Psalm 30-60

Easy-to-Read Version

⁴ Praise the Lord, you who are loyal to him!
    Praise his holy name^[b]!
⁵ His anger lasts for a little while,
    but then his kindness brings life.
The night may be filled with tears,
    but in the morning we can sing for joy!

⁶ When I was safe and secure,
    I thought nothing could hurt me.
⁷ Yes, Lord, while you were kind to me,
    I felt that nothing could defeat me.^[c]
But when you turned away from me,
    I was filled with fear.
⁸ So, Lord, I turned and prayed to you.
    I asked you, Lord, to show me mercy.
⁹ I said, “What good is it if I die
    and go down to the grave?
The dead just lie in the dirt.
    They cannot praise you.
    They cannot tell anyone how faithful you are.
¹⁰ Lord, hear my prayer, and be kind to me.
    Lord, help me!”

¹¹ You have changed my sorrow into dancing.
    You have taken away my sackcloth
    and clothed me with joy.
¹² You wanted me to praise you and not be silent.
    Lord my God, I will praise you forever!

¹⁴ Lord, I trust in you.
    You are my God.
¹⁵ My life is in your hands.
    Save me from those who are persecuting me.
¹⁶ Please welcome and accept your servant.^[e]
    Be kind to me and save me.
¹⁷ Lord, I am praying to you.
    Don’t let me be disappointed.
The wicked are the ones who should be disappointed.
    Let them go to the grave in silence.
¹⁸ Those evil people brag
    and tell lies about those who do right.
They are so proud now,
    but their lying lips will be silent.

¹⁹ Lord, you have hidden away many wonderful things for your followers.
    You have done so many good things for those who trust in you.
    You have blessed them so that all the world can see.
²⁰ Others make plans to hurt them.
    They say such bad things about them.
    But you hide your people in your shelter and protect them.
²¹ Praise the Lord, because he showed me how wonderful his faithful love is
    when the city was surrounded by enemies.
²² I was afraid and said, “I am in a place where he cannot see me.”
    But I prayed to you, and you heard my loud cries for help.

²³ Love the Lord, all of you who are his loyal followers.
    The Lord protects those who are loyal to him.
But he punishes those who brag about their own power.
    He gives them all the punishment they deserve.
²⁴ Be strong and brave,
    all of you who are waiting for the Lord’s help.

³ Lord, I prayed to you again and again,
    but I did not talk about my sins.
    So I only became weaker and more miserable.
⁴ Every day you made life harder for me.
    I became like a dry land in the hot summertime. Selah

⁵ But then I decided to confess my sins to the Lord.
    I stopped hiding my guilt and told you about my sins.
    And you forgave them all! Selah

⁶ That is why your loyal followers pray to you while there is still time.
    Then when trouble rises like a flood, it will not reach them.
⁷ You are a hiding place for me.
    You protect me from my troubles.
You surround me and protect me,
    so I sing about the way you saved me. Selah

⁸ The Lord says, “I will teach you
    and guide you in the way you should live.
    I will watch over you and be your guide.
⁹ Don’t be like a stupid horse or mule that will not come to you
    unless you put a bit in its mouth and pull it with reins.”

¹⁰ Many pains will come to the wicked,
    but the Lord’s faithful love will surround those who trust in him.
¹¹ Good people, rejoice and be very happy in the Lord.
    All you who want to do right, rejoice!

