Book One

The Way of the Righteous and the Wicked

Blessed is the man[a]
    who (A)walks not in (B)the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in (C)the way of sinners,
    nor (D)sits in (E)the seat of (F)scoffers;
but his (G)delight is in the law[b] of the Lord,
    and on his (H)law he meditates day and night.

He is like (I)a tree
    planted by (J)streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
    and its (K)leaf does not wither.
(L)In all that he does, he prospers.
The wicked are not so,
    but are like (M)chaff that the wind drives away.

Therefore the wicked (N)will not stand in the judgment,
    nor sinners in (O)the congregation of the righteous;
for the Lord (P)knows (Q)the way of the righteous,
    but the way of the wicked will perish.

The Reign of the Lord's Anointed

(R)Why do (S)the nations rage[c]
    and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth set themselves,
    and the rulers take counsel together,
    against the Lord and against his (T)Anointed, saying,
“Let us (U)burst their bonds apart
    and cast away their cords from us.”

He who (V)sits in the heavens (W)laughs;
    the Lord holds them in derision.
Then he will speak to them in his (X)wrath,
    and terrify them in his fury, saying,
“As for me, I have (Y)set my King
    on (Z)Zion, my (AA)holy hill.”

I will tell of the decree:
The Lord said to me, (AB)“You are my Son;
    today I have begotten you.
Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
    and (AC)the ends of the earth your possession.
You shall (AD)break[d] them with (AE)a rod of iron
    and dash them in pieces like (AF)a potter's vessel.”

10 Now therefore, O kings, be wise;
    be warned, O rulers of the earth.
11 (AG)Serve the Lord with (AH)fear,
    and (AI)rejoice with (AJ)trembling.
12 (AK)Kiss (AL)the Son,
    lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,
    for his (AM)wrath is quickly kindled.
(AN)Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Save Me, O My God

A Psalm of David, (AO)when he fled from Absalom his son.

O Lord, (AP)how many are my foes!
    Many are (AQ)rising against me;
many are saying of my soul,
    (AR)“There is no salvation for him in God.” Selah[e]

But you, O Lord, are (AS)a shield (AT)about me,
    my glory, and (AU)the lifter of my head.
I (AV)cried aloud to the Lord,
    and he (AW)answered me from his (AX)holy hill. Selah

I (AY)lay down and slept;
    I woke again, for the Lord sustained me.
I (AZ)will not be afraid of many thousands of people
    who have (BA)set themselves against me all around.

(BB)Arise, O Lord!
    Save me, O my God!
For you (BC)strike all my enemies on the cheek;
    you (BD)break the teeth of the wicked.

(BE)Salvation belongs to the Lord;
    your blessing be on your people! Selah

Answer Me When I Call

To the (BF)choirmaster: with (BG)stringed instruments. A Psalm of David.

Answer me when I call, O God of my (BH)righteousness!
    You have (BI)given me relief when I was in distress.
    Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!

O men,[f] how long shall my honor be turned into shame?
    How long will you love vain words and seek after (BJ)lies? Selah
But know that the Lord has (BK)set apart (BL)the godly for himself;
    the Lord hears when I call to him.

(BM)Be angry,[g] and do not sin;
    (BN)ponder in your own hearts (BO)on your beds, and be silent. Selah
Offer (BP)right sacrifices,
    and put your (BQ)trust in the Lord.

There are many who say, “Who will show us some good?
    (BR)Lift up (BS)the light of your face upon us, O Lord!”
You have put (BT)more joy in my heart
    than they have when their grain and wine abound.

In peace I will both (BU)lie down and sleep;
    for you alone, O Lord, make me (BV)dwell in safety.

Lead Me in Your Righteousness

To the choirmaster: for the flutes. A Psalm of David.

Give ear to my words, O Lord;
    consider my (BW)groaning.
Give attention to the sound of my cry,
    my (BX)King and my God,
    for (BY)to you do I pray.
O Lord, in (BZ)the morning you hear my voice;
    in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you[h] and (CA)watch.

For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;
    evil may not dwell with you.
The (CB)boastful shall not (CC)stand before your eyes;
    you (CD)hate all evildoers.
You destroy those who speak (CE)lies;
    the Lord abhors (CF)the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.

