Psalm 122-150

Holman Christian Standard Bible

³ Jerusalem, built as a city should be,
solidly joined together,^(C)
4 where the tribes, Yahweh’s tribes, go up
to give thanks to the name of Yahweh.^(D)
(This is an ordinance for Israel.^(E))
⁵ There, thrones for judgment are placed,
thrones of the house of David.^(F)

⁶ Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May those who love you prosper;^(G)
7 may there be peace within your walls,
prosperity within your fortresses.”^(H)
8 Because of my brothers and friends,
I will say, “Peace be with you.”^(I)
9 Because of the house of the Lord our God,
I will seek your good.^(J)

³ Show us favor, Lord, show us favor,
for we’ve had more than enough contempt.^(M)
4 We’ve had more than enough
scorn from the arrogant
and contempt from the proud.^(N)

⁶ Praise the Lord,
who has not let us be ripped apart by their teeth.^(S)
7 We have escaped like a bird from the hunter’s net;
the net is torn, and we have escaped.^(T)
8 Our help is in the name of Yahweh,
the Maker of heaven and earth.^(U)

³ The scepter of the wicked will not remain
over the land allotted to the righteous,
so that the righteous will not apply their hands to injustice.^(X)
4 Do what is good, Lord, to the good,
to those whose hearts are upright.^(Y)
5 But as for those who turn aside to crooked ways,
the Lord will banish them with the evildoers.^(Z)

Peace be with Israel.^(AA)

⁴ Restore our fortunes,^[b] Lord,
like watercourses in the Negev.^(AG)
5 Those who sow in tears
will reap with shouts of joy.^(AH)
6 Though one goes along weeping,
carrying the bag of seed,
he will surely come back with shouts of joy,
carrying his sheaves.^(AI)

³ Sons are indeed a heritage from the Lord,
children, a reward.^(AM)
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
are the sons born in one’s youth.^(AN)
5 Happy is the man who has filled his quiver with them.^(AO)
Such men will never be put to shame
when they speak with their enemies at the city gate.^(AP)

⁵ May the Lord bless you from Zion,
so that you will see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life^(AV)
6 and will see your children’s children!

Peace be with Israel.^(AW)

⁵ Let all who hate Zion
be driven back in disgrace.^(BA)
6 Let them be like grass on the rooftops,
which withers before it grows up^[d](BB)
7 and can’t even fill the hands of the reaper
or the arms of the one who binds sheaves.^(BC)
8 Then none who pass by will say,
“May the Lord’s blessing be on you.”

We bless you in the name of Yahweh.^(BD)

³ Yahweh, if You considered sins,
Lord, who could stand?^(BG)
4 But with You there is forgiveness,
so that You may be revered.^(BH)

⁵ I wait for Yahweh; I wait
and put my hope in His word.^(BI)
6 I wait for the Lord
more than watchmen for the morning—
more than watchmen for the morning.^(BJ)

⁷ Israel, put your hope in the Lord.^(BK)
For there is faithful love with the Lord,
and with Him is redemption in abundance.^(BL)
8 And He will redeem Israel
from all its sins.^(BM)

³ Israel, put your hope in the Lord,
both now and forever.^(BQ)

⁶ We heard of the ark in Ephrathah;^[g](BV)
we found it in the fields of Jaar.^[h](BW)
7 Let us go to His dwelling place;
let us worship at His footstool.^(BX)
8 Rise up, Lord, come to Your resting place,
You and Your powerful ark.^(BY)
9 May Your priests be clothed with righteousness,
and may Your godly people shout for joy.^(BZ)
10 Because of Your servant David,
do not reject Your anointed one.^[i](CA)

¹¹ The Lord swore an oath to David,
a promise He will not abandon:
“I will set one of your descendants^[j]
on your throne.^(CB)
12 If your sons keep My covenant
and My decrees that I will teach them,
their sons will also sit on your throne forever.”^(CC)

