Beginning
BOOK ONE
Psalms 1–41
Psalm 1
1 Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
nor stands in the path of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and in His law he meditates day and night.
3 He will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water,
that brings forth its fruit in its season;
its leaf will not wither,
and whatever he does will prosper.
4 The ungodly are not so,
but are like the chaff
which the wind drives away.
5 Therefore the ungodly will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the ungodly will perish.
Psalm 2
1 Why do the nations rage,
and the peoples plot in vain?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers take counsel together,
against the Lord
and against His anointed, saying,
3 “Let us tear off their bonds
and cast away their ropes from us.”
4 He who sits in the heavens laughs;
the Lord ridicules them.
5 Then He will speak to them in His wrath
and terrify them in His burning anger:
6 “I have installed My king
on Zion, My holy hill.”
7 I will declare the decree of the Lord:
He said to me, “You are My son;
this day have I begotten you.
8 Ask of Me,
and I will give you the nations for your inheritance,
and the ends of the earth for your possession.
9 You will break them with a scepter of iron;
you will dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”
10 Now then, you kings, be wise;
be admonished, you judges of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with fear;
tremble with trepidation!
12 Kiss the son, lest He become angry,
and you perish in the way,
for His wrath kindles in a flash.
Blessed are all who seek refuge in Him.
Psalm 3
A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son.
1 Lord, how my foes have multiplied!
Many rise up against me!
2 Many are saying about my life,
“There is no help for him in God.” Selah[a]
3 But You, O Lord, are a shield for me,
my glory and the One who raises up my head.
4 I cried to the Lord with my voice,
and He answered me from His holy hill. Selah
5 I lay down and slept;
I awoke, for the Lord sustained me.
6 I will not be afraid of multitudes of people
who have set themselves against me all around.
7 Arise, O Lord;
save me, O my God!
For You have struck all my enemies on the cheek;
You have broken the teeth of the wicked.
8 Salvation belongs to the Lord.
Your blessing is on Your people. Selah
Psalm 4
For the Music Director. With stringed instruments. A Psalm of David.
1 Hear me when I call,
O God of my righteousness!
You have given me relief when I was in distress;
have mercy on me, and hear my prayer.
2 O people, how long will you turn my glory into shame?
How long will you love vanity and seek after lies? Selah
3 Know that the Lord set apart the faithful for Himself;
the Lord hears when I call to Him.
4 Tremble in awe, and do not sin.
Commune with your own heart on your bed,
and be still. Selah
5 Offer sacrifices of righteousness,
and trust in the Lord.
6 Many are saying, “Who will show us any good?”
Lift up the light of Your face over us.
7 You have placed gladness in my heart
that is better than when their corn and their new wine abound.
8 I will both lie down in peace and sleep;
for You, Lord,
make me dwell safely and securely.
Psalm 5
For the Music Director. With the flutes. A Psalm of David.
1 Give ear to my words, O Lord;
consider my meditation.
2 Listen to the voice of my cry,
my King and my God,
for to You will I pray.
3 O Lord, in the morning You will hear my voice;
in the morning I will direct my prayer to You,
and I will watch expectantly.
4 For You are not a God who has pleasure in wickedness,
nor will evil dwell with You.
5 Those who boast will not stand in Your sight;
You hate all workers of iniquity.
6 You will destroy those who speak lies;
the Lord abhors
the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.
7 But as for me, in the abundance of Your mercy
I will enter Your house;
in fear of You I will worship
at Your holy temple.
8 Lead me, O Lord, in Your righteousness
because of my enemies;
make Your way straight before me.
9 For there is no uprightness in their mouth;
destruction is in their midst;
their throat is an open tomb;
they flatter with their tongue.
10 Declare them guilty, O God;
may they fall by their own counsels;
cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions,
for they have rebelled against You.
11 But may all those who seek refuge in You rejoice;
may they ever shout for joy,
because You defend them;
may those who love Your name be joyful in You.
12 For You, Lord, will bless the righteous;
You surround him with favor like a shield.
Psalm 6
For the Music Director. With stringed instruments. According to The Sheminith. A Psalm of David.
1 O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
nor discipline me in the heat of Your anger.
2 Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are terrified.
3 My soul is greatly troubled,
but You, O Lord, how long?
4 Return, O Lord, rescue my soul.
Save me for the sake of Your lovingkindness.
5 For in death there is no remembrance of You;
in Sheol who will give You thanks?
6 I am weary with my groaning;
all night I flood my bed with weeping;
I drench my couch with my tears.
7 My eye wastes away from grief;
it grows weak because of all those hostile to me.
8 Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity;
for the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping.
9 The Lord has heard my supplication;
the Lord accepts my prayer.
10 May all my enemies be ashamed and greatly terrified;
may they turn back and be suddenly ashamed.
Psalm 7
A Shiggaion of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning the words of Cush, a Benjamite.
1 O Lord my God, in You I put my trust;
save me from all those who persecute me, and deliver me,
2 lest they tear my soul like a lion,
rending it in pieces, while there is none to deliver.
3 O Lord my God, if I have done this,
if there is iniquity in the palms of my hands,
4 if I have repaid evil to him who was at peace with me,
or have delivered my adversary without cause,
5 then may the enemy pursue my life and overtake me;
may my enemy trample my life to the ground,
and lay my honor in the dust. Selah
6 Arise, O Lord, in Your anger;
rise up because of the rage of my adversaries,
and awaken Yourself for me; You have commanded justice.
7 The congregation of the peoples surround You;
return above it to heaven’s heights.
8 The Lord will judge the peoples;
grant me justice, O Lord, according to my righteousness,
and according to my integrity within me.
9 May the evil of the wicked come to an end;
may You vindicate the righteous one;
You are a righteous God who examines the minds and hearts.
10 My defense depends on God,
who saves the upright in heart.
11 God is a righteous judge,
and God has indignation every day.
12 If one does not repent,
God will sharpen His sword;
He has bent His bow and made it ready.
13 He has prepared for Himself deadly weapons;
He makes His arrows flaming shafts.
14 The wicked man writhes in pain of iniquity;
he has conceived mischief and brought forth falsehood.
15 He who digs a hole and hollows it
will then fall into his own pit.
16 His mischief will return on his own head;
his violence will descend on the crown of his own head.
17 I will thank the Lord according to His righteousness,
and will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.
Psalm 8
For the Music Director. According to The Gittith. A Psalm of David.
1 O Lord, our Lord,
how excellent is Your name in all the earth!
You have set Your glory
above the heavens.
2 Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants
You have ordained strength
because of Your enemies,
to silence the enemy and the avenger.
3 When I consider Your heavens,
the work of Your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which You have established,
4 what is man that You are mindful of him,
and the son of man that You attend to him?
5 For You have made him a little lower than the angels,
and crowned him with glory and honor.
6 You have given him dominion over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things under his feet,
7 all sheep and oxen,
and also the beasts of the field,
8 the birds of the air,
and the fish of the sea,
and whatever travels the paths of the seas.
9 O Lord, our Lord,
how excellent is Your name in all the earth!
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.