Psalm 61[a]

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. Of David.

Hear my cry, O God;(A)
    listen to my prayer.(B)

From the ends of the earth I call to you,
    I call as my heart grows faint;(C)
    lead me to the rock(D) that is higher than I.
For you have been my refuge,(E)
    a strong tower against the foe.(F)

I long to dwell(G) in your tent forever
    and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.[b](H)
For you, God, have heard my vows;(I)
    you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.(J)

Increase the days of the king’s life,(K)
    his years for many generations.(L)
May he be enthroned in God’s presence forever;(M)
    appoint your love and faithfulness to protect him.(N)

Then I will ever sing in praise of your name(O)
    and fulfill my vows day after day.(P)

Psalm 62[c]

For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.

Truly my soul finds rest(Q) in God;(R)
    my salvation comes from him.
Truly he is my rock(S) and my salvation;(T)
    he is my fortress,(U) I will never be shaken.(V)

How long will you assault me?
    Would all of you throw me down—
    this leaning wall,(W) this tottering fence?
Surely they intend to topple me
    from my lofty place;
    they take delight in lies.
With their mouths they bless,
    but in their hearts they curse.[d](X)

Yes, my soul, find rest in God;(Y)
    my hope comes from him.
Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
    he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
My salvation and my honor depend on God[e];
    he is my mighty rock, my refuge.(Z)
Trust in him at all times, you people;(AA)
    pour out your hearts to him,(AB)
    for God is our refuge.

Surely the lowborn(AC) are but a breath,(AD)
    the highborn are but a lie.
If weighed on a balance,(AE) they are nothing;
    together they are only a breath.
10 Do not trust in extortion(AF)
    or put vain hope in stolen goods;(AG)
though your riches increase,
    do not set your heart on them.(AH)

11 One thing God has spoken,
    two things I have heard:
“Power belongs to you, God,(AI)
12     and with you, Lord, is unfailing love”;(AJ)
and, “You reward everyone
    according to what they have done.”(AK)

Psalm 63[f]

A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah.

You, God, are my God,
    earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you,(AL)
    my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land
    where there is no water.(AM)

I have seen you in the sanctuary(AN)
    and beheld your power and your glory.(AO)
Because your love is better than life,(AP)
    my lips will glorify you.
I will praise you as long as I live,(AQ)
    and in your name I will lift up my hands.(AR)
I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods;(AS)
    with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

On my bed I remember you;
    I think of you through the watches of the night.(AT)
Because you are my help,(AU)
    I sing in the shadow of your wings.(AV)
I cling to you;(AW)
    your right hand upholds me.(AX)

Those who want to kill me will be destroyed;(AY)
    they will go down to the depths of the earth.(AZ)
10 They will be given over to the sword(BA)
    and become food for jackals.(BB)

11 But the king will rejoice in God;
    all who swear by God will glory in him,(BC)
    while the mouths of liars will be silenced.(BD)

Psalm 64[g]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

Hear me, my God, as I voice my complaint;(BE)
    protect my life from the threat of the enemy.(BF)

Hide me from the conspiracy(BG) of the wicked,(BH)
    from the plots of evildoers.
They sharpen their tongues like swords(BI)
    and aim cruel words like deadly arrows.(BJ)
They shoot from ambush at the innocent;(BK)
    they shoot suddenly, without fear.(BL)

They encourage each other in evil plans,
    they talk about hiding their snares;(BM)
    they say, “Who will see it[h]?”(BN)
They plot injustice and say,
    “We have devised a perfect plan!”
    Surely the human mind and heart are cunning.

But God will shoot them with his arrows;
    they will suddenly be struck down.
He will turn their own tongues against them(BO)
    and bring them to ruin;
    all who see them will shake their heads(BP) in scorn.(BQ)
All people will fear;(BR)
    they will proclaim the works of God
    and ponder what he has done.(BS)

10 The righteous will rejoice in the Lord(BT)
    and take refuge in him;(BU)
    all the upright in heart will glory in him!(BV)

Psalm 65[i]

For the director of music. A psalm of David. A song.

Praise awaits[j] you, our God, in Zion;(BW)
    to you our vows will be fulfilled.(BX)
You who answer prayer,
    to you all people will come.(BY)
When we were overwhelmed by sins,(BZ)
    you forgave[k] our transgressions.(CA)
Blessed are those you choose(CB)
    and bring near(CC) to live in your courts!
We are filled with the good things of your house,(CD)
    of your holy temple.

