Bible in 90 Days
Prayer for Protection, Guidance, and Pardon.
A Psalm of David.
25 To You, Lord, I (A)lift up my soul.
2 My God, in You (B)I trust,
Do not let me (C)be ashamed;
Do not let my (D)enemies rejoice over me.
3 Indeed, (E)none of those who wait for You will be ashamed;
[a]Those who (F)deal treacherously without cause will be ashamed.
4 (G)Make me know Your ways, Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
5 Lead me in (H)Your truth and teach me,
For You are the (I)God of my salvation;
For You I (J)wait all the day.
6 (K)Remember, Lord, Your compassion and Your faithfulness,
For they have been [b](L)from of old.
7 Do not remember the (M)sins of my youth or my wrongdoings;
(N)Remember me according to Your faithfulness,
For Your (O)goodness’ sake, Lord.
8 (P)The Lord is good and (Q)upright;
Therefore He (R)instructs sinners in the way.
9 He (S)leads the [c]humble in justice,
And He (T)teaches the [d]humble His way.
10 All the paths of the Lord are (U)faithfulness and truth
To (V)those who comply with His covenant and His testimonies.
11 For the (W)sake of Your name, Lord,
(X)Forgive my wrongdoing, for it is great.
12 Who is the person who (Y)fears the Lord?
He will (Z)instruct him in the way he should choose.
13 His soul will (AA)dwell in [e]prosperity,
And his [f]descendants will (AB)inherit the [g]land.
14 The [h](AC)secret of the Lord is for those who fear Him,
[i]And He will (AD)make them know His covenant.
15 My (AE)eyes are continually toward the Lord,
For He will [j](AF)rescue my feet from the net.
16 (AG)Turn to me and be gracious to me,
For I am (AH)lonely and afflicted.
17 [k]The (AI)troubles of my heart are enlarged;
Bring me (AJ)out of my distresses.
18 (AK)Look at my misery and my trouble,
And (AL)forgive all my sins.
19 Look at my enemies, for they (AM)are many,
And they (AN)hate me with violent hatred.
20 (AO)Guard my soul and save me;
Do not let me (AP)be ashamed, for I take refuge in You.
21 Let (AQ)integrity and uprightness protect me,
For (AR)I wait for You.
22 (AS)Redeem Israel, God,
From all his distress.
Protestation of Integrity and Prayer for Protection.
A Psalm of David.
26 [l](AT)Vindicate me, Lord, for I have (AU)walked in my integrity,
And I have (AV)trusted in the Lord [m](AW)without wavering.
2 (AX)Examine me, Lord, and put me to the test;
(AY)Refine my [n]mind and my heart.
3 For Your (AZ)[o]goodness is before my eyes,
And I have (BA)walked in Your truth.
4 I do not (BB)sit with [p]deceitful people,
Nor will I go with [q](BC)pretenders.
5 I (BD)hate the assembly of evildoers,
And I will not sit with the wicked.
6 I will (BE)wash my hands in innocence,
And I will go around (BF)Your altar, Lord,
7 That I may proclaim with the voice of (BG)thanksgiving
And declare all Your [r]wonders.
8 Lord, I (BH)love the dwelling of Your house,
And the place [s]where Your (BI)glory remains.
9 (BJ)Do not [t]take my soul away along with sinners,
Nor my life with (BK)men of bloodshed,
10 In whose hands is a (BL)wicked scheme,
And whose right hand is full of (BM)bribes.
11 But as for me, I will (BN)walk in my integrity;
(BO)Redeem me, and be gracious to me.
12 (BP)My foot stands on (BQ)level ground;
In the (BR)congregations I will bless the Lord.
A Psalm of Fearless Trust in God.
A Psalm of David.
27 The Lord is my (BS)light and my (BT)salvation;
Whom should I fear?
The Lord is the [u](BU)defense of my life;
(BV)Whom should I dread?
2 When evildoers came upon me to (BW)devour my flesh,
My adversaries and my enemies, they (BX)stumbled and fell.
3 If an (BY)army encamps against me,
My heart will not fear;
If war arises against me,
In spite of this I am (BZ)confident.
4 (CA)One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek:
That I may (CB)dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
To behold (CC)the [v]beauty of the Lord
And to [w](CD)meditate in His temple.
5 For on the (CE)day of trouble He will (CF)conceal me in His [x]tabernacle;
He will (CG)hide me in the secret place of His tent;
He will (CH)lift me up on a rock.
6 And now (CI)my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me,
And I will offer (CJ)sacrifices in His tent [y]with shouts of joy;
I will (CK)sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.
7 (CL)Hear, Lord, when I cry with my voice,
And be gracious to me and (CM)answer me.
8 When You said, “(CN)Seek My face,” my heart said to You,
“(CO)I shall seek Your face, Lord.”
9 (CP)Do not hide Your face from me,
Do not turn Your servant away in (CQ)anger;
You have been (CR)my help;
(CS)Do not abandon me nor (CT)forsake me,
God of my salvation!
10 [z]For my father and (CU)my mother have forsaken me,
But (CV)the Lord will take me up.
11 (CW)Teach me Your way, Lord,
And lead me on a (CX)level path
Because of my enemies.
