Book Two

Why Are You Cast Down, O My Soul?

To the choirmaster. A Maskil[a] of (A)the Sons of Korah.

42 (B)As a deer pants for flowing streams,
    so pants my soul for you, O God.
(C)My soul thirsts for God,
    for (D)the living God.
When shall I come and (E)appear before God?[b]
(F)My tears have been my food
    day and night,
(G)while they say to me all the day long,
    “Where is your God?”
These things I remember,
    as I (H)pour out my soul:
(I)how I would go (J)with the throng
    and lead them in procession to the house of God
with glad shouts and songs of praise,
    (K)a multitude keeping festival.

(L)Why are you cast down, O my soul,
    and why are you (M)in turmoil within me?
(N)Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
    my salvation[c] and my God.

My soul is cast down within me;
    therefore I (O)remember you
(P)from the land of Jordan and of (Q)Hermon,
    from Mount Mizar.
Deep calls to deep
    at the roar of your waterfalls;
(R)all your breakers and your (S)waves
    have gone over me.
By day the Lord (T)commands his steadfast love,
    and at (U)night his song is with me,
    a prayer to the God of my life.
I say to God, (V)my rock:
    “Why have you forgotten me?
(W)Why do I go mourning
    because of the oppression of the enemy?”
10 As with a deadly wound in my bones,
    my adversaries taunt me,
(X)while they say to me all the day long,
    “Where is your God?”

11 (Y)Why are you cast down, O my soul,
    and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
    my salvation and my God.

Send Out Your Light and Your Truth

43 (Z)Vindicate me, O God, and (AA)defend my cause
    against an ungodly people,
from (AB)the deceitful and unjust man
    deliver me!
For you are (AC)the God in whom I take refuge;
    why have you (AD)rejected me?
Why do I (AE)go about mourning
    because of the oppression of the enemy?

(AF)Send out your light and your truth;
    let them lead me;
let them bring me to your (AG)holy hill
    and to your (AH)dwelling!
Then I will go to the altar of God,
    to God my exceeding joy,
and I will praise you with the lyre,
    O God, my God.

(AI)Why are you cast down, O my soul,
    and why are you in turmoil within me?
(AJ)Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
    my salvation and my God.

Come to Our Help

To the choirmaster. (AK)A Maskil[d] of the Sons of Korah.

44 O God, we have heard with our ears,
    (AL)our fathers have told us,
what deeds you performed in their days,
    (AM)in the days of old:
you with your own hand (AN)drove out the nations,
    but (AO)them you planted;
you afflicted the peoples,
    but (AP)them you set free;
for not (AQ)by their own sword did they win the land,
    nor did their own arm save them,
but your right hand and your arm,
    and (AR)the light of your face,
    (AS)for you delighted in them.

(AT)You are my King, O God;
    (AU)ordain salvation for Jacob!
Through you we (AV)push down our foes;
    through your name we (AW)tread down those who rise up against us.
For not in (AX)my bow do I trust,
    nor can my sword save me.
But you have saved us from our foes
    and have (AY)put to shame those who hate us.
(AZ)In God we have boasted continually,
    and we will give thanks to your name forever. Selah

But you have (BA)rejected us and disgraced us
    and (BB)have not gone out with our armies.
10 You have made us (BC)turn back from the foe,
    and those who hate us have gotten spoil.
11 You have made us like (BD)sheep for slaughter
    and have (BE)scattered us among the nations.
12 (BF)You have sold your people for a trifle,
    demanding no high price for them.
13 You have made us (BG)the taunt of our neighbors,
    the derision and (BH)scorn of those around us.
14 You have made us (BI)a byword among the nations,
    (BJ)a laughingstock[e] among the peoples.
15 All day long my disgrace is before me,
    and (BK)shame has covered my face
16 at the sound of the taunter and reviler,
    at the sight of (BL)the enemy and the avenger.

17 (BM)All this has come upon us,
    though we have not forgotten you,
    and we have not been false to your covenant.
18 Our heart has not turned back,
    nor have our (BN)steps (BO)departed from your way;
19 yet you have (BP)broken us in the place of (BQ)jackals
    and covered us with (BR)the shadow of death.
20 If we had forgotten the name of our God
    or (BS)spread out our hands to (BT)a foreign god,
21 (BU)would not God discover this?
    (BV)For he knows the secrets of the heart.
22 Yet (BW)for your sake we are killed all the day long;
    we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.

23 (BX)Awake! Why are you sleeping, O Lord?
    Rouse yourself! (BY)Do not reject us forever!
24 Why (BZ)do you hide your face?
    Why do you forget our affliction and oppression?
25 For our (CA)soul is bowed down to the dust;
    our belly clings to the ground.
26 Rise up; (CB)come to our help!
    (CC)Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love!

Your Throne, O God, Is Forever

To the choirmaster: according to Lilies. A Maskil[f] of (CD)the Sons of Korah; a love song.

45 My heart overflows with a pleasing theme;
    I address my verses to the king;
    my tongue is like the pen of (CE)a ready scribe.

You are (CF)the most handsome of the sons of men;
    (CG)grace is poured upon your lips;
    therefore God has blessed you forever.
(CH)Gird your (CI)sword on your thigh, O (CJ)mighty one,
    in (CK)your splendor and majesty!

In your majesty (CL)ride out victoriously
    for the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness;
    let your right hand teach you (CM)awesome deeds!
Your arrows are sharp
    in the heart of the king's enemies;
    the peoples fall under you.

(CN)Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.
    The (CO)scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness;
    (CP)you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness.
Therefore (CQ)God, your God, has (CR)anointed you
    with the oil of (CS)gladness (CT)beyond your companions;
    your robes are all fragrant with (CU)myrrh and aloes and cassia.
From ivory palaces (CV)stringed instruments make you glad;
    daughters of kings are among your ladies of honor;
    (CW)at your right hand stands the queen in (CX)gold of Ophir.

10 Hear, O daughter, and consider, and incline your ear:
    forget your people and your father's house,
11     and the king will desire your beauty.
Since he is your (CY)lord, (CZ)bow to him.
12     The people[g] of Tyre will (DA)seek your favor with (DB)gifts,
    (DC)the richest of the people.[h]

13 All glorious is (DD)the princess in her chamber, with robes interwoven with gold.
14     (DE)In many-colored robes (DF)she is led to the king,
    with her virgin companions following behind her.
15 With joy and gladness they are led along
    as they enter the palace of the king.

16 In place of your fathers shall be your sons;
    you will make them (DG)princes in all the earth.
17 (DH)I will cause your name to be remembered in all generations;
    therefore nations will praise you forever and ever.

God Is Our Fortress

To the choirmaster. Of (DI)the Sons of Korah. According to (DJ)Alamoth.[i] A Song.

46 God is our (DK)refuge and strength,
    a very (DL)present[j] help in (DM)trouble.
Therefore we will not fear (DN)though the earth gives way,
    though the mountains be moved into (DO)the heart of the sea,
though (DP)its waters roar and foam,
    though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah

There is (DQ)a river whose streams make glad (DR)the city of God,
    the holy (DS)habitation of the Most High.
(DT)God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
    God will help her when morning dawns.
(DU)The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
    he (DV)utters his voice, the earth (DW)melts.
(DX)The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

(DY)Come, behold the works of the Lord,
    how he has brought desolations on the earth.
(DZ)He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
    he (EA)breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
    (EB)he burns the chariots with fire.
10 (EC)“Be still, and know that I am God.
    (ED)I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth!”
11 (EE)The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

God Is King over All the Earth

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of (EF)the Sons of Korah.