¹³ For the Lord has chosen Zion;
He has desired it for His home:^(CD)
14 “This is My resting place forever;
I will make My home here
because I have desired it.^(CE)
15 I will abundantly bless its food;
I will satisfy its needy with bread.^(CF)
16 I will clothe its priests with salvation,
and its godly people will shout for joy.^(CG)
17 There I will make a horn grow for David;^(CH)
I have prepared a lamp for My anointed one.^(CI)
18 I will clothe his enemies with shame,^(CJ)
but the crown he wears^[k] will be glorious.”^(CK)

³ May the Lord,
Maker of heaven and earth,
bless you from Zion.^(CR)

⁵ For I know that Yahweh is great;
our Lord is greater than all gods.^(CW)
6 Yahweh does whatever He pleases
in heaven and on earth,
in the seas and all the depths.^(CX)
7 He causes the clouds to rise from the ends of the earth.
He makes lightning for the rain
and brings the wind from His storehouses.^(CY)

⁸ He struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
both man and beast.^(CZ)
9 He sent signs and wonders against you, Egypt,
against Pharaoh and all his officials.^(DA)
10 He struck down many nations
and slaughtered mighty kings:^(DB)
11 Sihon king of the Amorites,
Og king of Bashan,
and all the kings of Canaan.^(DC)
12 He gave their land as an inheritance,
an inheritance to His people Israel.^(DD)

¹³ Yahweh, Your name endures forever,
Your reputation, Yahweh,
through all generations.^(DE)
14 For Yahweh will vindicate His people
and have compassion on His servants.^(DF)

¹⁵ The idols of the nations are of silver and gold,
made by human hands.^(DG)
16 They have mouths but cannot speak,^(DH)
eyes, but cannot see.
¹⁷ They have ears but cannot hear;
indeed, there is no breath in their mouths.^(DI)
18 Those who make them are just like them,
as are all who trust in them.^(DJ)

¹⁹ House of Israel, praise Yahweh!^(DK)
House of Aaron, praise Yahweh!^(DL)
20 House of Levi, praise Yahweh!
You who revere the Lord, praise the Lord!^(DM)
21 May the Lord be praised from Zion;^(DN)
He dwells in Jerusalem.^(DO)
Hallelujah!

⁴ How can we sing the Lord’s song
on foreign soil?^(EK)
5 If I forget you, Jerusalem,
may my right hand forget its skill.^(EL)
6 May my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth
if I do not remember you,
if I do not exalt Jerusalem as my greatest joy!^(EM)

⁷ Remember, Lord, what the Edomites said
that day^[m] at Jerusalem:
“Destroy it! Destroy it
down to its foundations!”^(EN)
8 Daughter Babylon, doomed to destruction,
happy is the one who pays you back
what you have done to us.^(EO)
9 Happy is he who takes your little ones
and dashes them against the rocks.^(EP)

⁴ All the kings on earth will give You thanks, Lord,
when they hear what You have promised.^[p](EU)
5 They will sing of the Lord’s ways,
for the Lord’s glory is great.^(EV)
6 Though the Lord is exalted,
He takes note of the humble;
but He knows the haughty from a distance.^(EW)

⁷ If I walk into the thick of danger,
You will preserve my life
from the anger of my enemies.^(EX)
You will extend Your hand;
Your right hand will save me.^(EY)
8 The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me.^(EZ)
Lord, Your love is eternal;
do not abandon the work of Your hands.^(FA)

⁷ Where can I go to escape Your Spirit?
Where can I flee from Your presence?^(FH)
8 If I go up to heaven, You are there;^(FI)
if I make my bed in Sheol, You are there.^(FJ)
9 If I live at the eastern horizon
or settle at the western limits,^[q]
10 even there Your hand will lead me;
Your right hand will hold on to me.^(FK)
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me,
and the light around me will be night”^(FL)—
¹² even the darkness is not dark to You.
The night shines like the day;
darkness and light are alike to You.^(FM)

