Bible in 90 Days
22 May (A)their table before them become a snare;
And [a](B)when they are in peace, may it become a trap.
23 May their (C)eyes grow dim so that they cannot see,
And make their (D)loins shake continually.
24 (E)Pour out Your indignation on them,
And may Your burning anger overtake them.
25 May their [b](F)camp be desolate;
May none dwell in their tents.
26 For they have (G)persecuted him whom (H)You Yourself have smitten,
And they tell of the pain of those whom (I)You have [c]wounded.
27 Add (J)iniquity to their iniquity,
And (K)may they not come into (L)Your righteousness.
28 May they be (M)blotted out of the (N)book of life
And may they not be [d](O)recorded with the righteous.
29 But I am (P)afflicted and in pain;
[e]May Your salvation, O God, (Q)set me securely on high.
30 I will (R)praise the name of God with song
And (S)magnify Him with (T)thanksgiving.
31 And it will (U)please the Lord better than an ox
Or a young bull with horns and hoofs.
32 The (V)humble [f]have seen it and are glad;
You who seek God, (W)let your heart [g]revive.
33 For (X)the Lord hears the needy
And (Y)does not despise His who are prisoners.
34 Let (Z)heaven and earth praise Him,
The seas and (AA)everything that moves in them.
35 For God will (AB)save Zion and (AC)build the cities of Judah,
That they may dwell there and (AD)possess it.
36 The [h](AE)descendants of His servants will inherit it,
And those who love His name (AF)will dwell in it.
Prayer for Help against Persecutors.
For the choir director. A Psalm of David; for a memorial.
70 (AG)O God, hasten to deliver me;
O Lord, hasten to my help!
2 (AH)Let those be ashamed and humiliated
Who seek my [i]life;
Let those be turned back and dishonored
Who delight [j]in my hurt.
3 (AI)Let those be [k]turned back because of their shame
Who say, “Aha, aha!”
4 Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
And let those who love Your salvation say continually,
“Let God be magnified.”
5 But (AJ)I am afflicted and needy;
(AK)Hasten to me, O God!
You are my help and my deliverer;
O Lord, do not delay.
Prayer of an Old Man for Deliverance.
71 (AL)In You, O Lord, I have taken refuge;
Let me never be ashamed.
2 (AM)In Your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;
(AN)Incline Your ear to me and save me.
3 (AO)Be to me a rock of (AP)habitation to which I may continually come;
You have given (AQ)commandment to save me,
For You are (AR)my [l]rock and my fortress.
4 (AS)Rescue me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked,
Out of the [m]grasp of the wrongdoer and ruthless man,
5 For You are my (AT)hope;
O Lord [n]God, You are my (AU)confidence from my youth.
6 [o]By You I have been (AV)sustained from my birth;
You are He who (AW)took me from my mother’s womb;
My (AX)praise is continually [p]of You.
7 I have become a (AY)marvel to many,
For You are (AZ)my strong refuge.
8 My (BA)mouth is filled with Your praise
And with (BB)Your glory all day long.
9 Do not cast me off in the (BC)time of old age;
Do not forsake me when my strength fails.
10 For my enemies have spoken [q]against me;
And those who (BD)watch for my [r]life (BE)have consulted together,
11 Saying, “(BF)God has forsaken him;
Pursue and seize him, for there is (BG)no one to deliver.”
12 O God, (BH)do not be far from me;
O my God, (BI)hasten to my help!
13 Let those who are adversaries of my soul be (BJ)ashamed and consumed;
Let them be (BK)covered with reproach and dishonor, who (BL)seek [s]to injure me.
14 But as for me, I will (BM)hope continually,
And will [t](BN)praise You yet more and more.
15 My (BO)mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And of (BP)Your salvation all day long;
For I (BQ)do not know the [u]sum of them.
16 I will come (BR)with the mighty deeds of the Lord [v]God;
I will (BS)make mention of Your righteousness, Yours alone.
17 O God, You (BT)have taught me from my youth,
And I still (BU)declare Your wondrous deeds.
18 And even when I am (BV)old and gray, O God, do not forsake me,
Until I (BW)declare Your [w]strength to this generation,
Your power to all who are to come.
19 [x]For Your (BX)righteousness, O God, reaches to the [y]heavens,
You who have (BY)done great things;
O God, (BZ)who is like You?
20 You who have (CA)shown [z]me many troubles and distresses
Will (CB)revive [aa]me again,
And will bring [ab]me up again (CC)from the depths of the earth.
21 May You increase my (CD)greatness
And turn to (CE)comfort me.
22 I will also praise You with [ac](CF)a harp,
Even Your [ad]truth, O my God;
To You I will sing praises with the (CG)lyre,
O (CH)Holy One of Israel.
23 My lips will (CI)shout for joy when I sing praises to You;
And my (CJ)soul, which You have redeemed.
24 My (CK)tongue also will utter Your righteousness all day long;
For they are (CL)ashamed, for they are humiliated who seek [ae]my hurt.
The Reign of the Righteous King.
A Psalm of Solomon.
72 Give the king (CM)Your judgments, O God,
And (CN)Your righteousness to the king’s son.
2 [af]May [ag]he (CO)judge Your people with righteousness
And [ah](CP)Your afflicted with justice.
3 [ai]Let the mountains bring [aj](CQ)peace to the people,
And the hills, in righteousness.
4 [ak]May he (CR)vindicate the [al]afflicted of the people,
Save the children of the needy
And crush the oppressor.
