Psalm

Christ Unite Jesus Christ Cross CHRIST UNITE

PSALM 1

1Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.

2But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.

3He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.

4Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away.

5Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

6For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

PSALM 2

1Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain?

2The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One.

3"Let us break their chains," they say, "and throw off their fetters."

4The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them.

5Then he rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying,

6"I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill."

7I will proclaim the decree of the Lord : He said to me, "You are my Son ; today I have become your Father.

8Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.

9You will rule them with an iron scepter ; you will dash them to pieces like pottery."

10Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth.

11Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling.

12Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

PSALM 3

1O Lord , how many are my foes! How many rise up against me!

2Many are saying of me, "God will not deliver him." Selah

3But you are a shield around me, O Lord ; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.

4To the Lord I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill. Selah

5I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.

6I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side.

7Arise, O Lord ! Deliver me, O my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked.

8From the Lord comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people. Selah

PSALM 4

1Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer.

2How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame ? How long will you love delusions and seek false gods ? Selah

3Know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself; the Lord will hear when I call to him.

4In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. Selah

5Offer right sacrifices and trust in the Lord .

6Many are asking, "Who can show us any good?" Let the light of your face shine upon us, O Lord .

7You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound.

8I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord , make me dwell in safety.

PSALM 5

1Give ear to my words, O Lord , consider my sighing.

2Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray.

3In the morning, O Lord , you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.

4You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil; with you the wicked cannot dwell.

5The arrogant cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who do wrong.

6You destroy those who tell lies; bloodthirsty and deceitful men the Lord abhors.

7But I, by your great mercy, will come into your house; in reverence will I bow down toward your holy temple.

8Lead me, O Lord , in your righteousness because of my enemies- make straight your way before me.

9Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with destruction. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongue they speak deceit.

10Declare them guilty, O God! Let their intrigues be their downfall. Banish them for their many sins, for they have rebelled against you.

11But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.

12For surely, O Lord , you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.

PSALM 6

1O Lord , do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath.

2Be merciful to me, Lord , for I am faint; O Lord , heal me, for my bones are in agony.

3My soul is in anguish. How long, O Lord , how long?

4Turn, O Lord , and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love.

5No one remembers you when he is dead. Who praises you from the grave 1 ?

6I am worn out from groaning; all night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears.

7My eyes grow weak with sorrow; they fail because of all my foes.

8Away from me, all you who do evil, for the Lord has heard my weeping.

9The Lord has heard my cry for mercy; the Lord accepts my prayer.

10All my enemies will be ashamed and dismayed; they will turn back in sudden disgrace.

PSALM 7

1O Lord my God, I take refuge in you; save and deliver me from all who pursue me,

2or they will tear me like a lion and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue me.

3O Lord my God, if I have done this and there is guilt on my hands-

4if I have done evil to him who is at peace with me or without cause have robbed my foe-

5then let my enemy pursue and overtake me; let him trample my life to the ground and make me sleep in the dust. Selah

6Arise, O Lord , in your anger; rise up against the rage of my enemies. Awake, my God; decree justice.

7Let the assembled peoples gather around you. Rule over them from on high;

8let the Lord judge the peoples. Judge me, O Lord , according to my righteousness, according to my integrity, O Most High.

9O righteous God, who searches minds and hearts, bring to an end the violence of the wicked and make the righteous secure.

10My shield is God Most High, who saves the upright in heart.

11God is a righteous judge, a God who expresses his wrath every day.

12If he does not relent, he will sharpen his sword; he will bend and string his bow.

13He has prepared his deadly weapons; he makes ready his flaming arrows.

14He who is pregnant with evil and conceives trouble gives birth to disillusionment.

15He who digs a hole and scoops it out falls into the pit he has made.

16The trouble he causes recoils on himself; his violence comes down on his own head.

17I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.

PSALM 8

1O Lord , our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.

2From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.

3When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,

4what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?

5You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.

6You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet:

7all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field,

8the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.

9O Lord , our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

PSALM 9

1I will praise you, O Lord , with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders.

2I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

3My enemies turn back; they stumble and perish before you.

4For you have upheld my right and my cause; you have sat on your throne, judging righteously.

5You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked; you have blotted out their name for ever and ever.

6Endless ruin has overtaken the enemy, you have uprooted their cities; even the memory of them has perished.

7The Lord reigns forever; he has established his throne for judgment.

8He will judge the world in righteousness; he will govern the peoples with justice.

9The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.

10Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord , have never forsaken those who seek you.

11Sing praises to the Lord , enthroned in Zion; proclaim among the nations what he has done.

12For he who avenges blood remembers; he does not ignore the cry of the afflicted.

13O Lord , see how my enemies persecute me! Have mercy and lift me up from the gates of death,

14that I may declare your praises in the gates of the Daughter of Zion and there rejoice in your salvation.

15The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug; their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.

16The Lord is known by his justice; the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands. Higgaion. Selah

17The wicked return to the grave, all the nations that forget God.

18But the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish.

19Arise, O Lord , let not man triumph; let the nations be judged in your presence.

20Strike them with terror, O Lord ; let the nations know they are but men. Selah

PSALM 10

1Why, O Lord , do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

2In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak, who are caught in the schemes he devises.

3He boasts of the cravings of his heart; he blesses the greedy and reviles the Lord .

4In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.

5His ways are always prosperous; he is haughty and your laws are far from him; he sneers at all his enemies.

6He says to himself, "Nothing will shake me; I'll always be happy and never have trouble."

7His mouth is full of curses and lies and threats; trouble and evil are under his tongue.

8He lies in wait near the villages; from ambush he murders the innocent, watching in secret for his victims.

9He lies in wait like a lion in cover; he lies in wait to catch the helpless; he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net.

10His victims are crushed, they collapse; they fall under his strength.

11He says to himself, "God has forgotten; he covers his face and never sees."

12Arise, Lord ! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless.

13Why does the wicked man revile God? Why does he say to himself, "He won't call me to account"?

14But you, O God, do see trouble and grief; you consider it to take it in hand. The victim commits himself to you; you are the helper of the fatherless.

15Break the arm of the wicked and evil man; call him to account for his wickedness that would not be found out.

16The Lord is King for ever and ever; the nations will perish from his land.

17You hear, O Lord , the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,

18defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more.

PSALM 11

1In the Lord I take refuge. How then can you say to me: "Flee like a bird to your mountain.

2For look, the wicked bend their bows; they set their arrows against the strings to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart.

3When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do ?"

4The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord is on his heavenly throne. He observes the sons of men; his eyes examine them.