47 (EG)Clap your hands, all peoples!
    (EH)Shout to God with loud songs of joy!
For the Lord, the Most High, (EI)is to be feared,
    (EJ)a great king over all the earth.
He (EK)subdued peoples under us,
    and nations under our feet.
He chose our (EL)heritage for us,
    (EM)the pride of Jacob whom he loves. Selah

God (EN)has gone up with a shout,
    the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.
Sing praises to God, sing praises!
    Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
For God is (EO)the King of all the earth;
    sing praises (EP)with a psalm![k]

God (EQ)reigns over the nations;
    God sits on his holy throne.
(ER)The princes of the peoples gather
    as the people of the God of Abraham.
For (ES)the shields of the earth belong to God;
    he is highly exalted!

Zion, the City of Our God

A Song. A Psalm of (ET)the Sons of Korah.

48 (EU)Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised
    in (EV)the city of our God!
His (EW)holy mountain, (EX)beautiful in elevation,
    is (EY)the joy of all the earth,
Mount Zion, in the far north,
    (EZ)the city of the great King.
Within her citadels God
    has made himself known as a fortress.

For behold, (FA)the kings assembled;
    they came on together.
As soon as they saw it, they were astounded;
    they were in panic; they took to flight.
(FB)Trembling took hold of them there,
    anguish (FC)as of a woman in labor.
By (FD)the east wind you (FE)shattered
    the ships of (FF)Tarshish.
As we have heard, so have we seen
    in the city of the Lord of hosts,
in (FG)the city of our God,
    which God will (FH)establish forever. Selah

We have thought on your (FI)steadfast love, O God,
    in the midst of your temple.
10 As your (FJ)name, O God,
    so your praise reaches to (FK)the ends of the earth.
Your right hand is filled with righteousness.
11     Let Mount (FL)Zion be glad!
Let (FM)the daughters of Judah rejoice
    because of your judgments!

12 Walk about Zion, go around her,
    number her towers,
13 consider well her (FN)ramparts,
    go through her citadels,
(FO)that you may tell the next generation
14     that this is God,
our God forever and ever.
    He will (FP)guide us forever.[l]

Why Should I Fear in Times of Trouble?

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of (FQ)the Sons of Korah.

49 (FR)Hear this, all peoples!
    Give ear, all inhabitants of the world,
(FS)both low and high,
    rich and poor together!
My mouth shall speak (FT)wisdom;
    the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.
I will incline my ear to (FU)a proverb;
    I will solve my (FV)riddle to the music of the lyre.

(FW)Why should I fear in (FX)times of trouble,
    when the iniquity of those who cheat me surrounds me,
those who (FY)trust in their wealth
    and boast of the abundance of their riches?
Truly no man (FZ)can ransom another,
    or (GA)give to God (GB)the price of his life,
for (GC)the ransom of their life is costly
    and can never suffice,
that he should live on forever
    and (GD)never see the pit.

10 For he sees (GE)that even the wise die;
    (GF)the fool and the stupid alike must perish
    and (GG)leave their wealth to others.
11 Their (GH)graves are their homes forever,[m]
    their dwelling places (GI)to all generations,
    though they (GJ)called lands by their own names.
12 Man in his pomp (GK)will not remain;
    (GL)he is like the beasts that perish.

13 This is the path of those who have (GM)foolish confidence;
    yet after them people approve of their boasts.[n] Selah
14 Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol;
    death shall be their shepherd,
and the upright (GN)shall rule over them in the morning.
    (GO)Their form shall be consumed (GP)in Sheol, with no place to dwell.
15 But God will (GQ)ransom my soul from the power of Sheol,
    for he will (GR)receive me. Selah

16 Be not afraid when a man becomes rich,
    when the glory of his house increases.
17 (GS)For when he dies he will (GT)carry nothing away;
    his glory will not go down after him.
18 For though, while he lives, he counts himself (GU)blessed
    —and though you get praise when you do well for yourself—
19 his soul will (GV)go to the generation of his fathers,
    who will never again (GW)see light.
20 (GX)Man in his pomp yet without understanding is like the beasts that perish.

God Himself Is Judge

A Psalm of (GY)Asaph.

50 (GZ)The Mighty One, God the Lord,
    speaks and summons the earth
    (HA)from the rising of the sun to its setting.
Out of Zion, (HB)the perfection of beauty,
    (HC)God shines forth.

Our God comes; he (HD)does not keep silence;[o]
    before him is a devouring (HE)fire,
    around him a mighty tempest.
(HF)He calls to the heavens above
    and to the earth, that he may judge his people:
“Gather to me my faithful ones,
    who made (HG)a covenant with me by sacrifice!”
(HH)The heavens declare his righteousness,
    for (HI)God himself is judge! Selah

(HJ)“Hear, O my people, and I will speak;
    O Israel, I will testify against you.
    (HK)I am God, your God.
Not for your sacrifices (HL)do I rebuke you;
    your burnt offerings are continually before me.
I will not accept a bull from your house
    or goats from your folds.
10 For every beast of the forest is mine,
    the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 (HM)I know all the birds of the hills,
    and all that moves in the field is mine.

12 “If I were hungry, I would not tell you,
    (HN)for the world and its fullness are mine.
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls
    or drink the blood of goats?
14 (HO)Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving,[p]
    and (HP)perform your vows to the Most High,
15 and (HQ)call upon me in the day of trouble;
    I will (HR)deliver you, and you shall (HS)glorify me.”

16 But to the wicked God says:
    “What right have you to recite my statutes
    or take my covenant on your lips?
17 (HT)For you hate discipline,
    (HU)and you cast my words behind you.
18 If you see a thief, (HV)you are pleased with him,
    (HW)and you keep company with adulterers.

19 “You give your mouth free rein for evil,
    (HX)and your tongue frames deceit.
20 You sit and speak against your brother;
    you slander your own mother's son.
21 These things you have done, and I (HY)have been silent;
    you thought that I[q] was one like yourself.
But now I (HZ)rebuke you and (IA)lay the charge before you.

22 “Mark this, then, you who (IB)forget God,
    lest I tear you apart, and there be (IC)none to deliver!
23 The one who (ID)offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me;
    to one who (IE)orders his way rightly
    I will show the (IF)salvation of God!”

Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, when (IG)Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.

51 (IH)Have mercy on me,[r] O God,
    according to your steadfast love;
according to your (II)abundant mercy
    (IJ)blot out my transgressions.
(IK)Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
    and (IL)cleanse me from my sin!

(IM)For I know my transgressions,
    and my sin is ever before me.
(IN)Against you, you only, have I sinned
    and done what is evil (IO)in your sight,
(IP)so that you may be justified in your words
    and blameless in your judgment.
Behold, (IQ)I was brought forth in iniquity,
    and in sin did my mother conceive me.
Behold, you delight in truth in (IR)the inward being,
    and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.

Purge me (IS)with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
    (IT)wash me, and I shall be (IU)whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness;
    (IV)let the bones (IW)that you have broken rejoice.
(IX)Hide your face from my sins,
    and (IY)blot out all my iniquities.
10 (IZ)Create in me a (JA)clean heart, O God,
    and (JB)renew a right[s] spirit within me.
11 (JC)Cast me not away from your presence,
    and take not (JD)your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
    and uphold me with a willing spirit.

