Prayer for Protection, Guidance, and Pardon.

A Psalm of David.

25 To You, Lord, I (A)lift up my soul.
My God, in You (B)I trust,
Do not let me (C)be ashamed;
Do not let my (D)enemies rejoice over me.
Indeed, (E)none of those who wait for You will be ashamed;
[a]Those who (F)deal treacherously without cause will be ashamed.

(G)Make me know Your ways, Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in (H)Your truth and teach me,
For You are the (I)God of my salvation;
For You I (J)wait all the day.
(K)Remember, Lord, Your compassion and Your faithfulness,
For they have been [b](L)from of old.
Do not remember the (M)sins of my youth or my wrongdoings;
(N)Remember me according to Your faithfulness,
For Your (O)goodness’ sake, Lord.

(P)The Lord is good and (Q)upright;
Therefore He (R)instructs sinners in the way.
He (S)leads the [c]humble in justice,
And He (T)teaches the [d]humble His way.
10 All the paths of the Lord are (U)faithfulness and truth
To (V)those who comply with His covenant and His testimonies.
11 For the (W)sake of Your name, Lord,
(X)Forgive my wrongdoing, for it is great.

12 Who is the person who (Y)fears the Lord?
He will (Z)instruct him in the way he should choose.
13 His soul will (AA)dwell in [e]prosperity,
And his [f]descendants will (AB)inherit the [g]land.
14 The [h](AC)secret of the Lord is for those who fear Him,
[i]And He will (AD)make them know His covenant.
15 My (AE)eyes are continually toward the Lord,
For He will [j](AF)rescue my feet from the net.

16 (AG)Turn to me and be gracious to me,
For I am (AH)lonely and afflicted.
17 [k]The (AI)troubles of my heart are enlarged;
Bring me (AJ)out of my distresses.
18 (AK)Look at my misery and my trouble,
And (AL)forgive all my sins.
19 Look at my enemies, for they (AM)are many,
And they (AN)hate me with violent hatred.
20 (AO)Guard my soul and save me;
Do not let me (AP)be ashamed, for I take refuge in You.
21 Let (AQ)integrity and uprightness protect me,
For (AR)I wait for You.
22 (AS)Redeem Israel, God,
From all his distress.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 25:3 Or Let those...be ashamed
  2. Psalm 25:6 Or everlasting
  3. Psalm 25:9 Or afflicted
  4. Psalm 25:9 Or afflicted
  5. Psalm 25:13 Lit good
  6. Psalm 25:13 Lit seed
  7. Psalm 25:13 Or earth
  8. Psalm 25:14 Or counsel; or intimacy
  9. Psalm 25:14 Or And His covenant, to make them know it
  10. Psalm 25:15 Lit bring out
  11. Psalm 25:17 Some commentators Relieve the troubles of my heart

Psalm 25[a]

A psalm of David.

O Lord, I give my life to you.
    I trust in you, my God!
Do not let me be disgraced,
    or let my enemies rejoice in my defeat.
No one who trusts in you will ever be disgraced,
    but disgrace comes to those who try to deceive others.

Show me the right path, O Lord;
    point out the road for me to follow.
Lead me by your truth and teach me,
    for you are the God who saves me.
    All day long I put my hope in you.
Remember, O Lord, your compassion and unfailing love,
    which you have shown from long ages past.
Do not remember the rebellious sins of my youth.
    Remember me in the light of your unfailing love,
    for you are merciful, O Lord.

The Lord is good and does what is right;
    he shows the proper path to those who go astray.
He leads the humble in doing right,
    teaching them his way.
10 The Lord leads with unfailing love and faithfulness
    all who keep his covenant and obey his demands.

11 For the honor of your name, O Lord,
    forgive my many, many sins.
12 Who are those who fear the Lord?
    He will show them the path they should choose.
13 They will live in prosperity,
    and their children will inherit the land.
14 The Lord is a friend to those who fear him.
    He teaches them his covenant.
15 My eyes are always on the Lord,
    for he rescues me from the traps of my enemies.