12 Do not turn me over to the [aa](CY)desire of my enemies,
For (CZ)false witnesses have risen against me,
And the violent (DA)witness.
13 I certainly believed that I would see the (DB)goodness of the Lord
In the (DC)land of the living.
14 (DD)Wait for the Lord;
Be (DE)strong and let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait for the Lord.
A Prayer for Help, and Praise for Its Answer.
A Psalm of David.
28 To You, Lord, I call;
My (DF)rock, do not be deaf to me,
For if You (DG)are silent to me,
I will become like those who (DH)go down to the pit.
2 Hear the (DI)sound of my pleadings when I cry to You for help,
When I (DJ)raise my hands (DK)toward [ab]Your holy (DL)sanctuary.
3 (DM)Do not drag me away with the wicked
And with those who practice injustice,
Who (DN)speak peace with their neighbors,
While evil is in their hearts.
4 Give back to them (DO)according to their work and according to the evil of their practices;
Give back to them according to the work of their hands;
Repay them what is due them.
5 Because they (DP)do not regard the works of the Lord
Nor the deeds of His hands,
He will tear them down and not build them up.
6 Blessed be the Lord,
Because He (DQ)has heard the sound of my pleading.
7 The Lord is my (DR)strength and my (DS)shield;
My heart (DT)trusts in Him, and I am helped;
Therefore (DU)my heart triumphs,
And with (DV)my song I shall thank Him.
8 The Lord is [ac]their (DW)strength,
And He is a refuge of (DX)salvation to His anointed.
9 (DY)Save Your people and bless (DZ)Your inheritance;
Be their (EA)shepherd also, and (EB)carry them forever.
The Voice of the Lord in the Storm.
A Psalm of David.
29 (EC)Ascribe to the Lord, [ad]sons of the mighty,
Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory [ae]due His name;
Worship the Lord (ED)in holy attire.
3 The (EE)voice of the Lord is on the waters;
The God of glory (EF)thunders,
The Lord is over [af](EG)many waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is (EH)powerful,
The voice of the Lord is majestic.
5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
Yes, the Lord breaks (EI)the cedars of Lebanon in pieces.
6 He makes Lebanon (EJ)skip like a calf,
And (EK)Sirion like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the Lord divides [ag]flames of fire.
8 The voice of the Lord [ah]shakes the wilderness;
The Lord shakes the wilderness of (EL)Kadesh.
9 The voice of the Lord makes (EM)the deer give birth
And strips the forests bare;
And (EN)in His temple everything says, “Glory!”
10 The Lord sat as King at the (EO)flood;
Yes, the Lord sits as (EP)King forever.
11 [ai]The Lord will give (EQ)strength to His people;
[aj]The Lord will bless His people with (ER)peace.
Thanksgiving for Rescue from Death.
A Psalm; a Song at the Dedication of the House. A Psalm of David.
30 I will (ES)exalt You, Lord, for You have (ET)lifted me up,
And have not let my (EU)enemies rejoice over me.
2 Lord my God,
I (EV)cried to You for help, and You (EW)healed me.
3 Lord, You have (EX)brought up my soul from [ak]Sheol;
You have kept me alive, [al]that I would not (EY)go down to the pit.
4 (EZ)Sing praise to the Lord, you (FA)His godly ones,
And (FB)praise the mention of His holiness.
5 For (FC)His anger is but for a moment,
His (FD)favor is for a lifetime;
Weeping may (FE)last for the night,
But a shout of joy comes in the morning.
6 Now as for me, I said in my prosperity,
“I will (FF)never be moved.”
7 Lord, by Your favor You have made my mountain to stand strong;
You (FG)hid Your face, I was dismayed.
8 To You, Lord, I called,
And to the Lord I pleaded for compassion:
9 “What gain is there in my blood, if I (FH)go down to the pit?
Will the (FI)dust praise You? Will it declare Your faithfulness?
10 “(FJ)Hear, Lord, and be gracious to me;
Lord, be my (FK)helper.”
11 You have turned (FL)my mourning into dancing for me;
You have (FM)untied my sackcloth and encircled me with (FN)joy,
12 That my [am](FO)soul may sing praise to You and not be silent.
Lord my God, I will (FP)give thanks to You forever.
A Psalm of Complaint and of Praise.
For the music director. A Psalm of David.
31 (FQ)In You, Lord, I have taken refuge;
Let me never (FR)be [an]put to shame;
(FS)In Your righteousness rescue me.
2 (FT)Incline Your ear to me, rescue me quickly;
Be a (FU)rock of [ao]strength for me,
A [ap]stronghold to save me.
3 For You are my rock and (FV)my fortress;
For the (FW)sake of Your name You will lead me and guide me.
4 You will (FX)pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me,
For You are my (FY)strength.
5 (FZ)Into Your hand I entrust my spirit;
You have (GA)redeemed me, Lord, (GB)God of [aq]truth.
6 I hate those who (GC)devote themselves to worthless [ar]idols,
But I (GD)trust in the Lord.
7 I will (GE)rejoice and be glad in Your faithfulness,
Because You have (GF)seen my misery;
You have known the troubles of my soul,
8 And You have not (GG)handed me over to the enemy;
You have set my feet in a large place.
9 Be gracious to me, Lord, for (GH)I am in distress;
My (GI)eye is wasted away from grief, (GJ)my soul and my body too.