5 [am]Let them fear You (CS)while the sun endures,
And [an]as long as the moon, throughout all generations.
6 [ao]May he come down (CT)like rain upon the mown grass,
Like (CU)showers that water the earth.
7 In his days [ap]may the (CV)righteous flourish,
And (CW)abundance of peace till the moon is no more.
8 May he also rule (CX)from sea to sea
And from the River to the ends of the earth.
9 [aq]Let (CY)the nomads of the desert (CZ)bow before him,
And his enemies (DA)lick the dust.
10 [ar]Let the kings of (DB)Tarshish and of the [as](DC)islands bring presents;
The kings of (DD)Sheba and (DE)Seba (DF)offer [at]gifts.
11 [au]And let all (DG)kings bow down before him,
All (DH)nations serve him.
12 For he will (DI)deliver the needy when he cries for help,
The [av]afflicted also, and him who has no helper.
13 He will have (DJ)compassion on the poor and needy,
And the [aw]lives of the needy he will save.
14 He will [ax](DK)rescue their [ay]life from oppression and violence,
And their blood will be (DL)precious in his sight;
15 So may he live, and may the (DM)gold of Sheba be given to him;
And let [az]them pray for him continually;
Let [ba]them bless him all day long.
16 May there be abundance of grain in the earth on top of the mountains;
Its fruit will wave like the cedars of (DN)Lebanon;
And may those from the city flourish like (DO)vegetation of the earth.
17 May his (DP)name endure forever;
May his name [bb]increase [bc](DQ)as long as the sun shines;
And let men (DR)bless themselves by him;
(DS)Let all nations call him blessed.
18 (DT)Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
Who alone (DU)works wonders.
19 And blessed be His (DV)glorious name forever;
And may the whole (DW)earth be filled with His glory.
(DX)Amen, and Amen.
20 The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.
BOOK 3
The End of the Wicked Contrasted with That of the Righteous.
A Psalm of Asaph.
73 Surely God is (DY)good to Israel,
To those who are (DZ)pure in heart!
2 But as for me, (EA)my feet came close to stumbling,
My steps [bd]had almost slipped.
3 For I was (EB)envious of the [be]arrogant
As I saw the (EC)prosperity of the wicked.
4 For there are no pains in their death,
And their [bf]body is fat.
5 They are (ED)not [bg]in trouble as other [bh]men,
Nor are they (EE)plagued [bi]like mankind.
6 Therefore pride is (EF)their necklace;
The (EG)garment of violence covers them.
7 Their eye [bj]bulges from (EH)fatness;
The imaginations of their heart [bk]run riot.
8 They (EI)mock and [bl]wickedly speak of oppression;
They (EJ)speak from on high.
9 They have (EK)set their mouth [bm]against the heavens,
And their tongue [bn]parades through the earth.
10 Therefore [bo]his people return to this place,
And waters of (EL)abundance are [bp]drunk by them.
11 They say, “(EM)How does God know?
And is there knowledge [bq]with the Most High?”
12 Behold, (EN)these are the wicked;
And always (EO)at ease, they have increased in wealth.
13 Surely (EP)in vain I have [br]kept my heart pure
And (EQ)washed my hands in innocence;
14 For I have been stricken (ER)all day long
And [bs](ES)chastened every morning.
15 If I had said, “I will speak thus,”
Behold, I would have betrayed the (ET)generation of Your children.
16 When I (EU)pondered to understand this,
It was [bt]troublesome in my sight
17 Until I came into the [bu](EV)sanctuary of God;
Then I perceived their (EW)end.
18 Surely You set them in (EX)slippery places;
You cast them down to [bv](EY)destruction.
19 How they are [bw](EZ)destroyed in a moment!
They are utterly swept away by (FA)sudden terrors!
20 Like a (FB)dream when one awakes,
O Lord, when (FC)aroused, You will (FD)despise their [bx]form.
21 When my (FE)heart was embittered
And I was (FF)pierced [by]within,
22 Then I was (FG)senseless and ignorant;
I was like [bz]a (FH)beast [ca]before You.
23 Nevertheless (FI)I am continually with You;
You have taken hold of my right hand.
24 With Your counsel You will (FJ)guide me,
And afterward (FK)receive me [cb]to glory.
25 (FL)Whom have I in heaven but You?
And [cc]besides You, I desire nothing on earth.
26 My (FM)flesh and my heart may fail,
But God is the [cd]strength of my heart and my (FN)portion forever.
27 For, behold, (FO)those who are far from You will (FP)perish;
You have [ce]destroyed all those who [cf](FQ)are unfaithful to You.
28 But as for me, (FR)the nearness of God is my good;
I have made the Lord [cg]God my (FS)refuge,
That I may (FT)tell of all Your works.
An Appeal against the Devastation of the Land by the Enemy.
A [ch]Maskil of Asaph.
74 O God, why have You (FU)rejected us forever?
Why does Your anger (FV)smoke against the (FW)sheep of Your [ci]pasture?
2 Remember Your congregation, which You have (FX)purchased of old,
Which You have (FY)redeemed to be the (FZ)tribe of Your inheritance;
And this Mount (GA)Zion, where You have dwelt.
3 [cj]Turn Your footsteps toward the (GB)perpetual ruins;
The enemy (GC)has damaged everything within the sanctuary.
4 Your adversaries have (GD)roared in the midst of Your meeting place;
They have set up their (GE)own [ck]standards (GF)for signs.