33 Rejoice in the Lord, good people!
    It is only right for good people to praise him.
² Play the lyre and praise the Lord.
    Play the ten-stringed harp for him.
³ Sing a new song^[g] to him.
    Play it well and sing it loud!
⁴ The Lord’s word is true,
    and he is faithful in everything he does.
⁵ He loves goodness and justice.
    The Lord’s faithful love fills the earth.
⁶ The Lord spoke the command, and the world was made.
    The breath from his mouth created everything in the heavens.
⁷ He gathered together the water of the sea.
    He put the ocean in its place.
⁸ Everyone on earth should fear and respect the Lord.
    All the people in the world should fear him,
⁹ because when he speaks, things happen.
    And if he says, “Stop!”—then it stops.^[h]
10 The Lord can ruin every decision the nations make.
    He can spoil all their plans.
¹¹ But the Lord’s decisions are good forever.
    His plans are good for generation after generation.
¹² Great blessings belong to those who have the Lord as their God!
    He chose them to be his own special people.
¹³ The Lord looked down from heaven
    and saw all the people.
¹⁴ From his high throne he looked down
    at all the people living on earth.
¹⁵ He created every person’s mind,
    and he knows what each one is doing.
¹⁶ A king is not saved by the power of his army.
    A soldier does not survive by his own great strength.
¹⁷ Horses don’t really bring victory in war.
    Their strength cannot help you escape.
¹⁸ The Lord watches over his followers,
    those who wait for him to show his faithful love.
¹⁹ He saves them from death.
    He gives them strength when they are hungry.
²⁰ So we will wait for the Lord.
    He helps us and protects us.
²¹ He makes us happy.
    We trust his holy name.
²² Lord, we worship you,
    so show your great love for us.

¹⁷ Pray to the Lord, and he will hear you.
    He will save you from all your troubles.
¹⁸ The Lord is close to those who have suffered disappointment.
    He saves those who are discouraged.
¹⁹ Good people might have many problems,
    but the Lord will take them all away.
²⁰ He will protect them completely.
    Not one of their bones will be broken.
²¹ But troubles will kill the wicked.
    The enemies of those who live right will all be punished.
²² The Lord saves his servants.
    All who go to him for protection will escape punishment.

⁴ Some people are trying to kill me.
    Disappoint them and make them ashamed.
    Make them turn and run away.
They are planning to hurt me.
    Defeat and embarrass them.
⁵ Make them like chaff blown by the wind.^[k]
    Let them be chased by the Lord’s angel.
⁶ Make their road dark and slippery.
    Let the Lord’s angel chase them.
⁷ I did nothing wrong, but they tried to trap me.
    For no reason at all, they dug a pit to catch me.
⁸ So let them fall into their own traps.
    Let them stumble into their own nets.
    Let some unknown danger catch them.
⁹ Then I will rejoice in the Lord.
    I will be happy when he saves me.
¹⁰ With my whole self I will say,
    “Lord, there is no one like you.
You protect the poor from those who are stronger.
    You save the poor and helpless from those who try to rob them.”
¹¹ There are witnesses^[l] trying to harm me.
    They ask me questions that I know nothing about.
¹² They pay me back evil for the good I have done.
    They make me so very sad.
¹³ When they were sick, I was sad and wore sackcloth.
    I went without eating to show my sorrow.
    (May my prayers for them not be answered!)
¹⁴ I mourned for them as I would for a friend or a brother.
    I bowed low with sadness, crying as I would for my own mother.
¹⁵ But when I had troubles, they laughed at me.
    They were not really friends.
I was surrounded and attacked
    by people I didn’t even know.
¹⁶ They made fun of me, using the worst language.
    They ground their teeth to show their anger.

¹⁷ My Lord, how long will you watch this happen?
    Save my life from these people
    who are attacking me like lions and trying to destroy me.

¹⁸ I will praise you in the great assembly.
    I will praise you there among the crowds.
¹⁹ Don’t let my lying enemies keep on laughing at me.
    They have no reason to hate me.
    Surely they will be punished for their secret plans.^[m]
20 They have no friendly words for others,
    but plan ways to hurt those who want to live in peace.
²¹ They are telling lies about me.
    They say, “Aha! We know what you did!”
²² Lord, surely you can see what is happening.
    So don’t keep quiet.
    Lord, don’t leave me.
²³ Wake up! Get up!
    My God and my Lord, fight for me, and bring me justice.
²⁴ Lord my God, judge me with your fairness.
    Don’t let those people laugh at me.
²⁵ Don’t let them think, “Aha! We got what we wanted!”
    Don’t let them say, “We destroyed him!”
²⁶ Let my enemies be ashamed and embarrassed—
    all those who were happy about my troubles.
Proud of themselves, they treated me as worthless.
    So let them be covered with shame and disgrace.
²⁷ To those who want the best for me,
    I wish them joy and happiness.
May they always say, “Praise the Lord,
    who wants what is best for his servant.”

