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Psalm 9

For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be sung to the tune “Death of the Son.”

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

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

But the Lord reigns forever,
    executing judgment from his throne.
He will judge the world with justice
    and rule the nations with fairness.
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

Footnotes

  1. 9:11 Hebrew Zion; also in 9:14.
  2. 9:16 Hebrew Higgaion Selah. The meaning of this phrase is uncertain.
  3. 9:17 Hebrew to Sheol.

To the Director: Accompanied by female voices.[a] A Davidic Psalm.

A Cry for God’s Justice

[b]I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart,
    I will declare all your wonderful deeds.
I will be glad and exult in you;
    I will sing praises to your name, Most High!

When my enemies turn back,
    they will stumble and perish before you.
For you have brought about justice for me and my cause;
    you sit on the throne judging righteously.
You rebuked the nations,
    you destroyed the wicked,
        you wiped out their name forever and ever.
The enemy has perished,
    reduced to ruins forever.
You uprooted their cities,
    the very memory of them vanished.

But the Lord sits on his throne[c] forever;
    his throne is established for judgment.
He will judge the world righteously
    and make just decisions for the people.

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.
Interlude[g]

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]
Interlude

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 9:1 Or according to the tune ‘Death of a Son’
  2. Psalm 9:1 Psalms 9 & 10 constitute a single psalm in the LXX.
  3. Psalm 9:7 The Heb. lacks on his throne
  4. Psalm 9:14 Lit. declare all your praise
  5. Psalm 9:14 I.e. Jerusalem
  6. Psalm 9:15 Lit. net
  7. Psalm 9:16 Heb. Higgaion Selah
  8. Psalm 9:17 Lit. to Sheol; a reference to the realm of the dead
  9. Psalm 9:20 Or men