5 It seems as if one had lifted up
His [cl](GG)axe in a [cm]forest of trees.
6 And now [cn]all its (GH)carved work
They smash with hatchet and [co]hammers.
7 They have [cp](GI)burned Your sanctuary [cq]to the ground;
They have (GJ)defiled the dwelling place of Your name.
8 They (GK)said in their heart, “Let us [cr]completely [cs]subdue them.”
They have burned all the meeting places of God in the land.
9 We do not see our (GL)signs;
There is (GM)no longer any prophet,
Nor is there any among us who knows (GN)how long.
10 How long, O God, will the adversary (GO)revile,
And the enemy (GP)spurn Your name forever?
11 Why (GQ)do You withdraw Your hand, even Your right hand?
From within Your bosom, (GR)destroy them!
12 Yet God is (GS)my king from of old,
Who works deeds of deliverance in the midst of the earth.
13 [ct]You (GT)divided the sea by Your strength;
[cu]You (GU)broke the heads of the (GV)sea monsters [cv]in the waters.
14 [cw]You crushed the heads of [cx](GW)Leviathan;
[cy]You gave him as food for the [cz]creatures (GX)of the wilderness.
15 [da]You (GY)broke open springs and torrents;
[db]You (GZ)dried up ever-flowing streams.
16 Yours is the day, Yours also is the night;
[dc]You have (HA)prepared the [dd]light and the sun.
17 [de]You have (HB)established all the boundaries of the earth;
[df]You have [dg]made (HC)summer and winter.
18 Remember this, [dh]O Lord, that the enemy has (HD)reviled,
And a (HE)foolish people has spurned Your name.
19 Do not deliver the soul of Your (HF)turtledove to the wild beast;
(HG)Do not forget the life of Your afflicted forever.
20 Consider the (HH)covenant;
For the (HI)dark places of the land are full of the habitations of violence.
21 Let not the (HJ)oppressed return dishonored;
Let the (HK)afflicted and needy praise Your name.
22 Arise, O God, and (HL)plead Your own cause;
Remember [di]how the (HM)foolish man reproaches You all day long.
23 Do not forget the voice of Your (HN)adversaries,
The (HO)uproar of those who rise against You which ascends continually.
God Abases the Proud, but Exalts the Righteous.
For the choir director; set to [dj]Al-tashheth. A Psalm of Asaph, a Song.
75 We (HP)give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks,
For Your name is (HQ)near;
Men declare (HR)Your wondrous works.
2 “When I select an (HS)appointed time,
It is I who (HT)judge with equity.
3 “The (HU)earth and all who dwell in it [dk]melt;
It is I who have firmly set its (HV)pillars. [dl]Selah.
4 “I said to the boastful, ‘Do not boast,’
And to the wicked, ‘(HW)Do not lift up the horn;
5 Do not lift up your horn on high,
(HX)Do not speak with insolent [dm]pride.’”
6 For not from the east, nor from the west,
Nor from the [dn](HY)desert comes exaltation;
7 But (HZ)God is the Judge;
He (IA)puts down one and exalts another.
8 For a (IB)cup is in the hand of the Lord, and the wine foams;
It is [do](IC)well mixed, and He pours out of this;
Surely all the wicked of the earth must drain and (ID)drink down its dregs.
9 But as for me, I will (IE)declare it forever;
I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
10 And all the (IF)horns of the wicked [dp]He will cut off,
But (IG)the horns of the righteous will be lifted up.
The Victorious Power of the God of Jacob.
For the choir director; on stringed instruments. A Psalm of Asaph, a Song.
76 God is (IH)known in Judah;
His name is (II)great in Israel.
2 His [dq](IJ)tabernacle is in (IK)Salem;
His (IL)dwelling place also is in Zion.
3 There He (IM)broke the [dr]flaming arrows,
The shield and the sword and the [ds]weapons of war. [dt]Selah.
4 You are resplendent,
[du]More majestic than the mountains of prey.
5 The (IN)stouthearted were plundered,
[dv]They sank into sleep;
And none of the [dw]warriors could use his hands.
6 At Your (IO)rebuke, O God of Jacob,
Both [dx](IP)rider and horse were cast into a dead sleep.
7 You, even You, are (IQ)to be feared;
And (IR)who may stand in Your presence when once [dy]You are angry?
8 You caused judgment to be heard from heaven;
The earth (IS)feared and was still
9 When God (IT)arose to judgment,
To save all the humble of the earth. Selah.
10 For the [dz](IU)wrath of man shall praise You;
With a remnant of wrath You will gird Yourself.
11 (IV)Make vows to the Lord your God and (IW)fulfill them;
Let all who are around Him (IX)bring gifts to Him who is to be feared.
12 He will cut off the spirit of princes;
He is [ea](IY)feared by the kings of the earth.
Comfort in Trouble from Recalling God’s Mighty Deeds.
For the choir director; [eb]according to Jeduthun. A Psalm of Asaph.
77 My voice rises to God, and I will (IZ)cry aloud;
My voice rises to God, and He will hear me.
2 In the (JA)day of my trouble I sought the Lord;
(JB)In the night my (JC)hand was stretched out [ec]without weariness;
My soul (JD)refused to be comforted.
3 When I remember God, then I am (JE)disturbed;
When I (JF)sigh, then (JG)my spirit grows faint. [ed]Selah.
