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For the Chief Musician. By David, the servant of Yahweh.

36 A revelation is within my heart about the disobedience of the wicked:
    “There is no fear of God before his eyes.”
For he flatters himself in his own eyes,
    too much to detect and hate his sin.
The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit.
    He has ceased to be wise and to do good.
He plots iniquity on his bed.
    He sets himself in a way that is not good.
    He doesn’t abhor evil.

Your loving kindness, Yahweh, is in the heavens.
    Your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
Your righteousness is like the mountains of God.
    Your judgments are like a great deep.
    Yahweh, you preserve man and animal.
How precious is your loving kindness, God!
    The children of men take refuge under the shadow of your wings.
They shall be abundantly satisfied with the abundance of your house.
    You will make them drink of the river of your pleasures.
For with you is the spring of life.
    In your light we will see light.
10 Oh continue your loving kindness to those who know you,
    your righteousness to the upright in heart.
11 Don’t let the foot of pride come against me.
    Don’t let the hand of the wicked drive me away.
12 There the workers of iniquity are fallen.
    They are thrust down, and shall not be able to rise.

Human Wickedness and God’s Love

For the music director. Of David, the servant of Yahweh.[a]

36 An oracle: the wicked has rebellion
in the midst of his[b] heart.
There is no fear of God before his eyes.
For he flatters himself in his eyes,
hating to detect his iniquity.[c]
The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit.
He has ceased to have insight and to do good.
He plans sin on his bed.
He puts himself on a way that is not good.
He does not reject evil.
O Yahweh, your loyal love extends into the heavens,
your faithfulness unto the clouds.
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,[d]
your judgments like the great deep.
You save man and beast, O Yahweh.
How precious is your loyal love, O God,
and the children of humankind
take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They are refreshed with the fullness[e] of your house,[f]
and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light we see light.
10 Prolong your loyal love to those who know you,
and your righteousness to the upright of heart.
11 Do not let a foot of pride come against me,
nor let a wicked hand make me to wander homeless.
12 There doers of evil have fallen;
they are thrust down and not able to rise.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 36:1 The Hebrew Bible counts the superscription as the first verse of the psalm; the English verse number is reduced by one
  2. Psalm 36:1 Reading with a few Hebrew manuscripts and some versions; MT reads “my”
  3. Psalm 36:2 Or “when finding his iniquity and when hating”
  4. Psalm 36:6 Literally “like the mountains of God”
  5. Psalm 36:8 Literally “fatness”
  6. Psalm 36:8 Or “temple”