©1997 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

©1997 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

13. Relentless pain (30:17) 14. Skin turned black (30:30) 15. Raging fever (30:30) 16. Dramatic weight loss (33:21) ©1997 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

JOB—NOTE ON 7:1–21 After having directed his words at his friends in ch. 6, Job then directed them at God. Throughout this section he used words and arguments that sounded much like Solomon in Ecclesiastes, i.e., "labor, vanity, trouble, and breath."

JOB—NOTE ON 7:1–10 hard service. He felt like a slave under tyranny of his master, longing for relief and reward (vv. 1–2); he was sleepless (vv. 3–4); he was loathsome because of worms and scabs, dried filth, and new running sores (v. 5); he was like a weaver's shuttle, tossed back and forth (v. 6); and he was like a breath or cloud that comes and goes on its way to death (vv. 7–10). In this discourse, Job attempted to reconcile in his own mind what God was doing.

JOB—NOTE ON 7:11 Therefore. On the basis of all he had said in vv. 1–10, he felt he had a right to express his complaint.

JOB—NOTE ON 7:12 sea, or a sea monster. The sea and the whale are two threatening forces that must be watched or curbed due to their destructive force. Job was not like that.

JOB—NOTE ON 7:13–14 Even when he slept, he had terrifying dreams so that he longed for death (vv. 15–16).

JOB—NOTE ON 7:17–18 Why is he so important, Job wonders, that God would spend all this attention on him? Why did God cause all this misery to one so insignificant as he?

JOB—NOTE ON 7:19 till I swallow my spit. This strange statement was an Arabic proverb, indicating a brief moment. Job was asking for a moment "to catch his breath," or in the case of the proverb, "swallow my spit."

JOB—NOTE ON 7:21 not pardon my transgression. Job conceded the argument of Eliphaz that he must have sinned, not because he was convinced, but because he seemed to find no other explanation (cf. 6:24).

JOB—NOTE ON 8:1–22 The second friendly accuser, Bildad, now offered his wisdom to Job. Bildad, also absolutely certain that Job had sinned and should repent, was ruthless in the charges he raised against God's servant. See Job 18 and 25 for Bildad's other speeches.

JOB—NOTE ON 8:2–7 Bildad accused Job of defending his innocence with a lot of hot air and reasoned that Job's circumstances were God's judgment on his sins and those of his family. Again, this is logical, based on the principle that God punishes sin, but it failed to account for the mystery of the heavenly debate between God and Satan (see chs. 1–2). He was sure something was wrong in Job's relationship with God, thus his call for repentance, with the confidence that when Job repented he would be blessed (8:6–7).

JOB—NOTE ON 8:3 Almighty pervert the right. Bildad took Job's claims for innocence and applied them to his simplistic notion of retribution. He concluded that Job was accusing God of injustice when God must be meting out justice to Job. Job tried to avoid outright accusations of this sort, but the evidence led Bildad to this conclusion because he had no knowledge of the heavenly facts.

JOB—NOTE ON 8:7 In fact, this was Job's outcome (cf. 42:10–17), not because Job repented of some specific sin, but because he humbled himself before the sovereign, inscrutable will of God.

JOB—NOTE ON 8:8–10 Here Bildad appealed to past authorities, godly ancestors who taught the same principle—that where there is suffering, there must be sin. So he had history as a witness to his misjudgment.

JOB—NOTE ON 8:11–19 He further supported his simple logic of cause and effect by illustrations from nature. Again he accused Job of sin, but surely he had forgotten God as well (v. 13).

JOB—NOTE ON 8:20 God will not reject a blameless man. This comment contains a veiled offer of hope. Job could laugh again but he must take steps to become blameless. But Bildad, like Job, was unaware of the dialogue between the Sovereign Judge and the Accuser in the opening chapters of the book and unaware that God had already pronounced Job "blameless" twice to heavenly beings (1:8; 2:3), as had the writer (1:1). Cf. Ps. 1:6; 126:2; 132:18.

JOB—NOTE ON 9:1–10:22 Job, in a mood of deep despair, responded to Bildad's accusations with arguments surrounding God's nature, also raised by Bildad, and

started to rationalize something about which he would later admit he knew dangerously little. Job concluded that God is holy, wise, and strong (vv. 4–10); but he wondered if he is fair (v. 22) and why he wouldn't make himself known to him. Before the mighty God, Job felt only despair. If God is not fair, all is hopeless, he thought.

JOB—NOTE ON 9:3 contend with him. Job referred to disputing one's innocence or guilt before God as a useless endeavor. Psalm 130:3 illustrates the point, "If you . . . should mark iniquities (keep records of sin), . . . who could stand (innocently in judgment)?"

JOB—NOTE ON 9:6 pillars tremble. In the figurative language of the day, this phrase described the supporting power that secured the position of the earth in the universe.

JOB—NOTE ON 9:9 Bear and Orion . . . Pleiades. Three stellar constellations (cf. Job 38:31–32). the chambers of the south. These were other constellations in the southern hemisphere, unseen by those who could see and name the three in the northern skies.

JOB—NOTE ON 9:13 the helpers of Rahab. This is symbolic of the ancient mythological sea monster (cf. 3:8; 7:12). God smiting the proud was a poetic way of saying that if the mythical monster of the sea (a metaphor for powerful, evil, chaotic forces) could not stand before God's anger, how could Job hope to? In a battle in God's court, he would lose. God is too strong (9:14–19).

JOB—NOTE ON 9:15, 20 Though I am in the right. He means here, not sinless, but having spiritual integrity, i.e., a pure heart to love, serve, and obey God. He was affirming again that his suffering was not due to sins he was not willing to confess. Even at that, God found something to condemn him for, he felt, making it hopeless, then, to contend with God.

JOB—NOTE ON 9:24 covers the faces of its judges. Job here indicted God for the inequities of his world. He accused God of treating all the same way, unfairly (vv. 21–23), and of even covering the eyes of earthly judges so that they would not see injustice. These are the charges that bring about God's rebuke of Job (chs. 38–41) and for which he eventually repented (42:1–6).

JOB—NOTE ON 9:25–26 Couriers running with messages, ships cutting swiftly, and eagles swooping rapidly convey the blur of painful, meaningless days of

despair that move by.

JOB—NOTE ON 9:27–28 Job said if he promised to change to a happy mood, he would break that promise and God would add that to his list of accusations.

JOB—NOTE ON 9:29–30 "God seems to have found me guilty," Job concluded, "so why struggle? Even if I make every effort to clean every aspect of my life, you will still punish me." This was deep despair and hopelessness.

JOB—NOTE ON 9:32 that we should come to trial together. Job acknowledged that, as a mere man, he had no right to call on God to declare his innocence or to contend with God over his innocence. Job was not arguing that he was sinless, but he didn't believe he had sinned to the extent that he deserved his severe suffering. Job held on to the same simplistic system of retribution as that of his accusers, which said that suffering was always caused by sin. And he knew he was not sinless, but he couldn't identify any unconfessed or unrepented sins. "Where is mercy?" he wondered.

JOB—NOTE ON 9:33–35 no arbiter between us. A court official who sees both sides clearly, as well as the source of disagreement, so as to bring resolution was not found. Where was an advocate, an arbitrator, an umpire, or a referee? Was there no one to remove God's rod and call for justice?

JOB—NOTE ON 10:2 condemn me. Not the condemnation of Job's soul, but Job's physical suffering as a punishment. He held nothing back in his misery (v. 1), but asked God to show him why all this had happened.

JOB—NOTE ON 10:3 the work of your hands. This is a biblical expression identifying what someone produces, in this case man, as created by God (cf. 14:15; Ps. 102:25; Heb. 1:10).

JOB—NOTE ON 10:4–7 see as man sees. Because he believed he was innocent, Job facetiously, somewhat sarcastically, asked if God was as limited in his ability to discern Job's spiritual condition as were Job's friends. He concluded by affirming that God did know he was innocent and that there was no higher court of appeal (v. 7).

JOB—NOTE ON 10:8–12 Again he returned to the question "Why was I born?" The answer that God had created him is given in magnificent language, indicating that life begins at conception.

JOB—NOTE ON 10:13–16 Job wondered if God had planned in his divine purpose not to be merciful to him.

JOB—NOTE ON 10:17 renew your witnesses. Job said God seemed to be sending people to accuse him. With each witness came another wave of condemnation and increased suffering.

JOB—NOTE ON 10:18 bring me out from the womb? Job returned to the question of why God allowed him to be born. This time he was not just lamenting the day of his birth, but he was asking God for the reason he allowed it to occur.

JOB—NOTE ON 10:20–22 "Since I was destined to these ills from my birth, at least give me a little breathing room during the brief days left to me, before I die," he said. Death was gloomily described as "darkness."

JOB—NOTE ON 11:1–20 Zophar the Naamathite now stepped in to interrogate Job. He was quite close to his friends and chose to pound Job with the same law of retaliation. Job must repent, he said, not understanding the reality. He was indignant at Job's protests of innocence. See Job 20 for Zophar's other speech.

JOB—NOTE ON 11:2–3 a man full of talk be judged right? The allegations against Job moved to a new level. Not only was Job guilty and unrepentant, he was also an empty talker. In fact, Job's long-winded defense of his innocence and God's apparent injustice was sin worthy of rebuke, in Zophar's mind.

JOB—NOTE ON 11:4 I am clean in God's eyes. Job never claimed sinlessness; in fact, he acknowledged that he had sinned (7:21; 13:26). But he still maintained his innocence of any great transgression or attitude of unrepentance, affirming his sincerity and integrity as a man of faith and obedience to God. This claim infuriated Zophar, and he wished God himself would confirm the accusations of Job's friends (11:5).

JOB—NOTE ON 11:6 secrets of wisdom. Job would have been much wiser if he had only known the unknowable secrets of God; in this case the scene in heaven between God and Satan would have clarified everything. But Job couldn't know the secret wisdom of God (vv. 7–9). Zophar should have applied his point to himself. If God's wisdom was so deep, high, long, and broad, how was it that he could understand it and have all the answers? Like his friends, Zophar thought he understood God and reverted to the same law of retaliation, the sowing and reaping principle, to again indict Job. He implied that Job was wicked (vv. 10– 11) and thought he was wise, though actually he was out of control as if he were a "wild donkey" man (v. 12).

JOB—NOTE ON 11:13–14 Zophar set out four steps of Job's repentance: 1) devote your heart to God; 2) stretch your hands to him in prayer for forgiveness; 3) put your sin far away; and 4) don't allow any sin in your tent. If Job did these things, he would be blessed (vv. 15–19). If Job didn't repent, he would die (v. 20). Zophar was right that the life of faith in God is based on penitence and obedience. He was right that God blesses his people with hope, security, and peace. But, like his friends, he was wrong in not understanding that God allows unpredictable and seemingly unfair suffering for reasons not known to us. He was wrong in presuming that the answer for Job was repentance.

JOB—NOTE ON 11:13–20 Zophar started out this section speaking directly to Job, "If you prepare . . ." and concluded speaking proverbially, "But the eyes of the wicked . . . ." In so doing Zophar avoided directly calling Job wicked, but succeeded with even greater force by being indirect. In the end, he told Job that his sin would bring about his death.

JOB—NOTE ON 12:1–14:22 Job responded in his defense with strong words, completing the first cycle of speeches.

JOB—NOTE ON 12:2–4 you are the people . . . wisdom will die with you. Job responded with cutting sarcasm directed at his know-it-all friends (v. 2) and then reminded them that he understood the principles of which they had spoken (v. 3), but they were irrelevant to his situation. On top of that, he despaired at the pain of becoming a derision to his friends, though he was innocent (v. 4).

JOB—NOTE ON 12:4 a just and blameless man. If this sounds like presumption, one only needs to recall that this was God's pronouncement on Job (1:8; 2:3).

JOB—NOTE ON 12:5 contempt for misfortune. When all was at ease with Job's friends, they didn't need him, and even mocked him.

JOB—NOTE ON 12:6 are secure. Job refuted the simplistic idea that the righteous always prosper and the wicked always suffer, by reminding them that God allows thieves and sinners to be prosperous and secure. So, why not believe he may also allow the righteous to suffer?

JOB—NOTE ON 12:7–10 All these elements (animals, birds, earth, and fish) of creation are called as illustrations that the violent prosper and live securely (v. 6). God made it so that the more vicious survive.

JOB—NOTE ON 12:12 Wisdom is with the aged. The questioning force of the preceding verse may carry over to make this a question also. "Shouldn't aged men be wise?" If this is true, then v. 12 is stinging sarcasm against Job's aged friends who gave unwise advice (cf. 15:10), and heard and spoke only what suited them (12:11).

JOB—NOTE ON 12:13–13:3 This section gives vivid definition to the wisdom, power, and sovereignty of God (v. 13). Job, despite his questions about his suffering, affirms that God's power is visible in nature, human society, religious matters, and national and international affairs. Job, however, expressed this in terms of fatalistic despair. Job knew all this and it didn't help (13:1–2); so he didn't want to argue with them anymore—he wanted to take his case before God (12:3).

JOB—NOTE ON 13:4–19 Job addressed his ineffective counselors.

JOB—NOTE ON 13:4–5 Job couldn't hold back from a blistering denunciation of his useless counselors, telling them that their silence would be true wisdom (cf. v. 13).

JOB—NOTE ON 13:7 falsely for God . . . deceitfully for him. He accused them of using lies and fallacies to vindicate God, when they asserted that Job was a sinner because he was a sufferer.

JOB—NOTE ON 13:8 Will you plead the case for God? "Are you wise enough to argue in God's defense?" he asked. To think that is very brash and really mocks God by misrepresenting him (v. 9) and should lead to fear of chastening (vv. 10– 11).

JOB—NOTE ON 13:12 ashes . . . clay. Ineffective and worthless.

JOB—NOTE ON 13:14 A proverb meaning "Why should I anxiously desire to save my life?" Like an animal who holds its prey in its mouth to preserve it or a man who holds in his hand what he wants to secure, Job could try to preserve his life, but that was not his motive.

JOB—NOTE ON 13:15 Though he slay me, I will hope in him. Job assured his accusers that his convictions were not self-serving, because he was ready to die trusting God. But still he would defend his innocence before God, and was confident that he was truly saved and not a hypocrite (v. 16).

JOB—NOTE ON 13:17–19 declaration . . . case . . . in the right . . . contend. The language of a courtroom came out strongly. Job could not just be silent and die (v. 19). He finished strongly before turning to God in prayer (13:20–14:22).

JOB—NOTE ON 13:20–14:22 Job turned to reason with God (v. 3) and pleaded his case.

JOB—NOTE ON 13:20–22 Job asked God to end his pain and stop frightening him with such terrors (cf. v. 24), then speak to him. He was concerned with his misery, but even more with his relation to the God he loved and worshiped.

JOB—NOTE ON 13:23 How many are my iniquities and my sins? Job wanted to know how many so that he could determine if his measure of suffering matched the severity of his sin, and he could then repent for sins he was unaware of.

JOB—NOTE ON 13:26 write bitter things against me. This a judicial phrase referencing the writing down of a sentence against a criminal, used figuratively for the extreme suffering as if it were a divine sentence as just punishment for extreme sin. Job felt God might be punishing him for sins committed years earlier in his youth.

JOB—NOTE ON 13:27 watch all my paths. In another context these words would speak of protection, but here, Job questioned whether or not God had held him on too tight a leash. The comment amounts to saying that God is being overly rigorous toward Job's sin, as compared to others.

JOB—NOTE ON 13:28 This general comment on the plight of man should not be separated from 14:1ff., which it introduces.

JOB—NOTE ON 14:1–12 Job embraced the fact of God's control over the issues of this life, but challenged their meaning. Life is short (vv. 1–2), all are sinners (v. 4), and days are limited (v. 5), then comes death (vv. 7–12). In light of this, Job asked God for a little grace instead of such intense judgment (v. 3), and a little rest from all the pain (v. 6), and suggested that a tree has more hope than he did (v. 7).

JOB—NOTE ON 14:13–17 Job asked to die and remain in the grave until God's anger was over, then be raised to life again when God called him back (vv. 13– 15). If he were dead, God wouldn't be watching every step, counting every sin (v. 16); it would all be hidden (v. 17). Here was the hope of resurrection for those who trusted God. Job had hope that if he died, he would live again (v. 14).

JOB—NOTE ON 14:18–22 Job returned to his complaint before God, and reverted to a hopeless mood, speaking about death as inevitable (vv. 18–20) and causing separation (v. 21). He was painfully sad to think of it (v. 22).

JOB—NOTE ON 15:1–21:34 The second cycle of speeches given by Job and his three friends. Job's resistance to their viewpoint and his appeals energized them to greater intensity in their confrontation.

JOB—NOTE ON 15:1–35 Eliphaz returns for his second session (see Job 4–5).

JOB—NOTE ON 15:1–6 He began by accusing Job of sinning by attacking God with his complaints. He felt Job was guilty of empty words and had not exhibited godly fear and righteous prayer (v. 4), but rather was sinning in his

prayer (vv. 5–6).

JOB—NOTE ON 15:7–13 Eliphaz condemned Job for rejecting the conventional wisdom, as if he had more insight than other men (vv. 7–9) and could reject the wisdom of the aged (v. 10) and the kindness of God (v. 11).

JOB—NOTE ON 15:14–16 A strong statement with regard to the sinfulness of man (cf. Rom. 3:23), that attacked Job's claim to righteousness. Verse 15 refers to holy angels who fell and brought impurity into the heavens (cf. Rev. 12:1–4). The truth is accurate, that all men are sinners—but irrelevant in Job's case, because his suffering was not due to any sin.

JOB—NOTE ON 15:17–35 Eliphaz once again returned to the same perspective and indicted Job for sin because Job was suffering. To support his relentless point, he launched into a lengthy monologue about the wicked and their outcomes in life, including many parallels to the sufferings of Job. He had pain, and didn't know when his life would end (v. 20). He suffered from fear, every sound alarmed him, and he thought his destroyer was near (vv. 21–22). He worried about having food (v. 23). His suffering made him question God (vv. 24–26). Once wellnourished, housed, and rich (vv. 27–29), he would lose it all (vv. 30–33). Eliphaz concluded by calling Job a hypocrite (vv. 34–35), saying that this was the reason things were going so badly.

JOB—NOTE ON 16:1–17:16 Job responded with his second rebuttal.

JOB—NOTE ON 16:2–5 miserable comforters are you all. Job's friends had come to comfort him. In spite of seven blissful days of silence at the outset, their mission had failed miserably, and their comfort had turned into more torment for Job. What started out as Eliphaz's sincere efforts to help Job understand his dilemma had turned into rancor and sarcasm. In the end, their haranguing had heightened the frustrations of all parties involved. If the matter were reversed and Job was comforter to his friends, he would never treat them as they have treated him. He would have strengthened and comforted them.

JOB—NOTE ON 16:6–9, 12–14 These poignant thoughts from Job lamented his suffering as severe judgment from God, who had worn him out, withered his strength, and chewed him up by severe scrutiny ("sharpens his eye"). Job refers to God as his "adversary," who had shattered, shaken, shot at, and sliced him (vv. 12–14).

JOB—NOTE ON 16:15–20 He had no one to turn to in his sorrow, except God (v. 19), who was silent and had not vindicated him.

JOB—NOTE ON 16:21 argue the case of a man with God. The pleading would be for a verdict of innocent on behalf of a friend or neighbor in a court setting before the judge/king. God anticipated the need of an advocate, and he has provided One in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ (cf. 1 Tim. 2:5; 1 John 2:1– 2).

JOB—NOTE ON 17:2 mockers. The would-be counselors had become actual enemies and the provocation for Job's tears (cf. 16:20).

JOB—NOTE ON 17:3 pledge. He called on God to promise (by a symbolic handshake) that his case would be heard in the heavenly court.

JOB—NOTE ON 17:4 not let them triumph. The blindness of Job's friends toward his innocence came from God, so Job asked that God would not let them succeed in their efforts against him.

JOB—NOTE ON 17:5 informs against. This Hebrew term came to mean "a prey," so that Job was referring to someone who delivers up a friend as prey to some enemy.

JOB—NOTE ON 17:6 a byword. This refers to shame, reproach, and a reputation that is extremely bad (cf. Deut. 28:37; Ps. 69:11). spit. The most disdainful act a person could commit to heap scorn and shame on someone as a wicked and unworthy person. Job's friends were aiding him in getting such a reputation (Job 17:7–8).

JOB—NOTE ON 17:9 Yet the righteous holds to his way. Job, and other righteous people who find themselves in a similar situation, must remain righteous. If they do, Job knew, the suffering would produce strength (cf. 2 Cor. 12:7–10).

JOB—NOTE ON 17:10 Job was not unteachable. He invited his friends to speak again if they had something wise to say, for a change, but not to talk about his restoration because he was done (vv. 11–16).

JOB—NOTE ON 17:15 where then is my hope? Job's hope was in God alone.

JOB—NOTE ON 17:16 Sheol. A reference to death, also used by our Lord in Matt.

16:18.

JOB—NOTE ON 18:1–21 Bildad, like his predecessor, ruthlessly attacked Job in his second speech (cf. ch. 8) by telling Job to stop complaining and to become sensible (18:2). Next he turned to scorn (18:3–4). Then he turned to another long tale of the bad outcomes the wicked experience (vv. 5–21).

JOB—NOTE ON 18:13 the firstborn of death. A poetical expression meaning the most deadly disease death ever produced.

JOB—NOTE ON 18:14 the king of terrors. Death, with all its terrors to the ungodly, personified.

JOB—NOTE ON 18:21 who knows not God. This describes "know" in a redemptive sense and is here applied to an unbeliever.

JOB—NOTE ON 19:1–29 Job's response to Bildad's second speech was desperate.

JOB—NOTE ON 19:1–5 He began with the anguished cry that his friends have become recalcitrant and relentless for mentors (vv. 2–3), and they have had no effect on his dealing with the sin they imagine is present (v. 4).

JOB—NOTE ON 19:5–7 Job confessed that if God sent him friends like Bildad, who needs enemies? He feared there was no justice.

JOB—NOTE ON 19:8–21 Job rehearsed his suffering. God had closed him in, stripped him, broken him, and turned against him (vv. 8–12). His family and friends had failed him (vv. 15–19), so that he was to be pitied because God had caused this to occur (vv. 21–22).

JOB—NOTE ON 19:12 cast up their siege ramp against me. In the ancient world conquering armies often had their own road crews level out the rough places so that their military forces could attack.

JOB—NOTE ON 19:20 skin of my teeth. This was the origin of a common slang phrase, referring to skin that is thin and fragile. The idea is that he had escaped death by a very slim margin. The loss of all his family, as well as the abuse of his friends was added to the terror of God-forsakenness that had gripped him.

JOB—NOTE ON 19:23–29 At the point of Job's greatest despair, his faith appeared

at its highest as he confidently affirmed that God was his Redeemer. He wanted that confidence in the record for all to know (vv. 23–24). Job wished that the activities of his life were put into words and "engraved in the rock," so all would know that he had not sinned to the magnitude of his suffering. God granted his prayer. God was his Redeemer (cf. Ex. 6:6; Ps. 19:14; 72:14; Isa. 43:14; 47:4; 49:26; Jer. 50:34), who would vindicate him in that last day of judgment on the earth when justice was finally done (cf. Jer. 12:1–3; John 5:25, 29; Rev. 20:11– 15).

JOB—NOTE ON 19:26–27 Job had no hope left for this life, but was confident that "after" he was dead, his Redeemer would vindicate him in the glory of a physical ("in my flesh") resurrection in which he would enjoy perfect fellowship with the Redeemer. That Jesus Christ is that Redeemer is the clear message of the gospel. See Luke 2:38; Rom. 3:24; Gal. 3:13; Eph. 1:7; Heb. 9:12.

JOB—NOTE ON 19:28–29 Job warned his friends that their misjudgment of him and violence against him could bring punishment on them.

JOB—NOTE ON 20:1–29 Zophar spoiled it all again for Job with his second and last speech (cf. 11:1–20), in which he admonished Job again to consider the fate of the wicked.

JOB—NOTE ON 20:5–6 wicked . . . godless . . . height. The application of Zophar's words about this wicked, hypocritical, proud person were aimed at Job. He would, like others so wicked, suffer the consequences of his sins (vv. 7–29).

JOB—NOTE ON 20:11 The wicked die young.

JOB—NOTE ON 20:12–22 Evil in a life takes away all the enjoyment, implying that Job had no joy because of sin, such as that in v. 19.

JOB—NOTE ON 20:23–29 Zophar concluded that more than just losing the enjoyment of life by sin, the wicked fall under the fury of God determined for such wickedness.

JOB—NOTE ON 21:1–34 Job's reply to Zophar's last speech, ending the second cycle of speeches, refuted the simplistic set of laws by which the mockers lived. He showed that the wicked prosper, and since it is clear that they do (they had argued that the wicked only suffer), then by inference, perhaps the righteous suffer. This presented serious problems for their supposed open-and-shut case against Job.

JOB—NOTE ON 21:1–16 Job called for his friends to be quiet and to listen to some amazing and terrifying truth (vv. 1–6), namely that the wicked do prosper (vv. 7– 13) though they deny God (vv. 14–15), and they prosper not by their doing, but God's (v. 16).

JOB—NOTE ON 21:17–22 Playing off Bildad's sentiment (see 18:5–6, 18–19), this whole section repeats the assertions of Job's friends regarding the judgment of sinners. To refute that perspective, Job suggested that his friends were guilty of telling God how he must deal with people (21:22).

JOB—NOTE ON 21:23–26 Some of the wicked live and die in prosperity, but some don't, canceling the absolutist nature of his counselors' argument.

JOB—NOTE ON 21:27–28 Again Job referred to the statements of his friends, Zophar in this case (see 20:7), who were trying to prove their "sin equals

suffering" idea.

JOB—NOTE ON 21:29–33 Job knew they would not listen to him, so he suggested they ask travelers, any of whom would tell them that wicked people prosper sometimes in this life, but there will be a day of doom for them when they die.

JOB—NOTE ON 21:34 The boastful words of the counselors were contradicted by facts.

JOB—NOTE ON 22:1–31:40 The third cycle of speeches is given by Job and his friends, with Zophar abstaining.

JOB—NOTE ON 22:1–30 Eliphaz's last speech got nasty with Job, as his frustration rose.

JOB—NOTE ON 22:2–4, 12–14 This counselor repeated the emphasis on the almighty nature of God, saying that God was so lofty and transcendent that he had no direct concern at all with Job. God didn't care personally about his complaints and claims to righteousness. God was not involved in the trivia of his life.

JOB—NOTE ON 22:5–11 This miserable comforter accused Job of wickedness that was great, naming various sins against humanity as the reasons for Job's trouble (vv. 10–11).

JOB—NOTE ON 22:15–19 Again, the fate of the wicked was expressed in the simplistic idea that all suffering comes from sin. Contrary to what Job had argued, the wicked characteristically die prematurely, and Job's claim that God prospered them (v. 18a) was counsel that Eliphaz rejected (vv. 18b–20).

JOB—NOTE ON 22:21–30 Eliphaz painted a picture of the life of blessing in store for Job if only he would return to God and repent of his sin (v. 23), emphasizing again that he did not believe Job was innocent (v. 30). "Stop all the speeches and complaints, repent, and everything will be fine," he thought.

JOB—NOTE ON 22:24 Ophir. A land with high quality gold, whose location is uncertain (cf. 28:16; Gen. 10:29).

JOB—NOTE ON 23:1–24:25 Job's reply to Eliphaz's third speech was not a rebuttal, but expressed Job's longing for fellowship with God, so he could

experience God's love and goodness and hear from him the meaning of all his suffering.

JOB—NOTE ON 23:3 his seat. A place of judgment.

JOB—NOTE ON 23:4 my case. Job's claim to innocence.

JOB—NOTE ON 23:6–7 contend. Engage in court debate over evidence, witnesses, etc. Job knew God was not going to enter a contest with him to determine, as in a court case, who was right. But he wanted God to at least listen to him, so confident was he that he could make his case, and be delivered by his just Judge (cf. 1:8; 2:3).

JOB—NOTE ON 23:8–12 Even though Job couldn't sense God's presence, he believed he was present and affirmed his commitment to God's purpose in this test (v. 10) and his continued obedience to God's word, which were the most important issues in his life (vv. 11–12).

JOB—NOTE ON 23:14 he will complete what he appoints for me. Job's resignation to God's sovereignty faltered at times in practice, but he returned to it repeatedly. It is the great lesson of the book: Trust sovereign God when you can't understand why things go badly in life.

JOB—NOTE ON 24:1–25 Job had made the point that the unrighteous prosper in spite of their sin (ch. 21). Extending that theme, he listed the kinds of severe sins that go on in the world and God doesn't seem to do anything to stop them (24:2– 17), so that the wicked, in general, prosper and live long lives, seemingly unabated. These sins—oppressing the orphans, widows, and poor as well as committing murder, thievery, and adultery—are the very ones forbidden in other parts of the OT.

