BOOK 1

The Righteous and the Wicked Contrasted.

Blessed is the person who (A)does not walk in the (B)counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the [a](C)path of sinners,
Nor (D)sit in the seat of scoffers!
But his (E)delight is (F)in the Law of the Lord,
And on His Law he meditates (G)day and (H)night.
He will be like (I)a tree planted by [b]streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season,
And its [c]leaf does not wither;
And [d]in whatever he does, (J)he prospers.

The wicked are not so,
But they are like (K)chaff which the wind blows away.
Therefore (L)the wicked will not stand in the (M)judgment,
Nor sinners in (N)the assembly of the righteous.
For the Lord [e](O)knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of (P)the wicked will perish.

The Reign of the Lords Anointed.

Why are (Q)the [f]nations restless
And the peoples (R)plotting in vain?
The (S)kings of the earth take their stand
And the rulers conspire together
(T)Against the Lord and against His [g](U)Anointed, saying,
“Let’s (V)tear their shackles apart
And throw their ropes away from us!”

He who [h]sits in the heavens (W)laughs,
The Lord (X)scoffs at them.
Then He will speak to them in His (Y)anger
And (Z)terrify them in His fury, saying,
“But as for Me, I have installed (AA)My King
Upon Zion, (AB)My holy mountain.”

“I will announce the [i]decree of the Lord:
He said to Me, ‘You are (AC)My Son,
Today I have fathered You.
Ask it of Me, and (AD)I will certainly give (AE)the [j]nations as Your inheritance,
And the (AF)ends of the earth as Your possession.
You shall [k](AG)break them with a [l]rod of iron,
You shall (AH)shatter them like [m]earthenware.’”

10 Now then, you kings, (AI)use insight;
Let yourselves be instructed, you [n]judges of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with [o](AJ)reverence
And rejoice with (AK)trembling.
12 [p]Kiss (AL)the Son, that He not be angry and you perish on the way,
For (AM)His wrath may be kindled quickly.
How blessed are all who (AN)take refuge in Him!

Morning Prayer of Trust in God.

A Psalm of David, when [q]he fled from his son Absalom.

Lord, how (AO)my enemies have increased!
Many are rising up against me.
Many are saying of my soul,
“There is no (AP)salvation for him in God.” Selah

But You, Lord, are (AQ)a shield around me,
My (AR)glory, and the One who (AS)lifts my head.
I was crying out to the Lord with my voice,
And He (AT)answered me from (AU)His holy [r]mountain. Selah
[s]I (AV)lay down and slept;
I awoke, for the Lord sustains me.
I will (AW)not be afraid of ten thousands of people
Who have (AX)set themselves against me all around.

(AY)Arise, Lord; (AZ)save me, my God!
For You [t]have (BA)struck all my enemies on the [u]cheek;
You [v]have (BB)shattered the teeth of the wicked.
[w](BC)Salvation belongs to the Lord;
May Your (BD)blessing [x]be upon Your people! Selah

Evening Prayer of Trust in God.

[y]For the music director; on stringed instruments. A Psalm of David.

(BE)Answer me when (BF)I call, God [z]of my righteousness!
You have [aa](BG)relieved me in my distress;
Be (BH)gracious to me and (BI)hear my prayer.

You sons of man, how long will (BJ)my [ab]honor be treated as (BK)an insult?
How long will you love (BL)what is worthless and strive for a (BM)lie? Selah
But know that the Lord has [ac](BN)set apart the (BO)godly person for Himself;
The Lord (BP)hears when I call to Him.

[ad](BQ)Tremble, [ae](BR)and do not sin;
[af](BS)Meditate in your heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah
Offer [ag]the (BT)sacrifices of righteousness,
And (BU)trust in the Lord.

Many are saying, “(BV)Who will show us anything good?”
(BW)Lift up the light of Your face upon us, Lord!
You have put (BX)joy in my heart,
More than when their grain and new wine are abundant.
In peace I will [ah]both (BY)lie down and sleep,
For You alone, Lord, have me (BZ)dwell in safety.