²⁸ So, Lord, I will tell people how good you are.
    I will praise you all day long.

⁵ Lord, your faithful love reaches to the sky.
    Your faithfulness is as high as the clouds.
⁶ Your goodness is higher than the highest mountains.
    Your fairness is deeper than the deepest ocean.
Lord, you protect people and animals.
⁷     Nothing is more precious than your loving kindness.
    All people can find protection close to you.
⁸ They get strength from all the good things in your house.
    You let them drink from your wonderful river.
⁹ The fountain of life flows from you.
    Your light lets us see light.
¹⁰ Continue to love those who really know you,
    and do good to those who are true to you.^[n]
11 Don’t let proud people trap me.
    Don’t let the wicked force me to run away.

¹² Put this on their grave markers:
“Here fell the wicked.
    They were crushed.
    They will never stand up again.”

¹² The wicked plan bad things for those who are good.
    They show their teeth in anger at them.
¹³ But our Lord will laugh at them.
    He will make sure they get what they deserve.
¹⁴ The wicked draw their swords to kill the poor and the helpless.
    They aim their arrows to murder all who live right.
¹⁵ But their bows will break,
    and their swords will pierce their own hearts.
¹⁶ A few good people are better
    than a large crowd of those who are evil.
¹⁷ The wicked will be destroyed,
    but the Lord cares for those who are good.
¹⁸ The Lord protects pure people all their life.
    Their reward will continue forever.
¹⁹ When trouble comes,
    good people will not be destroyed.
When times of hunger come,
    good people will have plenty to eat.
²⁰ But evil people are the Lord’s enemies,
    and they will be destroyed.
Their valleys will dry up and burn.
    They will be destroyed completely.
²¹ The wicked borrow money and never pay it back.
    But good people are kind and generous.
²² Everyone the Lord blesses will get the land he promised.
    Everyone he curses will be destroyed.
²³ The Lord shows us how we should live,
    and he is pleased when he sees people living that way.
²⁴ If they stumble, they will not fall,
    because the Lord reaches out to steady them.
²⁵ I was young, and now I am old,
    but I have never seen good people left with no one to help them;
    I have never seen their children begging for food.
²⁶ They are kind and generous,
    and their children are a blessing.
²⁷ Stop doing anything evil and do good,
    and you will always have a place to live.
²⁸ The Lord loves what is right,
    and he will never leave his followers without help.
He will always protect them,
    but he will destroy the families of the wicked.
²⁹ Good people will get the land God promised
    and will live on it forever.
³⁰ Those who do what is right give good advice.
    Their decisions are always fair.
³¹ They have learned God’s teachings,
    and they will never stop living right.^[q]

³² The wicked are always looking for ways to kill good people.
³³ But the Lord will not let the wicked defeat them.
    He will not let good people be judged guilty.
³⁴ Do what the Lord says, and wait for his help.
    He will reward you and give you the land he promised.
    You will see the wicked being forced to leave.

³⁵ I once saw a wicked man who was powerful.
    He was like a strong, healthy tree.
³⁶ But then he was gone.
    I looked for him, but I could not find him.
³⁷ Be pure and honest.
    Peace loving people will have many descendants.
³⁸ But those who break the law will be destroyed completely.
    And their descendants will be forced to leave the land.^[r]
39 The Lord saves those who are good.
    When they have troubles, he is their strength.
⁴⁰ The Lord helps good people and rescues them.
    They depend on him, so he rescues them from the wicked.

² So I didn’t say anything.
    I didn’t even say anything good,
    but I became even more upset.
³ I was very angry,
    and the more I thought about it, the angrier I became.
    So I said something.

⁴ Lord, tell me, what will happen to me now?
    Tell me, how long will I live?
    Let me know how short my life really is.
⁵ You gave me only a short life.
    Compared to you, my whole life is nothing.
The life of every human is like a cloud that quickly disappears. Selah

⁶ Our life is like an image in a mirror.^[w]
    We rush through life collecting things,
    but we don’t know who will get them after we die.

