Beginning

⁴ Not so the wicked,
who are like chaff driven by the wind.
⁵ For this reason the wicked
won’t stand up to the judgment,
nor will sinners
at the gathering of the righteous.
⁶ For Adonai watches over
the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked
is doomed.

2 Why are the nations in an uproar,
the peoples grumbling in vain?
² The earth’s kings are taking positions,
leaders conspiring together,
against Adonai
and his anointed.
³ They cry, “Let’s break their fetters!
Let’s throw off their chains!”

⁴ He who sits in heaven laughs;
Adonai looks at them in derision.
⁵ Then in his anger he rebukes them,
terrifies them in his fury.
⁶ “I myself have installed my king
on Tziyon, my holy mountain.”

⁷ “I will proclaim the decree:
Adonai said to me,
‘You are my son;
today I became your father.
⁸ Ask of me, and I will make
the nations your inheritance;
the whole wide world
will be your possession.
⁹ You will break them with an iron rod,
shatter them like a clay pot.’”

¹⁰ Therefore, kings, be wise;
be warned, you judges of the earth.
¹¹ Serve Adonai with fear;
rejoice, but with trembling.
¹² Kiss the son, lest he be angry,
and you perish along the way,
when suddenly his anger blazes.
How blessed are all who take refuge in him.

^2 (1) Adonai, how many enemies I have!
How countless are those attacking me;
^3 (2) how countless those who say of me,
“There is no salvation for him in God.” (Selah)

^4 (3) But you, Adonai, are a shield for me;
you are my glory, you lift my head high.
^5 (4) With my voice I call out to Adonai,
and he answers me from his holy hill. (Selah)

^6 (5) I lie down and sleep, then wake up again,
because Adonai sustains me.
^7 (6) I am not afraid of the tens of thousands
set against me on every side.
^8 (7) Rise up, Adonai!
Save me, my God!
For you slap all my enemies in the face,
you smash the teeth of the wicked.
^9 (8) Victory comes from Adonai;
may your blessing rest on your people. (Selah)

4 ⁽⁰⁾ For the leader. With stringed instruments. A psalm of David:

^2 (1) O God, my vindicator!
Answer me when I call!
When I was distressed, you set me free;
now have mercy on me, and hear my prayer.

^3 (2) Men of rank, how long will you shame my honor,
love what is vain, chase after lies? (Selah)
^4 (3) Understand that Adonai sets apart
the godly person for himself;
Adonai will hear when I call to him.
^5 (4) You can be angry, but do not sin!
Think about this as you lie in bed,
and calm down. (Selah)
^6 (5) Offer sacrifices rightly,
and put your trust in Adonai.

^7 (6) Many ask, “Who can show us some good?”
Adonai, lift the light of your face over us!
^8 (7) You have filled my heart with more joy
than all their grain and new wine.
^9 (8) I will lie down and sleep in peace;
for, Adonai, you alone make me live securely.

5 ⁽⁰⁾ For the leader. On wind instruments. A psalm of David:

^2 (1) Give ear to my words, Adonai,
consider my inmost thoughts.
^3 (2) Listen to my cry for help,
my king and my God, for I pray to you.
^4 (3) Adonai, in the morning you will hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my needs before you
and wait expectantly.

^5 (4) For you are not a God
who takes pleasure in wickedness;
evil cannot remain with you.
^6 (5) Those who brag cannot stand before your eyes,
you hate all who do evil,
^7 (6) you destroy those who tell lies,
Adonai detests men of blood and deceivers.

^8 (7) But I can enter your house
because of your great grace and love;
I will bow down toward your holy temple
in reverence for you.
^9 (8) Lead me, Adonai, in your righteousness
because of those lying in wait for me;
make your way straight before me.
^10 (9) For in their mouths there is nothing sincere,
within them are calamities,
their throats are open tombs,
they flatter with their tongues.
^11 (10) God, declare them guilty!
Let them fall through their own intrigues,
For their many crimes, throw them down;
since they have rebelled against you.

