Psalm 10-25

English Standard Version

² In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor;
    let them ^(D)be caught in the schemes that they have devised.
³ For the wicked ^(E)boasts of the desires of his soul,
    and the one greedy for gain ^(F)curses^[a] and ^(G)renounces the Lord.
⁴ In the pride of his face^[b] the wicked does not ^(H)seek him;^[c]
    all his thoughts are, ^(I)“There is no God.”
⁵ His ways prosper at all times;
    your judgments are on high, ^(J)out of his sight;
    as for all his foes, he ^(K)puffs at them.
⁶ He ^(L)says in his heart, “I shall not be moved;
    throughout all generations I ^(M)shall not meet adversity.”
^7 (N)His mouth is filled with cursing and ^(O)deceit and ^(P)oppression;
    ^(Q)under his tongue are ^(R)mischief and ^(S)iniquity.
⁸ He sits in ambush in the villages;
    in ^(T)hiding places he murders the innocent.
His eyes stealthily watch for the helpless;
⁹     he lurks in ambush like ^(U)a lion in his ^(V)thicket;
he ^(W)lurks that he may seize the poor;
    he seizes the poor when he draws him into his ^(X)net.
¹⁰ The helpless are crushed, sink down,
    and fall by his might.
¹¹ He says in his heart, “God has forgotten,
    he has ^(Y)hidden his face, he ^(Z)will never see it.”

^12 (AA)Arise, O Lord; O God, ^(AB)lift up your hand;
    ^(AC)forget not the afflicted.
¹³ Why does the wicked ^(AD)renounce God
    and say in his heart, “You will not ^(AE)call to account”?
¹⁴ But you do see, for you ^(AF)note mischief and vexation,
    that you may take it into your hands;
to you the helpless ^(AG)commits himself;
    you have been ^(AH)the helper of the fatherless.
^15 (AI)Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer;
    ^(AJ)call his wickedness to account till you find none.

^16 (AK)The Lord is king forever and ever;
    the ^(AL)nations perish from his land.
¹⁷ O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted;
    you will ^(AM)strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear
¹⁸ to ^(AN)do justice to the fatherless and ^(AO)the oppressed,
    so that ^(AP)man who is of the earth may strike terror no more.

^4 (AU)The Lord is in his holy temple;
    the Lord's ^(AV)throne is in heaven;
    his eyes see, his eyelids ^(AW)test the children of man.
⁵ The Lord ^(AX)tests the righteous,
    but ^(AY)his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.
⁶ Let him rain coals on the wicked;
    ^(AZ)fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be ^(BA)the portion of their cup.
⁷ For the Lord is righteous;
he ^(BB)loves righteous deeds;
    ^(BC)the upright shall behold his face.

³ May the Lord cut off all ^(BH)flattering lips,
    the tongue that makes ^(BI)great boasts,
⁴ those who say, “With our tongue we will prevail,
    our lips are with us; who is master over us?”

⁵ “Because ^(BJ)the poor are plundered, because the needy groan,
    ^(BK)I will now arise,” says the Lord;
    “I will place him in the ^(BL)safety for which he longs.”
^6 (BM)The words of the Lord are pure words,
    like silver refined in a furnace on the ground,
    purified seven times.

⁷ You, O Lord, will keep them;
    you will guard us^[f] from this generation forever.
⁸ On every side the wicked prowl,
    as vileness is exalted among the children of man.

^3 (BR)Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;
    ^(BS)light up my eyes, lest ^(BT)I sleep the sleep of death,
^4 (BU)lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,”
    lest my foes rejoice because I am ^(BV)shaken.

⁵ But I have ^(BW)trusted in your steadfast love;
    my heart shall ^(BX)rejoice in your salvation.
⁶ I will sing to the Lord,
    because he has dealt bountifully with me.

² The Lord ^(CD)looks down from heaven on the children of man,
    to see if there are any who understand,^[g]
    who ^(CE)seek after God.

³ They have all turned aside; together they have become ^(CF)corrupt;
    there is none who does good,
    not even one.

⁴ Have they no ^(CG)knowledge, all the evildoers
    who ^(CH)eat up my people as they eat bread
    and ^(CI)do not call upon the Lord?

⁵ There they are in great terror,
    for God is with ^(CJ)the generation of the righteous.
⁶ You would shame the plans of the poor,
    but^[h] the Lord is his ^(CK)refuge.

⁷ Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
    When the Lord ^(CL)restores the fortunes of his people,
    let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.

