Psalm 32-37
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Psalm 32
The Joy of Forgiveness
Davidic. A Maskil.
1 How joyful is the one
whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered!(A)
2 How joyful is the man
the Lord does not charge with sin(B)
and in whose spirit is no deceit!(C)
3 When I kept silent, my bones became brittle
from my groaning all day long.(D)
4 For day and night Your hand was heavy on me;(E)
my strength was drained[a]
as in the summer’s heat.(F)
5 Then I acknowledged my sin to You
and did not conceal my iniquity.
I said,
“I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
and You took away the guilt of my sin.(G)
6 Therefore let everyone who is faithful pray to You
at a time that You may be found.[b](H)
When great floodwaters come,
they will not reach him.(I)
7 You are my hiding place;(J)
You protect me from trouble.(K)
You surround me with joyful shouts of deliverance.
8 I will instruct you and show you the way to go;(L)
with My eye on you, I will give counsel.(M)
9 Do not be like a horse or mule,
without understanding,
that must be controlled with bit and bridle
or else it will not come near you.(N)
10 Many pains come to the wicked,(O)
but the one who trusts in the Lord
will have faithful love surrounding him.(P)
11 Be glad in the Lord and rejoice,
you righteous ones;
shout for joy,
all you upright in heart.(Q)
Psalm 33
Praise to the Creator
1 Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous ones;
praise from the upright is beautiful.(R)
2 Praise the Lord with the lyre;
make music to Him with a ten-stringed harp.(S)
3 Sing a new song to Him;(T)
play skillfully on the strings, with a joyful shout.(U)
4 For the word of the Lord is right,
and all His work is trustworthy.(V)
5 He loves righteousness and justice;(W)
the earth is full of the Lord’s unfailing love.(X)
6 The heavens were made by the word of the Lord,(Y)
and all the stars, by the breath of His mouth.(Z)
7 He gathers the waters of the sea into a heap;[c]
He puts the depths into storehouses.(AA)
8 Let the whole earth tremble before the Lord;
let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.(AB)
9 For He spoke, and it came into being;
He commanded, and it came into existence.(AC)
10 The Lord frustrates the counsel of the nations;
He thwarts the plans of the peoples.(AD)
11 The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
the plans of His heart from generation to generation.(AE)
12 Happy is the nation whose God is Yahweh—
the people He has chosen to be His own possession!(AF)
13 The Lord looks down from heaven;
He observes everyone.(AG)
14 He gazes on all the inhabitants of the earth
from His dwelling place.(AH)
15 He alone shapes their hearts;
He considers all their works.(AI)
16 A king is not saved by a large army;
a warrior will not be delivered by great strength.(AJ)
17 The horse is a false hope for safety;
it provides no escape by its great power.(AK)
18 Now the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him—
those who depend on His faithful love(AL)
19 to deliver them from death
and to keep them alive in famine.(AM)
20 We wait for Yahweh;(AN)
He is our help and shield.(AO)
21 For our hearts rejoice in Him(AP)
because we trust in His holy name.(AQ)
22 May Your faithful love rest on us, Yahweh,
for we put our hope in You.(AR)
Psalm 34
The Lord Delivers the Righteous
Concerning David, when he pretended to be insane in the presence of Abimelech,[d](AS) who drove him out, and he departed.
1 I[e] will praise the Lord at all times;
His praise will always be on my lips.(AT)
2 I will boast in the Lord;(AU)
the humble will hear and be glad.(AV)
3 Proclaim Yahweh’s greatness with me;(AW)
let us exalt His name together.(AX)
4 I sought the Lord, and He answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.(AY)
5 Those who look to Him are[f] radiant with joy;(AZ)
their faces will never be ashamed.(BA)
6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
and saved him from all his troubles.(BB)
7 The Angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear Him, and rescues them.(BC)
8 Taste and see that the Lord is good.(BD)
How happy is the man who takes refuge in Him!(BE)
9 You who are His holy ones, fear Yahweh,
for those who fear Him lack nothing.(BF)
10 Young lions[g] lack food and go hungry,(BG)
but those who seek the Lord
will not lack any good thing.(BH)
11 Come, children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.(BI)
12 Who is the man who delights in life,
loving a long life to enjoy what is good?(BJ)
13 Keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from deceitful speech.(BK)
14 Turn away from evil and do what is good;(BL)
seek peace and pursue it.(BM)
15 The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
and His ears are open to their cry for help.(BN)
16 The face of the Lord is set
against those who do what is evil,(BO)
to erase[h] all memory of them from the earth.(BP)
17 The righteous[i] cry out, and the Lord hears,
and delivers them from all their troubles.(BQ)
18 The Lord is near the brokenhearted;
He saves those crushed in spirit.(BR)
19 Many adversities come to the one who is righteous,
but the Lord delivers him from them all.(BS)
20 He protects all his bones;
not one of them is broken.(BT)
21 Evil brings death to the wicked,
and those who hate the righteous will be punished.(BU)
22 The Lord redeems the life of His servants,
and all who take refuge in Him will not be punished.(BV)
Psalm 35
Prayer for Victory
Davidic.