⁷ So, Lord, what hope do I have?
    You are my hope!
⁸ Save me from the bad things I did.
    Don’t let me be treated like a fool.
⁹ I will not open my mouth.
    I will not say anything.
    You did what should have been done.
¹⁰ But please stop punishing me.
    You will destroy me if you do not stop.
¹¹ You punish people for doing wrong to teach them the right way to live.
    As a moth destroys cloth, you destroy what people love.
    Yes, our lives are like a small cloud that quickly disappears. Selah

¹² Lord, hear my prayer!
    Listen to the words I cry to you.
    Look at my tears.
I am only a traveler passing through this life with you.
    Like all my ancestors, I will live here only a short time.^[x]
13 Leave me alone^[y] and let me be happy
    before I am dead and gone.

⁶ Lord, you made me understand this:^[ae]
    You don’t really want sacrifices and grain offerings.
    You don’t want burnt offerings and sin offerings.
⁷ So I said, “Here I am,
    ready to do what was written about me in the book.
⁸ My God, I am happy to do whatever you want.
    I never stop thinking about your teachings.”
⁹ I told the good news of victory^[af] to the people in the great assembly.
    And, Lord, you know that I will never stop telling that good news.
¹⁰ I told about the good things you did.
    I did not hide these things in my heart.
I spoke of how you can be trusted to save us.
    I did not hide your love and loyalty from those in the great assembly.
¹¹ Lord, do not hide your mercy from me.
    Let your love and loyalty always protect me.

¹² Troubles have surrounded me.
    They are too many to count!
My sins have caught me,
    and I cannot escape them.
They are more than the hairs on my head.
    I have lost my courage.
¹³ Please, Lord, rescue me!
    Lord, hurry and help me!
¹⁴ People are trying to kill me.
    Please disappoint them.
    Humiliate them completely!
They wanted to hurt me.
    Make them run away in shame!
¹⁵ May those who make fun of me
    be too embarrassed to speak!
¹⁶ But may those who come to you be happy and rejoice.
    May those who love being saved by you always be able to say, “Praise the Lord!”^[ag]

¹⁷ My Lord, I am only a poor, helpless man,
    but please pay attention to me.
You are my helper, the one who can save me.
    My God, don’t be too late.

⁴ I say, “Lord, be kind to me.
    I sinned against you, but forgive me and make me well.”
⁵ My enemies say bad things about me.
    They ask, “When will he die and be forgotten?”
⁶ If they come to see me,
    they don’t say what they are really thinking.
They come to gather a little gossip
    and then go to spread their rumors.
⁷ Those who hate me whisper about me.
    They think the worst about me.
⁸ They say, “He did something wrong.
    That is why he is sick.
    He will never get well.”
⁹ My best friend, the one I trusted,
    the one who ate with me—even he has turned against me.
¹⁰ Lord, please be kind to me.
    Let me get up, and I will pay them back.
¹¹ Don’t let my enemy defeat me.
    Then I will know that you care for me.
¹² I was innocent and you supported me.
    You let me stand and serve you forever.

¹³ Praise the Lord, the God of Israel.
    He always was, and he always will be.

Amen and Amen!

⁴ My heart breaks as I remember the pleasant times in the past,
    when I walked with the crowds as I led them up to God’s Temple.
I remember the happy songs of praise
    as they celebrated the festival.

^5-6 Why am I so sad?
    Why am I so upset?
I tell myself, “Wait for God’s help!
    You will again be able to praise him,
    your God, the one who will save you.”
In my sadness I say, “I will remember you from here on this small hill,^[aj]
    where Mount Hermon and the Jordan River meet.”
⁷ I hear the roar of the water coming from deep within the earth.
    It shouts to the water below as it tumbles down the waterfall.
God, your waves come one after another,
    crashing all around and over me.^[ak]

⁸ By day the Lord shows his faithful love,
    and at night I have a song for him—a prayer for the God of my life.^[al]
9 I say to God, my Rock,
    “Why have you forgotten me?
    Why must I suffer this sadness that my enemies have brought me?”
¹⁰ Their constant insults are killing me.
    They never stop asking, “Where is your God?”