² He who ^(CP)walks blamelessly and ^(CQ)does what is right
    and ^(CR)speaks truth in his heart;
³ who ^(CS)does not slander with his tongue
    and does no evil to his neighbor,
    nor ^(CT)takes up a reproach against his friend;
^4 (CU)in whose eyes a vile person is despised,
    but who honors those who fear the Lord;
who ^(CV)swears to his own hurt and does not change;
⁵ who ^(CW)does not put out his money at interest
    and ^(CX)does not take a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things shall never be ^(CY)moved.

³ As for ^(DC)the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones,
    in whom is all my delight.^[j]

⁴ The sorrows of those who run after^[k] another god shall multiply;
    their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out
    or ^(DD)take their names on my lips.

⁵ The Lord is ^(DE)my chosen portion and my ^(DF)cup;
    you hold my ^(DG)lot.
^6 (DH)The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
    indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

⁷ I bless the Lord who ^(DI)gives me counsel;
    in ^(DJ)the night also my ^(DK)heart instructs me.^[l]
8 (DL)I have ^(DM)set the Lord always before me;
    because he is at my ^(DN)right hand, I shall not be ^(DO)shaken.

⁹ Therefore my heart is glad, and my ^(DP)whole being^[m] rejoices;
    my flesh also dwells secure.
¹⁰ For you will not abandon my soul to ^(DQ)Sheol,
    ^(DR)or let your ^(DS)holy one see ^(DT)corruption.^[n]

¹¹ You make known to me ^(DU)the path of life;
    in your presence there is ^(DV)fullness of joy;
    at your right hand are ^(DW)pleasures forevermore.

³ You have ^(EA)tried my heart, you have ^(EB)visited me by ^(EC)night,
    you have ^(ED)tested me, and you will find nothing;
    I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress.
⁴ With regard to the works of man, by the word of your lips
    I have avoided the ways of the violent.
⁵ My steps have ^(EE)held fast to your paths;
    my feet have not slipped.

⁶ I ^(EF)call upon you, for you will answer me, O God;
    ^(EG)incline your ear to me; hear my words.
^7 (EH)Wondrously show^[o] your steadfast love,
    O Savior of those who seek refuge
    from ^(EI)their adversaries at your right hand.

⁸ Keep me as ^(EJ)the apple of your eye;
    hide me in ^(EK)the shadow of your wings,
⁹ from the wicked who do me violence,
    my deadly enemies who ^(EL)surround me.

^10 (EM)They close their hearts to pity;
    with their mouths they ^(EN)speak arrogantly.
¹¹ They have now surrounded our ^(EO)steps;
    they set their eyes to ^(EP)cast us to the ground.
¹² He is like a lion eager to tear,
    as a young lion ^(EQ)lurking in ambush.

¹³ Arise, O Lord! Confront him, subdue him!
    Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword,
¹⁴ from men by your hand, O Lord,
    from ^(ER)men of the world whose ^(ES)portion is in this life.^[p]
You fill their womb with treasure;^[q]
    they are satisfied with ^(ET)children,
    and they leave their abundance to their infants.

¹⁵ As for me, I shall ^(EU)behold your face in righteousness;
    when I ^(EV)awake, I shall be ^(EW)satisfied with your likeness.

^4 (FI)The cords of death encompassed me;
    ^(FJ)the torrents of destruction assailed me;^[r]
5 (FK)the cords of Sheol entangled me;
    the snares of death confronted me.

^6 (FL)In my distress I called upon the Lord;
    to my God I cried for help.
From his ^(FM)temple he heard my voice,
    and my cry to him reached his ears.

⁷ Then the earth ^(FN)reeled and rocked;
    the foundations also of the mountains trembled
    and quaked, because he was angry.
⁸ Smoke went up from his nostrils,^[s]
    and devouring ^(FO)fire from his mouth;
    glowing coals flamed forth from him.
⁹ He ^(FP)bowed the heavens and ^(FQ)came down;
    ^(FR)thick darkness was under his feet.
¹⁰ He rode on a cherub and flew;
    he came swiftly on ^(FS)the wings of the wind.
¹¹ He made darkness his covering, his ^(FT)canopy around him,
    thick clouds ^(FU)dark with water.
¹² Out of the brightness before him
    ^(FV)hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds.

