上帝的美善

大衛在亞比米勒面前裝瘋,被趕出去後,作了此詩。

34 我要常常稱頌耶和華,
時刻讚美祂。
我要誇耀祂的作為,
困苦人聽見必歡欣。
讓我們一同頌讚祂的偉大,
尊崇祂的名!
我向祂禱告,祂便應允我,
救我脫離一切恐懼。
凡仰望祂的必有榮光,
不致蒙羞。
我這可憐的人向祂呼求,
祂就垂聽,
救我脫離一切困境。
祂的天使必四面保護敬畏祂的人,拯救他們。
你們要親身體驗,
就知道耶和華的美善;
投靠祂的人有福了!
耶和華的聖民啊,
你們要敬畏祂,
因為敬畏祂的人一無所缺。
10 壯獅也會忍饑挨餓,
但尋求耶和華的人什麼福分都不缺。

11 孩子們啊,聽我說,
我要教導你們敬畏耶和華。
12 若有人熱愛生命,
渴望長壽和幸福,
13 就要舌頭不出惡言,
嘴唇不說詭詐的話。
14 要棄惡行善,
竭力追求和睦。
15 耶和華的眼睛看顧義人,
祂的耳朵垂聽他們的呼求。
16 耶和華嚴懲作惡之人,
從世上剷除他們。
17 義人向耶和華呼救,祂就垂聽,
拯救他們脫離一切患難。
18 祂安慰悲痛欲絕的人,
拯救心靈破碎的人。
19 義人也會遭遇許多患難,
但耶和華必拯救他,
20 保全他一身的骨頭,
連一根也不折斷。
21 惡人必遭惡報,
與義人為敵的必被定罪。
22 耶和華必救贖祂的僕人,
投靠祂的人必不被定罪。

Taste and See That the Lord Is Good

[a] Of David, when he (A)changed his behavior before (B)Abimelech, so that he drove him out, and he went away.

34 I will bless the Lord (C)at all times;
    his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul (D)makes its boast in the Lord;
    let the humble hear and (E)be glad.
Oh, (F)magnify the Lord with me,
    and let us exalt his name together!

I (G)sought the Lord, and he answered me
    and delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to him are (H)radiant,
    and their faces shall never be ashamed.
(I)This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
    and (J)saved him out of all his troubles.
(K)The angel of the Lord (L)encamps
    around those who fear him, and delivers them.

Oh, (M)taste and see that (N)the Lord is good!
    (O)Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints,
    for those who fear him have no lack!
10 (P)The young lions suffer want and hunger;
    but those who (Q)seek the Lord lack no good thing.

11 (R)Come, O children, listen to me;
    (S)I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
12 (T)What man is there who desires life
    and loves many days, that he may (U)see good?
13 (V)Keep your tongue from evil
    and your lips from (W)speaking deceit.
14 (X)Turn away from evil and do good;
    seek peace and (Y)pursue it.

15 (Z)The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous
    (AA)and his ears toward their cry.
16 (AB)The face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
    to (AC)cut off the memory of them from the earth.
17 (AD)When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears
    and delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The Lord is near to (AE)the brokenhearted
    and saves (AF)the crushed in spirit.

19 (AG)Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
    (AH)but the Lord delivers him out of them all.
20 He keeps all his bones;
    (AI)not one of them is broken.
21 (AJ)Affliction will slay the wicked,
    and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
22 The Lord (AK)redeems the life of his servants;
    none of those who take refuge in him will be (AL)condemned.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 34:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, each verse beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet

The Happiness of Those Who Trust in God

A Psalm of David (A)when he pretended madness before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed.

34 I will (B)bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together.

I (C)sought the Lord, and He heard me,
And delivered me from all my fears.
They looked to Him and were radiant,
And their faces were not ashamed.
This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him,
And saved him out of all his troubles.
(D)The [a]angel of the Lord (E)encamps all around those who fear Him,
And delivers them.

Oh, (F)taste and see that the Lord is good;
(G)Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints!
There is no [b]want to those who fear Him.
10 The young lions lack and suffer hunger;
(H)But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.

11 Come, you children, listen to me;
(I)I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
12 (J)Who is the man who desires life,
And loves many days, that he may see good?
13 Keep your tongue from evil,
And your lips from speaking (K)deceit.
14 (L)Depart from evil and do good;
(M)Seek peace and pursue it.

15 (N)The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
And His ears are open to their cry.
16 (O)The face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
(P)To [c]cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

17 The righteous cry out, and (Q)the Lord hears,
And delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 (R)The Lord is near (S)to those who have a broken heart,
And saves such as [d]have a contrite spirit.

19 (T)Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
(U)But the Lord delivers him out of them all.
20 He guards all his bones;
(V)Not one of them is broken.
21 (W)Evil shall slay the wicked,
And those who hate the righteous shall be [e]condemned.
22 The Lord (X)redeems the soul of His servants,
And none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 34:7 Or Angel
  2. Psalm 34:9 lack
  3. Psalm 34:16 destroy
  4. Psalm 34:18 are crushed in spirit
  5. Psalm 34:21 held guilty