5The Lord examines the righteous, but the wicked and those who love violence his soul hates.

6On the wicked he will rain fiery coals and burning sulfur; a scorching wind will be their lot.

7For the Lord is righteous, he loves justice; upright men will see his face.

PSALM 12

1Help, Lord , for the godly are no more; the faithful have vanished from among men.

2Everyone lies to his neighbor; their flattering lips speak with deception.

3May the Lord cut off all flattering lips and every boastful tongue

4that says, "We will triumph with our tongues; we own our lips -who is our master?"

5"Because of the oppression of the weak and the groaning of the needy, I will now arise," says the Lord . "I will protect them from those who malign them."

6And the words of the Lord are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times.

7O Lord , you will keep us safe and protect us from such people forever.

8The wicked freely strut about when what is vile is honored among men.

PSALM 13

1How long, O Lord ? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?

2How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?

3Look on me and answer, O Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death;

4my enemy will say, "I have overcome him," and my foes will rejoice when I fall.

5But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.

6I will sing to the Lord , for he has been good to me.

PSALM 14

1The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.

2The Lord looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.

3All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.

4Will evildoers never learn- those who devour my people as men eat bread and who do not call on the Lord ?

5There they are, overwhelmed with dread, for God is present in the company of the righteous.

6You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor, but the Lord is their refuge.

7Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the Lord restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!

PSALM 15

1Lord , who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill?

2He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart

3and has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman,

4who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the Lord , who keeps his oath even when it hurts,

5who lends his money without usury and does not accept a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken.

PSALM 16

1Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge.

2I said to the Lord , "You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing."

3As for the saints who are in the land, they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight.

4The sorrows of those will increase who run after other gods. I will not pour out their libations of blood or take up their names on my lips.

5Lord , you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure.

6The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.

7I will praise the Lord , who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me.

8I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

9Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure,

10because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.

11You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

PSALM 17

1Hear, O Lord , my righteous plea; listen to my cry. Give ear to my prayer- it does not rise from deceitful lips.

2May my vindication come from you; may your eyes see what is right.

3Though you probe my heart and examine me at night, though you test me, you will find nothing; I have resolved that my mouth will not sin.

4As for the deeds of men- by the word of your lips I have kept myself from the ways of the violent.

5My steps have held to your paths; my feet have not slipped.

6I call on you, O God, for you will answer me; give ear to me and hear my prayer.

7Show the wonder of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes.

8Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings

9from the wicked who assail me, from my mortal enemies who surround me.

10They close up their callous hearts, and their mouths speak with arrogance.

11They have tracked me down, they now surround me, with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground.

12They are like a lion hungry for prey, like a great lion crouching in cover.

13Rise up, O Lord , confront them, bring them down; rescue me from the wicked by your sword.

14O Lord , by your hand save me from such men, from men of this world whose reward is in this life. You still the hunger of those you cherish; their sons have plenty, and they store up wealth for their children.

15And I-in righteousness I will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.

PSALM 18

1I love you, O Lord , my strength.

2The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

3I call to the Lord , who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.

4The cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.

5The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me.

6In my distress I called to the Lord ; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears.

7The earth trembled and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains shook; they trembled because he was angry.

8Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it.

9He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet.

10He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind.

11He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him- the dark rain clouds of the sky.

12Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced, with hailstones and bolts of lightning.

13The Lord thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded.

14He shot his arrows and scattered the enemies , great bolts of lightning and routed them.

15The valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations of the earth laid bare at your rebuke, O Lord , at the blast of breath from your nostrils.

16He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters.

17He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me.

18They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support.

19He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.

20The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.

21For I have kept the ways of the Lord ; I have not done evil by turning from my God.

22All his laws are before me; I have not turned away from his decrees.

23I have been blameless before him and have kept myself from sin.

24The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.

25To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless,

26to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd.

27You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.

28You, O Lord , keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.

29With your help I can advance against a troop ; with my God I can scale a wall.

30As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.

31For who is God besides the Lord ? And who is the Rock except our God?

32It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.

33He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights.

34He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

35You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great.

36You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn.

37I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back till they were destroyed.

38I crushed them so that they could not rise; they fell beneath my feet.

39You armed me with strength for battle; you made my adversaries bow at my feet.

40You made my enemies turn their backs in flight, and I destroyed my foes.

41They cried for help, but there was no one to save them- to the Lord , but he did not answer.

42I beat them as fine as dust borne on the wind; I poured them out like mud in the streets.

43You have delivered me from the attacks of the people; you have made me the head of nations; people I did not know are subject to me.

44As soon as they hear me, they obey me; foreigners cringe before me.

45They all lose heart; they come trembling from their strongholds.

46The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior!

47He is the God who avenges me, who subdues nations under me,

48who saves me from my enemies. You exalted me above my foes; from violent men you rescued me.

49Therefore I will praise you among the nations, O Lord ; I will sing praises to your name.

50He gives his king great victories; he shows unfailing kindness to his anointed, to David and his descendants forever.

PSALM 19

1The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

2Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.

3There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.

4Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun,

5which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course.

6It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat.

7The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.

8The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.

9The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous.

10They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb.

11By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

12Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults.

13Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression.

14May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord , my Rock and my Redeemer.

PSALM 20

1May the Lord answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.

2May he send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion.

3May he remember all your sacrifices and accept your burnt offerings. Selah

4May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.

5We will shout for joy when you are victorious and will lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the Lord grant all your requests.

6Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed; he answers him from his holy heaven with the saving power of his right hand.

7Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.

8They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm.

9O Lord , save the king! Answer us when we call!

PSALM 21

1O Lord , the king rejoices in your strength. How great is his joy in the victories you give!

2You have granted him the desire of his heart and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah

3You welcomed him with rich blessings and placed a crown of pure gold on his head.

4He asked you for life, and you gave it to him- length of days, for ever and ever.

5Through the victories you gave, his glory is great; you have bestowed on him splendor and majesty.

6Surely you have granted him eternal blessings and made him glad with the joy of your presence.

7For the king trusts in the Lord ; through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken.

8Your hand will lay hold on all your enemies; your right hand will seize your foes.

9At the time of your appearing you will make them like a fiery furnace. In his wrath the Lord will swallow them up, and his fire will consume them.

10You will destroy their descendants from the earth, their posterity from mankind.

11Though they plot evil against you and devise wicked schemes, they cannot succeed;

12for you will make them turn their backs when you aim at them with drawn bow.