But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love,
    will enter your house.
I will (CG)bow down (CH)toward your (CI)holy temple
    in the fear of you.
(CJ)Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness
    because of my enemies;
    (CK)make your way straight before me.

For there is no truth in their mouth;
    their inmost self is (CL)destruction;
(CM)their throat is (CN)an open grave;
    they (CO)flatter with their tongue.
10 (CP)Make them bear their guilt, O God;
    let them (CQ)fall by their own counsels;
because of the abundance of their transgressions cast them out,
    for they have rebelled against you.

11 But let all who (CR)take refuge in you (CS)rejoice;
    let them ever sing for joy,
and spread your protection over them,
    that those who love your name may (CT)exult in you.
12 For you (CU)bless the righteous, O Lord;
    you (CV)cover him with favor as with (CW)a shield.

O Lord, Deliver My Life

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments; according to (CX)The Sheminith.[i] A Psalm of David.

O Lord, (CY)rebuke me not in your anger,
    nor (CZ)discipline me in your wrath.
Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing;
    (DA)heal me, O Lord, (DB)for my bones are troubled.
My (DC)soul also is greatly troubled.
    But you, O Lord(DD)how long?

Turn, O Lord, deliver my life;
    save me for the sake of your steadfast love.
For in (DE)death there is no remembrance of you;
    in Sheol who will give you praise?

I am (DF)weary with my (DG)moaning;
    every night I flood my bed with tears;
    I drench my couch with my weeping.
My (DH)eye wastes away because of grief;
    it grows weak because of all my foes.

(DI)Depart from me, all you (DJ)workers of evil,
    for the Lord (DK)has heard the sound of my weeping.
The Lord has heard my (DL)plea;
    the Lord accepts my prayer.
10 All my enemies shall be ashamed and greatly troubled;
    they shall (DM)turn back and be put to shame in a moment.

In You Do I Take Refuge

A (DN)Shiggaion[j] of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning the words of Cush, a Benjaminite.

O Lord my God, in you do I (DO)take refuge;
    (DP)save me from all my pursuers and deliver me,
lest like (DQ)a lion they tear my soul apart,
    rending it in pieces, with (DR)none to deliver.

O Lord my God, (DS)if I have done this,
    if there is (DT)wrong in my hands,
if I have repaid (DU)my friend[k] with evil
    or (DV)plundered my enemy without cause,
let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it,
    and let him (DW)trample my life to the ground
    and lay my glory in the dust. Selah

(DX)Arise, O Lord, in your anger;
    (DY)lift yourself up against the fury of my enemies;
    (DZ)awake for me; you have appointed a judgment.
Let the assembly of the peoples be gathered about you;
    over it return on high.

The Lord (EA)judges the peoples;
    (EB)judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness
    and according to the integrity that is in me.
Oh, let the evil of the wicked come to an end,
    and may you establish the righteous—
you who (EC)test (ED)the minds and hearts,[l]
    O righteous God!
10 My shield is (EE)with God,
    who saves (EF)the upright in heart.
11 God is (EG)a righteous judge,
    and a God who feels (EH)indignation every day.

12 If a man[m] does not repent, God[n] will (EI)whet his sword;
    he has (EJ)bent and (EK)readied his bow;
13 he has prepared for him his deadly weapons,
    making his (EL)arrows (EM)fiery shafts.
14 Behold, the wicked man (EN)conceives evil
    and is (EO)pregnant with mischief
    and gives birth to lies.
15 He makes (EP)a pit, digging it out,
    and falls into the hole that he has made.
16 His (EQ)mischief returns upon his own head,
    and on his own skull his violence descends.

17 I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness,
    and I will (ER)sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High.

How Majestic Is Your Name

To the choirmaster: according to The (ES)Gittith.[o] A Psalm of David.

O Lord, our Lord,
    how majestic is your (ET)name in all the earth!
You have set your (EU)glory above the heavens.
    (EV)Out of the mouth of babies and infants,
you have established (EW)strength because of your foes,
    to still (EX)the enemy and the avenger.

When I (EY)look at your heavens, the work of your (EZ)fingers,
    the moon and the stars, (FA)which you have set in place,
(FB)what is man that you are (FC)mindful of him,
    and (FD)the son of man that you (FE)care for him?

