Psalm 36

Good News Translation

Human Wickedness^[a]

36 ^(A)Sin speaks to the wicked deep in their hearts;
    they reject God and do not have reverence for him.
²Because they think so highly of themselves,
    they think that God will not discover their sin and condemn it.
³Their speech is wicked and full of lies;
    they no longer do what is wise and good.
⁴They make evil plans as they lie in bed;
    nothing they do is good,
    and they never reject anything evil.

The Goodness of God

⁵Lord, your constant love reaches the heavens;
your faithfulness extends to the skies.
⁶Your righteousness is towering like the mountains;
your justice is like the depths of the sea.
People and animals are in your care.

⁷How precious, O God, is your constant love!
    We find^[b] protection under the shadow of your wings.
⁸We feast on the abundant food you provide;
    you let us drink from the river of your goodness.
⁹You are the source of all life,
    and because of your light we see the light.

¹⁰Continue to love those who know you
and to do good to those who are righteous.
¹¹Do not let proud people attack me
or the wicked make me run away.

¹²See where evil people have fallen.
There they lie, unable to rise.

Footnotes

Psalm 36:1 HEBREW TITLE: By David, the Lord's servant.
Psalm 36:7 precious, O God, is … find; or precious is your constant love! Gods and people find.

Psalm 36

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

Psalm 36

Human Wickedness and Divine Goodness

To the leader. Of David, the servant of the Lord.

¹Transgression speaks to the wicked
    deep in their hearts;
there is no fear of God
    before their eyes.^(A)
²For they flatter themselves in their own eyes
    that their iniquity cannot be found out and hated.
³The words of their mouths are mischief and deceit;
    they have ceased to act wisely and do good.^(B)
⁴They plot mischief while on their beds;
    they are set on a way that is not good;
    they do not reject evil.^(C)

⁵Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens,
    your faithfulness to the clouds.
⁶Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains;
    your judgments are like the great deep;
    you save humans and animals alike, O Lord.^(D)

⁷How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
    All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings.^(E)
⁸They feast on the abundance of your house,
    and you give them drink from the river of your delights.^(F)
⁹For with you is the fountain of life;
    in your light we see light.^(G)

¹⁰O continue your steadfast love to those who know you
    and your salvation to the upright of heart!
¹¹Do not let the foot of the arrogant tread on me
    or the hand of the wicked drive me away.
¹²There the evildoers lie prostrate;
    they are thrust down, unable to rise.^(H)

Psalm 36

Complete Jewish Bible

36 ⁽⁰⁾For the leader. By David, the servant of Adonai:

²⁽¹⁾Crime speaks to the wicked.
I perceive this in my heart;
before his eyes there is no fear
of God.
³⁽²⁾For, the way he sees it,
crime makes his life easy —
that is, until his wrongs are discovered;
then, he is hated.
⁴⁽³⁾His words are wrong and deceitful;
he has stopped being wise and doing good.
⁵⁽⁴⁾He devises trouble as he lies in bed;
so set is he on his own bad way
that he doesn’t hate evil.

⁶⁽⁵⁾Adonai, in the heavens is your grace;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
⁷⁽⁶⁾Your righteousness is like the mountains of God,
your judgments are like the great deep.
You save man and beast, Adonai.
⁸⁽⁷⁾How precious, God, is your grace!
People take refuge in the shadow of your wings,
⁹⁽⁸⁾they feast on the rich bounty of your house,
and you have them drink from the stream of your delights.
¹⁰⁽⁹⁾For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light we see light.
¹¹⁽¹⁰⁾Continue your grace to those who know you
and your righteousness to the upright in heart.
¹²⁽¹¹⁾Don’t let the foot of the proud tread on me
or the hands of the wicked drive me away.
¹³⁽¹²⁾There they lie fallen, those evildoers,
flung down and unable to rise.

Psalm 36

The Message

36 ^1-4The God-rebel tunes in to sedition—
    all ears, eager to sin.
He has no regard for God,
    he stands insolent before him.
He has smooth-talked himself
    into believing
That his evil
    will never be noticed.
Words gutter from his mouth,
    dishwater dirty.
Can’t remember when he
    did anything decent.
Every time he goes to bed,
    he fathers another evil plot.
When he’s loose on the streets,
    nobody’s safe.
He plays with fire
    and doesn’t care who gets burned.

^5-6God’s love is meteoric,
    his loyalty astronomic,
His purpose titanic,
    his verdicts oceanic.
Yet in his largeness
    nothing gets lost;
Not a man, not a mouse,
    slips through the cracks.

^7-9How exquisite your love, O God!
    How eager we are to run under your wings,
To eat our fill at the banquet you spread
    as you fill our tankards with Eden spring water.
You’re a fountain of cascading light,
    and you open our eyes to light.

^10-12Keep on loving your friends;
    do your work in welcoming hearts.
Don’t let the bullies kick me around,
    the moral midgets slap me down.
Send the upstarts sprawling
    flat on their faces in the mud.

Psalm 36

New International Version

Psalm 36^[a]

For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord.

¹I have a message from God in my heart
concerning the sinfulness of the wicked:^[b]^(A)
There is no fear^(B) of God
before their eyes.^(C)

²In their own eyes they flatter themselves
    too much to detect or hate their sin.^(D)
³The words of their mouths^(E) are wicked and deceitful;^(F)
    they fail to act wisely^(G) or do good.^(H)
⁴Even on their beds they plot evil;^(I)
    they commit themselves to a sinful course^(J)
    and do not reject what is wrong.^(K)

⁵Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens,
    your faithfulness^(L) to the skies.^(M)
⁶Your righteousness^(N) is like the highest mountains,^(O)
    your justice like the great deep.^(P)
    You, Lord, preserve both people and animals.^(Q)
⁷How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!^(R)
    People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.^(S)
⁸They feast on the abundance of your house;^(T)
    you give them drink from your river^(U) of delights.^(V)
⁹For with you is the fountain of life;^(W)
    in your light^(X) we see light.

¹⁰Continue your love^(Y) to those who know you,^(Z)
    your righteousness to the upright in heart.^(AA)
¹¹May the foot of the proud not come against me,
    nor the hand of the wicked^(AB) drive me away.
¹²See how the evildoers lie fallen—
    thrown down, not able to rise!^(AC)

Footnotes

Psalm 36:1 In Hebrew texts 36:1-12 is numbered 36:2-13.
Psalm 36:1 Or A message from God: The transgression of the wicked / resides in their hearts.

Good News Translation (GNT)

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVUE)

Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

The Message (MSG)

New International Version (NIV)

Psalm 36

Good News Translation

Human Wickedness^[a]

The Goodness of God

Footnotes

Cross references

Psalm 36

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

Psalm 36

Human Wickedness and Divine Goodness

To the leader. Of David, the servant of the Lord.

Cross references

Psalm 36

Complete Jewish Bible

Psalm 36

The Message

Psalm 36

New International Version

Psalm 36^[a]

For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord.

Footnotes

Cross references

More on the NIV

Psalm 36 Good News Translation

Human Wickedness[a]

The Goodness of God

Footnotes

Cross references

Psalm 36 New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

Psalm 36

Human Wickedness and Divine Goodness

To the leader. Of David, the servant of the Lord.

Cross references

Psalm 36 Complete Jewish Bible

Psalm 36 The Message

Psalm 36 New International Version

Psalm 36[a]

For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord.

Footnotes

Cross references

More on the NIV

Psalm 36

Good News Translation

Human Wickedness^[a]

Psalm 36

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

Psalm 36

Complete Jewish Bible

Psalm 36

The Message

Psalm 36

New International Version

Psalm 36^[a]