13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
    and sinners will (JE)return to you.
14 Deliver me from (JF)bloodguiltiness, O God,
    O (JG)God of my salvation,
    and (JH)my tongue will sing aloud of your (JI)righteousness.
15 O Lord, open my lips,
    and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 (JJ)For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it;
    you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are (JK)a broken spirit;
    a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

18 (JL)Do good to Zion in your good pleasure;
    (JM)build up the walls of Jerusalem;
19 then will you delight in (JN)right sacrifices,
    in burnt offerings and (JO)whole burnt offerings;
    then bulls will be offered on your altar.

The Steadfast Love of God Endures

To the choirmaster. A Maskil[t] of David, when (JP)Doeg, the Edomite, came and told Saul, “David has come to the house of Ahimelech.”

52 Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man?
    The steadfast love of God endures all the day.
Your (JQ)tongue plots destruction,
    like (JR)a sharp razor, you (JS)worker of deceit.
You love evil more than good,
    and (JT)lying more than speaking what is right. Selah
You love all words that devour,
    O deceitful tongue.

But God will break you down forever;
    he will snatch and (JU)tear you from your tent;
    he will uproot you from (JV)the land of the living. Selah
The righteous shall (JW)see and fear,
    and shall (JX)laugh at him, saying,
“See the man who would not make
    God his refuge,
but (JY)trusted in the abundance of his riches
    and sought refuge in his own destruction!”[u]

But I am like (JZ)a green olive tree
    in the house of God.
I trust in the steadfast love of God
    forever and ever.
I will thank you forever,
    because you have done it.
I will wait for your name, (KA)for it is good,
    in the presence of the (KB)godly.

There Is None Who Does Good

To the choirmaster: according to (KC)Mahalath. A Maskil[v] of David.

53 (KD)The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
    They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity;
    there is none who does good.

God looks down from heaven
    on the children of man
to see if there are any who understand,[w]
    who seek after God.

They have all fallen away;
    together they have become corrupt;
there is none who does good,
    not even one.

Have those who work evil no knowledge,
    who eat up my people as they eat bread,
    and do not call upon God?

There they are, in great terror,
    (KE)where there is no terror!
For God (KF)scatters the bones of him who encamps against you;
    you put them to shame, for God has rejected them.

Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
    When God restores the fortunes of his people,
    let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.

The Lord Upholds My Life

To the choirmaster: with (KG)stringed instruments. A Maskil[x] of David, (KH)when the Ziphites went and told Saul, “Is not David hiding among us?”

54 O God, save me by your (KI)name,
    and vindicate me by your might.
O God, (KJ)hear my prayer;
    give ear to the words of my mouth.

(KK)For (KL)strangers[y] have risen against me;
    ruthless men (KM)seek my life;
    they do not set God before themselves. Selah

Behold, (KN)God is my helper;
    the Lord is the upholder of my life.
He will return the evil to my enemies;
    in your (KO)faithfulness (KP)put an end to them.

With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you;
    I will give thanks to your name, O Lord, (KQ)for it is good.
For he has delivered me from every trouble,
    and my eye has (KR)looked in triumph on my enemies.

Cast Your Burden on the Lord

To the choirmaster: with (KS)stringed instruments. A Maskil[z] of David.

55 (KT)Give ear to my prayer, O God,
    and hide not yourself from my plea for mercy!
Attend to me, and answer me;
    I am restless (KU)in my complaint and I (KV)moan,
because of the noise of the enemy,
    because of the oppression of the wicked.
For they (KW)drop trouble upon me,
    and in anger they bear a grudge against me.

My heart is in anguish within me;
    (KX)the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
Fear and trembling come upon me,
    and (KY)horror (KZ)overwhelms me.
And I say, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove!
    I would fly away and be at rest;
(LA)yes, I would wander far away;
    I would lodge in the wilderness; Selah
I would hurry to find a shelter
    from (LB)the raging wind and tempest.”

Destroy, O Lord, (LC)divide their tongues;
    for I see (LD)violence and strife in the city.
10 Day and night they go around it
    on its walls,
and (LE)iniquity and trouble are within it;
11     ruin is in its midst;
(LF)oppression and fraud
    do not depart from its marketplace.

12 For it is not an enemy who taunts me—
    then I could bear it;
it is not an adversary who (LG)deals insolently with me—
    then I could hide from him.
13 (LH)But it is you, a man, my equal,
    my companion, my familiar friend.
14 We used to take sweet counsel together;
    within God's house we walked in (LI)the throng.
15 Let death steal over them;
    let them go down to Sheol (LJ)alive;
    for evil is in their dwelling place and in their heart.

16 But I call to God,
    and the Lord will save me.
17 (LK)Evening and (LL)morning and at (LM)noon
    I (LN)utter my complaint and moan,
    and he hears my voice.
18 He redeems my soul in safety
    from the battle that I wage,
    for (LO)many are arrayed against me.
19 God will give ear and humble them,
    he who is (LP)enthroned from of old, Selah
because they do not (LQ)change
    and do not fear God.

20 My companion[aa] (LR)stretched out his hand against his friends;
    he violated his covenant.
21 His (LS)speech was (LT)smooth as butter,
    yet war was in his heart;
his words were softer than oil,
    yet they were (LU)drawn swords.

22 (LV)Cast your burden on the Lord,
    and he will sustain you;
(LW)he will never permit
    the righteous to be moved.

23 But you, O God, (LX)will cast them down
    into (LY)the pit of destruction;
men of (LZ)blood and treachery
    shall not (MA)live out half their days.
But I will (MB)trust in you.

In God I Trust

To the choirmaster: according to The Dove on Far-off Terebinths. A (MC)Miktam[ab] of David, when the (MD)Philistines seized him in Gath.

56 (ME)Be gracious to me, O God, for man (MF)tramples on me;
    all day long an attacker oppresses me;
my enemies trample on me all day long,
    for many attack me proudly.
When I am afraid,
    I (MG)put my trust in you.
In God, whose word I praise,
    in God I trust; (MH)I shall not be afraid.
    What can flesh do to me?

All day long they injure my cause;[ac]
    all their thoughts are against me for evil.
They (MI)stir up strife, they (MJ)lurk;
    they (MK)watch my steps,
    as they have waited for my life.
For their crime will they escape?
    (ML)In wrath (MM)cast down the peoples, O God!

You have kept count of my tossings;[ad]
    (MN)put my tears in your bottle.
    (MO)Are they not in your book?
Then my enemies will turn back
    (MP)in the day when I call.
    This I know, that[ae] (MQ)God is for me.
10 In God, whose word I praise,
    in the Lord, whose word I praise,
11 in God I trust; (MR)I shall not be afraid.
    What can man do to me?

12 I must perform my (MS)vows to you, O God;
    I will (MT)render thank offerings to you.
13 (MU)For you have delivered my soul from death,
    yes, my feet from falling,
(MV)that I may walk before God
    (MW)in the light of life.

Let Your Glory Be over All the Earth

To the choirmaster: according to (MX)Do Not Destroy. A (MY)Miktam[af] of David, when he fled from Saul, in (MZ)the cave.

57 (NA)Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,
    for in you my soul (NB)takes refuge;
in (NC)the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,
    (ND)till the storms of destruction pass by.
I cry out to God Most High,
    to God who (NE)fulfills his purpose for me.
(NF)He will send from heaven and save me;
    he will put to shame (NG)him who tramples on me. Selah
(NH)God will send out (NI)his steadfast love and his faithfulness!