¹¹ Why am I so sad?
    Why am I so upset?
I tell myself, “Wait for God’s help!
    You will again be able to praise him,
    your God, the one who will save you.”

43 Defend me, God.
    Argue my case against those people who don’t know you.
    Protect me from those evil liars.
² God, you are my place of safety.
    Why have you turned me away?
Why must I suffer this sadness
    that my enemies have brought me?
³ Send your light and your truth to guide me,
    to lead me to your holy mountain, to your home.
⁴ I want to go to God’s altar,
    to the God who makes me so very happy.
God, my God, I want to play my harp
    and sing praises to you!

⁵ Why am I so sad?
    Why am I so upset?
I tell myself, “Wait for God’s help!
    You will again have a chance to praise him,
    your God, the one who will save you.”

⁹ But you left us and put us to shame.
    You did not go with us into battle.
¹⁰ You let our enemies push us back.
    You let them take our wealth.
¹¹ You gave us away like sheep to be killed and eaten.
    You scattered us among the nations.
¹² You sold your people for nothing.
    You did not even argue over the price.
¹³ You made us a joke to our neighbors.
    They laugh and make fun of us.
¹⁴ You made us one of the stories that people love to tell.
    People all over the world laugh at us and shake their heads.
¹⁵ All I can think about is my shame.
    Just look at my face, and you will see it.
¹⁶ All I can hear are the jokes and insults of my enemies,
    as I watch them take their revenge.
¹⁷ We have not forgotten you.
    But you do all those things to us.
    We did not break the agreement you gave us.
¹⁸ We did not turn away from you.
    We did not stop following you.
¹⁹ But you crushed us in this home of jackals.
    You left us in this place as dark as death.
²⁰ Did we forget the name of our God?
    Did we pray to foreign gods?
²¹ If we did, then God knows it,
    because he knows our deepest secrets.
²² All day long we died for you.
    We are like sheep being led away to be killed.
²³ Lord, wake up!
    Why are you sleeping?
    Get up! Don’t ignore us forever!
²⁴ Why are you hiding from us?
    Have you forgotten our pain and troubles?
²⁵ We have been pushed down into the dirt.
    We are lying face down in the dust.^[am]
26 Get up and help us!
    Rescue us because of your faithful love.

² You are more handsome than anyone,
    and you say such pleasant things.
    So God will always bless you.
³ Put on your sword, mighty warrior,
    so impressive in your splendid uniform.
⁴ Go out in your greatness to win the victory for what is true and right.
    Let us see the amazing things you can do with your powerful right arm.^[ao]
5 Your sharp arrows will go deep into the hearts of your enemies,
    who will fall to the ground in front of you.
⁶ God,^[ap] your kingdom will last forever.
    You use your authority for justice.
⁷ You love what is right and hate what is wrong.
    So God, your God, chose you to be king,
    giving you more joy and honor than anyone like you.^[aq]
8 From your clothes comes the wonderful smell of myrrh, aloes, and cassia.
    In palaces decorated with ivory, you enjoy the music of stringed instruments.
⁹ Here are ladies of honor, daughters of kings.
    Your bride^[ar] stands at your right side, wearing a gown decorated with the finest gold.

¹⁰ My lady,^[as] listen to me.
    Listen carefully and understand me.
Forget your people and your father’s family,
¹¹     so that the king will be pleased with your beauty.
He will be your new husband,^[at]
    so you must honor him.
¹² People from Tyre will bring you gifts.
    Their richest people will try to win your friendship.

¹³ The princess is so beautiful in her gown,
    like a pearl set in gold.
¹⁴ Clothed in beauty, she is led to the king,
    followed by her bridesmaids.
¹⁵ Filled with joy and excitement,
    they enter into the king’s palace.