JOB—NOTE ON 24:1 times of judgment kept. Job believed that God knew the appointed times for all activities under the sun (Eccles. 3:1–8), but he bemoaned the fact that God did not inform man about them.

JOB—NOTE ON 24:2 move landmarks. This ancient practice is addressed in Deut. 19:14; Prov. 22:28; 23:10, "Do not move the ancient landmark." Corrupt landowners often did this to increase their holdings, particularly where the land was owned by bereaved widows. Taking advantage of widows will be treated by the ultimate court in heaven.

JOB—NOTE ON 24:7 all night. It was common practice to take an outer garment as a pledge for money owed. But OT law forbade keeping the garment at night since its owner could get cold and sick (cf. v. 10).

JOB—NOTE ON 24:12 yet God charges no one with wrong. This is a stinging accusation from Job. Human courts prosecuted offenders for most of these social crimes. Job, in essence, was saying "If human courts punish the wicked, then why doesn't God?"

JOB—NOTE ON 24:18–21 Again Job referred to the opinions of his counselors, saying that, if their view were correct, all the wicked should be experiencing punishment. But it is obvious they were not.

JOB—NOTE ON 24:22–25 Job's view was that their punishment would come eventually ("exalted a little while"). Retribution needed the timing of God's wisdom, when he determined wrongs would be made right. Job was totally confident that his point could not be refuted.

JOB—NOTE ON 25:1–6 Bildad made his third speech (the last speech for the three friends), and restated the same theory—that God was majestic and exalted (vv. 2–3) and man was sinful, especially Job (vv. 4–6).

JOB—NOTE ON 26:1–31:40 Job made his last speech in rebuttal to Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar.

JOB—NOTE ON 26:1–4 Job responded to Bildad's lack of concern for him, showing that all his friend's theological and rational words missed the point of Job's need altogether and had been no help.

JOB—NOTE ON 26:5–14 As before, in chs. 9 and 12, Job showed that he was not inferior to his friends in describing God's greatness. He understood that as well as they did. He described it as manifested in the realm of the dead called Sheol and Abaddon, or place of destruction (26:5–6), the earth and sky (v. 7), the waters above (vv. 8–10) and below (v. 12), and the stars (v. 13).

JOB—NOTE ON 26:7 hangs the earth on nothing. A statement that is accurate, given in ancient time, before scientific verification. This indicates the divine authorship of Scripture.

JOB—NOTE ON 26:10 a circle. This describes the earth as a circular globe,

another scientifically accurate statement at a time when many thought the world was flat.

JOB—NOTE ON 26:11 pillars of heaven. A figure of speech for the mountains that seem to hold up the sky (cf. Ps. 104:32).

JOB—NOTE ON 26:12 shattered Rahab. Cf. 7:12; 9:13; 26:13. "Rahab" seems to be widely used to describe various things that wreak havoc.

JOB—NOTE ON 26:13 his wind. Cf. 33:4. The Holy Spirit, described here as God's "wind," worked mightily in creation (cf. Gen. 1:2). the fleeing serpent. This is figurative language for the idea that God brought all constellations into subjection under his authority (cf. 26:12). "Serpent" could be translated "crooked" and refer to any wayward stars or planets being brought under control by his mighty power.

JOB—NOTE ON 26:14 Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways. Poetic language reminding his counselors that all that could be said and understood by man was only a glimpse of God's powerful hand.

JOB—NOTE ON 27:1–12 Job turned from speaking about God (26:5–14) to defending his righteousness.

JOB—NOTE ON 27:2 who has taken away my right. God did not speak to declare Job innocent. Cf. the treatment of Christ in Isa. 53:8 and Acts 8:33.

JOB—NOTE ON 27:3–6 Job affirmed his true and steadfast devotion to righteous living, no matter what happened. He refused to live with a guilty conscience (v. 6b). This was no brash claim, because God had recognized Job's virtue (1:8; 2:3).

JOB—NOTE ON 27:7 He could have been calling for God to judge his accusers as he judges the wicked.

JOB—NOTE ON 27:8–10 Job reminded the friends that he would never be hypocritical because he understood the consequences.

JOB—NOTE ON 27:11 I will teach you concerning the hand of God. Job had pinpointed the issue between him and his friends. They disagreed on the outworking of God's retribution. They agreed that God was powerful, wise, and

sovereign. But because Job knew there was no cherished sin in his life that would bring upon him such intense suffering, Job was forced to conclude that the simplistic notion—that all suffering comes from sin and all righteousness is rewarded—was wrong. At the outset, Job himself probably believed as the comforters still did, but he had seen that his friends' limitation of God's action was drastically in need of revision; in fact, it was nonsense. Job's comments here introduced his exposition on wisdom, which follows in ch. 28.

JOB—NOTE ON 27:13–23 Job wanted it made clear he was not denying that the wicked are punished with severe distress, so he agreed that they suffer greatly and affirmed so in this section.

JOB—NOTE ON 27:18 house like a moth's . . . booth. These are temporary dwellings, which illustrate that the wicked will not live long.

JOB—NOTE ON 27:23 claps its hands. A gesture of mocking.

JOB—NOTE ON 28:1–28 Though Job had agreed that the wicked suffer (27:13– 23), that explained nothing in his case, since he was righteous. So Job called on his friends to consider that maybe God's wisdom was beyond their comprehension. That is the theme of this chapter. The wisdom of God is not gained by natural or theoretical knowledge. What God does not reveal, we can't know.

JOB—NOTE ON 28:1–11 References to mining silver, gold, iron, sapphires, and flint, as well as smelting copper. Tremendous effort is made by men who seek these precious things. Cf. Prov. 2:1–9.

JOB—NOTE ON 28:12, 20 These verses sum up the message of the chapter with the point that no amount of effort, even as vigorous and demanding as mining, will yield God's wisdom. It can't be valued or found in the world (vv. 13–14). It can't be bought for any price (vv. 15–19). The living can't find it (v. 21), and neither can the dead (v. 22; cf. 26:6).

JOB—NOTE ON 28:16 Ophir. See note on 22:24.

JOB—NOTE ON 28:23 God understands the way . . . knows its place. These are perhaps the most important thoughts in the chapter for the debates. Job and his friends have probed God's wisdom for three court rounds and basically have arrived nowhere near the truth. Finally, Job made the point clearly that the divine

wisdom necessary to explain his suffering was inaccessible to man. Only God knew all about it, because he knows everything (v. 24). True wisdom belongs to the One who is the Almighty Creator (vv. 25–26). One can only know it if he declares it to him (cf. Deut. 29:29).

JOB—NOTE ON 28:28 Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom. Job had made the connection that the others would not. While the specific features of God's wisdom may not be revealed to us, the alpha and omega of wisdom is to revere God and avoid sin (cf. Ps. 111:10; Prov. 1:7; 9:10; Eccles. 12:13–14), leaving the unanswered questions to him in trusting submission. All we can do is trust and obey (cf. Eccles. 12:13) and that is enough wisdom (this is the wisdom of Prov. 1:7–2:9). One may never know the reasons for life's sufferings.

JOB—NOTE ON 29:1–25 Job did not change his mind about his sin, but continued to deny that he had earned this pain with his iniquity. The realities of his own words in ch. 28 had not yet fully taken over his mind, so he swung back to despair and rehearsed his life before the events of chs. 1–2, when he was so fulfilled because God was with him (29:5). God still was with him, but it seemed as if he were gone.

JOB—NOTE ON 29:5 when the Almighty was yet with me. Job felt abandoned by God. But God would demonstrate to Job, by addressing his criticisms, that God was with him all throughout this ordeal.

JOB—NOTE ON 29:6 butter . . . oil. He had the richest dairy products and best olive oil in abundance.

JOB—NOTE ON 29:7 gate . . . my seat. This was a place in society reserved for city leaders. Job had been one because he was a very wealthy and powerful man.

JOB—NOTE ON 29:12–13 poor . . . fatherless . . . about to perish . . . widow's. All over the ancient Near Eastern world, a man's virtue was measured by his treatment of the weakest and most vulnerable members of society. If he protected and provided for this group, he was respected as being a noble man. These things, which Job had done, his accusers said he must not have done or he wouldn't be suffering (see 22:1–11).

JOB—NOTE ON 29:15–16 blind . . . lame . . . needy. Contrary to the accusations of the three friends, Job went beyond the standards of the day to care for the widow, the orphan, the poor, the disabled, and the abused.

JOB—NOTE ON 29:16 searched out the cause. Much oppression occurred in unjust courts, and there Job protected the weak.

JOB—NOTE ON 29:18–20 Job had vigorous health like a widely rooted tree enjoying fresh dew, and he had expected to live a long life with his family ("nest").

JOB—NOTE ON 29:21–25 Job reminded his friends that there had been a day when no one rejected his insights. He was the one sought for counsel.

JOB—NOTE ON 29:24 smiled. This is likely a reference to saying something facetiously or jokingly. Job's word was so respected that they didn't believe his humor was humor, but took it seriously.

JOB—NOTE ON 29:25 like a king. Job was not a king but some sort of high local official such as a mayor. Mayors, called "hazannu" in Job's day, performed all of the activities Job claimed in the previous section.

JOB—NOTE ON 30:1–31 Job moved from the recollection of good days in the past (ch. 29) to lament his present losses.

JOB—NOTE ON 30:2–8 Job described these mockers as dissipated vagabonds who, because of their uselessness and wickedness, were not welcome in society, so were driven out of the land. These base men had made Job the object of their sordid entertainment (vv. 9–15).

JOB—NOTE ON 30:9 I have become their song. Job was the object of their jeering, whereas in former days he would not hire their fathers to tend his animals like sheepdogs (30:1).

JOB—NOTE ON 30:16–19 Job's life ebbed away, suffering gripped him, his bones ached, gnawing pain never relented, his skin was changed (v. 30), and he was reduced to mud, dust, and ashes.

JOB—NOTE ON 30:20 This caused the most suffering of all—what seemed to be the cruel silence of God (v. 21).

JOB—NOTE ON 30:23 the house appointed. The grave.

JOB—NOTE ON 30:24–26 This seems to be saying that God must have some sympathy, if Job has (v. 25), so as not to destroy altogether what is already ruined. Job thought that and reached out for help in his misery and received only evil (v. 26).

JOB—NOTE ON 30:30 My skin . . . my bones. Job was describing the effect of his disease (see 2:7).

JOB—NOTE ON 31:1–40 As Job became more forceful in his pursuit of being cleared of false accusations, he intensified the claim that he was innocent, comparatively speaking, and demanded justice. In situations where an individual was innocent, he would attest to it by taking an oath before the king or a deity. This procedure found among Job's neighboring nations was often protocol for court procedures. The repeated "If . . . let" statements amount to the terms of the oath: "If" tells what Job might have done wrong; "let" describes a curse that could result. He accepted the curses (the "let" statements through the chapter) if he deserved them. This represented Job's last attempt to defend himself before both God and man. In terms of purity (v. 1), sin in general (vv. 2–3), truth (v. 5),

covetousness (v. 7), marital faithfulness (v. 9), equity (v. 13), compassion (vv. 16–21), materialism (vv. 24–25), false religion (vv. 26–27), love for enemies and strangers (vv. 29–32), secret sin (vv. 33–34), and business relations (vv. 38–40) Job had no pattern of sin. He asked God to answer him (v. 35), and to explain why he suffered.

JOB—NOTE ON 31:1 made a covenant with my eyes. He spoke here of purity toward women (cf. Prov. 6:25; Matt. 5:28).

JOB—NOTE ON 31:33 as others do. Perhaps best taken "as mankind" (cf. Hos. 6:7).

JOB—NOTE ON 31:35 the indictment written by my adversary. Job wished that God, the perfect Prosecutor who knows the allegations perfectly, had written a book that would have revealed God's will and wisdom and the reasons for Job's pain. This would have cleared him of all charges by his friends.

JOB—NOTE ON 31:40 The words of Job are ended. The three cycles of speeches that began in Job 3:1 were finished, and Job had the first and last word among his friends.

JOB—NOTE ON 32:1–37:24 A new participant who had been there with the other three (32:3–5), entered the debate over Job's condition—the younger Elihu, who took a new approach to the issue of Job's suffering. Angry with the other three, he had some new thoughts, but was very hard on Job. Elihu was angry, full of self-importance and verbose, but his approach was refreshing after listening repetitiously to the others, though not really helpful to Job. Why was it necessary to record and read those four blustering speeches by this man? Because they happened as part of the story, while Job was still waiting for God to disclose himself (chs. 38–41).

JOB—NOTE ON 32:2 Buzite. Elihu's ancestry was traced to the Arabian tribe of Buz (cf. Jer. 25:23). The "family of Ram" is unknown.

JOB—NOTE ON 32:6–8 Elihu may have called his words "my opinion" (vv. 6, 10, 17), but he claimed it had come by inspiration from God (v. 8; cf. 33:6, 33).

JOB—NOTE ON 33:1–33 The first of Elihu's challenges to Job began with proud claims (vv. 1–7), followed by references to Job's questions/complaints (vv. 8– 11). Then came Elihu's answers (vv. 12–33).

JOB—NOTE ON 33:13 Job had complained that God did not speak to him. Elihu reminded Job that God didn't have to defend his will and actions to anyone.

JOB—NOTE ON 33:14–18 God does speak, he contended, in many ways such as dreams and visions to protect people from evil and deadly ways (vv. 17–18).

JOB—NOTE ON 33:18 the pit. A reference to the realm of the dead (cf. vv. 21, 24, 30).

JOB—NOTE ON 33:19–28 Job has lamented that his suffering was not deserved. Elihu answered that complaint by saying he was God's messenger, a mediator to Job to show him that God doesn't act in a whimsical way, but allows suffering as chastening to bring a person to submit to him as upright (v. 23) and to repent (v. 27) that his life may be spared (vv. 24, 28, 30). God allows suffering for spiritual benefit.

JOB—NOTE ON 33:32 I desire to justify you. Elihu expressed he was on Job's side and wanted to see him vindicated in his claims to righteousness, so he gave opportunity for Job to dialogue with him as he spoke (v. 33).

JOB—NOTE ON 34:1–37 Elihu addressed Job and his accusers. His approach was to quote Job directly (vv. 5–9), then respond to his complaints, but at times he misinterpreted Job's remarks, and at other times he put the words of the accusers in Job's mouth. The most obvious example of the latter wrongdoing was in saying that Job claimed to be sinlessly perfect (v. 6). Job never claimed that; in fact, Job acknowledged his sin (7:21; 13:26). Elihu didn't know it, but God had pronounced Job innocent (1:8; 2:3). In answer to Job's complaints that God seemed unjust, Elihu reminded Job that God was too holy to do anything wrong (34:10), fair in dealing with people (vv. 11–12), powerful (vv. 13–14), just (vv. 17–18), impartial (vv. 19–20), omniscient (vv. 21–22), the Judge of all (v. 23), and the Sovereign who does what he wills to prevent evil (vv. 24–30).

JOB—NOTE ON 34:9 For he has said. Elihu was incorrect. He was putting words into Job's mouth that Job did not utter.

JOB—NOTE ON 34:23 go before God in judgment. These words do not refer to the judgment of the last days, but rather to the general accountability toward God that man experiences on a daily basis. The point Elihu made was that God, "knowing their works" (v. 25), did not need to go through all of the trappings of the court to get to the sentence.

JOB—NOTE ON 34:31–33 God will not be regulated in his dealings by what men may think. He does not consult men. If he chooses to chasten he will decide when it is enough.

JOB—NOTE ON 34:34–37 Apparently, Elihu was convinced Job hadn't had enough chastening because of how he answered his prosecutors. He continued to defend his innocence and speak to God.

JOB—NOTE ON 35:1–16 Elihu again referred to Job's complaints, first of all his thinking that there appeared to be no advantage to being righteous (v. 3), which Job had said, as recorded in 21:15 and 34:9. The first part of his answer is that Job gained nothing by sinning or not sinning because God was so high that nothing men do affects him (35:5–7). It only affects other men (v. 8). Job had also complained that God did not answer his prayers when he cried under this oppression (see 24:12; 30:20). Elihu coldly gave three reasons why Job's prayers had not been heard: pride (35:10, 12), wrong motives (v. 13), and lack of patient trust (v. 14). Again, all this theoretical talk missed Job's predicament completely because he was righteous. Elihu was no more help than the other counselors.

JOB—NOTE ON 35:15–16 Elihu suggested that although Job had suffered, his suffering was not the fullness of God's anger or he would have punished Job more for the sinfulness of his speeches. He thought God had actually overlooked the folly of Job in his useless words.

JOB—NOTE ON 36:1–37:24 Elihu had agreed with his three co-counselors that Job had sinned, if nowhere else, in the way he questioned God (33:12), by seeing his suffering as indicating God is unjust (34:34–37) and by feeling that righteousness had no reward (ch. 35). In this final answer to Job, he turned to focus mostly on God rather than the sufferer (35:2).

JOB—NOTE ON 36:4 one who is perfect in knowledge. Elihu made what appeared to be an outrageous claim in order to give credibility to his remarks.

JOB—NOTE ON 36:5–12 Elihu began by repeating the thought that though God sends trouble, he is just and merciful (v. 6); he watches over the righteous (v. 7); he convicts them of sin (vv. 8–9); he teaches them to turn from it (v. 10) and rewards their obedience (v. 11) or punishes their rebellion (vv. 12–14).

JOB—NOTE ON 36:15 opens their ear by adversity. This was a new insight and perhaps the most helpful thing Elihu said. He went beyond all that had been said

about God's using suffering to chasten and bring repentance. He was saying that God used suffering to open men's ears, to draw them to himself. But as long as Job kept complaining, he was turning to iniquity rather than drawing near to God in his suffering (vv. 16–21).

JOB—NOTE ON 36:22–37:24 Instead of complaining and questioning God, as Job had been doing, which was sin (as Job will later confess in 42:6), he needed to see God in his suffering and worship him (33:24).

JOB—NOTE ON 36:26 we know him not. Though one may have a personal knowledge of God in salvation, the fullness of his glory is beyond human comprehension.

JOB—NOTE ON 36:27–37:4 Elihu gave a picture of God's power in the rain storm.

JOB—NOTE ON 36:31 judges . . . gives food. The rainstorm can be a disaster of punishment from God or a source of abundant crops.

JOB—NOTE ON 37:5–13 He described God's power expressed in the cold winter. The storms and the hard winters remind us of the world in which harsh things occur, but for God's good purposes of either "correction" or "love" (37:13).

JOB—NOTE ON 37:14–18 These words picture the scene in the sky when the storms and winters have passed, the sunlight breaks through, the warm wind blows, and the sky clears.

JOB—NOTE ON 37:19–20 In this passage Elihu reminded Job that since man can't explain the wonders of God's power and purpose, he ought to be silent and not contend with God. What a man has to say against God's plans is not worthy to utter and could bring judgment.

JOB—NOTE ON 37:21–23 Elihu illustrated the folly of telling God what to do by describing staring into the golden sun on a brilliant day (vv. 21–22). We can't confront God in his great glory; we are not even able to look at the sun he created (v. 21).

JOB—NOTE ON 37:24 does not regard. God is the Righteous Judge who will not take a bribe or perform favors in judgment. Thus, in his concluding speech, Elihu had pointed both Job and the reader up to God, who was ready, at last, to speak (38:1).

JOB—NOTE ON 38:1–40:2 God appeared and engaged in his first interrogation of Job, who had raised some accusations against him. God had his day in court with Job.

JOB—NOTE ON 38:1 the Lord. Yahweh, the covenant Lord, was the name used for God in the book's prologue, where the reader was introduced to Job and his relationship with God. However, in chs. 3–37, the name Yahweh is not used. God is called El Shaddai, God the Almighty. In this book that change becomes a way of illustrating that God has been detached and distant. The relationship is restored in rich terms as God reveals himself to Job using his covenant name. out of the whirlwind. Job had repeatedly called God to court in order to verify his innocence. God finally came to interrogate Job on some of the comments he had made to his own accusers. God was about to be Job's vindicator, but he first brought Job to a right understanding of himself.

JOB—NOTE ON 38:2 Job's words had only further confused matters already confused by useless counselors.

JOB—NOTE ON 38:3 I will question you. God silenced Job's presumption in constantly wanting to ask the questions of God, by becoming Job's questioner. It must be noted that God never told Job about the reason for his pain, about the conflict between himself and Satan, which was the reason for Job's suffering. He never gave Job any explanation at all about the circumstances of his trouble. He did one thing in all he said. He asked Job if he was as eternal, great, powerful, wise, and perfect as God. If not, Job would have been better off to be quiet and trust him.

JOB—NOTE ON 38:4–38 God asked Job if he participated in creation as he did. That was a crushing, humbling query with an obvious "no" answer.

JOB—NOTE ON 38:4–7 Creation is spoken of using the language of building construction.

JOB—NOTE ON 38:7 morning stars . . . sons of God. The angelic realm, God's ministering spirits.

JOB—NOTE ON 38:8–11 God's power over the sea by raising the continents is described, along with the thick clouds that draw up its water to carry rain to the land.

JOB—NOTE ON 38:12–13 The dawn rises, and as it spreads light over the earth, it exposes the wicked, as shaking the corners of a cloth exposes dirt.

JOB—NOTE ON 38:14 clay under the seal. Documents written on clay tablets were signed using personal engraved seals upon which was written the bearer's name. The Hebrew for "changed" is "turned." It conveys the idea that the earth is turned or rotated like a cylindrical seal rolled over the soft clay. Such rolling cylinder seals were found in Babylon. This speaks of the earth, rotating on its axis, an amazing statement that only God could reveal in ancient days. The dawn rolls across the earth as it rotates.

JOB—NOTE ON 38:15 their light. The light of the wicked is darkness, because that is when they do their works. The dawn takes away their opportunity to do their deeds and stops their arm lifted and ready to harm. Was Job around when God created light (v. 21)?

JOB—NOTE ON 38:22 storehouses. The storehouse of these elements is the clouds.

JOB—NOTE ON 38:31–32 Pleiades . . . Orion . . . Bear. Stellar constellations (cf. 9:9) are in view.

JOB—NOTE ON 38:33 ordinances of the heavens. The laws and powers that regulate all heavenly bodies.

JOB—NOTE ON 38:36 wisdom . . . understanding. This is at the heart of the real issue. The wisdom of God that created and sustains the universe is at work in Job's suffering also. See also 39:17.

JOB—NOTE ON 38:39–39:30 God asked Job the humiliating questions about whether he could take care of the animal kingdom. Job must have been feeling less and less significant under the crushing indictment of such comparisons with God.

JOB—NOTE ON 39:5 swift donkey. A species of donkey.

JOB—NOTE ON 39:13–18 wings of the ostrich. The silly ostrich that leaves her eggs on the ground lacks sense. God has not given her wisdom. She is almost a picture of Job, who is a mixture of foolishness and strength (v. 18).

JOB—NOTE ON 39:19–25 Here is a magnificent, vivid picture of the war horse.

JOB—NOTE ON 40:2 God challenged Job to answer all the questions he had posed. God didn't need to know the answer, but Job needed to admit his weakness, inferiority, and inability to even try to figure out God's infinite mind. God's wisdom was so superior, his sovereign control of everything so complete, that this was all Job needed to know.

JOB—NOTE ON 40:3–5 Job's first response to God was "I am guilty as charged. I will say no more." He knows he should not have found fault with the Almighty. He should not have insisted on his own understanding. He should not have thought God unjust. So he was reduced to silence at last.

JOB—NOTE ON 40:6–41:34 As if the first was not enough, God's second interrogation of Job commenced along the very same lines, only focusing on two unique animals in God's creation: Behemoth (40:15–24) and Leviathan (41:1– 34), two creatures powerful and fearful who embodied all that is overwhelming, uncontrollable, and terrorizing in this world. Man can't control them, but God can.

JOB—NOTE ON 40:8–14 God unleashed another torrent of crushing rebukes to Job, in which he mocked Job's questionings of him by telling the sufferer that if he really thought he knew what was best for him rather than God (v. 8), then he should take over being God (vv. 9–14)!

JOB—NOTE ON 40:15–24 Behemoth. While this is a generic term used commonly in the OT for large cattle or land animals, the description in this passage suggests an extraordinary creature. The hippopotamus has been suggested by the details in the passage (vv. 19–24). However, the short tail of a hippo is hardly consistent with v. 17, where tail could be translated "trunk." It could refer to an elephant, who could be considered "first" or chief of God's creatures whom only he can control (v. 19). Some believe God is describing his most impressive creation of land animals, the dinosaur species, which fit all the characteristics.

JOB—NOTE ON 40:23 God was not saying this creature lived in the Jordan River, but rather, recognizing that the Jordan was familiar to Job, used it to illustrate how much water this beast could ingest. He could swallow the Jordan! It was a word used to refer to something of enormous size and threatening power.

JOB—NOTE ON 41:1 Leviathan. This term appears in four other OT texts (Job 3:8; Ps. 74:14; 104:26; Isa. 27:1). In each case Leviathan refers to some mighty

creature who can overwhelm man but who is no match for God. Since this creature lives in the sea among ships (Ps. 104:26), some form of sea monster, possibly an ancient dinosaur, is in view. Some feel it was a crocodile, which had scaly hide (Job 41:15), terrible teeth (v. 14) and speed in the water (v. 32). But crocodiles are not sea creatures, and clearly this one was (v. 31). Some have thought it was a killer whale or a great white shark, because he is the ultimate killer beast over all other proud beasts (v. 34). It could also have been some seagoing dinosaur.

JOB—NOTE ON 41:4 Will he make a covenant with you . . . ? "Will this monstrous creature need, for any reason, to come to terms with you, Job? Are you able to control him?" God asked.

JOB—NOTE ON 41:10 Who then is he who can stand before me? This was the essential question being asked in both the Behemoth and Leviathan passages. God created these awesome creatures, and his might is far greater than theirs. If Job couldn't stand against them, what was he doing contending with God? He would be better off to fight a dinosaur or a killer shark.

JOB—NOTE ON 41:11 God did not need to buy anything; he already owned all things. Paul quoted this in Rom. 11:35.

JOB—NOTE ON 42:1–6 Job's confession and repentance took place finally. He still did not know why he suffered so profoundly, but he was done complaining, questioning, and challenging God's wisdom and justice. He was reduced to such utter humility, crushed beneath the weight of God's greatness, that all he could do was repent for his insolence. Without answers to all of his questions, Job quietly bowed in humble submission before his Creator and admitted that God was sovereign (cf. Isa. 14:24; 46:8–11). Most important for the message of the book, Job was still diseased and without his children and possessions, and God had not changed anything (except for the humbling of the heart of his servant). Satan had been proven completely wrong in the charges he brought against Job and in thinking he could destroy true saving faith; Job's companions were completely wrong in the charges they brought against him; but most critically, Job himself was completely wrong in the charges he had raised against God. He expressed his own sorrowful regret that he had not just accepted God's will without such ignorant complaints and questions.

JOB—NOTE ON 42:3–4 Job twice alluded to statements God had made in his

interrogation of Job. The first allusion "Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?" (cf. 38:2) indicted Job's pride and presumption regarding God's counsel. The second, "I will question you, and you make it known to me" (38:3; 40:7) expressed God's judicial authority to demand answers from his own accuser, Job. The two quotes manifested that Job understood the divine rebuke.

JOB—NOTE ON 42:5 had heard . . . now my eye sees you. At last, Job said he understood God, whom he had seen with the eyes of faith. He had never so well grasped the greatness, majesty, sovereignty, and independence of God as he did at that moment.

JOB—NOTE ON 42:6 repent in dust and ashes. All that was left to do was repent! The ashes upon which the broken man sat had not changed, but the heart of God's suffering servant had. Job did not need to repent of some sins that Satan or his accusers had raised. But Job had exercised presumption and allegations of unfairness against his Lord and hated himself for this in a way that called for brokenness and contrition.

JOB—NOTE ON 42:7–17 The text goes back to prose, from the poetry begun in 3:1.

JOB—NOTE ON 42:7–8 you have not spoken of me what is right. God directly vindicated Job by saying that Job had spoken right about God in rejecting the error of his friends. They are then rebuked for those misrepresentations of insensitivity and arrogance. This does not mean that everything they said was incorrect, but they had made wrong statements about the character and works of God, and also had raised erroneous allegations against Job.

JOB—NOTE ON 42:8 seven bulls and seven rams. This was the number of sacrifices specified in Num. 23:1 by Balaam the prophet, so perhaps it was a traditional kind of burnt offering for sin.

JOB—NOTE ON 42:8–9 As God had been gracious to Job, so he was to Job's friends, by means of sacrifice and prayer. Here the book points to the need for a sacrifice for sin, fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ who gave himself as an offering for sins and ever lives to intercede (cf. 1 Tim. 2:5). Even before the Levitical priesthood, family heads acted as priests, offering sacrifices and mediating through prayer.

JOB—NOTE ON 42:13 seven sons . . . three daughters. While the animals are double the number of Job 1:3, why are not the children? It is obvious that Job still had seven sons and three daughters waiting for him in the presence of God (42:17).

