Psalm 1-3

Common English Bible

BOOK I

(Psalms 1–41)

Psalm 1

1 The truly happy person
    doesn’t follow wicked advice,
    doesn’t stand on the road of sinners,
    and doesn’t sit with the disrespectful.
²Instead of doing those things,
    these persons love the Lord’s Instruction,
    and they recite God’s Instruction day and night!
³They are like a tree replanted by streams of water,
    which bears fruit at just the right time
    and whose leaves don’t fade.
        Whatever they do succeeds.

⁴That’s not true for the wicked!
    They are like dust that the wind blows away.
⁵And that’s why the wicked will have no standing in the court of justice—
    neither will sinners
    in the assembly of the righteous.
⁶The Lord is intimately acquainted
    with the way of the righteous,
    but the way of the wicked is destroyed.

Psalm 2

2 Why do the nations rant?
    Why do the peoples rave uselessly?
²The earth’s rulers take their stand;
    the leaders scheme together
    against the Lord and
    against his anointed one.
³        “Come!” they say.
        “We will tear off their ropes
        and throw off their chains!”
⁴The one who rules in heaven laughs;
    my Lord makes fun of them.
⁵But then God speaks to them angrily;
    then he terrifies them with his fury:
⁶        “I hereby appoint my king on Zion,
        my holy mountain!”

⁷I will announce the Lord’s decision:
    He said to me, “You are my son,
        today I have become your father.
⁸Just ask me,
    and I will make the nations your possession;
    the far corners of the earth will be your property.
⁹You will smash them with an iron rod;
    you will shatter them like a pottery jar.”

¹⁰So kings, wise up!
    Be warned, you rulers of the earth!
¹¹Serve the Lord reverently—
    trembling, ¹²kiss his feet^[a]
        or else he will become angry,
        and your way will be destroyed
    because his anger ignites in an instant.

But all who take refuge in the Lord are truly happy!

Psalm 3

A psalm of David, when he fled from his son Absalom.

3 Lord, I have so many enemies!
    So many are standing against me.
²So many are talking about me:
    “Even God won’t help him.” Selah^[b]
³But you, Lord, are my shield!
    You are my glory!
    You are the one who restores me.
⁴I cry out loud to the Lord,
    and he answers me from his holy mountain. Selah
⁵I lie down, sleep, and wake up
    because the Lord helps me.
⁶I won’t be afraid of thousands of people
    surrounding me on all sides.

⁷Stand up, Lord!
    Save me, my God!
In fact, hit all my enemies on the jaw;
    shatter the teeth of the wicked!
⁸Rescue comes from the Lord!
    May your blessing be on your people! Selah

Footnotes

Psalm 2:12 Correction; Heb uncertain; MT rejoice with trembling, kiss the son (but with son in Aram, not Heb)
Psalm 3:2 Heb uncertain; probably a musical term