10 For my life is spent with (GK)sorrow
And my years with sighing;
My (GL)strength has failed because of my guilt,
And (GM)my [as]body has wasted away.
11 Because of all my adversaries, I have become a (GN)disgrace,
Especially to my (GO)neighbors,
And an object of dread to my acquaintances;
Those who see me in the street flee from me.
12 I am (GP)forgotten like a dead person, out of mind;
I am like a broken vessel.
13 For I have heard the [at](GQ)slander of many,
(GR)Terror is on every side;
While they (GS)took counsel together against me,
They (GT)schemed to take away my life.
14 But as for me, I trust in You, Lord,
I say, “(GU)You are my God.”
15 My (GV)times are in Your hand;
(GW)Rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from those who persecute me.
16 Make Your (GX)face shine upon Your servant;
(GY)Save me in Your faithfulness.
17 Let me not be (GZ)put to shame, Lord, for I call upon You;
Let the (HA)wicked be put to shame, let them (HB)be silent in [au]Sheol.
18 Let the (HC)lying lips be speechless,
Which (HD)speak arrogantly against the righteous
With pride and contempt.
19 How great is Your (HE)goodness,
Which You have stored up for those who fear You,
Which You have performed for those who (HF)take refuge in You,
(HG)Before the sons of mankind!
20 You hide them in the (HH)secret place of Your presence from the (HI)conspiracies of mankind;
You keep them secretly in a [av]shelter from the (HJ)strife of tongues.
21 (HK)Blessed be the Lord,
For He has shown His (HL)marvelous faithfulness to me in a besieged (HM)city.
22 As for me, (HN)I said in my alarm,
“I am (HO)cut off from Your eyes”;
Nevertheless You (HP)heard the sound of my pleadings
When I called to You for help.
23 Love the Lord, all (HQ)His godly ones!
The Lord (HR)watches over the faithful
But fully (HS)repays the one who acts arrogantly.
24 (HT)Be strong and let your heart take courage,
All you who wait for the Lord.
Blessedness of Forgiveness and of Trust in God.
A Psalm of David. A [aw]Maskil.
32 (HU)How blessed is he whose wrongdoing is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered!
2 How blessed is a person whose guilt the Lord (HV)does not take into account,
And in whose spirit there is (HW)no deceit!
3 When (HX)I kept silent about my sin, (HY)my [ax]body wasted away
Through my [ay](HZ)groaning all day long.
4 For day and night (IA)Your hand was heavy upon me;
My [az](IB)vitality failed as with the dry heat of summer. Selah
5 I (IC)acknowledged my sin to You,
And I (ID)did not hide my guilt;
I said, “(IE)I will confess my wrongdoings to the Lord”;
And You (IF)forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah
6 Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You [ba](IG)in a time when You may be found;
Certainly (IH)in a flood of great waters, they will not reach him.
7 You are (II)my hiding place; You (IJ)keep me from trouble;
You surround me with [bb](IK)songs of deliverance. Selah
8 I will (IL)instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go;
I will advise you (IM)with My eye upon you.
9 Do not be (IN)like the horse or like the mule, which have no understanding,
Whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check,
Otherwise they will not come near to you.
10 The (IO)sorrows of the wicked are many,
But (IP)the one who trusts in the Lord, goodness will surround him.
11 Be (IQ)glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous ones;
And shout for joy, all you who are (IR)upright in heart.
Praise to the Creator and Protector.
33 (IS)Sing for joy in the Lord, you righteous ones;
Praise is (IT)becoming to the upright.
2 Give thanks to the Lord with the (IU)lyre;
Sing praises to Him with a (IV)harp of ten strings.
3 Sing to Him a (IW)new song;
Play skillfully with (IX)a shout of joy.
4 For the word of the Lord (IY)is right,
And all His work is done (IZ)in faithfulness.
5 He (JA)loves righteousness and justice;
The (JB)earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
6 By the (JC)word of the Lord the heavens were made,
And (JD)by the breath of His mouth (JE)all their [bc]lights.
7 He gathers the (JF)waters of the sea together [bd]as a heap;
He puts the depths in storehouses.
8 Let (JG)all the earth fear the Lord;
Let all the inhabitants of the world (JH)stand in awe of Him.
9 For (JI)He spoke, and it was done;
He commanded, and it [be]stood firm.
10 The Lord (JJ)nullifies the plan of nations;
He frustrates the plans of peoples.
11 The (JK)plan of the Lord stands forever,
The (JL)plans of His heart from generation to generation.
12 Blessed is the (JM)nation whose God is the Lord,
The people He has (JN)chosen for His own inheritance.
13 The Lord (JO)looks from heaven;
He (JP)sees all the sons of mankind;
14 From (JQ)His dwelling place He looks out
On all the inhabitants of the earth,
15 He who (JR)fashions [bf]the hearts of them all,
He who (JS)understands all their works.
16 (JT)The king is not saved by a mighty army;
A warrior is not rescued by great strength.
17 A (JU)horse is a false hope for victory;
Nor does it rescue anyone by its great strength.
18 Behold, (JV)the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him,
On those who (JW)wait for His faithfulness,
19 To (JX)rescue their soul from death
And to keep them alive (JY)in famine.