JOB—NOTE ON 42:14 These names are representative of the joys of restoration. Jemimah means "day light," Keziah means "sweet smelling," and Kerenhappuch describes a beautiful color ladies used to paint their eyelids.

JOB—NOTE ON 42:15 gave them an inheritance. This was unusual in the East. By Jewish law, daughters only received an inheritance when there were no sons (Num. 27:8). Job had plenty for all.

JOB—NOTE ON 42:17 And Job died, an old man, and full of days. These concluding words take the reader back to where the account began (1:1). Job died in prosperity and his days were counted as a blessing. In the words of James (James 5:11), we have seen the outcome of the Lord's dealings, that the Lord is "compassionate and merciful." But the "accuser of our brothers" (Rev. 12:10) is still "going to and fro on the earth" (Job 1:7) and God's servants are still learning to trust in the all-wise, all-powerful Judge of the universe for what they cannot understand.

Psalms

Psalm 1 • Psalm 2 • Psalm 3 • Psalm 4 • Psalm 5 • Psalm 6 • Psalm 7 •

Psalm 8 • Psalm 9 • Psalm 10 • Psalm 11 • Psalm 12 • Psalm 13 • Psalm 14 • Psalm 15 • Psalm 16 • Psalm 17 • Psalm 18 • Psalm 19 • Psalm 20 • Psalm 21 • Psalm 22 • Psalm 23 • Psalm 24 • Psalm 25 • Psalm 26 • Psalm 27 • Psalm 28 • Psalm 29 • Psalm 30 • Psalm 31 • Psalm 32 • Psalm 33 • Psalm 34 • Psalm 35 • Psalm 36 • Psalm 37 • Psalm 38 • Psalm 39 • Psalm 40 • Psalm 41 • Psalm 42 • Psalm 43 • Psalm 44 • Psalm 45 • Psalm 46 • Psalm 47 • Psalm 48 • Psalm 49 • Psalm 50 • Psalm 51 • Psalm 52 • Psalm 53 • Psalm 54 • Psalm 55 • Psalm 56 • Psalm 57 • Psalm 58 • Psalm 59 • Psalm 60 • Psalm 61 • Psalm 62 • Psalm 63 • Psalm 64 • Psalm 65 • Psalm 66 • Psalm 67 • Psalm 68 • Psalm 69 • Psalm 70 • Psalm 71 • Psalm 72 • Psalm 73 • Psalm 74 • Psalm 75 • Psalm 76 • Psalm 77 • Psalm 78 • Psalm 79 • Psalm 80 • Psalm 81 • Psalm 82 • Psalm 83 • Psalm 84 • Psalm 85 • Psalm 86 • Psalm 87 • Psalm 88 • Psalm 89 • Psalm 90 • Psalm 91 • Psalm 92 • Psalm 93 • Psalm 94 • Psalm 95 • Psalm 96 • Psalm 97 • Psalm 98 • Psalm 99 • Psalm 100 • Psalm 101 • Psalm 102 • Psalm 103 • Psalm 104 • Psalm 105 • Psalm 106 • Psalm 107 • Psalm 108 • Psalm 109 • Psalm 110 • Psalm 111 • Psalm 112 • Psalm 113 • Psalm 114 • Psalm 115 • Psalm 116 • Psalm 117 • Psalm 118 • Psalm 119 • Psalm 120 • Psalm 121 • Psalm 122 • Psalm 123 • Psalm 124 • Psalm 125 • Psalm 126 • Psalm 127 • Psalm 128 • Psalm 129 • Psalm 130 • Psalm 131 • Psalm 132 • Psalm 133 • Psalm 134 • Psalm 135 • Psalm 136 • Psalm 137 • Psalm 138 • Psalm 139 • Psalm 140 • Psalm 141 • Psalm 142 • Psalm 143 • Psalm 144 • Psalm 145 • Psalm 146 • Psalm 147 • Psalm 148 • Psalm 149 • Psalm 150 Introduction to Psalms

Title Author and Date Background and Setting Historical and Theological Themes

Interpretive Challenges Outline Footnotes Study Notes

Introduction to Psalms

Title

The entire collection of Psalms is entitled "Praises" in the Hebrew text. Later, rabbis often designated it "The Book of Praises." The Septuagint (LXX), the Greek translation of the OT, labeled it "Psalms" (cf. "The Book of Psalms" in the NT: Luke 20:42; Acts 1:20). The Greek verb from which the noun "psalms" comes basically denotes the "plucking or twanging of strings," so that an association with musical accompaniment is implied. The English title derives from the Greek term and its background. The Psalms constituted Israel's ancient, God-breathed (2 Tim. 3:16) "hymnbook," which defined the proper spirit and content of worship.

There are 116 psalms that have superscriptions or "titles." The Hebrew text includes these titles with the verses themselves. When the titles are surveyed individually and studied as a general phenomenon, there are significant indications that they were appended to their respective psalms shortly after composition and that they contain reliable information (cf. Luke 20:42).

These titles convey various kinds of information such as authorship, dedication, historical occasion, liturgical assignment to a worship director, liturgical instructions (e.g., what kind of song it is, whether it is to have a musical accompaniment, and what tune to use), plus other technical instructions of uncertain meaning due to their great antiquity. One very tiny, attached Hebrew preposition shows up in the majority of the psalm titles. It may convey different relationships, e.g., "of," "from," "by," "to," "for," "in reference to," "about." Sometimes it occurs more than once, even in short headings, usually supplying "of," or "by," person X . . . "to," or "for," person Y information. However, this little preposition most frequently indicates the authorship of a psalm, whether "of" David, the accomplished psalmist of Israel, or "by" Moses, Solomon, Asaph, or the sons of Korah.

Author and Date

From the divine perspective, the Psalter points to God as its author. Approaching authorship from the human side one can identify a collection of more than seven

composers. King David wrote at least 73 of the 150 psalms; the sons of Korah accounted for 10 (Ps. 42; 44–49; 84; 85; 87); and Asaph contributed 12 (Ps. 50; 73–83). Other penmen included Solomon (Ps. 72; 127), Moses (Ps. 90), Heman (Ps. 88), and Ethan (Ps. 89). The remaining 50 psalms remain anonymous in their authorship, although Ezra is thought to be the author of some. The time range of the Psalms extends from Moses, c. 1410 B.C. (Ps. 90), to the late sixth or early fifth century B.C. postexilic period (Ps. 126), which spans about 900 years of Jewish history.

Background and Setting

The backdrop for Psalms is twofold: 1) the acts of God in creation and history, and 2) the history of Israel. Historically, the psalms range in time from the origin of life to the postexilic joys of the Jews liberated from Babylon. Thematically, the psalms cover a wide spectrum of topics, ranging from heavenly worship to earthly war. The collected psalms comprise the largest book in the Bible and the most frequently quoted OT book in the NT. Psalm 117 represents the middle chapter (out of 1,189) in the Bible. Psalm 119 is the largest chapter in the entire Bible. Through the ages, the psalms have retained their original primary purpose, i.e., to engender the proper praise and worship of God.

Historical and Theological Themes

The basic theme of Psalms is living real life in the real world, where two dimensions operate simultaneously: 1) a horizontal or temporal reality, and 2) a vertical or transcendent reality. Without denying the pain of the earthly dimension, the people of God are to live joyfully and dependently on the Person and promises standing behind the heavenly/eternal dimension. All cycles of human troubles and triumphs provide occasions for expressing human complaints, confidence, prayers, or praise to Israel's sovereign Lord.

In view of this, Psalms presents a broad array of theology, practically couched in day-to-day reality. The sinfulness of man is documented concretely, not only through the behavioral patterns of the wicked, but also by the periodic stumblings of believers. The sovereignty of God is everywhere recognized, but not at the expense of genuine human responsibility. Life often seems to be out of control, and yet all events and situations are understood in the light of divine providence as being right on course according to God's timetable. Assuring

glimpses of a future "God's day" bolsters the call for perseverance to the end. This book of praise manifests a very practical theology.

A commonly misunderstood phenomenon in Psalms is the association that often develops between the "one" (the psalmist) and the "many" (the theocratic people). Virtually all of the cases of this occur in the psalms of King David. There was an inseparable relationship between the mediatorial ruler and his people; as life went for the king, so it went for the people. Furthermore, at times this union accounted for the psalmist's apparent connection with Christ in the messianic psalms (or messianic portions of certain psalms). The so-called imprecatory (curse pronouncing) psalms may be better understood with this perspective. As God's mediatorial representative on earth, David prayed for judgment on his enemies, since these enemies were not only hurting him, but were primarily hurting God's people. Ultimately, they challenged the King of kings, the God of Israel.

Interpretive Challenges

It is helpful to recognize certain recurring genres or literary types in the Psalter. Some of the most obvious are: 1) the wisdom type with instructions for right living; 2) lamentation patterns that deal with the pangs of life (usually arising from enemies without); 3) penitential psalms (mostly dealing with the "enemy" within, i.e., sin); 4) kingship emphases (universal or mediatorial; theocratic and/or messianic rule); and 5) thanksgiving psalms. A combination of style and subject matter help to identify such types when they appear.

The comprehensive literary characteristic of the psalms is that all of them are poetry par excellence. Unlike most English poetry, which is based on rhyme and meter, Hebrew poetry is essentially characterized by logical parallelisms. Some of the most important kinds of parallelisms are: 1) synonymous (the thought of the first line is restated with similar concepts in the second line, e.g., Ps. 2:1); 2) antithetic (the thought of the second line is contrasted with the first, e.g., Ps. 1:6); 3) climactic (the second and any subsequent lines pick up a crucial word, phrase, or concept and advance it in a stairstep fashion, e.g., Ps. 29:1–2); and 4) chiastic or introverted (the logical units are developed in an A . . . B . . . B' . . . A' pattern, e.g., Ps. 1:2).

On a larger scale, some psalms in their development from the first to the last verse employ an acrostic or alphabetical arrangement. Psalms 9; 10; 25; 34; 37;

111; 112; 119; and 145 are recognized as either complete or incomplete acrostics. In the Hebrew text, the first letter of the first word of every verse or section begins with a different Hebrew consonant, which advances in alphabetical order until the 22 consonants are exhausted. Such a literary vehicle undoubtedly aided in the memorization of the content and served to indicate that its particular subject matter had been covered from "A to Z." Psalm 119 stands out as the most complete example of this device, since the first letter of each of its 22, eight-verse stanzas moves completely through the Hebrew alphabet.

Outline

The 150 canonical psalms were organized quite early into five "books." Each of these books ends with a doxology (Ps. 41:13; 72:18–20; 89:52; 106:48; 150:6). Jewish tradition appealed to the number five and alleged that these divisions echoed the Pentateuch, i.e., the five books of Moses. It is true that there are clusters of psalms, such as 1) those drawn together by an association with an individual or group (e.g., "The sons of Korah," Ps. 42–49; Asaph, Ps. 73–83), 2) those dedicated to a particular function (e.g., "Songs of ascents," Ps. 120–134), or 3) those devoted explicitly to praise worship (Ps. 146–150). But no one configuration key unlocks the "mystery" as to the organizing theme of this fivebook arrangement. Thus, there is no identifiable thematic structure to the entire collection of psalms. A brief introduction and outline for each psalm will be provided with the study notes for individual psalms.

The Psalms

Book One

The Way of the Righteous and the Wicked

PSALM 1 ‡†Blessed is the man [1]

who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of

sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; 2†but his delight is in the law [2] of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3†He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season,

and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. 4†The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. 5†Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; 6†for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

The Reign of the LORD's Anointed

PSALM 2 ‡†Why do the nations rage [1]

and the peoples plot in vain? 2†The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying, 3†"Let us burst

their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us." 4He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. 5†Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, 6†"As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill." 7†I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, "You are my Son; today I have begotten you. 8Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. 9†You shall break [2] them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel." 10‡Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. 11Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. 12†Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Save Me, O My God

A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son.

PSALM 3 ‡‡O LORD, how many are my foes!

Many are rising against me; 2‡many are saying of my soul, there is no salvation for him in God. Selah [1] 3But you, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. 4I cried aloud to the LORD, and he answered me from his holy hill. Selah 5†I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the LORD sustained me. 6I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around. 7†Arise, O LORD! Save me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek;

you break the teeth of the wicked. 8†Salvation belongs to the LORD; your blessing be on your people! Selah

Answer Me When I Call

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Psalm of David.

PSALM 4 ‡†Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness!

You have given me relief when I was in distress. Be gracious to me and hear my prayer! 2‡O men, [1] how long shall my honor be turned into shame? How long will you love vain words and seek after lies? Selah 3But

know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself; the LORD hears when I call to him. 4†Be angry, [2] and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah 5†Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the LORD. 6‡There are many who say, "Who will show us some good? Lift up the light of your face upon us, O LORD!" 7You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound. 8†In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.

Lead Me in Your Righteousness

To the choirmaster: for the flutes. A Psalm of David.

PSALM 5 ‡†Give ear to my words, O LORD; consider my groaning. 2†Give attention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you do I pray. 3†O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you [1] and watch. 4‡For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you. 5The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers. 6You destroy those who speak lies; the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man. 7†But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house. I will bow down toward your holy temple in the fear of you. 8‡†Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me. 9For there is no truth in their mouth; their inmost self is destruction; their throat is an open grave;

they flatter with their tongue. 10‡Make them bear their guilt, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; because of the abundance of their transgressions cast them out, for they have rebelled against you. 11But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may

exult in you. 12For you bless the righteous, O LORD; you cover him with favor as with a shield.

O LORD, Deliver My Life

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments; according to The Sheminith. [1] A Psalm of David.

PSALM 6 ‡†O LORD, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your

wrath. 2‡Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am languishing; heal me, O LORD, for my bones are troubled. 3†My soul also is greatly troubled. But you, O LORD—how long? 4†Turn, O LORD, deliver my life; save me for the sake of your steadfast love. 5†For in death there is no remembrance of you; in Sheol who will give you praise? 6‡I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping. 7My eye wastes away because of grief; it grows weak because of all my foes. 8‡Depart from me, all you workers of evil, for the LORD has heard the sound of my weeping. 9The LORD has heard my plea; the LORD accepts my prayer. 10All my enemies shall be ashamed and greatly troubled; they shall turn back and be put to shame in a moment.

In You Do I Take Refuge

A Shiggaion [1] of David, which he sang to the LORD concerning the words of Cush, a Benjaminite.

PSALM 7 ‡O LORD my God, in you do I take refuge; save me from all my

pursuers and deliver me, 2†lest like a lion they tear my soul apart, rending it in pieces, with none to deliver. 3‡O LORD my God, if I have done this, if there is wrong in my hands, 4if I have repaid my friend [2] with evil or plundered my enemy without cause, 5let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it, and let him trample my life to the ground and lay my glory in the dust. Selah 6†Arise, O LORD, in your anger; lift

yourself up against the fury of my enemies; awake for me; you have appointed a judgment. 7Let the assembly of the peoples be gathered about you; over it return on high. 8†The LORD judges the peoples; judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness and according to the integrity that is in me. 9†Oh, let the evil of the wicked come to an end, and may you establish the righteous— you who test the minds and hearts, [3] O righteous God! 10My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart. 11‡God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day. 12If a man [4] does not repent, God [5] will whet his sword; he has bent and readied his bow; 13he has prepared for him his deadly weapons, making his arrows fiery shafts. 14‡Behold, the wicked man conceives evil and is pregnant with mischief and gives birth to lies. 15He makes a pit, digging it out, and falls into the hole that he has made. 16His mischief returns upon his own head, and on his own skull his violence descends. 17I will give to the LORD the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the LORD, the Most High.

How Majestic Is Your Name

To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith. [1] A Psalm of David.

PSALM 8 ‡†O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.

2†Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger. 3†When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 4‡†what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? 5‡Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings [2] and crowned him with glory and honor. 6You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, 7all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, 8the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas. 9O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

I Will Recount Your Wonderful Deeds

[1] To the choirmaster: according to Muth-labben. [2] A Psalm of David.

PSALM 9 ‡‡†I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will

recount all of your wonderful deeds. 2I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High. 3When my enemies turn back, they stumble and perish before [3] your presence. 4†For you have maintained my just cause; you have sat on the throne, giving righteous judgment. 5‡You have rebuked the nations; you have made the wicked perish; you have blotted out their name forever and ever. 6The enemy came to an end in everlasting ruins; their cities you rooted out; the very memory of them has perished. 7But the LORD sits enthroned forever; he has established his throne for justice, 8and he judges the world with righteousness; he judges the peoples with uprightness. 9The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. 10And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you. 11†Sing praises to the LORD, who sits enthroned in Zion! Tell among the peoples his deeds! 12‡For he who avenges blood is mindful of them; he does not forget the cry of the afflicted. 13Be gracious to me, O LORD! See my affliction from those who hate me, O you who lift me up from the gates of death, 14that I may recount all your praises, that in the gates of the daughter of Zion I may rejoice in your salvation. 15‡The nations have sunk in the pit that they made; in the net that they hid, their own foot has been caught. 16The LORD has made himself known; he has executed judgment; the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands. Higgaion. [4]

Selah 17‡The wicked shall return to Sheol, all the nations that forget God. 18For the needy shall not always be forgotten, and the hope of the poor shall not perish forever. 19Arise, O LORD! Let not man prevail; let the nations be judged before you! 20Put them in fear, O LORD! Let the nations know that they are but men! Selah

Why Do You Hide Yourself?

PSALM 10 ‡†Why, O LORD, do you stand far away?

Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? 2In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor; let them be caught in the schemes that they have devised. 3†For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul, and the one greedy for gain curses [1] and renounces the LORD. 4In the pride of his face [2] the wicked does not seek him; [3] all his thoughts are, "There is no God." 5†His ways prosper at all times; your judgments are on high, out of his sight; as for all his foes, he puffs at them. 6He says in his heart, "I shall not be moved; throughout all generations I shall not meet adversity." 7‡His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit and oppression; under his tongue are mischief and iniquity. 8He sits in ambush in the villages; in hiding places he murders the innocent. His eyes stealthily watch for the helpless;

9he lurks in ambush like a lion in his thicket; he lurks that he may seize the poor; he seizes the poor when he draws him into his net. 10The helpless are crushed, sink down, and fall by his might. 11He says in his heart, "God has forgotten, he has hidden his face, he will never see it." 12†Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up your hand; forget not the afflicted. 13Why does the wicked renounce God and say in his heart, "You will not call to account"? 14†But you do see, for you note mischief and vexation, that you may take it into your hands; to you the helpless commits himself;

you have been the helper of the fatherless. 15†Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer; call his wickedness to account till you find none. 16‡The LORD is king forever and ever; the nations perish from his land. 17O LORD, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear 18to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no

more.

The LORD Is in His Holy Temple

To the choirmaster. Of David.

PSALM 11 ‡†In the LORD I take refuge; how can you say to my soul,

"Flee like a bird to your mountain, 2for behold, the wicked bend the bow; they have fitted their arrow to the string to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart; 3†if the foundations are

destroyed, what can the righteous do?" [1] 4‡†The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD's throne is in heaven; his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man. 5‡The LORD tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence. 6Let him rain coals on the wicked; fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup. 7†For the LORD is righteous; he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face.

The Faithful Have Vanished

To the choirmaster: according to The Sheminith. [1] A Psalm of David.

PSALM 12 ‡†Save, O LORD, for the godly one is gone; for the faithful have

vanished from among the children of man. 2‡Everyone utters lies to his neighbor; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak. 3†May the LORD cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that makes great boasts, 4those who say, "With our tongue we will prevail, our lips are with us; who is master over us?" 5"Because the poor are plundered, because the needy groan, I will now arise," says the LORD; "I will place him in the safety for which he longs." 6†The words of the LORD are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times. 7‡You, O LORD, will keep them; you will guard us [2] from this generation forever. 8On every side the wicked prowl, as vileness is exalted among the children of man.

How Long, O LORD?

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

PSALM 13 ‡‡How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever?

How long will you hide your face from me? 2How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? 3Consider and answer me, O LORD my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, 4‡lest my enemy say, "I have prevailed over him," lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken. 5But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. 6I will sing to the LORD, because he has dealt bountifully with me.

The Fool Says, There Is No God

To the choirmaster. Of David.

PSALM 14 ‡‡†The fool says in his heart, "There is no God."

They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is none who does

good. 2The LORD looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, [1] who seek after God. 3They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one. 4‡Have they no knowledge, all the evildoers who eat up my people as they eat bread and do not call upon the LORD? 5There they are in great terror, for God is with the generation of the righteous. 6You would shame the plans of the poor, but [2] the LORD is his refuge. 7†Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the LORD restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice,

let Israel be glad.

Who Shall Dwell on Your Holy Hill?

A Psalm of David.

PSALM 15 ‡†O LORD, who shall sojourn in your tent?

Who shall dwell on your holy hill? 2‡He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart; 3who does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend; 4†in whose eyes a vile

person is despised, but who honors those who fear the LORD; who swears to his own hurt and does not change; 5†who does not put out his money at interest and does not take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved.

You Will Not Abandon My Soul

A Miktam [1] of David.

PSALM 16 ‡†Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. 2†I say to the LORD, "You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you." 3As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight. [2] 4†The sorrows of those who run after [3] another god shall multiply; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names on my lips. 5‡The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. 6The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance. 7I bless the LORD who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. [4] 8I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. 9†Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being [5] rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. 10†For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. [6] 11You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

In the Shadow of Your Wings

A Prayer of David.

PSALM 17 ‡‡Hear a just cause, O LORD; attend to my cry!

Give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit! 2From your presence let my vindication come! Let your eyes behold the right! 3‡You have tried my heart, you have visited me by night, you have tested me, and you will find nothing; I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress. 4With regard to the works of man, by the word of your lips I have avoided the ways of the violent. 5My steps have held fast to your paths; my feet have not slipped. 6I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; incline your ear to me; hear my words. 7Wondrously show [1] your steadfast love, O Savior of those who seek refuge from their adversaries at your right hand. 8†Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings, 9from the wicked who do me violence, my deadly enemies who surround me. 10†They close their hearts to pity; with their mouths they speak arrogantly. 11They have now surrounded our steps; they set their eyes to cast us to the ground. 12He is like a lion eager to tear, as a young lion lurking in ambush. 13†Arise, O LORD! Confront him, subdue him! Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword, 14‡from men by your

hand, O LORD, from men of the world whose portion is in this life. [2] You fill their womb with treasure; [3]

they are satisfied with children, and they leave their abundance to their infants. 15As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness.

The LORD Is My Rock and My Fortress

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, the servant of the LORD, who addressed the words of this song to the LORD on the day when the LORD rescued him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. He said:

PSALM 18 ‡†I love you, O LORD, my strength. 2†The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. 3I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. 4†The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of destruction assailed me; [1] 5the cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me. 6In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice,

and my cry to him reached his ears. 7‡Then the earth reeled and rocked; the foundations also of the mountains trembled and quaked, because he was angry. 8Smoke went up from his nostrils, [2] and devouring fire from his mouth; glowing coals flamed forth from him. 9He bowed the heavens and came down; thick darkness was under his feet. 10He rode on a cherub and flew; he came swiftly on the wings of the wind. 11He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him, thick clouds dark with water. 12Out of the brightness before him hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds. 13The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Most High uttered his voice, hailstones and coals of fire. 14And he sent out his arrows and scattered them; he flashed forth lightnings and routed them. 15Then the channels of the sea were seen, and the foundations of the world were laid bare at your rebuke, O LORD,

at the blast of the breath of your nostrils. 16‡He sent from on high, he took me; he drew me out of many waters. 17He rescued me from my strong enemy and from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me. 18They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the LORD was my support.

19He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me. 20‡The LORD dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me. 21For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God. 22For all his rules [3] were before me, and his statutes I did not put away from me. 23I was blameless before him, and I kept myself from my guilt. 24So the LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight. 25With the merciful you show yourself merciful; with the blameless man you show yourself blameless; 26with the purified you show yourself pure; and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous. 27For you save a humble people, but the haughty eyes you bring down. 28For it is you who light my lamp; the LORD my God lightens my darkness. 29For by you I can run against a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall. 30This God—his way is perfect; [4] the word of the LORD proves true; he is a shield for all those who take

refuge in him. 31†For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God?— 32the God who equipped me with strength and made my way blameless. 33He made my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights. 34He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. 35You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your right hand supported me, and your gentleness made me great. 36You gave a wide place for my steps under me, and my feet did not slip. 37I pursued my enemies and overtook them, and did not turn back till they were consumed. 38I thrust them through, so that they were not able to rise; they fell under my feet. 39For you equipped me with strength for the battle; you made those who rise against me sink under me. 40You made my enemies turn their backs to me, [5] and those who hated me I destroyed.

41They cried for help, but there was none to save; they cried to the LORD, but he did not answer them. 42I beat them fine as dust before the wind; I cast them out like the mire of the streets. 43You delivered me from strife with the people; you made me the head of the nations; people whom I had not known served me. 44As soon as they heard of me they obeyed me; foreigners came cringing to me. 45Foreigners lost heart and came trembling out of their fortresses. 46The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation— 47the God who gave me vengeance and subdued peoples under me, 48who delivered me from my enemies; yes, you exalted me above those who rose against me; you rescued me from the man of violence. 49For this I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations, and sing to your name. 50†Great salvation he brings to his king, and shows steadfast love to his anointed, to David and his offspring forever.

The Law of the LORD Is Perfect

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

PSALM 19 ‡‡†The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above [1]

proclaims his handiwork. 2‡Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. 3There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. 4‡†Their voice [2] goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun, 5which comes out like a bridegroom

leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy. 6Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat. 7‡‡†The law of the LORD is perfect, [3] reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; 8†the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; 9†the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules [4] of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether. 10More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey

and drippings of the honeycomb. 11Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. 12‡Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults. 13Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless,

and innocent of great transgression. 14†Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

Trust in the Name of the LORD Our God

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

PSALM 20 ‡†May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble!

May the name of the God of Jacob protect you! 2†May he send you help from the sanctuary and give you support from Zion! 3May he remember all your offerings and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices! Selah 4May he grant you your heart's desire and fulfill all your plans! 5†May we shout for joy over your salvation, and in the name of our God set up our banners! May the LORD fulfill all your petitions! 6Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed; he will answer him from his holy heaven with the saving might of his right hand. 7†Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. 8They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand upright. 9†O LORD, save the king! May he answer us when we call.

The King Rejoices in the LORD's Strength

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

PSALM 21 ‡O LORD, in your strength the king rejoices, and in your salvation

how greatly he exults! 2†You have given him his heart's desire and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah 3†For you meet him with rich blessings; you set a crown of fine gold upon his head. 4†He asked life of you; you gave it to him, length of days forever and ever. 5‡His glory is great through your salvation; splendor and majesty you bestow on him. 6For you make him most blessed forever; [1] you make him glad with the joy of your presence. 7†For the king trusts in the LORD, and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved. 8†Your hand will find out all your enemies; your right hand will find out those who hate you. 9You will make them as a blazing oven when you appear. The LORD will swallow them up in his wrath, and fire will consume them. 10You will destroy their descendants from the earth, and their offspring from among the children of man. 11Though they plan evil against you, though they devise mischief, they will not succeed. 12For you will put them to flight; you will aim at their faces with your bows. 13Be exalted, O LORD, in your strength! We will sing and praise your power.

Why Have You Forsaken Me?

To the choirmaster: according to The Doe of the Dawn. A Psalm of David.

PSALM 22 ‡†My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? 2‡O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest. 3Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises [1] of Israel. 4In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. 5To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame. 6‡But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people. 7†All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads; 8†"He trusts in the LORD; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!" 9‡Yet you are he who took me from the womb; you made me trust you at my mother's breasts. 10On you was I cast from my birth, and from my mother's womb you have been my God. 11Be not far from me, for trouble is near, and there is none to help. 12‡Many bulls encompass me; strong bulls of Bashan surround me; 13they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion. 14‡I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax;

it is melted within my breast; 15my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death. 16†For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet [2]— 17†I can count all my bones—

they stare and gloat over me; 18†they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots. 19But you, O LORD, do not be far off! O you my help, come quickly to my aid! 20Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dog! 21†Save me from the mouth of the lion! You have rescued [3] me from the horns of the wild oxen! 22†I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you: 23You who fear the LORD, praise him!

All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him, and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel! 24For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hidden his face from him,

but has heard, when he cried to him. 25From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will perform before those who fear him. 26The afflicted [4] shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the LORD! May your hearts live forever! 27†All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations

shall worship before you. 28For kingship belongs to the LORD, and he rules over the nations. 29All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, even the one who could not keep himself alive. 30Posterity shall serve him; it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation; 31they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn, that he has done it.

The LORD Is My Shepherd

A Psalm of David.

PSALM 23 ‡†The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2‡He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. [1]

3He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness [2]

for his name's sake. 4†Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, [3] I will fear no evil, for you are with me;

your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5‡†You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6†Surely [4] goodness and mercy [5] shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell [6] in the house of the LORD

forever. [7]

The King of Glory

A Psalm of David.