You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds,(CE)
    God our Savior,(CF)
the hope of all the ends of the earth(CG)
    and of the farthest seas,(CH)
who formed the mountains(CI) by your power,
    having armed yourself with strength,(CJ)
who stilled the roaring of the seas,(CK)
    the roaring of their waves,
    and the turmoil of the nations.(CL)
The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders;
    where morning dawns, where evening fades,
    you call forth songs of joy.(CM)

You care for the land and water it;(CN)
    you enrich it abundantly.(CO)
The streams of God are filled with water
    to provide the people with grain,(CP)
    for so you have ordained it.[l]
10 You drench its furrows and level its ridges;
    you soften it with showers(CQ) and bless its crops.
11 You crown the year with your bounty,(CR)
    and your carts overflow with abundance.(CS)
12 The grasslands of the wilderness overflow;(CT)
    the hills are clothed with gladness.(CU)
13 The meadows are covered with flocks(CV)
    and the valleys are mantled with grain;(CW)
    they shout for joy and sing.(CX)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 61:1 In Hebrew texts 61:1-8 is numbered 61:2-9.
  2. Psalm 61:4 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
  3. Psalm 62:1 In Hebrew texts 62:1-12 is numbered 62:2-13.
  4. Psalm 62:4 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 8.
  5. Psalm 62:7 Or / God Most High is my salvation and my honor
  6. Psalm 63:1 In Hebrew texts 63:1-11 is numbered 63:2-12.
  7. Psalm 64:1 In Hebrew texts 64:1-10 is numbered 64:2-11.
  8. Psalm 64:5 Or us
  9. Psalm 65:1 In Hebrew texts 65:1-13 is numbered 65:2-14.
  10. Psalm 65:1 Or befits; the meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  11. Psalm 65:3 Or made atonement for
  12. Psalm 65:9 Or for that is how you prepare the land

61 Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer.

From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.

I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah.

For thou, O God, hast heard my vows: thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear thy name.

Thou wilt prolong the king's life: and his years as many generations.

He shall abide before God for ever: O prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve him.

So will I sing praise unto thy name for ever, that I may daily perform my vows.

62 Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation.

He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved.

How long will ye imagine mischief against a man? ye shall be slain all of you: as a bowing wall shall ye be, and as a tottering fence.

They only consult to cast him down from his excellency: they delight in lies: they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah.

My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.

He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved.

In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.

Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.

Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity.

10 Trust not in oppression, and become not vain in robbery: if riches increase, set not your heart upon them.

11 God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God.

12 Also unto thee, O Lord, belongeth mercy: for thou renderest to every man according to his work.

63 O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;

To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.

Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.

Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.

My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:

When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.

Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.

My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.

But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth.

10 They shall fall by the sword: they shall be a portion for foxes.

11 But the king shall rejoice in God; every one that sweareth by him shall glory: but the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped.

64 Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the enemy.

Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked; from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity:

Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words:

That they may shoot in secret at the perfect: suddenly do they shoot at him, and fear not.

They encourage themselves in an evil matter: they commune of laying snares privily; they say, Who shall see them?

They search out iniquities; they accomplish a diligent search: both the inward thought of every one of them, and the heart, is deep.

But God shall shoot at them with an arrow; suddenly shall they be wounded.

So they shall make their own tongue to fall upon themselves: all that see them shall flee away.

And all men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God; for they shall wisely consider of his doing.

10 The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and shall trust in him; and all the upright in heart shall glory.

65 Praise waiteth for thee, O God, in Sion: and unto thee shall the vow be performed.

O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.

Iniquities prevail against me: as for our transgressions, thou shalt purge them away.

Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple.

By terrible things in righteousness wilt thou answer us, O God of our salvation; who art the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of them that are afar off upon the sea:

Which by his strength setteth fast the mountains; being girded with power:

Which stilleth the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the people.

They also that dwell in the uttermost parts are afraid at thy tokens: thou makest the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice.

Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it: thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is full of water: thou preparest them corn, when thou hast so provided for it.

10 Thou waterest the ridges thereof abundantly: thou settlest the furrows thereof: thou makest it soft with showers: thou blessest the springing thereof.

11 Thou crownest the year with thy goodness; and thy paths drop fatness.

12 They drop upon the pastures of the wilderness: and the little hills rejoice on every side.

13 The pastures are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered over with corn; they shout for joy, they also sing.