Chronological
The Prayer of an Innocent Believer
Of David.
26 Lord, ·defend [vindicate] me because I have ·lived an innocent life [L walked in innocence; Job 1:1].
I have ·trusted [confidence in] the Lord and never ·doubted [wavered; faltered].
2 Lord, try me and test me;
look closely into my ·heart and mind [L kidneys and heart; C the seat of emotions and mind in Hebrew thought].
3 ·I see your love [L Your loyalty/covenant love is before my eyes],
and I ·live by your truth [walk in your truth/faithfulness].
4 I do not ·spend time [L sit] with ·liars [or worthless people],
nor do I ·make friends [L go] with ·those who hide their sin [hypocrites].
5 I hate the ·company [assembly] of evil people,
and I won’t sit with the wicked.
6 I wash my hands ·to show I am innocent [L in innocence],
and I ·come to [L go around] your altar, Lord.
7 I raise my voice in ·praise [or thanks]
and tell of all the ·miracles [wonderful things] you have done.
8 Lord, I love the ·Temple [L house] where you live,
where your glory [C manifest presence] ·is [dwells].
9 Do not ·kill me [take me away] with those sinners
or take my life with ·those murderers [the bloodthirsty; L men of blood].
10 ·Evil is [Schemes are] in their hands,
and ·they do wrong for money [L their right hand is full of bribes].
11 But I have ·lived an innocent life [L walked in innocence; v. 1],
so ·save [redeem; ransom] me and have mercy on me.
12 ·I stand in a safe place [L My feet stand on level ground].
Lord, I ·praise [bless] you in the great ·meeting [assembly].
Praise and Prayer for Help
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
40 I waited patiently for the Lord.
He ·turned [bent down; inclined; stooped] to me and heard my cry.
2 He ·lifted [drew] me out of the pit of ·destruction [or desolation],
out of the ·sticky mud [miry/muddy pit/bog/swamp].
He ·stood me [L placed my feet] on a rock
and made my ·feet [L step] steady.
3 He put a new song [C celebrating victory; 33:3; 96:1; 98:1; 144:9; 149:1; Is. 42:10; Rev. 5:9; 14:3] in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God.
Many people will see this and ·worship [fear] him.
Then they will ·trust [find refuge in] the Lord.
4 ·Happy [Blessed] is the person
who ·trusts [finds refuge in] the Lord,
who doesn’t turn to those who are proud
or to those who ·worship [go astray to] ·false gods [L a lie].
5 Lord my God, you have done many ·miracles [wonders; great acts].
Your plans for us are many.
If I tried to tell them all,
there would be too many to count [104:24; 139:17–18; John 21:25].
6 You do not want sacrifices and ·offerings [grain offerings; or gifts; tribute; Lev. 2:1].
But you have ·made a hole in [or pierced; L dug] my ear [C to make him hear better or perhaps a reference to the ritual that made one a slave forever; Ex. 21:6; Heb. 10:5–7].
You do not ask for burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17]
and ·sin [or purification] offerings [Lev. 4:3].
7 Then I said, “Look, I have come.
It is written about me in the ·book [scroll].
8 My God, I ·want [delight; take pleasure] to do ·what you want [your pleasure].
Your ·teachings [instructions; laws] are in my heart.”
9 I will tell ·about your goodness [the good news] in the great ·meeting of your people [assembly].
Lord, you know ·my lips are not silent [L I have not restrained my lips].
10 I do not hide your ·goodness [righteousness] in my heart;
I speak about your ·loyalty [faithfulness] and ·salvation [victory].
I do not hide your ·love [loyalty] and ·truth [faithfulness]
from the people in the great ·meeting [assembly].
11 Lord, do not ·hold back [restrain] your ·mercy [compassion] from me;
let your ·love [loyalty] and ·truth [faithfulness] always protect me.
12 ·Troubles [Evils] have surrounded me;
·there are too many to count [L without number].
My ·sins [iniquities] have ·caught [overtaken] me
so that I cannot see [C a way to escape].
I have more ·sins [iniquities] than hairs on my head,
and ·I have lost my courage [L my heart fails/abandons/forsakes me].
13 ·Please [L Be pleased], Lord, ·save [rescue; T deliver] me.
Hurry, Lord, to help me.
14 People are ·trying to kill me [L seeking my life].
Shame them and disgrace them.
People want to hurt me.
Let them ·run away [be turned back] in disgrace.
15 People are ·making fun of me [L saying to me, “Aha! Aha!”].
Let them be ·shamed into silence [L devastated by their own shame].
16 But let those who ·follow [L seek] you
be happy and glad.
They love you for ·saving [delivering] them.
May they always say, “·Praise [Magnify; Great is] the Lord!”
17 Lord, because I am poor and ·helpless [needy],
please ·remember [L think of; consider] me.
You are my helper and ·savior [rescuer; T deliverer].
My God, do not ·wait [delay].
Unfair Judges
For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A miktam [C perhaps “inscription”] of David.
58 Do you ·rulers [or silent ones; or gods; C sometimes spiritual beings such as angels are called “gods” in the OT; 82:1] really say what is ·right [righteous]?
Do you judge people ·fairly [with integrity]?
2 No, in your heart you plan evil;
you ·think up [dispense] ·violent crimes [violence] in the land.
3 From ·birth [L the womb], evil people ·turn away [go astray] from God;
they wander off and tell lies ·as soon as they are born [L from the belly; C another word for the womb; 51:5].