PSALM 24 ‡†The earth is the LORD's and the fullness thereof, [1]

the world and those who dwell therein, 2†for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. 3†Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place? 4†He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully. 5He will receive blessing from the LORD and righteousness from the God of his salvation. 6Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob. [2] Selah 7‡Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. 8Who is this King of glory? The LORD, strong and mighty, the LORD, mighty in battle! 9Lift up your heads, O gates! And lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. 10†Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory! Selah

Teach Me Your Paths

[1] Of David.

PSALM 25 ‡†To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul. 2‡O my God, in you I trust; let me not be put to shame; let not my enemies exult over me. 3Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame; they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous. 4‡Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths. 5Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long. 6‡Remember your mercy, O LORD, and your steadfast love, for they have been from of old. 7Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for the sake of your goodness, O LORD! 8‡Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in the way. 9He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way. 10All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies. 11†For your name's sake, O LORD, pardon my guilt, for it is great. 12†Who is the man who fears the LORD? Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose. 13His soul shall abide in well-being, and his offspring shall inherit the land. 14†The friendship [2] of the LORD is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant. 15†My eyes are ever toward the LORD, for he will pluck my feet out of the net. 16‡†Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. 17The troubles of my heart are enlarged; bring me out of my distresses. 18Consider my affliction and my trouble, and forgive all my sins. 19Consider how many are my foes, and with what violent hatred they hate me. 20Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me! Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you. 21May integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for you. 22†Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles.

I Will Bless the LORD

Of David.

PSALM 26 ‡†Vindicate me, O LORD, for I have walked in my integrity,

and I have trusted in the LORD without wavering. 2†Prove me, O LORD, and try me; test my heart and my mind. [1] 3For your steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in your faithfulness. 4‡I do not sit with men of falsehood, nor do I consort with hypocrites. 5I hate the assembly of evildoers, and I will not sit with the wicked. 6†I wash my hands in innocence and go around your altar, O LORD, 7†proclaiming thanksgiving aloud, and telling all your wondrous deeds. 8†O LORD, I love the habitation of your house and the place where your glory dwells. 9‡Do not sweep my soul away with sinners, nor my life with bloodthirsty men, 10in whose hands are evil devices, and whose right hands are full of bribes. 11But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity; redeem me, and be gracious to me. 12†My foot stands on level ground; in the great assembly I will bless the LORD.

The LORD Is My Light and My Salvation

Of David.

PSALM 27 ‡†The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold [1] of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? 2†When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes,

it is they who stumble and fall. 3Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me,

yet [2] I will be confident. 4†One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD

all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD

and to inquire [3] in his temple. 5†For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a

rock. 6And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent

sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the LORD. 7Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud; be gracious to me and answer me! 8‡You have said, "Seek [4] my face." My heart says to you,

"Your face, LORD, do I seek." [5] 9Hide not your face from me. Turn not your servant away in anger, O you who have been my help. Cast me not off; forsake me not,

O God of my salvation! 10†For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the LORD will take me in. 11Teach me your way, O LORD, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies. 12Give me not up to the will of my adversaries; for false witnesses have risen against me, and they breathe out violence. 13I believe [6] that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living! 14†Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!

The LORD Is My Strength and My Shield

Of David.

PSALM 28 ‡†To you, O LORD, I call; my rock, be not deaf to me, lest, if you be silent to me,

I become like those who go down to the pit. 2†Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy, when I cry to you for help, when I lift up my hands

toward your most holy sanctuary. [1] 3‡Do not drag me off with the wicked, with the workers of evil, who speak peace with their neighbors while evil is in their hearts. 4Give to them according to their work and according to the evil of their deeds; give to them according to the work of their hands; render them their due reward. 5Because they do not regard the works of the LORD or the work of his hands, he will tear them down and build them up no more. 6†Blessed be the LORD! For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy. 7The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him. 8†The LORD is the strength of his people; [2] he is the saving refuge of his anointed. 9†Oh, save your people and bless your heritage! Be their shepherd and carry them forever.

Ascribe to the LORD Glory

A Psalm of David.

PSALM 29 ‡†Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings, [1]

ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. 2Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness. [2] 3‡†The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD, over many waters. 4The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty. 5†The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon. 6†He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox. 7The voice of the LORD flashes forth flames of fire. 8†The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. 9The voice of the LORD makes the deer give birth [3] and strips the forests bare, and in his temple all cry, "Glory!" 10†The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD sits enthroned as king forever. 11May the LORD give strength to his people! May the LORD bless [4] his people with peace!

Joy Comes with the Morning

A Psalm of David. A song at the dedication of the temple.

PSALM 30 ‡I will extol you, O LORD, for you have drawn me up and have

not let my foes rejoice over me. 2‡O LORD my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me. 3O LORD, you have brought up my soul from Sheol; you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit. [1] 4Sing praises to the LORD, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name. [2] 5†For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. [3] Weeping may tarry for the night,

but joy comes with the morning. 6†As for me, I said in my prosperity, "I shall never be moved." 7By your favor, O LORD, you made my mountain stand strong; you hid your face;

I was dismayed. 8‡To you, O LORD, I cry, and to the Lord I plead for mercy: 9"What profit is there in my death, [4] if I go down to the pit? [5] Will the dust praise you?

Will it tell of your faithfulness? 10Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me! O LORD, be my helper!" 11You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, 12†that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever!

Into Your Hand I Commit My Spirit

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

PSALM 31 ‡In you, O LORD, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame;

in your righteousness deliver me! 2†Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily! Be a rock of refuge for me,

a strong fortress to save me! 3†For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name's sake you lead me and guide me; 4you take me out of the net they have hidden for me, for you are my refuge. 5†Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O LORD, faithful God. 6†I hate [1] those who pay regard to worthless idols, but I trust in the LORD. 7I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love, because you have seen my affliction; you have known the distress of my soul, 8and you have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy; you have set my feet in a broad place. 9‡Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; my eye is wasted from grief; my soul and my body also. 10For my life is spent with sorrow, and my years with sighing; my strength fails because of my iniquity,

and my bones waste away. 11†Because of all my adversaries I have become a reproach, especially to my neighbors, and an object of dread to my acquaintances; those who see me in the street

flee from me. 12I have been forgotten like one who is dead; I have become like a broken vessel. 13†For I hear the whispering of many— terror on every side!— as they scheme together against me,

as they plot to take my life. 14But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, "You are my God." 15My times are in your hand; rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors! 16†Make your face shine on your servant; save me in your steadfast love! 17†O LORD, let me not be put to shame, for I call upon you; let the wicked be put to shame;

let them go silently to Sheol.

18‡Let the lying lips be mute, which speak insolently against the righteous in pride and contempt. 19†Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind! 20In the cover of your presence you hide them from the plots of men; you store them in your shelter

from the strife of tongues. 21Blessed be the LORD, for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me when I was in a besieged city. 22I had said in my alarm, [2] "I am cut off from your sight." But you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy when I cried to you for help. 23†Love the LORD, all you his saints! The LORD preserves the faithful but abundantly repays the one who

acts in pride. 24†Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the LORD!

Blessed Are the Forgiven

A Maskil [1] of David.

PSALM 32 ‡‡Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin

is covered. 2Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. 3‡For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. 4For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up [2] as by the heat of summer. Selah 5†I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,"

and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah 6†Therefore let everyone

who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found; surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him. 7You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah 8†I will instruct you

and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. 9†Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you. 10Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the LORD. 11Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

The Steadfast Love of the LORD

PSALM 33 ‡†Shout for joy in the LORD, O you righteous!

Praise befits the upright. 2Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings! 3†Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts. 4For the word of the LORD is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness. 5He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD. 6‡†By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host. 7†He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap; he puts the deeps in storehouses. 8Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him! 9For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. 10‡The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples. 11The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations. 12Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage! 13The LORD looks down from heaven; he sees all the children of man; 14from where he sits enthroned he looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth, 15†he who fashions the hearts of them all and observes all their deeds. 16‡The king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength. 17The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue. 18Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, 19that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine. 20Our soul waits for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. 21For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. 22Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us, even as we hope in you.

Taste and See That the LORD Is Good

[1] Of David, when he changed his behavior before Abimelech, so that he drove him out, and he went away.

PSALM 34 ‡‡I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually

be in my mouth. 2†My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad. 3Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together! 4I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. 5Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed. 6This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. 7†The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. 8Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! 9Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack! 10The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing. 11†Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. 12‡What man is there who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good? 13Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. 14†Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. 15The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry. 16The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. 17When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. 18†The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. 19‡Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all. 20He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken. 21Affliction will slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.

22The LORD redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

Great Is the LORD

Of David.

PSALM 35 ‡†Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me; fight

against those who fight against me! 2Take hold of shield and buckler and rise for my help! 3†Draw the spear and javelin [1] against my pursuers! Say to my soul,

"I am your salvation!" 4‡Let them be put to shame and dishonor who seek after my life! Let them be turned back and disappointed who devise evil against me! 5Let them be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of the LORD driving them away! 6Let their way be dark and slippery, with the angel of the LORD pursuing them! 7†For without cause they hid their net for me; without cause they dug a pit for my life. [2] 8Let destruction come upon him when he does not know it! And let the net that he hid ensnare him; let him fall into it—to his

destruction! 9Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD, exulting in his salvation. 10†All my bones shall say, "O LORD, who is like you, delivering the poor from him who is too strong for him, the poor and needy from him who robs him?" 11‡Malicious [3] witnesses rise up; they ask me of things that I do not know. 12They repay me evil for good; my soul is bereft. [4] 13But I, when they were sick— I wore sackcloth; I afflicted myself with fasting; I prayed with head bowed [5] on my chest.

14I went about as though I grieved for my friend or my brother; as one who laments his mother, I bowed down in mourning. 15But at my stumbling they rejoiced and gathered; they gathered together against me; wretches whom I did not know

tore at me without ceasing; 16†like profane mockers at a feast, [6] they gnash at me with their teeth. 17†How long, O Lord, will you look on? Rescue me from their destruction,

my precious life from the lions! 18I will thank you in the great congregation; in the mighty throng I will praise you. 19†Let not those rejoice over me who are wrongfully my foes, and let not those wink the eye

who hate me without cause. 20For they do not speak peace, but against those who are quiet in the land they devise words of deceit. 21‡†They open wide their mouths against me; they say, "Aha, Aha! Our eyes have seen it!" 22You have seen, O LORD; be not silent! O Lord, be not far from me! 23†Awake and rouse yourself for my vindication, for my cause, my God and my Lord! 24Vindicate me, O LORD, my God, according to your righteousness, and let them not rejoice over me! 25Let them not say in their hearts, "Aha, our heart's desire!" Let them not say, "We have swallowed him up." 26Let them be put to shame and disappointed altogether who rejoice at my calamity! Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor who magnify themselves

against me! 27†Let those who delight in my righteousness shout for joy and be glad and say evermore, "Great is the LORD,

who delights in the welfare of his servant!" 28Then my tongue shall tell of your righteousness and of your praise all the day long.

How Precious Is Your Steadfast Love

To the choirmaster. Of David, the servant of the LORD.

PSALM 36 ‡†Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in his heart; [1] there is no fear of God

before his eyes. 2†For he flatters himself in his own eyes that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated. 3‡The words of his mouth are trouble and deceit; he has ceased to act wisely and do good. 4He plots trouble while on his bed; he sets himself in a way that is not good; he does not reject evil. 5‡Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. 6Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your judgments are like the great deep; man and beast you save, O LORD. 7†How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings. 8They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights. 9†For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light. 10Oh, continue your steadfast love to those who know you, and your righteousness to the upright of heart! 11†Let not the foot of arrogance come upon me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away. 12†There the evildoers lie fallen; they are thrust down, unable to rise.

He Will Not Forsake His Saints

[1] Of David.

PSALM 37 ‡Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of

wrongdoers! 2†For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb. 3Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. [2] 4Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. 5Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act. 6He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. 7‡Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! 8Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. 9For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land. 10†In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there. 11But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace. 12The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him, 13but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he sees that his day is coming. 14The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose way is upright; 15their sword shall enter their own heart, and their bows shall be broken. 16Better is the little that the righteous has than the abundance of many wicked. 17†For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous. 18†The LORD knows the days of the blameless, and their heritage will remain forever; 19they are not put to shame in evil times; in the days of famine they have

abundance. 20But the wicked will perish; the enemies of the LORD are like the glory of the pastures; they vanish—like smoke they vanish away. 21†The wicked borrows but does not pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives; 22for those blessed by the LORD [3] shall inherit the land, but those cursed by him shall be cut off. 23The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way; 24†though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the LORD upholds his hand. 25I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread. 26He is ever lending generously, and his children become a blessing. 27Turn away from evil and do good; so shall you dwell forever. 28For the LORD loves justice; he will not forsake his saints. They are preserved forever,

but the children of the wicked shall be cut off. 29The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell upon it forever. 30The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice. 31†The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip. 32The wicked watches for the righteous and seeks to put him to death. 33The LORD will not abandon him to his power or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial. 34Wait for the LORD and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land; you will look on when the wicked are cut off. 35I have seen a wicked, ruthless man, spreading himself like a green laurel tree. [4] 36But he passed away, [5] and behold, he was no more; though I sought him, he could not be found. 37Mark the blameless and behold the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace. 38†But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed; the future of the wicked shall be cut off. 39†The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; he is their stronghold in the time of trouble. 40The LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked

and saves them, because they take refuge in him.

Do Not Forsake Me, O LORD

A Psalm of David, for the memorial offering.

PSALM 38 ‡†O LORD, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in

your wrath! 2†For your arrows have sunk into me, and your hand has come down on me. 3There is no soundness in my flesh because of your indignation; there is no health in my bones

because of my sin. 4For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me. 5†My wounds stink and fester because of my foolishness, 6I am utterly bowed down and prostrate; all the day I go about mourning. 7For my sides are filled with burning, and there is no soundness in my flesh. 8I am feeble and crushed; I groan because of the tumult of my heart. 9O Lord, all my longing is before you; my sighing is not hidden from you. 10My heart throbs; my strength fails me, and the light of my eyes—it also has gone from me. 11†My friends and companions stand aloof from my plague, and my nearest kin stand far off. 12Those who seek my life lay their snares; those who seek my hurt speak of ruin and meditate treachery all day long. 13‡But I am like a deaf man; I do not hear, like a mute man who does not open his mouth. 14I have become like a man who does not hear, and in whose mouth are no rebukes. 15But for you, O LORD, do I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer. 16For I said, "Only let them not rejoice over me, who boast against me when my foot slips!" 17For I am ready to fall, and my pain is ever before me. 18I confess my iniquity; I am sorry for my sin. 19‡But my foes are vigorous, they are mighty, and many are those who hate me wrongfully. 20Those who render me evil for good accuse me because I follow after good. 21Do not forsake me, O LORD! O my God, be not far from me! 22Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!

What Is the Measure of My Days?

To the choirmaster: to Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

PSALM 39 ‡†I said, "I will guard my ways, that I may not sin with my

tongue; I will guard my mouth with a muzzle, so long as the wicked are in my

presence." 2†I was mute and silent; I held my peace to no avail, and my distress grew worse.

3†My heart became hot within me. As I mused, the fire burned;

then I spoke with my tongue: 4†"O LORD, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am! 5†Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath! Selah 6†Surely a man goes

about as a shadow! Surely for nothing [1] they are in turmoil; man heaps up wealth and does

not know who will gather! 7"And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you. 8Deliver me from all my transgressions. Do not make me the scorn of the fool! 9†I am mute; I do not open my mouth, for it is you who have done it. 10Remove your stroke from me; I am spent by the hostility of your hand. 11†When you discipline a man with rebukes for sin, you consume like a moth what is dear to him; surely all mankind is a mere

breath! Selah 12†"Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear to my cry; hold not your peace at my tears! For I am a sojourner with you,

a guest, like all my fathers. 13†Look away from me, that I may smile again, before I depart and am no more!"

My Help and My Deliverer

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

PSALM 40 ‡I waited patiently for the LORD; he inclined to me and heard my

cry. 2†He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock,

making my steps secure. 3‡†He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear,

and put their trust in the LORD. 4Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie! 5†You have multiplied, O LORD my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you! I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told. 6‡†In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted, but you have given me an open ear. [1] Burnt offering and sin offering

you have not required. 7†Then I said, "Behold, I have come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me: 8I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart." 9†I have told the glad news of deliverance [2] in the great congregation; behold, I have not restrained my lips, as you know, O LORD. 10†I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart; I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great congregation. 11As for you, O LORD, you will not restrain your mercy from me; your steadfast love and your faithfulness will ever preserve me! 12†For evils have encompassed me beyond number; my iniquities have overtaken me,

and I cannot see; they are more than the hairs of my head; my heart fails me. 13‡Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me! O LORD, make haste to help me! 14Let those be put to shame and disappointed altogether who seek to snatch away my life; let those be turned back and brought to dishonor who delight in my hurt!

15Let those be appalled because of their shame who say to me, "Aha, Aha!" 16But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation say continually, "Great is the LORD!" 17As for me, I am poor and needy, but the Lord takes thought for me. You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God!

O LORD, Be Gracious to Me

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

PSALM 41 ‡†Blessed is the one who considers the poor! [1]

In the day of trouble the LORD delivers him; 2†the LORD protects him

and keeps him alive; he is called blessed in the land; you do not give him up to the will of his enemies. 3†The LORD sustains him on his sickbed; in his illness you restore him to full health. [2] 4†As for me, I said, "O LORD, be gracious to me; heal me, [3] for I have sinned against you!" 5My enemies say of me in malice, "When will he die, and his name perish?" 6†And when one comes to see me, he utters empty words, while his heart gathers iniquity; when he goes out, he tells it abroad. 7All who hate me whisper together about me; they imagine the worst for me. [4] 8They say, "A deadly thing is poured out [5] on him; he will not rise again from where he lies." 9†Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me. 10But you, O LORD, be gracious to me, and raise me up, that I may repay them! 11By this I know that you delight in me: my enemy will not shout in triumph over me. 12But you have upheld me because of my integrity, and set me in your presence forever. 13†Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! Amen and Amen.

Book Two

Why Are You Cast Down, O My Soul?

To the choirmaster. A Maskil [1] of the Sons of Korah.

PSALM 42 ‡†As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you,

O God. 2†My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? [2] 3My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all the day long, "Where is your God?" 4†These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I would go with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of

God with glad shouts and songs of praise, a multitude keeping festival. 5†Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation [3] 6†and my God. My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar. 7†Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your waves have gone over me. 8†By day the LORD commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life. 9I say to God, my rock: "Why have you forgotten me? Why do I go mourning

because of the oppression of the enemy?" 10As with a deadly wound in my bones, my adversaries taunt me, while they say to me all the day long, "Where is your God?" 11Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.

Send Out Your Light and Your Truth

PSALM 43 ‡†Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause against an ungodly

people, from the deceitful and unjust man deliver me! 2†For you are the God in whom I take refuge; why have you rejected me? Why do I go about mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? 3†Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling! 4Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy, and I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God. 5†Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.

Come to Our Help

To the choirmaster. A Maskil [1] of the Sons of Korah.

PSALM 44 ‡†O God, we have heard with our ears, our fathers have told us, what deeds you performed in their days,

in the days of old: 2†you with your own hand drove out the nations, but them you planted; you afflicted the peoples,

but them you set free; 3†for not by their own sword did they win the land, nor did their own arm save them, but your right hand and your arm,

and the light of your face, for you delighted in them. 4†You are my King, O God; ordain salvation for Jacob! 5‡Through you we push down our foes; through your name we tread down those who rise up against us. 6For not in my bow do I trust, nor can my sword save me. 7But you have saved us from our foes and have put to shame those who hate us. 8In God we have boasted continually, and we will give thanks to your name forever. Selah 9†But you have rejected us and disgraced us and have not gone out with our armies. 10You have made us turn back from the foe, and those who hate us have gotten spoil. 11‡You have made us like sheep for slaughter and have scattered us among the nations. 12You have sold your people for a trifle, demanding no high price for them. 13You have made us the taunt of our neighbors, the derision and scorn of those around us. 14You have made us a byword among the nations, a laughingstock [2] among the peoples. 15All day long my disgrace is before me, and shame has covered my face 16at the sound of the taunter and reviler, at the sight of the enemy and the avenger. 17‡All this has come upon us, though we have not forgotten you, and we have not been false to your covenant.

18Our heart has not turned back, nor have our steps departed from your way; 19yet you have broken us in the place of jackals and covered us with the shadow of death. 20If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread out our hands to a foreign god, 21would not God discover this? For he knows the secrets of the heart. 22†Yet for your sake we are killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered. 23†Awake! Why are you sleeping, O Lord? Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever! 24Why do you hide your face? Why do you forget our affliction and oppression? 25For our soul is bowed down to the dust; our belly clings to the ground. 26†Rise up; come to our help! Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love!

Your Throne, O God, Is Forever

To the choirmaster: according to Lilies. A Maskil [1] of the Sons of Korah; a love song.

PSALM 45 ‡†My heart overflows with a pleasing theme; I address my verses

to the king; my tongue is like the pen of a ready scribe. 2†You are the most handsome of the sons of men; grace is poured upon your lips; therefore God has blessed you forever. 3‡Gird your sword on your thigh, O mighty one, in your splendor and majesty! 4In your majesty ride out victoriously for the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness; let your right hand teach you awesome deeds! 5Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the king's enemies; the peoples fall under you. 6‡Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness; 7you have

loved righteousness and hated wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you

with the oil of gladness beyond your companions; 8your robes are all

fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia. From ivory palaces stringed instruments make you glad; 9†daughters of

kings are among your ladies of honor; at your right hand stands the queen in gold of Ophir. 10‡Hear, O daughter, and consider, and incline your ear: forget your people and your father's house, 11and the king will desire your beauty. Since he is your lord, bow to him.

12The people [2] of Tyre will seek your favor with gifts, the richest of the people. [3] 13All glorious is the princess in her chamber, with robes interwoven with gold. 14In many-colored robes she is led to the king, with her virgin companions following behind her. 15With joy and gladness they are led along as they enter the palace of the king.

16†In place of your fathers shall be your sons; you will make them princes in all the earth. 17I will cause your name to be remembered in all generations; therefore nations will praise you forever and ever.

God Is Our Fortress

To the choirmaster. Of the Sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. [1] A Song.

PSALM 46 ‡God is our refuge and strength, a very present [2] help in

trouble. 2†Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, 3†though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah 4†There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. 5‡God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. 6The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. 7†The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah 8†Come, behold the works of the LORD, how he has brought desolations on the earth. 9He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire. 10†"Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!" 11The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

God Is King over All the Earth

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.

PSALM 47 ‡†Clap your hands, all peoples!

Shout to God with loud songs of joy! 2For the LORD, the Most High, is to be feared, a great king over all the earth. 3†He subdued peoples under us, and nations under our feet. 4†He chose our heritage for us, the pride of Jacob whom he loves. Selah 5†God has gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet. 6Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises! 7For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a psalm! [1] 8God reigns over the nations; God sits on his holy throne. 9†The princes of the peoples gather as the people of the God of Abraham. For the shields of the earth belong to God; he is highly exalted!

Zion, the City of Our God

A Song. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.

PSALM 48 ‡Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised in the city of our

God! His holy mountain, 2†beautiful in elevation, is the joy of all the earth, Mount Zion, in the far north,

the city of the great King. 3†Within her citadels God has made himself known as a fortress. 4‡For behold, the kings assembled; they came on together. 5As soon as they saw it, they were astounded; they were in panic; they took to flight. 6Trembling took hold of them there, anguish as of a woman in labor. 7†By the east wind you shattered the ships of Tarshish. 8†As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God, which God will establish forever. Selah 9We have thought on your

steadfast love, O God, in the midst of your temple. 10As your name, O God, so your praise reaches to the ends of the earth. Your right hand is filled with righteousness.

11†Let Mount Zion be glad! Let the daughters of Judah rejoice

because of your judgments! 12Walk about Zion, go around her, number her towers, 13consider well her ramparts, go through her citadels, that you may tell the next generation 14†that this is God, our God forever

and ever. He will guide us forever. [1]

Why Should I Fear in Times of Trouble?

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.

PSALM 49 ‡†Hear this, all peoples!

Give ear, all inhabitants of the world, 2†both low and high, rich and poor together! 3‡My mouth shall speak wisdom; the meditation of my heart shall be understanding. 4I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will solve my riddle to the music of the lyre. 5†Why should I fear in times of trouble, when the iniquity of those who cheat me surrounds me, 6†those who trust in their wealth and boast of the abundance of their riches? 7‡Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life, 8for the ransom of their life is costly and can never suffice, 9‡that he should live on forever and never see the pit. 10For he sees that even the wise die; the fool and the stupid alike must perish and leave their wealth to others. 11Their graves are their homes forever, [1] their dwelling places to all generations, though they called lands by their own names. 12†Man in his pomp will not remain; he is like the beasts that perish. 13This is the path of those who have foolish confidence; yet after them people approve of their boasts. [2] Selah 14†Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol; death shall be their shepherd, and the upright shall rule over them in the morning.

Their form shall be consumed in Sheol, with no place to dwell. 15†But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me. Selah 16Be not afraid when a man becomes rich, when the glory of his house increases. 17†For when he dies he will carry nothing away; his glory will not go down after him. 18For though, while he lives, he counts himself blessed —and though you get praise when you do well for yourself— 19his soul will go to the generation of his fathers, who will never again see light. 20†Man in his pomp yet without understanding is like the beasts that perish.

God Himself Is Judge

A Psalm of Asaph.

PSALM 50 ‡†The Mighty One, God the LORD, speaks and summons the

earth from the rising of the sun to its setting. 2‡Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth. 3Our God comes; he does not keep silence; [1] before him is a devouring fire, around him a mighty tempest. 4‡He calls to the heavens above and to the earth, that he may judge his people: 5†"Gather to me my faithful ones, who made a covenant with me by sacrifice!" 6The heavens declare his righteousness, for God himself is judge! Selah 7"Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, I will testify against you. I am God, your God. 8†Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you; your burnt offerings are continually before me. 9‡I will not accept a bull from your house or goats from your folds. 10For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. 11I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine. 12"If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are mine. 13Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats? 14†Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, [2] and perform your vows to the Most High, 15and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me." 16‡But to the wicked God says: "What right have you to recite my statutes or take my covenant on your lips? 17For you hate discipline, and you cast my words behind you. 18If you see a thief, you are pleased with him, and you keep company with adulterers. 19"You give your mouth free rein for evil, and your tongue frames deceit. 20You sit and speak against your brother; you slander your own mother's son. 21†These things you have done, and I have been silent; you thought that I [3] was one like yourself. But now I rebuke you and lay the charge before you.

22†"Mark this, then, you who forget God, lest I tear you apart, and there be none to deliver! 23†The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God!"

Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.

PSALM 51 ‡†Have mercy on me, [1] O God, according to your steadfast

love;

according to your abundant mercy

blot out my transgressions. 2Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! 3For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. 4†Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words

and blameless in your judgment. 5†Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. 6Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. 7†Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8†Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. 9Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. 10Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right [2] spirit within me. 11†Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. 12†Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. 13Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. 14Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness. 15O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. 16†For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. 17The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. 18Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; build up the walls of Jerusalem; 19then will you delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on your altar.

The Steadfast Love of God Endures

To the choirmaster. A Maskil [1] of David, when Doeg, the Edomite, came and told Saul, "David has come to the house of Ahimelech."

PSALM 52 ‡†Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man?

The steadfast love of God endures all the day. 2Your tongue plots destruction, like a sharp razor, you worker of deceit. 3You love evil more than good, and lying more than speaking what is right. Selah 4You love all words that devour, O deceitful tongue. 5†But God will break you down forever; he will snatch and tear you from your tent; he will uproot you from the land of the living. Selah 6†The righteous shall see and fear, and shall laugh at him, saying, 7"See the man who would not make God his refuge, but trusted in the abundance of his riches and sought refuge in his own

destruction!" [2] 8†But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever. 9I will thank you forever, because you have done it. I will wait for your name, for it is good, in the presence of the godly.

There Is None Who Does Good

To the choirmaster: according to Mahalath. A Maskil [1] of David.

PSALM 53 ‡‡The fool says in his heart, "There is no God."

They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity; there is none who does

good. 2†God looks down from heaven on the children of man to see if there are any who understand, [2]

who seek after God. 3They have all fallen away; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good,

not even one. 4Have those who work evil no knowledge, who eat up my people as they eat bread, and do not call upon God? 5†There they are, in great terror, where there is no terror! For God scatters the bones of him who encamps against you; you put them

to shame, for God has rejected them. 6Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When God restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice, let

Israel be glad.

The Lord Upholds My Life

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Maskil [1] of David, when the Ziphites went and told Saul, "Is not David hiding among us?"

PSALM 54 ‡†O God, save me by your name, and vindicate me by your

might. 2†O God, hear my prayer; give ear to the words of my mouth. 3†For strangers [2] have risen against me; ruthless men seek my life; they do not set God before themselves. Selah 4Behold, God is my

helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life. 5†He will return the evil to my enemies; in your faithfulness put an end to them. 6With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you; I will give thanks to your name, O LORD, for it is good. 7†For he has delivered me from every trouble, and my eye has looked in triumph on my enemies.

