Chronological
1 Blessed is the man, that goeth not in the counsel of wicked men; and stood not in the way of sinners, and sat not in the chair of pestilence. (Happy is the person who goeth not in the counsel of the wicked; and walketh not in the way of sinners, and sitteth not in the chair of pestilence.)
2 But his will is in the law of the Lord; and he shall bethink in the law of him day and night. (But his delight is in the Law of the Lord; and he shall think about his Law day and night.)
3 And he shall be as a tree, which is planted beside the runnings of waters; that shall give his fruit in his time. And his leaf shall not fall down; and all things, whichever he shall do, shall have prosperity. (And he shall be like a tree, which is planted beside the running water; it shall give its fruit at its proper time, and its leaves shall not fall down. Yea, everything, whatever he shall do, shall prosper.)
4 Not so wicked men, not so; but they be as dust, which the wind casteth away from the face of the earth. (Not so the wicked, not so; but they be like the dust, which the wind bloweth away from off the face of the earth.)
5 Therefore wicked men rise not again in doom; neither sinners in the council of just men. (And so the wicked shall not stand long at the judgement; nor shall the sinners stand with the congregation of the righteous.)
6 For the Lord knoweth the way of just men; and the way of wicked men shall perish. (For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous; but the wicked shall perish on their own way.)
2 Why gnashed with teeth heathen men; and peoples thought vain things? (Why do the heathen gnash with their teeth? and the peoples think up useless plans?)
2 The kings of earth stood together; and princes came together against the Lord, and against his Christ. (The kings of the earth stood together; yea, the rulers came together against the Lord, and against his anointed king.)
3 Break we the bonds of them; and cast we away the yoke of them from us. (And they said, Let us break their bonds, that is, their rule over us; yea, let us throw off their yoke from us.)
4 He that dwelleth in heavens shall scorn them; and the Lord shall bemock them. (But he who liveth in heaven shall scorn them; yea, the Lord shall mock them.)
5 Then he shall speak to them in his wrath; and he shall trouble them in his strong vengeance. (And then he shall speak to them in his anger; and he shall trouble them with his fury.)
6 Soothly I am ordained of him a king upon Zion, his holy hill; (And the Lord saith of me, I have set my king upon Zion; upon my holy hill.)
7 preaching his commandment. The Lord said to me, Thou art my son; I have begotten thee today. (And I said, I shall tell out his decree. Then the Lord said to me, Thou art my son; and today I have become thy father.)
8 Ask thou of me, and I shall give to thee heathen men (for) thine heritage; and (for) thy possession the terms of earth. (Ask thou of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thy inheritance; and the ends of the earth for thy possession.)
9 Thou shalt govern them in an iron rod; and thou shalt break them together as the vessel of a potter. (Thou shalt govern them with an iron rod; and thou shalt break them in pieces, like a clay pot.)
10 And now, ye kings, understand; ye that deem the earth, be ye learned. (And so now, ye kings, understand; ye who judge, or who rule, the earth, learn your lesson!)
11 Serve ye the Lord with dread; and make ye full out joy to him with trembling. (Serve ye the Lord in fear/Serve ye the Lord with reverence; and bow down before him with trembling.)
12 Take ye lore of chastising; lest the Lord be wroth sometime, and ye perish from the just way. When his wrath shall burn out in short time; blessed be all they, that trust in him. (Kiss ye the King, that is, worship and serve him; lest sometime, the Lord be angry. And then, ye perish on the way; when, in a moment of time, his anger flareth up. Happy be all they, who trust in him.)
15 The psalm of David. Lord, who shall dwell in thy tabernacle; either who shall rest in thine holy hill? (The song of David. Lord, who shall rest in thy Temple? who shall live on thy holy hill?)
2 He that entereth without wem; and worketh rightfulness. He that speaketh truth in his heart; (He who goeth on the way without blemish, or without fault; and doeth what is right. He who speaketh the truth from his heart;)
3 which did not guile in his tongue. Nor did evil to his neighbour; and took not reproof against his neighbours. (and did not deceive with his tongue. Yea, he who did no evil to his neighbours; nor took up any reproach, or spreadeth any rumour, against them.)
4 A wicked man is brought to nought in his sight; but he glorifieth them that dread the Lord. He that sweareth to his neighbour, and deceiveth him not; (He who regardeth the wicked as worthless; but he honoureth those who fear the Lord/those who revere the Lord. He who sweareth an oath, or who promiseth, to his neighbour, and deceiveth him not;)
5 which gave not his money to usury; and took not gifts upon the innocent. He, that doeth these things, shall not be moved [into] without end. (who did not put out his money to usury; and who took no gifts, or bribes, to be against the innocent. He, who doeth these things, shall never be moved, or shaken, from his secure place in the Lord.)