My soul is in the midst of (NJ)lions;
    I lie down amid fiery beasts—
the children of man, whose (NK)teeth are spears and arrows,
    whose (NL)tongues are sharp swords.

(NM)Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
    Let your glory be over all the earth!

They set (NN)a net for my steps;
    my soul was (NO)bowed down.
They (NP)dug a pit in my way,
    but they have fallen into it themselves. Selah
(NQ)My heart is (NR)steadfast, O God,
    my heart is steadfast!
I will sing and make melody!
    (NS)Awake, (NT)my glory![ag]
Awake, (NU)O harp and lyre!
    I will awake the dawn!
I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;
    I will sing praises to you among the nations.
10 For your (NV)steadfast love is great to the heavens,
    your faithfulness to the clouds.

11 (NW)Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
    Let your glory be over all the earth!

God Who Judges the Earth

To the choirmaster: according to (NX)Do Not Destroy. A (NY)Miktam[ah] of David.

58 Do you indeed decree what is right, you gods?[ai]
    Do you judge the children of man uprightly?
No, in your hearts you devise wrongs;
    your hands (NZ)deal out violence on earth.

The wicked are (OA)estranged from the womb;
    they go astray from birth, speaking lies.
(OB)They have venom like the venom of a serpent,
    like the deaf adder that stops its ear,
so that it (OC)does not hear the voice of charmers
    or of the cunning enchanter.

O God, (OD)break the teeth in their mouths;
    tear out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord!
Let them (OE)vanish like water that runs away;
    when he (OF)aims his arrows, let them be blunted.
Let them be like the snail (OG)that dissolves into slime,
    like (OH)the stillborn child who never sees the sun.
Sooner than your pots can feel the heat of (OI)thorns,
    whether green or ablaze, may he (OJ)sweep them away![aj]

10 (OK)The righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance;
    he will (OL)bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked.
11 Mankind will say, “Surely there is (OM)a reward for the righteous;
    surely there is a God who (ON)judges on earth.”

Deliver Me from My Enemies

To the choirmaster: according to (OO)Do Not Destroy. A (OP)Miktam[ak] of David, (OQ)when Saul sent men to watch his house in order to kill him.

59 (OR)Deliver me from my enemies, O my God;
    (OS)protect me from those who (OT)rise up against me;
deliver me from (OU)those who work evil,
    and save me from (OV)bloodthirsty men.

For behold, they (OW)lie in wait for my life;
    fierce men (OX)stir up strife against me.
(OY)For no transgression or sin of mine, O Lord,
    for no fault of mine, they run and make ready.
(OZ)Awake, come to meet me, and see!
    You, (PA)Lord God of hosts, are God of Israel.
Rouse yourself to punish all the nations;
    spare none of those who treacherously plot evil. Selah

Each evening they (PB)come back,
    howling like dogs
    and prowling about the city.
There they are, (PC)bellowing with their mouths
    with (PD)swords in their lips—
    for (PE)“Who,” they think,[al] “will hear us?”

But you, O Lord, (PF)laugh at them;
    you hold all the nations in derision.
O my Strength, I will watch for you,
    for you, O God, are (PG)my fortress.
10 (PH)My God in his steadfast love[am] (PI)will meet me;
    God will let me (PJ)look in triumph on my enemies.

11 Kill them not, lest my people forget;
    make them totter[an] by your power and (PK)bring them down,
    O Lord, our (PL)shield!
12 For (PM)the sin of their mouths, the words of their lips,
    let them be trapped in their pride.
For the cursing and lies that they utter,
13     (PN)consume them in wrath;
    consume them till they are no more,
that they may (PO)know that God rules over Jacob
    to (PP)the ends of the earth. Selah

14 (PQ)Each evening they come back,
    howling like dogs
    and prowling about the city.
15 They (PR)wander about for food
    and growl if they do not get their fill.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 42:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
  2. Psalm 42:2 Revocalization yields and see the face of God
  3. Psalm 42:5 Hebrew the salvation of my face; also verse 11 and 43:5
  4. Psalm 44:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
  5. Psalm 44:14 Hebrew a shaking of the head
  6. Psalm 45:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
  7. Psalm 45:12 Hebrew daughter
  8. Psalm 45:12 Or The daughter of Tyre is here with gifts, the richest of people seek your favor
  9. Psalm 46:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
  10. Psalm 46:1 Or well proved
  11. Psalm 47:7 Hebrew maskil
  12. Psalm 48:14 Septuagint; another reading is (compare Jerome, Syriac) He will guide us beyond death
  13. Psalm 49:11 Septuagint, Syriac, Targum; Hebrew Their inward thought was that their homes were forever
  14. Psalm 49:13 Or and of those after them who approve of their boasts
  15. Psalm 50:3 Or May our God come, and not keep silence
  16. Psalm 50:14 Or Make thanksgiving your sacrifice to God
  17. Psalm 50:21 Or that the I am
  18. Psalm 51:1 Or Be gracious to me
  19. Psalm 51:10 Or steadfast
  20. Psalm 52:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
  21. Psalm 52:7 Or in his work of destruction
  22. Psalm 53:1 Probably musical or liturgical terms
  23. Psalm 53:2 Or who act wisely
  24. Psalm 54:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
  25. Psalm 54:3 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Targum insolent men (compare Psalm 86:14)
  26. Psalm 55:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
  27. Psalm 55:20 Hebrew He
  28. Psalm 56:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
  29. Psalm 56:5 Or they twist my words
  30. Psalm 56:8 Or wanderings
  31. Psalm 56:9 Or because
  32. Psalm 57:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
  33. Psalm 57:8 Or my whole being
  34. Psalm 58:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
  35. Psalm 58:1 Or you mighty lords (by revocalization; Hebrew in silence)
  36. Psalm 58:9 The meaning of the Hebrew verse is uncertain
  37. Psalm 59:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
  38. Psalm 59:7 Hebrew lacks they think
  39. Psalm 59:10 Or The God who shows me steadfast love
  40. Psalm 59:11 Or wander

BOOK II

Psalms 42–72

Psalm 42[a][b]

For the director of music. A maskil[c] of the Sons of Korah.

As the deer(A) pants for streams of water,(B)
    so my soul pants(C) for you, my God.
My soul thirsts(D) for God, for the living God.(E)
    When can I go(F) and meet with God?
My tears(G) have been my food
    day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
    “Where is your God?”(H)
These things I remember
    as I pour out my soul:(I)
how I used to go to the house of God(J)
    under the protection of the Mighty One[d]
with shouts of joy(K) and praise(L)
    among the festive throng.(M)

Why, my soul, are you downcast?(N)
    Why so disturbed(O) within me?
Put your hope in God,(P)
    for I will yet praise(Q) him,
    my Savior(R) and my God.(S)

My soul is downcast within me;
    therefore I will remember(T) you
from the land of the Jordan,(U)
    the heights of Hermon(V)—from Mount Mizar.
Deep calls to deep(W)
    in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
    have swept over me.(X)

By day the Lord directs his love,(Y)
    at night(Z) his song(AA) is with me—
    a prayer to the God of my life.(AB)

I say to God my Rock,(AC)
    “Why have you forgotten(AD) me?
Why must I go about mourning,(AE)
    oppressed(AF) by the enemy?”(AG)
10 My bones suffer mortal agony(AH)
    as my foes taunt(AI) me,
saying to me all day long,
    “Where is your God?”(AJ)

11 Why, my soul, are you downcast?
    Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
    for I will yet praise him,
    my Savior and my God.(AK)

Psalm 43[e]

Vindicate me, my God,
    and plead my cause(AL)
    against an unfaithful nation.
Rescue me(AM) from those who are
    deceitful and wicked.(AN)
You are God my stronghold.
    Why have you rejected(AO) me?
Why must I go about mourning,(AP)
    oppressed by the enemy?(AQ)
Send me your light(AR) and your faithful care,(AS)
    let them lead me;(AT)
let them bring me to your holy mountain,(AU)
    to the place where you dwell.(AV)
Then I will go(AW) to the altar(AX) of God,
    to God, my joy(AY) and my delight.(AZ)
I will praise you with the lyre,(BA)
    O God, my God.