¹³ The Lord also ^(FW)thundered in the heavens,
    and the Most High uttered his ^(FX)voice,
    hailstones and coals of fire.
¹⁴ And he sent out his ^(FY)arrows and scattered them;
    he flashed forth lightnings and ^(FZ)routed them.
¹⁵ Then ^(GA)the channels of the sea were seen,
    and the foundations of the world were laid bare
at your ^(GB)rebuke, O Lord,
    at the blast of ^(GC)the breath of your nostrils.

¹⁶ He ^(GD)sent from on high, he took me;
    he ^(GE)drew me out of ^(GF)many waters.
¹⁷ He rescued me from my strong enemy
    and from those who hated me,
    for they were ^(GG)too mighty for me.
¹⁸ They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
    but the Lord was my support.
¹⁹ He brought me out into ^(GH)a broad place;
    he rescued me, because he ^(GI)delighted in me.

²⁰ The Lord dealt with me ^(GJ)according to my righteousness;
    according to ^(GK)the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me.
²¹ For I have ^(GL)kept the ways of the Lord,
    and have not wickedly departed from my God.
²² For ^(GM)all his rules^[t] were before me,
    and his statutes I did not put away from me.
²³ I was ^(GN)blameless before him,
    and I kept myself from my guilt.
²⁴ So the Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
    according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.

²⁵ With ^(GO)the merciful you show yourself merciful;
    with the blameless man you show yourself blameless;
²⁶ with the purified you show yourself pure;
    and with ^(GP)the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.
²⁷ For you save ^(GQ)a humble people,
    but ^(GR)the haughty eyes you bring down.
²⁸ For it is you who light my ^(GS)lamp;
    the Lord my God lightens my darkness.
²⁹ For by you I can run against a troop,
    and by my God I can ^(GT)leap over ^(GU)a wall.
³⁰ This God—his way is ^(GV)perfect;^[u]
    the word of the Lord ^(GW)proves true;
    he is ^(GX)a shield for all those who ^(GY)take refuge in him.

³¹ For ^(GZ)who is God, but the Lord?
    And who is ^(HA)a rock, except our God?—
³² the God who ^(HB)equipped me with strength
    and made my way ^(HC)blameless.
³³ He made my feet like the feet of a ^(HD)deer
    and set me secure on ^(HE)the heights.
³⁴ He ^(HF)trains my hands for war,
    so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
³⁵ You have given me the shield of your salvation,
    and your right hand ^(HG)supported me,
    and your ^(HH)gentleness made me great.
³⁶ You ^(HI)gave a wide place for my steps under me,
    and my feet did not slip.
³⁷ I pursued my enemies and overtook them,
    and did not turn back till they were consumed.
³⁸ I thrust them through, so that they were not able to rise;
    they fell under my feet.
³⁹ For you equipped me with strength for the battle;
    you made those who rise against me sink under me.
⁴⁰ You made my enemies ^(HJ)turn their backs to me,^[v]
    and those who hated me I destroyed.
^41 (HK)They cried for help, but there was none to save;
    they cried to the Lord, but he did not answer them.
⁴² I beat them fine as ^(HL)dust before the wind;
    I cast them out like ^(HM)the mire of the streets.

⁴³ You delivered me from ^(HN)strife with the people;
    you made me ^(HO)the head of the nations;
    ^(HP)people whom I had not known served me.
⁴⁴ As soon as they heard of me they obeyed me;
    ^(HQ)foreigners ^(HR)came cringing to me.
^45 (HS)Foreigners lost heart
    and ^(HT)came trembling out of their fortresses.

⁴⁶ The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock,
    and exalted be the God of my salvation—
⁴⁷ the God who gave me vengeance
    and ^(HU)subdued peoples under me,
⁴⁸ who rescued me from my enemies;
    yes, you ^(HV)exalted me above those who rose against me;
    you delivered me from ^(HW)the man of violence.

^49 (HX)For this I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations,
    and ^(HY)sing to your name.
⁵⁰ Great ^(HZ)salvation he brings to his king,
    and shows steadfast love to his ^(IA)anointed,
    to ^(IB)David and his offspring forever.

^7 (II)The law of the Lord is perfect,^{[y]
    (IJ)}reviving the soul;
^(IK)the testimony of the Lord is ^(IL)sure,
    ^(IM)making wise ^(IN)the simple;
^8 (IO)the precepts of the Lord are right,
    rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is ^(IP)pure,
    ^(IQ)enlightening the eyes;
⁹ the fear of the Lord is clean,
    enduring forever;
the rules^[z] of the Lord are ^(IR)true,
    and righteous altogether.
¹⁰ More to be desired are they than ^(IS)gold,
    even much ^(IT)fine gold;
^(IU)sweeter also than honey
    and drippings of ^(IV)the honeycomb.
¹¹ Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
    ^(IW)in keeping them there is great reward.