22 To (the) overcomer, for the morrowtide hind, the psalm of David. God, my God, behold thou on me, why hast thou forsaken me? the words of my trespasses be far from mine health. (To the overcomer, for the labourer in the morning, the song of David. God, my God, look thou upon me, why hast thou abandoned me? why is thy help so far from me, yea, from answering my plea?)
2 My God, I shall cry by day, and thou shalt not hear; and by night, and not to unwisdom to me. (My God, I cry to thee all day long, but thou answerest me not; and I cry to thee all night, without any ceasing.)
3 Forsooth thou, the praising of Israel, dwellest in holiness;
4 our fathers hoped in thee; they hoped, and thou deliveredest them. (our forefathers put their trust in thee; yea, they trusted thee, and thou deliveredest them.)
5 They cried to thee, and they were made safe; they hoped in thee, and they were not shamed. (They cried to thee, and they were saved; they trusted thee, and they were not put to shame, or were not disappointed.)
6 But I am a worm, and not a man; the shame of men, and the outcasting of the people. (But I am a worm, and not a man; despised, and an outcast among the people.)
7 All men seeing me scorned me; they spake with lips, and wagged the head, and said,
8 He hoped in the Lord, deliver he him; make he him safe, for he will him. (He hoped in the Lord, that he would rescue him; so let him save him, if he delighteth in him.)
9 For thou it art that drewest me out of the womb, that art mine hope from the teats of my mother; (For thou art he who drew me out of the womb, thou who art my hope from my mother’s breast;)
10 into thee I am cast forth from the womb. From the womb of my mother thou art my God; (and I was cast upon thee from the womb. Thou art my God from my mother’s womb;)
11 depart thou not from me. For tribulation is next; for none there is that helpeth. (go thou not away from me. For trouble is near; and there is no one to help me.)
12 Many calves (en)compassed me; fat bulls besieged me. (Many calves surrounded me; the strong bulls of Bashan besieged me.)
13 They opened their mouth on me; as a lion ravishing and roaring. (They opened their mouths upon me; like a roaring and ravaging lion.)
14 I am poured out as water; and all my bones be scattered. Mine heart is made, as wax floating abroad; in the midst of my womb. (I am poured out like water; and all my bones be out of joint. My heart hath turned to wax; and it melteth within me.)
15 My virtue dried as a tilestone, and my tongue cleaved to my cheeks; and thou hast brought forth me into the dust of death. (My strength dried up like a tilestone, and my tongue cleaved to my cheeks; and thou hast brought me down into the dust of death.)
16 For many dogs (en)compassed me; the council of wicked men besieged me. They delved mine hands and my feet; (For many dogs surrounded me; yea, a band of wicked men besieged me. They pierced my hands and my feet;)
17 they numbered all my bones. Soothly they looked (at), and beheld me; (and they counted up all my bones. Yea, they beheld me;)
18 they parted my clothes to themselves, and they sent lot on my cloth. (then they parted my clothes among themselves, and they cast lots for my cloak.)
19 But thou, Lord, delay not thine help from me; behold thou to my defence (hasten thou to my defence).
20 God, deliver thou my life from sword; and deliver thou mine one alone from the hand, or power, of the dog. (God, deliver thou my life from the sword; yea, rescue thou my very life from the power of these dogs.)
21 Make thou me safe from the mouth of a lion; and my meekness from the horns of unicorns. (Save thou me from the lion’s mouth; yea, my poor body from the horns of these bulls.)
22 I shall tell thy name to my brethren; I shall praise thee in the midst of the church. (I shall tell out thy name to my brothers, or my kinsmen; and I shall praise thee in the midst of the congregation.)
23 Ye that dread the Lord, praise him; all the seed of Jacob, glorify him. All the seed of Israel, dread him; (Ye who fear the Lord, praise him; all of Jacob’s children, glorify him. All of Israel’s descendants, fear him;/Ye who revere the Lord, praise him; all of Jacob’s children, glorify him. All of Israel’s descendants, revere him;)
24 for he forsook not, neither despised the prayer of a poor man. Neither he turned away his face from me; and when I cried to him, he heard me. (for he forsook not, nor despised the prayer of the poor man. Nor hath he turned his face away from him; but when he cried to him, he answered him.)
