Book One

The Way of the Righteous and the Wicked

Blessed is the man[a]
    who (A)walks not in (B)the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in (C)the way of sinners,
    nor (D)sits in (E)the seat of (F)scoffers;
but his (G)delight is in the law[b] of the Lord,
    and on his (H)law he meditates day and night.

He is like (I)a tree
    planted by (J)streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
    and its (K)leaf does not wither.
(L)In all that he does, he prospers.
The wicked are not so,
    but are like (M)chaff that the wind drives away.

Therefore the wicked (N)will not stand in the judgment,
    nor sinners in (O)the congregation of the righteous;
for the Lord (P)knows (Q)the way of the righteous,
    but the way of the wicked will perish.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 1:1 The singular Hebrew word for man (ish) is used here to portray a representative example of a godly person; see Preface
  2. Psalm 1:2 Or instruction

Why Have You Forsaken Me?

To the choirmaster: according to The Doe of the Dawn. A Psalm of David.

22 (A)My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
    Why are you so (B)far from saving me, from the words of my (C)groaning?
O my God, I cry by (D)day, but you do not answer,
    and by night, but I find no rest.

Yet you are (E)holy,
    (F)enthroned on (G)the praises[a] of Israel.
In you our fathers trusted;
    they trusted, and you delivered them.
To you they (H)cried and were rescued;
    in you they (I)trusted and were not put to shame.

But I am (J)a worm and not a man,
    (K)scorned by mankind and (L)despised by the people.
All who see me (M)mock me;
    they make mouths at me; they (N)wag their heads;
(O)“He trusts in the Lord; let him (P)deliver him;
    let him rescue him, for he (Q)delights in him!”

Yet you are he who (R)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 (S)my mother's womb you have been my God.
11 Be not (T)far from me,
    for trouble is near,
    and there is (U)none to help.

12 Many bulls encompass me;
    (V)strong bulls of (W)Bashan surround me;
13 they (X)open wide their mouths at me,
    like a ravening and roaring lion.

14 I am (Y)poured out like water,
    and all my bones are (Z)out of joint;
my (AA)heart is like (AB)wax;
    it is melted within my breast;
15 my strength is (AC)dried up like a potsherd,
    and my (AD)tongue sticks to my jaws;
    you lay me in the dust of death.

16 For (AE)dogs encompass me;
    a company of evildoers (AF)encircles me;
they have (AG)pierced my hands and feet[b]
17 I can count all my bones—
they (AH)stare and gloat over me;
18 (AI)they divide my garments among them,
    and for my clothing they cast lots.

19 But you, O Lord, (AJ)do not be far off!
    O you my help, (AK)come quickly to my aid!
20 Deliver my soul from the sword,
    my precious life from the power of (AL)the dog!
21     Save me from (AM)the mouth of the lion!
You have rescued[c] me from the horns of (AN)the wild oxen!

22 (AO)I will tell of your name to my (AP)brothers;
    in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:
23 You who (AQ)fear the Lord, praise him!
    All you offspring of Jacob, (AR)glorify him,
    and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
24 For he has not despised or abhorred
    the affliction of (AS)the afflicted,
and he has not (AT)hidden his face from him,
    but has heard, when he (AU)cried to him.

25 From you comes my praise in the great (AV)congregation;
    my (AW)vows I will (AX)perform before those who fear him.
26 (AY)The afflicted[d] shall (AZ)eat and be satisfied;
    those who seek him shall praise the Lord!
    May your hearts (BA)live forever!

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

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

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 22:3 Or dwelling in the praises
  2. Psalm 22:16 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Vulgate, Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts like a lion [they are at] my hands and feet
  3. Psalm 22:21 Hebrew answered
  4. Psalm 22:26 Or The meek

The Lord Is My Shepherd

A Psalm of David.

23 The Lord is my (A)shepherd; I shall not (B)want.
    He makes me lie down in green (C)pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.[a]
    He (D)restores my soul.
He (E)leads me in (F)paths of righteousness[b]
    for his (G)name's sake.

Even though I (H)walk through the valley of (I)the shadow of death,[c]
    I will (J)fear no evil,
for (K)you are with me;
    your (L)rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

You (M)prepare a table before me
    in (N)the presence of my enemies;
you (O)anoint my head with oil;
    my (P)cup overflows.
Surely[d] goodness and mercy[e] shall follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I shall (Q)dwell[f] in the house of the Lord
    (R)forever.[g]

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 23:2 Hebrew beside waters of rest
  2. Psalm 23:3 Or in right paths
  3. Psalm 23:4 Or the valley of deep darkness
  4. Psalm 23:6 Or Only
  5. Psalm 23:6 Or steadfast love
  6. Psalm 23:6 Or shall return to dwell
  7. Psalm 23:6 Hebrew for length of days

Search Me, O God, and Know My Heart

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

139 O Lord, you have (A)searched me and known me!
You (B)know when I sit down and when I rise up;
    you (C)discern my thoughts from afar.
You search out my path and my lying down
    and are acquainted with all my ways.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
    behold, O Lord, (D)you know it altogether.
You (E)hem me in, behind and before,
    and (F)lay your hand upon me.
(G)Such knowledge is (H)too wonderful for me;
    it is high; I cannot attain it.

(I)Where shall I go from your Spirit?
    Or where (J)shall I flee from your presence?
(K)If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
    (L)If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
If I take the wings of the morning
    and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall (M)lead me,
    and your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, (N)“Surely the darkness shall cover me,
    and the light about me be night,”
12 (O)even the darkness is not dark to you;
    the night is bright as the day,
    for darkness is as light with you.

13 For you (P)formed my inward parts;
    you (Q)knitted me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.[a]
(R)Wonderful are your works;
    my soul knows it very well.
15 (S)My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
    intricately woven in (T)the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your (U)book were written, every one of them,
    the days that were formed for me,
    when as yet there was none of them.

17 How precious to me are your (V)thoughts, O God!
    How vast is the sum of them!
18 (W)If I would count them, they are more than (X)the sand.
    I awake, and I am still with you.

19 Oh that you would (Y)slay the wicked, O God!
    O (Z)men of blood, (AA)depart from me!
20 They (AB)speak against you with malicious intent;
    your enemies (AC)take your name in vain.[b]
21 (AD)Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord?
    And do I not (AE)loathe those who (AF)rise up against you?
22 I hate them with complete hatred;
    I count them my enemies.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart!
    (AG)Try me and know my thoughts![c]
24 And see if there be any grievous way in me,
    and (AH)lead me in (AI)the way everlasting![d]

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 139:14 Or for I am fearfully set apart
  2. Psalm 139:20 Hebrew lacks your name
  3. Psalm 139:23 Or cares
  4. Psalm 139:24 Or in the ancient way (compare Jeremiah 6:16)

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