Psalm 38:18-99:8

New Living Translation

¹⁸ But I confess my sins;
    I am deeply sorry for what I have done.
¹⁹ I have many aggressive enemies;
    they hate me without reason.
²⁰ They repay me evil for good
    and oppose me for pursuing good.
²¹ Do not abandon me, O Lord.
    Do not stand at a distance, my God.
²² Come quickly to help me,
    O Lord my savior.

¹ I said to myself, “I will watch what I do
    and not sin in what I say.
I will hold my tongue
    when the ungodly are around me.”
² But as I stood there in silence—
    not even speaking of good things—
    the turmoil within me grew worse.
³ The more I thought about it,
    the hotter I got,
    igniting a fire of words:
⁴ “Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.
    Remind me that my days are numbered—
    how fleeting my life is.
⁵ You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand.
    My entire lifetime is just a moment to you;
    at best, each of us is but a breath.” Interlude

⁶ We are merely moving shadows,
    and all our busy rushing ends in nothing.
We heap up wealth,
    not knowing who will spend it.
⁷ And so, Lord, where do I put my hope?
    My only hope is in you.
⁸ Rescue me from my rebellion.
    Do not let fools mock me.
⁹ I am silent before you; I won’t say a word,
    for my punishment is from you.
¹⁰ But please stop striking me!
    I am exhausted by the blows from your hand.
¹¹ When you discipline us for our sins,
    you consume like a moth what is precious to us.
    Each of us is but a breath. Interlude

¹² Hear my prayer, O Lord!
    Listen to my cries for help!
    Don’t ignore my tears.
For I am your guest—
    a traveler passing through,
    as my ancestors were before me.
¹³ Leave me alone so I can smile again
    before I am gone and exist no more.

¹ I waited patiently for the Lord to help me,
    and he turned to me and heard my cry.
² He lifted me out of the pit of despair,
    out of the mud and the mire.
He set my feet on solid ground
    and steadied me as I walked along.
³ He has given me a new song to sing,
    a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see what he has done and be amazed.
    They will put their trust in the Lord.

⁴ Oh, the joys of those who trust the Lord,
    who have no confidence in the proud
    or in those who worship idols.
⁵ O Lord my God, you have performed many wonders for us.
    Your plans for us are too numerous to list.
    You have no equal.
If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds,
    I would never come to the end of them.

⁶ You take no delight in sacrifices or offerings.
    Now that you have made me listen, I finally understand^[a]—
    you don’t require burnt offerings or sin offerings.
⁷ Then I said, “Look, I have come.
    As is written about me in the Scriptures:
⁸ I take joy in doing your will, my God,
    for your instructions are written on my heart.”

⁹ I have told all your people about your justice.
    I have not been afraid to speak out,
    as you, O Lord, well know.
¹⁰ I have not kept the good news of your justice hidden in my heart;
    I have talked about your faithfulness and saving power.
I have told everyone in the great assembly
    of your unfailing love and faithfulness.

¹¹ Lord, don’t hold back your tender mercies from me.
    Let your unfailing love and faithfulness always protect me.
¹² For troubles surround me—
    too many to count!
My sins pile up so high
    I can’t see my way out.
They outnumber the hairs on my head.
    I have lost all courage.

¹³ Please, Lord, rescue me!
    Come quickly, Lord, and help me.
¹⁴ May those who try to destroy me
    be humiliated and put to shame.
May those who take delight in my trouble
    be turned back in disgrace.
¹⁵ Let them be horrified by their shame,
    for they said, “Aha! We’ve got him now!”

¹⁶ But may all who search for you
    be filled with joy and gladness in you.
May those who love your salvation
    repeatedly shout, “The Lord is great!”
¹⁷ As for me, since I am poor and needy,
    let the Lord keep me in his thoughts.
You are my helper and my savior.
    O my God, do not delay.

¹ Oh, the joys of those who are kind to the poor!
    The Lord rescues them when they are in trouble.
² The Lord protects them
    and keeps them alive.
He gives them prosperity in the land
    and rescues them from their enemies.
³ The Lord nurses them when they are sick
    and restores them to health.

⁴ “O Lord,” I prayed, “have mercy on me.
    Heal me, for I have sinned against you.”
⁵ But my enemies say nothing but evil about me.
    “How soon will he die and be forgotten?” they ask.
⁶ They visit me as if they were my friends,
    but all the while they gather gossip,
    and when they leave, they spread it everywhere.
⁷ All who hate me whisper about me,
    imagining the worst.
⁸ “He has some fatal disease,” they say.
    “He will never get out of that bed!”
⁹ Even my best friend, the one I trusted completely,
    the one who shared my food, has turned against me.

¹⁰ Lord, have mercy on me.
    Make me well again, so I can pay them back!
¹¹ I know you are pleased with me,
    for you have not let my enemies triumph over me.
¹² You have preserved my life because I am innocent;
    you have brought me into your presence forever.

¹³ Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,
    who lives from everlasting to everlasting.
Amen and amen!

¹ As the deer longs for streams of water,
    so I long for you, O God.
² I thirst for God, the living God.
    When can I go and stand before him?
³ Day and night I have only tears for food,
    while my enemies continually taunt me, saying,
    “Where is this God of yours?”

⁴ My heart is breaking
    as I remember how it used to be:
I walked among the crowds of worshipers,
    leading a great procession to the house of God,
singing for joy and giving thanks
    amid the sound of a great celebration!

⁵ Why am I discouraged?
    Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
    I will praise him again—
    my Savior and ⁶ my God!

Now I am deeply discouraged,
    but I will remember you—
even from distant Mount Hermon, the source of the Jordan,
    from the land of Mount Mizar.
⁷ I hear the tumult of the raging seas
    as your waves and surging tides sweep over me.
⁸ But each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me,
    and through each night I sing his songs,
    praying to God who gives me life.

⁹ “O God my rock,” I cry,
    “Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I wander around in grief,
    oppressed by my enemies?”
¹⁰ Their taunts break my bones.
    They scoff, “Where is this God of yours?”

¹¹ Why am I discouraged?
    Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
    I will praise him again—
    my Savior and my God!

⁵ Why am I discouraged?
    Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
    I will praise him again—
    my Savior and my God!

¹ O God, we have heard it with our own ears—
    our ancestors have told us
of all you did in their day,
    in days long ago:
² You drove out the pagan nations by your power
    and gave all the land to our ancestors.
You crushed their enemies
    and set our ancestors free.
³ They did not conquer the land with their swords;
    it was not their own strong arm that gave them victory.
It was your right hand and strong arm
    and the blinding light from your face that helped them,
    for you loved them.

⁴ You are my King and my God.
    You command victories for Israel.^[d]
5 Only by your power can we push back our enemies;
    only in your name can we trample our foes.
⁶ I do not trust in my bow;
    I do not count on my sword to save me.
⁷ You are the one who gives us victory over our enemies;
    you disgrace those who hate us.
⁸ O God, we give glory to you all day long
    and constantly praise your name. Interlude

⁹ But now you have tossed us aside in dishonor.
    You no longer lead our armies to battle.
¹⁰ You make us retreat from our enemies
    and allow those who hate us to plunder our land.
¹¹ You have butchered us like sheep
    and scattered us among the nations.
¹² You sold your precious people for a pittance,
    making nothing on the sale.
¹³ You let our neighbors mock us.
    We are an object of scorn and derision to those around us.
¹⁴ You have made us the butt of their jokes;
    they shake their heads at us in scorn.
¹⁵ We can’t escape the constant humiliation;
    shame is written across our faces.
¹⁶ All we hear are the taunts of our mockers.
    All we see are our vengeful enemies.

¹⁷ All this has happened though we have not forgotten you.
    We have not violated your covenant.
¹⁸ Our hearts have not deserted you.
    We have not strayed from your path.
¹⁹ Yet you have crushed us in the jackal’s desert home.
    You have covered us with darkness and death.
²⁰ If we had forgotten the name of our God
    or spread our hands in prayer to foreign gods,
²¹ God would surely have known it,
    for he knows the secrets of every heart.
²² But for your sake we are killed every day;
    we are being slaughtered like sheep.

²³ Wake up, O Lord! Why do you sleep?
    Get up! Do not reject us forever.
²⁴ Why do you look the other way?
    Why do you ignore our suffering and oppression?
²⁵ We collapse in the dust,
    lying face down in the dirt.
²⁶ Rise up! Help us!
    Ransom us because of your unfailing love.

¹ Beautiful words stir my heart.
    I will recite a lovely poem about the king,
    for my tongue is like the pen of a skillful poet.

² You are the most handsome of all.
    Gracious words stream from your lips.
    God himself has blessed you forever.
³ Put on your sword, O mighty warrior!
    You are so glorious, so majestic!
⁴ In your majesty, ride out to victory,
    defending truth, humility, and justice.
    Go forth to perform awe-inspiring deeds!
⁵ Your arrows are sharp, piercing your enemies’ hearts.
    The nations fall beneath your feet.