Yet you have made him a little lower than (FF)the heavenly beings[p]
    and crowned him with (FG)glory and honor.
You have given him (FH)dominion over the works of your hands;
    (FI)you have put all things under his feet,
all sheep and oxen,
    and also the beasts of the field,
the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,
    whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

O Lord, our Lord,
    how majestic is your name in all the earth!

I Will Recount Your Wonderful Deeds

[q] To the choirmaster: according to Muth-labben.[r] A Psalm of David.

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart;
    I will recount all of your (FJ)wonderful deeds.
I will be glad and (FK)exult in you;
    I will (FL)sing praise to your name, (FM)O Most High.

When my enemies turn back,
    they stumble and perish before[s] your presence.
For you have (FN)maintained my just cause;
    you have (FO)sat on the throne, giving righteous judgment.

You have (FP)rebuked the nations; you have made the wicked perish;
    you have (FQ)blotted out their name forever and ever.
The enemy came to an end in everlasting ruins;
    their cities you rooted out;
    the very memory of them has perished.

But the Lord sits enthroned forever;
    he has established his throne for justice,
and he (FR)judges the world with righteousness;
    he (FS)judges the peoples with uprightness.

The Lord is (FT)a stronghold for (FU)the oppressed,
    a stronghold in (FV)times of trouble.
10 And those who (FW)know your name put their trust in you,
    for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.

11 Sing praises to the Lord, who (FX)sits enthroned in Zion!
    Tell among the peoples his (FY)deeds!
12 For he who (FZ)avenges blood is mindful of them;
    he (GA)does not forget the cry of the afflicted.

13 (GB)Be gracious to me, O Lord!
    See my affliction from those who hate me,
    O you who lift me up from (GC)the gates of death,
14 that I may recount all your praises,
    that in the gates of (GD)the daughter of Zion
    I may (GE)rejoice in your salvation.

15 The nations have sunk in (GF)the pit that they made;
    in (GG)the net that they hid, their own foot has been caught.
16 The Lord has made himself (GH)known; he has executed judgment;
    the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands. Higgaion.[t] Selah

17 The wicked shall (GI)return to Sheol,
    all the nations that (GJ)forget God.

18 For the needy shall not always be forgotten,
    and (GK)the hope of the poor shall not perish forever.

19 (GL)Arise, O Lord! Let not (GM)man prevail;
    let the nations be judged before you!
20 Put them in fear, O Lord!
    Let the nations know that they are but (GN)men! Selah

Why Do You Hide Yourself?

10 Why, O Lord, do you stand (GO)far away?
    Why (GP)do you hide yourself in (GQ)times of trouble?

In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor;
    let them (GR)be caught in the schemes that they have devised.
For the wicked (GS)boasts of the desires of his soul,
    and the one greedy for gain (GT)curses[u] and (GU)renounces the Lord.
In the pride of his face[v] the wicked does not (GV)seek him;[w]
    all his thoughts are, (GW)“There is no God.”
His ways prosper at all times;
    your judgments are on high, (GX)out of his sight;
    as for all his foes, he (GY)puffs at them.
He (GZ)says in his heart, “I shall not be moved;
    throughout all generations I (HA)shall not meet adversity.”
(HB)His mouth is filled with cursing and (HC)deceit and (HD)oppression;
    (HE)under his tongue are (HF)mischief and (HG)iniquity.
He sits in ambush in the villages;
    in (HH)hiding places he murders the innocent.
His eyes stealthily watch for the helpless;
    he lurks in ambush like (HI)a lion in his (HJ)thicket;
he (HK)lurks that he may seize the poor;
    he seizes the poor when he draws him into his (HL)net.
10 The helpless are crushed, sink down,
    and fall by his might.
11 He says in his heart, “God has forgotten,
    he has (HM)hidden his face, he (HN)will never see it.”

12 (HO)Arise, O Lord; O God, (HP)lift up your hand;
    (HQ)forget not the afflicted.
13 Why does the wicked (HR)renounce God
    and say in his heart, “You will not (HS)call to account”?
14 But you do see, for you (HT)note mischief and vexation,
    that you may take it into your hands;
to you the helpless (HU)commits himself;
    you have been (HV)the helper of the fatherless.
15 (HW)Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer;
    (HX)call his wickedness to account till you find none.