13Be exalted, O Lord , in your strength; we will sing and praise your might.

PSALM 22

1My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?

2O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and am not silent.

3Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the praise of Israel.

4In you our fathers put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them.

5They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed.

6But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people.

7All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads:

8"He trusts in the Lord ; let the Lord rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him."

9Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you even at my mother's breast.

10From birth I was cast upon you; from my mother's womb you have been my God.

11Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help.

12Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.

13Roaring lions tearing their prey open their mouths wide against me.

14I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me.

15My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death.

16Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet.

17I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me.

18They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.

19But you, O Lord , be not far off; O my Strength, come quickly to help me.

20Deliver my life from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dogs.

21Rescue me from the mouth of the lions; save me from the horns of the wild oxen.

22I will declare your name to my brothers; in the congregation I will praise you.

23You who fear the Lord , praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!

24For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.

25From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly; before those who fear you will I fulfill my vows.

26The poor will eat and be satisfied; they who seek the Lord will praise him- may your hearts live forever!

27All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord , and all the families of the nations will bow down before him,

28for dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations.

29All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before him- those who cannot keep themselves alive.

30Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord.

31They will proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn- for he has done it.

PSALM 23

1The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

2He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,

3he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

4Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

5You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

6Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

PSALM 24

1The earth is the Lord 's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;

2for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.

3Who may ascend the hill of the Lord ? Who may stand in his holy place?

4He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false.

5He will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God his Savior.

6Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob. Selah

7Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you 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 you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.

10Who is he, this King of glory? The Lord Almighty- he is the King of glory. Selah

PSALM 25

1To you, O Lord , I lift up my soul;

2in you I trust, O my God. Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me.

3No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame, but they will be put to shame who are treacherous without excuse.

4Show me your ways, O Lord , teach me your paths;

5guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.

6Remember, O Lord , your great mercy and love, for they are from of old.

7Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you are good, O Lord .

8Good and upright is the Lord ; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.

9He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.

10All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of his covenant.

11For the sake of your name, O Lord , forgive my iniquity, though it is great.

12Who, then, is the man that fears the Lord ? He will instruct him in the way chosen for him.

13He will spend his days in prosperity, and his descendants will inherit the land.

14The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them.

15My eyes are ever on the Lord , for only he will release my feet from the snare.

16Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.

17The troubles of my heart have multiplied; free me from my anguish.

18Look upon my affliction and my distress and take away all my sins.

19See how my enemies have increased and how fiercely they hate me!

20Guard my life and rescue me; let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.

21May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in you.

22Redeem Israel, O God, from all their troubles!

PSALM 26

1Vindicate me, O Lord , for I have led a blameless life; I have trusted in the Lord without wavering.

2Test me, O Lord , and try me, examine my heart and my mind;

3for your love is ever before me, and I walk continually in your truth.

4I do not sit with deceitful men, nor do I consort with hypocrites;

5I abhor the assembly of evildoers and refuse to sit with the wicked.

6I wash my hands in innocence, and go about your altar, O Lord ,

7proclaiming aloud your praise and telling of all your wonderful deeds.

8I love the house where you live, O Lord , the place where your glory dwells.

9Do not take away my soul along with sinners, my life with bloodthirsty men,

10in whose hands are wicked schemes, whose right hands are full of bribes.

11But I lead a blameless life; redeem me and be merciful to me.

12My feet stand on level ground; in the great assembly I will praise the Lord .

PSALM 27

1The Lord is my light and my salvation- whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life- of whom shall I be afraid?

2When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall.

3Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident.

4One thing I ask of the Lord , this is what I seek: 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 seek him in his temple.

5For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock.

6Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the Lord .

7Hear my voice when I call, O Lord ; be merciful to me and answer me.

8My heart says of you, "Seek his face!" Your face, Lord , I will seek.

9Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, O God my Savior.

10Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me.

11Teach me your way, O Lord ; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.

12Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, breathing out violence.

13I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

14Wait for the Lord ; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord .

PSALM 28

1To you I call, O Lord my Rock; do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you remain silent, I will be like those who have gone down to the pit.

2Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place.

3Do not drag me away with the wicked, with those who do evil, who speak cordially with their neighbors but harbor malice in their hearts.

4Repay them for their deeds and for their evil work; repay them for what their hands have done and bring back upon them what they deserve.

5Since they show no regard for the works of the Lord and what his hands have done, he will tear them down and never build them up again.

6Praise be to the Lord , for he has heard my cry for mercy.

7The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.

8The Lord is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one.

9Save your people and bless your inheritance; be their shepherd and carry them forever.

PSALM 29

1Ascribe to the Lord , O mighty ones, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

2Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.

3The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord thunders over the mighty waters.

4The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is majestic.

5The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.

6He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, Sirion like a young wild ox.

7The voice of the Lord strikes with flashes of lightning.

8The voice of the Lord shakes the desert; the Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh.

9The voice of the Lord twists the oaks and strips the forests bare. And in his temple all cry, "Glory!"

10The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord is enthroned as King forever.

11The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.

PSALM 30

1I will exalt you, O Lord , for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me.

2O Lord my God, I called to you for help and you healed me.

3O Lord , you brought me up from the grave ; you spared me from going down into the pit.

4Sing to the Lord , you saints of his; praise his holy name.

5For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.

6When I felt secure, I said, "I will never be shaken."

7O Lord , when you favored me, you made my mountain stand firm; but when you hid your face, I was dismayed.

8To you, O Lord , I called; to the Lord I cried for mercy:

9"What gain is there in my destruction, in my going down into the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your faithfulness?

10Hear, O Lord , and be merciful to me; O Lord , be my help."

11You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,

12that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever.

PSALM 31

1In you, O Lord , I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness.

2Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me.

3Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me.

4Free me from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge.

5Into your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me, O Lord , the God of truth.

6I hate those who cling to worthless idols; I trust in the Lord .

7I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul.

8You have not handed me over to the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place.

9Be merciful to me, O Lord , for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and my body with grief.

10My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak.

11Because of all my enemies, I am the utter contempt of my neighbors; I am a dread to my friends- those who see me on the street flee from me.

12I am forgotten by them as though I were dead; I have become like broken pottery.

13For I hear the slander of many; there is terror on every side; they conspire against me and plot to take my life.

14But I trust in you, O Lord ; I say, "You are my God."

15My times are in your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me.

16Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love.

17Let me not be put to shame, O Lord , for I have cried out to you; but let the wicked be put to shame and lie silent in the grave.

18Let their lying lips be silenced, for with pride and contempt they speak arrogantly against the righteous.