1 Oppose my opponents, Lord;
fight those who fight me.(BW)
2 Take Your shields—large and small—
and come to my aid.(BX)
3 Draw the spear and javelin against my pursuers,
and assure me: “I am your deliverance.”(BY)
4 Let those who seek to kill me
be disgraced and humiliated;
let those who plan to harm me
be turned back and ashamed.(BZ)
5 Let them be like chaff in the wind,
with the angel of the Lord driving them away.(CA)
6 Let their way be dark and slippery,
with the angel of the Lord pursuing them.(CB)
7 They hid their net for me without cause;
they dug a pit for me without cause.(CC)
8 Let ruin come on him unexpectedly,
and let the net that he hid ensnare him;
let him fall into it—to his ruin.(CD)
9 Then I will rejoice in the Lord;
I will delight in His deliverance.(CE)
10 My very bones will say,
“Lord, who is like You,(CF)
rescuing the poor from one too strong for him,
the poor or the needy from one who robs him?”(CG)
11 Malicious witnesses come forward;
they question me about things I do not know.(CH)
12 They repay me evil for good,
making me desolate.(CI)
13 Yet when they were sick,
my clothing was sackcloth;
I humbled myself with fasting,
and my prayer was genuine.[j](CJ)
14 I went about grieving as if for my friend or brother;
I was bowed down with grief,
like one mourning a mother.(CK)
15 But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee;
they gathered against me.
Assailants I did not know
tore at me and did not stop.(CL)
16 With godless mockery[k]
they gnashed their teeth at me.(CM)
17 Lord, how long will You look on?(CN)
Rescue my life from their ravages,
my only one from the young lions.(CO)
18 I will praise You in the great congregation;
I will exalt You among many people.(CP)
19 Do not let my deceitful enemies rejoice over me;
do not let those who hate me without cause(CQ)
look at me maliciously.(CR)
20 For they do not speak in friendly ways,
but contrive deceitful schemes[l]
against those who live peacefully in the land.(CS)
21 They open their mouths wide against me and say,
“Aha, aha! We saw it!”[m](CT)
22 You saw it, Lord; do not be silent.
Lord, do not be far from me.(CU)
23 Wake up and rise to my defense,
to my cause, my God and my Lord!(CV)
24 Vindicate me, Lord my God,
in keeping with Your righteousness,
and do not let them rejoice over me.(CW)
25 Do not let them say in their hearts,
“Aha! Just what we wanted.”
Do not let them say,
“We have swallowed him up!”(CX)
26 Let those who rejoice at my misfortune
be disgraced and humiliated;
let those who exalt themselves over me
be clothed with shame and reproach.(CY)
27 Let those who want my vindication
shout for joy and be glad;
let them continually say,
“The Lord be exalted.
He takes pleasure in His servant’s well-being.”(CZ)
28 And my tongue will proclaim Your righteousness,
Your praise all day long.(DA)
Psalm 36
Human Wickedness and God’s Love
For the choir director. A psalm of David, the Lord’s servant.
1 An oracle within my heart
concerning the transgression of the wicked person:
There is no dread of God before his eyes,(DB)
2 for in his own eyes he flatters himself too much
to discover and hate his sin.(DC)
3 The words of his mouth are malicious and deceptive;(DD)
he has stopped acting wisely and doing good.(DE)
4 Even on his bed he makes malicious plans.(DF)
He sets himself on a path that is not good
and does not reject evil.(DG)
5 Lord, Your faithful love reaches to heaven,
Your faithfulness to the clouds.(DH)
6 Your righteousness is like the highest mountains;
Your judgments, like the deepest sea.(DI)
Lord, You preserve man and beast.(DJ)
7 God, Your faithful love is so valuable
that people take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.(DK)
8 They are filled from the abundance of Your house;
You let them drink from Your refreshing stream,(DL)
9 for with You is life’s fountain.(DM)
In Your light we will see light.(DN)
10 Spread Your faithful love over those who know You,
and Your righteousness over the upright in heart.(DO)
11 Do not let the foot of the arrogant man come near me
or the hand of the wicked one drive me away.(DP)
12 There the evildoers fall;
they have been thrown down and cannot rise.(DQ)
Psalm 37
Instruction in Wisdom
Davidic.