⁶ Your throne, O God,^[f] endures forever and ever.
    You rule with a scepter of justice.
⁷ You love justice and hate evil.
    Therefore God, your God, has anointed you,
    pouring out the oil of joy on you more than on anyone else.
⁸ Myrrh, aloes, and cassia perfume your robes.
    In ivory palaces the music of strings entertains you.
⁹ Kings’ daughters are among your noble women.
    At your right side stands the queen,
    wearing jewelry of finest gold from Ophir!

¹⁰ Listen to me, O royal daughter; take to heart what I say.
    Forget your people and your family far away.
¹¹ For your royal husband delights in your beauty;
    honor him, for he is your lord.
¹² The princess of Tyre^[g] will shower you with gifts.
    The wealthy will beg your favor.
¹³ The bride, a princess, looks glorious
    in her golden gown.
¹⁴ In her beautiful robes, she is led to the king,
    accompanied by her bridesmaids.
¹⁵ What a joyful and enthusiastic procession
    as they enter the king’s palace!

¹⁶ Your sons will become kings like their father.
    You will make them rulers over many lands.
¹⁷ I will bring honor to your name in every generation.
    Therefore, the nations will praise you forever and ever.

¹ God is our refuge and strength,
    always ready to help in times of trouble.
² So we will not fear when earthquakes come
    and the mountains crumble into the sea.
³ Let the oceans roar and foam.
    Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge! Interlude

⁴ A river brings joy to the city of our God,
    the sacred home of the Most High.
⁵ God dwells in that city; it cannot be destroyed.
    From the very break of day, God will protect it.
⁶ The nations are in chaos,
    and their kingdoms crumble!
God’s voice thunders,
    and the earth melts!
⁷ The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us;
    the God of Israel^[i] is our fortress. Interlude

⁸ Come, see the glorious works of the Lord:
    See how he brings destruction upon the world.
⁹ He causes wars to end throughout the earth.
    He breaks the bow and snaps the spear;
    he burns the shields with fire.

¹⁰ “Be still, and know that I am God!
    I will be honored by every nation.
    I will be honored throughout the world.”

¹¹ The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us;
    the God of Israel is our fortress. Interlude

¹ Come, everyone! Clap your hands!
    Shout to God with joyful praise!
² For the Lord Most High is awesome.
    He is the great King of all the earth.
³ He subdues the nations before us,
    putting our enemies beneath our feet.
⁴ He chose the Promised Land as our inheritance,
    the proud possession of Jacob’s descendants, whom he loves. Interlude

⁵ God has ascended with a mighty shout.
    The Lord has ascended with trumpets blaring.
⁶ Sing praises to God, sing praises;
    sing praises to our King, sing praises!
⁷ For God is the King over all the earth.
    Praise him with a psalm.^[j]
8 God reigns above the nations,
    sitting on his holy throne.
⁹ The rulers of the world have gathered together
    with the people of the God of Abraham.
For all the kings of the earth belong to God.
    He is highly honored everywhere.

¹ How great is the Lord,
    how deserving of praise,
in the city of our God,
    which sits on his holy mountain!
² It is high and magnificent;
    the whole earth rejoices to see it!
Mount Zion, the holy mountain,^[k]
    is the city of the great King!
³ God himself is in Jerusalem’s towers,
    revealing himself as its defender.

⁴ The kings of the earth joined forces
    and advanced against the city.
⁵ But when they saw it, they were stunned;
    they were terrified and ran away.
⁶ They were gripped with terror
    and writhed in pain like a woman in labor.
⁷ You destroyed them like the mighty ships of Tarshish
    shattered by a powerful east wind.

⁸ We had heard of the city’s glory,
    but now we have seen it ourselves—
    the city of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
It is the city of our God;
    he will make it safe forever. Interlude

⁹ O God, we meditate on your unfailing love
    as we worship in your Temple.
¹⁰ As your name deserves, O God,
    you will be praised to the ends of the earth.
    Your strong right hand is filled with victory.
¹¹ Let the people on Mount Zion rejoice.
    Let all the towns of Judah be glad
    because of your justice.

¹² Go, inspect the city of Jerusalem.^[l]
    Walk around and count the many towers.
¹³ Take note of the fortified walls,
    and tour all the citadels,
that you may describe them
    to future generations.
¹⁴ For that is what God is like.
    He is our God forever and ever,
    and he will guide us until we die.

¹ Listen to this, all you people!
    Pay attention, everyone in the world!
² High and low,
    rich and poor—listen!
³ For my words are wise,
    and my thoughts are filled with insight.
⁴ I listen carefully to many proverbs
    and solve riddles with inspiration from a harp.

⁵ Why should I fear when trouble comes,
    when enemies surround me?
⁶ They trust in their wealth
    and boast of great riches.
⁷ Yet they cannot redeem themselves from death^[m]
    by paying a ransom to God.
⁸ Redemption does not come so easily,
    for no one can ever pay enough
⁹ to live forever
    and never see the grave.

¹⁰ Those who are wise must finally die,
    just like the foolish and senseless,
    leaving all their wealth behind.
¹¹ The grave^[n] is their eternal home,
    where they will stay forever.
They may name their estates after themselves,
¹²     but their fame will not last.
    They will die, just like animals.
¹³ This is the fate of fools,
    though they are remembered as being wise.^[o] Interlude

¹⁴ Like sheep, they are led to the grave,^[p]
    where death will be their shepherd.
In the morning the godly will rule over them.
    Their bodies will rot in the grave,
    far from their grand estates.
¹⁵ But as for me, God will redeem my life.
    He will snatch me from the power of the grave. Interlude

¹⁶ So don’t be dismayed when the wicked grow rich
    and their homes become ever more splendid.
¹⁷ For when they die, they take nothing with them.
    Their wealth will not follow them into the grave.
¹⁸ In this life they consider themselves fortunate
    and are applauded for their success.
¹⁹ But they will die like all before them
    and never again see the light of day.
²⁰ People who boast of their wealth don’t understand;
    they will die, just like animals.

¹ The Lord, the Mighty One, is God,
    and he has spoken;
he has summoned all humanity
    from where the sun rises to where it sets.
² From Mount Zion, the perfection of beauty,
    God shines in glorious radiance.
³ Our God approaches,
    and he is not silent.
Fire devours everything in his way,
    and a great storm rages around him.
⁴ He calls on the heavens above and earth below
    to witness the judgment of his people.
⁵ “Bring my faithful people to me—
    those who made a covenant with me by giving sacrifices.”
⁶ Then let the heavens proclaim his justice,
    for God himself will be the judge. Interlude

⁷ “O my people, listen as I speak.
    Here are my charges against you, O Israel:
    I am God, your God!
⁸ I have no complaint about your sacrifices
    or the burnt offerings you constantly offer.
⁹ But I do not need the bulls from your barns
    or the goats from your pens.
¹⁰ For all the animals of the forest are mine,
    and I own the cattle on a thousand hills.
¹¹ I know every bird on the mountains,
    and all the animals of the field are mine.
¹² If I were hungry, I would not tell you,
    for all the world is mine and everything in it.
¹³ Do I eat the meat of bulls?
    Do I drink the blood of goats?
¹⁴ Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God,
    and keep the vows you made to the Most High.
¹⁵ Then call on me when you are in trouble,
    and I will rescue you,
    and you will give me glory.”

¹⁶ But God says to the wicked:
“Why bother reciting my decrees
    and pretending to obey my covenant?
¹⁷ For you refuse my discipline
    and treat my words like trash.
¹⁸ When you see thieves, you approve of them,
    and you spend your time with adulterers.
¹⁹ Your mouth is filled with wickedness,
    and your tongue is full of lies.
²⁰ You sit around and slander your brother—
    your own mother’s son.
²¹ While you did all this, I remained silent,
    and you thought I didn’t care.
But now I will rebuke you,
    listing all my charges against you.
²² Repent, all of you who forget me,
    or I will tear you apart,
    and no one will help you.
²³ But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me.
    If you keep to my path,
    I will reveal to you the salvation of God.”

¹ Have mercy on me, O God,
    because of your unfailing love.
Because of your great compassion,
    blot out the stain of my sins.
² Wash me clean from my guilt.
    Purify me from my sin.
³ For I recognize my rebellion;
    it haunts me day and night.
⁴ Against you, and you alone, have I sinned;
    I have done what is evil in your sight.
You will be proved right in what you say,
    and your judgment against me is just.^[q]
5 For I was born a sinner—
    yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.
⁶ But you desire honesty from the womb,^[r]
    teaching me wisdom even there.