19How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you.

20In the shelter of your presence you hide them from the intrigues of men; in your dwelling you keep them safe from accusing tongues.

21Praise be to the Lord , for he showed his wonderful love to me when I was in a besieged city.

22In my alarm I said, "I am cut off from your sight!" Yet you heard my cry for mercy when I called to you for help.

23Love the Lord , all his saints! The Lord preserves the faithful, but the proud he pays back in full.

24Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord .

PSALM 32

1Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.

2Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit.

3When 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 sapped as in the heat of summer. Selah

5Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord "- and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah

6Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him.

7You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah

8I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.

9Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.

10Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord 's unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him.

11Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!

PSALM 33

1Sing joyfully to the Lord , you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him.

2Praise the Lord with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.

3Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy.

4For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does.

5The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love.

6By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.

7He gathers the waters of the sea into jars ; he puts the deep into storehouses.

8Let all the earth fear the Lord ; let all the people of the world revere him.

9For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.

10The Lord foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.

11But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.

12Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord , the people he chose for his inheritance.

13From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind;

14from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth-

15he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do.

16No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength.

17A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save.

18But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,

19to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.

20We wait in hope for the Lord ; he is our help and our shield.

21In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.

22May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord , even as we put our hope in you.

PSALM 34

1I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.

2My soul will boast in the Lord ; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.

3Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together.

4I sought the Lord , and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.

5Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.

6This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles.

7The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.

8Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

9Fear the Lord , you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing.

10The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

11Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord .

12Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days,

13keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies.

14Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

15The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry;

16the face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.

17The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.

18The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

19A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all;

20he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.

21Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of the righteous will be condemned.

22The Lord redeems his servants; no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him.

PSALM 35

1Contend, O Lord , with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me.

2Take up shield and buckler; arise and come to my aid.

3Brandish spear and javelin against those who pursue me. Say to my soul, "I am your salvation."

4May those who seek my life be disgraced and put to shame; may those who plot my ruin be turned back in dismay.

5May they be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of the Lord driving them away;

6may their path be dark and slippery, with the angel of the Lord pursuing them.

7Since they hid their net for me without cause and without cause dug a pit for me,

8may ruin overtake them by surprise- may the net they hid entangle them, may they fall into the pit, to their ruin.

9Then my soul will rejoice in the Lord and delight in his salvation.

10My whole being will exclaim, "Who is like you, O Lord ? You rescue the poor from those too strong for them, the poor and needy from those who rob them."

11Ruthless witnesses come forward; they question me on things I know nothing about.

12They repay me evil for good and leave my soul forlorn.

13Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth and humbled myself with fasting. When my prayers returned to me unanswered,

14I went about mourning as though for my friend or brother. I bowed my head in grief as though weeping for my mother.

15But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee; attackers gathered against me when I was unaware. They slandered me without ceasing.

16Like the ungodly they maliciously mocked ; they gnashed their teeth at me.

17O Lord, how long will you look on? Rescue my life from their ravages, my precious life from these lions.

18I will give you thanks in the great assembly; among throngs of people I will praise you.

19Let not those gloat over me who are my enemies without cause; let not those who hate me without reason maliciously wink the eye.

20They do not speak peaceably, but devise false accusations against those who live quietly in the land.

21They gape at me and say, "Aha! Aha! With our own eyes we have seen it."

22O Lord , you have seen this; be not silent. Do not be far from me, O Lord.

23Awake, and rise to my defense! Contend for me, my God and Lord.

24Vindicate me in your righteousness, O Lord my God; do not let them gloat over me.

25Do not let them think, "Aha, just what we wanted!" or say, "We have swallowed him up."

26May all who gloat over my distress be put to shame and confusion; may all who exalt themselves over me be clothed with shame and disgrace.

27May those who delight in my vindication shout for joy and gladness; may they always say, "The Lord be exalted, who delights in the well-being of his servant."

28My tongue will speak of your righteousness and of your praises all day long.

PSALM 36

1An oracle is within my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: There is no fear of God before his eyes.

2For in his own eyes he flatters himself too much to detect or hate his sin.

3The words of his mouth are wicked and deceitful; he has ceased to be wise and to do good.

4Even on his bed he plots evil; he commits himself to a sinful course and does not reject what is wrong.

5Your love, O Lord , reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.

6Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep. O Lord , you preserve both man and beast.

7How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings.

8They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights.

9For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.

10Continue your love to those who know you, your righteousness to the upright in heart.

11May the foot of the proud not come against me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.

12See how the evildoers lie fallen- thrown down, not able to rise!

PSALM 37

1Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong;

2for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.

3Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

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 do this:

6He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

7Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.

8Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret-it leads only to evil.

9For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.

10A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found.

11But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace.

12The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them;

13but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming.

14The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright.

15But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken.

16Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked;

17for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous.

18The days of the blameless are known to the Lord , and their inheritance will endure forever.

19In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

20But the wicked will perish: The Lord 's enemies will be like the beauty of the fields, they will vanish-vanish like smoke.

21The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously;

22those the Lord blesses will inherit the land, but those he curses will be cut off.

23If the Lord delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm;

24though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.

25I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.

26They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be blessed.

27Turn from evil and do good; then you will dwell in the land forever.

28For the Lord loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off;

29the righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever.

30The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks what is just.

31The law of his God is in his heart; his feet do not slip.

32The wicked lie in wait for the righteous, seeking their very lives;

33but the Lord will not leave them in their power or let them be condemned when brought to trial.

34Wait for the Lord and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.

35I have seen a wicked and ruthless man flourishing like a green tree in its native soil,

36but he soon passed away and was no more; though I looked for him, he could not be found.

37Consider the blameless, observe the upright; there is a future for the man of peace.

38But all sinners will be destroyed; the future of the wicked will be cut off.

39The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord ; he is their stronghold in 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.

PSALM 38

1O Lord , do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath.

2For your arrows have pierced me, and your hand has come down upon me.

3Because of your wrath there is no health in my body; my bones have no soundness because of my sin.

4My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear.

5My wounds fester and are loathsome because of my sinful folly.

6I am bowed down and brought very low; all day long I go about mourning.

7My back is filled with searing pain; there is no health in my body.

8I am feeble and utterly crushed; I groan in anguish of heart.

9All my longings lie open before you, O Lord; my sighing is not hidden from you.

10My heart pounds, my strength fails me; even the light has gone from my eyes.

11My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds; my neighbors stay far away.

12Those who seek my life set their traps, those who would harm me talk of my ruin; all day long they plot deception.