16 Turn to me and have mercy,
    for I am alone and in deep distress.
17 My problems go from bad to worse.
    Oh, save me from them all!
18 Feel my pain and see my trouble.
    Forgive all my sins.
19 See how many enemies I have
    and how viciously they hate me!
20 Protect me! Rescue my life from them!
    Do not let me be disgraced, for in you I take refuge.
21 May integrity and honesty protect me,
    for I put my hope in you.

22 O God, ransom Israel
    from all its troubles.

Footnotes

  1. 25 This psalm is a Hebrew acrostic poem; each verse begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

The Voice of the Lord in the Storm.

A Psalm of David.

29 (A)Ascribe to the Lord, [a]sons of the mighty,
Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory [b]due His name;
Worship the Lord (B)in holy attire.

The (C)voice of the Lord is on the waters;
The God of glory (D)thunders,
The Lord is over [c](E)many waters.
The voice of the Lord is (F)powerful,
The voice of the Lord is majestic.
The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
Yes, the Lord breaks (G)the cedars of Lebanon in pieces.
He makes Lebanon (H)skip like a calf,
And (I)Sirion like a young wild ox.
The voice of the Lord divides [d]flames of fire.
The voice of the Lord [e]shakes the wilderness;
The Lord shakes the wilderness of (J)Kadesh.
The voice of the Lord makes (K)the deer give birth
And strips the forests bare;
And (L)in His temple everything says, “Glory!”

10 The Lord sat as King at the (M)flood;
Yes, the Lord sits as (N)King forever.
11 [f]The Lord will give (O)strength to His people;
[g]The Lord will bless His people with (P)peace.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 29:1 Lit sons of gods
  2. Psalm 29:2 Lit of His name
  3. Psalm 29:3 Or great
  4. Psalm 29:7 I.e., lightning
  5. Psalm 29:8 Or causes...to whirl
  6. Psalm 29:11 Or May the Lord give
  7. Psalm 29:11 Or May the Lord bless

Psalm 29

A psalm of David.

Honor the Lord, you heavenly beings[a];
    honor the Lord for his glory and strength.
Honor the Lord for the glory of his name.
    Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.

The voice of the Lord echoes above the sea.
    The God of glory thunders.
    The Lord thunders over the mighty sea.
The voice of the Lord is powerful;
    the voice of the Lord is majestic.
The voice of the Lord splits the mighty cedars;
    the Lord shatters the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes Lebanon’s mountains skip like a calf;
    he makes Mount Hermon[b] leap like a young wild ox.
The voice of the Lord strikes
    with bolts of lightning.
The voice of the Lord makes the barren wilderness quake;
    the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
The voice of the Lord twists mighty oaks[c]
    and strips the forests bare.
In his Temple everyone shouts, “Glory!”

10 The Lord rules over the floodwaters.
    The Lord reigns as king forever.
11 The Lord gives his people strength.
    The Lord blesses them with peace.

Footnotes

  1. 29:1 Hebrew you sons of God.
  2. 29:6 Hebrew Sirion, another name for Mount Hermon.
  3. 29:9 Or causes the deer to writhe in labor.

Praise to the Creator and Protector.

33 (A)Sing for joy in the Lord, you righteous ones;
Praise is (B)becoming to the upright.
Give thanks to the Lord with the (C)lyre;
Sing praises to Him with a (D)harp of ten strings.
Sing to Him a (E)new song;
Play skillfully with (F)a shout of joy.
For the word of the Lord (G)is right,
And all His work is done (H)in faithfulness.
He (I)loves righteousness and justice;
The (J)earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.

By the (K)word of the Lord the heavens were made,
And (L)by the breath of His mouth (M)all their [a]lights.
He gathers the (N)waters of the sea together [b]as a heap;
He puts the depths in storehouses.
Let (O)all the earth fear the Lord;
Let all the inhabitants of the world (P)stand in awe of Him.
For (Q)He spoke, and it was done;
He commanded, and it [c]stood firm.
10 The Lord (R)nullifies the plan of nations;
He frustrates the plans of peoples.
11 The (S)plan of the Lord stands forever,
The (T)plans of His heart from generation to generation.
12 Blessed is the (U)nation whose God is the Lord,
The people He has (V)chosen for His own inheritance.

