amen and Amen.

BOOK 4

God’s Eternity and the Brevity of Human Life.

A Prayer of [at]Moses, the man of God.

90 Lord, You have been our [au](EA)dwelling place in all generations.
Before (EB)the mountains were born
[av]Or You (EC)gave birth to the earth and the world,
Even (ED)from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.

You (EE)turn mortals back into dust
And say, “Return, you sons of mankind.”
For (EF)a thousand years in Your sight
Are like (EG)yesterday when it passes by,
[aw]Or like a (EH)watch in the night.
You (EI)have [ax]swept them away like a flood, they [ay](EJ)fall asleep;
In the morning they are like (EK)grass that [az]sprouts anew.
In the morning it (EL)flourishes and [ba]sprouts anew;
Toward evening it (EM)wilts and (EN)withers away.

For we have been (EO)consumed by Your anger,
And we have been terrified by Your wrath.
You have (EP)placed our guilty deeds before You,
Our (EQ)hidden sins in the light of Your presence.
For (ER)all our days have dwindled away in Your fury;
We have finished our years like a [bb]sigh.
10 As for the days of our [bc]life, [bd]they contain seventy years,
Or if due to strength, (ES)eighty years,
Yet their pride is only (ET)trouble and tragedy;
For it quickly passes, and we (EU)disappear.
11 Who [be]understands the (EV)power of Your anger
And Your fury, according to the (EW)fear [bf]that is due You?
12 So (EX)teach us to number our days,
That we may [bg](EY)present to You a heart of wisdom.

13 Do (EZ)return, Lord; (FA)how long will it be?
And [bh]be (FB)sorry for Your servants.
14 (FC)Satisfy us in the morning with Your graciousness,
That we may (FD)sing for joy and rejoice all our days.
15 (FE)Make us glad [bi]according to the days You have afflicted us,
And the (FF)years we have seen [bj]evil.
16 Let Your (FG)work appear to Your servants
And Your (FH)majesty [bk]to their children.
17 May the (FI)kindness of the Lord our God be upon us;
And [bl](FJ)confirm for us the work of our hands;
Yes, [bm]confirm the work of our hands.

Security of One Who Trusts in the Lord.

91 One who dwells in the (FK)shelter of the Most High
Will lodge in the (FL)shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the Lord, “My (FM)refuge and my (FN)fortress,
My God, in whom I (FO)trust!”
For it is He who rescues you from the (FP)net of the trapper
And from the deadly (FQ)plague.
He will (FR)cover you with His pinions,
And (FS)under His wings you may take refuge;
His (FT)faithfulness is a (FU)shield and wall.

You (FV)will not be afraid of the (FW)terror by night,
Or of the (FX)arrow that flies by day;
Of the (FY)plague that [bn]stalks in darkness,
Or of the (FZ)destruction that devastates at noon.
A thousand may fall at your side
And ten thousand at your right hand,
But (GA)it shall not approach you.
You will only look on with your eyes
And (GB)see the retaliation against the wicked.
[bo]For you have made the Lord, (GC)my refuge,
The Most High, (GD)your dwelling place.
10 (GE)No evil will happen to you,
Nor will any plague come near your [bp]tent.

11 For He will give (GF)His angels orders concerning you,
To protect you in all your ways.
12 On their hands they will (GG)lift you up,
So that you do not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will (GH)walk upon the lion and cobra,
You will trample the young lion and the [bq]serpent.

14 (GI)Because he has loved Me, I will save him;
I will (GJ)set him securely on high, because he has (GK)known My name.
15 He will (GL)call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in [br]trouble;
I will rescue him and (GM)honor him.
16 I will satisfy him with [bs]a (GN)long life,
And [bt](GO)show him My salvation.”

Praise for the Lords Goodness.

A Psalm, a Song for the Sabbath day.

92 It is (GP)good to give thanks to the Lord
And to (GQ)sing praises to Your name, Most High;
To (GR)declare Your goodness in the morning
And Your (GS)faithfulness by [bu]night,
[bv]With the (GT)ten-stringed lute and [bw]with the (GU)harp,
[bx]With resounding music on the (GV)lyre.
For You, Lord, have made me joyful by [by]what You (GW)have done,
I will (GX)sing for joy over the (GY)works of Your hands.

How (GZ)great are Your works, Lord!
Your [bz](HA)thoughts are very (HB)deep.
A (HC)stupid person has no knowledge,
Nor does a (HD)foolish person understand this:
When the wicked (HE)sprouted up like grass
And all (HF)who did injustice flourished,
It was only that they might be (HG)destroyed forevermore.
But You, Lord, are (HH)on high forever.
For, behold, Your enemies, Lord,
For, behold, (HI)Your enemies will perish;
All who do injustice will be (HJ)scattered.

