Psalm 3
English Standard Version
Save Me, O My God
A Psalm of David, (A)when he fled from Absalom his son.
3 O Lord, (B)how many are my foes!
Many are (C)rising against me;
2 many are saying of my soul,
(D)“There is no salvation for him in God.” Selah[a]
3 But you, O Lord, are (E)a shield (F)about me,
my glory, and (G)the lifter of my head.
4 I (H)cried aloud to the Lord,
and he (I)answered me from his (J)holy hill. Selah
5 I (K)lay down and slept;
I woke again, for the Lord sustained me.
6 I (L)will not be afraid of many thousands of people
who have (M)set themselves against me all around.
7 (N)Arise, O Lord!
Save me, O my God!
For you (O)strike all my enemies on the cheek;
you (P)break the teeth of the wicked.
8 (Q)Salvation belongs to the Lord;
your blessing be on your people! Selah
Footnotes
- Psalm 3:2 The meaning of the Hebrew word Selah, used frequently in the Psalms, is uncertain. It may be a musical or liturgical direction
Psalm 4
English Standard Version
Answer Me When I Call
To the (A)choirmaster: with (B)stringed instruments. A Psalm of David.
4 Answer me when I call, O God of my (C)righteousness!
You have (D)given me relief when I was in distress.
Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!
2 O men,[a] how long shall my honor be turned into shame?
How long will you love vain words and seek after (E)lies? Selah
3 But know that the Lord has (F)set apart (G)the godly for himself;
the Lord hears when I call to him.
4 (H)Be angry,[b] and do not sin;
(I)ponder in your own hearts (J)on your beds, and be silent. Selah
5 Offer (K)right sacrifices,
and put your (L)trust in the Lord.
Psalm 5
English Standard Version
Lead Me in Your Righteousness
To the choirmaster: for the flutes. A Psalm of David.
5 Give ear to my words, O Lord;
consider my (A)groaning.
2 Give attention to the sound of my cry,
my (B)King and my God,
for (C)to you do I pray.
3 O Lord, in (D)the morning you hear my voice;
in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you[a] and (E)watch.
4 For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;
evil may not dwell with you.
5 The (F)boastful shall not (G)stand before your eyes;
you (H)hate all evildoers.
6 You destroy those who speak (I)lies;
the Lord abhors (J)the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.
7 But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love,
will enter your house.
I will (K)bow down (L)toward your (M)holy temple
in the fear of you.
8 (N)Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness
because of my enemies;
(O)make your way straight before me.
9 For there is no truth in their mouth;
their inmost self is (P)destruction;
(Q)their throat is (R)an open grave;
they (S)flatter with their tongue.
10 (T)Make them bear their guilt, O God;
let them (U)fall by their own counsels;
because of the abundance of their transgressions cast them out,
for they have rebelled against you.
11 But let all who (V)take refuge in you (W)rejoice;
let them ever sing for joy,
and spread your protection over them,
that those who love your name may (X)exult in you.
12 For you (Y)bless the righteous, O Lord;
you (Z)cover him with favor as with (AA)a shield.
Footnotes
- Psalm 5:3 Or I direct my prayer to you
Psalm 13
English Standard Version
How Long, O Lord?
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
13 (A)How long, O Lord? Will you (B)forget me forever?
How long will you (C)hide your face from me?
2 How long must I take (D)counsel in my soul
and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?
Psalm 23
English Standard Version
The Lord Is My Shepherd
A Psalm of David.
23 The Lord is my (A)shepherd; I shall not (B)want.
2 He makes me lie down in green (C)pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.[a]
3 He (D)restores my soul.
He (E)leads me in (F)paths of righteousness[b]
for his (G)name's sake.
4 Even though I (H)walk through the valley of (I)the shadow of death,[c]
I will (J)fear no evil,
for (K)you are with me;
your (L)rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You (M)prepare a table before me
in (N)the presence of my enemies;
you (O)anoint my head with oil;
my (P)cup overflows.
6 Surely[d] goodness and mercy[e] shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall (Q)dwell[f] in the house of the Lord
(R)forever.[g]
Footnotes
- Psalm 23:2 Hebrew beside waters of rest
- Psalm 23:3 Or in right paths
- Psalm 23:4 Or the valley of deep darkness
- Psalm 23:6 Or Only
- Psalm 23:6 Or steadfast love
- Psalm 23:6 Or shall return to dwell
- Psalm 23:6 Hebrew for length of days
Psalm 25
English Standard Version
Teach Me Your Paths
[a] Of David.
