68:29 as you come out of your temple in Jerusalem! 1
Kings bring tribute to you.
68:31 They come with red cloth 2 from Egypt,
Ethiopia 3 voluntarily offers tribute 4 to God.
68:32 O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God!
Sing praises to the Lord, (Selah)
68:33 to the one who rides through the sky from ancient times! 5
Look! He thunders loudly. 6
For the music director; by David, a psalm, a song.
68:1 God springs into action! 8
His enemies scatter;
his adversaries 9 run from him. 10
Book 1
(Psalms 1-41)
1:1 How blessed 12 is the one 13 who does not follow 14 the advice 15 of the wicked, 16
or stand in the pathway 17 with sinners,
or sit in the assembly 18 of scoffers! 19
1:2 Instead 20 he finds pleasure in obeying the Lord’s commands; 21
he meditates on 22 his commands 23 day and night.
1:3 He is like 24 a tree planted by flowing streams; 25
it 26 yields 27 its fruit at the proper time, 28
and its leaves never fall off. 29
He succeeds in everything he attempts. 30
1:4 Not so with the wicked!
Instead 31 they are like wind-driven chaff. 32
1:5 For this reason 33 the wicked cannot withstand 34 judgment, 35
nor can sinners join the assembly of the godly. 36
1:6 Certainly 37 the Lord guards the way of the godly, 38
but the way of the wicked ends in destruction. 39
2:1 Why 41 do the nations rebel? 42
Why 43 are the countries 44 devising 45 plots that will fail? 46
2:2 The kings of the earth 47 form a united front; 48
the rulers collaborate 49
against the Lord and his anointed king. 50
2:3 They say, 51 “Let’s tear off the shackles they’ve put on us! 52
Let’s free ourselves from 53 their ropes!”
2:4 The one enthroned 54 in heaven laughs in disgust; 55
the Lord taunts 56 them.
2:5 Then he angrily speaks to them
and terrifies them in his rage, 57 saying, 58
2:6 “I myself 59 have installed 60 my king
on Zion, my holy hill.”
2:7 The king says, 61 “I will announce the Lord’s decree. He said to me: 62
‘You are my son! 63 This very day I have become your father!
2:8 Ask me,
and I will give you the nations as your inheritance, 64
the ends of the earth as your personal property.
2:9 You will break them 65 with an iron scepter; 66
you will smash them like a potter’s jar!’” 67
2:10 So now, you kings, do what is wise; 68
you rulers of the earth, submit to correction! 69
2:11 Serve 70 the Lord in fear!
Repent in terror! 71
2:12 Give sincere homage! 72
Otherwise he 73 will be angry, 74
and you will die because of your behavior, 75
when his anger quickly ignites. 76
How blessed 77 are all who take shelter in him! 78
A psalm of David, written when he fled from his son Absalom. 80
3:1 Lord, how 81 numerous are my enemies!
Many attack me. 82
3:2 Many say about me,
“God will not deliver him.” 83 (Selah) 84
3:3 But you, Lord, are a shield that protects me; 85
you are my glory 86 and the one who restores me. 87
3:4 To the Lord I cried out, 88
and he answered me from his holy hill. 89 (Selah)
3:5 I rested and slept;
I awoke, 90 for the Lord protects 91 me.
3:6 I am not afraid 92 of the multitude of people 93
who attack me from all directions. 94
3:7 Rise up, 95 Lord!
Deliver me, my God!
Yes, 96 you will strike 97 all my enemies on the jaw;
you will break the teeth 98 of the wicked. 99
3:8 The Lord delivers; 100
you show favor to your people. 101 (Selah)
For the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a psalm of David.
4:1 When I call out, answer me,
O God who vindicates me! 103
Though I am hemmed in, you will lead me into a wide, open place. 104
Have mercy on me 105 and respond to 106 my prayer!
4:2 You men, 107 how long will you try to turn my honor into shame? 108
How long 109 will you love what is worthless 110
and search for what is deceptive? 111 (Selah)
4:3 Realize that 112 the Lord shows the godly special favor; 113
the Lord responds 114 when I cry out to him.
4:4 Tremble with fear and do not sin! 115
Meditate as you lie in bed, and repent of your ways! 116 (Selah)
4:5 Offer the prescribed sacrifices 117
and trust in the Lord! 118
4:6 Many say, “Who can show us anything good?”
Smile upon us, Lord! 119
4:7 You make me happier 120
than those who have abundant grain and wine. 121
4:8 I will lie down and sleep peacefully, 122
for you, Lord, make me safe and secure. 123
117:1 Praise the Lord, all you nations!
Applaud him, all you foreigners! 125
117:1 Praise the Lord, all you nations!