16 (HY)The Lord is king forever and ever;
    the (HZ)nations perish from his land.
17 O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted;
    you will (IA)strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear
18 to (IB)do justice to the fatherless and (IC)the oppressed,
    so that (ID)man who is of the earth may strike terror no more.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 1:1 The singular Hebrew word for man (ish) is used here to portray a representative example of a godly person; see Preface
  2. Psalm 1:2 Or instruction
  3. Psalm 2:1 Or nations noisily assemble
  4. Psalm 2:9 Revocalization yields (compare Septuagint) You shall rule
  5. Psalm 3:2 The meaning of the Hebrew word Selah, used frequently in the Psalms, is uncertain. It may be a musical or liturgical direction
  6. Psalm 4:2 Or O men of rank
  7. Psalm 4:4 Or Be agitated
  8. Psalm 5:3 Or I direct my prayer to you
  9. Psalm 6:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
  10. Psalm 7:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
  11. Psalm 7:4 Hebrew the one at peace with me
  12. Psalm 7:9 Hebrew the hearts and kidneys
  13. Psalm 7:12 Hebrew he
  14. Psalm 7:12 Hebrew he
  15. Psalm 8:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
  16. Psalm 8:5 Or than God; Septuagint than the angels
  17. Psalm 9:1 Psalms 9 and 10 together follow an acrostic pattern, each stanza beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. In the Septuagint they form one psalm
  18. Psalm 9:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
  19. Psalm 9:3 Or because of
  20. Psalm 9:16 Probably a musical or liturgical term
  21. Psalm 10:3 Or and he blesses the one greedy for gain
  22. Psalm 10:4 Or of his anger
  23. Psalm 10:4 Or the wicked says, “He will not call to account”

BOOK I

Psalms 1–41

Psalm 1

Blessed is the one(A)
    who does not walk(B) in step with the wicked(C)
or stand in the way(D) that sinners take(E)
    or sit(F) in the company of mockers,(G)
but whose delight(H) is in the law of the Lord,(I)
    and who meditates(J) on his law day and night.
That person is like a tree(K) planted by streams(L) of water,(M)
    which yields its fruit(N) in season
and whose leaf(O) does not wither—
    whatever they do prospers.(P)

Not so the wicked!
    They are like chaff(Q)
    that the wind blows away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand(R) in the judgment,(S)
    nor sinners in the assembly(T) of the righteous.

For the Lord watches over(U) the way of the righteous,
    but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.(V)

Psalm 2

Why do the nations conspire[a]
    and the peoples plot(W) in vain?
The kings(X) of the earth rise up
    and the rulers band together
    against the Lord and against his anointed,(Y) saying,
“Let us break their chains(Z)
    and throw off their shackles.”(AA)

The One enthroned(AB) in heaven laughs;(AC)
    the Lord scoffs at them.
He rebukes them in his anger(AD)
    and terrifies them in his wrath,(AE) saying,
“I have installed my king(AF)
    on Zion,(AG) my holy mountain.(AH)

I will proclaim the Lord’s decree:

He said to me, “You are my son;(AI)
    today I have become your father.(AJ)
Ask me,
    and I will make the nations(AK) your inheritance,(AL)
    the ends of the earth(AM) your possession.
You will break them with a rod of iron[b];(AN)
    you will dash them to pieces(AO) like pottery.(AP)

10 Therefore, you kings, be wise;(AQ)
    be warned, you rulers(AR) of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with fear(AS)
    and celebrate his rule(AT) with trembling.(AU)
12 Kiss his son,(AV) or he will be angry
    and your way will lead to your destruction,
for his wrath(AW) can flare up in a moment.
    Blessed(AX) are all who take refuge(AY) in him.

Psalm 3[c]

A psalm of David. When he fled from his son Absalom.(AZ)

Lord, how many are my foes!
    How many rise up against me!
Many are saying of me,
    “God will not deliver him.(BA)[d]

But you, Lord, are a shield(BB) around me,
    my glory, the One who lifts my head high.(BC)
I call out to the Lord,(BD)
    and he answers me from his holy mountain.(BE)

I lie down and sleep;(BF)
    I wake again,(BG) because the Lord sustains me.
I will not fear(BH) though tens of thousands
    assail me on every side.(BI)

Arise,(BJ) Lord!
    Deliver me,(BK) my God!
Strike(BL) all my enemies on the jaw;
    break the teeth(BM) of the wicked.

