Psalm 1

Common English Bible

BOOK I

(Psalms 1–41)

Psalm 1

1 The truly happy person
    doesn’t follow wicked advice,
    doesn’t stand on the road of sinners,
    and doesn’t sit with the disrespectful.
²Instead of doing those things,
    these persons love the Lord’s Instruction,
    and they recite God’s Instruction day and night!
³They are like a tree replanted by streams of water,
    which bears fruit at just the right time
    and whose leaves don’t fade.
        Whatever they do succeeds.

⁴That’s not true for the wicked!
    They are like dust that the wind blows away.
⁵And that’s why the wicked will have no standing in the court of justice—
    neither will sinners
    in the assembly of the righteous.
⁶The Lord is intimately acquainted
    with the way of the righteous,
    but the way of the wicked is destroyed.

Psalm 2

Common English Bible

Psalm 2

2 Why do the nations rant?
    Why do the peoples rave uselessly?
²The earth’s rulers take their stand;
    the leaders scheme together
    against the Lord and
    against his anointed one.
³        “Come!” they say.
        “We will tear off their ropes
        and throw off their chains!”
⁴The one who rules in heaven laughs;
    my Lord makes fun of them.
⁵But then God speaks to them angrily;
    then he terrifies them with his fury:
⁶        “I hereby appoint my king on Zion,
        my holy mountain!”

⁷I will announce the Lord’s decision:
    He said to me, “You are my son,
        today I have become your father.
⁸Just ask me,
    and I will make the nations your possession;
    the far corners of the earth will be your property.
⁹You will smash them with an iron rod;
    you will shatter them like a pottery jar.”

¹⁰So kings, wise up!
    Be warned, you rulers of the earth!
¹¹Serve the Lord reverently—
    trembling, ¹²kiss his feet^[a]
        or else he will become angry,
        and your way will be destroyed
    because his anger ignites in an instant.

But all who take refuge in the Lord are truly happy!

Footnotes

Psalm 2:12 Correction; Heb uncertain; MT rejoice with trembling, kiss the son (but with son in Aram, not Heb)

Psalm 3

Common English Bible

Psalm 3

A psalm of David, when he fled from his son Absalom.

3 Lord, I have so many enemies!
    So many are standing against me.
²So many are talking about me:
    “Even God won’t help him.” Selah^[a]
³But you, Lord, are my shield!
    You are my glory!
    You are the one who restores me.
⁴I cry out loud to the Lord,
    and he answers me from his holy mountain. Selah
⁵I lie down, sleep, and wake up
    because the Lord helps me.
⁶I won’t be afraid of thousands of people
    surrounding me on all sides.

⁷Stand up, Lord!
    Save me, my God!
In fact, hit all my enemies on the jaw;
    shatter the teeth of the wicked!
⁸Rescue comes from the Lord!
    May your blessing be on your people! Selah