Applaud him, all you foreigners! 127
A musical composition 129 by David, which he sang to the Lord concerning 130 a Benjaminite named Cush. 131
7:1 O Lord my God, in you I have taken shelter. 132
Deliver me from all who chase me! Rescue me!
7:2 Otherwise they will rip 133 me 134 to shreds like a lion;
they will tear me to bits and no one will be able to rescue me. 135
7:3 O Lord my God, if I have done what they say, 136
or am guilty of unjust actions, 137
7:4 or have wronged my ally, 138
or helped his lawless enemy, 139
7:5 may an enemy relentlessly chase 140 me 141 and catch me; 142
may he trample me to death 143
and leave me lying dishonored in the dust. 144 (Selah)
7:6 Stand up angrily, 145 Lord!
Rise up with raging fury against my enemies! 146
Wake up for my sake and execute the judgment you have decreed for them! 147
7:7 The countries are assembled all around you; 148
take once more your rightful place over them! 149
7:8 The Lord judges the nations. 150
Vindicate me, Lord, because I am innocent, 151
because I am blameless, 152 O Exalted One! 153
7:9 May the evil deeds of the wicked 154 come to an end! 155
But make the innocent 156 secure, 157
O righteous God,
you who examine 158 inner thoughts and motives! 159
7:10 The Exalted God is my shield, 160
the one who delivers the morally upright. 161
7:11 God is a just judge;
he is angry throughout the day. 162
7:12 If a person 163 does not repent, God sharpens his sword 164
and prepares to shoot his bow. 165
7:13 He prepares to use deadly weapons against him; 166
he gets ready to shoot flaming arrows. 167
7:14 See the one who is pregnant with wickedness,
who conceives destructive plans,
and gives birth to harmful lies – 168
7:15 he digs a pit 169
and then falls into the hole he has made. 170
7:16 He becomes the victim of his own destructive plans 171
and the violence he intended for others falls on his own head. 172
7:17 I will thank the Lord for 173 his justice;
I will sing praises to the sovereign Lord! 174
For the music director, according to the gittith style; 176 a psalm of David.
8:1 O Lord, our Lord, 177
how magnificent 178 is your reputation 179 throughout the earth!
You reveal your majesty in the heavens above! 180
8:2 From the mouths of children and nursing babies
you have ordained praise on account of your adversaries, 181
so that you might put an end to the vindictive enemy. 182
8:3 When I look up at the heavens, which your fingers made,
and see the moon and the stars, which you set in place, 183
8:4 Of what importance is the human race, 184 that you should notice 185 them?
Of what importance is mankind, 186 that you should pay attention to them, 187
8:5 and make them a little less than the heavenly beings? 188
You grant mankind 189 honor and majesty; 190
8:6 you appoint them to rule over your creation; 191
you have placed 192 everything under their authority, 193
8:7 including all the sheep and cattle,
as well as the wild animals, 194
8:8 the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea
and everything that moves through the currents 195 of the seas.
8:9 O Lord, our Lord, 196
how magnificent 197 is your reputation 198 throughout the earth! 199
For the music director; according to the alumoth-labben style; 201 a psalm of David.
9:1 I will thank the Lord with all my heart!
I will tell about all your amazing deeds! 202
9:2 I will be happy and rejoice in you!
I will sing praises to you, O sovereign One! 203
9:3 When my enemies turn back,
they trip and are defeated 204 before you.
9:4 For you defended my just cause; 205
from your throne you pronounced a just decision. 206
9:5 You terrified the nations with your battle cry; 207
you destroyed the wicked; 208
you permanently wiped out all memory of them. 209
9:6 The enemy’s cities have been reduced to permanent ruins; 210
you destroyed their cities; 211
all memory of the enemies has perished. 212
9:7 But the Lord 213 rules 214 forever;
he reigns in a just manner. 215
9:8 He judges the world fairly;
he makes just legal decisions for the nations. 216
9:9 Consequently 217 the Lord provides safety for the oppressed; 218
he provides safety in times of trouble. 219
9:10 Your loyal followers trust in you, 220
for you, Lord, do not abandon those who seek your help. 221
9:11 Sing praises to the Lord, who rules 222 in Zion!
Tell the nations what he has done! 223
9:12 For the one who takes revenge against murderers took notice of the oppressed; 224
he did not overlook 225 their cry for help 226
9:13 when they prayed: 227
“Have mercy on me, 228 Lord!
See how I am oppressed by those who hate me, 229
O one who can snatch me away 230 from the gates of death!