20 Our soul (JZ)waits for the Lord;
He is our (KA)help and our shield.
21 For our (KB)heart rejoices in Him,
Because we trust in His holy name.
22 Let Your favor, Lord, be upon us,
Just as we have waited for You.
The Lord, a Provider and the One Who Rescues Me.
A Psalm of David, when he pretended to be insane before [bg]Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed.
34 I will (KC)bless the Lord at all times;
His (KD)praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul will (KE)make its boast in the Lord;
The (KF)humble will hear it and rejoice.
3 (KG)Exalt the Lord with me,
And let’s (KH)exalt His name together.
4 I (KI)sought the Lord and He answered me,
And (KJ)rescued me from all my fears.
5 They (KK)looked to Him and were radiant,
And their faces will (KL)never be ashamed.
6 This wretched man cried out, and (KM)the Lord heard him,
And saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The (KN)angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him,
And rescues them.
8 (KO)Taste and see that the Lord is good;
How (KP)blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
9 Fear the Lord, you (KQ)His saints;
For to those who fear Him there is (KR)no lack of anything.
10 The young lions do without and suffer hunger;
But they who seek the Lord will (KS)not lack any good thing.
11 (KT)Come, you children, listen to me;
(KU)I will teach you (KV)the fear of the Lord.
12 (KW)Who is the person who desires life
And loves length of days, that he may (KX)see good?
13 Keep (KY)your tongue from evil
And your lips from speaking (KZ)deceit.
14 (LA)Turn from evil and do good;
Seek peace and (LB)pursue it.
15 The (LC)eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous,
And His ears are toward their cry for help.
16 The (LD)face of the Lord is against evildoers,
To (LE)eliminate the memory of them from the earth.
17 The righteous (LF)cry out, and the Lord hears
And rescues them from all their troubles.
18 The Lord (LG)is near to the (LH)brokenhearted
And saves those who are [bh](LI)crushed in spirit.
19 (LJ)The (LK)afflictions of the righteous are many,
But the Lord (LL)rescues him from them all.
20 He protects all his bones,
(LM)Not one of them is broken.
21 (LN)Evil will bring death to the wicked,
And those who hate the righteous will suffer for their guilt.
22 The Lord (LO)redeems the souls of His servants,
And none of those who (LP)take refuge in Him will suffer for their guilt.
Prayer for Rescue from Enemies.
A Psalm of David.
35 Contend, Lord, with those who (LQ)contend with me;
Fight against those who (LR)fight against me.
2 Take hold of [bi](LS)buckler and shield
And rise up as (LT)my help.
3 Draw also the spear and [bj]the battle-axe to meet those who pursue me;
Say to my soul, “I am (LU)your salvation.”
4 Let those be (LV)ashamed and dishonored who seek my [bk]life;
Let those be (LW)turned back and humiliated who devise evil against me.
5 Let them be (LX)like chaff before the wind,
With the angel of the Lord driving them on.
6 Let their way be dark and (LY)slippery,
With the angel of the Lord pursuing them.
7 For (LZ)they (MA)hid their net for me without cause;
Without cause they dug a pit for my soul.
8 Let (MB)destruction come upon him when he is unaware,
And (MC)let the net which he hid catch him;
Let him fall into that very (MD)destruction.
9 So my soul shall (ME)rejoice in the Lord;
It shall (MF)rejoice in His salvation.
10 All my (MG)bones will say, “Lord, (MH)who is like You,
Who rescues the afflicted from one (MI)who is too strong for him,
And (MJ)the afflicted and the poor from one who robs him?”
11 (MK)Malicious witnesses rise up;
They ask me things that I do not know.
12 They (ML)repay me evil for good,
To the bereavement of my soul.
13 But as for me, (MM)when they were sick, my (MN)clothing was sackcloth;
I (MO)humbled my soul with fasting,
But my (MP)prayer kept returning to [bl]me.
14 I went about as though it were my friend or brother;
I (MQ)bowed down [bm]in mourning, like one who mourns for a mother.
15 But (MR)at my [bn]stumbling they rejoiced and gathered themselves together;
The [bo](MS)afflicted people whom I did not know gathered together against me,
They [bp](MT)slandered me without ceasing.
16 Like godless jesters at a feast,
They (MU)gnashed at me with their teeth.
17 Lord, (MV)how long will You look on?
Rescue my soul (MW)from their ravages,
My (MX)only life from the lions.
18 I will (MY)give You thanks in the great congregation;
I will (MZ)praise You among a mighty people.
19 (NA)Do not let those who are wrongfully (NB)my enemies rejoice over me;
Nor let those (NC)who hate me for no reason [bq](ND)wink maliciously.
20 For they do not speak peace,
But they devise (NE)deceitful words against those who are quiet in the land.
21 They (NF)opened their mouth wide against me;
They said, “(NG)Aha, aha! Our eyes have seen it!”
22 (NH)You have seen it, Lord, (NI)do not keep silent;
Lord, (NJ)do not be far from me.
23 (NK)Stir Yourself, and awake to my right
And to my cause, my God and my Lord.
24 (NL)Judge me, Lord my God, according to Your righteousness,
And (NM)do not let them rejoice over me.