4 You have held my eyelids open;
I am so troubled that I (JH)cannot speak.
5 I have considered the (JI)days of old,
The years of long ago.
6 I will remember my (JJ)song in the night;
I (JK)will meditate with my heart,
And my spirit [ee]ponders:
7 Will the Lord (JL)reject forever?
And will He (JM)never be favorable again?
8 Has His (JN)lovingkindness ceased forever?
Has His [ef](JO)promise come to an end [eg]forever?
9 Has God (JP)forgotten to be gracious,
Or has He in anger [eh]withdrawn His (JQ)compassion? Selah.
10 Then I said, “(JR)It is my [ei]grief,
That the (JS)right hand of the Most High has changed.”
11 I shall remember the (JT)deeds of [ej]the Lord;
Surely I will (JU)remember Your wonders of old.
12 I will (JV)meditate on all Your work
And muse on Your deeds.
13 Your way, O God, is (JW)holy;
(JX)What god is great like our God?
14 You are the (JY)God who works wonders;
You have (JZ)made known Your strength among the peoples.
15 You have by Your [ek]power (KA)redeemed Your people,
The sons of Jacob and (KB)Joseph. Selah.
16 The (KC)waters saw You, O God;
The waters saw You, they were in anguish;
The deeps also trembled.
17 The (KD)clouds poured out water;
The skies (KE)gave forth a sound;
Your (KF)arrows [el]flashed here and there.
18 The (KG)sound of Your thunder was in the whirlwind;
The (KH)lightnings lit up the world;
The (KI)earth trembled and shook.
19 Your (KJ)way was in the sea
And Your paths in the mighty waters,
And Your footprints may not be known.
20 You (KK)led Your people like a flock
By the hand of (KL)Moses and Aaron.
God’s Guidance of His People in Spite of Their Unfaithfulness.
A [em]Maskil of Asaph.
78 (KM)Listen, O my people, to my [en]instruction;
(KN)Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
2 I will (KO)open my mouth in a parable;
I will utter (KP)dark sayings of old,
3 Which we have heard and known,
And (KQ)our fathers have told us.
4 We will (KR)not conceal them from their children,
But (KS)tell to the generation to come the praises of the Lord,
And His strength and His (KT)wondrous works that He has done.
5 For He established a (KU)testimony in Jacob
And appointed a (KV)law in Israel,
Which He (KW)commanded our fathers
That they should [eo](KX)teach them to their children,
6 (KY)That the generation to come might know, even (KZ)the children yet to be born,
That they may arise and (LA)tell them to their children,
7 That they should put their confidence in God
And (LB)not forget the works of God,
But (LC)keep His commandments,
8 And (LD)not be like their fathers,
A (LE)stubborn and rebellious generation,
A generation that (LF)did not [ep]prepare its heart
And whose spirit was not (LG)faithful to God.
9 The sons of Ephraim [eq]were (LH)archers equipped with bows,
Yet (LI)they turned back in the day of battle.
10 They (LJ)did not keep the covenant of God
And refused to (LK)walk in His law;
11 They (LL)forgot His deeds
And His [er]miracles that He had shown them.
12 (LM)He wrought wonders before their fathers
In the land of Egypt, in the (LN)field of Zoan.
13 He (LO)divided the sea and caused them to pass through,
And He made the waters stand (LP)up like a heap.
14 Then He led them with the cloud by (LQ)day
And all the night with a (LR)light of fire.
15 He (LS)split the rocks in the wilderness
And gave them abundant drink like the ocean depths.
16 He (LT)brought forth streams also from the rock
And caused waters to run down like rivers.
17 Yet they still continued to sin against Him,
To (LU)rebel against the Most High in the desert.
18 And in their heart they (LV)put God to the test
By asking (LW)food according to their desire.
19 Then they spoke against God;
They said, “(LX)Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?
20 “Behold, He (LY)struck the rock so that waters gushed out,
And streams were overflowing;
Can He give bread also?
Will He provide [es](LZ)meat for His people?”
21 Therefore the Lord heard and [et]was (MA)full of wrath;
And a fire was kindled against Jacob
And anger also mounted against Israel,
22 Because they (MB)did not believe in God
And did not trust in His salvation.
23 Yet He commanded the clouds above
And (MC)opened the doors of heaven;
24 He (MD)rained down manna upon them to eat
And gave them [eu](ME)food from heaven.
25 Man did eat the bread of [ev]angels;
He sent them [ew]food [ex](MF)in abundance.
26 He (MG)caused the east wind to blow in the heavens
And by His [ey]power He directed the south wind.
27 When He rained [ez]meat upon them like the dust,
Even (MH)winged fowl like the sand of the seas,
28 Then He let them fall in the midst of [fa]their camp,
Round about their dwellings.
29 So they (MI)ate and were well filled,
And their desire He gave to them.
30 [fb]Before they had satisfied their desire,
(MJ)While their food was in their mouths,
31 The (MK)anger of God rose against them
And killed [fc]some of their (ML)stoutest ones,
And [fd]subdued the choice men of Israel.
32 In spite of all this they (MM)still sinned
And (MN)did not believe in His wonderful works.
33 So He brought (MO)their days to an end in [fe]futility
And their years in sudden terror.
34 When He killed them, then they (MP)sought Him,
And returned and searched (MQ)diligently for God;
35 And they remembered that God was their (MR)rock,
And the Most High God their (MS)Redeemer.
36 But they (MT)deceived Him with their mouth
And (MU)lied to Him with their tongue.