9:14 Then I will 231 tell about all your praiseworthy acts; 232
in the gates of Daughter Zion 233 I will rejoice because of your deliverance.” 234
9:15 The nations fell 235 into the pit they had made;
their feet were caught in the net they had hidden. 236
9:16 The Lord revealed himself;
he accomplished justice;
the wicked were ensnared by their own actions. 237 (Higgaion. 238 Selah)
9:17 The wicked are turned back and sent to Sheol; 239
this is the destiny of 240 all the nations that ignore 241 God,
9:18 for the needy are not permanently ignored, 242
the hopes of the oppressed are not forever dashed. 243
9:19 Rise up, Lord! 244
Don’t let men be defiant! 245
May the nations be judged in your presence!
9:20 Terrify them, Lord! 246
Let the nations know they are mere mortals! 247 (Selah)
10:1 Why, Lord, do you stand far off?
Why do you pay no attention during times of trouble? 249
10:2 The wicked arrogantly chase the oppressed; 250
the oppressed are trapped 251 by the schemes the wicked have dreamed up. 252
10:3 Yes, 253 the wicked man 254 boasts because he gets what he wants; 255
the one who robs others 256 curses 257 and 258 rejects the Lord. 259
10:4 The wicked man is so arrogant he always thinks,
“God won’t hold me accountable; he doesn’t care.” 260
10:5 He is secure at all times. 261
He has no regard for your commands; 262
he disdains all his enemies. 263
10:6 He says to himself, 264
“I will never 265 be upended,
because I experience no calamity.” 266
10:7 His mouth is full of curses and deceptive, harmful words; 267
his tongue injures and destroys. 268
10:8 He waits in ambush near the villages; 269
in hidden places he kills the innocent.
His eyes look for some unfortunate victim. 270
10:9 He lies in ambush in a hidden place, like a lion in a thicket; 271
he lies in ambush, waiting to catch 272 the oppressed;
he catches the oppressed 273 by pulling in his net. 274
10:10 His victims are crushed and beaten down;
they are trapped in his sturdy nets. 275
10:11 He says to himself, 276
“God overlooks it;
he does not pay attention;
he never notices.” 277
10:12 Rise up, Lord! 278
O God, strike him down! 279
Do not forget the oppressed!
10:13 Why does the wicked man reject God? 280
He says to himself, 281 “You 282 will not hold me accountable.” 283
10:14 You have taken notice, 284
for 285 you always see 286 one who inflicts pain and suffering. 287
The unfortunate victim entrusts his cause to you; 288
you deliver 289 the fatherless. 290
10:15 Break the arm 291 of the wicked and evil man!
Hold him accountable for his wicked deeds, 292
which he thought you would not discover. 293
10:16 The Lord rules forever! 294
The nations are driven out of his land. 295
10:17 Lord, you have heard 296 the request 297 of the oppressed;
you make them feel secure because you listen to their prayer. 298
10:18 You defend 299 the fatherless and oppressed, 300
so that mere mortals may no longer terrorize them. 301
For the music director; by David.
11:1 In the Lord I have taken shelter. 303
How can you say to me, 304
“Flee to a mountain like a bird! 305
11:2 For look, the wicked 306 prepare 307 their bows, 308
they put their arrows on the strings,
to shoot in the darkness 309 at the morally upright. 310
11:3 When the foundations 311 are destroyed,
what can the godly 312 accomplish?” 313
11:4 The Lord is in his holy temple; 314
the Lord’s throne is in heaven. 315
His eyes 316 watch; 317
his eyes 318 examine 319 all people. 320
11:5 The Lord approves of 321 the godly, 322
but he 323 hates 324 the wicked and those who love to do violence. 325
11:6 May the Lord rain down 326 burning coals 327 and brimstone 328 on the wicked!
A whirlwind is what they deserve! 329
11:7 Certainly 330 the Lord is just; 331
he rewards godly deeds; 332
the upright will experience his favor. 333
For the music director; according to the sheminith style; 335 a psalm of David.
12:1 Deliver, Lord!
For the godly 336 have disappeared; 337
people of integrity 338 have vanished. 339
12:2 People lie to one another; 340
they flatter and deceive. 341
12:3 May the Lord cut off 342 all flattering lips,
and the tongue that boasts! 343
12:4 They say, 344 “We speak persuasively; 345
we know how to flatter and boast. 346
Who is our master?” 347
12:5 “Because of the violence done to the oppressed, 348
because of the painful cries 349 of the needy,
I will spring into action,” 350 says the Lord.
“I will provide the safety they so desperately desire.” 351
12:6 The Lord’s words are absolutely reliable. 352
They are as untainted as silver purified in a furnace on the ground,
where it is thoroughly refined. 353
12:7 You, Lord, will protect them; 354
you will continually shelter each one from these evil people, 355
12:8 for the wicked seem to be everywhere, 356
when people promote evil. 357