From the Lord comes deliverance.(BN)
    May your blessing(BO) be on your people.

Psalm 4[e]

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm of David.

Answer me(BP) when I call to you,
    my righteous God.
Give me relief from my distress;(BQ)
    have mercy(BR) on me and hear my prayer.(BS)

How long will you people turn my glory(BT) into shame?(BU)
    How long will you love delusions and seek false gods[f]?[g](BV)
Know that the Lord has set apart his faithful servant(BW) for himself;
    the Lord hears(BX) when I call to him.

Tremble and[h] do not sin;(BY)
    when you are on your beds,(BZ)
    search your hearts and be silent.
Offer the sacrifices of the righteous
    and trust in the Lord.(CA)

Many, Lord, are asking, “Who will bring us prosperity?”
    Let the light of your face shine on us.(CB)
Fill my heart(CC) with joy(CD)
    when their grain and new wine(CE) abound.

In peace(CF) I will lie down and sleep,(CG)
    for you alone, Lord,
    make me dwell in safety.(CH)

Psalm 5[i]

For the director of music. For pipes. A psalm of David.

Listen(CI) to my words, Lord,
    consider my lament.(CJ)
Hear my cry for help,(CK)
    my King and my God,(CL)
    for to you I pray.

In the morning,(CM) Lord, you hear my voice;
    in the morning I lay my requests before you
    and wait expectantly.(CN)
For you are not a God who is pleased with wickedness;
    with you, evil people(CO) are not welcome.
The arrogant(CP) cannot stand(CQ)
    in your presence.
You hate(CR) all who do wrong;
    you destroy those who tell lies.(CS)
The bloodthirsty and deceitful
    you, Lord, detest.
But I, by your great love,
    can come into your house;
in reverence(CT) I bow down(CU)
    toward your holy temple.(CV)

Lead me, Lord, in your righteousness(CW)
    because of my enemies—
    make your way straight(CX) before me.
Not a word from their mouth can be trusted;
    their heart is filled with malice.
Their throat is an open grave;(CY)
    with their tongues they tell lies.(CZ)
10 Declare them guilty, O God!
    Let their intrigues be their downfall.
Banish them for their many sins,(DA)
    for they have rebelled(DB) against you.
11 But let all who take refuge in you be glad;
    let them ever sing for joy.(DC)
Spread your protection over them,
    that those who love your name(DD) may rejoice in you.(DE)

12 Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous;(DF)
    you surround them(DG) with your favor as with a shield.(DH)

Psalm 6[j]

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. According to sheminith.[k] A psalm of David.

Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger(DI)
    or discipline me in your wrath.
Have mercy on me,(DJ) Lord, for I am faint;(DK)
    heal me,(DL) Lord, for my bones are in agony.(DM)
My soul is in deep anguish.(DN)
    How long,(DO) Lord, how long?

Turn,(DP) Lord, and deliver me;
    save me because of your unfailing love.(DQ)
Among the dead no one proclaims your name.
    Who praises you from the grave?(DR)

I am worn out(DS) from my groaning.(DT)

All night long I flood my bed with weeping(DU)
    and drench my couch with tears.(DV)
My eyes grow weak(DW) with sorrow;
    they fail because of all my foes.

Away from me,(DX) all you who do evil,(DY)
    for the Lord has heard my weeping.
The Lord has heard my cry for mercy;(DZ)
    the Lord accepts my prayer.
10 All my enemies will be overwhelmed with shame and anguish;(EA)
    they will turn back and suddenly be put to shame.(EB)

Psalm 7[l]

A shiggaion[m](EC) of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning Cush, a Benjamite.

Lord my God, I take refuge(ED) in you;
    save and deliver me(EE) from all who pursue me,(EF)
or they will tear me apart like a lion(EG)
    and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue(EH) me.