37 For their heart was not (MV)steadfast toward Him,
Nor were they faithful in His covenant.
38 But He, being (MW)compassionate, [ff](MX)forgave their iniquity and did not destroy them;
And often He [fg](MY)restrained His anger
And did not arouse all His wrath.
39 Thus (MZ)He remembered that they were but (NA)flesh,
A [fh](NB)wind that passes and does not return.
40 How often they (NC)rebelled against Him in the wilderness
And (ND)grieved Him in the (NE)desert!
41 Again and again they [fi](NF)tempted God,
And pained the (NG)Holy One of Israel.
42 They (NH)did not remember (NI)His [fj]power,
The day when He (NJ)redeemed them from the adversary,
43 When He performed His (NK)signs in Egypt
And His (NL)marvels in the field of Zoan,
44 And (NM)turned their rivers to blood,
And their streams, they could not drink.
45 He sent among them swarms of (NN)flies which devoured them,
And (NO)frogs which destroyed them.
46 He gave also their crops to the (NP)grasshopper
And the product of their labor to the (NQ)locust.
47 He [fk]destroyed their vines with (NR)hailstones
And their sycamore trees with frost.
48 He gave over their (NS)cattle also to the hailstones
And their herds to bolts of lightning.
49 He (NT)sent upon them His burning anger,
Fury and indignation and trouble,
[fl]A band of destroying angels.
50 He leveled a path for His anger;
He did not spare their soul from death,
But (NU)gave over their life to the plague,
51 And (NV)smote all the firstborn in Egypt,
The (NW)first issue of their virility in the tents of (NX)Ham.
52 But He (NY)led forth His own people like sheep
And guided them in the wilderness (NZ)like a flock;
53 He led them (OA)safely, so that they did not fear;
But (OB)the sea engulfed their enemies.
54 So (OC)He brought them to His holy [fm]land,
To this [fn](OD)hill country (OE)which His right hand had gained.
55 He also (OF)drove out the nations before them
And (OG)apportioned them for an inheritance by measurement,
And made the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents.
56 Yet they [fo](OH)tempted and (OI)rebelled against the Most High God
And did not keep His testimonies,
57 But turned back and (OJ)acted treacherously like their fathers;
They (OK)turned aside like a treacherous bow.
58 For they (OL)provoked Him with their (OM)high places
And (ON)aroused His jealousy with their (OO)graven images.
59 When God heard, He [fp]was filled with (OP)wrath
And greatly (OQ)abhorred Israel;
60 So that He (OR)abandoned the (OS)dwelling place at Shiloh,
The tent [fq]which He had pitched among men,
61 And gave up His (OT)strength to captivity
And His glory (OU)into the hand of the adversary.
62 He also (OV)delivered His people to the sword,
And [fr]was filled with wrath at His inheritance.
63 (OW)Fire devoured [fs]His young men,
And [ft]His (OX)virgins had no wedding songs.
64 [fu]His (OY)priests fell by the sword,
And [fv]His (OZ)widows could not weep.
65 Then the Lord (PA)awoke as if from sleep,
Like a (PB)warrior [fw]overcome by wine.
66 He [fx](PC)drove His adversaries backward;
He put on them an everlasting reproach.
67 He also (PD)rejected the tent of Joseph,
And did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,
68 But chose the tribe of Judah,
Mount (PE)Zion which He loved.
69 And He (PF)built His sanctuary like the heights,
Like the earth which He has founded forever.
70 He also (PG)chose David His servant
And took him from the sheepfolds;
71 From [fy](PH)the care of the [fz]ewes (PI)with suckling lambs He brought him
To (PJ)shepherd Jacob His people,
And Israel (PK)His inheritance.
72 So he shepherded them according to the (PL)integrity of his heart,
And guided them with his skillful hands.
A Lament over the Destruction of Jerusalem, and Prayer for Help.
A Psalm of Asaph.
79 O God, the (PM)nations have [ga]invaded (PN)Your inheritance;
They have defiled Your (PO)holy temple;
They have (PP)laid Jerusalem in ruins.
2 They have given the (PQ)dead bodies of Your servants for food to the birds of the heavens,
The flesh of Your godly ones to the beasts of the earth.
3 They have poured out their blood like water round about Jerusalem;
And there was (PR)no one to bury them.
4 We have become a (PS)reproach to our neighbors,
A scoffing and derision to those around us.
5 (PT)How long, O Lord? Will You be angry forever?
Will Your (PU)jealousy (PV)burn like fire?
6 (PW)Pour out Your wrath upon the nations which (PX)do not know You,
And upon the kingdoms which (PY)do not call upon Your name.
7 For they have (PZ)devoured Jacob
And (QA)laid waste his [gb]habitation.
8 (QB)Do not remember [gc]the iniquities of our forefathers against us;
Let Your compassion come quickly to (QC)meet us,
For we are (QD)brought very low.
9 (QE)Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of (QF)Your name;
And deliver us and [gd](QG)forgive our sins (QH)for Your name’s sake.
10 (QI)Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?”
Let there be known among the nations in our sight,
(QJ)Vengeance for the blood of Your servants which has been shed.
11 Let (QK)the groaning of the prisoner come before You;
According to the greatness of Your [ge]power preserve [gf]those who are (QL)doomed to die.
12 And return to our neighbors (QM)sevenfold (QN)into their bosom
[gg]The (QO)reproach with which they have reproached You, O Lord.