25 Do not let them say in their heart, “(NN)Aha, our desire!”
Do not let them say, “We have (NO)swallowed him up!”
26 May (NP)those be ashamed and altogether humiliated who rejoice at my distress;
May those who (NQ)exalt themselves over me be (NR)clothed with shame and dishonor.
27 May those (NS)shout for joy and rejoice, who take delight in (NT)my vindication;
And (NU)may they say continually, “The Lord be exalted,
Who (NV)delights in the prosperity of His servant.”
28 And (NW)my tongue shall proclaim Your righteousness
And Your praise all day long.
Wickedness of Humanity and Goodness of God.
For the music director. A Psalm of David the servant of the Lord.
36 [br]Wrongdoing speaks to the ungodly within [bs]his heart;
There is (NX)no fear of God before his eyes.
2 For it (NY)flatters him in his own eyes
Concerning the discovery of his wrongful deed and the hatred of it.
3 The (NZ)words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit;
He has (OA)ceased to [bt]be wise and to do good.
4 He (OB)plans wickedness on his bed;
He sets himself on a (OC)path that is not good;
He (OD)does not reject evil.
5 Your (OE)mercy, Lord, [bu]extends to the heavens,
Your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
6 Your (OF)righteousness is like the [bv]mountains of God;
Your (OG)judgments are like the great deep.
Lord, You [bw](OH)protect mankind and animals.
7 How (OI)precious is Your mercy, God!
And the sons of mankind (OJ)take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.
8 They (OK)drink their fill of the [bx]abundance of Your house;
And You allow them to drink from the (OL)river of Your delights.
9 For the (OM)fountain of life is with You;
In Your light we see light.
10 Prolong Your mercy to (ON)those who know You,
And Your (OO)righteousness to the upright of heart.
11 May the foot of pride not come upon me,
And may the hand of the wicked not drive me away.
12 Those who do injustice have fallen there;
They have been thrust down and (OP)cannot rise.
Security of Those Who Trust in the Lord, and Insecurity of the Wicked.
A Psalm of David.
37 (OQ)Do not get upset because of evildoers,
Do not be (OR)envious of wrongdoers.
2 For they will (OS)wither quickly like the grass,
And (OT)decay like the green plants.
3 (OU)Trust in the Lord and do good;
(OV)Live in the land and [by](OW)cultivate faithfulness.
4 (OX)Delight yourself in the Lord;
And He will (OY)give you the desires of your heart.
5 (OZ)Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him, and He will do it.
6 He will bring out (PA)your righteousness as the light,
And your judgment (PB)as the noonday.
7 [bz]Rest in the Lord and (PC)wait [ca]patiently for Him;
(PD)Do not get upset because of one who is (PE)successful in his way,
Because of the person who carries out wicked schemes.
8 Cease from anger and (PF)abandon wrath;
Do not get upset; it leads only to evildoing.
9 For (PG)evildoers will be eliminated,
But those who wait for the Lord, they will (PH)inherit the land.
10 Yet (PI)a little while and the wicked person will be no more;
And you will look carefully for (PJ)his place and he will not be there.
11 But (PK)the humble will inherit the land
And will delight themselves in (PL)abundant prosperity.
12 The wicked (PM)plots against the righteous,
And (PN)gnashes at him with his teeth.
13 The Lord (PO)laughs at him,
For He sees that (PP)his day is coming.
14 The wicked have drawn the sword and (PQ)bent their bow
To take down the (PR)afflicted and the needy,
To (PS)kill off those who are upright in conduct.
15 Their sword will enter their own heart,
And their (PT)bows will be broken.
16 (PU)Better is the little of the righteous
Than the abundance of many wicked.
17 For the (PV)arms of the wicked will be broken,
But the Lord (PW)sustains the righteous.
18 The Lord (PX)knows the days of the [cb]blameless,
And their (PY)inheritance will be forever.
19 They will not be ashamed in the time of evil,
And (PZ)in the days of famine they will have plenty.
20 But the (QA)wicked will perish;
And the enemies of the Lord will be like the [cc]glory of the pastures,
They vanish—(QB)like smoke they vanish away.
21 The wicked borrows and does not pay back,
But the righteous (QC)is gracious and gives.
22 For (QD)those blessed by Him will (QE)inherit the land,
But those (QF)cursed by Him will be eliminated.
23 (QG)The steps of a man are established by the Lord,
And He (QH)delights in his way.
24 When (QI)he falls, he will not be hurled down,
Because (QJ)the Lord is the One [cd]who holds his hand.
25 I have been young and now I am old,
Yet (QK)I have not seen the righteous forsaken
Or (QL)his [ce]descendants begging for bread.
26 All day long (QM)he is gracious and lends,
And (QN)his [cf]descendants are a blessing.
27 (QO)Turn from evil and do good,
So that you will dwell (QP)forever.
28 For the Lord (QQ)loves [cg]justice
And (QR)does not abandon His godly ones;
They are (QS)protected forever,
But the [ch](QT)descendants of the wicked will be eliminated.
29 The righteous will (QU)inherit the land
And (QV)dwell in it forever.
30 The mouth of the righteous (QW)utters wisdom,
And his tongue (QX)speaks justice.
31 The (QY)Law of his God is in his heart;
His (QZ)steps do not slip.