¹³ For it was You who created my inward parts;^[r]
You knit me together in my mother’s womb.^(FN)
14 I will praise You
because I have been remarkably and wonderfully made.^[s][t]
Your works are wonderful,
and I know this very well.^(FO)
15 My bones were not hidden from You
when I was made in secret,
when I was formed in the depths of the earth.^(FP)
16 Your eyes saw me when I was formless;
all my days were written in Your book and planned
before a single one of them began.^(FQ)

¹⁷ God, how difficult^[u] Your thoughts are
for me to comprehend;
how vast their sum is!
¹⁸ If I counted them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand;^(FR)
when I wake up,^[v] I am still with You.^(FS)

¹⁹ God, if only You would kill the wicked—
you bloodthirsty men, stay away from me^(FT)—
²⁰ who invoke You deceitfully.
Your enemies swear by You falsely.^(FU)
21 Lord, don’t I hate those who hate You,
and detest those who rebel against You?
²² I hate them with extreme hatred;
I consider them my enemies.^(FV)

²³ Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my concerns.^(FW)
24 See if there is any offensive^[w] way in me;
lead me in the everlasting way.^(FX)

⁴ Protect me, Lord,
from the clutches of the wicked.^(GB)
Keep me safe from violent men
who plan to make me stumble.^[x](GC)
5 The proud hide a trap with ropes for me;
they spread a net along the path
and set snares for me.^(GD)Selah

⁶ I say to the Lord, “You are my God.”
Listen, Lord, to my cry for help.^(GE)
7 Lord God, my strong Savior,
You shield my head on the day of battle.^(GF)
8 Lord, do not grant the desires of the wicked;
do not let them achieve their goals.
Otherwise, they will become proud.^(GG)Selah

⁹ When those who surround me rise up,^[y]
may the trouble their lips cause overwhelm them.^(GH)
10 Let hot coals fall on them.
Let them be thrown into the fire,
into the abyss, never again to rise.^(GI)
11 Do not let a slanderer stay in the land.
Let evil relentlessly^[z] hunt down a violent man.^(GJ)

¹² I^[aa] know that the Lord upholds
the just cause of the poor,
justice for the needy.^(GK)
13 Surely the righteous will praise Your name;
the upright will live in Your presence.^(GL)

³ Lord, set up a guard for my mouth;
keep watch at the door of my lips.^(GP)
4 Do not let my heart turn to any evil thing
or perform wicked acts
with men who commit sin.
Do not let me feast on their delicacies.^(GQ)
5 Let the righteous one strike me—
it is an act of faithful love;
let him rebuke me—
it is oil for my head;
let me^[ab] not refuse it.^(GR)
Even now my prayer is against
the evil acts of the wicked.^[ac](GS)
6 When their rulers^[ad] will be thrown off
the sides of a cliff,
the people^[ae] will listen to my words,
for they are pleasing.^(GT)

⁷ As when one plows and breaks up the soil,
turning up rocks,
so our^[af] bones have been scattered
at the mouth of Sheol.^(GU)

⁸ But my eyes look to You, Lord God.
I seek refuge in You; do not let me die.^[ag](GV)
9 Protect me from^[ah] the trap they have set for me,
and from the snares of evildoers.^(GW)
10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
while I pass by safely.^(GX)

Along this path I travel
they have hidden a trap for me.^(HD)
4 Look to the right and see:^[ai]
no one stands up for me;
there is no refuge for me;
no one cares about me.^(HE)

⁵ I cry to You, Lord;
I say, “You are my shelter,
my portion in the land of the living.”^(HF)
6 Listen to my cry,
for I am very weak.^(HG)
Rescue me from those who pursue me,
for they are too strong for me.^(HH)
7 Free me from prison
so that I can praise Your name.
The righteous will gather around me
because You deal generously with me.^(HI)

³ For the enemy has pursued me,
crushing me to the ground,
making me live in darkness
like those long dead.^(HM)
4 My spirit is weak within me;
my heart is overcome with dismay.^(HN)

⁵ I remember the days of old;
I meditate on all You have done;
I reflect on the work of Your hands.^(HO)
6 I spread out my hands to You;
I am like parched land before You.^(HP)Selah