25 My praising is with thee in a great church; I shall yield my vows in the sight of men dreading him. (My praises shall be for thee before the great congregation; I shall pay my vows before those who fear thee/before those who revere thee.)
26 Poor men shall eat, and shall be [ful]filled, and they shall praise the Lord, that seek him; the hearts of them shall live into the world of world. (The poor shall eat, and shall be satisfied; and they who seek the Lord shall praise him, and their hearts shall live forever and ever.)
27 All the ends of earth shall bethink; and shall be converted to the Lord. And all the families of heathen men, shall worship in his sight. (All the ends of the earth shall remember the Lord; and shall turn to him. And all the families of the heathen, shall worship before him.)
28 For the realm is the Lord’s; and he shall be Lord of heathen men. (For the Lord is the King; and he is the Lord of the heathen, yea, of all the nations.)
29 All the fat men of earth ate and worshipped; all men, that go down into earth, shall fall down in his sight. And my soul shall live to him; (All the proud people of the earth shall eat at his feasts, and they shall worship him; all those, who go down into the earth, yea, who go down into the grave, shall bow down before him. And my soul shall live for him;)
30 and my seed shall serve him. A generation to coming shall be told to the Lord; (and my children, or my descendants, shall serve him. The generations to come shall be told about the Lord;)
31 and heavens shall tell his rightfulness to the people that shall be born, whom the Lord made. (they shall tell of his righteousness to the people yet to be born, yea, what the Lord hath done/that the Lord hath done this.)
23 The psalm of David. The Lord governeth me, and nothing shall fail to me; (The song of David. The Lord governeth me, and there is nothing that I shall lack;)
2 in the place of pasture there he hath set me. He nourished me on the water of refreshing; (he hath set me in a place of pasture. He nourished me by the waters of refreshing;)
3 he converted my soul. He led me forth on the paths of rightfulness; for his name. (he transformed my soul. He led me forth on the paths of righteousness/on the right paths; for the sake of his name.)
4 For why though I shall go in the midst of shadow of death; I shall not dread evils, for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff; those have comforted me. (For though I go in the midst of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil; for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they have comforted me.)
5 Thou hast made ready a board in my sight; against them that trouble me. Thou hast made fat mine head with oil; and my cup, that filleth greatly, is full clear. (Thou hast prepared a table before me; before those who trouble me. Thou hast covered my head with oil; and my cup, which thou greatly filleth, is full, indeed it runneth over.)
6 And thy mercy shall follow me; in all the days of my life. And that I dwell in the house of the Lord; into the length of days. (And thy love shall follow me; all the days of my life. And I shall live in the House of the Lord forever and ever.)
24 The psalm of David. The earth and the fullness thereof is the Lord’s; the world, and all that dwell therein. (The song of David. The earth and its fullness is the Lord’s; yea, the world, and all who live in it.)
2 For he founded it on the seas; and made it ready on floods. (For he founded it upon the seas; and established it upon the depths below.)
3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord; either who shall stand in the holy place of him? (Who shall go up on the hill of the Lord? who shall stand in his holy place?)
4 The innocent in hands, that is, in works, and in clean heart; which took not his soul in vain, neither swore in guile to his neighbour. (Those with innocent hands, or works, and with clean, or pure, hearts; they who took not their souls unto idols, nor swore falsely to their neighbours.)
5 He shall take blessing of the Lord; and mercy of God his health. (They shall receive a blessing from the Lord; mercy from the God of their salvation, or of their deliverance.)
6 This is the generation of men seeking him; of men seeking the face of God of Jacob. (This is the generation of people seeking him; of people seeking the face of the God of Jacob.)
7 Ye princes, take up your gates, and ye everlasting gates, be ye raised; and the king of glory shall enter. (Lift up your heads, ye gates, yea, ye everlasting gates, be ye raised up; and the King of glory shall enter in.)
8 Who is this king of glory? the Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. (Who is this King of glory? the strong and mighty Lord, the Lord mighty in battle.)
9 Ye princes, take up your gates, and ye everlasting gates, be ye raised; and the king of glory shall enter. (Lift up your heads, ye gates, yea, ye everlasting gates, be ye raised up; and the King of glory shall enter in.)
10 Who is this king of glory? the Lord of virtues, he is the king of glory. (Who is this King of glory? the Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory.) [a]
47 To victory, a psalm to the sons of Korah. All ye folks, make joy with hands; sing ye heartily to God in the voice of full out joying. (To victory, a song for the sons of Korah. All ye nations, make joy with your hands/clap with your hands; sing ye heartily to God with a joyful voice.)