¹⁶ Your sons will be kings like their ancestors.
    You will make them rulers throughout the land.
¹⁷ You will be famous for generations.
    People will praise you forever and ever.

⁴ There is a river whose streams bring happiness to God’s city,
    to the holy city of God Most High.
⁵ God is in that city, so it will never be destroyed.
    He is there to help even before sunrise.
⁶ Nations will shake with fear and kingdoms will fall
    when God shouts and makes the earth move.
⁷ The Lord All-Powerful is with us.
    The God of Jacob is our place of safety. Selah

⁸ Look at the powerful things the Lord has done.
    See the awesome things he has done on earth.
⁹ He stops wars all over the world.
    He breaks the soldiers’ bows, shatters their spears, and burns their shields.^[av]

¹⁰ God says, “Stop fighting and know that I am God!
    I am the one who defeats the nations;
    I am the one who controls the world.”

¹¹ The Lord All-Powerful is with us.
    The God of Jacob is our place of safety. Selah

⁵ The Lord God goes up to his throne
    at the sound of the trumpet and horn.
⁶ Sing praises to God, sing praises!
    Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
⁷ God is the King of the whole world.
    Sing songs of praise!^[aw]
8 God sits on his holy throne;
    he rules all the nations.
⁹ The leaders of the nations have come together
    with the people of the God of Abraham.
All the rulers of the world belong to God.
    He is over them all!

⁹ God, in your Temple we remember your loving kindness.
¹⁰ Your name is known everywhere, God,
    and people throughout the earth praise you.
    You have shown that you do what is right.
¹¹ Mount Zion is happy,
    and the towns of Judah rejoice, because your decisions are fair.
¹² Walk around Jerusalem,
    and count its towers.
¹³ Look at the tall walls,
    and see the palaces.
    Then you can tell the next generation about them.
¹⁴ This God is our God forever and ever.
    He will lead us from now to the end of time!

⁵ Why should I be afraid when trouble comes?
    There is no need to fear when evil enemies surround me.
⁶ They think their wealth will protect them.
    They brag about how rich they are.
⁷ But no one has enough to buy back a life,
    and you cannot bribe^[ay] God.
⁸ You will never get enough money
    to pay for your own life.
⁹ You will never have enough
    to buy the right to live forever
    and keep your body out of the grave.
¹⁰ Look, the wise die the same as fools and stupid people.^[az]
    They die and leave their wealth to others.
¹¹ The grave will be their new home forever.
    And how much land they owned will not make any difference.
¹² People might be wealthy, but they cannot stay here forever.
    They will die like the animals.
¹³ That is what happens to all who trust in themselves
    and to anyone who accepts their way of life. Selah
¹⁴ They are just like sheep, but the grave will be their pen.
    Death will be their shepherd.
When morning comes, the good people will enjoy victory,
    as the bodies of the proud slowly rot in the grave,
    far away from their fancy houses.

¹⁵ But God will pay the price to save me from the grave.
    He will take me to be with him. Selah

¹⁶ Don’t be afraid of people just because they are rich.
    Don’t be afraid of people just because they have big, fancy houses.
¹⁷ They will not take anything with them when they die.
    They will not take their wealth with them.
¹⁸ A wealthy man might tell himself how well he has done in life.
    And other people might praise him.
¹⁹ But the time will come for him to die and go to his ancestors.
    And he will never again see the light of day.
²⁰ Wealthy people don’t seem to understand
    that they will die like the animals.

⁶ God is the judge,
    and the skies tell how fair he is. Selah

⁷ God says, “My people, listen to me!
    People of Israel, I will show my evidence against you.
    I am God, your God.
⁸ The problem I have with you is not your sacrifices
    or the burnt offerings you bring to me everyday.
⁹ Why would I want more bulls from your barns
    or goats from your pens?
¹⁰ I already own all the animals in the forest.
    I own all the animals on a thousand hills.
¹¹ I know every bird in the mountains.
    Everything that moves in the fields is mine.
¹² If I were hungry, I would not ask you for food.
    I already own the world and everything in it.
¹³ I don’t eat the meat of bulls or drink the blood of goats.”