^12 (11) But let all who take refuge in you rejoice,
let them forever shout for joy!
Shelter them; and they will be glad,
those who love your name.
^13 (12) For you, Adonai, bless the righteous;
you surround them with favor like a shield.

6 ⁽⁰⁾ For the leader. With stringed instruments. On sh’minit [low-pitched musical instruments?]. A psalm of David:

^2 (1) Adonai, don’t rebuke me in your anger,
don’t discipline me in the heat of your fury.
^3 (2) Be gracious to me, Adonai,
because I am withering away;
heal me, Adonai,
because my bones are shaking;
^4 (3) I am completely terrified;
and you, Adonai — how long?
^5 (4) Come back, Adonai, and rescue me!
Save me for the sake of your grace;
^6 (5) for in death, no one remembers you;
in Sh’ol, who will praise you?

^7 (6) I am worn out with groaning;
all night I drench my bed with tears,
flooding my couch till it swims.
^8 (7) My vision is darkened with anger;
it grows weak because of all my foes.

^9 (8) Get away from me, all you workers of evil!
For Adonai has heard the sound of my weeping,
^10 (9) Adonai has heard my pleading,
Adonai will accept my prayer.
^11 (10) All my enemies will be confounded,
completely terrified;
they will turn back
and be suddenly put to shame.

7 ⁽⁰⁾ A shiggayon of David, which he sang to Adonai because of Kush the Ben-Y’mini:

^2 (1) Adonai my God, in you I take refuge.
Save me from all my pursuers, and rescue me;
^3 (2) otherwise, they will maul me like a lion
and tear me apart, with no rescuer present.

^4 (3) Adonai my God, if I have caused this,
if there is guilt on my hands,
^5 (4) if I paid back evil to him who was at peace with me,
when I even spared those who opposed me without cause;
^6 (5) then let the enemy pursue me
until he overtakes me
and tramples my life down into the earth;
yes, let him lay my honor in the dust. (Selah)

^7 (6) Rise up, Adonai, in your anger!
Arouse yourself against the fury of my foes.
Wake up for me; you commanded justice.
^8 (7) May the assembly of the peoples surround you;
may you return to rule over them from on high.
^9 (8) Adonai, who dispenses judgment to the peoples,
judge me, Adonai, according to my righteousness
and as my integrity deserves.
^10 (9) Let the evil of the wicked come to an end,
and establish the righteous;
since you, righteous God,
test hearts and minds.
^11 (10) My shield is God,
who saves the upright in heart.

^12 (11) God is a righteous judge,
a God whose anger is present every day.
^13 (12) If a person will not repent,
he sharpens his sword.
He has bent his bow, made it ready;
^14 (13) he has also prepared for him
weapons of death, his arrows,
which he has made into burning shafts.

^15 (14) Look how the wicked is pregnant with evil;
he conceives trouble, gives birth to lies.
^16 (15) He makes a pit, digs it deep,
and falls into the hole he made.
^17 (16) His mischief will return onto his own head,
his violence will recoil onto his own skull.

^18 (17) I thank Adonai for his righteousness
and sing praise to the name of Adonai ‘Elyon.

8 ⁽⁰⁾ For the leader. On the gittit. A psalm of David:

^2 (1) Adonai! Our Lord! How glorious
is your name throughout the earth!
The fame of your majesty
spreads even above the heavens!

^3 (2) From the mouths of babies and infants at the breast
you established strength because of your foes,
in order that you might silence
the enemy and the avenger.

^4 (3) When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and stars that you set in place —
^5 (4) what are mere mortals, that you concern yourself with them;
humans, that you watch over them with such care?

^6 (5) You made him but little lower than the angels,
you crowned him with glory and honor,
^7 (6) you had him rule what your hands made,
you put everything under his feet —
^8 (7) sheep and oxen, all of them,
also the animals in the wilds,
^9 (8) the birds in the air, the fish in the sea,
whatever passes through the paths of the seas.

^10 (9) Adonai! Our Lord! How glorious
is your name throughout the earth!