Answer Me When I Call

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

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

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

(H)Be angry,[b] and do not sin;
    (I)ponder in your own hearts (J)on your beds, and be silent. Selah
Offer (K)right sacrifices,
    and put your (L)trust in the Lord.

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

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

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 4:2 Or O men of rank
  2. Psalm 4:4 Or Be agitated

Psalm 4[a]

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

Answer me(A) when I call to you,
    my righteous God.
Give me relief from my distress;(B)
    have mercy(C) on me and hear my prayer.(D)

How long will you people turn my glory(E) into shame?(F)
    How long will you love delusions and seek false gods[b]?[c](G)
Know that the Lord has set apart his faithful servant(H) for himself;
    the Lord hears(I) when I call to him.

Tremble and[d] do not sin;(J)
    when you are on your beds,(K)
    search your hearts and be silent.
Offer the sacrifices of the righteous
    and trust in the Lord.(L)

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

In peace(Q) I will lie down and sleep,(R)
    for you alone, Lord,
    make me dwell in safety.(S)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 4:1 In Hebrew texts 4:1-8 is numbered 4:2-9.
  2. Psalm 4:2 Or seek lies
  3. Psalm 4:2 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 4.
  4. Psalm 4:4 Or In your anger (see Septuagint)

Lead Me in Your Righteousness

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

Give ear to my words, O Lord;
    consider my (A)groaning.
Give attention to the sound of my cry,
    my (B)King and my God,
    for (C)to you do I pray.
O Lord, in (D)the morning you hear my voice;
    in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you[a] and (E)watch.

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

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

For there is no truth in their mouth;
    their inmost self is (P)destruction;
(Q)their throat is (R)an open grave;
    they (S)flatter with their tongue.
10 (T)Make them bear their guilt, O God;
    let them (U)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 (V)take refuge in you (W)rejoice;
    let them ever sing for joy,
and spread your protection over them,
    that those who love your name may (X)exult in you.
12 For you (Y)bless the righteous, O Lord;
    you (Z)cover him with favor as with (AA)a shield.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 5:3 Or I direct my prayer to you

Psalm 5[a]

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

Listen(A) to my words, Lord,
    consider my lament.(B)
Hear my cry for help,(C)
    my King and my God,(D)
    for to you I pray.

In the morning,(E) Lord, you hear my voice;
    in the morning I lay my requests before you
    and wait expectantly.(F)
For you are not a God who is pleased with wickedness;
    with you, evil people(G) are not welcome.
The arrogant(H) cannot stand(I)
    in your presence.
You hate(J) all who do wrong;
    you destroy those who tell lies.(K)
The bloodthirsty and deceitful
    you, Lord, detest.
But I, by your great love,
    can come into your house;
in reverence(L) I bow down(M)
    toward your holy temple.(N)

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

12 Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous;(X)
    you surround them(Y) with your favor as with a shield.(Z)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 5:1 In Hebrew texts 5:1-12 is numbered 5:2-13.

O Lord, Deliver My Life

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

O Lord, (B)rebuke me not in your anger,
    nor (C)discipline me in your wrath.
Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing;
    (D)heal me, O Lord, (E)for my bones are troubled.
My (F)soul also is greatly troubled.
    But you, O Lord(G)how long?

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

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

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

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 6:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term

Psalm 6[a]

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

Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger(A)
    or discipline me in your wrath.
Have mercy on me,(B) Lord, for I am faint;(C)
    heal me,(D) Lord, for my bones are in agony.(E)
My soul is in deep anguish.(F)
    How long,(G) Lord, how long?

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

I am worn out(K) from my groaning.(L)

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

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

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 6:1 In Hebrew texts 6:1-10 is numbered 6:2-11.
  2. Psalm 6:1 Title: Probably a musical term

Blessed Are the Forgiven

A Maskil[a] of David.

32 (A)Blessed is the one whose (B)transgression is forgiven,
    whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man against whom the Lord (C)counts no iniquity,
    and in whose spirit (D)there is no deceit.

For when I kept silent, my (E)bones wasted away
    through my (F)groaning all day long.
For day and night your (G)hand was heavy upon me;
    my strength was dried up[b] as by the heat of summer. Selah

I (H)acknowledged my sin to you,
    and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, “I (I)will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
    and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah

Therefore let everyone who is (J)godly
    offer prayer to you at a time when you (K)may be found;
surely in the rush of (L)great waters,
    they shall not reach him.
You are a (M)hiding place for me;
    you preserve me from (N)trouble;
    you surround me with (O)shouts of deliverance. Selah

I will (P)instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
    I will (Q)counsel you with my eye upon you.
(R)Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
    which must be curbed with (S)bit and bridle,
    or it will not stay near you.

10 (T)Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
    but steadfast love surrounds the one who (U)trusts in the Lord.
11 (V)Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous,
    and (W)shout for joy, all you (X)upright in heart!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 32:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
  2. Psalm 32:4 Hebrew my vitality was changed

Psalm 32

Of David. A maskil.[a]

Blessed is the one
    whose transgressions are forgiven,
    whose sins are covered.(A)
Blessed is the one
    whose sin the Lord does not count against them(B)
    and in whose spirit is no deceit.(C)

When I kept silent,(D)
    my bones wasted away(E)
    through my groaning(F) all day long.
For day and night
    your hand was heavy(G) on me;
my strength was sapped(H)
    as in the heat of summer.[b]

Then I acknowledged my sin to you
    and did not cover up my iniquity.(I)
I said, “I will confess(J)
    my transgressions(K) to the Lord.”
And you forgave
    the guilt of my sin.(L)

Therefore let all the faithful pray to you
    while you may be found;(M)
surely the rising(N) of the mighty waters(O)
    will not reach them.(P)
You are my hiding place;(Q)
    you will protect me from trouble(R)
    and surround me with songs of deliverance.(S)

I will instruct(T) you and teach you(U) in the way you should go;
    I will counsel you with my loving eye on(V) you.
Do not be like the horse or the mule,
    which have no understanding
but must be controlled by bit and bridle(W)
    or they will not come to you.
10 Many are the woes of the wicked,(X)
    but the Lord’s unfailing love
    surrounds the one who trusts(Y) in him.

11 Rejoice in the Lord(Z) and be glad, you righteous;
    sing, all you who are upright in heart!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 32:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  2. Psalm 32:4 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 5 and 7.