13I am like a deaf man, who cannot hear, like a mute, who cannot open his mouth;

14I have become like a man who does not hear, whose mouth can offer no reply.

15I wait for you, O Lord ; you will answer, O Lord my God.

16For I said, "Do not let them gloat or exalt themselves over me when my foot slips."

17For I am about to fall, and my pain is ever with me.

18I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin.

19Many are those who are my vigorous enemies; those who hate me without reason are numerous.

20Those who repay my good with evil slander me when I pursue what is good.

21O Lord , do not forsake me; be not far from me, O my God.

22Come quickly to help me, O Lord my Savior.

PSALM 39

1I said, "I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin; I will put a muzzle on my mouth as long as the wicked are in my presence."

2But when I was silent and still, not even saying anything good, my anguish increased.

3My heart grew hot within me, and as I meditated, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue:

4"Show me, O Lord , my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life.

5You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man's life is but a breath. Selah

6Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro: He bustles about, but only in vain; he heaps up wealth, not knowing who will get it.

7"But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you.

8Save me from all my transgressions; do not make me the scorn of fools.

9I was silent; I would not open my mouth, for you are the one who has done this.

10Remove your scourge from me; I am overcome by the blow of your hand.

11You rebuke and discipline men for their sin; you consume their wealth like a moth- each man is but a breath. Selah

12"Hear my prayer, O Lord , listen to my cry for help; be not deaf to my weeping. For I dwell with you as an alien, a stranger, as all my fathers were.

13Look away from me, that I may rejoice again before I depart and am no more."

PSALM 40

1I waited patiently for the Lord ; he turned to me and heard my cry.

2He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.

3He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn 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 look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods.

5Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.

6Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but my ears you have pierced , ; burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require.

7Then I said, "Here I am, I have come- it is written about me in the scroll.

8I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart."

9I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly; I do not seal my lips, as you know, O Lord .

10I do not hide your righteousness in my heart; I speak of your faithfulness and salvation. I do not conceal your love and your truth from the great assembly.

11Do not withhold your mercy from me, O Lord ; may your love and your truth always protect me.

12For troubles without number surround me; my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see. They are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart fails within me.

13Be pleased, O Lord , to save me; O Lord , come quickly to help me.

14May all who seek to take my life be put to shame and confusion; may all who desire my ruin be turned back in disgrace.

15May those who say to me, "Aha! Aha!" be appalled at their own shame.

16But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation always say, "The Lord be exalted!"

17Yet I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me. You are my help and my deliverer; O my God, do not delay.

PSALM 41

1Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the Lord delivers him in times of trouble.

2The Lord will protect him and preserve his life; he will bless him in the land and not surrender him to the desire of his foes.

3The Lord will sustain him on his sickbed and restore him from his bed of illness.

4I said, "O Lord , have mercy on me; heal me, for I have sinned against you."

5My enemies say of me in malice, "When will he die and his name perish?"

6Whenever one comes to see me, he speaks falsely, while his heart gathers slander; then he goes out and spreads it abroad.

7All my enemies whisper together against me; they imagine the worst for me, saying,

8"A vile disease has beset him; he will never get up from the place where he lies."

9Even my close friend, whom I trusted, he who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.

10But you, O Lord , have mercy on me; raise me up, that I may repay them.

11I know that you are pleased with me, for my enemy does not triumph over me.

12In my integrity you uphold me and set me in your presence forever.

13Praise be to the Lord , the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Amen and Amen.

PSALM 42

1As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.

2My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?

3My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long, "Where is your God?"

4These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng.

5Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and

6my God. My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon-from Mount Mizar.

7Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me.

8By day the Lord directs his love, 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 must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?"

10My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, "Where is your God?"

11Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

PSALM 43

1Vindicate me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation; rescue me from deceitful and wicked men.

2You are God my stronghold. Why have you rejected me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?

3Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell.

4Then will I go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God.

5Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

PSALM 44

1We have heard with our ears, O God; our fathers have told us what you did in their days, in days long ago.

2With your hand you drove out the nations and planted our fathers; you crushed the peoples and made our fathers flourish.

3It was not by their sword that they won the land, nor did their arm bring them victory; it was your right hand, your arm, and the light of your face, for you loved them.

4You are my King and my God, who decrees victories for Jacob.

5Through you we push back our enemies; through your name we trample our foes.

6I do not trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory;

7but you give us victory over our enemies, you put our adversaries to shame.

8In God we make our boast all day long, and we will praise your name forever. Selah

9But now you have rejected and humbled us; you no longer go out with our armies.

10You made us retreat before the enemy, and our adversaries have plundered us.

11You gave us up to be devoured like sheep and have scattered us among the nations.

12You sold your people for a pittance, gaining nothing from their sale.

13You have made us a reproach to our neighbors, the scorn and derision of those around us.

14You have made us a byword among the nations; the peoples shake their heads at us.

15My disgrace is before me all day long, and my face is covered with shame

16at the taunts of those who reproach and revile me, because of the enemy, who is bent on revenge.

17All this happened to us, though we had not forgotten you or been false to your covenant.

18Our hearts had not turned back; our feet had not strayed from your path.

19But you crushed us and made us a haunt for jackals and covered us over with deep darkness.

20If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread out our hands to a foreign god,

21would not God have discovered it, since he knows the secrets of the heart?

22Yet for your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.

23Awake, O Lord! Why do you sleep? Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever.

24Why do you hide your face and forget our misery and oppression?

25We are brought down to the dust; our bodies cling to the ground.

26Rise up and help us; redeem us because of your unfailing love.

PSALM 45

1My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses for the king; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.

2You are the most excellent of men and your lips have been anointed with grace, since God has blessed you forever.

3Gird your sword upon your side, O mighty one; clothe yourself with splendor and majesty.

4In your majesty ride forth victoriously in behalf of truth, humility and righteousness; let your right hand display awesome deeds.

5Let your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king's enemies; let the nations fall beneath your feet.

6Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.

7You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.

8All your robes are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia; from palaces adorned with ivory the music of the strings makes you glad.

9Daughters of kings are among your honored women; at your right hand is the royal bride in gold of Ophir.

10Listen, O daughter, consider and give ear: Forget your people and your father's house.

11The king is enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord.

12The Daughter of Tyre will come with a gift, men of wealth will seek your favor.

13All glorious is the princess within her chamber ; her gown is interwoven with gold.

14In embroidered garments she is led to the king; her virgin companions follow her and are brought to you.

15They are led in with joy and gladness; they enter the palace of the king.