Cast Your Burden on the LORD

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Maskil [1] of David.

PSALM 55 ‡Give ear to my prayer, O God, and hide not yourself from my

plea for mercy! 2Attend to me, and answer me; I am restless in my complaint and I moan, 3†because of the noise of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked. For they drop trouble upon me,

and in anger they bear a grudge against me. 4My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death have fallen upon me. 5Fear and trembling come upon me, and horror overwhelms me. 6†And I say, "Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest; 7yes, I would wander far away; I would lodge in the wilderness; Selah 8I would hurry to find a shelter from the raging wind and tempest." 9†Destroy, O Lord, divide their tongues; for I see violence and strife in the city. 10Day and night they go around it on its walls, and iniquity and trouble are within it; 11ruin is in its midst; oppression and

fraud do not depart from its marketplace. 12For it is not an enemy who taunts me— then I could bear it; it is not an adversary who deals insolently with me— then I could hide from

him. 13But it is you, a man, my equal, my companion, my familiar friend. 14We used to take sweet counsel together; within God's house we walked in the throng. 15†Let death steal over them; let them go down to Sheol alive; for evil is in their dwelling place and in their heart. 16But I call to God, and the LORD will save me. 17Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan, and he hears my voice. 18He redeems my soul in safety from the battle that I wage, for many are arrayed against me. 19†God will give ear and humble them, he who is enthroned from of old, Selah because they do not change

and do not fear God. 20†My companion [2] stretched out his hand against his friends; he violated his covenant. 21†His speech was smooth as butter, yet war was in his heart; his words were softer than oil,

yet they were drawn swords. 22†Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit

the righteous to be moved. 23†But you, O God, will cast them down into the pit of destruction; men of blood and treachery

shall not live out half their days. But I will trust in you.

In God I Trust

To the choirmaster: according to The Dove on Far-off Terebinths. A Miktam [1] of David, when the Philistines seized him in Gath.

PSALM 56 ‡Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me; all day long

an attacker oppresses me; 2my enemies trample on me all day long, for many attack me proudly. 3†When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. 4In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me? 5†All day long they injure my cause; [2] all their thoughts are against me for evil. 6They stir up strife, they lurk; they watch my steps, as they have waited for my life. 7†For their crime will they escape? In wrath cast down the peoples, O God! 8†You have kept count of my tossings; [3] put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book? 9Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call. This I know, that [4] God is for me. 10In God, whose word I praise, in the LORD, whose word I praise, 11†in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me? 12†I must perform my vows to you, O God; I will render thank offerings to you. 13For you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God

in the light of life.

Let Your Glory Be over All the Earth

To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Miktam [1] of David, when he fled from Saul, in the cave.

PSALM 57 ‡†Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my

soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction

pass by. 2†I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me. 3He will send from heaven and save me; he will put to shame him who tramples on me. Selah God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness! 4†My soul is in the midst of lions; I lie down amid fiery beasts— the children of man, whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords. 5†Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth! 6†They set a net for my steps; my soul was bowed down. They dug a pit in my way,

but they have fallen into it themselves. Selah 7‡My heart is steadfast,

O God, my heart is steadfast! I will sing and make melody!

8†Awake, my glory! [2] Awake, O harp and lyre!

I will awake the dawn! 9†I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations. 10†For your steadfast love is great to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. 11Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth!

God Who Judges the Earth

To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Miktam [1] of David.

PSALM 58 ‡†Do you indeed decree what is right, you gods? [2]

Do you judge the children of man uprightly? 2†No, in your hearts you devise wrongs; your hands deal out violence on earth. 3†The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray from birth, speaking lies. 4†They have venom like the venom of a serpent, like the deaf adder that stops its ear, 5so that it does not hear the voice of charmers or of the cunning enchanter. 6†O God, break the teeth in their mouths; tear out the fangs of the young lions, O LORD! 7†Let them vanish like water that runs away; when he aims his arrows, let them be blunted. 8†Let them be like the snail that dissolves into slime, like the stillborn child who never sees the sun. 9†Sooner than your pots can feel the heat of thorns, whether green or ablaze, may he sweep them away! [3] 10†The righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance; he will bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked. 11†Mankind will say, "Surely there is a reward for the righteous; surely there is a God who judges on earth."

Deliver Me from My Enemies

To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Miktam [1] of David, when Saul sent men to watch his house in order to kill him.

PSALM 59 ‡Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; protect me from those

who rise up against me; 2deliver me from those who work evil, and save me from bloodthirsty men. 3For behold, they lie in wait for my life; fierce men stir up strife against me. For no transgression or sin of mine, O LORD, 4for no fault of mine, they run

and make ready. Awake, come to meet me, and see!

5†You, LORD God of hosts, are God of Israel. Rouse yourself to punish all the nations;

spare none of those who treacherously plot evil. Selah 6†Each evening

they come back, howling like dogs and prowling about the city. 7†There they are, bellowing with their mouths with swords in their lips— for "Who," they think, [2] "will hear us?" 8†But you, O LORD, laugh at them; you hold all the nations in derision. 9O my Strength, I will watch for you, for you, O God, are my fortress. 10My God in his steadfast love [3] will meet me; God will let me look in triumph on my enemies. 11†Kill them not, lest my people forget; make them totter [4] by your power and bring them down, O Lord, our shield! 12For the sin of their mouths, the words of their lips, let them be trapped in their pride. For the cursing and lies that they utter,

13consume them in wrath; consume them till they are no more, that they may know that God rules over Jacob to the ends of the earth. Selah

14Each evening they come back, howling like dogs and prowling about the city. 15They wander about for food and growl if they do not get their fill. 16But I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been to me a fortress

and a refuge in the day of my distress. 17O my Strength, I will sing praises to you, for you, O God, are my fortress,

the God who shows me steadfast love.

He Will Tread Down Our Foes

To the choirmaster: according to Shushan Eduth. A Miktam [1] of David; for instruction; when he strove with Aram-naharaim and with Aram-zobah, and when Joab on his return struck down twelve thousand of Edom in the Valley of Salt.

PSALM 60 ‡O God, you have rejected us, broken our defenses; you have

been angry; oh, restore us. 2†You have made the land to quake; you have torn it open; repair its breaches, for it totters. 3†You have made your people see hard things; you have given us wine to drink that made us stagger. 4†You have set up a banner for those who fear you, that they may flee to it from the bow. [2] Selah 5†That your beloved ones may be delivered, give salvation by your right hand and answer us! 6†God has spoken in his holiness: [3] "With exultation I will divide up Shechem and portion out the Vale of Succoth. 7†Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine; Ephraim is my helmet; Judah is my scepter. 8†Moab is my washbasin; upon Edom I cast my shoe; over Philistia I shout in triumph." [4] 9Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom? 10Have you not rejected us, O God? You do not go forth, O God, with our armies. 11Oh, grant us help against the foe, for vain is the salvation of man! 12†With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes.

Lead Me to the Rock

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. Of David.

PSALM 61 ‡Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; 2†from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock

that is higher than I, 3†for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy. 4Let me dwell in your tent forever! Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings! Selah 5†For you, O

God, have heard my vows; you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name. 6†Prolong the life of the king; may his years endure to all generations! 7†May he be enthroned forever before God; appoint steadfast love and faithfulness to watch over him! 8†So will I ever sing praises to your name, as I perform my vows day after day.

My Soul Waits for God Alone

To the choirmaster: according to Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

PSALM 62 ‡†For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my

salvation. 2†He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken. 3†How long will all of you attack a man to batter him, like a leaning wall, a tottering fence? 4They only plan to thrust him down from his high position. They take pleasure in falsehood. They bless with their mouths,

but inwardly they curse. Selah 5For God alone, O my soul, wait in

silence, for my hope is from him. 6†He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. 7On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. 8Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah 9†Those of low estate are but a breath;

those of high estate are a delusion; in the balances they go up; they are together lighter than a breath. 10Put no trust in extortion; set no vain hopes on robbery; if riches increase, set not your heart on them. 11Once God has spoken; twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God,

12and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love. For you will render to a man

according to his work.

My Soul Thirsts for You

A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.

PSALM 63 ‡†O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts

for you; my flesh faints for you,

as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. 2So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. 3†Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. 4†So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands. 5†My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, 6when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; 7for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy. 8†My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me. 9†But those who seek to destroy my life shall go down into the depths of the earth; 10†they shall be given over to the power of the sword; they shall be a portion for jackals. 11†But the king shall rejoice in God; all who swear by him shall exult, for the mouths of liars will be stopped.

Hide Me from the Wicked

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

PSALM 64 ‡†Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint; preserve my life

from dread of the enemy. 2Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked, from the throng of evildoers, 3†who whet their tongues like swords, who aim bitter words like arrows, 4†shooting from ambush at the blameless, shooting at him suddenly and without fear. 5†They hold fast to their evil purpose; they talk of laying snares secretly, thinking, "Who can see them?"

6†They search out injustice, saying, "We have accomplished a diligent search." For the inward mind and heart of a man are deep! 7†But God shoots his arrow at them; they are wounded suddenly. 8†They are brought to ruin, with their own tongues turned against them; all who see them will wag their heads. 9†Then all mankind fears; they tell what God has brought about and ponder what he has done. 10Let the righteous one rejoice in the LORD and take refuge in him! Let all the upright in heart exult!

O God of Our Salvation

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. A Song.

PSALM 65 ‡†Praise is due to you, [1] O God, in Zion, and to you shall vows

be performed. 2†O you who hear prayer, to you shall all flesh come. 3†When iniquities prevail against me, you atone for our transgressions. 4Blessed is the one you choose and bring near, to dwell in your courts! We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your

temple! 5†By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness, O God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas; 6the one who by his strength established the mountains, being girded with might; 7who stills the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples, 8†so that those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe at your signs. You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy. 9You visit the earth and water it; [2] you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide their grain,

for so you have prepared it. 10You water its furrows abundantly, settling its ridges, softening it with showers,

and blessing its growth. 11†You crown the year with your bounty; your wagon tracks overflow with abundance. 12The pastures of the wilderness overflow, the hills gird themselves with joy, 13the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, they shout and sing together for joy.

How Awesome Are Your Deeds

To the choirmaster. A Song. A Psalm.

PSALM 66 ‡†Shout for joy to God, all the earth; 2sing the glory of his name;

give to him glorious praise! 3Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you. 4†All the earth worships you and sings praises to you; they sing praises to your name." Selah 5Come and see what God has

done: he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man. 6†He turned the sea into dry land; they passed through the river on foot. There did we rejoice in him,

7who rules by his might forever, whose eyes keep watch on the nations — let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah 8Bless our God, O peoples; let the sound of his praise be heard, 9†who has kept our soul among the living and has not let our feet slip. 10†For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried. 11†You brought us into the net; you laid a crushing burden on our backs; 12†you let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water; yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance. 13†I will come into your house with burnt offerings; I will perform my vows to you, 14that which my lips uttered and my mouth promised when I was in trouble. 15I will offer to you burnt offerings of fattened animals, with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams; I will make an offering of bulls and goats. Selah 16Come and hear, all you

who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul. 17I cried to him with my mouth, and high praise was on [1] my tongue. [2] 18If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. 19But truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer. 20Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me!

Make Your Face Shine upon Us

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Psalm. A Song.

PSALM 67 ‡†May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to

shine upon us, Selah 2that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations. 3†Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! 4Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Selah 5Let the peoples praise you, O

God; let all the peoples praise you! 6The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, shall bless us. 7God shall bless us; let all the ends of the earth fear him!

God Shall Scatter His Enemies

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. A Song.

PSALM 68 ‡†God shall arise, his enemies shall be scattered; and those who

hate him shall flee before him! 2As smoke is driven away, so you shall drive them away; as wax melts before fire, so the wicked shall perish before God! 3But the righteous shall be glad; they shall exult before God; they shall be jubilant with joy! 4†Sing to God, sing praises to his name; lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts; his name is the LORD; exult before him! 5Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation. 6†God settles the solitary in a home; he leads out the prisoners to prosperity, but the rebellious dwell in a parched land. 7O God, when you went out before your people, when you marched through the wilderness, Selah 8the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain, before God, the One of Sinai, before God, the God of Israel. 9†Rain in abundance, O God, you shed abroad; you restored your inheritance as it languished; 10your flock [1] found a dwelling in it; in your goodness, O God, you provided for the needy. 11The Lord gives the word; the women who announce the news are a great host: 12"The kings of the armies—they flee, they flee!" The women at home divide the spoil—

13though you men lie among the sheepfolds— the wings of a dove covered with silver, its pinions with shimmering gold. 14†When the Almighty scatters kings there, let snow fall on Zalmon. 15†O mountain of God, mountain of Bashan; O many-peaked [2] mountain, mountain of Bashan! 16Why do you look with hatred, O many-peaked mountain, at the mount that God desired for his abode, yes, where the LORD will dwell forever? 17†The chariots of God are twice ten thousand, thousands upon thousands; the Lord is among them; Sinai is now in the sanctuary. 18†You ascended on high, leading a host of captives in your train and receiving gifts among men,

even among the rebellious, that the LORD God may dwell there. 19Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up; God is our salvation. Selah 20Our God is a God of salvation, and to GOD, the Lord, belong deliverances from death. 21But God will strike the heads of his enemies, the hairy crown of him who walks in his guilty ways. 22†The Lord said, "I will bring them back from Bashan, I will bring them back from the depths of the sea, 23that you may strike your

feet in their blood, that the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from the foe." 24†Your procession is [3] seen, O God, the procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary— 25the singers in front, the musicians last, between them virgins playing tambourines: 26"Bless God in the great congregation, the LORD, O you [4] who are of Israel's fountain!" 27†There is Benjamin, the least of them, in the lead, the princes of Judah in their throng, the princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali. 28Summon your power, O God, [5] the power, O God, by which you have worked for us. 29†Because of your temple at Jerusalem kings shall bear gifts to you. 30†Rebuke the beasts that dwell among the reeds, the herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples. Trample underfoot those who lust after tribute;

scatter the peoples who delight in war. [6] 31Nobles shall come from Egypt; Cush shall hasten to stretch out her hands to God. 32O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God; sing praises to the Lord, Selah 33to him who rides in the heavens, the ancient heavens; behold, he sends out his voice, his mighty voice. 34Ascribe power to God, whose majesty is over Israel, and whose power is in the skies. 35Awesome is God from his [7] sanctuary; the God of Israel—he is the one who gives power and strength to his people. Blessed be God!

Save Me, O God

To the choirmaster: according to Lilies. Of David.

PSALM 69 ‡Save me, O God!

For the waters have come up to my neck. [1] 2I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters,

and the flood sweeps over me. 3I am weary with my crying out; my throat is parched. My eyes grow dim

with waiting for my God. 4†More in number than the hairs of my head are those who hate me without cause; mighty are those who would destroy me,

those who attack me with lies. What I did not steal

must I now restore? 5O God, you know my folly; the wrongs I have done are not hidden from you. 6†Let not those who hope in you be put to shame through me, O Lord GOD of hosts; let not those who seek you be brought to dishonor through me, O God of Israel. 7For it is for your sake that I have borne reproach, that dishonor has covered my face. 8†I have become a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my mother's sons. 9†For zeal for your house has consumed me, and the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me. 10When I wept and humbled [2] my soul with fasting, it became my reproach. 11†When I made sackcloth my clothing, I became a byword to them. 12†I am the talk of those who sit in the gate, and the drunkards make songs about me. 13But as for me, my prayer is to you, O LORD. At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving

faithfulness. 14Deliver me from sinking in the mire; let me be delivered from my enemies

and from the deep waters. 15†Let not the flood sweep over me, or the deep swallow me up, or the pit close its mouth over me.

16Answer me, O LORD, for your steadfast love is good; according to your abundant mercy, turn to me. 17Hide not your face from your servant; for I am in distress; make haste to answer me. 18Draw near to my soul, redeem me; ransom me because of my enemies! 19You know my reproach, and my shame and my dishonor; my foes are all known to you. 20Reproaches have broken my heart, so that I am in despair. I looked for pity, but there was none,

and for comforters, but I found none. 21†They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink. 22‡†Let their own table before them become a snare; and when they are at peace, let it become a trap. [3] 23Let their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see, and make their loins tremble continually. 24Pour out your indignation upon them, and let your burning anger overtake them. 25†May their camp be a desolation; let no one dwell in their tents. 26†For they persecute him whom you have struck down, and they recount the pain of those you have wounded. 27Add to them punishment upon punishment; may they have no acquittal from you. [4] 28Let them be blotted out of the book of the living; let them not be enrolled among the righteous. 29But I am afflicted and in pain; let your salvation, O God, set me on high! 30I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving. 31†This will please the LORD more than an ox or a bull with horns and hoofs. 32When the humble see it they will be glad; you who seek God, let your hearts revive. 33For the LORD hears the needy and does not despise his own people who are prisoners. 34Let heaven and earth praise him, the seas and everything that moves in them. 35For God will save Zion and build up the cities of Judah, and people shall dwell there and possess it;

36the offspring of his servants shall inherit it, and those who love his

name shall dwell in it.

O LORD, Do Not Delay

To the choirmaster. Of David, for the memorial offering.

PSALM 70 ‡Make haste, O God, to deliver me!

O LORD, make haste to help me! 2Let them be put to shame and confusion who seek my life! Let them be turned back and brought to dishonor who delight in my hurt! 3Let them turn back because of their shame who say, "Aha, Aha!" 4May all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you! May those who love your salvation say evermore, "God is great!" 5But I am poor and needy; hasten to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD, do not delay!

Forsake Me Not When My Strength Is Spent

PSALM 71 ‡In you, O LORD, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame! 2In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; incline your ear to me, and save me! 3†Be to me a rock of refuge, to which I may continually come; you have given the command to save me,

for you are my rock and my fortress. 4Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of the unjust and cruel man. 5For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O LORD, from my youth. 6Upon you I have leaned from before my birth; you are he who took me from my mother's womb. My praise is continually of you. 7†I have been as a portent to many, but you are my strong refuge. 8My mouth is filled with your praise, and with your glory all the day. 9Do not cast me off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength is spent. 10For my enemies speak concerning me; those who watch for my life consult together 11and say, "God has forsaken him; pursue and seize him, for there is none to deliver him." 12O God, be not far from me; O my God, make haste to help me! 13May my accusers be put to shame and consumed; with scorn and disgrace may they be covered who seek my hurt. 14But I will hope continually and will praise you yet more and more. 15†My mouth will tell of your righteous acts, of your deeds of salvation all the day, for their number is past my knowledge. 16With the mighty deeds of the Lord GOD I will come; I will remind them of your righteousness, yours alone. 17O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds. 18So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to

come. 19Your righteousness, O God, reaches the high heavens. You who have done great things,

O God, who is like you? 20†You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth

you will bring me up again. 21You will increase my greatness and comfort me again. 22I will also praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praises to you with the lyre,

O Holy One of Israel. 23My lips will shout for joy, when I sing praises to you; my soul also, which you have redeemed. 24And my tongue will talk of your righteous help all the day long, for they have been put to shame and disappointed who sought to do me hurt.

Give the King Your Justice

Of Solomon.

PSALM 72 ‡†Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to

the royal son! 2May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice! 3†Let the mountains bear prosperity for the people, and the hills, in righteousness! 4May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the children of the needy, and crush the oppressor! 5May they fear you [1] while the sun endures, and as long as the moon, throughout all generations! 6May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass, like showers that water the earth! 7†In his days may the righteous flourish, and peace abound, till the moon be no more! 8†May he have dominion from sea to sea, and from the River [2] to the ends of the earth! 9May desert tribes bow down before him, and his enemies lick the dust! 10†May the kings of Tarshish and of the coastlands render him tribute; may the kings of Sheba and Seba

bring gifts! 11May all kings fall down before him, all nations serve him! 12For he delivers the needy when he calls, the poor and him who has no helper. 13He has pity on the weak and the needy, and saves the lives of the needy. 14From oppression and violence he redeems their life, and precious is their blood in his sight. 15Long may he live; may gold of Sheba be given to him! May prayer be made for him continually, and blessings invoked for him all

the day! 16May there be abundance of grain in the land; on the tops of the mountains may it wave; may its fruit be like Lebanon; and may people blossom in the cities

like the grass of the field! 17May his name endure forever, his fame continue as long as the sun! May people be blessed in him,

all nations call him blessed! 18Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things. 19Blessed be his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory!

Amen and Amen! 20†The prayers of David, the son of Jesse, are ended.

Book Three

God Is My Strength and Portion Forever

A Psalm of Asaph.

PSALM 73 ‡Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. 2But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped. 3For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. 4†For they have no pangs until death; their bodies are fat and sleek. 5They are not in trouble as others are; they are not stricken like the rest of mankind. 6Therefore pride is their necklace; violence covers them as a garment. 7Their eyes swell out through fatness; their hearts overflow with follies. 8They scoff and speak with malice; loftily they threaten oppression. 9†They set their mouths against the heavens, and their tongue struts through the earth. 10†Therefore his people turn back to them, and find no fault in them. [1] 11†And they say, "How can God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?" 12Behold, these are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches. 13All in vain have I kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence. 14For all the day long I have been stricken and rebuked every morning. 15If I had said, "I will speak thus," I would have betrayed the generation of your children. 16But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, 17†until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end. 18Truly you set them in slippery places; you make them fall to ruin. 19How they are destroyed in a moment, swept away utterly by terrors! 20†Like a dream when one awakes, O Lord, when you rouse yourself, you despise them as phantoms. 21When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart, 22†I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you. 23Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. 24You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory. 25Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. 26My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength [2] of my heart and my portion forever. 27†For behold, those who are far from you shall perish; you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you. 28But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord GOD my

refuge, that I may tell of all your works.

Arise, O God, Defend Your Cause

A Maskil [1] of Asaph.

PSALM 74 ‡O God, why do you cast us off forever?

Why does your anger smoke against the sheep of your pasture? 2†Remember your congregation, which you have purchased of old, which you have redeemed to be the tribe of your heritage! Remember Mount Zion, where you have dwelt. 3†Direct your steps to the perpetual ruins; the enemy has destroyed everything in the sanctuary! 4†Your foes have roared in the midst of your meeting place; they set up their own signs for signs. 5†They were like those who swing axes in a forest of trees. [2] 6And all its carved wood they broke down with hatchets and hammers. 7They set your sanctuary on fire; they profaned the dwelling place of your name, bringing it down to the ground. 8†They said to themselves, "We will utterly subdue them"; they burned all the meeting places of God in the land. 9†We do not see our signs; there is no longer any prophet, and there is none among us who knows how long. 10How long, O God, is the foe to scoff? Is the enemy to revile your name forever? 11Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand? Take it from the fold of your garment [3] and destroy them! 12Yet God my King is from of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth. 13†You divided the sea by your might; you broke the heads of the sea monsters [4] on the waters. 14†You crushed the heads of Leviathan; you gave him as food for the creatures of the wilderness. 15†You split open springs and brooks; you dried up ever-flowing streams. 16Yours is the day, yours also the night;

you have established the heavenly lights and the sun. 17†You have fixed all the boundaries of the earth; you have made summer and winter. 18Remember this, O LORD, how the enemy scoffs, and a foolish people reviles your name. 19Do not deliver the soul of your dove to the wild beasts; do not forget the life of your poor forever. 20†Have regard for the covenant, for the dark places of the land are full of the habitations of violence. 21Let not the downtrodden turn back in shame; let the poor and needy praise your name. 22Arise, O God, defend your cause; remember how the foolish scoff at you all the day! 23Do not forget the clamor of your foes, the uproar of those who rise against you, which goes up continually!

God Will Judge with Equity

To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Psalm of Asaph. A Song.

PSALM 75 ‡†We give thanks to you, O God; we give thanks, for your name

is near. We [1] recount your wondrous deeds. 2"At the set time that I appoint I will judge with equity. 3†When the earth totters, and all its inhabitants, it is I who keep steady its pillars. Selah 4†I say to the boastful, 'Do not boast,' and to the wicked, 'Do not lift up your horn; 5do not lift up your horn

on high, or speak with haughty neck.'" 6For not from the east or from the west and not from the wilderness comes lifting up, 7but it is God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another. 8†For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup with foaming wine, well mixed, and he pours out from it,

and all the wicked of the earth shall drain it down to the dregs. 9But I will declare it forever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. 10†All the horns of the wicked I will cut off, but the horns of the righteous shall be lifted up.

Who Can Stand Before You?

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Psalm of Asaph. A Song.

PSALM 76 ‡In Judah God is known; his name is great in Israel. 2His abode has been established in Salem, his dwelling place in Zion. 3†There he broke the flashing arrows, the shield, the sword, and the weapons of war. Selah 4†Glorious are you, more majestic than the mountains of prey. 5†The stouthearted were stripped of their spoil; they sank into sleep; all the men of war

were unable to use their hands. 6At your rebuke, O God of Jacob, both rider and horse lay stunned. 7But you, you are to be feared! Who can stand before you when once your anger is roused? 8From the heavens you uttered judgment; the earth feared and was still, 9when God arose to establish judgment, to save all the humble of the earth. Selah 10†Surely the wrath of man shall praise you; the remnant [1] of wrath you will put on like a belt. 11Make your vows to the LORD your God and perform them; let all around him bring gifts to him who is to be feared, 12†who cuts off the spirit of princes, who is to be feared by the kings of the earth.

In the Day of Trouble I Seek the Lord

To the choirmaster: according to Jeduthun. A Psalm of Asaph.

PSALM 77 ‡I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, and he will hear me. 2†In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord; in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying; my soul refuses to be comforted. 3When I remember God, I moan; when I meditate, my spirit faints. Selah 4†You hold my eyelids open; I am so troubled that I cannot speak. 5I consider the days of old, the years long ago. 6†I said, [1] "Let me remember my song in the night; let me meditate in my heart." Then my spirit made a diligent search: 7"Will the Lord spurn forever, and never again be favorable? 8Has his steadfast love forever ceased? Are his promises at an end for all time? 9Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger shut up his compassion?" Selah 10†Then I said, "I will

appeal to this, to the years of the right hand of the Most High." [2] 11I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. 12I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds. 13Your way, O God, is holy. What god is great like our God? 14You are the God who works wonders; you have made known your might among the peoples. 15You with your arm redeemed your people, the children of Jacob and Joseph. Selah 16†When the waters saw you, O God, when the waters saw you, they were afraid; indeed, the deep trembled. 17†The clouds poured out water; the skies gave forth thunder; your arrows flashed on every side. 18The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind; your lightnings lighted up the world; the earth trembled and shook. 19Your way was through the sea, your path through the great waters; yet your footprints were unseen. [3] 20You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

Tell the Coming Generation

A Maskil [1] of Asaph.

PSALM 78 ‡Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the

words of my mouth! 2†I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old, 3things that we have heard and known, that our fathers have told us. 4We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the LORD, and his might, and the wonders that he has

done. 5He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers

to teach to their children, 6that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children,

7so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments; 8and that they should not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast,

whose spirit was not faithful to God. 9†The Ephraimites, armed with [2] the bow, turned back on the day of battle. 10They did not keep God's covenant, but refused to walk according to his law. 11They forgot his works and the wonders that he had shown them. 12†In the sight of their fathers he performed wonders in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zoan. 13†He divided the sea and let them pass through it, and made the waters stand like a heap. 14In the daytime he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a fiery light. 15†He split rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink abundantly as from the deep. 16He made streams come out of the rock and caused waters to flow down like rivers.