Prayer for Protection from the Wicked.

For the music director; for [ai]flute accompaniment. A Psalm of David.

(CA)Listen to my words, Lord,
Consider my (CB)sighing.
Listen to (CC)the sound of my cry for help, (CD)my King and my God,
For to You I pray.
In the morning, Lord, [aj]You will hear my voice;
In the (CE)morning I will present my [ak]prayer to You and be on the (CF)watch.

For You are not a God (CG)who takes pleasure in wickedness;
(CH)No evil can dwell with You.
The (CI)boastful will not (CJ)stand before Your eyes;
You (CK)hate all who do injustice.
You (CL)destroy those who speak lies;
The Lord loathes (CM)the person of bloodshed and deceit.
But as for me, (CN)by Your abundant graciousness I will enter Your house,
[al]At Your holy temple I will (CO)bow in (CP)reverence for You.

Lord, (CQ)lead me (CR)in Your righteousness (CS)because of my enemies;
Make Your way [am]straight before me.
For there is (CT)nothing [an]trustworthy in [ao]their mouth;
Their (CU)inward part is destruction itself.
Their (CV)throat is an open grave;
They [ap]flatter with their tongue.
10 Make them pay, God;
(CW)Have them fall by their own schemes!
(CX)Scatter them in the multitude of their wrongdoings,
For they are (CY)rebellious against You.

11 But (CZ)rejoice, all who (DA)take refuge in You,
Sing for joy forever!
And [aq]may You (DB)shelter them,
That those who (DC)love Your name may rejoice in You.
12 For You (DD)bless the righteous person, Lord,
You (DE)surround him with favor as with a shield.

Prayer for Mercy in Time of Trouble.

For the music director; with stringed instruments, [ar]upon an eight-string lyre. A Psalm of David.

Lord, (DF)do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor discipline me in Your wrath.
Be gracious to me, Lord, for I am (DG)frail;
(DH)Heal me, Lord, for (DI)my bones are horrified.
And my (DJ)soul is greatly horrified;
But You, Lord(DK)how long?

Return, Lord, (DL)rescue my [as]soul;
Save me because of Your mercy.
For (DM)there is no [at]mention of You in death;
In [au]Sheol, who will praise You?

I am (DN)weary with my sighing;
Every night I make my bed swim,
I flood my couch with (DO)my tears.
My (DP)eye has wasted away with grief;
It has grown old because of all my enemies.

(DQ)Leave me, all you who practice injustice,
For the Lord (DR)has heard the sound of my weeping.
The Lord (DS)has heard my pleading,
The Lord (DT)receives my prayer.
10 All my enemies will (DU)be put to shame and greatly horrified;
They shall [av]turn back, they will (DV)suddenly be put to shame.

The Lord Implored to Defend the Psalmist against the Wicked.

A [aw]Shiggaion of David, which he sang to the Lord [ax]concerning Cush, a Benjaminite.

O Lord my God, (DW)in You I have taken refuge;
Save me from all those who pursue me, and (DX)rescue me,
Or he will tear [ay]my soul (DY)like a lion,
Dragging me away, while there is no one to rescue me.

O Lord my God, if I have done this,
If there is (DZ)injustice in my hands,
If I have (EA)done evil to [az]my friend,
Or have (EB)plundered [ba]my enemy for no reason,
Let the enemy pursue [bb]my soul and overtake [bc]it;
And let him trample my life to the ground
And lay my glory in the dust. Selah

(EC)Arise, Lord, in Your anger;
(ED)Raise Yourself against (EE)the rage of my enemies,
And (EF)stir Yourself [bd]for me; You have ordered judgment.
Let the assembly of the (EG)peoples encompass You,
And return on high over it.
The Lord (EH)judges the peoples;
[be](EI)Vindicate me, Lord, according to my righteousness and my integrity that is in me.
Please let (EJ)the evil of the wicked come to an end, but (EK)establish the righteous;
For the righteous God (EL)puts hearts and [bf]minds to the test.
10 My (EM)shield is [bg]with God,
Who (EN)saves the upright in heart.
11 God is a (EO)righteous judge,
And a God who (EP)shows indignation every day.