Why, my soul, are you downcast?
    Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
    for I will yet praise him,
    my Savior and my God.(BB)

Psalm 44[f]

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil.[g]

We have heard it with our ears,(BC) O God;
    our ancestors have told us(BD)
what you did in their days,
    in days long ago.(BE)
With your hand you drove out(BF) the nations
    and planted(BG) our ancestors;
you crushed(BH) the peoples
    and made our ancestors flourish.(BI)
It was not by their sword(BJ) that they won the land,
    nor did their arm bring them victory;
it was your right hand,(BK) your arm,(BL)
    and the light(BM) of your face, for you loved(BN) them.

You are my King(BO) and my God,(BP)
    who decrees[h] victories(BQ) for Jacob.
Through you we push back(BR) our enemies;
    through your name we trample(BS) our foes.
I put no trust in my bow,(BT)
    my sword does not bring me victory;
but you give us victory(BU) over our enemies,
    you put our adversaries to shame.(BV)
In God we make our boast(BW) all day long,(BX)
    and we will praise your name forever.[i](BY)

But now you have rejected(BZ) and humbled us;(CA)
    you no longer go out with our armies.(CB)
10 You made us retreat(CC) before the enemy,
    and our adversaries have plundered(CD) us.
11 You gave us up to be devoured like sheep(CE)
    and have scattered us among the nations.(CF)
12 You sold your people for a pittance,(CG)
    gaining nothing from their sale.

13 You have made us a reproach(CH) to our neighbors,(CI)
    the scorn(CJ) and derision(CK) of those around us.
14 You have made us a byword(CL) among the nations;
    the peoples shake their heads(CM) at us.
15 I live in disgrace(CN) all day long,
    and my face is covered with shame(CO)
16 at the taunts(CP) of those who reproach and revile(CQ) me,
    because of the enemy, who is bent on revenge.(CR)

17 All this came upon us,
    though we had not forgotten(CS) you;
    we had not been false to your covenant.
18 Our hearts had not turned(CT) back;
    our feet had not strayed from your path.
19 But you crushed(CU) us and made us a haunt for jackals;(CV)
    you covered us over with deep darkness.(CW)

20 If we had forgotten(CX) the name of our God
    or spread out our hands to a foreign god,(CY)
21 would not God have discovered it,
    since he knows the secrets of the heart?(CZ)
22 Yet for your sake we face death all day long;
    we are considered as sheep(DA) to be slaughtered.(DB)

23 Awake,(DC) Lord! Why do you sleep?(DD)
    Rouse yourself!(DE) Do not reject us forever.(DF)
24 Why do you hide your face(DG)
    and forget(DH) our misery and oppression?(DI)

25 We are brought down to the dust;(DJ)
    our bodies cling to the ground.
26 Rise up(DK) and help us;
    rescue(DL) us because of your unfailing love.(DM)

Psalm 45[j]

For the director of music. To the tune of “Lilies.” Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil.[k] A wedding song.(DN)

My heart is stirred by a noble theme
    as I recite my verses for the king;
    my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.

You are the most excellent of men
    and your lips have been anointed with grace,(DO)
    since God has blessed you forever.(DP)

Gird your sword(DQ) on your side, you mighty one;(DR)
    clothe yourself with splendor and majesty.(DS)
In your majesty ride forth victoriously(DT)
    in the cause of truth, humility and justice;(DU)
    let your right hand(DV) achieve awesome deeds.(DW)
Let your sharp arrows(DX) pierce the hearts(DY) of the king’s enemies;(DZ)
    let the nations fall beneath your feet.
Your throne, O God,[l] will last for ever and ever;(EA)
    a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.
You love righteousness(EB) and hate wickedness;(EC)
    therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
    by anointing(ED) you with the oil of joy.(EE)
All your robes are fragrant(EF) with myrrh(EG) and aloes(EH) and cassia;(EI)
    from palaces adorned with ivory(EJ)
    the music of the strings(EK) makes you glad.
Daughters of kings(EL) are among your honored women;
    at your right hand(EM) is the royal bride(EN) in gold of Ophir.(EO)

10 Listen, daughter,(EP) and pay careful attention:(EQ)
    Forget your people(ER) and your father’s house.
11 Let the king be enthralled by your beauty;(ES)
    honor(ET) him, for he is your lord.(EU)
12 The city of Tyre(EV) will come with a gift,[m](EW)
    people of wealth will seek your favor.
13 All glorious(EX) is the princess within her chamber;
    her gown is interwoven with gold.(EY)
14 In embroidered garments(EZ) she is led to the king;(FA)
    her virgin companions(FB) follow her—
    those brought to be with her.
15 Led in with joy and gladness,(FC)
    they enter the palace of the king.

16 Your sons will take the place of your fathers;
    you will make them princes(FD) throughout the land.

17 I will perpetuate your memory through all generations;(FE)
    therefore the nations will praise you(FF) for ever and ever.(FG)

Psalm 46[n]

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. According to alamoth.[o] A song.

God is our refuge(FH) and strength,(FI)
    an ever-present(FJ) help(FK) in trouble.(FL)
Therefore we will not fear,(FM) though the earth give way(FN)
    and the mountains fall(FO) into the heart of the sea,(FP)
though its waters roar(FQ) and foam(FR)
    and the mountains quake(FS) with their surging.[p]

There is a river(FT) whose streams(FU) make glad the city of God,(FV)
    the holy place where the Most High(FW) dwells.(FX)
God is within her,(FY) she will not fall;(FZ)
    God will help(GA) her at break of day.
Nations(GB) are in uproar,(GC) kingdoms(GD) fall;
    he lifts his voice,(GE) the earth melts.(GF)

The Lord Almighty(GG) is with us;(GH)
    the God of Jacob(GI) is our fortress.(GJ)

Come and see what the Lord has done,(GK)
    the desolations(GL) he has brought on the earth.
He makes wars(GM) cease
    to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow(GN) and shatters the spear;
    he burns the shields[q] with fire.(GO)
10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;(GP)
    I will be exalted(GQ) among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth.”

11 The Lord Almighty is with us;
    the God of Jacob(GR) is our fortress.(GS)

Psalm 47[r]

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

Clap your hands,(GT) all you nations;
    shout to God with cries of joy.(GU)

For the Lord Most High(GV) is awesome,(GW)
    the great King(GX) over all the earth.
He subdued(GY) nations under us,
    peoples under our feet.
He chose our inheritance(GZ) for us,
    the pride of Jacob,(HA) whom he loved.[s]

God has ascended(HB) amid shouts of joy,(HC)
    the Lord amid the sounding of trumpets.(HD)
Sing praises(HE) to God, sing praises;
    sing praises to our King, sing praises.
For God is the King of all the earth;(HF)
    sing to him a psalm(HG) of praise.

