Psalm 34

English Standard Version

Taste and See That the Lord Is Good

^[a] Of David, when he ^(A)changed his behavior before ^(B)Abimelech, so that he drove him out, and he went away.

34 I will bless the Lord ^(C)at all times;
    his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
²My soul ^(D)makes its boast in the Lord;
    let the humble hear and ^(E)be glad.
³Oh, ^(F)magnify the Lord with me,
    and let us exalt his name together!

⁴I ^(G)sought the Lord, and he answered me
    and delivered me from all my fears.
⁵Those who look to him are ^(H)radiant,
    and their faces shall never be ashamed.
⁶^(I)This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
    and ^(J)saved him out of all his troubles.
⁷^(K)The angel of the Lord ^(L)encamps
    around those who fear him, and delivers them.

⁸Oh, ^(M)taste and see that ^(N)the Lord is good!
    ^(O)Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
⁹Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints,
    for those who fear him have no lack!
¹⁰^(P)The young lions suffer want and hunger;
    but those who ^(Q)seek the Lord lack no good thing.

¹¹^(R)Come, O children, listen to me;
    ^(S)I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
¹²^(T)What man is there who desires life
    and loves many days, that he may ^(U)see good?
¹³^(V)Keep your tongue from evil
    and your lips from ^(W)speaking deceit.
¹⁴^(X)Turn away from evil and do good;
    seek peace and ^(Y)pursue it.

¹⁵^(Z)The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous
    ^(AA)and his ears toward their cry.
¹⁶^(AB)The face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
    to ^(AC)cut off the memory of them from the earth.
¹⁷^(AD)When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears
    and delivers them out of all their troubles.
¹⁸The Lord is near to ^(AE)the brokenhearted
    and saves ^(AF)the crushed in spirit.

¹⁹^(AG)Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
    ^(AH)but the Lord delivers him out of them all.
²⁰He keeps all his bones;
    ^(AI)not one of them is broken.
²¹^(AJ)Affliction will slay the wicked,
    and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
²²The Lord ^(AK)redeems the life of his servants;
    none of those who take refuge in him will be ^(AL)condemned.

Footnotes

Psalm 34:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, each verse beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet

Psalm 52

English Standard Version

The Steadfast Love of God Endures

To the choirmaster. A Maskil^[a] of David, when ^(A)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.
²Your ^(B)tongue plots destruction,
    like ^(C)a sharp razor, you ^(D)worker of deceit.
³You love evil more than good,
    and ^(E)lying more than speaking what is right. Selah
⁴You love all words that devour,
    O deceitful tongue.

⁵But God will break you down forever;
    he will snatch and ^(F)tear you from your tent;
    he will uproot you from ^(G)the land of the living. Selah
⁶The righteous shall ^(H)see and fear,
    and shall ^(I)laugh at him, saying,
⁷“See the man who would not make
    God his refuge,
but ^(J)trusted in the abundance of his riches
    and sought refuge in his own destruction!”^[b]

⁸But I am like ^(K)a green olive tree
    in the house of God.
I trust in the steadfast love of God
    forever and ever.
⁹I will thank you forever,
    because you have done it.
I will wait for your name, ^(L)for it is good,
    in the presence of the ^(M)godly.

Footnotes

Psalm 52:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
Psalm 52:7 Or in his work of destruction

Psalm 56

English Standard Version

In God I Trust

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

56 ^(C)Be gracious to me, O God, for man ^(D)tramples on me;
    all day long an attacker oppresses me;
²my enemies trample on me all day long,
    for many attack me proudly.
³When I am afraid,
    I ^(E)put my trust in you.
⁴In God, whose word I praise,
    in God I trust; ^(F)I shall not be afraid.
    What can flesh do to me?

⁵All day long they injure my cause;^[b]
    all their thoughts are against me for evil.
⁶They ^(G)stir up strife, they ^(H)lurk;
    they ^(I)watch my steps,
    as they have waited for my life.
⁷For their crime will they escape?
    ^(J)In wrath ^(K)cast down the peoples, O God!

⁸You have kept count of my tossings;^[c]
    ^(L)put my tears in your bottle.
    ^(M)Are they not in your book?
⁹Then my enemies will turn back
    ^(N)in the day when I call.
    This I know, that^[d] ^(O)God is for me.
¹⁰In God, whose word I praise,
    in the Lord, whose word I praise,
¹¹in God I trust; ^(P)I shall not be afraid.
    What can man do to me?

¹²I must perform my ^(Q)vows to you, O God;
    I will ^(R)render thank offerings to you.
¹³^(S)For you have delivered my soul from death,
    yes, my feet from falling,
^(T)that I may walk before God
    ^(U)in the light of life.

Footnotes

Psalm 56:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
Psalm 56:5 Or they twist my words
Psalm 56:8 Or wanderings
Psalm 56:9 Or because

Psalm 57

English Standard Version

Let Your Glory Be over All the Earth

To the choirmaster: according to ^(A)Do Not Destroy. A ^(B)Miktam^[a] of David, when he fled from Saul, in ^(C)the cave.

57 ^(D)Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,
    for in you my soul ^(E)takes refuge;
in ^(F)the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,
    ^(G)till the storms of destruction pass by.
²I cry out to God Most High,
    to God who ^(H)fulfills his purpose for me.
³^(I)He will send from heaven and save me;
    he will put to shame ^(J)him who tramples on me. Selah
^(K)God will send out ^(L)his steadfast love and his faithfulness!

⁴My soul is in the midst of ^(M)lions;
I lie down amid fiery beasts—
the children of man, whose ^(N)teeth are spears and arrows,
whose ^(O)tongues are sharp swords.

⁵^(P)Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
Let your glory be over all the earth!

⁶They set ^(Q)a net for my steps;
    my soul was ^(R)bowed down.
They ^(S)dug a pit in my way,
    but they have fallen into it themselves. Selah
⁷^(T)My heart is ^(U)steadfast, O God,
    my heart is steadfast!
I will sing and make melody!
⁸    ^(V)Awake, ^(W)my glory!^[b]
Awake, ^(X)O harp and lyre!
    I will awake the dawn!
⁹I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;
    I will sing praises to you among the nations.
¹⁰For your ^(Y)steadfast love is great to the heavens,
    your faithfulness to the clouds.

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

Footnotes

Psalm 57:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
Psalm 57:8 Or my whole being

Psalm 142

English Standard Version

You Are My Refuge

A Maskil^[a] of David, when he was in ^(A)the cave. A Prayer.

142 With my voice I ^(B)cry out to the Lord;
with my voice I ^(C)plead for mercy to the Lord.
²I ^(D)pour out my complaint before him;
I tell my trouble before him.

³When my spirit ^(E)faints within me,
    you know my way!
In the path where I walk
    they have ^(F)hidden a trap for me.
⁴^(G)Look to the ^(H)right and see:
    ^(I)there is none who takes notice of me;
^(J)no refuge remains to me;
    no one cares for my soul.

⁵I cry to you, O Lord;
    I say, “You are my ^(K)refuge,
    my ^(L)portion in ^(M)the land of the living.”
⁶^(N)Attend to my cry,
    for ^(O)I am brought very low!
Deliver me from my persecutors,
    ^(P)for they are too strong for me!
⁷^(Q)Bring me out of prison,
    that I may give thanks to your name!
The righteous will surround me,
    for you will ^(R)deal bountifully with me.