Psalm 9-16

New Living Translation

¹ I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart;
    I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done.
² I will be filled with joy because of you.
    I will sing praises to your name, O Most High.

³ My enemies retreated;
    they staggered and died when you appeared.
⁴ For you have judged in my favor;
    from your throne you have judged with fairness.
⁵ You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked;
    you have erased their names forever.
⁶ The enemy is finished, in endless ruins;
    the cities you uprooted are now forgotten.

⁷ But the Lord reigns forever,
    executing judgment from his throne.
⁸ He will judge the world with justice
    and rule the nations with fairness.
⁹ The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed,
    a refuge in times of trouble.
¹⁰ Those who know your name trust in you,
    for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you.

¹¹ Sing praises to the Lord who reigns in Jerusalem.^[a]
    Tell the world about his unforgettable deeds.
¹² For he who avenges murder cares for the helpless.
    He does not ignore the cries of those who suffer.

¹³ Lord, have mercy on me.
    See how my enemies torment me.
    Snatch me back from the jaws of death.
¹⁴ Save me so I can praise you publicly at Jerusalem’s gates,
    so I can rejoice that you have rescued me.

¹⁵ The nations have fallen into the pit they dug for others.
    Their own feet have been caught in the trap they set.
¹⁶ The Lord is known for his justice.
    The wicked are trapped by their own deeds. Quiet Interlude^[b]

¹⁷ The wicked will go down to the grave.^[c]
    This is the fate of all the nations who ignore God.
¹⁸ But the needy will not be ignored forever;
    the hopes of the poor will not always be crushed.

¹⁹ Arise, O Lord!
    Do not let mere mortals defy you!
    Judge the nations!
²⁰ Make them tremble in fear, O Lord.
    Let the nations know they are merely human. Interlude

⁴ The wicked are too proud to seek God.
    They seem to think that God is dead.
⁵ Yet they succeed in everything they do.
    They do not see your punishment awaiting them.
    They sneer at all their enemies.
⁶ They think, “Nothing bad will ever happen to us!
    We will be free of trouble forever!”

⁷ Their mouths are full of cursing, lies, and threats.^[d]
    Trouble and evil are on the tips of their tongues.
⁸ They lurk in ambush in the villages,
    waiting to murder innocent people.
    They are always searching for helpless victims.
⁹ Like lions crouched in hiding,
    they wait to pounce on the helpless.
Like hunters they capture the helpless
    and drag them away in nets.
¹⁰ Their helpless victims are crushed;
    they fall beneath the strength of the wicked.
¹¹ The wicked think, “God isn’t watching us!
    He has closed his eyes and won’t even see what we do!”

¹² Arise, O Lord!
    Punish the wicked, O God!
    Do not ignore the helpless!
¹³ Why do the wicked get away with despising God?
    They think, “God will never call us to account.”
¹⁴ But you see the trouble and grief they cause.
    You take note of it and punish them.
The helpless put their trust in you.
    You defend the orphans.

¹⁵ Break the arms of these wicked, evil people!
    Go after them until the last one is destroyed.
¹⁶ The Lord is king forever and ever!
    The godless nations will vanish from the land.
¹⁷ Lord, you know the hopes of the helpless.
    Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them.
¹⁸ You will bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed,
    so mere people can no longer terrify them.

¹ I trust in the Lord for protection.
So why do you say to me,
    “Fly like a bird to the mountains for safety!
² The wicked are stringing their bows
    and fitting their arrows on the bowstrings.
They shoot from the shadows
    at those whose hearts are right.
³ The foundations of law and order have collapsed.
    What can the righteous do?”

⁴ But the Lord is in his holy Temple;
    the Lord still rules from heaven.
He watches everyone closely,
    examining every person on earth.
⁵ The Lord examines both the righteous and the wicked.
    He hates those who love violence.
⁶ He will rain down blazing coals and burning sulfur on the wicked,
    punishing them with scorching winds.
⁷ For the righteous Lord loves justice.
    The virtuous will see his face.

¹ Help, O Lord, for the godly are fast disappearing!
    The faithful have vanished from the earth!
² Neighbors lie to each other,
    speaking with flattering lips and deceitful hearts.
³ May the Lord cut off their flattering lips
    and silence their boastful tongues.
⁴ They say, “We will lie to our hearts’ content.
    Our lips are our own—who can stop us?”

⁵ The Lord replies, “I have seen violence done to the helpless,
    and I have heard the groans of the poor.
Now I will rise up to rescue them,
    as they have longed for me to do.”
⁶ The Lord’s promises are pure,
    like silver refined in a furnace,
    purified seven times over.
⁷ Therefore, Lord, we know you will protect the oppressed,
    preserving them forever from this lying generation,
⁸ even though the wicked strut about,
    and evil is praised throughout the land.

¹ O Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever?
    How long will you look the other way?
² How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul,
    with sorrow in my heart every day?
    How long will my enemy have the upper hand?

³ Turn and answer me, O Lord my God!
    Restore the sparkle to my eyes, or I will die.
⁴ Don’t let my enemies gloat, saying, “We have defeated him!”
    Don’t let them rejoice at my downfall.

⁵ But I trust in your unfailing love.
    I will rejoice because you have rescued me.
⁶ I will sing to the Lord
    because he is good to me.

¹ Only fools say in their hearts,
    “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, and their actions are evil;
    not one of them does good!

² The Lord looks down from heaven
    on the entire human race;
he looks to see if anyone is truly wise,
    if anyone seeks God.
³ But no, all have turned away;
    all have become corrupt.^[f]
No one does good,
    not a single one!

⁴ Will those who do evil never learn?
    They eat up my people like bread
    and wouldn’t think of praying to the Lord.
⁵ Terror will grip them,
    for God is with those who obey him.
⁶ The wicked frustrate the plans of the oppressed,
    but the Lord will protect his people.

⁷ Who will come from Mount Zion to rescue Israel?
    When the Lord restores his people,
    Jacob will shout with joy, and Israel will rejoice.

¹ Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord?
    Who may enter your presence on your holy hill?
² Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right,
    speaking the truth from sincere hearts.
³ Those who refuse to gossip
    or harm their neighbors
    or speak evil of their friends.
⁴ Those who despise flagrant sinners,
    and honor the faithful followers of the Lord,
    and keep their promises even when it hurts.
⁵ Those who lend money without charging interest,
    and who cannot be bribed to lie about the innocent.
Such people will stand firm forever.

¹ Keep me safe, O God,
    for I have come to you for refuge.

² I said to the Lord, “You are my Master!
    Every good thing I have comes from you.”
³ The godly people in the land
    are my true heroes!
    I take pleasure in them!
⁴ Troubles multiply for those who chase after other gods.
    I will not take part in their sacrifices of blood
    or even speak the names of their gods.

⁵ Lord, you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing.
    You guard all that is mine.
⁶ The land you have given me is a pleasant land.
    What a wonderful inheritance!

⁷ I will bless the Lord who guides me;
    even at night my heart instructs me.
⁸ I know the Lord is always with me.
    I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.

⁹ No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice.^[h]
    My body rests in safety.
¹⁰ For you will not leave my soul among the dead^[i]
    or allow your holy one^[j] to rot in the grave.
¹¹ You will show me the way of life,
    granting me the joy of your presence
    and the pleasures of living with you forever.^[k]