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Psalm 9
New Catholic Bible
Psalm 9
New Catholic Bible
Psalms 9–10[a]
Psalm 9[b]
Thanksgiving for the Triumph of Justice
1 For the director.[c] According to Muth Labben. A psalm of David.
2 I will offer praise to you, O Lord,
with my whole heart;
I will recount all your wondrous deeds.[d]
3 I will rejoice and exult in you;
I will sing praise to your name,[e] O Most High.
4 For my enemies have turned back;
in your presence they stumble and perish.
5 But you have upheld my just cause,
you who are seated on your throne as a righteous judge.
6 You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked,
erasing their name forever and ever.
7 The enemies have suffered endless ruin;
their cities have been utterly destroyed,
and not even their memory remains.
8 The Lord is enthroned forever;
he has established his throne for judgment.
9 He governs the world in righteousness
and judges the peoples with equity.
10 The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed,
a refuge in times of distress.
11 Those who revere your name place their trust in you,
for you never abandon those who seek you, O Lord.
12 Sing praise to the Lord enthroned in Zion;[f]
proclaim to the nations his wondrous deeds.
13 For the avenger of blood remembers them;
he does not ignore the cry of the afflicted.
14 Have mercy on me, O Lord;
behold how my enemies afflict me,
you who save me from the gates of death.
15 Then I will recount all your praises
and rejoice in your salvation
at the gates of the Daughter of Zion.[g]
16 [h]The nations have fallen into the pit they made;
their feet have been caught in the snare they laid.
17 The Lord has made himself known and rendered judgment;
the wicked are ensnared in the work of their own hands. Higgaion,[i] Selah
18 The wicked will depart into the netherworld,
all the nations that turned away from God.
19 But the needy will not be forgotten forever,
nor will the hope of the afflicted ever come to naught.
20 Rise up, O Lord! Do not let man triumph;
let the nations be judged before you.
21 Strike them with fear, O Lord;
let the nations know that they are mere mortals. Selah
Footnotes
- Psalm 9:1 In these psalms we are perhaps in the period of the return from the Exile, toward the end of the sixth century; the foreign occupiers and the people who had remained in Palestine regarded returning deportees as intruders and they mistreated them. This is the first alphabetical psalm; in the Masoretic Text it is divided into two psalms, while in the Greek Septuagint and Latin Vulgate Psalms 9 and 10 constitute one psalm. This accounts for the difference in the numbering of the psalms in these versions.
- Psalm 9:1 is predominantly praise of God for his royal blessings and glories, including deliverance from hostile nations, concluding with a short prayer for God’s continuing righteous judgments (see v. 5) on the nations.
- Psalm 9:1 For the director: these words are thought to be a musical or liturgical notation. According to Muth Labben: nothing is known about these words.
- Psalm 9:2 The praise rendered to the Lord by the psalmists in the Psalter is customarily public praise for his goodness and glory as well as the saving acts he has performed on behalf of his people. Some have described such praise as the forerunner of the Gospel preaching in the New Testament. See also note on Ps 7:18.
- Psalm 9:3 Name: see note on Ps 5:12.
- Psalm 9:12 Enthroned in Zion: the Lord is enthroned not only in heaven (see Pss 2:4; 113:5) but also on earth—in the temple of Jerusalem from which he rules the world (see note on Ps 2:6; see also Ps 132:13).
- Psalm 9:15 Daughter of Zion: a personification of Jerusalem and its inhabitants in accord with ancient Near Eastern practice (see Pss 45:12; 137:8).
- Psalm 9:16 Under the Lord’s just rule and in accord with the law of talion (see Ex 21:23-25; Lev 24:19f; Deut 19:21), the wicked who attack others are punished by the very actions they perform (see Ps 7:16). But the needy (v. 19), those who are attacked, will be saved by their trust in the Lord. Thus, God’s honor and glory are vindicated when he judges and punishes the wicked.
- Psalm 9:17 Higgaion: probably a musical notation.
Psalm 9
New International Version
Psalm 9
New International Version
Psalm 9[a][b]
For the director of music. To the tune of “The Death of the Son.” A psalm of David.
1 I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart;(A)
I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.(B)
2 I will be glad and rejoice(C) in you;
I will sing the praises(D) of your name,(E) O Most High.
3 My enemies turn back;
they stumble and perish before you.
4 For you have upheld my right(F) and my cause,(G)
sitting enthroned(H) as the righteous judge.(I)
5 You have rebuked the nations(J) and destroyed the wicked;
you have blotted out their name(K) for ever and ever.
6 Endless ruin has overtaken my enemies,
you have uprooted their cities;(L)
even the memory of them(M) has perished.
7 The Lord reigns forever;(N)
he has established his throne(O) for judgment.
