Psalm 32

The Joy of Forgiveness

Davidic. A Maskil.

How joyful is the one
whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered!(A)
How joyful is the man
the Lord does not charge with sin(B)
and in whose spirit is no deceit!(C)

When I kept silent, my bones became brittle
from my groaning all day long.(D)
For day and night Your hand was heavy on me;(E)
my strength was drained[a]
as in the summer’s heat.(F)Selah
Then I acknowledged my sin to You
and did not conceal my iniquity.
I said,
“I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
and You took away the guilt of my sin.(G)Selah

Therefore let everyone who is faithful pray to You
at a time that You may be found.[b](H)
When great floodwaters come,
they will not reach him.(I)
You are my hiding place;(J)
You protect me from trouble.(K)
You surround me with joyful shouts of deliverance.Selah

I will instruct you and show you the way to go;(L)
with My eye on you, I will give counsel.(M)
Do not be like a horse or mule,
without understanding,
that must be controlled with bit and bridle
or else it will not come near you.(N)

10 Many pains come to the wicked,(O)
but the one who trusts in the Lord
will have faithful love surrounding him.(P)
11 Be glad in the Lord and rejoice,
you righteous ones;
shout for joy,
all you upright in heart.(Q)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 32:4 Hb obscure
  2. Psalm 32:6 Lit time of finding

Psalm 32

A maskil[a] of David.

32 The one whose wrongdoing is forgiven,
    whose sin is covered over, is truly happy!
The one the Lord doesn’t consider guilty—
    in whose spirit there is no dishonesty—
    that one is truly happy!

When I kept quiet, my bones wore out;
    I was groaning all day long—
    every day, every night!—
because your hand was heavy upon me.
    My energy was sapped as if in a summer drought. Selah
So I admitted my sin to you;
    I didn’t conceal my guilt.
    “I’ll confess my sins to the Lord, ” is what I said.
    Then you removed the guilt of my sin. Selah

That’s why all the faithful should pray to you during troubled times,[b]
    so that a great flood of water won’t reach them.
You are my secret hideout!
    You protect me from trouble.
    You surround me with songs of rescue! Selah

I will instruct you and teach you
    about the direction you should go.
    I’ll advise you and keep my eye on you.
Don’t be like some senseless horse or mule,
    whose movement must be controlled
    with a bit and a bridle.[c]
        Don’t be anything like that![d]
10 The pain of the wicked is severe,
    but faithful love surrounds the one who trusts the Lord.
11 You who are righteous, rejoice in the Lord and be glad!
    All you whose hearts are right, sing out in joy!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 32:1 Perhaps instruction; it also appears in Pss 42, 44–45, 52–55, 74, 78, 88–89, 142; cf 47:7; the root is used in Ps 32:8.
  2. Psalm 32:6 Correction; MT at a time of finding only
  3. Psalm 32:9 Heb uncertain
  4. Psalm 32:9 Heb uncertain