17Yet they sinned still more against him, rebelling against the Most High in the desert. 18†They tested God in their heart by demanding the food they craved. 19†They spoke against God, saying, "Can God spread a table in the wilderness? 20He struck the rock so that water gushed out and streams overflowed. Can he also give bread

or provide meat for his people?" 21Therefore, when the LORD heard, he was full of wrath; a fire was kindled against Jacob; his anger rose against Israel, 22because they did not believe in God and did not trust his saving power. 23Yet he commanded the skies above and opened the doors of heaven, 24and he rained down on them manna to eat and gave them the grain of heaven. 25Man ate of the bread of the angels; he sent them food in abundance. 26He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens, and by his power he led out the south wind; 27†he rained meat on them like dust, winged birds like the sand of the seas; 28he let them fall in the midst of their camp, all around their dwellings. 29And they ate and were well filled, for he gave them what they craved. 30But before they had satisfied their craving, while the food was still in their mouths, 31the anger of God rose against them, and he killed the strongest of them and laid low the young men of Israel. 32In spite of all this, they still sinned; despite his wonders, they did not believe. 33So he made their days vanish like [3] a breath, [4] and their years in terror. 34When he killed them, they sought him; they repented and sought God earnestly. 35They remembered that God was their rock, the Most High God their redeemer. 36But they flattered him with their mouths; they lied to him with their tongues. 37Their heart was not steadfast toward him; they were not faithful to his covenant. 38Yet he, being compassionate, atoned for their iniquity and did not destroy them;

he restrained his anger often

and did not stir up all his wrath. 39He remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that passes and comes not again. 40How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness and grieved him in the desert! 41†They tested God again and again and provoked the Holy One of Israel. 42†They did not remember his power [5] or the day when he redeemed them from the foe, 43when he performed

his signs in Egypt and his marvels in the fields of Zoan. 44He turned their rivers to blood, so that they could not drink of their streams. 45He sent among them swarms of flies, which devoured them, and frogs, which destroyed them. 46He gave their crops to the destroying locust and the fruit of their labor to the locust. 47He destroyed their vines with hail and their sycamores with frost. 48He gave over their cattle to the hail and their flocks to thunderbolts. 49He let loose on them his burning anger, wrath, indignation, and distress, a company of destroying angels. 50He made a path for his anger; he did not spare them from death, but gave their lives over to the plague. 51He struck down every firstborn in Egypt, the firstfruits of their strength in the tents of Ham. 52Then he led out his people like sheep and guided them in the wilderness like a flock. 53He led them in safety, so that they were not afraid, but the sea overwhelmed their enemies. 54And he brought them to his holy land, to the mountain which his right hand had won. 55He drove out nations before them; he apportioned them for a possession and settled the tribes of Israel in their tents. 56Yet they tested and rebelled against the Most High God and did not keep his testimonies, 57†but turned away and acted treacherously like their fathers; they twisted like a deceitful bow. 58For they provoked him to anger with their high places; they moved him to jealousy with their idols. 59When God heard, he was full of wrath, and he utterly rejected Israel.

60†He forsook his dwelling at Shiloh, the tent where he dwelt among mankind, 61and delivered his power to captivity, his glory to the hand of the foe. 62He gave his people over to the sword and vented his wrath on his heritage. 63Fire devoured their young men, and their young women had no marriage song. 64Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows made no lamentation. 65†Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, like a strong man shouting because of wine. 66And he put his adversaries to rout; he put them to everlasting shame. 67He rejected the tent of Joseph; he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim, 68†but he chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which he loves. 69He built his sanctuary like the high heavens, like the earth, which he has founded forever. 70He chose David his servant and took him from the sheepfolds; 71from following the nursing ewes he brought him to shepherd Jacob his people, Israel his inheritance. 72With upright heart he shepherded them and guided them with his skillful hand.

How Long, O LORD?

A Psalm of Asaph.

PSALM 79 ‡†O God, the nations have come into your inheritance; they have

defiled your holy temple; they have laid Jerusalem in ruins. 2They have given the bodies of your servants to the birds of the heavens for food, the flesh of your faithful to the beasts of the earth. 3They have poured out their blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there was no one to bury them. 4We have become a taunt to our neighbors, mocked and derided by those around us. 5How long, O LORD? Will you be angry forever? Will your jealousy burn like fire? 6Pour out your anger on the nations that do not know you, and on the kingdoms

that do not call upon your name! 7For they have devoured Jacob and laid waste his habitation. 8Do not remember against us our former iniquities; [1] let your compassion come speedily to meet us, for we are brought very

low. 9†Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name; deliver us, and atone for our sins,

for your name's sake! 10†Why should the nations say, "Where is their God?" Let the avenging of the outpoured blood of your servants be known among

the nations before our eyes! 11†Let the groans of the prisoners come before you; according to your great power, preserve those doomed to die! 12†Return sevenfold into the lap of our neighbors the taunts with which they have taunted you, O Lord! 13But we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise.

Restore Us, O God

To the choirmaster: according to Lilies. A Testimony. Of Asaph, a Psalm.

PSALM 80 ‡†Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a

flock! You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth.

2Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh, stir up your might and come to save us! 3†Restore us, [1] O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved! 4†O LORD God of hosts, how long will you be angry with your people's prayers? 5You have fed them with the bread of tears and given them tears to drink in full measure. 6You make us an object of contention for our neighbors, and our enemies laugh among themselves. 7Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved! 8†You brought a vine out of Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it. 9You cleared the ground for it; it took deep root and filled the land. 10The mountains were covered with its shade, the mighty cedars with its branches. 11It sent out its branches to the sea and its shoots to the River. [2] 12Why then have you broken down its walls, so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit? 13The boar from the forest ravages it, and all that move in the field feed on it. 14Turn again, O God of hosts! Look down from heaven, and see; have regard for this vine,

15the stock that your right hand planted, and for the son whom you made strong for yourself. 16They have burned it with fire; they have cut it down; may they perish at the rebuke of your face! 17†But let your hand be on the man of your right hand, the son of man whom you have made strong for yourself! 18Then we shall not turn back from you; give us life, and we will call upon your name! 19Restore us, O LORD God of hosts! Let your face shine, that we may be saved!

Oh, That My People Would Listen to Me

To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith. [1] Of Asaph.

PSALM 81 ‡Sing aloud to God our strength;

shout for joy to the God of Jacob! 2†Raise a song; sound the tambourine, the sweet lyre with the harp. 3†Blow the trumpet at the new moon, at the full moon, on our feast day. 4For it is a statute for Israel, a rule [2] of the God of Jacob. 5†He made it a decree in Joseph when he went out over [3] the land of Egypt. I hear a language I had not known: 6†"I relieved your [4] shoulder of the burden; your hands were freed from the basket. 7†In distress you called, and I delivered you; I answered you in the secret place of thunder; I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah 8Hear, O my people, while I admonish you! O Israel, if you would but listen to me! 9There shall be no strange god among you; you shall not bow down to a foreign god. 10I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it. 11"But my people did not listen to my voice; Israel would not submit to me. 12So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own counsels. 13Oh, that my people would listen to me, that Israel would walk in my ways! 14†I would soon subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes. 15Those who hate the LORD would cringe toward him, and their fate would last forever. 16†But he would feed you [5] with the finest of the wheat,

and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you."

Rescue the Weak and Needy

A Psalm of Asaph.

PSALM 82 ‡†God has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of

the gods he holds judgment: 2‡"How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Selah 3Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. 4Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked." 5†They have neither knowledge nor understanding, they walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken. 6†I said, "You are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you; 7†nevertheless, like men you shall die, and fall like any prince." [1] 8†Arise, O God, judge the earth; for you shall inherit all the nations!

O God, Do Not Keep Silence

A Song. A Psalm of Asaph.

PSALM 83 ‡O God, do not keep silence; do not hold your peace or be still,

O God! 2†For behold, your enemies make an uproar; those who hate you have raised their heads. 3They lay crafty plans against your people; they consult together against your treasured ones. 4†They say, "Come, let us wipe them out as a nation; let the name of Israel be remembered no more!" 5For they conspire with one accord; against you they make a covenant— 6†the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, Moab and the Hagrites, 7†Gebal and Ammon and Amalek, Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre; 8†Asshur also has joined them; they are the strong arm of the children of Lot. Selah 9†Do to them as you did to Midian, as to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon, 10who were destroyed at En-dor, who became dung for the ground. 11†Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna, 12who said, "Let us take possession for ourselves of the pastures of God." 13‡O my God, make them like whirling dust, [1] like chaff before the wind. 14As fire consumes the forest, as the flame sets the mountains ablaze, 15so may you pursue them with your tempest and terrify them with your hurricane! 16Fill their faces with shame, that they may seek your name, O LORD. 17Let them be put to shame and dismayed forever; let them perish in disgrace, 18†that they may know that you alone, whose name is the LORD, are the Most High over all the earth.

My Soul Longs for the Courts of the LORD

To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith. [1] A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.

PSALM 84 ‡†How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts! 2†My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God. 3†Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars, O LORD of hosts, my King and my God. 4†Blessed are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praise! Selah 5Blessed are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion. [2] 6†As they go through the Valley of Baca they make it a place of springs; the early rain also covers it with pools. 7†They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion. 8O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah 9†Behold our shield, O God; look on the face of your anointed! 10†For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the

tents of wickedness. 11†For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold

from those who walk uprightly. 12O LORD of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you!

Revive Us Again

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.

PSALM 85 ‡†LORD, you were favorable to your land; you restored the

fortunes of Jacob. 2You forgave the iniquity of your people; you covered all their sin. Selah 3†You withdrew all your wrath; you turned from your hot anger. 4Restore us again, O God of our salvation, and put away your indignation toward us! 5Will you be angry with us forever? Will you prolong your anger to all generations? 6Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? 7†Show us your steadfast love, O LORD, and grant us your salvation. 8†Let me hear what God the LORD will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints; but let them not turn back to folly. 9†Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him, that glory may dwell in our land. 10†Steadfast love and faithfulness meet; righteousness and peace kiss each other. 11Faithfulness springs up from the ground, and righteousness looks down from the sky. 12†Yes, the LORD will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase. 13Righteousness will go before him and make his footsteps a way.

Great Is Your Steadfast Love

A Prayer of David.

PSALM 86 ‡Incline your ear, O LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and

needy. 2†Preserve my life, for I am godly; save your servant, who trusts in you— you are my God. 3Be gracious to me, O Lord, for to you do I cry all the day. 4†Gladden the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. 5For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you. 6Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer; listen to my plea for grace. 7In the day of my trouble I call upon you, for you answer me. 8†There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like yours. 9†All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name. 10For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God. 11†Teach me your way, O LORD, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name. 12I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever. 13For great is your steadfast love toward me; you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol. 14†O God, insolent men have risen up against me; a band of ruthless men seeks my life, and they do not set you before them. 15But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. 16†Turn to me and be gracious to me; give your strength to your servant, and save the son of your maidservant. 17†Show me a sign of your favor, that those who hate me may see and be put to shame because you, LORD, have helped me and comforted me.

Glorious Things of You Are Spoken

A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. A Song.

PSALM 87 ‡†On the holy mount stands the city he founded; 2†the LORD

loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwelling places of Jacob. 3†Glorious things of you are spoken, O city of God. Selah 4†Among those who know me I mention Rahab and Babylon; behold, Philistia and Tyre, with Cush [1]— "This one was born there," they say. 5And of Zion it shall be said, "This one and that one were born in her"; for the Most High himself will establish her. 6The LORD records as he registers the peoples, "This one was born there." Selah 7†Singers and dancers alike say, "All my springs are in you."

I Cry Out Day and Night Before You

A Song. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. To the choirmaster: according to Mahalath Leannoth. A Maskil [1] of Heman the Ezrahite.

PSALM 88 ‡O LORD, God of my salvation; I cry out day and night before

you. 2Let my prayer come before you; incline your ear to my cry! 3For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to Sheol. 4†I am counted among those who go down to the pit; I am a man who has no strength, 5†like one set loose among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, like those whom you remember no more,

for they are cut off from your hand. 6You have put me in the depths of the pit, in the regions dark and deep. 7†Your wrath lies heavy upon me, and you overwhelm me with all your waves. Selah 8†You have caused my companions to shun me; you have made me a horror [2] to them. I am shut in so that I cannot escape;

9†my eye grows dim through sorrow. Every day I call upon you, O LORD;

I spread out my hands to you. 10†Do you work wonders for the dead? Do the departed rise up to praise you? Selah 11Is your steadfast love declared in the grave, or your faithfulness in Abaddon? 12Are your wonders known in the darkness, or your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness? 13But I, O LORD, cry to you; in the morning my prayer comes before you. 14†O LORD, why do you cast my soul away? Why do you hide your face from me? 15†Afflicted and close to death from my youth up, I suffer your terrors; I am helpless. [3] 16Your wrath has swept over me; your dreadful assaults destroy me. 17They surround me like a flood all day long; they close in on me together. 18†You have caused my beloved and my friend to shun me; my companions have become darkness. [4]

I Will Sing of the Steadfast Love of the LORD

A Maskil [1] of Ethan the Ezrahite.

PSALM 89 ‡†I will sing of the steadfast love of the LORD, forever; with my

mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations. 2†For I said, "Steadfast love will be built up forever; in the heavens you will establish your faithfulness." 3†You have said, "I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant: 4†'I will establish your offspring forever, and build your throne for all generations.'" Selah 5†Let the heavens praise your wonders, O LORD, your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones! 6†For who in the skies can be compared to the LORD? Who among the heavenly beings [2] is like the LORD, 7†a God greatly

to be feared in the council of the holy ones, and awesome above all who are around him? 8O LORD God of hosts, who is mighty as you are, O LORD, with your faithfulness all around you? 9You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them. 10†You crushed Rahab like a carcass; you scattered your enemies with your mighty arm. 11The heavens are yours; the earth also is yours; the world and all that is in it, you have founded them. 12†The north and the south, you have created them; Tabor and Hermon joyously praise your name. 13You have a mighty arm; strong is your hand, high your right hand. 14Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you. 15†Blessed are the people who know the festal shout, who walk, O LORD, in the light of your face, 16who exult in your name all the day and in your righteousness are exalted. 17†For you are the glory of their strength; by your favor our horn is exalted. 18†For our shield belongs to the LORD, our king to the Holy One of Israel. 19†Of old you spoke in a vision to your godly one, [3] and said: "I have granted help to one who is mighty; I have exalted one chosen from the people. 20I have found David, my servant; with my holy oil I have anointed him,

21so that my hand shall be established with him; my arm also shall strengthen him. 22The enemy shall not outwit him; the wicked shall not humble him. 23I will crush his foes before him and strike down those who hate him. 24My faithfulness and my steadfast love shall be with him, and in my name shall his horn be exalted. 25†I will set his hand on the sea and his right hand on the rivers. 26He shall cry to me, 'You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation.' 27†And I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth. 28My steadfast love I will keep for him forever, and my covenant will stand firm [4] for him. 29I will establish his offspring forever and his throne as the days of the heavens. 30If his children forsake my law and do not walk according to my rules, [5] 31if they violate my statutes and do not keep my commandments, 32†then I will punish their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes, 33†but I will not remove from him my steadfast love or be false to my faithfulness. 34I will not violate my covenant or alter the word that went forth from my lips. 35Once for all I have sworn by my holiness; I will not lie to David. 36His offspring shall endure forever, his throne as long as the sun before me. 37†Like the moon it shall be established forever, a faithful witness in the skies." Selah 38But now you have cast off and rejected; you are full of wrath against your anointed. 39†You have renounced the covenant with your servant; you have defiled his crown in the dust. 40‡You have breached all his walls; you have laid his strongholds in ruins. 41All who pass by plunder him; he has become the scorn of his neighbors. 42You have exalted the right hand of his foes; you have made all his enemies rejoice. 43You have also turned back the edge of his sword, and you have not made him stand in battle. 44You have made his splendor to cease and cast his throne to the ground. 45†You have cut short the days of his youth; you have covered him with shame. Selah

46†How long, O LORD? Will you hide yourself forever? How long will your wrath burn like fire? 47†Remember how short my time is! For what vanity you have created all the children of man! 48What man can live and never see death? Who can deliver his soul from the power of Sheol? Selah 49‡Lord,

where is your steadfast love of old, which by your faithfulness you swore to David? 50Remember, O Lord, how your servants are mocked, and how I bear in my heart the insults [6] of all the many nations, 51with which your enemies mock, O LORD, with which they mock the footsteps of your anointed. 52†Blessed be the LORD forever! Amen and Amen.

Book Four

From Everlasting to Everlasting

A Prayer of Moses, the man of God.

PSALM 90 ‡†Lord, you have been our dwelling place [1]

in all generations. 2†Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. 3†You return man to dust and say, "Return, O children of man!" [2] 4†For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night. 5†You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning: 6in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers. 7†For we are brought to an end by your anger; by your wrath we are dismayed. 8†You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence. 9†For all our days pass away under your wrath; we bring our years to an end like a sigh. 10†The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span [3] is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly

away. 11†Who considers the power of your anger, and your wrath according to the fear of you? 12†So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. 13Return, O LORD! How long? Have pity on your servants! 14†Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. 15†Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, and for as many years as we have seen evil. 16Let your work be shown to your servants, and your glorious power to their children. 17†Let the favor [4] of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!

My Refuge and My Fortress

PSALM 91 ‡†He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the

shadow of the Almighty. 2I will say [1] to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." 3†For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. 4†He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. 5You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, 6nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday. 7A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. 8†You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked. 9Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place— the Most High, who is my refuge [2]— 10no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent. 11‡For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. 12On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone. 13†You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot. 14†"Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. 15When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. 16†With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation."

How Great Are Your Works

A Psalm. A Song for the Sabbath.

PSALM 92 ‡It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to your

name, O Most High; 2†to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night, 3†to the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre. 4For you, O LORD, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy. 5How great are your works, O LORD! Your thoughts are very deep! 6The stupid man cannot know; the fool cannot understand this: 7that though the wicked sprout like grass and all evildoers flourish, they are doomed to destruction forever;

8but you, O LORD, are on high forever. 9For behold, your enemies, O LORD, for behold, your enemies shall perish; all evildoers shall be scattered. 10†But you have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox; you have poured over me [1] fresh oil. 11†My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies; my ears have heard the doom of my evil assailants. 12†The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. 13†They are planted in the house of the LORD; they flourish in the courts of our God. 14They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green, 15to declare that the LORD is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

The LORD Reigns

PSALM 93 ‡†The LORD reigns; he is robed in majesty; the LORD is robed; he

has put on strength as his belt. Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved. 2Your throne is established from of old; you are from everlasting. 3‡The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their roaring. 4Mightier than the thunders of many waters, mightier than the waves of the sea, the LORD on high is mighty! 5†Your decrees are very trustworthy; holiness befits your house, O LORD, forevermore.

The LORD Will Not Forsake His People

PSALM 94 ‡†O LORD, God of vengeance,

O God of vengeance, shine forth! 2Rise up, O judge of the earth; repay to the proud what they deserve! 3O LORD, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked exult? 4They pour out their arrogant words; all the evildoers boast. 5They crush your people, O LORD, and afflict your heritage. 6They kill the widow and the sojourner, and murder the fatherless; 7†and they say, "The LORD does not see; the God of Jacob does not perceive." 8Understand, O dullest of the people! Fools, when will you be wise? 9He who planted the ear, does he not hear? He who formed the eye, does he not see? 10He who disciplines the nations, does he not rebuke? He who teaches man knowledge—

11†the LORD—knows the thoughts of man, that they are but a breath. [1] 12†Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O LORD, and whom you teach out of your law, 13to give him rest from days of trouble, until a pit is dug for the wicked. 14†For the LORD will not forsake his people; he will not abandon his heritage; 15for justice will return to the righteous, and all the upright in heart will follow it. 16Who rises up for me against the wicked? Who stands up for me against evildoers? 17†If the LORD had not been my help, my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence. 18†When I thought, "My foot slips," your steadfast love, O LORD, held me up.

19When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul. 20†Can wicked rulers be allied with you, those who frame injustice by statute? 21They band together against the life of the righteous and condemn the innocent to death. [2] 22But the LORD has become my stronghold, and my God the rock of my refuge. 23†He will bring back on them their iniquity and wipe them out for their wickedness; the LORD our God will wipe them out.

Let Us Sing Songs of Praise

PSALM 95 ‡†Oh come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to

the rock of our salvation! 2Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! 3†For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods. 4†In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. 5The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. 6Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker! 7For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Today, if you hear his voice,

8†do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness, 9†when your fathers put me to the test and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work. 10†For forty years I loathed that generation and said, "They are a people who go astray in their heart, and they have not known my ways." 11†Therefore I swore in my wrath, "They shall not enter my rest."

Worship in the Splendor of Holiness

PSALM 96 ‡†Oh sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the

earth! 2†Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. 3†Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! 4†For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods. 5For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the LORD made the heavens. 6Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. 7Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength! 8†Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts! 9†Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness; [1] tremble before him, all the earth! 10†Say among the nations, "The LORD reigns! Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved; he will judge the

peoples with equity." 11‡Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; 12let the field exult, and everything in it! Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy 13†before the LORD, for he

comes, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness,

and the peoples in his faithfulness.

The LORD Reigns

PSALM 97 ‡†The LORD reigns, let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands

be glad! 2†Clouds and thick darkness are all around him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. 3†Fire goes before him and burns up his adversaries all around. 4†His lightnings light up the world; the earth sees and trembles. 5†The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth. 6†The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all the peoples see his glory. 7†All worshipers of images are put to shame, who make their boast in worthless idols; worship him, all you gods! 8†Zion hears and is glad, and the daughters of Judah rejoice, because of your judgments, O LORD. 9For you, O LORD, are most high over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods. 10†O you who love the LORD, hate evil! He preserves the lives of his saints; he delivers them from the hand of

the wicked. 11†Light is sown [1] for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart. 12Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name!

Make a Joyful Noise to the LORD

A Psalm.

PSALM 98 ‡†Oh sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous

things! His right hand and his holy arm

have worked salvation for him. 2†The LORD has made known his salvation; he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations. 3†He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. 4†Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises! 5‡Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody! 6With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD! 7Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who dwell in it! 8†Let the rivers clap their hands; let the hills sing for joy together 9†before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity.

The LORD Our God Is Holy

PSALM 99 ‡†The LORD reigns; let the peoples tremble!

He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake! 2†The LORD is great in Zion; he is exalted over all the peoples. 3Let them praise your great and awesome name! Holy is he! 4†The King in his might loves justice. [1] You have established equity; you have executed justice

and righteousness in Jacob. 5†Exalt the LORD our God; worship at his footstool! Holy is he! 6†Moses and Aaron were among his priests, Samuel also was among those who called upon his name. They called to the LORD, and he answered them. 7†In the pillar of the cloud he spoke to them; they kept his testimonies and the statute that he gave them. 8O LORD our God, you answered them; you were a forgiving God to them, but an avenger of their wrongdoings. 9†Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the LORD our God is holy!

His Steadfast Love Endures Forever

A Psalm for giving thanks.

PSALM 100 ‡†Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!

2Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! 3†Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; [1] we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 4†Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! 5†For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

I Will Walk with Integrity

A Psalm of David.

PSALM 101 ‡I will sing of steadfast love and justice; to you, O LORD, I will

make music. 2†I will ponder the way that is blameless. Oh when will you come to me? I will walk with integrity of heart within my house; 3‡†I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me. 4†A perverse heart shall be far from me; I will know nothing of evil. 5†Whoever slanders his neighbor secretly I will destroy. Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart I will not endure. 6†I will look with favor on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; he who walks in the way that is blameless shall minister to me. 7†No one who practices deceit shall dwell in my house; no one who utters lies

shall continue before my eyes. 8†Morning by morning I will destroy all the wicked in the land, cutting off all the evildoers from the city of the LORD.

Do Not Hide Your Face from Me

A Prayer of one afflicted, when he is faint and pours out his complaint before the LORD.

PSALM 102 ‡‡Hear my prayer, O LORD; let my cry come to you! 2†Do not hide your face from me in the day of my distress! Incline your ear to me;

answer me speedily in the day when I call! 3‡For my days pass away like smoke, and my bones burn like a furnace. 4My heart is struck down like grass and has withered; I forget to eat my bread. 5Because of my loud groaning my bones cling to my flesh. 6†I am like a desert owl of the wilderness, like an owl [1] of the waste places; 7†I lie awake; I am like a lonely sparrow on the housetop. 8All the day my enemies taunt me; those who deride me use my name for a curse. 9For I eat ashes like bread and mingle tears with my drink, 10‡because of your indignation and anger; for you have taken me up and thrown me down. 11My days are like an evening shadow; I wither away like grass. 12‡But you, O LORD, are enthroned forever; you are remembered throughout all generations. 13‡You will arise and have pity on Zion; it is the time to favor her; the appointed time has come. 14For your servants hold her stones dear and have pity on her dust. 15Nations will fear the name of the LORD, and all the kings of the earth will fear your glory. 16For the LORD builds up Zion; he appears in his glory; 17he regards the prayer of the destitute and does not despise their prayer. 18†Let this be recorded for a generation to come, so that a people yet to be created may praise the LORD: 19†that he looked down from his holy height; from heaven the LORD looked at the earth, 20to hear the groans of the prisoners, to set free those who were doomed to die, 21that they may declare in Zion the name of the LORD, and in Jerusalem his praise, 22†when peoples gather together, and kingdoms, to worship the LORD. 23‡He has broken my strength in midcourse; he has shortened my days. 24†"O my God," I say, "take me not away in the midst of my days— you whose years endure throughout all generations!" 25‡Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work

of your hands. 26They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away, 27but you are the

same, and your years have no end. 28†The children of your servants shall dwell secure; their offspring shall be established before you.

Bless the LORD, O My Soul

Of David.

PSALM 103 ‡†Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me,

bless his holy name! 2†Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, 3†who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, 4who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, 5†who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. 6‡The LORD works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. 7‡He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel. 8The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 9†He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. 10†He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. 11For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; 12as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. 13†As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him. 14†For he knows our frame; [1] he remembers that we are dust. 15‡As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; 16for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. 17‡But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children's children, 18to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments. 19†The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all. 20‡Bless the LORD, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word! 21Bless the LORD, all his hosts, his ministers, who do his will! 22†Bless the LORD, all his works, in all places of his dominion. Bless the LORD, O my soul!

O LORD My God, You Are Very Great

PSALM 104 ‡‡†Bless the LORD, O my soul!

O LORD my God, you are very great! You are clothed with splendor and majesty,

2covering yourself with light as with a garment, stretching out the heavens like a tent. 3†He lays the beams of his chambers on the waters; he makes the clouds his chariot; he rides on the wings of the wind; 4†he makes his messengers winds, his ministers a flaming fire. 5†He set the earth on its foundations, so that it should never be moved. 6‡You covered it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. 7At your rebuke they fled; at the sound of your thunder they took to flight. 8The mountains rose, the valleys sank down to the place that you appointed for them. 9You set a boundary that they may not pass, so that they might not again cover the earth. 10‡You make springs gush forth in the valleys; they flow between the hills; 11they give drink to every beast of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst. 12Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell; they sing among the branches. 13†From your lofty abode you water the mountains; the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work. 14You cause the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate, that he may bring forth food from the earth 15and wine to gladden the heart

of man, oil to make his face shine and bread to strengthen man's heart. 16The trees of the LORD are watered abundantly, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted. 17In them the birds build their nests; the stork has her home in the fir trees. 18The high mountains are for the wild goats; the rocks are a refuge for the rock badgers. 19‡He made the moon to mark the seasons; [1] the sun knows its time for setting. 20You make darkness, and it is night, when all the beasts of the forest creep

about. 21The young lions roar for their prey, seeking their food from God. 22When the sun rises, they steal away and lie down in their dens. 23Man goes out to his work and to his labor until the evening. 24‡O LORD, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. 25Here is the sea, great and wide, which teems with creatures innumerable, living things both small and great. 26†There go the ships, and Leviathan, which you formed to play in it. [2] 27‡These all look to you, to give them their food in due season. 28When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things. 29When you hide your face, they are dismayed; when you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust. 30†When you send forth your Spirit, [3] they are created, and you renew the face of the ground. 31‡May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD rejoice in his works, 32†who looks on the earth and it trembles, who touches the mountains and they smoke! 33I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being. 34May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the LORD. 35†Let sinners be consumed from the earth, and let the wicked be no more! Bless the LORD, O my soul! Praise the LORD!

Tell of All His Wonderful Works

PSALM 105 ‡‡Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name; make known

his deeds among the peoples! 2Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works! 3Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice! 4Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually! 5Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered, 6†O offspring of Abraham, his servant, children of Jacob, his chosen ones! 7‡He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth. 8†He remembers his covenant forever, the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations, 9‡the covenant that he made with Abraham, his sworn promise to Isaac, 10†which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant, 11†saying, "To you I will give the land of Canaan as your portion for an inheritance." 12†When they were few in number, of little account, and sojourners in it, 13†wandering from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people, 14†he allowed no one to oppress them; he rebuked kings on their account, 15†saying, "Touch not my anointed ones, do my prophets no harm!" 16‡When he summoned a famine on the land and broke all supply [1] of bread, 17he had sent a man ahead of them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave. 18His feet were hurt with fetters; his neck was put in a collar of iron; 19until what he had said came to pass, the word of the LORD tested him. 20The king sent and released him; the ruler of the peoples set him free; 21he made him lord of his house and ruler of all his possessions, 22to bind [2] his princes at his pleasure and to teach his elders wisdom. 23‡†Then Israel came to Egypt; Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham. 24And the LORD made his people very fruitful and made them stronger than their foes. 25He turned their hearts to hate his people, to deal craftily with his servants. 26‡He sent Moses, his servant, and Aaron, whom he had chosen. 27They performed his signs among them and miracles in the land of Ham. 28†He sent darkness, and made the land dark; they did not rebel [3] against his words.