32 The (RA)wicked spies upon the righteous
And (RB)seeks to kill him.
33 The Lord will (RC)not leave him in his hand
Or (RD)let him be condemned when he is judged.
34 (RE)Wait for the Lord and keep His way,
And He will exalt you to inherit the land;
When the (RF)wicked are eliminated, you will see it.
35 I have (RG)seen a wicked, violent person
Spreading himself like a (RH)luxuriant [ci]tree in its native soil.
36 Then he passed away, and behold, he (RI)was no more;
I searched for him, but he could not be found.
37 Observe the [cj](RJ)blameless person, and look at the (RK)upright;
For the person of peace will have (RL)a future.
38 But wrongdoers will altogether be (RM)destroyed;
The future of the wicked will be (RN)eliminated.
39 But the (RO)salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;
He is their strength (RP)in time of trouble.
40 (RQ)The Lord helps them and rescues them;
He (RR)rescues them from the wicked and saves them,
Because they (RS)take refuge in Him.
Prayer of a Suffering Penitent.
A Psalm of David, for a memorial.
38 Lord, (RT)do not rebuke me in Your wrath,
And do not punish me in Your burning anger.
2 For Your (RU)arrows have sunk deep into me,
And (RV)Your hand has pressed down on me.
3 There is (RW)no healthy part in my flesh (RX)because of Your indignation;
There is no health (RY)in my bones because of my sin.
4 For my (RZ)guilty deeds have gone over my head;
Like a heavy burden they weigh too much for me.
5 My [ck]wounds grow foul and fester
Because of (SA)my foolishness.
6 I am bent over and (SB)greatly bowed down;
I (SC)go in mourning all day long.
7 For my [cl]sides are filled with (SD)burning,
And there is (SE)no healthy part in my flesh.
8 I feel (SF)faint and [cm]badly crushed;
I [cn](SG)groan because of the [co]agitation of my heart.
9 Lord, all (SH)my desire is [cp]before You;
And my (SI)sighing is not hidden from You.
10 My heart throbs, (SJ)my strength fails me;
And the (SK)light of my eyes, even [cq]that [cr]has gone from me.
11 My [cs](SL)loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague;
And my kinsmen (SM)stand far away.
12 Those who (SN)seek my life (SO)lay snares for me;
And those who (SP)seek to injure me have [ct]threatened destruction,
And they (SQ)plot deception all day long.
13 But I, like a person who is deaf, do not hear;
And I am like a (SR)person who cannot speak, who does not open his mouth.
14 Yes, I am like a person who does not hear,
And in whose mouth are no arguments.
15 For (SS)I wait for You, Lord;
You (ST)will answer, Lord my God.
16 For I said, “May they not rejoice over me,
Who, when my foot slips, (SU)would exalt themselves over me.”
17 For I am (SV)ready to fall,
And (SW)my [cu]sorrow is continually before me.
18 For I (SX)admit my guilt;
I am full of (SY)anxiety because of my sin.
19 But my (SZ)enemies are vigorous and [cv]strong,
And those who wrongfully (TA)hate me are many.
20 And those who (TB)repay evil for good,
They (TC)become my enemies, because I follow what is good.
21 Do not abandon me, Lord;
My God, (TD)do not be far from me!
22 (TE)Hurry to help me,
Lord, (TF)my salvation!
The Futility of Life.
For the music director, for [cw]Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.
39 I said, “I will (TG)keep watch over my ways
So that I (TH)do not sin with my tongue;
I will keep watch over (TI)my mouth as with a muzzle
While the wicked are in my presence.”
2 I was (TJ)mute [cx]and silent,
I [cy]refused to say even something good,
And my pain was stirred up.
3 My (TK)heart was hot within me,
While I was musing the fire burned;
Then I spoke with my tongue:
4 “Lord, let me know (TL)my end,
And what is the extent of my days;
Let me know how (TM)transient I am.
5 Behold, You have made (TN)my days like [cz]hand widths,
And my (TO)lifetime as nothing in Your sight;
Certainly all mankind standing is [da]a mere (TP)breath. Selah
6 Certainly every person (TQ)walks around as [db]a fleeting shadow;
They certainly make an (TR)uproar for nothing;
He (TS)amasses riches and does not know who will gather them.
7 “And now, Lord, for what do I wait?
My (TT)hope is in You.
8 (TU)Save me from all my wrongdoings;
Do not make me an object of (TV)reproach for the foolish.
9 I have become (TW)mute, I do not open my mouth,
Because it is (TX)You who have done it.
10 (TY)Remove Your plague from me;
Because of (TZ)the opposition of Your hand I am [dc]perishing.
11 With (UA)rebukes You punish a person for wrongdoing;
You (UB)consume like a moth what is precious to him;
Certainly (UC)all mankind is mere breath! Selah
12 “(UD)Hear my prayer, Lord, and listen to my cry for help;
Do not be silent (UE)to my tears;
For I am (UF)a stranger with You,
(UG)One who lives abroad, like all my fathers.
13 (UH)Turn Your eyes away from me, that I may become cheerful again
Before I depart and am no more.”
God Sustains His Servant.
For the music director. A Psalm of David.
40 I (UI)waited [dd]patiently for the Lord;
And He reached down to me and (UJ)heard my cry.