God reigns(HH) over the nations;
    God is seated on his holy throne.(HI)
The nobles of the nations assemble
    as the people of the God of Abraham,
for the kings[t] of the earth belong to God;(HJ)
    he is greatly exalted.(HK)

Psalm 48[u]

A song. A psalm of the Sons of Korah.

Great is the Lord,(HL) and most worthy of praise,(HM)
    in the city of our God,(HN) his holy mountain.(HO)

Beautiful(HP) in its loftiness,
    the joy of the whole earth,
like the heights of Zaphon[v](HQ) is Mount Zion,(HR)
    the city of the Great King.(HS)
God is in her citadels;(HT)
    he has shown himself to be her fortress.(HU)

When the kings joined forces,
    when they advanced together,(HV)
they saw her and were astounded;
    they fled in terror.(HW)
Trembling seized(HX) them there,
    pain like that of a woman in labor.(HY)
You destroyed them like ships of Tarshish(HZ)
    shattered by an east wind.(IA)

As we have heard,
    so we have seen
in the city of the Lord Almighty,
    in the city of our God:
God makes her secure
    forever.[w](IB)

Within your temple, O God,
    we meditate(IC) on your unfailing love.(ID)
10 Like your name,(IE) O God,
    your praise reaches to the ends of the earth;(IF)
    your right hand is filled with righteousness.
11 Mount Zion rejoices,
    the villages of Judah are glad
    because of your judgments.(IG)

12 Walk about Zion, go around her,
    count her towers,(IH)
13 consider well her ramparts,(II)
    view her citadels,(IJ)
that you may tell of them
    to the next generation.(IK)

14 For this God is our God for ever and ever;
    he will be our guide(IL) even to the end.

Psalm 49[x]

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

Hear(IM) this, all you peoples;(IN)
    listen, all who live in this world,(IO)
both low and high,(IP)
    rich and poor alike:
My mouth will speak words of wisdom;(IQ)
    the meditation of my heart will give you understanding.(IR)
I will turn my ear to a proverb;(IS)
    with the harp(IT) I will expound my riddle:(IU)

Why should I fear(IV) when evil days come,
    when wicked deceivers surround me—
those who trust in their wealth(IW)
    and boast(IX) of their great riches?(IY)
No one can redeem the life of another
    or give to God a ransom for them—
the ransom(IZ) for a life is costly,
    no payment is ever enough—(JA)
so that they should live on(JB) forever
    and not see decay.(JC)
10 For all can see that the wise die,(JD)
    that the foolish and the senseless(JE) also perish,
    leaving their wealth(JF) to others.(JG)
11 Their tombs(JH) will remain their houses[y] forever,
    their dwellings for endless generations,(JI)
    though they had[z] named(JJ) lands after themselves.

12 People, despite their wealth, do not endure;(JK)
    they are like the beasts that perish.(JL)

13 This is the fate of those who trust in themselves,(JM)
    and of their followers, who approve their sayings.[aa]
14 They are like sheep and are destined(JN) to die;(JO)
    death will be their shepherd
    (but the upright will prevail(JP) over them in the morning).
Their forms will decay in the grave,
    far from their princely mansions.
15 But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead;(JQ)
    he will surely take me to himself.(JR)
16 Do not be overawed when others grow rich,
    when the splendor of their houses increases;
17 for they will take nothing(JS) with them when they die,
    their splendor will not descend with them.(JT)
18 Though while they live they count themselves blessed—(JU)
    and people praise you when you prosper—
19 they will join those who have gone before them,(JV)
    who will never again see the light(JW) of life.

20 People who have wealth but lack understanding(JX)
    are like the beasts that perish.(JY)

Psalm 50

A psalm of Asaph.

The Mighty One, God, the Lord,(JZ)
    speaks and summons the earth
    from the rising of the sun to where it sets.(KA)
From Zion,(KB) perfect in beauty,(KC)
    God shines forth.(KD)
Our God comes(KE)
    and will not be silent;(KF)
a fire devours(KG) before him,(KH)
    and around him a tempest(KI) rages.
He summons the heavens above,
    and the earth,(KJ) that he may judge his people:(KK)
“Gather to me this consecrated people,(KL)
    who made a covenant(KM) with me by sacrifice.”
And the heavens proclaim(KN) his righteousness,
    for he is a God of justice.[ab][ac](KO)

“Listen, my people, and I will speak;
    I will testify(KP) against you, Israel:
    I am God, your God.(KQ)
I bring no charges(KR) against you concerning your sacrifices
    or concerning your burnt offerings,(KS) which are ever before me.
I have no need of a bull(KT) from your stall
    or of goats(KU) from your pens,(KV)
10 for every animal of the forest(KW) is mine,
    and the cattle on a thousand hills.(KX)
11 I know every bird(KY) in the mountains,
    and the insects in the fields(KZ) are mine.
12 If I were hungry I would not tell you,
    for the world(LA) is mine, and all that is in it.(LB)
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls
    or drink the blood of goats?

14 “Sacrifice thank offerings(LC) to God,
    fulfill your vows(LD) to the Most High,(LE)
15 and call(LF) on me in the day of trouble;(LG)
    I will deliver(LH) you, and you will honor(LI) me.”

16 But to the wicked person, God says:

“What right have you to recite my laws
    or take my covenant(LJ) on your lips?(LK)
17 You hate(LL) my instruction
    and cast my words behind(LM) you.
18 When you see a thief, you join(LN) with him;
    you throw in your lot with adulterers.(LO)
19 You use your mouth for evil
    and harness your tongue to deceit.(LP)
20 You sit and testify against your brother(LQ)
    and slander your own mother’s son.
21 When you did these things and I kept silent,(LR)
    you thought I was exactly[ad] like you.
But I now arraign(LS) you
    and set my accusations(LT) before you.

22 “Consider this, you who forget God,(LU)
    or I will tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue you:(LV)
23 Those who sacrifice thank offerings honor me,
    and to the blameless[ae] I will show my salvation.(LW)

Psalm 51[af]

For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.(LX)

Have mercy(LY) on me, O God,
    according to your unfailing love;(LZ)
according to your great compassion(MA)
    blot out(MB) my transgressions.(MC)
Wash away(MD) all my iniquity
    and cleanse(ME) me from my sin.

For I know my transgressions,
    and my sin is always before me.(MF)
Against you, you only, have I sinned(MG)
    and done what is evil in your sight;(MH)
so you are right in your verdict
    and justified when you judge.(MI)
Surely I was sinful(MJ) at birth,(MK)
    sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
    you taught me wisdom(ML) in that secret place.(MM)

Cleanse(MN) me with hyssop,(MO) and I will be clean;
    wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.(MP)
Let me hear joy and gladness;(MQ)
    let the bones(MR) you have crushed rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins(MS)
    and blot out(MT) all my iniquity.

10 Create in me a pure heart,(MU) O God,
    and renew a steadfast spirit within me.(MV)
11 Do not cast me(MW) from your presence(MX)
    or take your Holy Spirit(MY) from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation(MZ)
    and grant me a willing spirit,(NA) to sustain me.(NB)

13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,(NC)
    so that sinners(ND) will turn back to you.(NE)
14 Deliver me(NF) from the guilt of bloodshed,(NG) O God,
    you who are God my Savior,(NH)
    and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.(NI)
15 Open my lips, Lord,(NJ)
    and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 You do not delight in sacrifice,(NK) or I would bring it;
    you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
17 My sacrifice,(NL) O God, is[ag] a broken spirit;
    a broken and contrite heart(NM)
    you, God, will not despise.