^12 (IX)Who can discern his errors?
    ^(IY)Declare me innocent from ^(IZ)hidden faults.
^13 (JA)Keep back your servant also from ^(JB)presumptuous sins;
    let them not have ^(JC)dominion over me!
Then I shall be blameless,
    and innocent of great transgression.

¹⁴ Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
    be acceptable in your sight,
    O Lord, my ^(JD)rock and my ^(JE)redeemer.

⁴ May he ^(JL)grant you your heart's desire
    and fulfill all your plans!
⁵ May we shout for joy over ^(JM)your salvation,
    and in the name of our God set up our ^(JN)banners!
May the Lord fulfill all your petitions!

⁶ Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed;
    he will answer him from his holy heaven
    with ^(JO)the saving might of his right hand.
⁷ Some trust in ^(JP)chariots and some in ^(JQ)horses,
    ^(JR)but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
⁸ They collapse and fall,
    but we rise and stand upright.

⁹ O Lord, save ^(JS)the king!
    May he answer us when we call.

⁸ Your hand will ^(KF)find out all your enemies;
    your right hand will find out those who hate you.
⁹ You will make them as ^(KG)a blazing oven
    when you appear.
The Lord will swallow them up in his ^(KH)wrath,
    and ^(KI)fire will consume them.
¹⁰ You ^(KJ)will destroy their ^(KK)descendants from the earth,
    and their offspring from among the children of man.
¹¹ Though they plan evil against you,
    though they ^(KL)devise mischief, they will not succeed.
¹² For you will put them ^(KM)to flight;
    you will ^(KN)aim at their faces with your bows.

¹³ Be exalted, O Lord, in your strength!
    We will sing and praise your power.

³ Yet you are ^(KS)holy,
    ^(KT)enthroned on ^(KU)the praises^[ab] of Israel.
⁴ In you our fathers trusted;
    they trusted, and you delivered them.
⁵ To you they ^(KV)cried and were rescued;
    in you they ^(KW)trusted and were not put to shame.

⁶ But I am ^(KX)a worm and not a man,
    ^(KY)scorned by mankind and ^(KZ)despised by the people.
⁷ All who see me ^(LA)mock me;
    they make mouths at me; they ^(LB)wag their heads;
^8 (LC)“He trusts in the Lord; let him ^(LD)deliver him;
    let him rescue him, for he ^(LE)delights in him!”

⁹ Yet you are he who ^(LF)took me from the womb;
    you made me trust you at my mother's breasts.
¹⁰ On you was I cast from my birth,
    and from ^(LG)my mother's womb you have been my God.
¹¹ Be not ^(LH)far from me,
    for trouble is near,
    and there is ^(LI)none to help.

¹² Many bulls encompass me;
    ^(LJ)strong bulls of ^(LK)Bashan surround me;
¹³ they ^(LL)open wide their mouths at me,
    like a ravening and roaring lion.

¹⁴ I am ^(LM)poured out like water,
    and all my bones are ^(LN)out of joint;
my ^(LO)heart is like ^(LP)wax;
    it is melted within my breast;
¹⁵ my strength is ^(LQ)dried up like a potsherd,
    and my ^(LR)tongue sticks to my jaws;
    you lay me in the dust of death.

¹⁶ For ^(LS)dogs encompass me;
    a company of evildoers ^(LT)encircles me;
they have ^(LU)pierced my hands and feet^[ac]—
¹⁷ I can count all my bones—
they ^(LV)stare and gloat over me;
^18 (LW)they divide my garments among them,
    and for my clothing they cast lots.

¹⁹ But you, O Lord, ^(LX)do not be far off!
    O you my help, ^(LY)come quickly to my aid!
²⁰ Deliver my soul from the sword,
    my precious life from the power of ^(LZ)the dog!
²¹     Save me from ^(MA)the mouth of the lion!
You have rescued^[ad] me from the horns of ^(MB)the wild oxen!

^22 (MC)I will tell of your name to my ^(MD)brothers;
    in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:
²³ You who ^(ME)fear the Lord, praise him!
    All you offspring of Jacob, ^(MF)glorify him,
    and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
²⁴ For he has not despised or abhorred
    the affliction of ^(MG)the afflicted,
and he has not ^(MH)hidden his face from him,
    but has heard, when he ^(MI)cried to him.