8 He rules the world in righteousness(P)
and judges the peoples with equity.(Q)
9 The Lord is a refuge(R) for the oppressed,(S)
a stronghold in times of trouble.(T)
10 Those who know your name(U) trust in you,
for you, Lord, have never forsaken(V) those who seek you.(W)
11 Sing the praises(X) of the Lord, enthroned in Zion;(Y)
proclaim among the nations(Z) what he has done.(AA)
12 For he who avenges blood(AB) remembers;
he does not ignore the cries of the afflicted.(AC)
13 Lord, see how my enemies(AD) persecute me!
Have mercy(AE) and lift me up from the gates of death,(AF)
14 that I may declare your praises(AG)
in the gates of Daughter Zion,(AH)
and there rejoice in your salvation.(AI)
15 The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug;(AJ)
their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.(AK)
16 The Lord is known by his acts of justice;
the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands.[c](AL)
17 The wicked go down to the realm of the dead,(AM)
all the nations that forget God.(AN)
18 But God will never forget the needy;
the hope(AO) of the afflicted(AP) will never perish.
Footnotes
- Psalm 9:1 Psalms 9 and 10 may originally have been a single acrostic poem in which alternating lines began with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. In the Septuagint they constitute one psalm.
- Psalm 9:1 In Hebrew texts 9:1-20 is numbered 9:2-21.
- Psalm 9:16 The Hebrew has Higgaion and Selah (words of uncertain meaning) here; Selah occurs also at the end of verse 20.
Psalm 9
King James Version
Psalm 9
King James Version
9 I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.
2 I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.
3 When mine enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence.
4 For thou hast maintained my right and my cause; thou satest in the throne judging right.
5 Thou hast rebuked the heathen, thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever and ever.
6 O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end: and thou hast destroyed cities; their memorial is perished with them.
7 But the Lord shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment.
8 And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.
9 The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.
10 And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.
11 Sing praises to the Lord, which dwelleth in Zion: declare among the people his doings.
12 When he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them: he forgetteth not the cry of the humble.
13 Have mercy upon me, O Lord; consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me, thou that liftest me up from the gates of death:
14 That I may shew forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion: I will rejoice in thy salvation.
15 The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made: in the net which they hid is their own foot taken.
16 The Lord is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah.
17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.
18 For the needy shall not always be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever.
19 Arise, O Lord; let not man prevail: let the heathen be judged in thy sight.
20 Put them in fear, O Lord: that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah.
Psalm 9
New King James Version
Psalm 9
New King James Version
Prayer and Thanksgiving for the Lord’s Righteous Judgments
To the Chief Musician. To the tune of [a]“Death of the Son.” A Psalm of David.
9 I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
2 I will be glad and (A)rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, (B)O Most High.
3 When my enemies turn back,
They shall fall and perish at Your presence.
4 For You have maintained my right and my cause;
You sat on the throne judging in righteousness.
5 You have rebuked the [b]nations,
You have destroyed the wicked;
You have (C)blotted out their name forever and ever.
6 O enemy, destructions are finished forever!
And you have destroyed cities;
Even their memory has (D)perished.
7 (E)But the Lord shall endure forever;
He has prepared His throne for judgment.
8 (F)He shall judge the world in righteousness,
And He shall administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness.
9 The Lord also will be a (G)refuge[c] for the oppressed,
A refuge in times of trouble.
10 And those who (H)know Your name will put their trust in You;
For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.
11 Sing praises to the Lord, who dwells in Zion!
(I)Declare His deeds among the people.
12 (J)When He avenges blood, He remembers them;
He does not forget the cry of the [d]humble.
13 Have mercy on me, O Lord!
Consider my trouble from those who hate me,
You who lift me up from the gates of death,
14 That I may tell of all Your praise
In the gates of [e]the daughter of Zion.
I will (K)rejoice in Your salvation.
15 (L)The [f]nations have sunk down in the pit which they made;
In the net which they hid, their own foot is caught.
16 The Lord is (M)known by the judgment He executes;
The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands.
(N)Meditation.[g] Selah
17 The wicked shall be turned into hell,
And all the [h]nations (O)that forget God.
18 (P)For the needy shall not always be forgotten;
(Q)The expectation of the poor shall not perish forever.
19 Arise, O Lord,
Do not let man prevail;
Let the [i]nations be judged in Your sight.
20 Put them in fear, O Lord,
That the [j]nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah
Footnotes
- Psalm 9:1 Heb. Muth Labben
- Psalm 9:5 Gentiles
- Psalm 9:9 Lit. secure height
- Psalm 9:12 afflicted
- Psalm 9:14 Jerusalem
- Psalm 9:15 Gentiles
- Psalm 9:16 Heb. Higgaion
- Psalm 9:17 Gentiles
- Psalm 9:19 Gentiles
- Psalm 9:20 Gentiles
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.