18 May it please you to prosper Zion,(NN)
    to build up the walls of Jerusalem.(NO)
19 Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous,(NP)
    in burnt offerings(NQ) offered whole;
    then bulls(NR) will be offered on your altar.

Psalm 52[ah]

For the director of music. A maskil[ai] of David. When Doeg the Edomite(NS) had gone to Saul and told him: “David has gone to the house of Ahimelek.”

Why do you boast of evil, you mighty hero?
    Why do you boast(NT) all day long,(NU)
    you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God?
You who practice deceit,(NV)
    your tongue plots destruction;(NW)
    it is like a sharpened razor.(NX)
You love evil(NY) rather than good,
    falsehood(NZ) rather than speaking the truth.[aj]
You love every harmful word,
    you deceitful tongue!(OA)

Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin:
    He will snatch you up and pluck(OB) you from your tent;
    he will uproot(OC) you from the land of the living.(OD)
The righteous will see and fear;
    they will laugh(OE) at you, saying,
“Here now is the man
    who did not make God his stronghold(OF)
but trusted in his great wealth(OG)
    and grew strong by destroying others!”

But I am like an olive tree(OH)
    flourishing in the house of God;
I trust(OI) in God’s unfailing love
    for ever and ever.
For what you have done I will always praise you(OJ)
    in the presence of your faithful people.(OK)
And I will hope in your name,(OL)
    for your name is good.(OM)

Psalm 53[ak](ON)

For the director of music. According to mahalath.[al] A maskil[am] of David.

The fool(OO) says in his heart,
    “There is no God.”(OP)
They are corrupt, and their ways are vile;
    there is no one who does good.

God looks down from heaven(OQ)
    on all mankind
to see if there are any who understand,(OR)
    any who seek God.(OS)
Everyone has turned away, all have become corrupt;
    there is no one who does good,
    not even one.(OT)

Do all these evildoers know nothing?

They devour my people as though eating bread;
    they never call on God.
But there they are, overwhelmed with dread,
    where there was nothing to dread.(OU)
God scattered the bones(OV) of those who attacked you;(OW)
    you put them to shame,(OX) for God despised them.(OY)

Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
    When God restores his people,
    let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!

Psalm 54[an]

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A maskil[ao] of David. When the Ziphites(OZ) had gone to Saul and said, “Is not David hiding among us?”

Save me(PA), O God, by your name;(PB)
    vindicate me by your might.(PC)
Hear my prayer, O God;(PD)
    listen to the words of my mouth.

Arrogant foes are attacking me;(PE)
    ruthless people(PF) are trying to kill me(PG)
    people without regard for God.[ap](PH)

Surely God is my help;(PI)
    the Lord is the one who sustains me.(PJ)

Let evil recoil(PK) on those who slander me;
    in your faithfulness(PL) destroy them.

I will sacrifice a freewill offering(PM) to you;
    I will praise(PN) your name, Lord, for it is good.(PO)
You have delivered me(PP) from all my troubles,
    and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes.(PQ)

Psalm 55[aq]

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A maskil[ar] of David.

Listen to my prayer, O God,
    do not ignore my plea;(PR)
    hear me and answer me.(PS)
My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught(PT)
    because of what my enemy is saying,
    because of the threats of the wicked;
for they bring down suffering on me(PU)
    and assail(PV) me in their anger.(PW)

My heart is in anguish(PX) within me;
    the terrors(PY) of death have fallen on me.
Fear and trembling(PZ) have beset me;
    horror(QA) has overwhelmed me.
I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!
    I would fly away and be at rest.
I would flee far away
    and stay in the desert;[as](QB)
I would hurry to my place of shelter,(QC)
    far from the tempest and storm.(QD)

Lord, confuse the wicked, confound their words,(QE)
    for I see violence and strife(QF) in the city.(QG)
10 Day and night they prowl(QH) about on its walls;
    malice and abuse are within it.
11 Destructive forces(QI) are at work in the city;
    threats and lies(QJ) never leave its streets.

12 If an enemy were insulting me,
    I could endure it;
if a foe were rising against me,
    I could hide.
13 But it is you, a man like myself,
    my companion, my close friend,(QK)
14 with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship(QL)
    at the house of God,(QM)
as we walked about
    among the worshipers.

15 Let death take my enemies by surprise;(QN)
    let them go down alive to the realm of the dead,(QO)
    for evil finds lodging among them.

16 As for me, I call to God,
    and the Lord saves me.
17 Evening,(QP) morning(QQ) and noon(QR)
    I cry out in distress,
    and he hears my voice.
18 He rescues me unharmed
    from the battle waged against me,
    even though many oppose me.
19 God, who is enthroned from of old,(QS)
    who does not change—
he will hear(QT) them and humble them,
    because they have no fear of God.(QU)

20 My companion attacks his friends;(QV)
    he violates his covenant.(QW)
21 His talk is smooth as butter,(QX)
    yet war is in his heart;
his words are more soothing than oil,(QY)
    yet they are drawn swords.(QZ)

22 Cast your cares on the Lord
    and he will sustain you;(RA)
he will never let
    the righteous be shaken.(RB)
23 But you, God, will bring down the wicked
    into the pit(RC) of decay;
the bloodthirsty and deceitful(RD)
    will not live out half their days.(RE)

But as for me, I trust in you.(RF)

Psalm 56[at]

For the director of music. To the tune of “A Dove on Distant Oaks.” Of David. A miktam.[au] When the Philistines had seized him in Gath.

Be merciful to me,(RG) my God,
    for my enemies are in hot pursuit;(RH)
    all day long they press their attack.(RI)
My adversaries pursue me all day long;(RJ)
    in their pride many are attacking me.(RK)

When I am afraid,(RL) I put my trust in you.(RM)
    In God, whose word I praise—(RN)
in God I trust and am not afraid.(RO)
    What can mere mortals do to me?(RP)

All day long they twist my words;(RQ)
    all their schemes are for my ruin.
They conspire,(RR) they lurk,
    they watch my steps,(RS)
    hoping to take my life.(RT)
Because of their wickedness do not[av] let them escape;(RU)
    in your anger, God, bring the nations down.(RV)

Record my misery;
    list my tears on your scroll[aw](RW)
    are they not in your record?(RX)
Then my enemies will turn back(RY)
    when I call for help.(RZ)
    By this I will know that God is for me.(SA)

10 In God, whose word I praise,
    in the Lord, whose word I praise—
11 in God I trust and am not afraid.
    What can man do to me?

12 I am under vows(SB) to you, my God;
    I will present my thank offerings to you.
13 For you have delivered me from death(SC)
    and my feet from stumbling,
that I may walk before God
    in the light of life.(SD)

Psalm 57[ax](SE)

For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.[ay] When he had fled from Saul into the cave.(SF)

Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me,
    for in you I take refuge.(SG)
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings(SH)
    until the disaster has passed.(SI)

I cry out to God Most High,
    to God, who vindicates me.(SJ)
He sends from heaven and saves me,(SK)
    rebuking those who hotly pursue me—[az](SL)
    God sends forth his love and his faithfulness.(SM)

I am in the midst of lions;(SN)
    I am forced to dwell among ravenous beasts—
men whose teeth are spears and arrows,
    whose tongues are sharp swords.(SO)

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
    let your glory be over all the earth.(SP)

They spread a net for my feet(SQ)
    I was bowed down(SR) in distress.
They dug a pit(SS) in my path—
    but they have fallen into it themselves.(ST)

My heart, O God, is steadfast,
    my heart is steadfast;(SU)
    I will sing and make music.
Awake, my soul!
    Awake, harp and lyre!(SV)
    I will awaken the dawn.