16Your sons will take the place of your fathers; you will make them princes throughout the land.

17I will perpetuate your memory through all generations; therefore the nations will praise you for ever and ever.

PSALM 46

1God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

2Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

3though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Selah

4There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.

5God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.

6Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

7The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

8Come and see the works of the Lord , the desolations he has brought on the earth.

9He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields 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 Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

PSALM 47

1Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.

2How awesome is the Lord Most High, the great King over all the earth!

3He subdued nations under us, peoples under our feet.

4He chose our inheritance for us, the pride of Jacob, whom he loved. Selah

5God has ascended amid shouts of joy, the Lord amid the sounding of trumpets.

6Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises.

7For God is the King of all the earth; sing to him a psalm of praise.

8God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne.

9The nobles of the nations assemble as the people of the God of Abraham, for the kings of the earth belong to God; he is greatly exalted.

PSALM 48

1Great is the Lord , and most worthy of praise, in the city of our God, his holy mountain.

2It is beautiful in its loftiness, the joy of the whole earth. Like the utmost heights of Zaphon is Mount Zion, the city of the Great King.

3God is in her citadels; he has shown himself to be her fortress.

4When the kings joined forces, when they advanced together,

5they saw her and were astounded; they fled in terror.

6Trembling seized them there, pain like that of a woman in labor.

7You destroyed them like ships of Tarshish shattered by an east wind.

8As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the Lord Almighty, in the city of our God: God makes her secure forever. Selah

9Within your temple, O God, we meditate on your unfailing love.

10Like your name, O God, your praise reaches to the ends of the earth; your right hand is filled with righteousness.

11Mount Zion rejoices, the villages of Judah are glad because of your judgments.

12Walk about Zion, go around her, count her towers,

13consider well her ramparts, view her citadels, that you may tell of them to the next generation.

14For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end.

PSALM 49

1Hear this, all you peoples; listen, all who live in this world,

2both low and high, rich and poor alike:

3My mouth will speak words of wisdom; the utterance from my heart will give understanding.

4I will turn my ear to a proverb; with the harp I will expound my riddle:

5Why should I fear when evil days come, when wicked deceivers surround me-

6those who trust in their wealth and boast of their great riches?

7No man can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for him-

8the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough-

9that he should live on forever and not see decay.

10For all can see that wise men die; the foolish and the senseless alike perish and leave their wealth to others.

11Their tombs will remain their houses forever, their dwellings for endless generations, though they had named lands after themselves.

12But man, despite his riches, does not endure; he is like the beasts that perish.

13This is the fate of those who trust in themselves, and of their followers, who approve their sayings. Selah

14Like sheep they are destined for the grave, and death will feed on them. The upright will rule over them in the morning; their forms will decay in the grave, far from their princely mansions.

15But God will redeem my life from the grave; he will surely take me to himself. Selah

16Do not be overawed when a man grows rich, when the splendor of his house increases;

17for he will take nothing with him when he dies, his splendor will not descend with him.

18Though while he lived he counted himself blessed- and men praise you when you prosper-

19he will join the generation of his fathers, who will never see the light of life .

20A man who has riches without understanding is like the beasts that perish.

PSALM 50

1The Mighty One, God, the Lord , speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets.

2From Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth.

3Our God comes and will not be silent; a fire devours before him, and around him a tempest rages.

4He summons the heavens above, and the earth, that he may judge his people:

5"Gather to me my consecrated ones, who made a covenant with me by sacrifice."

6And the heavens proclaim his righteousness, for God himself is judge. Selah

7"Hear, O my people, and I will speak, O Israel, and I will testify against you: I am God, your God.

8I do not rebuke you for your sacrifices or your burnt offerings, which are ever before me.

9I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens,

10for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills.

11I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine.

12If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it.

13Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats?

14Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High,

15and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me."

16But to the wicked, God says: "What right have you to recite my laws or take my covenant on your lips?

17You hate my instruction and cast my words behind you.

18When you see a thief, you join with him; you throw in your lot with adulterers.

19You use your mouth for evil and harness your tongue to deceit.

20You speak continually against your brother and slander your own mother's son.

21These things you have done and I kept silent; you thought I was altogether like you. But I will rebuke you and accuse you to your face.

22"Consider this, you who forget God, or I will tear you to pieces, with none to rescue:

23He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God."

PSALM 51

1Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.

2Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

3For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.

4Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge.

5Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

6Surely you desire truth in the inner parts ; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.

7Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

8Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice.

9Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.

10Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

11Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.

12Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

13Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you.

14Save me from bloodguilt, O God, the God who saves me, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.

15O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.

16You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.

17The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

18In your good pleasure make Zion prosper; build up the walls of Jerusalem.

19Then there will be righteous sacrifices, whole burnt offerings to delight you; then bulls will be offered on your altar.

PSALM 52

1Why do you boast of evil, you mighty man? Why do you boast all day long, you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God?

2Your tongue plots destruction; it is like a sharpened razor, you who practice deceit.

3You love evil rather than good, falsehood rather than speaking the truth. Selah

4You love every harmful word, O you deceitful tongue!

5Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin: He will snatch you up and tear you from your tent; he will uproot you from the land of the living. Selah

6The righteous will see and fear; they will laugh at him, saying,

7"Here now is the man who did not make God his stronghold but trusted in his great wealth and grew strong by destroying others!"

8But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God's unfailing love for ever and ever.

9I will praise you forever for what you have done; in your name I will hope, for your name is good. I will praise you in the presence of your saints.

PSALM 53

1The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, and their ways are vile; there is no one who does good.

2God looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.

3Everyone has turned away, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.

4Will the evildoers never learn- those who devour my people as men eat bread and who do not call on God?

5There they were, overwhelmed with dread, where there was nothing to dread. God scattered the bones of those who attacked you; you put them to shame, for God despised them.

6Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When God restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!

PSALM 54

1Save me, O God, by your name; vindicate me by your might.

2Hear my prayer, O God; listen to the words of my mouth.

3Strangers are attacking me; ruthless men seek my life- men without regard for God. Selah

4Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.

5Let evil recoil on those who slander me; in your faithfulness destroy them.

6I will sacrifice a freewill offering to you; I will praise your name, O Lord , for it is good.

7For he has delivered me from all my troubles, and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes.

PSALM 55

1Listen to my prayer, O God, do not ignore my plea;

2hear me and answer me. My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught

3at the voice of the enemy, at the stares of the wicked; for they bring down suffering upon me and revile me in their anger.

4My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death assail me.

5Fear and trembling have beset me; horror has overwhelmed me.