¹⁴ You made promises to God Most High, so give him what you promised.
    Bring your sacrifices and thank offerings.
¹⁵ God says, “Call me when trouble comes.
    I will help you, and you will honor me.”

¹⁶ But God says to the wicked,
    “Stop quoting my laws!
    Stop talking about my agreement!
¹⁷ You hate for me to tell you what to do.
    You ignore what I say.
¹⁸ You see a thief and run to join him.
    You jump into bed with those who commit adultery.
¹⁹ You say evil things and tell lies.
²⁰ You sit around talking about people,
    finding fault with your own brothers.
²¹ When you did these things, I said nothing.
    So you thought that I^[bb] was just like you.
But I will not be quiet any longer.
    I will correct you and make clear what I have against you.
²² You people who have forgotten God,
    understand what I am telling you,
or I will tear you apart,
    and no one will be able to save you!
²³ Whoever gives a thank offering shows me honor.
    And whoever decides to live right will see my power to save.”

¹⁸ God, please be good to Zion.
    Rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
¹⁹ Then you can enjoy the kind of sacrifices you want.^[bf]
    You will receive whole burnt offerings,
    and people will again offer bulls on your altar.

⁴ You and your lying tongue love to hurt people.
⁵ So God will ruin you forever!
    He will grab you and pull you from your home,^[bh] like someone pulling up a plant by the roots!^[bi] Selah

⁶ Good people will see this
    and learn to fear and respect God.
They will laugh at you and say,
⁷     “Look what happened to the warrior who did not depend on God.
    That fool thought his wealth and lies would protect him.”

⁸ But I am like a green olive tree growing in God’s Temple.
    I will trust God’s faithful love forever and ever.
⁹ God, I praise you forever for what you have done.
    I will speak your name^[bj] before your followers because it is so good!

⁴ Those who are evil treat my people like bread to be eaten.
    And they never ask for God’s help.
    Don’t they understand what they are doing?

⁵ They will be filled with fear—
    a fear like they have never felt before!
People of Israel, you will defeat those who attacked you,
    because God has rejected them.
And he will scatter their bones.

⁶ I wish the one who lives on Mount Zion
    would bring victory to Israel!
When God makes Israel successful again,
    the people of Jacob will be very happy;
    the people of Israel will be glad.

⁴ Look, my God will help me.
    My Lord will support me.
⁵ He will punish the people who turned against me.
    God, be faithful to me and destroy them.

⁶ Lord, I will give freewill offerings to you.
    I will praise your good name.
⁷ You saved me from all my troubles.
    I saw my enemies defeated.

⁸ I would run away.
    I would escape from this storm of trouble.
⁹ My Lord, confuse their words and stop their plans.
    I see so much cruelty and fighting in this city.
¹⁰ Day and night, in every neighborhood,
    the city is filled with evil and trouble.
¹¹ There is so much crime in the streets.
    People who hurt and cheat others are everywhere.

¹² If it were an enemy insulting me,
    I could bear it.
If it were my enemies attacking me,
    I could hide.
¹³ But it is you, the one so close to me,
    my companion, my good friend, who does this.
¹⁴ We used to share our secrets with one another,
    as we walked through the crowds together in God’s Temple.

¹⁵ I wish death would take my enemies by surprise!
    I wish the earth would open up and swallow them alive,^[bm]
    because they plan such terrible things together.

¹⁶ I will call to God for help,
    and the Lord will save me.
¹⁷ I speak to God morning, noon, and night.
    I tell him what upsets me, and he listens to me!
¹⁸ I have fought in many battles,
    but he has always rescued me and brought me back safely.
¹⁹ God, who has always ruled as king,
    will hear me and punish my enemies. Selah

But they will never change.
    They don’t fear and respect God.
²⁰ This one who was once my friend now attacks his friends.
    He is breaking every promise he made.
²¹ His words about peace are as smooth as butter,
    but he has only war on his mind.
His words are as slick as oil,
    but they cut like a knife.