⁷ Purify me from my sins,^[s] and I will be clean;
    wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
⁸ Oh, give me back my joy again;
    you have broken me—
    now let me rejoice.
⁹ Don’t keep looking at my sins.
    Remove the stain of my guilt.
¹⁰ Create in me a clean heart, O God.
    Renew a loyal spirit within me.
¹¹ Do not banish me from your presence,
    and don’t take your Holy Spirit^[t] from me.

¹² Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
    and make me willing to obey you.
¹³ Then I will teach your ways to rebels,
    and they will return to you.
¹⁴ Forgive me for shedding blood, O God who saves;
    then I will joyfully sing of your forgiveness.
¹⁵ Unseal my lips, O Lord,
    that my mouth may praise you.

¹⁶ You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one.
    You do not want a burnt offering.
¹⁷ The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit.
    You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.
¹⁸ Look with favor on Zion and help her;
    rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
¹⁹ Then you will be pleased with sacrifices offered in the right spirit—
    with burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings.
    Then bulls will again be sacrificed on your altar.

¹ Why do you boast about your crimes, great warrior?
    Don’t you realize God’s justice continues forever?
² All day long you plot destruction.
    Your tongue cuts like a sharp razor;
    you’re an expert at telling lies.
³ You love evil more than good
    and lies more than truth. Interlude

⁴ You love to destroy others with your words,
    you liar!
⁵ But God will strike you down once and for all.
    He will pull you from your home
    and uproot you from the land of the living. Interlude

⁶ The righteous will see it and be amazed.
    They will laugh and say,
⁷ “Look what happens to mighty warriors
    who do not trust in God.
They trust their wealth instead
    and grow more and more bold in their wickedness.”

⁸ But I am like an olive tree, thriving in the house of God.
    I will always trust in God’s unfailing love.
⁹ I will praise you forever, O God,
    for what you have done.
I will trust in your good name
    in the presence of your faithful people.

¹ Only fools say in their hearts,
    “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, and their actions are evil;
    not one of them does good!

² God looks down from heaven
    on the entire human race;
he looks to see if anyone is truly wise,
    if anyone seeks God.
³ But no, all have turned away;
    all have become corrupt.^[w]
No one does good,
    not a single one!

⁴ Will those who do evil never learn?
    They eat up my people like bread
    and wouldn’t think of praying to God.
⁵ Terror will grip them,
    terror like they have never known before.
God will scatter the bones of your enemies.
    You will put them to shame, for God has rejected them.

⁶ Who will come from Mount Zion to rescue Israel?
    When God restores his people,
    Jacob will shout with joy, and Israel will rejoice.

¹ Come with great power, O God, and rescue me!
    Defend me with your might.
² Listen to my prayer, O God.
    Pay attention to my plea.
³ For strangers are attacking me;
    violent people are trying to kill me.
    They care nothing for God. Interlude

⁴ But God is my helper.
    The Lord keeps me alive!
⁵ May the evil plans of my enemies be turned against them.
    Do as you promised and put an end to them.

⁶ I will sacrifice a voluntary offering to you;
    I will praise your name, O Lord,
    for it is good.
⁷ For you have rescued me from my troubles
    and helped me to triumph over my enemies.

¹ Listen to my prayer, O God.
    Do not ignore my cry for help!
² Please listen and answer me,
    for I am overwhelmed by my troubles.
³ My enemies shout at me,
    making loud and wicked threats.
They bring trouble on me
    and angrily hunt me down.

⁴ My heart pounds in my chest.
    The terror of death assaults me.
⁵ Fear and trembling overwhelm me,
    and I can’t stop shaking.
⁶ Oh, that I had wings like a dove;
    then I would fly away and rest!
⁷ I would fly far away
    to the quiet of the wilderness. Interlude
⁸ How quickly I would escape—
    far from this wild storm of hatred.

⁹ Confuse them, Lord, and frustrate their plans,
    for I see violence and conflict in the city.
¹⁰ Its walls are patrolled day and night against invaders,
    but the real danger is wickedness within the city.
¹¹ Everything is falling apart;
    threats and cheating are rampant in the streets.

¹² It is not an enemy who taunts me—
    I could bear that.
It is not my foes who so arrogantly insult me—
    I could have hidden from them.
¹³ Instead, it is you—my equal,
    my companion and close friend.
¹⁴ What good fellowship we once enjoyed
    as we walked together to the house of God.

¹⁵ Let death stalk my enemies;
    let the grave^[z] swallow them alive,
    for evil makes its home within them.

¹⁶ But I will call on God,
    and the Lord will rescue me.
¹⁷ Morning, noon, and night
    I cry out in my distress,
    and the Lord hears my voice.
¹⁸ He ransoms me and keeps me safe
    from the battle waged against me,
    though many still oppose me.
¹⁹ God, who has ruled forever,
    will hear me and humble them. Interlude
For my enemies refuse to change their ways;
    they do not fear God.

²⁰ As for my companion, he betrayed his friends;
    he broke his promises.
²¹ His words are as smooth as butter,
    but in his heart is war.
His words are as soothing as lotion,
    but underneath are daggers!

²² Give your burdens to the Lord,
    and he will take care of you.
    He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.

²³ But you, O God, will send the wicked
    down to the pit of destruction.
Murderers and liars will die young,
    but I am trusting you to save me.

¹ O God, have mercy on me,
    for people are hounding me.
    My foes attack me all day long.
² I am constantly hounded by those who slander me,
    and many are boldly attacking me.
³ But when I am afraid,
    I will put my trust in you.
⁴ I praise God for what he has promised.
    I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?
    What can mere mortals do to me?

⁵ They are always twisting what I say;
    they spend their days plotting to harm me.
⁶ They come together to spy on me—
    watching my every step, eager to kill me.
⁷ Don’t let them get away with their wickedness;
    in your anger, O God, bring them down.

⁸ You keep track of all my sorrows.^[ab]
    You have collected all my tears in your bottle.
    You have recorded each one in your book.

⁹ My enemies will retreat when I call to you for help.
    This I know: God is on my side!
¹⁰ I praise God for what he has promised;
    yes, I praise the Lord for what he has promised.
¹¹ I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?
    What can mere mortals do to me?

¹² I will fulfill my vows to you, O God,
    and will offer a sacrifice of thanks for your help.
¹³ For you have rescued me from death;
    you have kept my feet from slipping.
So now I can walk in your presence, O God,
    in your life-giving light.

¹ Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy!
    I look to you for protection.
I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings
    until the danger passes by.
² I cry out to God Most High,^[ad]
    to God who will fulfill his purpose for me.
³ He will send help from heaven to rescue me,
    disgracing those who hound me. Interlude
My God will send forth his unfailing love and faithfulness.

⁴ I am surrounded by fierce lions
    who greedily devour human prey—
whose teeth pierce like spears and arrows,
    and whose tongues cut like swords.

⁵ Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens!
    May your glory shine over all the earth.

⁶ My enemies have set a trap for me.
    I am weary from distress.
They have dug a deep pit in my path,
    but they themselves have fallen into it. Interlude

⁷ My heart is confident in you, O God;
    my heart is confident.
    No wonder I can sing your praises!
⁸ Wake up, my heart!
    Wake up, O lyre and harp!
    I will wake the dawn with my song.
⁹ I will thank you, Lord, among all the people.
    I will sing your praises among the nations.
¹⁰ For your unfailing love is as high as the heavens.
    Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.

¹¹ Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens.
    May your glory shine over all the earth.

¹ Justice—do you rulers^[af] know the meaning of the word?
    Do you judge the people fairly?
² No! You plot injustice in your hearts.
    You spread violence throughout the land.
³ These wicked people are born sinners;
    even from birth they have lied and gone their own way.
⁴ They spit venom like deadly snakes;
    they are like cobras that refuse to listen,
⁵ ignoring the tunes of the snake charmers,
    no matter how skillfully they play.

⁶ Break off their fangs, O God!
    Smash the jaws of these lions, O Lord!
⁷ May they disappear like water into thirsty ground.
    Make their weapons useless in their hands.^[ag]
8 May they be like snails that dissolve into slime,
    like a stillborn child who will never see the sun.
⁹ God will sweep them away, both young and old,
    faster than a pot heats over burning thorns.

¹⁰ The godly will rejoice when they see injustice avenged.
    They will wash their feet in the blood of the wicked.
¹¹ Then at last everyone will say,
    “There truly is a reward for those who live for God;
    surely there is a God who judges justly here on earth.”