13 So we Your people and the (QP)sheep of Your [gh]pasture
Will (QQ)give thanks to You forever;
To all generations we will (QR)tell of Your praise.
God Implored to Rescue His People from Their Calamities.
For the choir director; set to [gi]El Shoshannim; [gj]Eduth. A Psalm of Asaph.
80 Oh, give ear, (QS)Shepherd of Israel,
You who lead (QT)Joseph like a flock;
You who (QU)are enthroned above the cherubim, shine forth!
2 Before (QV)Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh, (QW)stir up Your power
And come to save us!
3 O God, (QX)restore us
And (QY)cause Your face to shine upon us, [gk]and we will be saved.
4 O (QZ)Lord God of hosts,
(RA)How long will You [gl]be angry with the prayer of Your people?
5 You have fed them with the (RB)bread of tears,
And You have made them to drink tears in [gm]large measure.
6 You make us [gn]an object of contention (RC)to our neighbors,
And our enemies laugh among themselves.
7 O God of hosts, restore us
And cause Your face to shine upon us, [go]and we will be saved.
8 You removed a (RD)vine from Egypt;
You (RE)drove out the [gp]nations and (RF)planted it.
9 You (RG)cleared the ground before it,
And it (RH)took deep root and filled the land.
10 The mountains were covered with its shadow,
And [gq]the cedars of God with its (RI)boughs.
11 It was sending out its branches (RJ)to the sea
And its shoots to the River.
12 Why have You (RK)broken down its [gr]hedges,
So that all who pass that way pick its fruit?
13 A boar from the forest (RL)eats it away
And whatever moves in the field feeds on it.
14 O God of hosts, (RM)turn again now, we beseech You;
(RN)Look down from heaven and see, and take care of this vine,
15 Even the [gs](RO)shoot which Your right hand has planted,
And on the [gt]son whom You have [gu]strengthened for Yourself.
16 It is (RP)burned with fire, it is cut down;
They perish at the (RQ)rebuke of Your countenance.
17 Let (RR)Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand,
Upon the son of man whom You (RS)made strong for Yourself.
18 Then we shall not (RT)turn back from You;
(RU)Revive us, and we will call upon Your name.
19 O Lord God of hosts, (RV)restore us;
Cause Your face to shine upon us, [gv]and we will be saved.
God’s Goodness and Israel’s Waywardness.
For the choir director; [gw]on the Gittith. A Psalm of Asaph.
81 (RW)Sing for joy to God our (RX)strength;
Shout (RY)joyfully to the (RZ)God of Jacob.
2 Raise a song, strike (SA)the timbrel,
The sweet sounding (SB)lyre with the (SC)harp.
3 Blow the trumpet at the (SD)new moon,
At the full moon, on our (SE)feast day.
4 For it is a statute for Israel,
An ordinance of the God of Jacob.
5 He established it for a testimony in Joseph
When he [gx](SF)went throughout the land of Egypt.
I heard a (SG)language that I did not know:
6 “I [gy](SH)relieved his shoulder of the burden,
His hands were freed from the [gz]basket.
7 “You (SI)called in trouble and I rescued you;
I (SJ)answered you in the hiding place of thunder;
I proved you at the (SK)waters of Meribah. [ha]Selah.
8 “(SL)Hear, O My people, and I will [hb]admonish you;
O Israel, if you (SM)would listen to Me!
9 “Let there be no (SN)strange god among you;
Nor shall you worship any foreign god.
10 “(SO)I, the Lord, am your God,
Who brought you up from the land of Egypt;
(SP)Open your mouth wide and I will (SQ)fill it.
11 “But My people (SR)did not listen to My voice,
And Israel did not [hc]obey Me.
12 “So I (SS)gave [hd]them over to the stubbornness of their heart,
To walk in their own devices.
13 “Oh that My people (ST)would listen to Me,
That Israel would (SU)walk in My ways!
14 “I would quickly (SV)subdue their enemies
And (SW)turn My hand against their adversaries.
15 “(SX)Those who hate the Lord would (SY)pretend obedience to Him,
And their time of punishment would be forever.
16 “[he]But I would feed you with the [hf](SZ)finest of the wheat,
And with (TA)honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”
Unjust Judgments Rebuked.
A Psalm of Asaph.
82 God takes His (TB)stand in [hg]His own congregation;
He (TC)judges in the midst of the [hh](TD)rulers.
2 How long will you (TE)judge unjustly
And (TF)show partiality to the wicked? [hi]Selah.
3 (TG)Vindicate the weak and fatherless;
Do justice to the afflicted and destitute.
4 (TH)Rescue the weak and needy;
Deliver them out of the hand of the wicked.
5 They (TI)do not know nor do they understand;
They (TJ)walk about in darkness;
All the (TK)foundations of the earth are shaken.
6 [hj]I (TL)said, “You are gods,
And all of you are (TM)sons of the Most High.
7 “Nevertheless (TN)you will die like men
And fall like any (TO)one of the princes.”
8 (TP)Arise, O God, (TQ)judge the earth!
For it is You who (TR)possesses all the nations.
God Implored to Confound His Enemies.
A Song, a Psalm of Asaph.
83 O God, (TS)do not remain quiet;
(TT)Do not be silent and, O God, do not be still.
2 For behold, Your enemies (TU)make an uproar,
And (TV)those who hate You have [hk](TW)exalted themselves.