4 They ·are [L have poison/venom] like ·poisonous [venomous] snakes,
like deaf cobras that ·stop [plug] up their ears
5 so they cannot hear the music of the snake charmer
no matter how ·well he plays [wisely/skillfully he enchants].
6 God, break the teeth in their mouths!
·Tear out [Uproot] the fangs of those lions, Lord!
7 Let them ·disappear [vanish] like water that flows away.
Let them ·be cut short like a broken arrow [L draw their arrows like they are cut off].
8 Let them be like ·snails [slugs] that ·melt [dissolve] as they move [C snails leave a slime as they move].
Let them be like a ·child born dead [stillborn] who never saw the sun.
9 His anger will blow them away alive
faster than burning thorns can heat a pot [C likely a reference to quick retribution].
10 ·Good [Righteous] people will be glad when they see ·him get even [vengeance].
They will wash their feet in the blood of the wicked [Is. 63:1–6; Rev. 14:19–20; 19:13–14].
11 Then people will say,
“There really are ·rewards [fruits] for ·doing what is right [the righteous].
There really is a God who judges the ·world [earth; land].”
A Prayer for Protection
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. Of David.
61 God, hear my cry;
·listen [pay attention] to my prayer.
2 I call to you from the ends of the earth [C far from the Temple]
when ·I am afraid [L my heart grows faint].
·Carry [Lead] me away to ·a high mountain [L the rock that is higher than I am; C a place of refuge, perhaps referring to God as the rock; 18:2, 46; 19:14; 62:2].
3 You have been my ·protection [refuge],
like a strong tower against my enemies.
4 Let me ·live [sojourn] in your ·Holy Tent [L tent; C the sanctuary] forever.
Let me find ·safety [refuge] in the shelter of your wings [C an image of compassion, or perhaps referring to the cherubim whose wings cover the Ark of the Covenant; Ex. 25:20]. ·
5 God, you have heard my ·promises [vows].
You have given me what belongs to those who fear ·you [L your name].
6 ·Give the king a long life [L Add days to the days of the king];
let ·him live many years [L his years be forever and ever].
7 Let him ·rule [reign] in the presence of God forever.
Protect him with your ·love [loyalty] and ·truth [faithfulness].
8 Then I will ·praise [sing a psalm to] your name forever,
and every day I will ·keep my promises [fulfill my vows].
Trust Only in God
For the director of music. For Jeduthun [C a Levitical musician; 1 Chr. 16:41–42; 25:1, 6; 2 Chr. 5:12]. A psalm of David.
62 I ·find rest [wait quietly] in God;
only he can ·save me [give me victory].
2 He is my rock [61:2] and my ·salvation [victory].
He is my ·defender [fortress];
I will not be ·defeated [shaken].
3 How long will you ·attack [assault] someone?
Will all of you ·kill [murder] that person?
Who is like a leaning wall, like a fence ·ready to fall [that totters; C the wicked take advantage of the weak]?
4 They are planning to make that person ·fall [totter].
They enjoy telling lies.
With their mouths they bless,
but in their ·hearts [L innards] they curse. ·
5 I ·find rest [wait quietly] in God;
·only he gives me hope [L for my hope is in him].
6 He is my rock [61:2] and my ·salvation [victory].
He is my ·defender [fortress];
I will not be ·defeated [shaken].
7 My ·honor [glory] and ·salvation [victory] come from God.
He is my ·mighty [strong] rock and my ·protection [refuge].
8 People, ·trust [have confidence in] God all the time.
·Tell him all your problems [L Pour out your heart before him],
because God is our ·protection [refuge]. ·
9 The least of people are only a ·breath [vapor; bubble; vanity],
and even the greatest are just a ·lie [delusion].
On the scales, they ·weigh nothing [L go up];
together they are only a ·breath [vapor; bubble; vanity].
10 Do not ·trust [have confidence] in ·force [oppression; extortion].
Stealing is ·of no use [meaningless].
Even if you gain more riches,
don’t ·put your trust in [L set your heart on] them.
11 God has said this once,
and I have heard it ·over and over [L twice]:
God is strong.
12 The Lord is ·loving [loyal].
You ·reward [repay] people for what they have done [1 Pet. 1:17; Rev. 20:12–13; 22:12].
A Prayer Against Enemies
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
64 God, listen to my complaint.
·I am afraid of my enemies;
protect my life from them [L Protect my life from the dread of my enemies].
2 Hide me from ·those who plan wicked things [L the secret plans/conspiracy of the wicked],
from that ·gang [mob; restless group] who does evil [Prov. 1:8–19].
3 They sharpen their tongues like swords
and ·shoot [aim] bitter words like arrows.
4 From their hiding places they shoot at ·innocent [blameless] people;
they shoot suddenly and are not afraid.
5 They encourage each other to do wrong.
They talk about setting traps,
·thinking [or saying] ·no one will [L who can…?] see them.
6 They plan wicked things and say,
“We have a perfect plan.”
The ·mind [L insides and the heart/mind] of human beings is ·hard to understand [L deep].
7 But God will shoot them with arrows;
they will suddenly be struck down.
8 Their own ·words [tongues] will ·be used against them [L make them stumble].
All who see them will shake their heads [C in amazement at their downfall].
9 Then everyone will fear God [Prov. 1:7].
They will tell what God has done,
and they will ·learn from [reflect on] what he has done.
10 ·Good [Righteous] people will be happy in the Lord
and will find ·protection [refuge] in him.
Let everyone who is ·honest [virtuous in heart] praise the Lord.
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