25 To you, O Lord, I (A)lift up my soul.
2 O my God, in you I (B)trust;
(C)let me not be put to shame;
(D)let not my enemies exult over me.
3 Indeed, (E)none who wait for you shall be put to shame;
they shall be ashamed who are (F)wantonly (G)treacherous.
4 (H)Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
teach me your paths.
5 Lead me in your (I)truth and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all the day long.
6 Remember your (J)mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love,
(K)for they have been from of old.
7 Remember not (L)the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
according to your (M)steadfast love remember me,
for the sake of your goodness, O Lord!
8 (N)Good and upright is the Lord;
therefore he (O)instructs sinners in the way.
9 He leads the humble in what is right,
and teaches the humble his way.
10 All the paths of the Lord are (P)steadfast love and faithfulness,
for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.
11 For your (Q)name's sake, O Lord,
pardon my guilt, for it is (R)great.
12 Who is the man who fears the Lord?
Him (S)will he instruct in the way that he should choose.
13 His soul shall (T)abide in well-being,
and his (U)offspring (V)shall inherit the land.
14 (W)The friendship[b] of the Lord is for those who fear him,
and he makes known to them his covenant.
15 My (X)eyes are ever toward the Lord,
for he will (Y)pluck my feet out of the net.
16 (Z)Turn to me and be gracious to me,
for I am lonely and afflicted.
17 The troubles of my heart are enlarged;
bring me out of my distresses.
18 (AA)Consider my affliction and my trouble,
and forgive all my sins.
19 Consider how many are my foes,
and with what violent hatred they hate me.
20 Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me!
(AB)Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.
21 May integrity and uprightness preserve me,
for I wait for you.
22 (AC)Redeem Israel, O God,
out of all his troubles.
Footnotes
- Psalm 25:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, each verse beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet
- Psalm 25:14 Or The secret counsel
Psalm 31
English Standard Version
Into Your Hand I Commit My Spirit
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
31 (A)In you, O Lord, do I (B)take refuge;
(C)let me never be put to shame;
in your (D)righteousness deliver me!
2 Incline your ear to me;
rescue me speedily!
Be (E)a rock of (F)refuge for me,
a strong fortress to save me!
3 For you are my rock and my fortress;
and for your (G)name's sake you lead me and guide me;
4 you (H)take me out of (I)the net they have hidden for me,
for you are my (J)refuge.
5 (K)Into your hand I commit my spirit;
you have redeemed me, O Lord, (L)faithful God.
6 I (M)hate[a] those who pay (N)regard to worthless (O)idols,
but I trust in the Lord.
7 I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love,
because you have seen my affliction;
you have (P)known the distress of my soul,
8 and you have not (Q)delivered me into the hand of the enemy;
you have set my feet in (R)a broad place.
9 Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am (S)in distress;
(T)my eye is wasted from grief;
my soul and my body also.
10 For my life is spent with sorrow,
and my years with sighing;
my strength fails because of my iniquity,
and (U)my bones waste away.
11 Because of all my adversaries I have become (V)a reproach,
especially to my (W)neighbors,
and an object of dread to my acquaintances;
those who see me in the street (X)flee from me.
12 I have been (Y)forgotten like one who is dead;
I have become like (Z)a broken vessel.
13 For I (AA)hear the whispering of many—
terror on every side!—
(AB)as they scheme together against me,
as they plot to take my life.
14 But I (AC)trust in you, O Lord;
I say, “You are my God.”
15 My (AD)times are in your hand;
(AE)rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!
16 (AF)Make your face shine on your servant;
save me in your steadfast love!
17 O Lord, (AG)let me not be put to shame,
for I call upon you;
let the wicked be put to shame;
let them go (AH)silently to Sheol.
18 Let the lying lips be mute,
which (AI)speak (AJ)insolently against the righteous
in pride and contempt.
19 Oh, how abundant is your goodness,
which you have stored up for those who fear you
and worked for those who take refuge in you,
(AK)in the sight of the children of mankind!