3 They (TX)make shrewd plans against Your people,
And [hl]conspire together against (TY)Your [hm]treasured ones.
4 They have said, “Come, and (TZ)let us wipe them out [hn]as a nation,
That the (UA)name of Israel be remembered no more.”
5 For they have [ho](UB)conspired together with one mind;
Against You they make a covenant:
6 The tents of (UC)Edom and the (UD)Ishmaelites,
(UE)Moab and the (UF)Hagrites;
7 (UG)Gebal and (UH)Ammon and (UI)Amalek,
(UJ)Philistia with the inhabitants of (UK)Tyre;
8 (UL)Assyria also has joined with them;
They have become [hp]a help to the (UM)children of Lot. [hq]Selah.
9 Deal with them (UN)as with Midian,
As (UO)with Sisera and Jabin at the torrent of Kishon,
10 Who were destroyed at En-dor,
Who (UP)became as dung for the ground.
11 Make their nobles like (UQ)Oreb and Zeeb
And all their princes like (UR)Zebah and Zalmunna,
12 Who said, “(US)Let us possess for ourselves
The (UT)pastures of God.”
13 O my God, make them like the [hr](UU)whirling dust,
Like (UV)chaff before the wind.
14 Like (UW)fire that burns the forest
And like a flame that (UX)sets the mountains on fire,
15 So pursue them (UY)with Your tempest
And terrify them with Your storm.
16 (UZ)Fill their faces with dishonor,
That they may seek Your name, O Lord.
17 Let them be (VA)ashamed and dismayed forever,
And let them be humiliated and perish,
18 That they may (VB)know that (VC)You alone, whose name is the Lord,
Are the (VD)Most High over all the earth.
Longing for the Temple Worship.
For the choir director; [hs]on the Gittith. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
84 How lovely are Your (VE)dwelling places,
O Lord of hosts!
2 My (VF)soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the Lord;
My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the (VG)living God.
3 The bird also has found a house,
And the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young,
Even Your (VH)altars, O Lord of hosts,
(VI)My King and my God.
4 How (VJ)blessed are those who dwell in Your house!
They are (VK)ever praising You. [ht]Selah.
5 How blessed is the man whose (VL)strength is in You,
In [hu]whose heart are the (VM)highways to Zion!
6 Passing through the valley of [hv]Baca they make it a [hw]spring;
The (VN)early rain also covers it with blessings.
7 They (VO)go from strength to strength,
[hx]Every one of them (VP)appears before God in Zion.
8 O (VQ)Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;
Give ear, O (VR)God of Jacob! Selah.
9 Behold our (VS)shield, O God,
And look upon the face of (VT)Your anointed.
10 For (VU)a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside.
I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God
Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
11 For the Lord God is (VV)a sun and (VW)shield;
The Lord gives grace and (VX)glory;
(VY)No good thing does He withhold [hy]from those who walk [hz]uprightly.
12 O Lord of hosts,
How (VZ)blessed is the man who trusts in You!
Prayer for God’s Mercy upon the Nation.
For the choir director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
85 O Lord, You showed (WA)favor to Your land;
You [ia](WB)restored the captivity of Jacob.
2 You (WC)forgave the iniquity of Your people;
You (WD)covered all their sin. [ib]Selah.
3 You (WE)withdrew all Your fury;
You (WF)turned away from Your burning anger.
4 (WG)Restore us, O God of our salvation,
And (WH)cause Your indignation toward us to cease.
5 Will (WI)You be angry with us forever?
Will You prolong Your anger to [ic]all generations?
6 Will You not Yourself [id](WJ)revive us again,
That Your people may (WK)rejoice in You?
7 Show us Your lovingkindness, O Lord,
And (WL)grant us Your salvation.
8 [ie]I will hear what God the Lord will say;
For He will (WM)speak peace to His people, [if]to His godly ones;
But let them not (WN)turn back to [ig]folly.
9 Surely (WO)His salvation is near to those who [ih]fear Him,
That (WP)glory may dwell in our land.
10 (WQ)Lovingkindness and [ii]truth have met together;
(WR)Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
11 [ij]Truth (WS)springs from the earth,
And righteousness looks down from heaven.
12 Indeed, (WT)the Lord will give what is good,
And our (WU)land will yield its produce.
13 (WV)Righteousness will go before Him
And will make His footsteps into a way.
A Psalm of Supplication and Trust.
A Prayer of David.
86 (WW)Incline Your ear, O Lord, and answer me;
For I am (WX)afflicted and needy.
2 (WY)Preserve my [ik]soul, for I am a (WZ)godly man;
O You my God, save Your servant who (XA)trusts in You.
3 Be (XB)gracious to me, O Lord,
For (XC)to You I cry all day long.
4 Make glad the soul of Your servant,
For to You, O Lord, (XD)I lift up my soul.
5 For You, Lord, are (XE)good, and (XF)ready to forgive,
And (XG)abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon You.
6 (XH)Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer;
And give heed to the voice of my supplications!
7 In (XI)the day of my trouble I shall call upon You,
For (XJ)You will answer me.
8 There is (XK)no one like You among the gods, O Lord,
Nor are there any works (XL)like Yours.
9 (XM)All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord,
And they shall glorify Your name.
10 For You are (XN)great and (XO)do [il]wondrous deeds;
You alone (XP)are God.
11 (XQ)Teach me Your way, O Lord;
I will walk in Your truth;
(XR)Unite my heart to fear Your name.
12 I will (XS)give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with all my heart,
And will glorify Your name forever.