I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
    I will sing of you among the peoples.
10 For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;
    your faithfulness reaches to the skies.(SW)

11 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;(SX)
    let your glory be over all the earth.(SY)

Psalm 58[ba]

For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.[bb]

Do you rulers indeed speak justly?(SZ)
    Do you judge people with equity?
No, in your heart you devise injustice,(TA)
    and your hands mete out violence on the earth.(TB)

Even from birth the wicked go astray;
    from the womb they are wayward, spreading lies.
Their venom is like the venom of a snake,(TC)
    like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears,
that will not heed(TD) the tune of the charmer,(TE)
    however skillful the enchanter may be.

Break the teeth in their mouths, O God;(TF)
    Lord, tear out the fangs of those lions!(TG)
Let them vanish like water that flows away;(TH)
    when they draw the bow, let their arrows fall short.(TI)
May they be like a slug that melts away as it moves along,(TJ)
    like a stillborn child(TK) that never sees the sun.

Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns(TL)
    whether they be green or dry—the wicked will be swept away.[bc](TM)
10 The righteous will be glad(TN) when they are avenged,(TO)
    when they dip their feet in the blood of the wicked.(TP)
11 Then people will say,
    “Surely the righteous still are rewarded;(TQ)
    surely there is a God who judges the earth.”(TR)

Psalm 59[bd]

For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.[be] When Saul had sent men to watch David’s house(TS) in order to kill him.

Deliver me from my enemies, O God;(TT)
    be my fortress against those who are attacking me.(TU)
Deliver me from evildoers(TV)
    and save me from those who are after my blood.(TW)

See how they lie in wait for me!
    Fierce men conspire(TX) against me
    for no offense or sin of mine, Lord.
I have done no wrong,(TY) yet they are ready to attack me.(TZ)
    Arise to help me; look on my plight!(UA)
You, Lord God Almighty,
    you who are the God of Israel,(UB)
rouse yourself(UC) to punish all the nations;(UD)
    show no mercy to wicked traitors.[bf](UE)

They return at evening,
    snarling like dogs,(UF)
    and prowl about the city.
See what they spew from their mouths(UG)
    the words from their lips are sharp as swords,(UH)
    and they think, “Who can hear us?”(UI)
But you laugh at them, Lord;(UJ)
    you scoff at all those nations.(UK)

You are my strength,(UL) I watch for you;
    you, God, are my fortress,(UM)
10     my God on whom I can rely.

God will go before me
    and will let me gloat over those who slander me.
11 But do not kill them, Lord our shield,[bg](UN)
    or my people will forget.(UO)
In your might uproot them
    and bring them down.(UP)
12 For the sins of their mouths,(UQ)
    for the words of their lips,(UR)
    let them be caught in their pride.(US)
For the curses and lies they utter,
13     consume them in your wrath,
    consume them till they are no more.(UT)
Then it will be known to the ends of the earth
    that God rules over Jacob.(UU)

14 They return at evening,
    snarling like dogs,
    and prowl about the city.
15 They wander about for food(UV)
    and howl if not satisfied.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 42:1 In many Hebrew manuscripts Psalms 42 and 43 constitute one psalm.
  2. Psalm 42:1 In Hebrew texts 42:1-11 is numbered 42:2-12.
  3. Psalm 42:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  4. Psalm 42:4 See Septuagint and Syriac; the meaning of the Hebrew for this line is uncertain.
  5. Psalm 43:1 In many Hebrew manuscripts Psalms 42 and 43 constitute one psalm.
  6. Psalm 44:1 In Hebrew texts 44:1-26 is numbered 44:2-27.
  7. Psalm 44:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  8. Psalm 44:4 Septuagint, Aquila and Syriac; Hebrew King, O God; / command
  9. Psalm 44:8 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
  10. Psalm 45:1 In Hebrew texts 45:1-17 is numbered 45:2-18.
  11. Psalm 45:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  12. Psalm 45:6 Here the king is addressed as God’s representative.
  13. Psalm 45:12 Or A Tyrian robe is among the gifts
  14. Psalm 46:1 In Hebrew texts 46:1-11 is numbered 46:2-12.
  15. Psalm 46:1 Title: Probably a musical term
  16. Psalm 46:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 7 and 11.
  17. Psalm 46:9 Or chariots
  18. Psalm 47:1 In Hebrew texts 47:1-9 is numbered 47:2-10.
  19. Psalm 47:4 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
  20. Psalm 47:9 Or shields
  21. Psalm 48:1 In Hebrew texts 48:1-14 is numbered 48:2-15.
  22. Psalm 48:2 Zaphon was the most sacred mountain of the Canaanites.
  23. Psalm 48:8 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
  24. Psalm 49:1 In Hebrew texts 49:1-20 is numbered 49:2-21.
  25. Psalm 49:11 Septuagint and Syriac; Hebrew In their thoughts their houses will remain
  26. Psalm 49:11 Or generations, / for they have
  27. Psalm 49:13 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 15.
  28. Psalm 50:6 With a different word division of the Hebrew; Masoretic Text for God himself is judge
  29. Psalm 50:6 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
  30. Psalm 50:21 Or thought the ‘I am’ was
  31. Psalm 50:23 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; the meaning of the Masoretic Text for this phrase is uncertain.
  32. Psalm 51:1 In Hebrew texts 51:1-19 is numbered 51:3-21.
  33. Psalm 51:17 Or The sacrifices of God are
  34. Psalm 52:1 In Hebrew texts 52:1-9 is numbered 52:3-11.
  35. Psalm 52:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  36. Psalm 52:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 5.
  37. Psalm 53:1 In Hebrew texts 53:1-6 is numbered 53:2-7.
  38. Psalm 53:1 Title: Probably a musical term
  39. Psalm 53:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  40. Psalm 54:1 In Hebrew texts 54:1-7 is numbered 54:3-9.
  41. Psalm 54:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  42. Psalm 54:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
  43. Psalm 55:1 In Hebrew texts 55:1-23 is numbered 55:2-24.
  44. Psalm 55:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  45. Psalm 55:7 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and in the middle of verse 19.
  46. Psalm 56:1 In Hebrew texts 56:1-13 is numbered 56:2-14.
  47. Psalm 56:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  48. Psalm 56:7 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text does not have do not.
  49. Psalm 56:8 Or misery; / put my tears in your wineskin
  50. Psalm 57:1 In Hebrew texts 57:1-11 is numbered 57:2-12.
  51. Psalm 57:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  52. Psalm 57:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 6.
  53. Psalm 58:1 In Hebrew texts 58:1-11 is numbered 58:2-12.
  54. Psalm 58:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  55. Psalm 58:9 The meaning of the Hebrew for this verse is uncertain.
  56. Psalm 59:1 In Hebrew texts 59:1-17 is numbered 59:2-18.
  57. Psalm 59:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  58. Psalm 59:5 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 13.
  59. Psalm 59:11 Or sovereign