20 In (AL)the cover of your presence you hide them
from the plots of men;
you (AM)store them in your shelter
from the strife of tongues.
21 Blessed be the Lord,
for he has wondrously (AN)shown his steadfast love to me
when I was in (AO)a besieged city.
22 I had said in my (AP)alarm,[b]
“I am (AQ)cut off from (AR)your sight.”
But you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy
when I cried to you for help.
23 Love the Lord, all you his (AS)saints!
The Lord preserves the faithful
but abundantly (AT)repays the one who acts in pride.
24 (AU)Be strong, and let your heart take courage,
all you who wait for the Lord!
Footnotes
- Psalm 31:6 Masoretic Text; one Hebrew manuscript, Septuagint, Syriac, Jerome You hate
- Psalm 31:22 Or in my haste
Psalm 32
English Standard Version
Blessed Are the Forgiven
A Maskil[a] of David.
32 (A)Blessed is the one whose (B)transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man against whom the Lord (C)counts no iniquity,
and in whose spirit (D)there is no deceit.
3 For when I kept silent, my (E)bones wasted away
through my (F)groaning all day long.
4 For day and night your (G)hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was dried up[b] as by the heat of summer. Selah
5 I (H)acknowledged my sin to you,
and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, “I (I)will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah
6 Therefore let everyone who is (J)godly
offer prayer to you at a time when you (K)may be found;
surely in the rush of (L)great waters,
they shall not reach him.
7 You are a (M)hiding place for me;
you preserve me from (N)trouble;
you surround me with (O)shouts of deliverance. Selah
8 I will (P)instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will (Q)counsel you with my eye upon you.
9 (R)Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
which must be curbed with (S)bit and bridle,
or it will not stay near you.
10 (T)Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
but steadfast love surrounds the one who (U)trusts in the Lord.
11 (V)Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous,
and (W)shout for joy, all you (X)upright in heart!
Footnotes
- Psalm 32:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
- Psalm 32:4 Hebrew my vitality was changed
Psalm 35
English Standard Version
Great Is the Lord
Of David.
35 Contend, O Lord, with those who (A)contend with me;
(B)fight against those who fight against me!
2 Take hold of (C)shield and buckler
and rise for my help!
3 Draw the spear and javelin[a]
against my pursuers!
Say to my soul,
“I am your salvation!”
4 (D)Let them be (E)put to shame and dishonor
who seek after my life!
Let them be (F)turned back and disappointed
who devise evil against me!
5 Let them be like (G)chaff before the wind,
with the angel of the Lord driving them away!
6 Let their way be dark and (H)slippery,
with the angel of the Lord pursuing them!
7 For (I)without cause (J)they hid their net for me;
without cause they dug (K)a pit for my life.[b]
8 Let (L)destruction come upon him (M)when he does not know it!
And let the net that he hid ensnare him;
let him fall into it—to his destruction!
9 Then my soul will rejoice in the Lord,
(N)exulting in his salvation.
10 All my (O)bones shall say,
“O Lord, (P)who is like you,
delivering the poor
from him who is too strong for him,
the poor and needy from him who robs him?”
11 (Q)Malicious[c] witnesses rise up;
they ask me of things that I do not know.
12 (R)They repay me evil for good;
my soul is bereft.[d]
13 But I, (S)when they were sick—
I (T)wore sackcloth;
I (U)afflicted myself with fasting;
I prayed (V)with head bowed[e] on my chest.
14 I went about as though I grieved for my friend or my brother;
as one who laments his mother,
I (W)bowed down in mourning.
15 But at my stumbling they rejoiced and gathered;
they gathered together against me;
(X)wretches whom I did not know
tore at me without ceasing;
16 like profane mockers at a feast,[f]
they (Y)gnash at me with their teeth.
17 How long, O Lord, will you (Z)look on?
Rescue me from their destruction,
(AA)my precious life from the lions!
18 I will thank you in (AB)the great congregation;
in the mighty throng I will praise you.
19 (AC)Let not those rejoice over me
who are (AD)wrongfully my foes,
and let not those (AE)wink the eye
who (AF)hate me (AG)without cause.
20 For they do not speak peace,
but against those who are quiet in the land
they devise words of deceit.
21 They (AH)open wide their mouths against me;
they say, (AI)“Aha, Aha!