10 But You have exalted my (HK)horn like that of the wild ox;
I have [ca]been (HL)anointed with fresh oil.
11 And my eye has (HM)looked at my enemies,
My ears hear of the evildoers who rise up against me.
12 The (HN)righteous person will [cb]flourish like the palm tree,
He will grow like a (HO)cedar in Lebanon.
13 (HP)Planted in the house of the Lord,
They will flourish (HQ)in the courtyards of our God.
14 They will still [cc](HR)yield fruit in advanced age;
They will be [cd]full of sap and very green,
15 To [ce]declare that (HS)the Lord is just;
He is my (HT)rock, and there is (HU)no malice in Him.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 88 Title Possibly, Contemplative; or Didactic; or Skillful Psalm
  2. Psalm 88 Title 1 Kin 4:31; 1 Chr 2:6; Ps 89: title
  3. Psalm 88:3 Or been satisfied with
  4. Psalm 88:3 I.e., the netherworld
  5. Psalm 88:5 Lit A freed one among the dead
  6. Psalm 88:8 Lit abomination to them
  7. Psalm 88:9 Lit palms
  8. Psalm 88:11 I.e., place of destruction
  9. Psalm 88:16 Or silenced
  10. Psalm 89 Title Possibly, Contemplative; or Didactic; or Skillful Psalm
  11. Psalm 89 Title 1 Kin 4:31
  12. Psalm 89 Title Ps 88: title
  13. Psalm 89:4 Lit seed
  14. Psalm 89:6 Or sons of gods
  15. Psalm 89:8 Heb Yah
  16. Psalm 89:10 I.e., Egypt, as a sea monster; not to be confused with Rahab in Joshua 2
  17. Psalm 89:10 Lit the arm of Your might
  18. Psalm 89:11 Lit its fullness
  19. Psalm 89:13 Lit an arm with strength
  20. Psalm 89:14 Or faithfulness
  21. Psalm 89:15 Or blast of the trumpet, shout of joy
  22. Psalm 89:17 Another reading is You exalt our horn
  23. Psalm 89:18 Or Even to the Holy One of Israel our King
  24. Psalm 89:19 Or At that time
  25. Psalm 89:19 Some mss one
  26. Psalm 89:19 Lit placed help upon
  27. Psalm 89:22 Or exact usury from him
  28. Psalm 89:22 Or wicked man
  29. Psalm 89:29 Lit seed
  30. Psalm 89:31 Lit profane
  31. Psalm 89:32 Or plagues
  32. Psalm 89:33 Lit break
  33. Psalm 89:34 Lit profane
  34. Psalm 89:34 Lit that which goes forth
  35. Psalm 89:35 Or One thing
  36. Psalm 89:36 Lit seed
  37. Psalm 89:38 Lit with
  38. Psalm 89:39 I.e., scornfully rejected
  39. Psalm 89:39 Lit to the ground
  40. Psalm 89:44 Lit clearness, luster
  41. Psalm 89:47 Lit of what duration I am
  42. Psalm 89:47 Or have You...mankind?
  43. Psalm 89:48 Lit hand
  44. Psalm 89:48 I.e., the netherworld
  45. Psalm 89:50 Lit My bearing in my chest
  46. Psalm 90 Title Deut 33:1
  47. Psalm 90:1 Or hiding place; some ancient mss place of refuge
  48. Psalm 90:2 Or And
  49. Psalm 90:4 Or And
  50. Psalm 90:5 Or flooded
  51. Psalm 90:5 Lit become asleep
  52. Psalm 90:5 Or passes away
  53. Psalm 90:6 Or passes away
  54. Psalm 90:9 Or whisper
  55. Psalm 90:10 Lit years
  56. Psalm 90:10 Lit in them are
  57. Psalm 90:11 Or knows
  58. Psalm 90:11 Lit of You
  59. Psalm 90:12 Lit bring in
  60. Psalm 90:13 Or repent in regard to
  61. Psalm 90:15 Or as many days as
  62. Psalm 90:15 Or trouble
  63. Psalm 90:16 Or upon
  64. Psalm 90:17 Or give permanence to
  65. Psalm 90:17 Or give permanence to
  66. Psalm 91:6 Or walks
  67. Psalm 91:9 Or For You, O Lord, are my Refuge; You have made the Most High your dwelling place
  68. Psalm 91:10 Or dwelling
  69. Psalm 91:13 Or dragon
  70. Psalm 91:15 Or distress
  71. Psalm 91:16 Lit length of days
  72. Psalm 91:16 Or cause him to feast his eyes on
  73. Psalm 92:2 Lit nights
  74. Psalm 92:3 Lit Upon
  75. Psalm 92:3 Lit Upon
  76. Psalm 92:3 Lit Upon
  77. Psalm 92:4 Lit Your working
  78. Psalm 92:5 Or purposes
  79. Psalm 92:10 Or become moist
  80. Psalm 92:12 Lit sprout
  81. Psalm 92:14 Or thrive in
  82. Psalm 92:14 Lit fat and
  83. Psalm 92:15 Or show forth

Bible Gateway Recommends