¹ Rescue me from my enemies, O God.
    Protect me from those who have come to destroy me.
² Rescue me from these criminals;
    save me from these murderers.
³ They have set an ambush for me.
    Fierce enemies are out there waiting, Lord,
    though I have not sinned or offended them.
⁴ I have done nothing wrong,
    yet they prepare to attack me.
    Wake up! See what is happening and help me!
⁵ O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel,
    wake up and punish those hostile nations.
    Show no mercy to wicked traitors. Interlude

⁶ They come out at night,
    snarling like vicious dogs
    as they prowl the streets.
⁷ Listen to the filth that comes from their mouths;
    their words cut like swords.
    “After all, who can hear us?” they sneer.
⁸ But Lord, you laugh at them.
    You scoff at all the hostile nations.
⁹ You are my strength; I wait for you to rescue me,
    for you, O God, are my fortress.
¹⁰ In his unfailing love, my God will stand with me.
    He will let me look down in triumph on all my enemies.

¹¹ Don’t kill them, for my people soon forget such lessons;
    stagger them with your power, and bring them to their knees,
    O Lord our shield.
¹² Because of the sinful things they say,
    because of the evil that is on their lips,
let them be captured by their pride,
    their curses, and their lies.
¹³ Destroy them in your anger!
    Wipe them out completely!
Then the whole world will know
    that God reigns in Israel.^[ai] Interlude

¹⁴ My enemies come out at night,
    snarling like vicious dogs
    as they prowl the streets.
¹⁵ They scavenge for food
    but go to sleep unsatisfied.^[aj]

¹⁶ But as for me, I will sing about your power.
    Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love.
For you have been my refuge,
    a place of safety when I am in distress.
¹⁷ O my Strength, to you I sing praises,
    for you, O God, are my refuge,
    the God who shows me unfailing love.

¹ You have rejected us, O God, and broken our defenses.
    You have been angry with us; now restore us to your favor.
² You have shaken our land and split it open.
    Seal the cracks, for the land trembles.
³ You have been very hard on us,
    making us drink wine that sent us reeling.
⁴ But you have raised a banner for those who fear you—
    a rallying point in the face of attack. Interlude

⁵ Now rescue your beloved people.
    Answer and save us by your power.
⁶ God has promised this by his holiness^[al]:
“I will divide up Shechem with joy.
    I will measure out the valley of Succoth.
⁷ Gilead is mine,
    and Manasseh, too.
Ephraim, my helmet, will produce my warriors,
    and Judah, my scepter, will produce my kings.
⁸ But Moab, my washbasin, will become my servant,
    and I will wipe my feet on Edom
    and shout in triumph over Philistia.”

⁹ Who will bring me into the fortified city?
    Who will bring me victory over Edom?
¹⁰ Have you rejected us, O God?
    Will you no longer march with our armies?
¹¹ Oh, please help us against our enemies,
    for all human help is useless.
¹² With God’s help we will do mighty things,
    for he will trample down our foes.

¹ O God, listen to my cry!
    Hear my prayer!
² From the ends of the earth,
    I cry to you for help
    when my heart is overwhelmed.
Lead me to the towering rock of safety,
³     for you are my safe refuge,
    a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me.
⁴ Let me live forever in your sanctuary,
    safe beneath the shelter of your wings! Interlude

⁵ For you have heard my vows, O God.
    You have given me an inheritance reserved for those who fear your name.
⁶ Add many years to the life of the king!
    May his years span the generations!
⁷ May he reign under God’s protection forever.
    May your unfailing love and faithfulness watch over him.
⁸ Then I will sing praises to your name forever
    as I fulfill my vows each day.

¹ I wait quietly before God,
    for my victory comes from him.
² He alone is my rock and my salvation,
    my fortress where I will never be shaken.

³ So many enemies against one man—
    all of them trying to kill me.
To them I’m just a broken-down wall
    or a tottering fence.
⁴ They plan to topple me from my high position.
    They delight in telling lies about me.
They praise me to my face
    but curse me in their hearts. Interlude

⁵ Let all that I am wait quietly before God,
    for my hope is in him.
⁶ He alone is my rock and my salvation,
    my fortress where I will not be shaken.
⁷ My victory and honor come from God alone.
    He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me.
⁸ O my people, trust in him at all times.
    Pour out your heart to him,
    for God is our refuge. Interlude

⁹ Common people are as worthless as a puff of wind,
    and the powerful are not what they appear to be.
If you weigh them on the scales,
    together they are lighter than a breath of air.

¹⁰ Don’t make your living by extortion
    or put your hope in stealing.
And if your wealth increases,
    don’t make it the center of your life.

¹¹ God has spoken plainly,
    and I have heard it many times:
Power, O God, belongs to you;
¹²     unfailing love, O Lord, is yours.
Surely you repay all people
    according to what they have done.

¹ O God, you are my God;
    I earnestly search for you.
My soul thirsts for you;
    my whole body longs for you
in this parched and weary land
    where there is no water.
² I have seen you in your sanctuary
    and gazed upon your power and glory.
³ Your unfailing love is better than life itself;
    how I praise you!
⁴ I will praise you as long as I live,
    lifting up my hands to you in prayer.
⁵ You satisfy me more than the richest feast.
    I will praise you with songs of joy.

⁶ I lie awake thinking of you,
    meditating on you through the night.
⁷ Because you are my helper,
    I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings.
⁸ I cling to you;
    your strong right hand holds me securely.

⁹ But those plotting to destroy me will come to ruin.
    They will go down into the depths of the earth.
¹⁰ They will die by the sword
    and become the food of jackals.
¹¹ But the king will rejoice in God.
    All who swear to tell the truth will praise him,
    while liars will be silenced.

¹ O God, listen to my complaint.
    Protect my life from my enemies’ threats.
² Hide me from the plots of this evil mob,
    from this gang of wrongdoers.
³ They sharpen their tongues like swords
    and aim their bitter words like arrows.
⁴ They shoot from ambush at the innocent,
    attacking suddenly and fearlessly.
⁵ They encourage each other to do evil
    and plan how to set their traps in secret.
    “Who will ever notice?” they ask.
⁶ As they plot their crimes, they say,
    “We have devised the perfect plan!”
    Yes, the human heart and mind are cunning.

⁷ But God himself will shoot them with his arrows,
    suddenly striking them down.
⁸ Their own tongues will ruin them,
    and all who see them will shake their heads in scorn.
⁹ Then everyone will be afraid;
    they will proclaim the mighty acts of God
    and realize all the amazing things he does.
¹⁰ The godly will rejoice in the Lord
    and find shelter in him.
And those who do what is right
    will praise him.

¹ What mighty praise, O God,
    belongs to you in Zion.
We will fulfill our vows to you,
²     for you answer our prayers.
    All of us must come to you.
³ Though we are overwhelmed by our sins,
    you forgive them all.
⁴ What joy for those you choose to bring near,
    those who live in your holy courts.
What festivities await us
    inside your holy Temple.

⁵ You faithfully answer our prayers with awesome deeds,
    O God our savior.
You are the hope of everyone on earth,
    even those who sail on distant seas.
⁶ You formed the mountains by your power
    and armed yourself with mighty strength.
⁷ You quieted the raging oceans
    with their pounding waves
    and silenced the shouting of the nations.
⁸ Those who live at the ends of the earth
    stand in awe of your wonders.
From where the sun rises to where it sets,
    you inspire shouts of joy.

⁹ You take care of the earth and water it,
    making it rich and fertile.
The river of God has plenty of water;
    it provides a bountiful harvest of grain,
    for you have ordered it so.
¹⁰ You drench the plowed ground with rain,
    melting the clods and leveling the ridges.
You soften the earth with showers
    and bless its abundant crops.
¹¹ You crown the year with a bountiful harvest;
    even the hard pathways overflow with abundance.
¹² The grasslands of the wilderness become a lush pasture,
    and the hillsides blossom with joy.
¹³ The meadows are clothed with flocks of sheep,
    and the valleys are carpeted with grain.
    They all shout and sing for joy!

¹ Shout joyful praises to God, all the earth!
²     Sing about the glory of his name!
    Tell the world how glorious he is.
³ Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
    Your enemies cringe before your mighty power.
⁴ Everything on earth will worship you;
    they will sing your praises,
    shouting your name in glorious songs.” Interlude

⁵ Come and see what our God has done,
    what awesome miracles he performs for people!
⁶ He made a dry path through the Red Sea,^[am]
    and his people went across on foot.
    There we rejoiced in him.
⁷ For by his great power he rules forever.
    He watches every movement of the nations;
    let no rebel rise in defiance. Interlude

⁸ Let the whole world bless our God
    and loudly sing his praises.
⁹ Our lives are in his hands,
    and he keeps our feet from stumbling.
¹⁰ You have tested us, O God;
    you have purified us like silver.
¹¹ You captured us in your net
    and laid the burden of slavery on our backs.
¹² Then you put a leader over us.^[an]
    We went through fire and flood,
    but you brought us to a place of great abundance.