Lord my God, if I have done this
    and there is guilt on my hands(EI)
if I have repaid my ally with evil
    or without cause(EJ) have robbed my foe—
then let my enemy pursue and overtake(EK) me;
    let him trample my life to the ground(EL)
    and make me sleep in the dust.[n](EM)

Arise,(EN) Lord, in your anger;
    rise up against the rage of my enemies.(EO)
    Awake,(EP) my God; decree justice.
Let the assembled peoples gather around you,
    while you sit enthroned over them on high.(EQ)
    Let the Lord judge(ER) the peoples.
Vindicate me, Lord, according to my righteousness,(ES)
    according to my integrity,(ET) O Most High.(EU)
Bring to an end the violence of the wicked
    and make the righteous secure—(EV)
you, the righteous God(EW)
    who probes minds and hearts.(EX)

10 My shield[o](EY) is God Most High,
    who saves the upright in heart.(EZ)
11 God is a righteous judge,(FA)
    a God who displays his wrath(FB) every day.
12 If he does not relent,(FC)
    he[p] will sharpen his sword;(FD)
    he will bend and string his bow.(FE)
13 He has prepared his deadly weapons;
    he makes ready his flaming arrows.(FF)

14 Whoever is pregnant with evil
    conceives trouble and gives birth(FG) to disillusionment.
15 Whoever digs a hole and scoops it out
    falls into the pit(FH) they have made.(FI)
16 The trouble they cause recoils on them;
    their violence comes down on their own heads.

17 I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness;(FJ)
    I will sing the praises(FK) of the name of the Lord Most High.(FL)

Psalm 8[q]

For the director of music. According to gittith.[r] A psalm of David.

Lord, our Lord,
    how majestic is your name(FM) in all the earth!

You have set your glory(FN)
    in the heavens.(FO)
Through the praise of children and infants
    you have established a stronghold(FP) against your enemies,
    to silence the foe(FQ) and the avenger.
When I consider your heavens,(FR)
    the work of your fingers,(FS)
the moon and the stars,(FT)
    which you have set in place,
what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
    human beings that you care for them?[s](FU)

You have made them[t] a little lower than the angels[u](FV)
    and crowned them[v] with glory and honor.(FW)
You made them rulers(FX) over the works of your hands;(FY)
    you put everything under their[w] feet:(FZ)
all flocks and herds,(GA)
    and the animals of the wild,(GB)
the birds in the sky,
    and the fish in the sea,(GC)
    all that swim the paths of the seas.

Lord, our Lord,
    how majestic is your name in all the earth!(GD)

Psalm 9[x][y]

For the director of music. To the tune of “The Death of the Son.” A psalm of David.

I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart;(GE)
    I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.(GF)
I will be glad and rejoice(GG) in you;
    I will sing the praises(GH) of your name,(GI) O Most High.

My enemies turn back;
    they stumble and perish before you.
For you have upheld my right(GJ) and my cause,(GK)
    sitting enthroned(GL) as the righteous judge.(GM)
You have rebuked the nations(GN) and destroyed the wicked;
    you have blotted out their name(GO) for ever and ever.
Endless ruin has overtaken my enemies,
    you have uprooted their cities;(GP)
    even the memory of them(GQ) has perished.

The Lord reigns forever;(GR)
    he has established his throne(GS) for judgment.
He rules the world in righteousness(GT)
    and judges the peoples with equity.(GU)
The Lord is a refuge(GV) for the oppressed,(GW)
    a stronghold in times of trouble.(GX)
10 Those who know your name(GY) trust in you,
    for you, Lord, have never forsaken(GZ) those who seek you.(HA)

11 Sing the praises(HB) of the Lord, enthroned in Zion;(HC)
    proclaim among the nations(HD) what he has done.(HE)
12 For he who avenges blood(HF) remembers;
    he does not ignore the cries of the afflicted.(HG)

13 Lord, see how my enemies(HH) persecute me!
    Have mercy(HI) and lift me up from the gates of death,(HJ)
14 that I may declare your praises(HK)
    in the gates of Daughter Zion,(HL)
    and there rejoice in your salvation.(HM)

15 The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug;(HN)
    their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.(HO)
16 The Lord is known by his acts of justice;
    the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands.[z](HP)
17 The wicked go down to the realm of the dead,(HQ)
    all the nations that forget God.(HR)
18 But God will never forget the needy;
    the hope(HS) of the afflicted(HT) will never perish.