⁷ Answer me quickly, Lord;
my spirit fails.^(HQ)
Don’t hide Your face from me,
or I will be like those
going down to the Pit.^(HR)
8 Let me experience
Your faithful love in the morning,
for I trust in You.^(HS)
Reveal to me the way I should go
because I long for You.^(HT)
9 Rescue me from my enemies, Lord;
I come to You for protection.^[aj](HU)
10 Teach me to do Your will,
for You are my God.^(HV)
May Your gracious Spirit
lead me on level ground.^(HW)

¹¹ Because of Your name, Yahweh,
let me live.
In Your righteousness deliver me from trouble,^(HX)
12 and in Your faithful love destroy my enemies.
Wipe out all those who attack me,
for I am Your servant.^(HY)

³ Lord, what is man, that You care for him,
the son of man, that You think of him?^(IE)
4 Man is like a breath;
his days are like a passing shadow.^(IF)

⁵ Lord, part Your heavens and come down.^(IG)
Touch the mountains, and they will smoke.^(IH)
6 Flash Your lightning and scatter the foe;^[al]
shoot Your arrows and rout them.^(II)
7 Reach down^[am] from heaven;^(IJ)
rescue me from deep water, and set me free
from the grasp of foreigners^(IK)
8 whose mouths speak lies,
whose right hands are deceptive.^(IL)

⁹ God, I will sing a new song to You;
I will play on a ten-stringed harp for You^(IM)—
¹⁰ the One who gives victory to kings,
who frees His servant David
from the deadly sword.^(IN)
11 Set me free and rescue me
from the grasp of foreigners^(IO)
whose mouths speak lies,
whose right hands are deceptive.^(IP)

¹² Then our sons will be like plants
nurtured in their youth,
our daughters, like corner pillars
that are carved in the palace style.^(IQ)
13 Our storehouses will be full,
supplying all kinds of produce;^(IR)
our flocks will increase by thousands
and tens of thousands in our open fields.^(IS)
14 Our cattle will be well fed.^[an]
There will be no breach in the walls,
no going into captivity,^[ao]
and no cry of lament in our public squares.^(IT)
15 Happy are the people with such blessings.
Happy are the people whose God is Yahweh.^(IU)

³ Yahweh is great and is highly praised;^(IX)
His greatness is unsearchable.^(IY)
4 One generation will declare Your works to the next
and will proclaim Your mighty acts.^(IZ)
5 I^[aq] will speak of Your splendor and glorious majesty
and^[ar] Your wonderful works.^(JA)
6 They will proclaim the power of Your awe-inspiring acts,
and I will declare Your greatness.^[as](JB)
7 They will give a testimony of Your great goodness
and will joyfully sing of Your righteousness.^(JC)

⁸ The Lord is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and great in faithful love.^(JD)
9 The Lord is good to everyone;^(JE)
His compassion rests on all He has made.^(JF)
10 All You have made will thank You, Lord;
the^[at] godly will praise You.^(JG)
11 They will speak of the glory of Your kingdom
and will declare Your might,^(JH)
12 informing all people of Your mighty acts
and of the glorious splendor of Your^[au] kingdom.^(JI)
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom;
Your rule is for all generations.^(JJ)
The Lord is faithful in all His words
and gracious in all His actions.^[av](JK)

¹⁴ The Lord helps all who fall;
He raises up all who are oppressed.^[aw](JL)
15 All eyes look to You,
and You give them their food at the proper time.^(JM)
16 You open Your hand
and satisfy the desire of every living thing.^(JN)

¹⁷ The Lord is righteous in all His ways
and gracious in all His acts.^(JO)
18 The Lord is near all who call out to Him,
all who call out to Him with integrity.^(JP)
19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him;
He hears their cry for help and saves them.^(JQ)
20 The Lord guards all those who love Him,
but He destroys all the wicked.^(JR)
21 My mouth will declare Yahweh’s praise;
let every living thing
praise His holy name forever and ever.^(JS)