¹³ Now I come to your Temple with burnt offerings
    to fulfill the vows I made to you—
¹⁴ yes, the sacred vows that I made
    when I was in deep trouble.
¹⁵ That is why I am sacrificing burnt offerings to you—
    the best of my rams as a pleasing aroma,
    and a sacrifice of bulls and male goats. Interlude

¹⁶ Come and listen, all you who fear God,
    and I will tell you what he did for me.
¹⁷ For I cried out to him for help,
    praising him as I spoke.
¹⁸ If I had not confessed the sin in my heart,
    the Lord would not have listened.
¹⁹ But God did listen!
    He paid attention to my prayer.
²⁰ Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer
    or withdraw his unfailing love from me.

¹ May God be merciful and bless us.
    May his face smile with favor on us. Interlude

² May your ways be known throughout the earth,
    your saving power among people everywhere.
³ May the nations praise you, O God.
    Yes, may all the nations praise you.
⁴ Let the whole world sing for joy,
    because you govern the nations with justice
    and guide the people of the whole world. Interlude

⁵ May the nations praise you, O God.
    Yes, may all the nations praise you.
⁶ Then the earth will yield its harvests,
    and God, our God, will richly bless us.
⁷ Yes, God will bless us,
    and people all over the world will fear him.

¹ Rise up, O God, and scatter your enemies.
    Let those who hate God run for their lives.
² Blow them away like smoke.
    Melt them like wax in a fire.
    Let the wicked perish in the presence of God.
³ But let the godly rejoice.
    Let them be glad in God’s presence.
    Let them be filled with joy.
⁴ Sing praises to God and to his name!
    Sing loud praises to him who rides the clouds.^[ao]
His name is the Lord—
    rejoice in his presence!

⁵ Father to the fatherless, defender of widows—
    this is God, whose dwelling is holy.
⁶ God places the lonely in families;
    he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy.
But he makes the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.

⁷ O God, when you led your people out from Egypt,
    when you marched through the dry wasteland, Interlude
⁸ the earth trembled, and the heavens poured down rain
    before you, the God of Sinai,
    before God, the God of Israel.
⁹ You sent abundant rain, O God,
    to refresh the weary land.
¹⁰ There your people finally settled,
    and with a bountiful harvest, O God,
    you provided for your needy people.

¹¹ The Lord gives the word,
    and a great army^[ap] brings the good news.
¹² Enemy kings and their armies flee,
    while the women of Israel divide the plunder.
¹³ Even those who lived among the sheepfolds found treasures—
    doves with wings of silver
    and feathers of gold.
¹⁴ The Almighty scattered the enemy kings
    like a blowing snowstorm on Mount Zalmon.

¹⁵ The mountains of Bashan are majestic,
    with many peaks stretching high into the sky.
¹⁶ Why do you look with envy, O rugged mountains,
    at Mount Zion, where God has chosen to live,
    where the Lord himself will live forever?

¹⁷ Surrounded by unnumbered thousands of chariots,
    the Lord came from Mount Sinai into his sanctuary.
¹⁸ When you ascended to the heights,
    you led a crowd of captives.
You received gifts from the people,
    even from those who rebelled against you.
    Now the Lord God will live among us there.

¹⁹ Praise the Lord; praise God our savior!
    For each day he carries us in his arms. Interlude
²⁰ Our God is a God who saves!
    The Sovereign Lord rescues us from death.

²¹ But God will smash the heads of his enemies,
    crushing the skulls of those who love their guilty ways.
²² The Lord says, “I will bring my enemies down from Bashan;
    I will bring them up from the depths of the sea.
²³ You, my people, will wash^[aq] your feet in their blood,
    and even your dogs will get their share!”

²⁴ Your procession has come into view, O God—
    the procession of my God and King as he goes into the sanctuary.
²⁵ Singers are in front, musicians behind;
    between them are young women playing tambourines.
²⁶ Praise God, all you people of Israel;
    praise the Lord, the source of Israel’s life.
²⁷ Look, the little tribe of Benjamin leads the way.
    Then comes a great throng of rulers from Judah
    and all the rulers of Zebulun and Naphtali.

²⁸ Summon your might, O God.^[ar]
    Display your power, O God, as you have in the past.
²⁹ The kings of the earth are bringing tribute
    to your Temple in Jerusalem.
³⁰ Rebuke these enemy nations—
    these wild animals lurking in the reeds,
    this herd of bulls among the weaker calves.
Make them bring bars of silver in humble tribute.
    Scatter the nations that delight in war.
³¹ Let Egypt come with gifts of precious metals^[as];
    let Ethiopia^[at] bring tribute to God.
³² Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth.
    Sing praises to the Lord. Interlude
³³ Sing to the one who rides across the ancient heavens,
    his mighty voice thundering from the sky.
³⁴ Tell everyone about God’s power.
    His majesty shines down on Israel;
    his strength is mighty in the heavens.
³⁵ God is awesome in his sanctuary.
    The God of Israel gives power and strength to his people.

Praise be to God!

¹ Save me, O God,
    for the floodwaters are up to my neck.
² Deeper and deeper I sink into the mire;
    I can’t find a foothold.
I am in deep water,
    and the floods overwhelm me.
³ I am exhausted from crying for help;
    my throat is parched.
My eyes are swollen with weeping,
    waiting for my God to help me.
⁴ Those who hate me without cause
    outnumber the hairs on my head.
Many enemies try to destroy me with lies,
    demanding that I give back what I didn’t steal.

⁵ O God, you know how foolish I am;
    my sins cannot be hidden from you.
⁶ Don’t let those who trust in you be ashamed because of me,
    O Sovereign Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
Don’t let me cause them to be humiliated,
    O God of Israel.
⁷ For I endure insults for your sake;
    humiliation is written all over my face.
⁸ Even my own brothers pretend they don’t know me;
    they treat me like a stranger.

⁹ Passion for your house has consumed me,
    and the insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.
¹⁰ When I weep and fast,
    they scoff at me.
¹¹ When I dress in burlap to show sorrow,
    they make fun of me.
¹² I am the favorite topic of town gossip,
    and all the drunks sing about me.

¹³ But I keep praying to you, Lord,
    hoping this time you will show me favor.
In your unfailing love, O God,
    answer my prayer with your sure salvation.
¹⁴ Rescue me from the mud;
    don’t let me sink any deeper!
Save me from those who hate me,
    and pull me from these deep waters.
¹⁵ Don’t let the floods overwhelm me,
    or the deep waters swallow me,
    or the pit of death devour me.

¹⁶ Answer my prayers, O Lord,
    for your unfailing love is wonderful.
Take care of me,
    for your mercy is so plentiful.
¹⁷ Don’t hide from your servant;
    answer me quickly, for I am in deep trouble!
¹⁸ Come and redeem me;
    free me from my enemies.

¹⁹ You know of my shame, scorn, and disgrace.
    You see all that my enemies are doing.
²⁰ Their insults have broken my heart,
    and I am in despair.
If only one person would show some pity;
    if only one would turn and comfort me.
²¹ But instead, they give me poison^[au] for food;
    they offer me sour wine for my thirst.

²² Let the bountiful table set before them become a snare
    and their prosperity become a trap.^[av]
23 Let their eyes go blind so they cannot see,
    and make their bodies shake continually.^[aw]
24 Pour out your fury on them;
    consume them with your burning anger.
²⁵ Let their homes become desolate
    and their tents be deserted.
²⁶ To the one you have punished, they add insult to injury;
    they add to the pain of those you have hurt.
²⁷ Pile their sins up high,
    and don’t let them go free.
²⁸ Erase their names from the Book of Life;
    don’t let them be counted among the righteous.

²⁹ I am suffering and in pain.
    Rescue me, O God, by your saving power.

³⁰ Then I will praise God’s name with singing,
    and I will honor him with thanksgiving.
³¹ For this will please the Lord more than sacrificing cattle,
    more than presenting a bull with its horns and hooves.
³² The humble will see their God at work and be glad.
    Let all who seek God’s help be encouraged.
³³ For the Lord hears the cries of the needy;
    he does not despise his imprisoned people.

³⁴ Praise him, O heaven and earth,
    the seas and all that move in them.
³⁵ For God will save Jerusalem^[ax]
    and rebuild the towns of Judah.
His people will live there
    and settle in their own land.
³⁶ The descendants of those who obey him will inherit the land,
    and those who love him will live there in safety.

¹ Please, God, rescue me!
    Come quickly, Lord, and help me.
² May those who try to kill me
    be humiliated and put to shame.
May those who take delight in my trouble
    be turned back in disgrace.
³ Let them be horrified by their shame,
    for they said, “Aha! We’ve got him now!”
⁴ But may all who search for you
    be filled with joy and gladness in you.
May those who love your salvation
    repeatedly shout, “God is great!”
⁵ But as for me, I am poor and needy;
    please hurry to my aid, O God.
You are my helper and my savior;
    O Lord, do not delay.