19 Arise,(HU) Lord, do not let mortals triumph;(HV)
    let the nations be judged(HW) in your presence.
20 Strike them with terror,(HX) Lord;
    let the nations know they are only mortal.(HY)

Psalm 10[aa]

Why, Lord, do you stand far off?(HZ)
    Why do you hide yourself(IA) in times of trouble?

In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak,(IB)
    who are caught in the schemes he devises.
He boasts(IC) about the cravings of his heart;
    he blesses the greedy and reviles the Lord.(ID)
In his pride the wicked man does not seek him;
    in all his thoughts there is no room for God.(IE)
His ways are always prosperous;
    your laws are rejected by[ab] him;
    he sneers at all his enemies.
He says to himself, “Nothing will ever shake me.”
    He swears, “No one will ever do me harm.”(IF)

His mouth is full(IG) of lies and threats;(IH)
    trouble and evil are under his tongue.(II)
He lies in wait(IJ) near the villages;
    from ambush he murders the innocent.(IK)
His eyes watch in secret for his victims;
    like a lion in cover he lies in wait.
He lies in wait to catch the helpless;(IL)
    he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net.(IM)
10 His victims are crushed,(IN) they collapse;
    they fall under his strength.
11 He says to himself, “God will never notice;(IO)
    he covers his face and never sees.”(IP)

12 Arise,(IQ) Lord! Lift up your hand,(IR) O God.
    Do not forget the helpless.(IS)
13 Why does the wicked man revile God?(IT)
    Why does he say to himself,
    “He won’t call me to account”?(IU)
14 But you, God, see the trouble(IV) of the afflicted;
    you consider their grief and take it in hand.
The victims commit themselves to you;(IW)
    you are the helper(IX) of the fatherless.
15 Break the arm of the wicked man;(IY)
    call the evildoer to account for his wickedness
    that would not otherwise be found out.

16 The Lord is King for ever and ever;(IZ)
    the nations(JA) will perish from his land.
17 You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted;(JB)
    you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,(JC)
18 defending the fatherless(JD) and the oppressed,(JE)
    so that mere earthly mortals
    will never again strike terror.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 2:1 Hebrew; Septuagint rage
  2. Psalm 2:9 Or will rule them with an iron scepter (see Septuagint and Syriac)
  3. Psalm 3:1 In Hebrew texts 3:1-8 is numbered 3:2-9.
  4. Psalm 3:2 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 4 and 8.
  5. Psalm 4:1 In Hebrew texts 4:1-8 is numbered 4:2-9.
  6. Psalm 4:2 Or seek lies
  7. Psalm 4:2 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 4.
  8. Psalm 4:4 Or In your anger (see Septuagint)
  9. Psalm 5:1 In Hebrew texts 5:1-12 is numbered 5:2-13.
  10. Psalm 6:1 In Hebrew texts 6:1-10 is numbered 6:2-11.
  11. Psalm 6:1 Title: Probably a musical term
  12. Psalm 7:1 In Hebrew texts 7:1-17 is numbered 7:2-18.
  13. Psalm 7:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  14. Psalm 7:5 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
  15. Psalm 7:10 Or sovereign
  16. Psalm 7:12 Or If anyone does not repent, / God
  17. Psalm 8:1 In Hebrew texts 8:1-9 is numbered 8:2-10.
  18. Psalm 8:1 Title: Probably a musical term
  19. Psalm 8:4 Or what is a human being that you are mindful of him, / a son of man that you care for him?
  20. Psalm 8:5 Or him
  21. Psalm 8:5 Or than God
  22. Psalm 8:5 Or him
  23. Psalm 8:6 Or made him ruler . . . ; / . . . his
  24. 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.
  25. Psalm 9:1 In Hebrew texts 9:1-20 is numbered 9:2-21.
  26. Psalm 9:16 The Hebrew has Higgaion and Selah (words of uncertain meaning) here; Selah occurs also at the end of verse 20.
  27. Psalm 10:1 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.
  28. Psalm 10:5 See Septuagint; Hebrew / they are haughty, and your laws are far from