Beginning

¹ How blessed is the man
    who does not walk in the advice of the wicked,
    who does not stand on the path with sinners,
    and who does not sit in a meeting with mockers.
² But his delight is in the teaching^[a] of the Lord,
and on his teaching he meditates day and night.
³ He is like a tree planted beside streams of water,
    which yields its fruit in season,
    and its leaves do not wither.
Everything he does prospers.

⁴ Not so the wicked!
No, they are like the chaff which the wind blows away.
⁵ Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

⁶ Yes, the Lord approves^[b] of the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.

¹ Why do the nations rage?
Why do the peoples grumble in vain?
² The kings of the earth take a stand,
and the rulers join together
    against the Lord
    and against his Anointed One.^[c]
3 “Let us tear off their chains
and throw off their ropes from us.”

⁴ The one who is seated in heaven laughs.
The Lord scoffs at them.
⁵ Then he speaks to them in his anger,
and in his wrath he terrifies them.
⁶ “I have installed my King on Zion, my holy mountain.”

⁷ I will proclaim the decree of the Lord.
He said to me:
“You are my Son.
Today I have begotten you.^[d]
8 Ask me,
and I will give you the nations as your inheritance
and the ends of the earth as your possession.
⁹ You will smash them with an iron rod.
You will break them to pieces like pottery.”

¹⁰ So now, you kings, do what is wise.
Accept discipline,^[e] you judges of the earth.
¹¹ Serve the Lord with fear,
and rejoice with trembling.
¹² Kiss the Son,
or he will be angry,
and you will be destroyed in your way,
for his wrath can flare up in a moment.
How blessed are all who take refuge in him.

¹ O Lord, how my foes are multiplying!
Many are rising up against me!
² Many are saying about my life, Interlude^[g]
“There is no salvation for him in God.”

³ But you, O Lord, are a shield for me.
You are my glory and the one who lifts up my head.
⁴ With a loud voice I cry out to the Lord, Interlude
and he answers me from his holy mountain.

⁵ I lie down, and I sleep.
I awake, because the Lord sustains me.
⁶ I will not be afraid of the thousands of people
    who line up against me on all sides.

⁷ Rise up, O Lord! Save me, my God!
Yes, you will strike all my enemies on the jaw.
The teeth of the wicked you will break.
⁸ Salvation belongs to the Lord. Interlude
Your blessing rests on your people.

¹ My righteous God, answer me when I call.
When I was under pressure, you gave me relief.
Be merciful to me and hear my prayer.

² You people, how long will you turn my glory into shame?
How long will you love empty delusions? Interlude
How long will you pursue lies?
³ Know this: The Lord has set apart
    his favored one^[h] for himself.
The Lord will hear when I call to him.

⁴ You may be upset, but do not sin.
When you are on your beds,
    speak to your heart, but remain silent. Interlude
⁵ Offer righteous sacrifices,
and trust in the Lord.
⁶ Many are saying, “Who can show us any good?”
Shine the light of your face on us, O Lord.

⁷ You have placed joy in my heart greater than the joy
    when grain and new wine are plentiful.
⁸ In complete peace I will lie down, and I will sleep,
for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.

¹ Turn your ear to my words, O Lord.
Understand me when I sigh.
² Pay attention to my cry for help,
    my King and my God,
    for to you I pray.
³ Lord, in the morning you hear my voice.
In the morning I lay out my requests in front of you,
and I watch for your answer.

⁴ For you are not a God who takes pleasure in evil.
With you the wicked cannot dwell.
⁵ The arrogant cannot stand before your eyes.
You hate all evildoers.
⁶ You put to death those who speak lies.
The Lord is disgusted with bloodthirsty, deceitful men.

⁷ But as for me, by your great mercy
    I will enter your house.
    I will bow down toward your holy temple
        with reverence for you.
⁸ Lord, lead me in your righteousness.
Because of those who slander me,
make your way straight before me.

⁹ Nothing reliable comes out of their mouth.
From within them comes destruction.
Their throat is an open grave.
With their tongue they flatter.
¹⁰ Declare them guilty, O God!
Let them fall because of their own schemes.
For their many treacherous deeds banish them,
    because they have rebelled against you.

¹¹ But let all who take refuge in you be glad.
Let them sing for joy forever.
You cover them with protection,
    so those who love your name rejoice in you.
¹² Yes, you bless the righteous, Lord.
You surround them with your favor as a shield.

¹ Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger.
Do not discipline me in your wrath.
² Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am fading away.
Heal me, Lord, for my bones are trembling,
³ and my soul is terrified.
But you, O Lord—how long?
⁴ Turn, O Lord, and deliver my soul.
Save me because of your mercy.
⁵ For in death no one remembers you.
In the grave who praises you?
⁶ I am worn out from my groaning.
I flood my bed all night long.
With my tears I drench my couch.
⁷ My eyes are blurred by sorrow.
They are worn out because of all my foes.

⁸ Turn away from me, all you evildoers,
because the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping.
⁹ The Lord has heard my cry for mercy.
The Lord accepts my prayer.
¹⁰ They will be put to shame.
All my enemies will be terrified.
They will turn back.
They will be put to shame in an instant.

¹ O Lord my God, in you I take refuge.
Save me from all my pursuers and deliver me.
² Otherwise, like a lion they will tear me apart.
They will drag me away with no one to rescue me.
³ O Lord my God, if I have done this,
if there is injustice in my hands,
⁴ if I have done evil to anyone who is at peace with me,
or if I have robbed my foe for no reason,
⁵ then let an enemy pursue my life and overtake me.
Let him trample my life to the ground
and make my glory dwell in the dust. Interlude

⁶ Stand up, O Lord, in your anger.
Rise up against the fury of my foes.
Awake for me. You have commanded justice.^[k]
7 A crowd of peoples surrounds you.
Turn against them from on high.
⁸ Let the Lord judge the peoples.
Acquit me, O Lord, according to my righteousness,
according to my integrity which is in me.
⁹ The evil of the wicked will come to an end,
but you will establish the righteous.
You search minds and hearts,^[l] O righteous God.

¹⁰ My shield is God, who saves the upright in heart.
¹¹ God, the judge, is righteous,
but he is a God who expresses his wrath every day.
¹² If he^[m] does not relent,
    the Lord^[n] will sharpen his sword.
    He has bent his bow and will string it.
¹³     He prepares his deadly weapons.
    He will make his arrows flames.

¹⁴ Yes, whoever conceives evil and is pregnant with trouble
    will give birth to disappointment.^[o]
15 He digs a pit and scoops it out,
and he will fall into the hole he has made.
¹⁶ The trouble he causes comes back on his own head.
His violence comes down on top of his own skull.

¹⁷ I will thank the Lord because of his righteousness,
and I will make music to the name of the Lord Most High.

¹ O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
Set this glory of yours above the heavens.^[q]
2 From the lips of little children and nursing babies
    you have established strength^[r] because of your foes,
        to put a stop to the enemy and the avenger.

³ Whenever I look up at your heavens, the works of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place—
⁴ what is man that you remember him,
the son of man^[s] that you pay attention to him!
⁵ Nevertheless, you make him suffer need,
    apart from God for a while,^[t]
but you crown him with glory and honor.
⁶ You make him the ruler over the works of your hands.
You put everything under his feet:
⁷ all flocks and cattle, and even the wild animals,
⁸ the birds of the sky, and the fish of the sea,
    which pass through the currents of the seas.
⁹ O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!