⁷ My life is an example to many,
    because you have been my strength and protection.
⁸ That is why I can never stop praising you;
    I declare your glory all day long.
⁹ And now, in my old age, don’t set me aside.
    Don’t abandon me when my strength is failing.
¹⁰ For my enemies are whispering against me.
    They are plotting together to kill me.
¹¹ They say, “God has abandoned him.
    Let’s go and get him,
    for no one will help him now.”

¹² O God, don’t stay away.
    My God, please hurry to help me.
¹³ Bring disgrace and destruction on my accusers.
    Humiliate and shame those who want to harm me.
¹⁴ But I will keep on hoping for your help;
    I will praise you more and more.
¹⁵ I will tell everyone about your righteousness.
    All day long I will proclaim your saving power,
    though I am not skilled with words.^[ay]
16 I will praise your mighty deeds, O Sovereign Lord.
    I will tell everyone that you alone are just.

¹⁷ O God, you have taught me from my earliest childhood,
    and I constantly tell others about the wonderful things you do.
¹⁸ Now that I am old and gray,
    do not abandon me, O God.
Let me proclaim your power to this new generation,
    your mighty miracles to all who come after me.

¹⁹ Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the highest heavens.
    You have done such wonderful things.
    Who can compare with you, O God?
²⁰ You have allowed me to suffer much hardship,
    but you will restore me to life again
    and lift me up from the depths of the earth.
²¹ You will restore me to even greater honor
    and comfort me once again.

²² Then I will praise you with music on the harp,
    because you are faithful to your promises, O my God.
I will sing praises to you with a lyre,
    O Holy One of Israel.
²³ I will shout for joy and sing your praises,
    for you have ransomed me.
²⁴ I will tell about your righteous deeds
    all day long,
for everyone who tried to hurt me
    has been shamed and humiliated.

¹ Give your love of justice to the king, O God,
    and righteousness to the king’s son.
² Help him judge your people in the right way;
    let the poor always be treated fairly.
³ May the mountains yield prosperity for all,
    and may the hills be fruitful.
⁴ Help him to defend the poor,
    to rescue the children of the needy,
    and to crush their oppressors.
⁵ May they fear you^[az] as long as the sun shines,
    as long as the moon remains in the sky.
    Yes, forever!

⁶ May the king’s rule be refreshing like spring rain on freshly cut grass,
    like the showers that water the earth.
⁷ May all the godly flourish during his reign.
    May there be abundant prosperity until the moon is no more.
⁸ May he reign from sea to sea,
    and from the Euphrates River^[ba] to the ends of the earth.
⁹ Desert nomads will bow before him;
    his enemies will fall before him in the dust.
¹⁰ The western kings of Tarshish and other distant lands
    will bring him tribute.
The eastern kings of Sheba and Seba
    will bring him gifts.
¹¹ All kings will bow before him,
    and all nations will serve him.

¹² He will rescue the poor when they cry to him;
    he will help the oppressed, who have no one to defend them.
¹³ He feels pity for the weak and the needy,
    and he will rescue them.
¹⁴ He will redeem them from oppression and violence,
    for their lives are precious to him.

¹⁵ Long live the king!
    May the gold of Sheba be given to him.
May the people always pray for him
    and bless him all day long.
¹⁶ May there be abundant grain throughout the land,
    flourishing even on the hilltops.
May the fruit trees flourish like the trees of Lebanon,
    and may the people thrive like grass in a field.
¹⁷ May the king’s name endure forever;
    may it continue as long as the sun shines.
May all nations be blessed through him
    and bring him praise.

¹⁸ Praise the Lord God, the God of Israel,
    who alone does such wonderful things.
¹⁹ Praise his glorious name forever!
    Let the whole earth be filled with his glory.
Amen and amen!

²⁰ (This ends the prayers of David son of Jesse.)

¹ Truly God is good to Israel,
    to those whose hearts are pure.
² But as for me, I almost lost my footing.
    My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone.
³ For I envied the proud
    when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness.
⁴ They seem to live such painless lives;
    their bodies are so healthy and strong.
⁵ They don’t have troubles like other people;
    they’re not plagued with problems like everyone else.
⁶ They wear pride like a jeweled necklace
    and clothe themselves with cruelty.
⁷ These fat cats have everything
    their hearts could ever wish for!
⁸ They scoff and speak only evil;
    in their pride they seek to crush others.
⁹ They boast against the very heavens,
    and their words strut throughout the earth.
¹⁰ And so the people are dismayed and confused,
    drinking in all their words.
¹¹ “What does God know?” they ask.
    “Does the Most High even know what’s happening?”
¹² Look at these wicked people—
    enjoying a life of ease while their riches multiply.

¹³ Did I keep my heart pure for nothing?
    Did I keep myself innocent for no reason?
¹⁴ I get nothing but trouble all day long;
    every morning brings me pain.

¹⁵ If I had really spoken this way to others,
    I would have been a traitor to your people.
¹⁶ So I tried to understand why the wicked prosper.
    But what a difficult task it is!
¹⁷ Then I went into your sanctuary, O God,
    and I finally understood the destiny of the wicked.
¹⁸ Truly, you put them on a slippery path
    and send them sliding over the cliff to destruction.
¹⁹ In an instant they are destroyed,
    completely swept away by terrors.
²⁰ When you arise, O Lord,
    you will laugh at their silly ideas
    as a person laughs at dreams in the morning.

²¹ Then I realized that my heart was bitter,
    and I was all torn up inside.
²² I was so foolish and ignorant—
    I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you.
²³ Yet I still belong to you;
    you hold my right hand.
²⁴ You guide me with your counsel,
    leading me to a glorious destiny.
²⁵ Whom have I in heaven but you?
    I desire you more than anything on earth.
²⁶ My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak,
    but God remains the strength of my heart;
    he is mine forever.

²⁷ Those who desert him will perish,
    for you destroy those who abandon you.
²⁸ But as for me, how good it is to be near God!
    I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter,
    and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do.

¹ O God, why have you rejected us so long?
    Why is your anger so intense against the sheep of your own pasture?
² Remember that we are the people you chose long ago,
    the tribe you redeemed as your own special possession!
    And remember Jerusalem,^[bc] your home here on earth.
³ Walk through the awful ruins of the city;
    see how the enemy has destroyed your sanctuary.

⁴ There your enemies shouted their victorious battle cries;
    there they set up their battle standards.
⁵ They swung their axes
    like woodcutters in a forest.
⁶ With axes and picks,
    they smashed the carved paneling.
⁷ They burned your sanctuary to the ground.
    They defiled the place that bears your name.
⁸ Then they thought, “Let’s destroy everything!”
    So they burned down all the places where God was worshiped.

⁹ We no longer see your miraculous signs.
    All the prophets are gone,
    and no one can tell us when it will end.
¹⁰ How long, O God, will you allow our enemies to insult you?
    Will you let them dishonor your name forever?
¹¹ Why do you hold back your strong right hand?
    Unleash your powerful fist and destroy them.

¹² You, O God, are my king from ages past,
    bringing salvation to the earth.
¹³ You split the sea by your strength
    and smashed the heads of the sea monsters.
¹⁴ You crushed the heads of Leviathan^[bd]
    and let the desert animals eat him.
¹⁵ You caused the springs and streams to gush forth,
    and you dried up rivers that never run dry.
¹⁶ Both day and night belong to you;
    you made the starlight^[be] and the sun.
¹⁷ You set the boundaries of the earth,
    and you made both summer and winter.

¹⁸ See how these enemies insult you, Lord.
    A foolish nation has dishonored your name.
¹⁹ Don’t let these wild beasts destroy your turtledoves.
    Don’t forget your suffering people forever.

²⁰ Remember your covenant promises,
    for the land is full of darkness and violence!
²¹ Don’t let the downtrodden be humiliated again.
    Instead, let the poor and needy praise your name.

²² Arise, O God, and defend your cause.
    Remember how these fools insult you all day long.
²³ Don’t overlook what your enemies have said
    or their growing uproar.

¹ We thank you, O God!
    We give thanks because you are near.
    People everywhere tell of your wonderful deeds.

² God says, “At the time I have planned,
    I will bring justice against the wicked.
³ When the earth quakes and its people live in turmoil,
    I am the one who keeps its foundations firm. Interlude

⁴ “I warned the proud, ‘Stop your boasting!’
    I told the wicked, ‘Don’t raise your fists!
⁵ Don’t raise your fists in defiance at the heavens
    or speak with such arrogance.’”
⁶ For no one on earth—from east or west,
    or even from the wilderness—
    should raise a defiant fist.^[bf]
7 It is God alone who judges;
    he decides who will rise and who will fall.
⁸ For the Lord holds a cup in his hand
    that is full of foaming wine mixed with spices.
He pours out the wine in judgment,
    and all the wicked must drink it,
    draining it to the dregs.

⁹ But as for me, I will always proclaim what God has done;
    I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
¹⁰ For God says, “I will break the strength of the wicked,
    but I will increase the power of the godly.”