Our eyes have seen it!”
22 (AJ)You have seen, O Lord; (AK)be not silent!
O Lord, (AL)be not far from me!
23 Awake and (AM)rouse yourself for (AN)my vindication,
for my cause, my God and my Lord!
24 (AO)Vindicate me, O Lord, my God,
according to your righteousness,
and (AP)let them not rejoice over me!
25 Let them not say in their hearts,
(AQ)“Aha, our heart's desire!”
Let them not say, (AR)“We have swallowed him up.”
26 Let them be (AS)put to shame and disappointed altogether
who rejoice at my calamity!
Let them be (AT)clothed with shame and dishonor
who (AU)magnify themselves against me!
27 Let those who delight in my righteousness
shout for joy and be glad
(AV)and say evermore,
(AW)“Great is the Lord,
who (AX)delights in the welfare of his servant!”
28 Then my (AY)tongue shall tell of your righteousness
and of your praise all the day long.
Footnotes
- Psalm 35:3 Or and close the way
- Psalm 35:7 The word pit is transposed from the preceding line; Hebrew For without cause they hid the pit of their net for me; without cause they dug for my life
- Psalm 35:11 Or Violent
- Psalm 35:12 Hebrew it is bereavement to my soul
- Psalm 35:13 Or my prayer shall turn back
- Psalm 35:16 The meaning of the Hebrew phrase is uncertain
Psalm 51
English Standard Version
Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, when (A)Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.
51 (B)Have mercy on me,[a] O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your (C)abundant mercy
(D)blot out my transgressions.
2 (E)Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and (F)cleanse me from my sin!
3 (G)For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
4 (H)Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil (I)in your sight,
(J)so that you may be justified in your words
and blameless in your judgment.
5 Behold, (K)I was brought forth in iniquity,
and in sin did my mother conceive me.
6 Behold, you delight in truth in (L)the inward being,
and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.
7 Purge me (M)with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
(N)wash me, and I shall be (O)whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
(P)let the bones (Q)that you have broken rejoice.
9 (R)Hide your face from my sins,
and (S)blot out all my iniquities.
10 (T)Create in me a (U)clean heart, O God,
and (V)renew a right[b] spirit within me.
11 (W)Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not (X)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 (Y)return to you.
14 Deliver me from (Z)bloodguiltiness, O God,
O (AA)God of my salvation,
and (AB)my tongue will sing aloud of your (AC)righteousness.
15 O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 (AD)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 (AE)a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
18 (AF)Do good to Zion in your good pleasure;
(AG)build up the walls of Jerusalem;
19 then will you delight in (AH)right sacrifices,
in burnt offerings and (AI)whole burnt offerings;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.
Footnotes
- Psalm 51:1 Or Be gracious to me
- Psalm 51:10 Or steadfast
Psalm 86
English Standard Version
Great Is Your Steadfast Love
(A)A Prayer of David.
86 (B)Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me,
for I am (C)poor and needy.
2 Preserve my life, for I am (D)godly;
save your servant, who (E)trusts in you—you are my God.
3 (F)Be gracious to me, O Lord,
for to you do I cry all the day.
4 Gladden the soul of your servant,
for (G)to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
5 For you, O Lord, are good and (H)forgiving,
(I)abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.
6 (J)Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer;
listen to my plea for grace.
7 In (K)the day of my trouble I call upon you,
(L)for you answer me.
8 There is (M)none like you among the gods, O Lord,
(N)nor are there any works like yours.
9 (O)All the nations you have made shall come
and worship before you, O Lord,
and shall glorify your name.
10 For (P)you are great and (Q)do wondrous things;
(R)you alone are God.
11 (S)Teach me your way, O Lord,
that I may (T)walk in your truth;
(U)unite my heart to fear your name.
12 I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart,
and I will glorify your name forever.
13 (V)For great is your steadfast love toward me;
you have (W)delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.
14 O God, insolent men have (X)risen up against me;
a band of ruthless men seeks my life,
and they do not set you before them.
15 But you, O Lord, are a God (Y)merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.
16 (Z)Turn to me and be gracious to me;
give your strength to (AA)your servant,
and save (AB)the son of your maidservant.
17 (AC)Show me a sign of your (AD)favor,
that those who hate me may see and be put to shame
because you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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