13 The Lord (W)looks from heaven;
He (X)sees all the sons of mankind;
14 From (Y)His dwelling place He looks out
On all the inhabitants of the earth,
15 He who (Z)fashions [d]the hearts of them all,
He who (AA)understands all their works.
16 (AB)The king is not saved by a mighty army;
A warrior is not rescued by great strength.
17 A (AC)horse is a false hope for victory;
Nor does it rescue anyone by its great strength.

18 Behold, (AD)the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him,
On those who (AE)wait for His faithfulness,
19 To (AF)rescue their soul from death
And to keep them alive (AG)in famine.
20 Our soul (AH)waits for the Lord;
He is our (AI)help and our shield.
21 For our (AJ)heart rejoices in Him,
Because we trust in His holy name.
22 Let Your favor, Lord, be upon us,
Just as we have waited for You.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 33:6 Lit host; i.e., sun, stars, etc.
  2. Psalm 33:7 Some ancient versions in a water skin; i.e., container
  3. Psalm 33:9 Or stood forth
  4. Psalm 33:15 Or their heart together

Psalm 33

Let the godly sing for joy to the Lord;
    it is fitting for the pure to praise him.
Praise the Lord with melodies on the lyre;
    make music for him on the ten-stringed harp.
Sing a new song of praise to him;
    play skillfully on the harp, and sing with joy.
For the word of the Lord holds true,
    and we can trust everything he does.
He loves whatever is just and good;
    the unfailing love of the Lord fills the earth.

The Lord merely spoke,
    and the heavens were created.
He breathed the word,
    and all the stars were born.
He assigned the sea its boundaries
    and locked the oceans in vast reservoirs.
Let the whole world fear the Lord,
    and let everyone stand in awe of him.
For when he spoke, the world began!
    It appeared at his command.

10 The Lord frustrates the plans of the nations
    and thwarts all their schemes.
11 But the Lord’s plans stand firm forever;
    his intentions can never be shaken.

12 What joy for the nation whose God is the Lord,
    whose people he has chosen as his inheritance.

13 The Lord looks down from heaven
    and sees the whole human race.
14 From his throne he observes
    all who live on the earth.
15 He made their hearts,
    so he understands everything they do.
16 The best-equipped army cannot save a king,
    nor is great strength enough to save a warrior.
17 Don’t count on your warhorse to give you victory—
    for all its strength, it cannot save you.

18 But the Lord watches over those who fear him,
    those who rely on his unfailing love.
19 He rescues them from death
    and keeps them alive in times of famine.

20 We put our hope in the Lord.
    He is our help and our shield.
21 In him our hearts rejoice,
    for we trust in his holy name.
22 Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord,
    for our hope is in you alone.

Wickedness of Humanity and Goodness of God.

For the music director. A Psalm of David the servant of the Lord.

36 [a]Wrongdoing speaks to the ungodly within [b]his heart;
There is (A)no fear of God before his eyes.
For it (B)flatters him in his own eyes
Concerning the discovery of his wrongful deed and the hatred of it.
The (C)words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit;
He has (D)ceased to [c]be wise and to do good.
He (E)plans wickedness on his bed;
He sets himself on a (F)path that is not good;
He (G)does not reject evil.

Your (H)mercy, Lord, [d]extends to the heavens,
Your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
Your (I)righteousness is like the [e]mountains of God;
Your (J)judgments are like the great deep.
Lord, You [f](K)protect mankind and animals.
How (L)precious is Your mercy, God!
And the sons of mankind (M)take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.
They (N)drink their fill of the [g]abundance of Your house;
And You allow them to drink from the (O)river of Your delights.
For the (P)fountain of life is with You;
In Your light we see light.