³ Do not trust in nobles,
in man, who cannot save.^(JV)
4 When his breath^[ax] leaves him,
he returns to the ground;
on that day his plans die.^(JW)

⁵ Happy is the one whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord his God,^(JX)
6 the Maker of heaven and earth,
the sea and everything in them.^(JY)
He remains faithful forever,^(JZ)
7 executing justice for the exploited
and giving food to the hungry.^(KA)
The Lord frees prisoners.^(KB)
8 The Lord opens the eyes of the blind.^(KC)
The Lord raises up those who are oppressed.^[ay](KD)
The Lord loves the righteous.^(KE)
9 The Lord protects foreigners
and helps the fatherless and the widow,^(KF)
but He frustrates the ways of the wicked.^(KG)

¹⁰ The Lord reigns forever;
Zion, your God reigns for all generations.^(KH)
Hallelujah!

² The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem;^(KJ)
He gathers Israel’s exiled people.^(KK)
3 He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.^(KL)
4 He counts the number of the stars;
He gives names to all of them.^(KM)
5 Our Lord is great, vast in power;
His understanding is infinite.^[az](KN)
6 The Lord helps the afflicted
but brings the wicked to the ground.^(KO)

⁷ Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
play the lyre to our God,^(KP)
8 who covers the sky with clouds,
prepares rain for the earth,
and causes grass to grow on the hills.^(KQ)
9 He provides the animals with their food,
and the young ravens, what they cry for.^(KR)

¹⁰ He is not impressed by the strength of a horse;
He does not value the power^[ba] of a man.^(KS)
11 The Lord values those who fear Him,
those who put their hope in His faithful love.^(KT)

¹² Exalt the Lord, Jerusalem;
praise your God, Zion!^(KU)
13 For He strengthens the bars of your gates
and blesses your children within you.^(KV)
14 He endows your territory with prosperity;^[bb](KW)
He satisfies you with the finest wheat.^(KX)

¹⁵ He sends His command throughout the earth;
His word runs swiftly.^(KY)
16 He spreads snow like wool;
He scatters frost like ashes;^(KZ)
17 He throws His hailstones like crumbs.
Who can withstand His cold?^(LA)
18 He sends His word and melts them;
He unleashes His winds,^[bc] and the waters flow.^(LB)

¹⁹ He declares His word to Jacob,
His statutes and judgments to Israel.^(LC)
20 He has not done this for any nation;
they do not know^[bd] His judgments.^(LD)
Hallelujah!

⁷ Praise the Lord from the earth,
all sea monsters and ocean depths,^(LK)
8 lightning^[be] and hail, snow and cloud,
powerful wind that executes His command,^(LL)
9 mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars,^(LM)
10 wild animals and all cattle,
creatures that crawl and flying birds,^(LN)
11 kings of the earth and all peoples,
princes and all judges of the earth,^(LO)
12 young men as well as young women,
old and young together.^(LP)
13 Let them praise the name of Yahweh,
for His name alone is exalted.
His majesty covers heaven and earth.^(LQ)
14 He has raised up a horn for His people,
resulting in praise to all His godly ones,
to the Israelites, the people close to Him.^(LR)
Hallelujah!

⁶ Let the exaltation of God be in their mouths^[bf]
and a double-edged sword in their hands,^(LZ)
7 inflicting vengeance on the nations
and punishment on the peoples,^(MA)
8 binding their kings with chains
and their dignitaries with iron shackles,^(MB)
9 carrying out the judgment decreed against them.
This honor is for all His godly people.^(MC)
Hallelujah!

³ Praise Him with trumpet blast;^(MG)
praise Him with harp and lyre.^(MH)
4 Praise Him with tambourine and dance;^(MI)
praise Him with flute and strings.^(MJ)
5 Praise Him with resounding cymbals;
praise Him with clashing cymbals.^(MK)

⁶ Let everything that breathes praise the Lord.^(ML)
Hallelujah!