13 For Your lovingkindness toward me is great,
And You have (XT)delivered my soul from the [im]depths of [in]Sheol.
14 O God, arrogant men have (XU)risen up against me,
And [io]a band of violent men have sought my [ip]life,
And they have not set You before them.
15 But You, O Lord, are a God (XV)merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and [iq]truth.
16 (XW)Turn to me, and be gracious to me;
Oh (XX)grant Your strength to Your servant,
And save the (XY)son of Your handmaid.
17 (XZ)Show me a sign for good,
That those who hate me may (YA)see it and be ashamed,
Because You, O Lord, (YB)have helped me and comforted me.
The Privileges of Citizenship in Zion.
A Psalm of the sons of Korah. A Song.
87 His (YC)foundation is in the holy mountains.
2 The Lord (YD)loves the gates of Zion
More than all the other dwelling places of Jacob.
3 (YE)Glorious things are spoken of you,
O (YF)city of God. [ir]Selah.
4 “I shall mention [is](YG)Rahab and Babylon [it]among those who know Me;
Behold, Philistia and (YH)Tyre with [iu](YI)Ethiopia:
‘This one was born there.’”
5 But of Zion it shall be said, “This one and that one were born in her”;
And the Most High Himself will (YJ)establish her.
6 The Lord will count when He (YK)registers the peoples,
“This one was born there.” Selah.
7 Then those who (YL)sing as well as those who [iv](YM)play the flutes shall say,
“All my (YN)springs of joy are in you.”
A Petition to Be Saved from Death.
A Song. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. For the choir director; according to Mahalath Leannoth. A [iw]Maskil of Heman [ix]the Ezrahite.
88 O Lord, the (YO)God of my salvation,
I have (YP)cried out by day and in the night before You.
2 Let my prayer (YQ)come before You;
(YR)Incline Your ear to my cry!
3 For my (YS)soul has [iy]had enough troubles,
And (YT)my life has drawn near to [iz]Sheol.
4 I am reckoned among those who (YU)go down to the pit;
I have become like a man (YV)without strength,
5 [ja]Forsaken (YW)among the dead,
Like the slain who lie in the grave,
Whom You remember no more,
And they are (YX)cut off from Your hand.
6 You have put me in (YY)the lowest pit,
In (YZ)dark places, in the (ZA)depths.
7 Your wrath (ZB)has rested upon me,
And You have afflicted me with (ZC)all Your waves. [jb]Selah.
8 You have removed (ZD)my acquaintances far from me;
You have made me an [jc](ZE)object of loathing to them;
I am (ZF)shut up and cannot go out.
9 My (ZG)eye has wasted away because of affliction;
I have (ZH)called upon You every day, O Lord;
I have (ZI)spread out my [jd]hands to You.
10 Will You perform wonders for the dead?
Will (ZJ)the [je]departed spirits rise and praise You? Selah.
11 Will Your lovingkindness be declared in the grave,
Your faithfulness in [jf]Abaddon?
12 Will Your wonders be made known in the (ZK)darkness?
And Your [jg]righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
13 But I, O Lord, have cried out (ZL)to You for help,
And (ZM)in the morning my prayer comes before You.
14 O Lord, why (ZN)do You reject my soul?
Why do You (ZO)hide Your face from me?
15 I was afflicted and (ZP)about to die from my youth on;
I suffer (ZQ)Your terrors; I am [jh]overcome.
16 Your (ZR)burning anger has passed over me;
Your terrors have [ji](ZS)destroyed me.
17 They have (ZT)surrounded me (ZU)like water all day long;
They have (ZV)encompassed me altogether.
18 You have removed (ZW)lover and friend far from me;
My acquaintances are in darkness.
The Lord’s Covenant with David, and Israel’s Afflictions.
A [jj]Maskil of [jk]Ethan [jl]the Ezrahite.
89 I will (ZX)sing of the lovingkindness of the Lord forever;
To all generations I will (ZY)make known Your (ZZ)faithfulness with my mouth.
2 For I have said, “(AAA)Lovingkindness will be built up forever;
In the heavens You will establish Your (AAB)faithfulness.”
3 “I have made a covenant with (AAC)My chosen;
I have (AAD)sworn to David My servant,
4 I will establish your (AAE)seed forever
And build up your (AAF)throne to all generations.” [jm]Selah.
5 The (AAG)heavens will praise Your wonders, O Lord;
Your faithfulness also (AAH)in the assembly of the (AAI)holy ones.
6 For (AAJ)who in the skies is comparable to the Lord?
Who among the [jn](AAK)sons of the mighty is like the Lord,
7 A God (AAL)greatly feared in the council of the (AAM)holy ones,
And (AAN)awesome above all those who are around Him?
8 O Lord God of hosts, (AAO)who is like You, O mighty [jo]Lord?
Your faithfulness also surrounds You.
9 You rule the swelling of the sea;
When its waves rise, You (AAP)still them.
10 You Yourself crushed [jp](AAQ)Rahab like one who is slain;
You (AAR)scattered Your enemies with [jq]Your mighty arm.
11 The (AAS)heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours;
The (AAT)world and [jr]all it contains, You have founded them.
12 The (AAU)north and the south, You have created them;
(AAV)Tabor and (AAW)Hermon (AAX)shout for joy at Your name.
13 You have [js]a strong arm;
Your hand is mighty, Your (AAY)right hand is exalted.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.