29†He turned their waters into blood and caused their fish to die. 30†Their land swarmed with frogs, even in the chambers of their kings. 31†He spoke, and there came swarms of flies, and gnats throughout their country. 32‡He gave them hail for rain, and fiery lightning bolts through their land. 33He struck down their vines and fig trees, and shattered the trees of their country. 34‡He spoke, and the locusts came, young locusts without number, 35which devoured all the vegetation in their land and ate up the fruit of their ground. 36†He struck down all the firstborn in their land, the firstfruits of all their strength. 37‡Then he brought out Israel with silver and gold, and there was none among his tribes who stumbled. 38Egypt was glad when they departed, for dread of them had fallen upon it. 39He spread a cloud for a covering, and fire to give light by night. 40They asked, and he brought quail, and gave them bread from heaven in abundance. 41He opened the rock, and water gushed out; it flowed through the desert like a river. 42‡†For he remembered his holy promise, and Abraham, his servant. 43So he brought his people out with joy, his chosen ones with singing. 44And he gave them the lands of the nations, and they took possession of the fruit of the peoples' toil, 45†that they might keep his statutes and observe his laws. Praise the LORD!

Give Thanks to the LORD, for He Is Good

PSALM 106 ‡†Praise the LORD! Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures

forever! 2‡Who can utter the mighty deeds of the LORD, or declare all his praise? 3Blessed are they who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times! 4‡Remember me, O LORD, when you show favor to your people; help me when you save them, [1] 5that I may look upon the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation, that I may glory with your inheritance. 6†Both we and our fathers have sinned; we have committed iniquity; we have done wickedness. 7‡†Our fathers, when they were in Egypt, did not consider your wondrous works; they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love, but rebelled by

the sea, at the Red Sea. 8†Yet he saved them for his name's sake, that he might make known his mighty power. 9†He rebuked the Red Sea, and it became dry, and he led them through the deep as through a desert. 10†So he saved them from the hand of the foe and redeemed them from the power of the enemy. 11†And the waters covered their adversaries; not one of them was left. 12†Then they believed his words; they sang his praise. 13‡‡But they soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel. 14†But they had a wanton craving in the wilderness, and put God to the test in the desert; 15he gave them what they asked, but sent a wasting disease among them. 16‡When men in the camp were jealous of Moses and Aaron, the holy one of the LORD, 17the earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram. 18Fire also broke out in their company; the flame burned up the wicked. 19‡†They made a calf in Horeb and worshiped a metal image. 20They exchanged the glory of God for the image of an ox that eats grass. 21†They forgot God, their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt, 22†wondrous works in the land of Ham, and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.

23†Therefore he said he would destroy them— had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him,

to turn away his wrath from destroying them. 24‡†Then they despised the pleasant land, having no faith in his promise. 25They murmured in their tents, and did not obey the voice of the LORD. 26Therefore he raised his hand and swore to them that he would make them fall in the wilderness, 27and would make their offspring fall among the nations, scattering them among the lands. 28‡†Then they yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor, and ate sacrifices offered to the dead; 29they provoked the LORD to anger with their deeds, and a plague broke out among them. 30†Then Phinehas stood up and intervened, and the plague was stayed. 31†And that was counted to him as righteousness from generation to generation forever. 32‡†They angered him at the waters of Meribah, and it went ill with Moses on their account, 33†for they made his spirit bitter, [2] and he spoke rashly with his lips. 34‡They did not destroy the peoples, as the LORD commanded them, 35but they mixed with the nations and learned to do as they did. 36‡They served their idols, which became a snare to them. 37They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons; 38they poured out innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan,

and the land was polluted with blood. 39†Thus they became unclean by their acts, and played the whore in their deeds. 40‡Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against his people, and he abhorred his heritage; 41he gave them into the hand of the nations, so that those who hated them ruled over them. 42Their enemies oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their power. 43Many times he delivered them, but they were rebellious in their purposes and were brought low through their iniquity. 44‡Nevertheless, he looked upon their distress, when he heard their cry.

45†For their sake he remembered his covenant, and relented according to the abundance of his steadfast love. 46He caused them to be pitied by all those who held them captive. 47†Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name

and glory in your praise. 48†Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say, "Amen!"

Praise the LORD!

Book Five

Let the Redeemed of the LORD Say So

PSALM 107 ‡‡Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast

love endures forever! 2Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble [1] 3and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south. 4‡‡Some wandered in desert wastes, finding no way to a city to dwell in; 5hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them. 6Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. 7He led them by a straight way till they reached a city to dwell in. 8Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! 9For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things. 10‡Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, prisoners in affliction and in irons, 11for they had rebelled against the words of God, and spurned the counsel of the Most High. 12So he bowed their hearts down with hard labor; they fell down, with none to help. 13Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. 14He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and burst their bonds apart. 15Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! 16For he shatters the doors of bronze and cuts in two the bars of iron. 17‡Some were fools through their sinful ways, and because of their iniquities suffered affliction; 18they loathed any kind of food, and they drew near to the gates of death. 19Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. 20He sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction. 21Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! 22And let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, and tell of his deeds in

songs of joy! 23‡Some went down to the sea in ships, doing business on the great waters; 24they saw the deeds of the LORD, his wondrous works in the deep. 25For he commanded and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea. 26They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths; their courage melted away in their evil plight; 27they reeled and staggered like drunken men and were at their wits' end. [2] 28Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. 29He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. 30Then they were glad that the waters [3] were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven. 31Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! 32Let them extol him in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders. 33‡‡He turns rivers into a desert, springs of water into thirsty ground, 34a fruitful land into a salty waste, because of the evil of its inhabitants. 35‡He turns a desert into pools of water, a parched land into springs of water. 36And there he lets the hungry dwell, and they establish a city to live in; 37they sow fields and plant vineyards and get a fruitful yield. 38By his blessing they multiply greatly, and he does not let their livestock diminish. 39‡When they are diminished and brought low through oppression, evil, and sorrow, 40he pours contempt on princes and makes them wander in trackless wastes; 41‡but he raises up the needy out of affliction and makes their families like flocks. 42The upright see it and are glad, and all wickedness shuts its mouth. 43†Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the LORD.

With God We Shall Do Valiantly

A Song. A Psalm of David.

PSALM 108 ‡My heart is steadfast, O God!

I will sing and make melody with all my being! [1] 2Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn! 3I will give thanks to you, O LORD, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations. 4For your steadfast love is great above the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. 5Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth! 6That your beloved ones may be delivered, give salvation by your right hand and answer me! 7God has promised in his holiness: [2] "With exultation I will divide up Shechem and portion out the Valley

of Succoth. 8Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine; Ephraim is my helmet, Judah my scepter. 9Moab is my washbasin; upon Edom I cast my shoe; over Philistia I shout in triumph." 10Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom? 11Have you not rejected us, O God? You do not go out, O God, with our armies. 12Oh grant us help against the foe, for vain is the salvation of man! 13With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes.

Help Me, O LORD My God

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

PSALM 109 ‡†Be not silent, O God of my praise! 2‡†For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me, speaking against me with lying tongues. 3They encircle me with words of hate, and attack me without cause. 4In return for my love they accuse me, but I give myself to prayer. [1] 5So they reward me evil for good, and hatred for my love. 6‡Appoint a wicked man against him; let an accuser stand at his right hand. 7When he is tried, let him come forth guilty; let his prayer be counted as sin! 8†May his days be few; may another take his office! 9May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow! 10May his children wander about and beg, seeking food far from the ruins they inhabit! 11May the creditor seize all that he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his toil! 12Let there be none to extend kindness to him, nor any to pity his fatherless children! 13May his posterity be cut off; may his name be blotted out in the second generation! 14May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD, and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out! 15Let them be before the LORD continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth! 16For he did not remember to show kindness, but pursued the poor and needy and the brokenhearted, to put them to death. 17He loved to curse; let curses come [2] upon him! He did not delight in blessing; may it be far [3] from him! 18He clothed himself with cursing as his coat; may it soak [4] into his body like water, like oil into his bones! 19May it be like a garment that he wraps around him, like a belt that he puts on every day! 20May this be the reward of my accusers from the LORD, of those who speak evil against my life! 21‡But you, O GOD my Lord, deal on my behalf for your name's sake; because your steadfast love is good, deliver me! 22For I am poor and needy, and my heart is stricken within me. 23I am gone like a shadow at evening; I am shaken off like a locust.

24My knees are weak through fasting; my body has become gaunt, with no fat. 25I am an object of scorn to my accusers; when they see me, they wag their heads. 26Help me, O LORD my God! Save me according to your steadfast love! 27Let them know that this is your hand; you, O LORD, have done it! 28Let them curse, but you will bless! They arise and are put to shame, but your servant will be glad! 29May my accusers be clothed with dishonor; may they be wrapped in their own shame as in a cloak! 30‡With my mouth I will give great thanks to the LORD; I will praise him in the midst of the throng. 31For he stands at the right hand of the needy one, to save him from those who condemn his soul to death.

Sit at My Right Hand

A Psalm of David.

PSALM 110 ‡†The LORD says to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool." 2†The LORD sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter. Rule in the midst of your enemies! 3†Your people will offer themselves freely on the day of your power, [1] in holy garments; [2] from the womb of the morning,

the dew of your youth will be yours. [3] 4†The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind, "You are a priest forever

after the order of Melchizedek." 5†The Lord is at your right hand; he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath. 6†He will execute judgment among the nations, filling them with corpses; he will shatter chiefs [4]

over the wide earth. 7†He will drink from the brook by the way; therefore he will lift up his head.

Great Are the LORD's Works

PSALM 111 ‡† [1] Praise the LORD! I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart, in the company of the

upright, in the congregation. 2‡Great are the works of the LORD, studied by all who delight in them. 3Full of splendor and majesty is his work, and his righteousness endures forever. 4He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and merciful. 5†He provides food for those who fear him; he remembers his covenant forever. 6†He has shown his people the power of his works, in giving them the inheritance of the nations. 7The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy; 8they are established forever and ever, to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness. 9†He sent redemption to his people; he has commanded his covenant forever. Holy and awesome is his name! 10†The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!

The Righteous Will Never Be Moved

PSALM 112 ‡† [1] Praise the LORD! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in his

commandments! 2‡His offspring will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. 3Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever. 4Light dawns in the darkness for the upright; he is gracious, merciful, and righteous. 5It is well with the man who deals generously and lends; who conducts his affairs with justice. 6For the righteous will never be moved; he will be remembered forever. 7He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD. 8His heart is steady; he will not be afraid, until he looks in triumph on his adversaries. 9†He has distributed freely; he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever; his horn is exalted in honor. 10†The wicked man sees it and is angry; he gnashes his teeth and melts away; the desire of the wicked will perish!

Who Is like the LORD Our God?

PSALM 113 ‡†Praise the LORD! Praise, O servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD! 2†Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and forevermore! 3†From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the LORD is to be praised! 4‡The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens! 5Who is like the LORD our God, who is seated on high, 6‡who looks far down on the heavens and the earth? 7‡He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap, 8to make them sit with princes, with the princes of his people. 9†He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children. Praise the LORD!

Tremble at the Presence of the Lord

PSALM 114 ‡When Israel went out from Egypt, the house of Jacob from a

people of strange language, 2†Judah became his sanctuary, Israel his dominion. 3†The sea looked and fled; Jordan turned back. 4†The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs. 5‡What ails you, O sea, that you flee? O Jordan, that you turn back? 6O mountains, that you skip like rams? O hills, like lambs? 7†Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob, 8†who turns the rock into a pool of water, the flint into a spring of water.

To Your Name Give Glory

PSALM 115 ‡†Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory, for

the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness! 2†Why should the nations say, "Where is their God?" 3†Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases. 4‡Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. 5They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see. 6They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell. 7They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; and they do not make a sound in their throat. 8Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them. 9‡O Israel, [1] trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield. 10O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield. 11You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield. 12The LORD has remembered us; he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron; 13he will bless those who fear the LORD, both the small and the great. 14May the LORD give you increase, you and your children! 15May you be blessed by the LORD, who made heaven and earth! 16†The heavens are the LORD's heavens, but the earth he has given to the children of man. 17The dead do not praise the LORD, nor do any who go down into silence. 18But we will bless the LORD from this time forth and forevermore. Praise the LORD!

I Love the LORD

PSALM 116 ‡I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my pleas

for mercy. 2Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live. 3†The snares of death encompassed me; the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me; I suffered distress and anguish. 4Then I called on the name of the LORD: "O LORD, I pray, deliver my soul!" 5Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; our God is merciful. 6The LORD preserves the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me. 7Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you. 8For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling; 9†I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living. 10†I believed, even when [1] I spoke, "I am greatly afflicted"; 11†I said in my alarm, "All mankind are liars." 12†What shall I render to the LORD for all his benefits to me? 13†I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD, 14†I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people. 15‡Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints. 16O LORD, I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your maidservant. You have loosed my bonds. 17‡†I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the LORD. 18I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people, 19†in the courts of the house of the LORD, in your midst, O Jerusalem. Praise the LORD!

The LORD's Faithfulness Endures Forever

PSALM 117 ‡†Praise the LORD, all nations!

Extol him, all peoples! 2†For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD!

His Steadfast Love Endures Forever

PSALM 118 ‡†Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast

love endures forever! 2‡Let Israel say, "His steadfast love endures forever." 3Let the house of Aaron say, "His steadfast love endures forever." 4Let those who fear the LORD say, "His steadfast love endures forever." 5‡‡Out of my distress I called on the LORD; the LORD answered me and set me free. 6†The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? 7The LORD is on my side as my helper; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me. 8It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. 9It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes. 10‡All nations surrounded me; in the name of the LORD I cut them off! 11They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side; in the name of the LORD I cut them off! 12†They surrounded me like bees; they went out like a fire among thorns; in the name of the LORD I cut them off! 13†I was pushed hard, [1] so that I was falling, but the LORD helped me. 14†The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. 15‡‡Glad songs of salvation are in the tents of the righteous: "The right hand of the LORD does valiantly, 16the right hand of the LORD

exalts, the right hand of the LORD does valiantly!" 17I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the LORD. 18†The LORD has disciplined me severely, but he has not given me over to death. 19‡†Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the LORD. 20†This is the gate of the LORD; the righteous shall enter through it. 21†I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation. 22‡†The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. [2] 23This is the LORD's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. 24†This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. 25†Save us, we pray, O LORD!

O LORD, we pray, give us success! 26†Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD! We bless you from the house of the LORD. 27†The LORD is God, and he has made his light to shine upon us. Bind the festal sacrifice with cords,

up to the horns of the altar! 28†You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God; I will extol you. 29†Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!

Your Word Is a Lamp to My Feet

Aleph

PSALM 119 ‡‡† [1] Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in

the law of the LORD! 2†Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, 3who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways! 4†You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently. 5‡Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes! 6Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments. 7†I will praise you with an upright heart, when I learn your righteous rules. [2] 8I will keep your statutes; do not utterly forsake me! Beth

9‡How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. 10With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! 11I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. 12†Blessed are you, O LORD; teach me your statutes! 13With my lips I declare all the rules [3] of your mouth. 14†In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches. 15†I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. 16†I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word. Gimel

17Deal bountifully with your servant, that I may live and keep your word. 18†Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law. 19†I am a sojourner on the earth; hide not your commandments from me! 20†My soul is consumed with longing for your rules [4] at all times. 21†You rebuke the insolent, accursed ones, who wander from your commandments. 22Take away from me scorn and contempt, for I have kept your testimonies. 23Even though princes sit plotting against me, your servant will meditate on your statutes. 24†Your testimonies are my delight; they are my counselors.

Daleth

25†My soul clings to the dust; give me life according to your word! 26When I told of my ways, you answered me; teach me your statutes! 27†Make me understand the way of your precepts, and I will meditate on your wondrous works. 28†My soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me according to your word! 29‡Put false ways far from me and graciously teach me your law! 30I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I set your rules before me. 31I cling to your testimonies, O LORD; let me not be put to shame! 32†I will run in the way of your commandments when you enlarge my heart! [5] He

33Teach me, O LORD, the way of your statutes; and I will keep it to the end. [6] 34Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart. 35Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it. 36Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain! 37†Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways. 38Confirm to your servant your promise, that you may be feared. 39†Turn away the reproach that I dread, for your rules are good. 40Behold, I long for your precepts; in your righteousness give me life! Waw

41†Let your steadfast love come to me, O LORD, your salvation according to your promise; 42then shall I have an answer for him who taunts me, for I trust in your word. 43†And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, for my hope is in your rules. 44I will keep your law continually, forever and ever, 45and I shall walk in a wide place, for I have sought your precepts. 46I will also speak of your testimonies before kings and shall not be put to shame, 47‡for I find my delight in your commandments, which I love.

48I will lift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on your statutes. Zayin

49Remember your word to your servant, in which you have made me hope. 50†This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life. 51The insolent utterly deride me, but I do not turn away from your law. 52When I think of your rules from of old, I take comfort, O LORD. 53Hot indignation seizes me because of the wicked, who forsake your law. 54Your statutes have been my songs in the house of my sojourning. 55I remember your name in the night, O LORD, and keep your law. 56This blessing has fallen to me, that I have kept your precepts. Heth

57The LORD is my portion; I promise to keep your words. 58I entreat your favor with all my heart; be gracious to me according to your promise. 59When I think on my ways, I turn my feet to your testimonies; 60I hasten and do not delay to keep your commandments. 61Though the cords of the wicked ensnare me, I do not forget your law. 62At midnight I rise to praise you, because of your righteous rules. 63I am a companion of all who fear you, of those who keep your precepts. 64The earth, O LORD, is full of your steadfast love; teach me your statutes! Teth

65You have dealt well with your servant, O LORD, according to your word. 66Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe in your commandments. 67Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word. 68†You are good and do good; teach me your statutes. 69The insolent smear me with lies, but with my whole heart I keep your precepts; 70†their heart is unfeeling like fat, but I delight in your law. 71It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes. 72The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces. Yodh

73†Your hands have made and fashioned me; give me understanding that I may learn your commandments. 74Those who fear you shall see me and rejoice, because I have hoped in your word. 75†I know, O LORD, that your rules are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me. 76Let your steadfast love comfort me according to your promise to your servant. 77Let your mercy come to me, that I may live; for your law is my delight. 78Let the insolent be put to shame, because they have wronged me with falsehood; as for me, I will meditate on your precepts. 79Let those who fear you turn to me, that they may know your testimonies. 80May my heart be blameless in your statutes, that I may not be put to shame! Kaph

81My soul longs for your salvation; I hope in your word. 82My eyes long for your promise; I ask, "When will you comfort me?" 83†For I have become like a wineskin in the smoke, yet I have not forgotten your statutes. 84How long must your servant endure? [7] When will you judge those who persecute me? 85The insolent have dug pitfalls for me; they do not live according to your law. 86All your commandments are sure; they persecute me with falsehood; help me! 87They have almost made an end of me on earth, but I have not forsaken your precepts. 88In your steadfast love give me life, that I may keep the testimonies of your mouth. Lamedh

89†Forever, O LORD, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens. 90Your faithfulness endures to all generations; you have established the earth, and it stands fast. 91By your appointment they stand this day, for all things are your servants. 92If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my

affliction. 93I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have given me life. 94I am yours; save me, for I have sought your precepts. 95The wicked lie in wait to destroy me, but I consider your testimonies. 96I have seen a limit to all perfection, but your commandment is exceedingly broad. Mem

97Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day. 98‡Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me. 99I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation. 100I understand more than the aged, [8] for I keep your precepts. 101I hold back my feet from every evil way, in order to keep your word. 102I do not turn aside from your rules, for you have taught me. 103How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! 104Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way. Nun

105†Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. 106I have sworn an oath and confirmed it, to keep your righteous rules. 107I am severely afflicted; give me life, O LORD, according to your word! 108Accept my freewill offerings of praise, O LORD, and teach me your rules. 109I hold my life in my hand continually, but I do not forget your law. 110The wicked have laid a snare for me, but I do not stray from your precepts. 111†Your testimonies are my heritage forever, for they are the joy of my heart. 112I incline my heart to perform your statutes forever, to the end. [9] Samekh

113I hate the double-minded, but I love your law.

114You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word. 115Depart from me, you evildoers, that I may keep the commandments of my God. 116Uphold me according to your promise, that I may live, and let me not be put to shame in my hope! 117Hold me up, that I may be safe and have regard for your statutes continually! 118‡You spurn all who go astray from your statutes, for their cunning is in vain. 119All the wicked of the earth you discard like dross, therefore I love your testimonies. 120My flesh trembles for fear of you, and I am afraid of your judgments. Ayin

121I have done what is just and right; do not leave me to my oppressors. 122Give your servant a pledge of good; let not the insolent oppress me. 123My eyes long for your salvation and for the fulfillment of your righteous promise. 124Deal with your servant according to your steadfast love, and teach me your statutes. 125I am your servant; give me understanding, that I may know your testimonies! 126It is time for the LORD to act, for your law has been broken. 127Therefore I love your commandments above gold, above fine gold. 128†Therefore I consider all your precepts to be right; I hate every false way. Pe

129Your testimonies are wonderful; therefore my soul keeps them. 130†The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple. 131†I open my mouth and pant, because I long for your commandments. 132Turn to me and be gracious to me, as is your way with those who love your name. 133Keep steady my steps according to your promise, and let no iniquity get dominion over me. 134Redeem me from man's oppression, that I may keep your precepts. 135Make your face shine upon your servant, and teach me your statutes. 136†My eyes shed streams of tears, because people do not keep your law.

Tsadhe

137Righteous are you, O LORD, and right are your rules. 138You have appointed your testimonies in righteousness and in all faithfulness. 139My zeal consumes me, because my foes forget your words. 140†Your promise is well tried, and your servant loves it. 141I am small and despised, yet I do not forget your precepts. 142Your righteousness is righteous forever, and your law is true. 143Trouble and anguish have found me out, but your commandments are my delight. 144Your testimonies are righteous forever; give me understanding that I may live. Qoph

145With my whole heart I cry; answer me, O LORD! I will keep your statutes. 146I call to you; save me, that I may observe your testimonies. 147I rise before dawn and cry for help; I hope in your words. 148My eyes are awake before the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promise. 149Hear my voice according to your steadfast love; O LORD, according to your justice give me life. 150They draw near who persecute me with evil purpose; they are far from your law. 151But you are near, O LORD, and all your commandments are true. 152Long have I known from your testimonies that you have founded them forever. Resh

153Look on my affliction and deliver me, for I do not forget your law. 154Plead my cause and redeem me; give me life according to your promise! 155†Salvation is far from the wicked, for they do not seek your statutes. 156Great is your mercy, O LORD; give me life according to your rules. 157Many are my persecutors and my adversaries, but I do not swerve from your testimonies. 158I look at the faithless with disgust, because they do not keep your

commands. 159Consider how I love your precepts! Give me life according to your steadfast love. 160†The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever. Sin and Shin

161†Princes persecute me without cause, but my heart stands in awe of your words. 162I rejoice at your word like one who finds great spoil. 163†I hate and abhor falsehood, but I love your law. 164†Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous rules. 165Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble. 166I hope for your salvation, O LORD, and I do your commandments. 167My soul keeps your testimonies; I love them exceedingly. 168I keep your precepts and testimonies, for all my ways are before you. Taw

169Let my cry come before you, O LORD; give me understanding according to your word! 170Let my plea come before you; deliver me according to your word. 171My lips will pour forth praise, for you teach me your statutes. 172My tongue will sing of your word, for all your commandments are right. 173†Let your hand be ready to help me, for I have chosen your precepts. 174I long for your salvation, O LORD, and your law is my delight. 175Let my soul live and praise you, and let your rules help me. 176†I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek your servant, for I do not forget your commandments.

Deliver Me, O LORD

A Song of Ascents.

PSALM 120 ‡In my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me. 2†Deliver me, O LORD, from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue. 3What shall be given to you, and what more shall be done to you, you deceitful tongue? 4†A warrior's sharp arrows, with glowing coals of the broom tree! 5‡†Woe to me, that I sojourn in Meshech, that I dwell among the tents of Kedar! 6Too long have I had my dwelling among those who hate peace. 7I am for peace, but when I speak, they are for war!

My Help Comes from the LORD

A Song of Ascents.

PSALM 121 ‡†I lift up my eyes to the hills.

From where does my help come? 2†My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. 3‡†He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. 4Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 5†The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade on your right hand. 6†The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. 7‡The LORD will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. 8The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.

Let Us Go to the House of the LORD

A Song of Ascents. Of David.

PSALM 122 ‡†I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of

the LORD!" 2†Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem! 3†Jerusalem—built as a city that is bound firmly together, 4†to which the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, as was decreed for [1] Israel, to give thanks to the name of the LORD. 5There thrones for judgment were set, the thrones of the house of David. 6‡Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! "May they be secure who love you! 7Peace be within your walls and security within your towers!" 8For my brothers and companions' sake I will say, "Peace be within you!" 9For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your good.

Our Eyes Look to the LORD Our God

A Song of Ascents.

PSALM 123 ‡†To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the

heavens! 2†Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till he has mercy upon us. 3‡Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us, for we have had more than enough of contempt. 4Our soul has had more than enough of the scorn of those who are at ease, of the contempt of the proud.

Our Help Is in the Name of the LORD

A Song of Ascents. Of David.

PSALM 124 ‡‡If it had not been the LORD who was on our side— let Israel

now say— 2†if it had not been the LORD who was on our side when people rose up against us, 3then they would have swallowed us up alive, when their anger was kindled against us; 4‡then the flood would have swept us away, the torrent would have gone over us; 5then over us would have gone the raging waters. 6Blessed be the LORD, who has not given us as prey to their teeth! 7We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped! 8†Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

The LORD Surrounds His People

A Song of Ascents.

PSALM 125 ‡‡†Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which

cannot be moved, but abides forever. 2†As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people, from this time forth and forevermore. 3†For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest on the land allotted to the righteous, lest the righteous stretch out their hands to do wrong. 4‡Do good, O LORD, to those who are good, and to those who are upright in their hearts! 5†But those who turn aside to their crooked ways the LORD will lead away with evildoers! Peace be upon Israel!

Restore Our Fortunes, O LORD

A Song of Ascents.

PSALM 126 ‡†When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like

those who dream. 2‡Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them." 3The LORD has done great things for us; we are glad. 4†Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like streams in the Negeb! 5‡Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! 6He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.

Unless the LORD Builds the House

A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon.

PSALM 127 ‡‡Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in

vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. 2†It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep. 3‡†Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. 4‡Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children [1] of one's youth. 5Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame

when he speaks with his enemies in the gate. [2]

Blessed Is Everyone Who Fears the LORD

A Song of Ascents.

PSALM 128 ‡†Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD, who walks in his

ways! 2‡You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you. 3†Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table. 4Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the LORD. 5‡The LORD bless you from Zion! May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life! 6†May you see your children's children! Peace be upon Israel!

They Have Afflicted Me from My Youth

A Song of Ascents.

PSALM 129 ‡†"Greatly [1] have they afflicted me from my youth"— let

Israel now say— 2†"Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth, yet they have not prevailed against me. 3†The plowers plowed upon my back; they made long their furrows." 4†The LORD is righteous; he has cut the cords of the wicked. 5‡May all who hate Zion be put to shame and turned backward! 6†Let them be like the grass on the housetops, which withers before it grows up, 7with which the reaper does not fill his hand nor the binder of sheaves his arms, 8nor do those who pass by say, "The blessing of the LORD be upon you! We bless you in the name of the LORD!"

My Soul Waits for the Lord

A Song of Ascents.

PSALM 130 ‡†Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD!

2O Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive

to the voice of my pleas for mercy! 3‡If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? 4But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared. 5†I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; 6†my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning. 7†O Israel, hope in the LORD! For with the LORD there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful

redemption. 8†And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

I Have Calmed and Quieted My Soul

A Song of Ascents. Of David.

PSALM 131 ‡†O LORD, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too

high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. 2†But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me. 3†O Israel, hope in the LORD from this time forth and forevermore.

The LORD Has Chosen Zion

A Song of Ascents.

PSALM 132 ‡‡†Remember, O LORD, in David's favor, all the hardships he

endured, 2‡†how he swore to the LORD and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob, 3"I will not enter my house or get into my bed, 4I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids, 5until I find a place for the LORD, a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob." 6‡†Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah; we found it in the fields of Jaar. 7†"Let us go to his dwelling place; let us worship at his footstool!" 8†Arise, O LORD, and go to your resting place, you and the ark of your might. 9†Let your priests be clothed with righteousness, and let your saints shout for joy. 10‡†For the sake of your servant David, do not turn away the face of your anointed one. 11‡The LORD swore to David a sure oath from which he will not turn back: "One of the sons of your body [1]

I will set on your throne. 12†If your sons keep my covenant and my testimonies that I shall teach them, their sons also forever shall sit on your throne." 13‡†For the LORD has chosen Zion; he has desired it for his dwelling place: 14"This is my resting place forever; here I will dwell, for I have desired it. 15I will abundantly bless her provisions; I will satisfy her poor with bread. 16Her priests I will clothe with salvation, and her saints will shout for joy. 17There I will make a horn to sprout for David; I have prepared a lamp for my anointed. 18His enemies I will clothe with shame, but on him his crown will shine."

When Brothers Dwell in Unity

A Song of Ascents. Of David.

PSALM 133 ‡†Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in

unity! [1] 2†It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron,

running down on the collar of his robes! 3†It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the LORD has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.

Come, Bless the LORD

A Song of Ascents.