12 If one (EQ)does not repent, He will (ER)sharpen His sword;
He has (ES)bent His bow and taken aim.
13 He has also prepared deadly weapons for Himself;
He makes His (ET)arrows fiery shafts.
14 Behold, an evil person is pregnant with injustice,
And he (EU)conceives harm and gives birth to lies.
15 He has dug a pit and hollowed it out,
And has (EV)fallen into the hole which he made.
16 His (EW)harm will return on his own head,
And his (EX)violence will descend on the top of his own head.

17 I will give thanks to the Lord (EY)according to His righteousness
And will (EZ)sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 1:1 Or way
  2. Psalm 1:3 Or canals
  3. Psalm 1:3 Or foliage
  4. Psalm 1:3 Or all that he does prospers
  5. Psalm 1:6 Or approves; or has regard to
  6. Psalm 2:1 Or Gentiles
  7. Psalm 2:2 Or Messiah
  8. Psalm 2:4 Or is enthroned
  9. Psalm 2:7 Or decree: The Lord said to Me
  10. Psalm 2:8 Or Gentiles
  11. Psalm 2:9 Another reading is rule
  12. Psalm 2:9 Or scepter; or staff
  13. Psalm 2:9 Lit potter’s ware
  14. Psalm 2:10 Or leaders
  15. Psalm 2:11 Or fear
  16. Psalm 2:12 I.e., probably kiss the feet of the Son
  17. Psalm 3 Title 2 Sam 15:13-17, 29
  18. Psalm 3:4 Or hill
  19. Psalm 3:5 Or As for me, I
  20. Psalm 3:7 Or strike
  21. Psalm 3:7 Or jaw
  22. Psalm 3:7 Or shatter
  23. Psalm 3:8 Or Deliverance
  24. Psalm 3:8 Or is
  25. Psalm 4 Title I.e., Belonging to the choir director’s anthology
  26. Psalm 4:1 I.e., who maintains my right
  27. Psalm 4:1 Lit made room for
  28. Psalm 4:2 Or glory
  29. Psalm 4:3 Another reading is dealt wonderfully with
  30. Psalm 4:4 I.e., with anger or fear
  31. Psalm 4:4 Or but
  32. Psalm 4:4 Lit Speak
  33. Psalm 4:5 Or righteous sacrifices
  34. Psalm 4:8 Or at the same time
  35. Psalm 5 Title Heb Nehiloth
  36. Psalm 5:3 Or May You hear
  37. Psalm 5:3 Or sacrifice
  38. Psalm 5:7 Or Toward
  39. Psalm 5:8 Or smooth
  40. Psalm 5:9 Or true
  41. Psalm 5:9 So ancient versions; MT his
  42. Psalm 5:9 Or make their tongue smooth
  43. Psalm 5:11 Or You shelter
  44. Psalm 6 Title Or according to a lower octave (Heb Sheminith)
  45. Psalm 6:4 Or life
  46. Psalm 6:5 Or remembrance
  47. Psalm 6:5 I.e., the netherworld
  48. Psalm 6:10 Or again be abruptly put to shame
  49. Psalm 7 Title I.e., Dithyrambic rhythm; or wild, passionate song
  50. Psalm 7 Title Or concerning the words of
  51. Psalm 7:2 Or me
  52. Psalm 7:4 Lit him who was at peace with me
  53. Psalm 7:4 Or him who for no reason was my enemy,
  54. Psalm 7:5 Or me
  55. Psalm 7:5 Or me
  56. Psalm 7:6 One ancient version reads O my God
  57. Psalm 7:8 Lit Judge
  58. Psalm 7:9 Lit kidneys, figurative for inner man
  59. Psalm 7:10 Lit upon

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