²⁵ From you comes my praise in the great ^(MJ)congregation;
    my ^(MK)vows I will ^(ML)perform before those who fear him.
^26 (MM)The afflicted^[ae] shall ^(MN)eat and be satisfied;
    those who seek him shall praise the Lord!
    May your hearts ^(MO)live forever!

²⁷ All ^(MP)the ends of the earth shall remember
    and turn to the Lord,
and all ^(MQ)the families of the nations
    shall worship before you.
²⁸ For ^(MR)kingship belongs to the Lord,
    and he rules over the nations.

²⁹ All ^(MS)the prosperous of the earth eat and worship;
    before him shall ^(MT)bow all who go down to the dust,
    even the one who could not ^(MU)keep himself alive.
³⁰ Posterity shall serve him;
    it shall be told of the Lord to the coming ^(MV)generation;
³¹ they shall ^(MW)come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet ^(MX)unborn,
    that he has done it.

⁴ Even though I ^(NF)walk through the valley of ^(NG)the shadow of death,^[ah]
    I will ^(NH)fear no evil,
for ^(NI)you are with me;
    your ^(NJ)rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

⁵ You ^(NK)prepare a table before me
    in ^(NL)the presence of my enemies;
you ^(NM)anoint my head with oil;
    my ^(NN)cup overflows.
⁶ Surely^[ai] goodness and mercy^[aj] shall follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I shall ^(NO)dwell^[ak] in the house of the Lord
    ^(NP)forever.^[al]

^3 (NT)Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?
    And who shall stand in his ^(NU)holy place?
^4 (NV)He who has ^(NW)clean hands and ^(NX)a pure heart,
    who does not ^(NY)lift up his soul to ^(NZ)what is false
    and does not swear deceitfully.
⁵ He will receive ^(OA)blessing from the Lord
    and ^(OB)righteousness from ^(OC)the God of his salvation.
⁶ Such is ^(OD)the generation of those who seek him,
    who ^(OE)seek the face of the God of Jacob.^[an] Selah

^7 (OF)Lift up your heads, O gates!
    And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
    that ^(OG)the King of glory may come in.
⁸ Who is this King of glory?
    The Lord, strong and mighty,
    the Lord, ^(OH)mighty in battle!
⁹ Lift up your heads, O gates!
    And lift them up, O ancient doors,
    that the King of glory may come in.
¹⁰ Who is this King of glory?
    ^(OI)The Lord of hosts,
    he is the King of glory! Selah

^4 (OQ)Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
    teach me your paths.
⁵ Lead me in your ^(OR)truth and teach me,
    for you are the God of my salvation;
    for you I wait all the day long.

⁶ Remember your ^(OS)mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love,
    ^(OT)for they have been from of old.
⁷ Remember not ^(OU)the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
    according to your ^(OV)steadfast love remember me,
    for the sake of your goodness, O Lord!

^8 (OW)Good and upright is the Lord;
    therefore he ^(OX)instructs sinners in the way.
⁹ He leads the humble in what is right,
    and teaches the humble his way.
¹⁰ All the paths of the Lord are ^(OY)steadfast love and faithfulness,
    for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.

¹¹ For your ^(OZ)name's sake, O Lord,
    pardon my guilt, for it is ^(PA)great.
¹² Who is the man who fears the Lord?
    Him ^(PB)will he instruct in the way that he should choose.
¹³ His soul shall ^(PC)abide in well-being,
    and his ^(PD)offspring ^(PE)shall inherit the land.
^14 (PF)The friendship^[ap] of the Lord is for those who fear him,
    and he makes known to them his covenant.
¹⁵ My ^(PG)eyes are ever toward the Lord,
    for he will ^(PH)pluck my feet out of the net.

^16 (PI)Turn to me and be gracious to me,
    for I am lonely and afflicted.
¹⁷ The troubles of my heart are enlarged;
    bring me out of my distresses.
^18 (PJ)Consider my affliction and my trouble,
    and forgive all my sins.

¹⁹ Consider how many are my foes,
    and with what violent hatred they hate me.
²⁰ Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me!
    ^(PK)Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.
²¹ May integrity and uprightness preserve me,
    for I wait for you.

^22 (PL)Redeem Israel, O God,
    out of all his troubles.