10 Prolong Your mercy to (Q)those who know You,
And Your (R)righteousness to the upright of heart.
11 May the foot of pride not come upon me,
And may the hand of the wicked not drive me away.
12 Those who do injustice have fallen there;
They have been thrust down and (S)cannot rise.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 36:1 Or Rebellion
  2. Psalm 36:1 Another reading is my heart
  3. Psalm 36:3 Or understand to do good
  4. Psalm 36:5 Lit is in
  5. Psalm 36:6 Or mighty mountains
  6. Psalm 36:6 Or help
  7. Psalm 36:8 Lit fatness

Psalm 36

For the choir director: A psalm of David, the servant of the Lord.

Sin whispers to the wicked, deep within their hearts.[a]
    They have no fear of God at all.
In their blind conceit,
    they cannot see how wicked they really are.
Everything they say is crooked and deceitful.
    They refuse to act wisely or do good.
They lie awake at night, hatching sinful plots.
    Their actions are never good.
    They make no attempt to turn from evil.

Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens;
    your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
    your justice like the ocean depths.
You care for people and animals alike, O Lord.
    How precious is your unfailing love, O God!
All humanity finds shelter
    in the shadow of your wings.
You feed them from the abundance of your own house,
    letting them drink from your river of delights.
For you are the fountain of life,
    the light by which we see.

10 Pour out your unfailing love on those who love you;
    give justice to those with honest hearts.
11 Don’t let the proud trample me
    or the wicked push me around.
12 Look! Those who do evil have fallen!
    They are thrown down, never to rise again.

Footnotes

  1. 36:1 As in some Hebrew manuscripts and Syriac version, which read in his heart. Masoretic Text reads in my heart.

The Futility of Life.

For the music director, for [a]Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

39 I said, “I will (A)keep watch over my ways
So that I (B)do not sin with my tongue;
I will keep watch over (C)my mouth as with a muzzle
While the wicked are in my presence.”
I was (D)mute [b]and silent,
I [c]refused to say even something good,
And my pain was stirred up.
My (E)heart was hot within me,
While I was musing the fire burned;
Then I spoke with my tongue:
Lord, let me know (F)my end,
And what is the extent of my days;
Let me know how (G)transient I am.
Behold, You have made (H)my days like [d]hand widths,
And my (I)lifetime as nothing in Your sight;
Certainly all mankind standing is [e]a mere (J)breath. Selah
Certainly every person (K)walks around as [f]a fleeting shadow;
They certainly make an (L)uproar for nothing;
He (M)amasses riches and does not know who will gather them.

“And now, Lord, for what do I wait?
My (N)hope is in You.
(O)Save me from all my wrongdoings;
Do not make me an object of (P)reproach for the foolish.
I have become (Q)mute, I do not open my mouth,
Because it is (R)You who have done it.
10 (S)Remove Your plague from me;
Because of (T)the opposition of Your hand I am [g]perishing.
11 With (U)rebukes You punish a person for wrongdoing;
You (V)consume like a moth what is precious to him;
Certainly (W)all mankind is mere breath! Selah

12 (X)Hear my prayer, Lord, and listen to my cry for help;
Do not be silent (Y)to my tears;
For I am (Z)a stranger with You,
(AA)One who lives abroad, like all my fathers.
13 (AB)Turn Your eyes away from me, that I may become cheerful again
Before I depart and am no more.”

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 39 Title 1 Chr 16:41
  2. Psalm 39:2 Lit with silence
  3. Psalm 39:2 Lit was silent from good
  4. Psalm 39:5 I.e., short
  5. Psalm 39:5 Or altogether breath
  6. Psalm 39:6 Lit an image
  7. Psalm 39:10 Or wasting away

Psalm 39

For Jeduthun, the choir director: A psalm of David.

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.”
But as I stood there in silence—
    not even speaking of good things—
    the turmoil within me grew worse.
The more I thought about it,
    the hotter I got,
    igniting a fire of words:
Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.
    Remind me that my days are numbered—
    how fleeting my life is.
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

We are merely moving shadows,
    and all our busy rushing ends in nothing.
We heap up wealth,
    not knowing who will spend it.
And so, Lord, where do I put my hope?
    My only hope is in you.
Rescue me from my rebellion.
    Do not let fools mock me.
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.