2 For the Lord is high and fearedful; a great king on all earth. (For the Most High Lord is to be feared/For the Most High Lord is to be revered; a great King over all the earth.)
3 He made peoples subject to us; and heathen men under our feet. (He made the peoples subject to us; and put the heathen under our feet.)
4 He chose his heritage to us; the fairness of Jacob, whom he loved. (He chose our inheritance for us; for we who be the beauty of Jacob, whom he loved.)
5 God ascended in hearty song; and the Lord in the voice of a trump. (God ascended with a hearty song; the Lord went up with the sound of trumpets.)
6 Sing ye to our God, sing ye; sing ye to our king, sing ye. (Sing ye to our God, sing ye; sing ye to our King, sing ye.)
7 For God is king of all earth; sing ye [psalm] wisely. (For God is the King of all the earth; sing ye songs with all your skill/sing ye songs, and understand what they mean.)
8 God shall reign on heathen men; God sitteth on his holy seat. (God reigneth over all the heathen; yea, God sitteth on his holy throne.)
9 The princes of peoples be gathered together with God of Abraham; for the strong gods of earth be raised greatly. (The rulers of the nations be gathered together with the people of the God of Abraham; for the strong of the earth belong to God, and he is raised above them all.)
68 To victory, the psalm of the song of David. God rise up, and his enemies be scattered; and they that hate him, flee from his face. (May God rise up, and his enemies be scattered; and they who hate him, flee from his face.)
2 As smoke faileth, fail they; as wax floateth (away) from the face of fire, so perish [the] sinners from the face of God. (Like smoke vanisheth, so let them vanish; like wax melteth in the fire, so let the sinners perish in the presence of God.)
3 And just men eat, and make they fully joy in the sight of God; and delight they in gladness. (But the righteous be glad, and make full out joy, or rejoice, before God; yea, delight they, and be glad.)
4 Sing ye to God, say ye psalm to his name; make ye [a] way to him, that ascendeth on the going down, the Lord is name of him. Make ye fully joy in his sight, (his) enemies shall be troubled from the face of him, (Sing ye to God, sing ye a song to his name; make ye a way for him, who rideth over the plains of the desert/who rideth upon the clouds, yea, the Lord is his name. Make ye full out joy, or rejoice, before him, but his enemies shall be troubled before him,)
5 which is the father of fatherless and motherless children; and the judge of widows (who is the father of the fatherless and the motherless; and the judge of widows). God is in his holy place;
6 God that maketh men of one will to dwell in the house. Which leadeth out by strength them that be bound; in like manner them that make sharp, that dwell in sepulchres. (yea, God who helpeth people to come and live in a house with others. And who leadeth out those who be bound into freedom; but they who rebel shall live in a dry land.)
7 God, when thou wentest out in the sight of thy people; when thou passedest forth in the desert. (God, when thou wentest out before thy people; yea, when thou wentest forth in the wilderness,)
8 The earth was moved, for heavens dropped down from the face of God of Sinai; from the face of God of Israel. (the earth shook, and the heavens dropped down rain/and the heavens quaked, before the God of Sinai; yea, before the God of Israel.)
9 God, thou shalt (im)part willful rain to thine heritage, and it was sick; but thou madest it perfect. (God, thou imparted abundant rain upon the land of thy inheritance; it was enfeebled, or dry, but thou madest it perfect.)
10 Thy beasts shall dwell therein; God, thou hast made ready in thy sweetness to the poor man. (And thy people shall live there; God, in thy goodness, thou hast prepared it for the poor.)
11 The Lord shall give a word; to them that preach the gospel with much virtue. (The Lord gave the word; and many women preached this good news.)
12 The kings of virtues be made loved of the darling; and to the fairness of the house to part spoils. (The kings and their hosts, or their armies, fled away; and she of the house parted the spoils.)
13 If ye sleep among the midst of sorts, either heritages, (yet ye shall be as) the feathers of the culver (that) be (covered) of silver; and the hinder things of the back thereof be in the shining of gold. (Though ye have slept among the pots, yet ye shall be like the wings of the dove that be covered with silver; and the feathers on its back that be covered with shining gold.)
14 While the king of heaven deemeth kings thereon, they shall be made whiter than snow in Salmon; (When the King of heaven scattered the kings there; they fell like the snow in Salmon.)
15 the hill of God is a fat hill. The crudded hill is a fat hill; (The hill of God is like Mount Bashan; yea, the curdled hill is like Mount Bashan, with many peaks.)