¹ God is honored in Judah;
    his name is great in Israel.
² Jerusalem^[bg] is where he lives;
    Mount Zion is his home.
³ There he has broken the fiery arrows of the enemy,
    the shields and swords and weapons of war. Interlude

⁴ You are glorious and more majestic
    than the everlasting mountains.^[bh]
5 Our boldest enemies have been plundered.
    They lie before us in the sleep of death.
    No warrior could lift a hand against us.
⁶ At the blast of your breath, O God of Jacob,
    their horses and chariots lay still.

⁷ No wonder you are greatly feared!
    Who can stand before you when your anger explodes?
⁸ From heaven you sentenced your enemies;
    the earth trembled and stood silent before you.
⁹ You stand up to judge those who do evil, O God,
    and to rescue the oppressed of the earth. Interlude
¹⁰ Human defiance only enhances your glory,
    for you use it as a weapon.^[bi]

¹¹ Make vows to the Lord your God, and keep them.
    Let everyone bring tribute to the Awesome One.
¹² For he breaks the pride of princes,
    and the kings of the earth fear him.

¹ I cry out to God; yes, I shout.
    Oh, that God would listen to me!
² When I was in deep trouble,
    I searched for the Lord.
All night long I prayed, with hands lifted toward heaven,
    but my soul was not comforted.
³ I think of God, and I moan,
    overwhelmed with longing for his help. Interlude

⁴ You don’t let me sleep.
    I am too distressed even to pray!
⁵ I think of the good old days,
    long since ended,
⁶ when my nights were filled with joyful songs.
    I search my soul and ponder the difference now.
⁷ Has the Lord rejected me forever?
    Will he never again be kind to me?
⁸ Is his unfailing love gone forever?
    Have his promises permanently failed?
⁹ Has God forgotten to be gracious?
    Has he slammed the door on his compassion? Interlude

¹⁰ And I said, “This is my fate;
    the Most High has turned his hand against me.”
¹¹ But then I recall all you have done, O Lord;
    I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago.
¹² They are constantly in my thoughts.
    I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works.

¹³ O God, your ways are holy.
    Is there any god as mighty as you?
¹⁴ You are the God of great wonders!
    You demonstrate your awesome power among the nations.
¹⁵ By your strong arm, you redeemed your people,
    the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. Interlude

¹⁶ When the Red Sea^[bj] saw you, O God,
    its waters looked and trembled!
    The sea quaked to its very depths.
¹⁷ The clouds poured down rain;
    the thunder rumbled in the sky.
    Your arrows of lightning flashed.
¹⁸ Your thunder roared from the whirlwind;
    the lightning lit up the world!
    The earth trembled and shook.
¹⁹ Your road led through the sea,
    your pathway through the mighty waters—
    a pathway no one knew was there!
²⁰ You led your people along that road like a flock of sheep,
    with Moses and Aaron as their shepherds.

¹ O my people, listen to my instructions.
    Open your ears to what I am saying,
²     for I will speak to you in a parable.
I will teach you hidden lessons from our past—
³     stories we have heard and known,
    stories our ancestors handed down to us.
⁴ We will not hide these truths from our children;
    we will tell the next generation
about the glorious deeds of the Lord,
    about his power and his mighty wonders.
⁵ For he issued his laws to Jacob;
    he gave his instructions to Israel.
He commanded our ancestors
    to teach them to their children,
⁶ so the next generation might know them—
    even the children not yet born—
    and they in turn will teach their own children.
⁷ So each generation should set its hope anew on God,
    not forgetting his glorious miracles
    and obeying his commands.
⁸ Then they will not be like their ancestors—
    stubborn, rebellious, and unfaithful,
    refusing to give their hearts to God.

⁹ The warriors of Ephraim, though armed with bows,
    turned their backs and fled on the day of battle.
¹⁰ They did not keep God’s covenant
    and refused to live by his instructions.
¹¹ They forgot what he had done—
    the great wonders he had shown them,
¹² the miracles he did for their ancestors
    on the plain of Zoan in the land of Egypt.
¹³ For he divided the sea and led them through,
    making the water stand up like walls!
¹⁴ In the daytime he led them by a cloud,
    and all night by a pillar of fire.
¹⁵ He split open the rocks in the wilderness
    to give them water, as from a gushing spring.
¹⁶ He made streams pour from the rock,
    making the waters flow down like a river!

¹⁷ Yet they kept on sinning against him,
    rebelling against the Most High in the desert.
¹⁸ They stubbornly tested God in their hearts,
    demanding the foods they craved.
¹⁹ They even spoke against God himself, saying,
    “God can’t give us food in the wilderness.
²⁰ Yes, he can strike a rock so water gushes out,
    but he can’t give his people bread and meat.”
²¹ When the Lord heard them, he was furious.
    The fire of his wrath burned against Jacob.
    Yes, his anger rose against Israel,
²² for they did not believe God
    or trust him to care for them.
²³ But he commanded the skies to open;
    he opened the doors of heaven.
²⁴ He rained down manna for them to eat;
    he gave them bread from heaven.
²⁵ They ate the food of angels!
    God gave them all they could hold.
²⁶ He released the east wind in the heavens
    and guided the south wind by his mighty power.
²⁷ He rained down meat as thick as dust—
    birds as plentiful as the sand on the seashore!
²⁸ He caused the birds to fall within their camp
    and all around their tents.
²⁹ The people ate their fill.
    He gave them what they craved.
³⁰ But before they satisfied their craving,
    while the meat was yet in their mouths,
³¹ the anger of God rose against them,
    and he killed their strongest men.
    He struck down the finest of Israel’s young men.

³² But in spite of this, the people kept sinning.
    Despite his wonders, they refused to trust him.
³³ So he ended their lives in failure,
    their years in terror.
³⁴ When God began killing them,
    they finally sought him.
    They repented and took God seriously.
³⁵ Then they remembered that God was their rock,
    that God Most High^[bl] was their redeemer.
³⁶ But all they gave him was lip service;
    they lied to him with their tongues.
³⁷ Their hearts were not loyal to him.
    They did not keep his covenant.
³⁸ Yet he was merciful and forgave their sins
    and did not destroy them all.
Many times he held back his anger
    and did not unleash his fury!
³⁹ For he remembered that they were merely mortal,
    gone like a breath of wind that never returns.

⁴⁰ Oh, how often they rebelled against him in the wilderness
    and grieved his heart in that dry wasteland.
⁴¹ Again and again they tested God’s patience
    and provoked the Holy One of Israel.
⁴² They did not remember his power
    and how he rescued them from their enemies.
⁴³ They did not remember his miraculous signs in Egypt,
    his wonders on the plain of Zoan.
⁴⁴ For he turned their rivers into blood,
    so no one could drink from the streams.
⁴⁵ He sent vast swarms of flies to consume them
    and hordes of frogs to ruin them.
⁴⁶ He gave their crops to caterpillars;
    their harvest was consumed by locusts.
⁴⁷ He destroyed their grapevines with hail
    and shattered their sycamore-figs with sleet.
⁴⁸ He abandoned their cattle to the hail,
    their livestock to bolts of lightning.
⁴⁹ He loosed on them his fierce anger—
    all his fury, rage, and hostility.
He dispatched against them
    a band of destroying angels.
⁵⁰ He turned his anger against them;
    he did not spare the Egyptians’ lives
    but ravaged them with the plague.
⁵¹ He killed the oldest son in each Egyptian family,
    the flower of youth throughout the land of Egypt.^[bm]
52 But he led his own people like a flock of sheep,
    guiding them safely through the wilderness.
⁵³ He kept them safe so they were not afraid;
    but the sea covered their enemies.
⁵⁴ He brought them to the border of his holy land,
    to this land of hills he had won for them.
⁵⁵ He drove out the nations before them;
    he gave them their inheritance by lot.
    He settled the tribes of Israel into their homes.

⁵⁶ But they kept testing and rebelling against God Most High.
    They did not obey his laws.
⁵⁷ They turned back and were as faithless as their parents.
    They were as undependable as a crooked bow.
⁵⁸ They angered God by building shrines to other gods;
    they made him jealous with their idols.
⁵⁹ When God heard them, he was very angry,
    and he completely rejected Israel.
⁶⁰ Then he abandoned his dwelling at Shiloh,
    the Tabernacle where he had lived among the people.
⁶¹ He allowed the Ark of his might to be captured;
    he surrendered his glory into enemy hands.
⁶² He gave his people over to be butchered by the sword,
    because he was so angry with his own people—his special possession.
⁶³ Their young men were killed by fire;
    their young women died before singing their wedding songs.
⁶⁴ Their priests were slaughtered,
    and their widows could not mourn their deaths.