6I said, "Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest-

7I would flee far away and stay in the desert; Selah

8I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm."

9Confuse the wicked, O Lord, confound their speech, for I see violence and strife in the city.

10Day and night they prowl about on its walls; malice and abuse are within it.

11Destructive forces are at work in the city; threats and lies never leave its streets.

12If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were raising himself against me, I could hide from him.

13But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend,

14with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship as we walked with the throng at the house of God.

15Let death take my enemies by surprise; let them go down alive to the grave, for evil finds lodging among them.

16But I call to God, and the Lord saves me.

17Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice.

18He ransoms me unharmed from the battle waged against me, even though many oppose me.

19God, who is enthroned forever, will hear them and afflict them- Selah men who never change their ways and have no fear of God.

20My companion attacks his friends; he violates his covenant.

21His speech is smooth as butter, yet war is in his heart; his words are more soothing than oil, yet they are drawn swords.

22Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.

23But you, O God, will bring down the wicked into the pit of corruption; bloodthirsty and deceitful men will not live out half their days. But as for me, I trust in you.

PSALM 56

1Be merciful to me, O God, for men hotly pursue me; all day long they press their attack.

2My slanderers pursue me all day long; many are attacking me in their pride.

3When I am afraid, I will trust in you.

4In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?

5All day long they twist my words; they are always plotting to harm me.

6They conspire, they lurk, they watch my steps, eager to take my life.

7On no account let them escape; in your anger, O God, bring down the nations.

8Record my lament; list my tears on your scroll - are they not in your record?

9Then my enemies will turn back when I call for help. By this I will know that God is for me.

10In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord , whose word I praise-

11in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?

12I am under vows to you, O God; I will present my thank offerings to you.

13For you have delivered me from death and my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.

PSALM 57

1Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.

2I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills [his purpose] for me.

3He sends from heaven and saves me, rebuking those who hotly pursue me; Selah God sends his love and his faithfulness.

4I am in the midst of lions; I lie among ravenous beasts- men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords.

5Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.

6They spread a net for my feet- I was bowed down in distress. They dug a pit in my path- but they have fallen into it themselves. Selah

7My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music.

8Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn.

9I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples.

10For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

11Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.

PSALM 58

1Do you rulers indeed speak justly? Do you judge uprightly among men?

2No, in your heart you devise injustice, and your hands mete out violence on the earth.

3Even from birth the wicked go astray; from the womb they are wayward and speak lies.

4Their venom is like the venom of a snake, like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears,

5that will not heed the tune of the charmer, however skillful the enchanter may be.

6Break the teeth in their mouths, O God; tear out, O Lord , the fangs of the lions!

7Let them vanish like water that flows away; when they draw the bow, let their arrows be blunted.

8Like a slug melting away as it moves along, like a stillborn child, may they not see the sun.

9Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns- whether they be green or dry-the wicked will be swept away.

10The righteous will be glad when they are avenged, when they bathe their feet in the blood of the wicked.

11Then men will say, "Surely the righteous still are rewarded; surely there is a God who judges the earth."

PSALM 59

1Deliver me from my enemies, O God; protect me from those who rise up against me.

2Deliver me from evildoers and save me from bloodthirsty men.

3See how they lie in wait for me! Fierce men conspire against me for no offense or sin of mine, O Lord .

4I have done no wrong, yet they are ready to attack me. Arise to help me; look on my plight!

5O Lord God Almighty, the God of Israel, rouse yourself to punish all the nations; show no mercy to wicked traitors. Selah

6They return at evening, snarling like dogs, and prowl about the city.

7See what they spew from their mouths- they spew out swords from their lips, and they say, "Who can hear us?"

8But you, O Lord , laugh at them; you scoff at all those nations.

9O my Strength, I watch for you; you, O God, are my fortress,

10my loving God. God will go before me and will let me gloat over those who slander me.

11But do not kill them, O Lord our shield, or my people will forget. In your might make them wander about, and bring them down.

12For the sins of their mouths, for the words of their lips, let them be caught in their pride. For the curses and lies they utter,

13consume them in wrath, consume them till they are no more. Then it will be known to the ends of the earth that God rules over Jacob. Selah

14They return at evening, snarling like dogs, and prowl about the city.

15They wander about for food and howl if not satisfied.

16But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.

17O my Strength, I sing praise to you; you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God.

PSALM 60

1You have rejected us, O God, and burst forth upon us; you have been angry-now restore us!

2You have shaken the land and torn it open; mend its fractures, for it is quaking.

3You have shown your people desperate times; you have given us wine that makes us stagger.

4But for those who fear you, you have raised a banner to be unfurled against the bow. Selah

5Save us and help us with your right hand, that those you love may be delivered.

6God has spoken from his sanctuary: "In triumph I will parcel out Shechem and measure off the Valley of Succoth.

7Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine; Ephraim is my helmet, Judah my scepter.

8Moab is my washbasin, upon Edom I toss my sandal; over Philistia I shout in triumph."

9Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom?

10Is it not you, O God, you who have rejected us and no longer go out with our armies?

11Give us aid against the enemy, for the help of man is worthless.

12With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies.

PSALM 61

1Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer.

2From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

3For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe.

4I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings. Selah

5For you have heard my vows, O God; you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.

6Increase the days of the king's life, his years for many generations.

7May he be enthroned in God's presence forever; appoint your love and faithfulness to protect him.

8Then will I ever sing praise to your name and fulfill my vows day after day.

PSALM 62

1My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him.

2He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

3How long will you assault a man? Would all of you throw him down- this leaning wall, this tottering fence?

4They fully intend to topple him from his lofty place; they take delight in lies. With their mouths they bless, but in their hearts they curse. Selah

5Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.

6He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.

7My salvation and my honor depend on God ; he is my mighty rock, my refuge.

8Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. Selah

9Lowborn men are but a breath, the highborn are but a lie; if weighed on a balance, they are nothing; together they are only a breath.

10Do not trust in extortion or take pride in stolen goods; though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them.

11One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: that you, O God, are strong,

12and that you, O Lord, are loving. Surely you will reward each person according to what he has done.

PSALM 63

1O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

2I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory.

3Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.

4I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.

5My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

6On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night.

7Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

8My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.

9They who seek my life will be destroyed; they will go down to the depths of the earth.

10They will be given over to the sword and become food for jackals.

11But the king will rejoice in God; all who swear by God's name will praise him, while the mouths of liars will be silenced.

PSALM 64

1Hear me, O God, as I voice my complaint; protect my life from the threat of the enemy.

2Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked, from that noisy crowd of evildoers.