16 whereto believe ye falsely, (ye) crudded hills? The hill in which it pleaseth well God to dwell therein; for the Lord shall dwell (there) into the end. (But why, ye curdled hills, gaze ye with envy at the hill where it well pleaseth God to live? for the Lord shall live there forever!)
17 The chariot of God is manyfold with ten thousand, a thousand of them that be glad; the Lord was in them, in Sinai, in the holy (place). (The chariots of God be twice ten thousand, yea, many thousands; the Lord came with them, from Sinai, to the holy place.)
18 Thou ascendedest on high, thou tookest captivity (captive); thou receivedest gifts among men. For why thou tookest (also from) them that believed not; for to dwell in the Lord God. (Thou ascendedest on high, thou tookest the captivity captive; thou receivedest gifts, or tribute, from people. But thou also receivedest gifts from those who believed not/from those who were rebellious; so that the Lord God might live among them.)
19 Blessed be the Lord each day; the God of our healths shall make an easy way to us. (Blessed be the Lord; each day the God of our salvation shall make our way easier for us.)
20 Our God is God to make men safe; and out-going from death is of the Lord God. (Our God is the God who saveth people; and our escape from death is by the Lord God.)
21 Nevertheless God shall break the heads of his enemies; the top of the hair of them that go in their trespasses. (But God shall break the heads of his enemies; yea, the top of their hair who go in their trespasses.)
22 The Lord said, I shall turn (again) from Bashan; I shall turn (again) into the depth of the sea. (The Lord said, I shall return from Bashan; I shall return from the depths of the sea./The Lord said, I shall bring back my people from Bashan; I shall bring them back from the depths of the sea.)
23 That thy foot be dipped in blood; the tongue of thy dogs be dipped in (the) blood of the enemies of him. (So that thy feet can be dipped in the blood of thy enemies; and so that the tongues of thy dogs can also be dipped in their blood.)
24 God, they saw thy goings in; the goings in of my God, of my king, which is in the holy (place). (God, they saw thy procession; yea, the procession of my God, of my King, who is in the holy place, or in the sanctuary.)
25 Princes joined with singers came before; in the middle/in the midst of young damsels singing in tympans. (First came the singers; then the players of the instruments, and after them the young women, singing with tympans/playing tambourines.)
26 In churches bless ye God; bless ye the Lord from the wells of Israel. (Bless ye God in the congregations; bless the Lord all ye tribes of Israel.)
27 There (is) Benjamin, a young man; in the ravishing of mind. The princes of Judah were the dukes of them; the princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali. (There is Benjamin, the smallest tribe, in the lead. Then the leaders of Judah with their company, and the leaders of Zebulun, and the leaders of Naphtali.)
28 God, command thou to thy virtue; God, confirm thou this thing, which thou hast wrought in us. (God, command thou to thy strength, or thy power; God, show thy strength, in what thou has wrought for us.)
29 From thy temple, which is in Jerusalem; kings shall offer gifts to thee. (For thy Temple, which is in Jerusalem, kings shall offer gifts to thee.)
30 Blame thou the wild beasts of the reed, the gathering together of bulls is among the kine of peoples; that they exclude them that be proved by silver. Destroy thou folks that will battles, (Rebuke thou the wild beasts of the reeds, that gathering together of bulls, that herd of peoples; until they all bow low, and offer thee their silver. Yea, destroy thou the nations that delight in battles.)
31 legates shall come from Egypt; Ethiopia shall come before the hands thereof to God. (Ambassadors shall come from Egypt; Ethiopia shall raise up her hands to God.)
32 Realms of the earth, sing ye to God; say ye psalm to the Lord. Sing ye to God; (Kingdoms of the earth, sing ye to God; sing ye a song to the Lord. Sing ye to God;)
33 that ascended on the heaven of heaven at the east. Lo! he shall give to his voice the voice of virtue, (who rideth upon the heavens of the heavens, from the old days. Lo! he sendeth out his voice, a strong voice.)
34 give ye glory to God on Israel; his great doing and his virtue is in the clouds. (Tell ye out the strength of God; yea, his glory, or his majesty, is over Israel, and his power, or his might, is in the heavens.)
35 God is wonderful in his saints; God of Israel, he shall give virtue, and strength, to his people; blessed be God. (God is wonderful as he cometh from his sanctuary; the God of Israel, he shall give power, and strength, to his people; blessed be God.)
2001 by Terence P. Noble