PSALM 134 ‡†Come, bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD,

who stand by night in the house of the LORD! 2†Lift up your hands to the holy place and bless the LORD! 3†May the LORD bless you from Zion, he who made heaven and earth!

Your Name, O LORD, Endures Forever

PSALM 135 ‡‡Praise the LORD! Praise the name of the LORD, give praise, O servants of the LORD, 2who

stand in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God! 3†Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing to his name, for it is pleasant! [1] 4†For the LORD has chosen Jacob for himself, Israel as his own possession. 5†For I know that the LORD is great, and that our Lord is above all gods. 6Whatever the LORD pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps. 7†He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth, who makes lightnings for the rain and brings forth the wind from his storehouses. 8‡†He it was who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, both of man and of beast; 9†who in your midst, O Egypt, sent signs and wonders against Pharaoh and all his servants; 10who struck down many nations and killed mighty kings, 11†Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan, 12†and gave their land as a heritage, a heritage to his people Israel. 13‡Your name, O LORD, endures forever, your renown, [2] O LORD, throughout all ages. 14For the LORD will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants. 15The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of human hands. 16They have mouths, but do not speak; they have eyes, but do not see; 17they have ears, but do not hear, nor is there any breath in their mouths. 18†Those who make them become like them, so do all who trust in them! 19‡O house of Israel, bless the LORD! O house of Aaron, bless the LORD! 20O house of Levi, bless the LORD! You who fear the LORD, bless the LORD! 21Blessed be the LORD from Zion, he who dwells in Jerusalem! Praise the LORD!

His Steadfast Love Endures Forever

PSALM 136 ‡†Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love

endures forever. 2Give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever. 3Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever; 4‡to him who alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures forever; 5to him who by understanding made the heavens, for his steadfast love endures forever; 6to him who spread out the earth above the waters, for his steadfast love endures forever; 7to him who made the great lights, for his steadfast love endures forever; 8the sun to rule over the day, for his steadfast love endures forever; 9the moon and stars to rule over the night, for his steadfast love endures forever; 10‡to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, for his steadfast love endures forever; 11and brought Israel out from among them, for his steadfast love endures forever; 12with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, for his steadfast love endures forever; 13to him who divided the Red Sea in two, for his steadfast love endures forever; 14and made Israel pass through the midst of it, for his steadfast love endures forever; 15but overthrew [1] Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea, for his steadfast love endures forever; 16‡to him who led his people through the wilderness, for his steadfast love endures forever; 17to him who struck down great kings, for his steadfast love endures forever; 18and killed mighty kings, for his steadfast love endures forever;

19†Sihon, king of the Amorites, for his steadfast love endures forever; 20†and Og, king of Bashan, for his steadfast love endures forever; 21and gave their land as a heritage, for his steadfast love endures forever; 22a heritage to Israel his servant, for his steadfast love endures forever. 23†It is he who remembered us in our low estate, for his steadfast love endures forever; 24and rescued us from our foes, for his steadfast love endures forever; 25he who gives food to all flesh, for his steadfast love endures forever. 26Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever.

How Shall We Sing the LORD's Song?

PSALM 137 ‡†By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept,

when we remembered Zion. 2†On the willows [1] there we hung up our lyres. 3†For there our captors required of us songs, and our tormentors, mirth, saying, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!" 4†How shall we sing the LORD's song in a foreign land? 5‡If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill! 6Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth, if I do not remember you, if I do not set Jerusalem

above my highest joy! 7†Remember, O LORD, against the Edomites the day of Jerusalem, how they said, "Lay it bare, lay it bare, down to its foundations!" 8‡†O daughter of Babylon, doomed to be destroyed, blessed shall he be who repays you with what you have done to us! 9Blessed shall he be who takes your little ones and dashes them against the rock!

Give Thanks to the LORD

Of David.

PSALM 138 ‡†I give you thanks, O LORD, with my whole heart; before the

gods I sing your praise; 2†I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word. [1] 3On the day I called, you answered me; my strength of soul you increased. [2] 4†All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O LORD, for they have heard the words of your mouth, 5and they shall sing of the ways of the LORD, for great is the glory of the LORD. 6‡For though the LORD is high, he regards the lowly, but the haughty he knows from afar. 7Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right

hand delivers me. 8†The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.

Search Me, O God, and Know My Heart

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

PSALM 139 ‡‡†O LORD, you have searched me and known me! 2You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. 3You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. 4Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether. 5†You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. 6†Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it. 7‡†Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? 8If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! 9†If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. 11If I say, "Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night," 12even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you. 13‡†For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. 14I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. [1] Wonderful are your works;

my soul knows it very well. 15†My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret,

intricately woven in the depths of the earth. 16†Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them,

the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. 17‡How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!

18If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you. 19Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God! O men of blood, depart from me! 20They speak against you with malicious intent; your enemies take your name in vain! [2] 21Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you? 22†I hate them with complete hatred; I count them my enemies. 23‡Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! [3] 24†And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! [4]

Deliver Me, O LORD, from Evil Men

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

PSALM 140 ‡‡Deliver me, O LORD, from evil men; preserve me from

violent men, 2who plan evil things in their heart and stir up wars continually. 3†They make their tongue sharp as a serpent's, and under their lips is the venom of asps. Selah 4‡Guard me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from violent men, who have planned to trip up my feet. 5The arrogant have hidden a trap for me, and with cords they have spread a net; [1] beside the way they have set snares for me. Selah 6‡I say to the LORD, You are my God; give ear to the voice of my pleas for mercy, O LORD! 7†O LORD, my Lord, the strength of my salvation, you have covered my head in the day of battle. 8Grant not, O LORD, the desires of the wicked; do not further their [2] evil plot, or they will be exalted! Selah 9‡As for the head of those who surround me, let the mischief of their lips overwhelm them! 10Let burning coals fall upon them! Let them be cast into fire, into miry pits, no more to rise! 11Let not the slanderer be established in the land; let evil hunt down the violent man speedily! 12‡I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and will execute justice for the needy. 13Surely the righteous shall give thanks to your name; the upright shall dwell in your presence.

Give Ear to My Voice

A Psalm of David.

PSALM 141 ‡O LORD, I call upon you; hasten to me!

Give ear to my voice when I call to you! 2†Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice! 3‡Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips! 4Do not let my heart incline to any evil, to busy myself with wicked deeds in company with men who work iniquity,

and let me not eat of their delicacies! 5†Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness; let him rebuke me—it is oil for my head; let my head not refuse it. Yet my prayer is continually against their evil deeds. 6†When their judges are thrown over the cliff, [1] then they shall hear my words, for they are pleasant. 7†As when one plows and breaks up the earth, so shall our bones be scattered at the mouth of Sheol. [2] 8But my eyes are toward you, O GOD, my Lord; in you I seek refuge; leave me not defenseless! [3] 9Keep me from the trap that they have laid for me and from the snares of evildoers! 10†Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I pass by safely.

You Are My Refuge

A Maskil [1] of David, when he was in the cave. A Prayer.

PSALM 142 ‡With my voice I cry out to the LORD; with my voice I plead for

mercy to the LORD. 2I pour out my complaint before him; I tell my trouble before him. 3When my spirit faints within me, you know my way! In the path where I walk

they have hidden a trap for me. 4†Look to the right and see: there is none who takes notice of me; no refuge remains to me; no one cares for my soul. 5†I cry to you, O LORD; I say, "You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living." 6Attend to my cry, for I am brought very low! Deliver me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me! 7†Bring me out of prison, that I may give thanks to your name! The righteous will surround me, for you will deal bountifully with me.

My Soul Thirsts for You

A Psalm of David.

PSALM 143 ‡†Hear my prayer, O LORD; give ear to my pleas for mercy!

In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness! 2†Enter not into judgment with your servant, for no one living is righteous before you. 3For the enemy has pursued my soul; he has crushed my life to the ground; he has made me sit in darkness like those long dead. 4Therefore my spirit faints within me; my heart within me is appalled. 5I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that you have done; I ponder the work of your hands. 6†I stretch out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah 7†Answer me quickly, O LORD! My spirit fails! Hide not your face from me,

lest I be like those who go down to the pit. 8Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go,

for to you I lift up my soul. 9Deliver me from my enemies, O LORD! I have fled to you for refuge! [1] 10†Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me

on level ground! 11†For your name's sake, O LORD, preserve my life! In your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble! 12†And in your steadfast love you will cut off my enemies, and you will destroy all the adversaries of my soul, for I am your servant.

My Rock and My Fortress

Of David.

PSALM 144 ‡†Blessed be the LORD, my rock, who trains my hands for war,

and my fingers for battle; 2†he is my steadfast love and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and he in whom I take refuge,

who subdues peoples [1] under me. 3‡O LORD, what is man that you regard him, or the son of man that you think of him? 4Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow. 5‡Bow your heavens, O LORD, and come down! Touch the mountains so that they smoke! 6Flash forth the lightning and scatter them; send out your arrows and rout them! 7Stretch out your hand from on high; rescue me and deliver me from the many waters, from the hand of foreigners, 8whose mouths speak lies and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood. 9†I will sing a new song to you, O God; upon a ten-stringed harp I will play to you, 10who gives victory to kings, who rescues David his servant from the cruel sword. 11†Rescue me and deliver me from the hand of foreigners,

whose mouths speak lies

and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood. 12†May our sons in their youth be like plants full grown,

our daughters like corner pillars

cut for the structure of a palace; 13‡may our granaries be full, providing all kinds of produce; may our sheep bring forth thousands

and ten thousands in our fields; 14†may our cattle be heavy with young, suffering no mishap or failure in bearing; [2] may there be no cry of distress in our streets! 15Blessed are the people to whom such blessings fall! Blessed are the people whose God is the LORD!

Great Is the LORD

[1] A Song of Praise. Of David.

PSALM 145 ‡†I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name

forever and ever. 2Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever. 3Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable. 4One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts. 5On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate. 6They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds, and I will declare your greatness. 7They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of your righteousness. 8The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 9The LORD is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made. 10All your works shall give thanks to you, O LORD, and all your saints shall bless you! 11‡They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom and tell of your power, 12to make known to the children of man your [2] mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. 13Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations. [The LORD is faithful in all his words and kind in all his works.] [3] 14‡The LORD upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down. 15The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season. 16You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing. 17The LORD is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works. 18The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. 19He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them. 20†The LORD preserves all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy. 21My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD, and let all flesh bless his

holy name forever and ever.

Put Not Your Trust in Princes

PSALM 146 ‡†Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul! 2I will praise the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. 3‡Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. 4When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish. 5†Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, 6†who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever;

7‡who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets the prisoners free; 8the LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous. 9†The LORD watches over the sojourners; he upholds the widow and the fatherless, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin. 10†The LORD will reign forever, your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the LORD!

He Heals the Brokenhearted

PSALM 147 ‡Praise the LORD! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, [1] and a song of

praise is fitting. 2†The LORD builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the outcasts of Israel. 3†He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. 4He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names. 5Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure. 6†The LORD lifts up the humble; [2] he casts the wicked to the ground. 7Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; make melody to our God on the lyre! 8He covers the heavens with clouds; he prepares rain for the earth; he makes grass grow on the hills. 9He gives to the beasts their food, and to the young ravens that cry. 10His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the legs of a man, 11but the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love. 12Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem! Praise your God, O Zion! 13†For he strengthens the bars of your gates; he blesses your children within you. 14He makes peace in your borders; he fills you with the finest of the wheat. 15‡He sends out his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly. 16He gives snow like wool; he scatters hoarfrost like ashes. 17He hurls down his crystals of ice like crumbs; who can stand before his cold? 18He sends out his word, and melts them; he makes his wind blow and the waters flow. 19‡He declares his word to Jacob, his statutes and rules [3] to Israel. 20He has not dealt thus with any other nation; they do not know his rules. [4] Praise the LORD!

Praise the Name of the LORD

PSALM 148 ‡‡Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise him in the heights! 2†Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his hosts! 3Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars! 4†Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens! 5‡Let them praise the name of the LORD! For he commanded and they were created. 6†And he established them forever and ever; he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away. [1] 7Praise the LORD from the earth, you great sea creatures and all deeps, 8†fire and hail, snow and mist, stormy wind fulfilling his word! 9Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars! 10Beasts and all livestock, creeping things and flying birds! 11Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth! 12Young men and maidens together, old men and children! 13‡Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his majesty is above earth and heaven. 14†He has raised up a horn for his people, praise for all his saints, for the people of Israel who are near to him. Praise the LORD!

Sing to the LORD a New Song

PSALM 149 ‡†Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise in the assembly of the godly! 2Let Israel be glad in his Maker; let the children of Zion rejoice in their King! 3†Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre! 4For the LORD takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with salvation. 5Let the godly exult in glory; let them sing for joy on their beds. 6‡Let the high praises of God be in their throats and two-edged swords in their hands, 7to execute vengeance on the nations and punishments on the peoples, 8to bind their kings with chains and their nobles with fetters of iron, 9†to execute on them the judgment written! This is honor for all his godly ones. Praise the LORD!

Let Everything Praise the LORD

PSALM 150 ‡†Praise the LORD! Praise God in his sanctuary;

praise him in his mighty heavens! [1] 2†Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! 3†Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! 4†Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! 5Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! 6†Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!

Footnotes

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 1

[1] 1:1 The singular Hebrew word for man (ish) is used here to portray a

representative example of a godly person; see preface

[2] 1:2 Or instruction

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 2

[1] 2:1 Or nations noisily assemble

[2] 2:9 Revocalization yields (compare Septuagint) You shall rule

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 3

[1] 3:2 The meaning of the Hebrew word Selah, used frequently in the Psalms, is

uncertain. It may be a musical or liturgical direction

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 4

[1] 4:2 Or O men of rank

[2] 4:4 Or Be agitated

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 5

[1] 5:3 Or I direct my prayer to you

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 6

[1] 6:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 7

[1] 7:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term

[2] 7:4 Hebrew the one at peace with me

[3] 7:9 Hebrew the hearts and kidneys

[4] 7:12 Hebrew he

[5] 7:12 Hebrew he

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 8

[1] 8:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term

[2] 8:5 Or than God; Septuagint than the angels

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 9

[1] 9:1 Psalms 9 and 10 together follow an acrostic pattern, each stanza

beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. In the Septuagint they form one psalm [2] 9:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term

[3] 9:3 Or because of

[4] 9:16 Probably a musical or liturgical term

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 10

[1] 10:3 Or and he blesses the one greedy for gain

[2] 10:4 Or of his anger

[3] 10:4 Or the wicked says, "He will not call to account"

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 11

[1] 11:3 Or for the foundations will be destroyed; what has the righteous done?

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 12

[1] 12:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term

[2] 12:7 Or guard him

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 14

[1] 14:2 Or that act wisely

[2] 14:6 Or for

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 16

[1] 16:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term

[2] 16:3 Or To the saints in the land, the excellent in whom is all my delight, I

say:

[3] 16:4 Or who acquire

[4] 16:7 Hebrew my kidneys instruct me

[5] 16:9 Hebrew my glory

[6] 16:10 Or see the pit

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 17

[1] 17:7 Or Distinguish me by

[2] 17:14 Or from men whose portion in life is of the world

[3] 17:14 Or As for your treasured ones, you fill their womb

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 18

[1] 18:4 Or terrified me

[2] 18:8 Or in his wrath

[3] 18:22 Or just decrees

[4] 18:30 Or blameless

[5] 18:40 Or You gave me my enemies' necks

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 19

[1] 19:1 Hebrew the expanse; compare Genesis 1:6-8

[2] 19:4 Or Their measuring line

[3] 19:7 Or blameless

[4] 19:9 Or just decrees

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 21

[1] 21:6 Or make him a source of blessing forever

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 22

[1] 22:3 Or dwelling in the praises

[2] 22:16 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Vulgate, Syriac; most Hebrew

manuscripts like a lion [they are at] my hands and feet

[3] 22:21 Hebrew answered

[4] 22:26 Or The meek

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 23

[1] 23:2 Hebrew beside waters of rest

[2] 23:3 Or in right paths

[3] 23:4 Or the valley of deep darkness

[4] 23:6 Or Only

[5] 23:6 Or steadfast love

[6] 23:6 Or shall return to dwell

[7] 23:6 Hebrew for length of days

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 24

[1] 24:1 Or and all that fills it

[2] 24:6 Septuagint, Syriac, and two Hebrew manuscripts; Masoretic Text Jacob,

who seek your face

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 25

[1] 25:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, each verse beginning with the

successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet [2] 25:14 Or The secret counsel

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 26

[1] 26:2 Hebrew test my kidneys and my heart

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 27

[1] 27:1 Or refuge

[2] 27:3 Or in this

[3] 27:4 Or meditate

[4] 27:8 The command (seek) is addressed to more than one person [5] 27:8 The

meaning of the Hebrew verse is uncertain [6] 27:13 Other Hebrew manuscripts Oh! Had I not believed

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 28

[1] 28:2 Hebrew your innermost sanctuary

[2] 28:8 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Syriac; most Hebrew

manuscripts is their strength

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 29

[1] 29:1 Hebrew sons of God, or sons of might

[2] 29:2 Or in holy attire

[3] 29:9 Revocalization yields makes the oaks to shake

[4] 29:11 Or The LORD will give . . . The LORD will bless

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 30

[1] 30:3 Or to life, that I should not go down to the pit

[2] 30:4 Hebrew to the memorial of his holiness (see Exodus 3:15) [3] 30:5 Or

and in his favor is life

[4] 30:9 Hebrew in my blood

[5] 30:9 Or to corruption

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 31

[1] 31:6 Masoretic Text; one Hebrew manuscript, Septuagint, Syriac, Jerome You

hate

[2] 31:22 Or in my haste

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 32

[1] 32:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term

[2] 32:4 Hebrew my vitality was changed

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 34

[1] 34:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, each verse beginning with the

successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 35

[1] 35:3 Or and close the way

[2] 35:7 The word pit is transposed from the preceding line; Hebrew For without

cause they hid the pit of their net for me; without cause they dug for my life

[3] 35:11 Or Violent

[4] 35:12 Hebrew it is bereavement to my soul

[5] 35:13 Or my prayer shall turn back

[6] 35:16 The meaning of the Hebrew phrase is uncertain

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 36

[1] 36:1 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Syriac, Jerome (compare Septuagint); most

Hebrew manuscripts in my heart

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 37

[1] 37:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, each stanza beginning with the

successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet [2] 37:3 Or and feed on faithfulness, or and find safe pasture

[3] 37:22 Hebrew by him

[4] 37:35 The identity of this tree is uncertain

[5] 37:36 Or But one passed by

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 39

[1] 39:6 Hebrew Surely as a breath

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 40

[1] 40:6 Hebrew ears you have dug for me

[2] 40:9 Hebrew righteousness; also verse 10

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 41

[1] 41:1 Or weak

[2] 41:3 Hebrew you turn all his bed

[3] 41:4 Hebrew my soul

[4] 41:7 Or they devise evil against me

[5] 41:8 Or has fastened

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 42

[1] 42:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term

[2] 42:2 Revocalization yields and see the face of God

[3] 42:5 Hebrew the salvation of my face; also verse 11 and 43:5

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 44

[1] 44:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term

[2] 44:14 Hebrew a shaking of the head

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 45

[1] 45:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term

[2] 45:12 Hebrew daughter

[3] 45:12 Or The daughter of Tyre is here with gifts, the richest of people seek

your favor

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 46

[1] 46:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term

[2] 46:1 Or well proved

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 47

[1] 47:7 Hebrew maskil

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 48

[1] 48:14 Septuagint; another reading is (compare Jerome, Syriac) He will guide

us beyond death

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 49

[1] 49:11 Septuagint, Syriac, Targum; Hebrew Their inward thought was that

their homes were forever

[2] 49:13 Or and of those after them who approve of their boasts

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 50

[1] 50:3 Or May our God come, and not keep silence

[2] 50:14 Or Make thanksgiving your sacrifice to God

[3] 50:21 Or that the I AM

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 51

[1] 51:1 Or Be gracious to me

[2] 51:10 Or steadfast

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 52

[1] 52:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term

[2] 52:7 Or in his work of destruction

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 53

[1] 53:1 Probably musical or liturgical terms

[2] 53:2 Or who act wisely

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 54

[1] 54:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term

[2] 54:3 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Targum insolent men (compare Psalm

86:14)

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 55

[1] 55:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term

[2] 55:20 Hebrew He

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 56

[1] 56:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term

[2] 56:5 Or they twist my words

[3] 56:8 Or wanderings

[4] 56:9 Or because

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 57

[1] 57:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term

[2] 57:8 Or my whole being

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 58

[1] 58:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term

[2] 58:1 Or mighty lords (by revocalization; Hebrew in silence) [3] 58:9 The

meaning of the Hebrew verse is uncertain

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 59

[1] 59:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term

[2] 59:7 Hebrew lacks they think

[3] 59:10 Or The God who shows me steadfast love

[4] 59:11 Or wander

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 60

[1] 60:1 Probably musical or liturgical terms

[2] 60:4 Or that it may be displayed because of truth

[3] 60:6 Or sanctuary

[4] 60:8 Revocalization (compare Psalm 108:10); Masoretic Text over me, O

Philistia, shout in triumph

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 65

[1] 65:1 Or Praise waits for you in silence

[2] 65:9 Or and make it overflow

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 66

[1] 66:17 Hebrew under

[2] 66:17 Or and he was exalted with my tongue

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 68

[1] 68:10 Or your congregation

[2] 68:15 Or hunch-backed; also verse 16

[3] 68:24 Or has been

[4] 68:26 The Hebrew for you is plural here

[5] 68:28 Probable reading; Hebrew Your God has summoned your power

[6] 68:30 The meaning of the Hebrew verse is uncertain [7] 68:35 Septuagint;

Hebrew your

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 69

[1] 69:1 Or waters threaten my life

[2] 69:10 Hebrew lacks and humbled

[3] 69:22 Hebrew; a slight revocalization yields (compare Septuagint, Syriac,

Jerome) a snare, and retribution and a trap

[4] 69:27 Hebrew may they not come into your righteousness

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 72

[1] 72:5 Septuagint He shall endure

[2] 72:8 That is, the Euphrates

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 73

[1] 73:10 Probable reading; Hebrew the waters of a full cup are drained by them

[2] 73:26 Hebrew rock

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 74

[1] 74:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term

[2] 74:5 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain

[3] 74:11 Hebrew from your bosom

[4] 74:13 Or the great sea creatures

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 75

[1] 75:1 Hebrew They

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 76

[1] 76:10 Or extremity

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 77

[1] 77:6 Hebrew lacks I said

[2] 77:10 Or This is my grief: that the right hand of the Most High has changed

[3] 77:19 Hebrew unknown

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 78

[1] 78:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term

[2] 78:9 Hebrew armed and shooting

[3] 78:33 Hebrew in

[4] 78:33 Or vapor

[5] 78:42 Hebrew hand

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 79

[1] 79:8 Or the iniquities of former generations

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 80

[1] 80:3 Or Turn us again; also verses 7, 19

[2] 80:11 That is, the Euphrates

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 81

[1] 81:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term

[2] 81:4 Or just decree

[3] 81:5 Or against

[4] 81:6 Hebrew his; also next line

[5] 81:16 That is, Israel; Hebrew him

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 82

[1] 82:7 Or fall as one man, O princes

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 83

[1] 83:13 Or like a tumbleweed

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 84

[1] 84:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term

[2] 84:5 Hebrew lacks to Zion

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 87

[1] 87:4 Probably Nubia

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 88

[1] 88:1 Probably musical or liturgical terms

[2] 88:8 Or an abomination

[3] 88:15 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain [4] 88:18 Or darkness

has become my only companion

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 89

[1] 89:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term

[2] 89:6 Hebrew the sons of God, or the sons of might

[3] 89:19 Some Hebrew manuscripts godly ones

[4] 89:28 Or will remain faithful

[5] 89:30 Or my just decrees

[6] 89:50 Hebrew lacks the insults

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 90

[1] 90:1 Some Hebrew manuscripts (compare Septuagint) our refuge

[2] 90:3 Or of Adam

[3] 90:10 Or pride

[4] 90:17 Or beauty

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 91

[1] 91:2 Septuagint He will say

[2] 91:9 Or For you, O LORD, are my refuge! You have made the Most High your

dwelling place

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 92

[1] 92:10 Compare Syriac; the meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 94

[1] 94:11 Septuagint they are futile

[2] 94:21 Hebrew condemn innocent blood

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 96

[1] 96:9 Or in holy attire

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 97

[1] 97:11 Most Hebrew manuscripts; one Hebrew manuscript, Septuagint,

Syriac, Jerome Light dawns

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 99

[1] 99:4 Or The might of the King loves justice

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 100

[1] 100:3 Or and not we ourselves

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 102

[1] 102:6 The precise identity of these birds is uncertain

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 103

[1] 103:14 Or knows how we are formed

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 104

[1] 104:19 Or the appointed times (compare Genesis 1:14) [2] 104:26 Or you

formed to play with

[3] 104:30 Or breath

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 105

[1] 105:16 Hebrew staff

[2] 105:22 Septuagint, Syriac, Jerome instruct

[3] 105:28 Septuagint, Syriac omit not

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 106

[1] 106:4 Or Remember me, O LORD, with the favor you show to your people;

help me with your salvation

[2] 106:33 Or they rebelled against God's Spirit

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 107

[1] 107:2 Or from the hand of the foe

[2] 107:27 Hebrew and all their wisdom was swallowed up

[3] 107:30 Hebrew they

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 108

[1] 108:1 Hebrew with my glory

[2] 108:7 Or sanctuary

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 109

[1] 109:4 Hebrew but I am prayer

[2] 109:17 Revocalization; Masoretic Text curses have come

[3] 109:17 Revocalization; Masoretic Text it is far

[4] 109:18 Revocalization; Masoretic Text it has soaked

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 110

[1] 110:3 Or on the day you lead your forces

[2] 110:3 Masoretic Text; some Hebrew manuscripts and Jerome on the holy

mountains

[3] 110:3 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain

[4] 110:6 Or the head

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 111

[1] 111:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, each line beginning with the

successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 112

[1] 112:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, each line beginning with the

successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 115

[1] 115:9 Masoretic Text; many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Syriac O

house of Israel

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 116

[1] 116:10 Or believed, indeed; Septuagint believed, therefore

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 118

[1] 118:13 Hebrew You (that is, the enemy) pushed me hard

[2] 118:22 Hebrew the head of the corner

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 119

[1] 119:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem of twenty-two stanzas, following the

letters of the Hebrew alphabet; within a stanza, each verse begins with the same Hebrew letter [2] 119:7 Or your just and righteous decrees; also verses 62, 106, 160, 164

[3] 119:13 Or all the just decrees

[4] 119:20 Or your just decrees; also verses 30, 39, 43, 52, 75, 102, 108, 137,

156, 175

[5] 119:32 Or for you set my heart free

[6] 119:33 Or keep it as my reward

[7] 119:84 Hebrew How many are the days of your servant?

[8] 119:100 Or the elders

[9] 119:112 Or statutes; the reward is eternal

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 122

[1] 122:4 Or as a testimony for

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 127

[1] 127:4 Or sons

[2] 127:5 Or They shall not be put to shame when they speak with their enemies

in the gate

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 129

[1] 129:1 Or Often; also verse 2

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 132

[1] 132:11 Hebrew of your fruit of the womb

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 133

[1] 133:1 Or dwell together

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 135

[1] 135:3 Or for he is beautiful

[2] 135:13 Or remembrance

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 136

[1] 136:15 Hebrew shook off

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 137

[1] 137:2 Or poplars

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 138

[1] 138:2 Or you have exalted your word above all your name

[2] 138:3 Hebrew you made me bold in my soul with strength

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 139

[1] 139:14 Or for I am fearfully set apart

[2] 139:20 Hebrew lacks your name

[3] 139:23 Or cares

[4] 139:24 Or in the ancient way (compare Jeremiah 6:16)

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 140

[1] 140:5 Or they have spread cords as a net

[2] 140:8 Hebrew his

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 141

[1] 141:6 Or When their judges fall into the hands of the Rock

[2] 141:7 The meaning of the Hebrew in verses 6, 7 is uncertain [3] 141:8

Hebrew refuge; do not pour out my life!

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 142

[1] 142:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 143

[1] 143:9 One Hebrew manuscript, Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts To you

I have covered

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 144

[1] 144:2 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Dead Sea Scroll, Jerome, Syriac, Aquila;

most Hebrew manuscripts subdues my people

[2] 144:14 Hebrew with no breaking in or going out

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 145

[1] 145:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, each verse beginning with the

successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet [2] 145:12 Hebrew his; also next line

[3] 145:13 These two lines are supplied by one Hebrew manuscript, Septuagint,

Syriac (compare Dead Sea Scroll)

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 147

[1] 147:1 Or for he is beautiful

[2] 147:6 Or afflicted

[3] 147:19 Or and just decrees

[4] 147:20 Or his just decrees

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 148

[1] 148:6 Or it shall not be transgressed

Footnotes for Psalms, Chapter 150

[1] 150:1 Hebrew expanse (compare Genesis 1:6-8)

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