²² Give your worries to the Lord,
    and he will care for you.
    He will never let those who are good be defeated.

²³ But, God, you will send those liars and murderers to the grave.
    They will die before their life is half finished!
As for me, I will put my trust in you.

⁹ I know that when l call for help, my enemies will turn and run.
    I know that because God is with me!
¹⁰ I praise God for his promise.
    I praise the Lord for his promise to me.
¹¹ I trust God, so I am not afraid
    of what people can do to me!

¹² God, I will keep the special promises I made to you.
    I will give you my thank offering.
¹³ You saved me from death.
    You kept me from being defeated.
So I will serve you in the light
    that only the living can see.

⁴ My life is in danger.
    My enemies are all around me.
They are like man-eating lions,
    with teeth like spears or arrows
    and tongues like sharp swords.

⁵ God, rise above the heavens!
    Let all the world see your glory.
⁶ My enemies set a trap for my feet
    to bring me down.
They dug a deep pit to catch me,
    but they fell into it. Selah

⁷ God, I am ready, heart and soul,
    to sing songs of praise.
⁸ Wake up, my soul!
    Harps and lyres, wake up,
    and let’s wake the dawn!
⁹ My Lord, I will praise you before all people.
    I will sing praises about you to every nation.
¹⁰ Your faithful love is higher
    than the highest clouds in the sky!
¹¹ Rise above the heavens, God.
    Let all the world see your glory.

⁶ God, they are like lions.
    So, Lord, break their teeth.
⁷ May they disappear like water down a drain.
    May they be crushed like weeds on a path.^[bp]
8 May they be like snails melting away as they move.
    May they be like a baby born dead, who never saw the light of day.
⁹ May they be destroyed suddenly,
    like the thorns that are burned to quickly heat a pot.

¹⁰ Good people will be happy
    when they see the wicked getting the punishment they deserve.
They will feel like soldiers
    walking through the blood of their enemies!^[bq]
11 Then people will say, “Good people really are rewarded.
    Yes, there is a God judging the world!”^[br]

⁶ Those evil men are like dogs
    that come into town in the evening,
    growling and roaming the streets.
⁷ Listen to their threats and insults.
    They say such cruel things,
    and they don’t care who hears them.

⁸ Lord, laugh at them.
    Make fun of them all.
⁹ God, my strength, I look to you for help.^[bs]
    You are my place of safety, high in the mountains.
¹⁰ God loves me, and he will help me win.
    He will help me defeat my enemies.
¹¹ Don’t just kill them, or my people might forget.
    My Lord and Protector, scatter and defeat them with your strength.
¹² Those evil people curse and tell lies.
    Punish them for what they said.
    Let their pride trap them.
¹³ Destroy them in your anger.
    Destroy them completely!
Then people all over the world will know
    that God rules over the people of Jacob. Selah

¹⁴ Those evil men are like dogs
    that come into town in the evening, growling and roaming the streets.
¹⁵ They roam around looking for food,
    but even if they eat their fill, they still growl and complain.
¹⁶ But I will sing about your strength.
    I will rejoice in your love every morning.
You have been my place of safety,
    the place I can run to when troubles come.
¹⁷ I will sing praises to you, my source of strength.
    You, God, are my place of safety.
    You are the God who loves me!

⁵ Use your great power and give us victory!
    Answer our prayer and save the people you love.

⁶ God has spoken in his Temple^[bt]:
    “I will win the war and rejoice in victory!
I will divide this land among my people.
    I will give them Shechem.
    I will give them Succoth Valley.
⁷ Gilead and Manasseh will be mine.
    Ephraim will be my helmet.
    Judah will be my royal scepter.
⁸ Moab will be the bowl for washing my feet.
    Edom will be the slave who carries my sandals.
    I will defeat the Philistines and shout in victory!”

^9-10 But, God, it seems that you have left us!
    You do not go out with our army.
So who will lead me into the strong, protected city?
    Who will lead me into battle against Edom?
¹¹ Help us defeat the enemy!
    No one on earth can rescue us.
¹² Only God can make us strong.
    Only God can defeat our enemies!