2 He brought me up out of the (UK)pit of [de]destruction, out of the mud;
And (UL)He set my feet on a rock, (UM)making my footsteps firm.
3 He put a (UN)new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;
Many will (UO)see and fear
And will trust in the Lord.
4 How (UP)blessed is the man who has made the Lord his trust,
And (UQ)has not turned to the [df]proud, nor to those who (UR)become involved in falsehood.
5 Many, Lord my God, are (US)the wonders which You have done,
And Your (UT)thoughts toward us;
There is no one to compare with You.
If I would declare and speak of them,
They (UU)would be too numerous to count.
6 (UV)You have not desired [dg]sacrifice and meal offering;
You have [dh]opened my ears;
You have not required burnt offering and sin offering.
7 Then I said, “Behold, I have come;
It is [di]written of me in the scroll of the book.
8 (UW)I delight to do Your will, my God;
(UX)Your Law is within my [dj]heart.”
9 I have (UY)proclaimed good news of righteousness in the great congregation;
Behold, I will (UZ)not restrain my lips,
Lord, (VA)You know.
10 I have (VB)not hidden Your righteousness within my heart;
I have (VC)spoken of Your faithfulness and Your salvation;
I have not concealed Your mercy and Your truth from the great congregation.
11 You, Lord, will not withhold Your compassion from me;
[dk]Your (VD)mercy and Your truth will continually watch over me.
12 For evils beyond number have (VE)surrounded me;
My (VF)guilty deeds have overtaken me, so that I am not able to see;
They are (VG)more numerous than the hairs of my head,
And my (VH)heart has [dl]failed me.
13 (VI)Be pleased, Lord, to rescue me;
(VJ)Hurry, Lord, to help me.
14 May those be (VK)ashamed and humiliated together
Who (VL)seek my [dm]life to destroy it;
May those be turned back and dishonored
Who delight [dn]in my hurt.
15 May those (VM)be [do]appalled because of their shame
Who (VN)say to me, “Aha, aha!”
16 (VO)May all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
May those who love Your salvation continually (VP)say,
“The Lord be exalted!”
17 But (VQ)I am afflicted and needy;
(VR)May the Lord be mindful of me.
You are my help and my savior;
Do not delay, my God.
The Psalmist in Sickness Complains of Enemies and False Friends.
For the music director. A Psalm of David.
41 Blessed is one who (VS)considers the [dp]helpless;
The Lord will save him (VT)on a day of [dq]trouble.
2 The Lord will (VU)protect him and keep him alive,
And he will be called [dr](VV)blessed upon the earth;
And (VW)do not turn him over to the desire of his enemies.
3 The Lord will sustain him upon his sickbed;
In his illness, You [ds]restore him to health.
4 As for me, I said, “Lord, be gracious to me;
(VX)Heal my soul, for (VY)I have sinned against You.”
5 My enemies (VZ)speak evil against me,
“When will he die, and his name perish?”
6 And [dt]when he comes to see me, he (WA)speaks [du]empty words;
His heart gathers wickedness to itself;
When he goes outside, he tells it.
7 All who hate me whisper together against me;
They (WB)plot my harm against me, saying,
8 “A wicked thing is poured out [dv]upon him,
So that when he lies down, he will (WC)not get up again.”
9 Even my [dw](WD)close friend in whom I trusted,
Who ate my bread,
Has lifted up his heel against me.
10 But You, Lord, be gracious to me and (WE)raise me up,
That I may repay them.
11 By this I know that (WF)You are pleased with me,
Because (WG)my enemy does not shout in triumph over me.
12 As for me, (WH)You uphold me in my integrity,
And You place me (WI)in Your presence forever.
13 (WJ)Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
From everlasting to everlasting.
Amen and Amen.
BOOK 2
Thirsting for God in Trouble and Exile.
For the music director. A [dx]Maskil of the sons of Korah.
42 As the deer [dy]pants for the water brooks,
So my soul [dz](WK)pants for You, God.
2 My soul (WL)thirsts for God, for the (WM)living God;
When shall I come and [ea](WN)appear before God?
3 My (WO)tears have been my food day and night,
While they (WP)say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”
4 I remember these things and (WQ)pour out my soul within me.
For I (WR)used to go over with the multitude and walk them to the house of God,
With a voice of (WS)joy and thanksgiving, a multitude celebrating a festival.
5 (WT)Why are you [eb](WU)in despair, my soul?
And why are you (WV)restless within me?
(WW)Wait for God, for I will [ec]again praise [ed]Him
For the [ee](WX)help of His [ef]presence, my God.
6 My soul is [eg]in despair within me;
Therefore I (WY)remember You from (WZ)the land of the Jordan
And the [eh]peaks of (XA)Hermon, from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls;
All Your (XB)breakers and Your waves have passed over me.
8 The Lord will (XC)send His goodness in the daytime;
And His song will be with me (XD)in the night,
A prayer to (XE)the God of my life.
9 I will say to God (XF)my rock, “Why have You forgotten me?
Why do I go about (XG)mourning [ei]because of the (XH)oppression of the enemy?”
10 As a shattering of my bones, my adversaries taunt me,
While they (XI)say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”
11 (XJ)Why are you [ej]in despair, my soul?
