Psalm 9
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Psalm 9
God’s Power and Justice
To the leader: according to Muth-labben. A Psalm of David.
1 [a]I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart;
I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.(A)
2 I will be glad and exult in you;
I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.(B)
3 When my enemies turned back,
they stumbled and perished before you.(C)
4 For you have maintained my just cause;
you have sat on the throne giving righteous judgment.(D)
5 You have rebuked the nations; you have destroyed the wicked;
you have blotted out their name forever and ever.(E)
6 The enemies have vanished in everlasting ruins;
their cities you have rooted out;
the very memory of them has perished.(F)
7 But the Lord sits enthroned forever;
he has established his throne for judgment.(G)
8 He judges the world with righteousness;
he judges the peoples with equity.(H)
9 The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.(I)
10 And those who know your name put their trust in you,
for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.(J)
11 Sing praises to the Lord, who dwells in Zion.
Declare his deeds among the peoples.(K)
12 For he who avenges blood is mindful of them;
he does not forget the cry of the afflicted.(L)
13 Be gracious to me, O Lord.
See what I suffer from those who hate me;
you are the one who lifts me up from the gates of death,(M)
14 so that I may recount all your praises
and, in the gates of daughter Zion,
rejoice in your deliverance.(N)
15 The nations have sunk in the pit that they made;
in the net that they hid has their own foot been caught.(O)
16 The Lord has made himself known; he has executed judgment;
the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands. Higgaion. Selah(P)
17 The wicked shall depart to Sheol,
all the nations that forget God.(Q)
18 For the needy shall not always be forgotten,
nor the hope of the poor perish forever.(R)
19 Rise up, O Lord! Do not let mortals prevail;
let the nations be judged before you.(S)
20 Put them in fear, O Lord;
let the nations know that they are only human. Selah(T)
Footnotes
- 9.1 Psalms 9–10 were originally one psalm, as in the Greek and Latin traditions. In Hebrew, Psalms 9–10 formed an acrostic.
Psalm 9
International Standard Version
To the Director: Accompanied by female voices.[a] A Davidic Psalm.
A Cry for God’s Justice
9 [b]I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart,
I will declare all your wonderful deeds.
2 I will be glad and exult in you;
I will sing praises to your name, Most High!
3 When my enemies turn back,
they will stumble and perish before you.
4 For you have brought about justice for me and my cause;
you sit on the throne judging righteously.
5 You rebuked the nations,
you destroyed the wicked,
you wiped out their name forever and ever.
6 The enemy has perished,
reduced to ruins forever.
You uprooted their cities,
the very memory of them vanished.
7 But the Lord sits on his throne[c] forever;
his throne is established for judgment.
8 He will judge the world righteously
and make just decisions for the people.
9 The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed,
a refuge in times of distress.
10 Those who know your name will trust you,
for you have not forsaken those who seek you, Lord.
11 Sing praises to the Lord who dwells in Zion;
declare his mighty deeds among the peoples.
12 As an avenger of blood, he remembers them;
he has not forgotten the cry of the afflicted.
13 Be gracious to me, Lord,
take note of my affliction,
because of those who hate me.
You snatch me away from the gates of death,
14 so I may declare everything for which you should be praised[d]
in the gates of the daughter of Zion,[e]
so I will rejoice in your deliverance.
15 The nations have sunk down into the pit they made,
their feet are ensnared in the trap[f] they set.
16 The Lord has made himself known,
executing judgment.
The wicked are ensnared
by what their hands have made.
17 The wicked will turn back to where the dead are[h]—
all the nations that have forgotten God.
18 For he will not always overlook the plight of the poor,
nor will the hope of the afflicted perish forever.
19 Rise up, Lord,
do not let man prevail!
The nations will be judged in your presence.
20 Make them afraid, Lord,
Let the nations know that they are only human.[i]
Footnotes
- Psalm 9:1 Or according to the tune ‘Death of a Son’
- Psalm 9:1 Psalms 9 & 10 constitute a single psalm in the LXX.
- Psalm 9:7 The Heb. lacks on his throne
- Psalm 9:14 Lit. declare all your praise
- Psalm 9:14 I.e. Jerusalem
- Psalm 9:15 Lit. net
- Psalm 9:16 Heb. Higgaion Selah
- Psalm 9:17 Lit. to Sheol; a reference to the realm of the dead
- Psalm 9:20 Or men
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