1 Do[n] not be agitated by evildoers;
do not envy those who do wrong.(DR)
2 For they wither quickly like grass
and wilt like tender green plants.(DS)
3 Trust in the Lord and do what is good;(DT)
dwell in the land and live securely.[o](DU)
4 Take delight in the Lord,
and He will give you your heart’s desires.(DV)
5 Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in Him, and He will act,(DW)
6 making your righteousness shine like the dawn,
your justice like the noonday.(DX)
7 Be silent before the Lord and wait expectantly for Him;(DY)
do not be agitated by one who prospers in his way,
by the man who carries out evil plans.(DZ)
8 Refrain from anger and give up your rage;
do not be agitated—it can only bring harm.(EA)
9 For evildoers will be destroyed,
but those who put their hope in the Lord
will inherit the land.[p](EB)
10 A little while, and the wicked person will be no more;
though you look for him, he will not be there.(EC)
11 But the humble will inherit the land[q](ED)
and will enjoy abundant prosperity.(EE)
12 The wicked person schemes against the righteous
and gnashes his teeth at him.(EF)
13 The Lord laughs at him(EG)
because He sees that his day is coming.(EH)
14 The wicked have drawn the sword and strung the[r] bow
to bring down the afflicted and needy
and to slaughter those whose way is upright.(EI)
15 Their swords will enter their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken.(EJ)
16 The little that the righteous man has is better
than the abundance of many wicked people.(EK)
17 For the arms[s] of the wicked will be broken,(EL)
but the Lord supports the righteous.(EM)
18 The Lord watches over the blameless all their days,
and their inheritance will last forever.(EN)
19 They will not be disgraced in times of adversity;
they will be satisfied in days of hunger.(EO)
20 But the wicked will perish;
the Lord’s enemies, like the glory of the pastures,
will fade away—
they will fade away like smoke.(EP)
21 The wicked man borrows and does not repay,
but the righteous one is gracious and giving.(EQ)
22 Those who are blessed by Him will inherit the land,[t]
but those cursed by Him will be destroyed.(ER)
23 A man’s steps are established by the Lord,
and He takes pleasure in his way.(ES)
24 Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed,
because the Lord holds his hand.[u](ET)
25 I have been young and now I am old,
yet I have not seen the righteous abandoned
or his children begging for bread.(EU)
26 He is always generous, always lending,
and his children are a blessing.(EV)
27 Turn away from evil and do what is good,
and dwell there[v] forever.(EW)
28 For the Lord loves justice
and will not abandon His faithful ones.(EX)
They are kept safe forever,
but the children of the wicked will be destroyed.(EY)
29 The righteous will inherit the land[w]
and dwell in it permanently.(EZ)
30 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom;
his tongue speaks what is just.(FA)
31 The instruction of his God is in his heart;
his steps do not falter.(FB)
32 The wicked one lies in wait for the righteous
and seeks to kill him;(FC)
33 the Lord will not leave him
in the power of the wicked one
or allow him to be condemned when he is judged.(FD)
34 Wait for the Lord and keep His way,
and He will exalt you to inherit the land.
You will watch when the wicked are destroyed.(FE)
35 I have seen a wicked, violent man
well-rooted[x] like a flourishing native tree.(FF)
36 Then I passed by and[y] noticed he was gone;
I searched for him, but he could not be found.(FG)
37 Watch the blameless and observe the upright,
for the man of peace will have a future.[z](FH)
38 But transgressors will all be eliminated;
the future[aa] of the wicked will be destroyed.(FI)
39 The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord,
their refuge in a time of distress.(FJ)
40 The Lord helps and delivers them;
He will deliver them from the wicked and will save them
because they take refuge in Him.(FK)
Footnotes
- Psalm 32:4 Hb obscure
- Psalm 32:6 Lit time of finding
- Psalm 33:7 LXX, Tg, Syr, Vg, Jer read sea as in a bottle
- Psalm 34:1 Probably Achish, king of Gath
- Psalm 34:1 The lines of this poem form an acrostic.
- Psalm 34:5 Some Hb mss, LXX, Aq, Syr, Jer read Look to Him and be
- Psalm 34:10 LXX, Syr, Vg read The rich
- Psalm 34:16 Or cut off
- Psalm 34:17 Lit They
- Psalm 35:13 Lit prayer returned to my chest
- Psalm 35:16 Hb obscure
- Psalm 35:20 Lit but devise deceitful words
- Psalm 35:21 Lit Our eyes saw!
- Psalm 37:1 The lines of this poem form an acrostic.
- Psalm 37:3 Or and cultivate faithfulness
- Psalm 37:9 Or earth
- Psalm 37:11 Or earth
- Psalm 37:14 Lit their
- Psalm 37:17 Or power
- Psalm 37:22 Or earth
- Psalm 37:24 Or Lord supports with His hand
- Psalm 37:27 = dwell in the land
- Psalm 37:29 Or earth
- Psalm 37:35 Hb obscure
- Psalm 37:36 DSS, LXX, Syr, Vg, Jer; MT reads Then he passed away, and I
- Psalm 37:37 Or posterity
- Psalm 37:38 Or posterity
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