And why are you restless within me?
Wait for God, for I will again praise [ek]Him
For the [el]help of His presence, my God.
Prayer for Help.
43 (XK)Vindicate me, God, and (XL)plead my case against an ungodly nation;
[em]Save me from (XM)the deceitful and unjust person!
2 For You are the (XN)God of my strength; why have You (XO)rejected me?
Why do I go about (XP)mourning [en]because of the oppression of the enemy?
3 Send out Your (XQ)light and Your truth, they shall lead me;
They shall bring me to Your (XR)holy hill
And to Your (XS)dwelling places.
4 Then I will go to (XT)the altar of God,
To God [eo]my exceeding (XU)joy;
And I will praise You on the (XV)lyre, God, my God.
5 (XW)Why are you [ep]in despair, my soul?
And why are you restless within me?
Wait for God, for I will [eq]again praise [er]Him
For the [es]help of His presence, my God.
Former Times of Help and Present Troubles.
For the music director. A [et]Maskil of the sons of Korah.
44 God, we have heard with our ears,
Our (XX)fathers have told us
The (XY)work that You did in their days,
In the (XZ)days of old.
2 You with Your own hand (YA)drove out the nations;
Then You (YB)planted them;
You (YC)afflicted the peoples,
Then You (YD)let them go free.
3 For by their own sword they (YE)did not possess the land,
And their own arm did not save them,
But Your right hand and Your (YF)arm and the (YG)light of Your presence,
For You (YH)favored them.
4 You are (YI)my King, God;
(YJ)Command [eu]victories for Jacob.
5 Through You we will (YK)push back our adversaries;
Through Your name we will (YL)trample down those who rise up against us.
6 For I will (YM)not trust in my bow,
Nor will my sword save me.
7 But You (YN)have saved us from our adversaries,
And You have (YO)put to shame those who hate us.
8 In God we have (YP)boasted all day long,
And we will (YQ)give thanks to Your name forever. Selah
9 Yet You (YR)have rejected us and brought us to (YS)dishonor,
And (YT)do not go out with our armies.
10 You cause us to (YU)turn back from the enemy;
And those who hate us (YV)have taken spoils for themselves.
11 You turn us over [ev]to be eaten like (YW)sheep,
And have (YX)scattered us among the nations.
12 You (YY)sell Your people [ew]cheaply,
And have not [ex]profited by their sale.
13 You make us an object of (YZ)reproach to our neighbors,
Of scoffing and (ZA)ridicule to those around us.
14 You make us (ZB)a proverb among the nations,
A [ey](ZC)laughingstock among the peoples.
15 All day long my dishonor is before me
And [ez]I am covered with my (ZD)humiliation,
16 Because of the voice of one who (ZE)taunts and reviles,
Because of the presence of the (ZF)enemy and the avenger.
17 All this has come upon us, but we have (ZG)not forgotten You,
And we have not (ZH)dealt falsely with Your covenant.
18 Our heart has not (ZI)turned back,
And our steps (ZJ)have not deviated from Your way,
19 Yet You have (ZK)crushed us in a place of (ZL)jackals
And covered us with [fa](ZM)deep darkness.
20 If we had (ZN)forgotten the name of our God
Or extended our [fb]hands to (ZO)a strange god,
21 Would God not (ZP)find this out?
For He knows the secrets of the heart.
22 But (ZQ)for Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are regarded as (ZR)sheep to be slaughtered.
23 (ZS)Wake Yourself up, why (ZT)do You sleep, Lord?
Awake, (ZU)do not reject us forever.
24 Why do You (ZV)hide Your face
And (ZW)forget our affliction and oppression?
25 For our (ZX)souls have sunk down into the dust;
Our bodies cling to the earth.
26 (ZY)Rise up, be our help,
And (ZZ)redeem us because of Your mercy.
A Song Celebrating the King’s Marriage.
For the music director; according to the [fc]Shoshannim. A [fd]Maskil of the sons of Korah. A Song of Love.
45 My heart is moved with a good theme;
I [fe]address my [ff]verses to the [fg]King;
My tongue is the pen of (AAA)a ready writer.
2 You are the most handsome of the sons of mankind;
(AAB)Grace is poured [fh]upon Your lips;
Therefore God has (AAC)blessed You forever.
3 Strap (AAD)Your sword on Your thigh, [fi](AAE)Mighty One,
In Your splendor and majesty!
4 And in Your majesty ride on victoriously,
For the cause of truth, (AAF)humility, and righteousness;
Let Your (AAG)right hand teach You [fj]awesome things.
5 Your (AAH)arrows are sharp;
The (AAI)peoples fall under You;
Your arrows are (AAJ)in the heart of the King’s enemies.
6 (AAK)Your throne, God, is forever and ever;
(AAL)The scepter of Your kingdom is a scepter of justice.
7 You have (AAM)loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
Therefore God, Your God, has (AAN)anointed You
With the oil of joy above Your companions.
8 All Your garments are fragrant with (AAO)myrrh, aloes, and cassia;
From ivory palaces (AAP)stringed instruments have made You joyful.
9 Kings’ daughters are among (AAQ)Your noble women;
At Your (AAR)right hand stands the queen in (AAS)gold from Ophir.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.