Psalm 36
English Standard Version
How Precious Is Your Steadfast Love
To the choirmaster. Of David, the (A)servant of the Lord.
36 Transgression speaks to the wicked
deep in his heart;[a]
(B)there is no fear of God
before his eyes.
2 (C)For he flatters himself in his own eyes
that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated.
3 The words of his mouth are (D)trouble and deceit;
(E)he has ceased to act wisely and do good.
4 He (F)plots (G)trouble while on his bed;
he sets himself in (H)a way that is not good;
(I)he does not reject evil.
5 Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the clouds.
6 (J)Your righteousness is like the mountains of God;
(K)your judgments are like the great deep;
man and beast you (L)save, O Lord.
7 (M)How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
The children of mankind take refuge (N)in the shadow of your wings.
8 They feast on (O)the abundance of your house,
and you give them drink from (P)the river of (Q)your delights.
9 For with you is (R)the fountain of life;
(S)in your light do we see light.
10 Oh, continue your steadfast love to those who (T)know you,
and your righteousness to (U)the upright of heart!
11 Let not the foot of arrogance come upon me,
nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.
12 There (V)the evildoers lie fallen;
they are thrust down, (W)unable to rise.
Footnotes
- Psalm 36:1 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Syriac, Jerome (compare Septuagint); most Hebrew manuscripts in my heart
Psalm 36
King James Version
36 The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes.
2 For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful.
3 The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to do good.
4 He deviseth mischief upon his bed; he setteth himself in a way that is not good; he abhorreth not evil.
5 Thy mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.
6 Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: O Lord, thou preservest man and beast.
7 How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.
8 They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.
9 For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.
10 O continue thy lovingkindness unto them that know thee; and thy righteousness to the upright in heart.
11 Let not the foot of pride come against me, and let not the hand of the wicked remove me.
12 There are the workers of iniquity fallen: they are cast down, and shall not be able to rise.
Psalm 36
1599 Geneva Bible
36 1 The Prophet grievously vexed by the wicked, doth complain of their malicious wickedness. 6 Then he turneth to consider the unspeakable goodness of God toward all creatures. 9 But specially towards his children, that by the faith thereof he may be comforted and assured of his deliverance by this ordinary course of God’s work. 12 Who in the end destroyeth the wicked, and saveth the just.
To him that excelleth. A Psalm of David, the servant of the Lord.
1 Wickedness saith to the wicked man, [a]even in mine heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes.
2 For he [b]flattereth himself in his own eyes, while his iniquity is found worthy to be hated.
3 The words of his mouth are iniquity and [c]deceit: he hath left off to understand and to do good.
4 He [d]imagineth mischief upon his bed: he setteth himself upon a way, that is not good, and doth not abhor evil.
5 Thy [e]mercy, O Lord, reacheth unto the heavens, and thy faithfulness unto the clouds.
6 Thy righteousness is like the [f]mighty mountains: thy judgments are like a great [g]deep: thou Lord, dost save man and beast.
7 How excellent is thy mercy, O God! therefore the children of men trust under the shadow of thy wings.
8 They shall be [h]satisfied with the fatness of thine house, and thou shalt give them drink out of the river of thy pleasures.
9 For with thee is the well of life, and in thy light shall we see light.
10 Extend thy loving-kindness unto them that [i]know thee, and thy righteousness unto them that are upright in heart.
11 Let not the [j]foot of pride come against me, and let not the hand of the wicked men move me.
12 [k]There they are fallen that work iniquity: they are cast down, and shall not be able to rise.
Footnotes
- Psalm 36:1 I see evidently by his deeds, that sin pusheth forward the reprobate from wickedness to wickedness, albeit he go about to cover his impiety.
- Psalm 36:2 Though all others detest his vile sin, yet he himself seeth it not.
- Psalm 36:3 The reprobate mock at wholesome doctrine, and put not difference between good and evil.
- Psalm 36:4 By describing at large the nature of the reprobate, he admonisheth the godly to beware of these vices.
- Psalm 36:5 Though wickedness seemeth to overflow all the world, yet by thine heavenly providence thou governest heaven and earth.
- Psalm 36:6 Hebrew, the mountains of God: for whatsoever is excellent, is thus called.
- Psalm 36:6 The depth of thy providence governeth all things, and disposeth them, albeit the wicked seem to overwhelm the world.
- Psalm 36:8 Only God’s children have enough of all things both concerning this life and the life to come.
- Psalm 36:10 He showeth who are God’s children, to wit, they that know him, and lead their lives uprightly.
- Psalm 36:11 Let not the proud advance himself against me, neither the power of the wicked drive me away.
- Psalm 36:12 That is, in their pride wherein they flatter themselves.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