⁶⁵ Then the Lord rose up as though waking from sleep,
    like a warrior aroused from a drunken stupor.
⁶⁶ He routed his enemies
    and sent them to eternal shame.
⁶⁷ But he rejected Joseph’s descendants;
    he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim.
⁶⁸ He chose instead the tribe of Judah,
    and Mount Zion, which he loved.
⁶⁹ There he built his sanctuary as high as the heavens,
    as solid and enduring as the earth.
⁷⁰ He chose his servant David,
    calling him from the sheep pens.
⁷¹ He took David from tending the ewes and lambs
    and made him the shepherd of Jacob’s descendants—
    God’s own people, Israel.
⁷² He cared for them with a true heart
    and led them with skillful hands.

¹ O God, pagan nations have conquered your land,
    your special possession.
They have defiled your holy Temple
    and made Jerusalem a heap of ruins.
² They have left the bodies of your servants
    as food for the birds of heaven.
The flesh of your godly ones
    has become food for the wild animals.
³ Blood has flowed like water all around Jerusalem;
    no one is left to bury the dead.
⁴ We are mocked by our neighbors,
    an object of scorn and derision to those around us.

⁵ O Lord, how long will you be angry with us? Forever?
    How long will your jealousy burn like fire?
⁶ Pour out your wrath on the nations that refuse to acknowledge you—
    on kingdoms that do not call upon your name.
⁷ For they have devoured your people Israel,^[bn]
    making the land a desolate wilderness.
⁸ Do not hold us guilty for the sins of our ancestors!
    Let your compassion quickly meet our needs,
    for we are on the brink of despair.

⁹ Help us, O God of our salvation!
    Help us for the glory of your name.
Save us and forgive our sins
    for the honor of your name.
¹⁰ Why should pagan nations be allowed to scoff,
    asking, “Where is their God?”
Show us your vengeance against the nations,
    for they have spilled the blood of your servants.
¹¹ Listen to the moaning of the prisoners.
    Demonstrate your great power by saving those condemned to die.

¹² O Lord, pay back our neighbors seven times
    for the scorn they have hurled at you.
¹³ Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture,
    will thank you forever and ever,
    praising your greatness from generation to generation.

¹ Please listen, O Shepherd of Israel,
    you who lead Joseph’s descendants like a flock.
O God, enthroned above the cherubim,
    display your radiant glory
²     to Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh.
Show us your mighty power.
    Come to rescue us!

³ Turn us again to yourself, O God.
    Make your face shine down upon us.
    Only then will we be saved.
⁴ O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies,
    how long will you be angry with our prayers?
⁵ You have fed us with sorrow
    and made us drink tears by the bucketful.
⁶ You have made us the scorn^[bo] of neighboring nations.
    Our enemies treat us as a joke.

⁷ Turn us again to yourself, O God of Heaven’s Armies.
    Make your face shine down upon us.
    Only then will we be saved.
⁸ You brought us from Egypt like a grapevine;
    you drove away the pagan nations and transplanted us into your land.
⁹ You cleared the ground for us,
    and we took root and filled the land.
¹⁰ Our shade covered the mountains;
    our branches covered the mighty cedars.
¹¹ We spread our branches west to the Mediterranean Sea;
    our shoots spread east to the Euphrates River.^[bp]
12 But now, why have you broken down our walls
    so that all who pass by may steal our fruit?
¹³ The wild boar from the forest devours it,
    and the wild animals feed on it.

¹⁴ Come back, we beg you, O God of Heaven’s Armies.
    Look down from heaven and see our plight.
Take care of this grapevine
¹⁵     that you yourself have planted,
    this son you have raised for yourself.
¹⁶ For we are chopped up and burned by our enemies.
    May they perish at the sight of your frown.
¹⁷ Strengthen the man you love,
    the son of your choice.
¹⁸ Then we will never abandon you again.
    Revive us so we can call on your name once more.

¹⁹ Turn us again to yourself, O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies.
    Make your face shine down upon us.
    Only then will we be saved.

¹ Sing praises to God, our strength.
    Sing to the God of Jacob.
² Sing! Beat the tambourine.
    Play the sweet lyre and the harp.
³ Blow the ram’s horn at new moon,
    and again at full moon to call a festival!
⁴ For this is required by the decrees of Israel;
    it is a regulation of the God of Jacob.
⁵ He made it a law for Israel^[br]
    when he attacked Egypt to set us free.

I heard an unknown voice say,
⁶ “Now I will take the load from your shoulders;
    I will free your hands from their heavy tasks.
⁷ You cried to me in trouble, and I saved you;
    I answered out of the thundercloud
    and tested your faith when there was no water at Meribah. Interlude

⁸ “Listen to me, O my people, while I give you stern warnings.
    O Israel, if you would only listen to me!
⁹ You must never have a foreign god;
    you must not bow down before a false god.
¹⁰ For it was I, the Lord your God,
    who rescued you from the land of Egypt.
    Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it with good things.

¹¹ “But no, my people wouldn’t listen.
    Israel did not want me around.
¹² So I let them follow their own stubborn desires,
    living according to their own ideas.
¹³ Oh, that my people would listen to me!
    Oh, that Israel would follow me, walking in my paths!
¹⁴ How quickly I would then subdue their enemies!
    How soon my hands would be upon their foes!
¹⁵ Those who hate the Lord would cringe before him;
    they would be doomed forever.
¹⁶ But I would feed you with the finest wheat.
    I would satisfy you with wild honey from the rock.”

¹ God presides over heaven’s court;
    he pronounces judgment on the heavenly beings:
² “How long will you hand down unjust decisions
    by favoring the wicked? Interlude

³ “Give justice to the poor and the orphan;
    uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute.
⁴ Rescue the poor and helpless;
    deliver them from the grasp of evil people.
⁵ But these oppressors know nothing;
    they are so ignorant!
They wander about in darkness,
    while the whole world is shaken to the core.
⁶ I say, ‘You are gods;
    you are all children of the Most High.
⁷ But you will die like mere mortals
    and fall like every other ruler.’”

⁸ Rise up, O God, and judge the earth,
    for all the nations belong to you.

¹ O God, do not be silent!
    Do not be deaf.
    Do not be quiet, O God.
² Don’t you hear the uproar of your enemies?
    Don’t you see that your arrogant enemies are rising up?
³ They devise crafty schemes against your people;
    they conspire against your precious ones.
⁴ “Come,” they say, “let us wipe out Israel as a nation.
    We will destroy the very memory of its existence.”
⁵ Yes, this was their unanimous decision.
    They signed a treaty as allies against you—
⁶ these Edomites and Ishmaelites;
    Moabites and Hagrites;
⁷ Gebalites, Ammonites, and Amalekites;
    and people from Philistia and Tyre.
⁸ Assyria has joined them, too,
    and is allied with the descendants of Lot. Interlude

⁹ Do to them as you did to the Midianites
    and as you did to Sisera and Jabin at the Kishon River.
¹⁰ They were destroyed at Endor,
    and their decaying corpses fertilized the soil.
¹¹ Let their mighty nobles die as Oreb and Zeeb did.
    Let all their princes die like Zebah and Zalmunna,
¹² for they said, “Let us seize for our own use
    these pasturelands of God!”
¹³ O my God, scatter them like tumbleweed,
    like chaff before the wind!
¹⁴ As a fire burns a forest
    and as a flame sets mountains ablaze,
¹⁵ chase them with your fierce storm;
    terrify them with your tempest.
¹⁶ Utterly disgrace them
    until they submit to your name, O Lord.
¹⁷ Let them be ashamed and terrified forever.
    Let them die in disgrace.
¹⁸ Then they will learn that you alone are called the Lord,
    that you alone are the Most High,
    supreme over all the earth.

¹ How lovely is your dwelling place,
    O Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
² I long, yes, I faint with longing
    to enter the courts of the Lord.
With my whole being, body and soul,
    I will shout joyfully to the living God.
³ Even the sparrow finds a home,
    and the swallow builds her nest and raises her young
at a place near your altar,
    O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, my King and my God!
⁴ What joy for those who can live in your house,
    always singing your praises. Interlude

⁵ What joy for those whose strength comes from the Lord,
    who have set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
⁶ When they walk through the Valley of Weeping,^[bt]
    it will become a place of refreshing springs.
    The autumn rains will clothe it with blessings.
⁷ They will continue to grow stronger,
    and each of them will appear before God in Jerusalem.^[bu]

⁸ O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies, hear my prayer.
    Listen, O God of Jacob. Interlude

⁹ O God, look with favor upon the king, our shield!
    Show favor to the one you have anointed.

¹⁰ A single day in your courts
    is better than a thousand anywhere else!
I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God
    than live the good life in the homes of the wicked.
¹¹ For the Lord God is our sun and our shield.
    He gives us grace and glory.
The Lord will withhold no good thing
    from those who do what is right.
¹² O Lord of Heaven’s Armies,
    what joy for those who trust in you.