3They sharpen their tongues like swords and aim their words like deadly arrows.

4They shoot from ambush at the innocent man; they shoot at him suddenly, without fear.

5They encourage each other in evil plans, they talk about hiding their snares; they say, "Who will see them ?"

6They plot injustice and say, "We have devised a perfect plan!" Surely the mind and heart of man are cunning.

7But God will shoot them with arrows; suddenly they will be struck down.

8He will turn their own tongues against them and bring them to ruin; all who see them will shake their heads in scorn.

9All mankind will fear; they will proclaim the works of God and ponder what he has done.

10Let the righteous rejoice in the Lord and take refuge in him; let all the upright in heart praise him!

PSALM 65

1Praise awaits you, O God, in Zion; to you our vows will be fulfilled.

2O you who hear prayer, to you all men will come.

3When we were overwhelmed by sins, you forgave our transgressions.

4Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts! We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple.

5You answer us with awesome deeds of righteousness, O God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas,

6who formed the mountains by your power, having armed yourself with strength,

7who stilled the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the turmoil of the nations.

8Those living far away fear your wonders; where morning dawns and evening fades you call forth songs of joy.

9You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so you have ordained it.

10You drench its furrows and level its ridges; you soften it with showers and bless its crops.

11You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance.

12The grasslands of the desert overflow; the hills are clothed with gladness.

13The meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are mantled with grain; they shout for joy and sing.

PSALM 66

1Shout with joy to God, all the earth!

2Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious!

3Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you.

4All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you, they sing praise to your name." Selah

5Come and see what God has done, how awesome his works in man's behalf!

6He turned the sea into dry land, they passed through the waters on foot- come, let us rejoice in him.

7He rules forever by his power, his eyes watch the nations- let not the rebellious rise up against him. Selah

8Praise our God, O peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard;

9he has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping.

10For you, O God, tested us; you refined us like silver.

11You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs.

12You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance.

13I will come to your temple with burnt offerings and fulfill my vows to you-

14vows my lips promised and my mouth spoke when I was in trouble.

15I will sacrifice fat animals to you and an offering of rams; I will offer bulls and goats. Selah

16Come and listen, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me.

17I cried out to him with my mouth; his praise was on my tongue.

18If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened;

19but God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer.

20Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!

PSALM 67

1May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, Selah

2that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.

3May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you.

4May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples justly and guide the nations of the earth. Selah

5May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you.

6Then the land will yield its harvest, and God, our God, will bless us.

7God will bless us, and all the ends of the earth will fear him.

PSALM 68

1May God arise, may his enemies be scattered; may his foes flee before him.

2As smoke is blown away by the wind, may you blow them away; as wax melts before the fire, may the wicked perish before God.

3But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful.

4Sing to God, sing praise to his name, extol him who rides on the clouds - his name is the Lord - and rejoice before him.

5A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.

6God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.

7When you went out before your people, O God, when you marched through the wasteland, Selah

8the earth shook, the heavens poured down rain, before God, the One of Sinai, before God, the God of Israel.

9You gave abundant showers, O God; you refreshed your weary inheritance.

10Your people settled in it, and from your bounty, O God, you provided for the poor.

11The Lord announced the word, and great was the company of those who proclaimed it:

12"Kings and armies flee in haste; in the camps men divide the plunder.

13Even while you sleep among the campfires, the wings of my dove are sheathed with silver, its feathers with shining gold."

14When the Almighty scattered the kings in the land, it was like snow fallen on Zalmon.

15The mountains of Bashan are majestic mountains; rugged are the mountains of Bashan.

16Why gaze in envy, O rugged mountains, at the mountain where God chooses to reign, where the Lord himself will dwell forever?

17The chariots of God are tens of thousands and thousands of thousands; the Lord has come from Sinai into his sanctuary.

18When you ascended on high, you led captives in your train; you received gifts from men, even from the rebellious- that you, O Lord God, might dwell there.

19Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Selah

20Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death.

21Surely God will crush the heads of his enemies, the hairy crowns of those who go on in their sins.

22The Lord says, "I will bring them from Bashan; I will bring them from the depths of the sea,

23that you may plunge your feet in the blood of your foes, while the tongues of your dogs have their share."

24Your procession has come into view, O God, the procession of my God and King into the sanctuary.

25In front are the singers, after them the musicians; with them are the maidens playing tambourines.

26Praise God in the great congregation; praise the Lord in the assembly of Israel.

27There is the little tribe of Benjamin, leading them, there the great throng of Judah's princes, and there the princes of Zebulun and of Naphtali.

28Summon your power, O God ; show us your strength, O God, as you have done before.

29Because of your temple at Jerusalem kings will bring you gifts.

30Rebuke the beast among the reeds, the herd of bulls among the calves of the nations. Humbled, may it bring bars of silver. Scatter the nations who delight in war.

31Envoys will come from Egypt; Cush will submit herself to God.

32Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth, sing praise to the Lord, Selah

33to him who rides the ancient skies above, who thunders with mighty voice.

34Proclaim the power of God, whose majesty is over Israel, whose power is in the skies.

35You are awesome, O God, in your sanctuary; the God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Praise be to God!

PSALM 69

1Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck.

2I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold. I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me.

3I am worn out calling for help; my throat is parched. My eyes fail, looking for my God.

4Those who hate me without reason outnumber the hairs of my head; many are my enemies without cause, those who seek to destroy me. I am forced to restore what I did not steal.

5You know my folly, O God; my guilt is not hidden from you.

6May those who hope in you not be disgraced because of me, O Lord, the Lord Almighty; may those who seek you not be put to shame because of me, O God of Israel.

7For I endure scorn for your sake, and shame covers my face.

8I am a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my own mother's sons;

9for zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who insult you fall on me.

10When I weep and fast, I must endure scorn;

11when I put on sackcloth, people make sport of me.

12Those who sit at the gate mock me, and I am the song of the drunkards.

13But I pray to you, O Lord , in the time of your favor; in your great love, O God, answer me with your sure salvation.

14Rescue me from the mire, do not let me sink; deliver me from those who hate me, from the deep waters.

15Do not let the floodwaters engulf me or the depths swallow me up or the pit close its mouth over me.

16Answer me, O Lord , out of the goodness of your love; in your great mercy turn to me.

17Do not hide your face from your servant; answer me quickly, for I am in trouble.

18Come near and rescue me; redeem me because of my foes.

19You know how I am scorned, disgraced and shamed; all my enemies are before you.

20Scorn has broken my heart and has left me helpless; I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I found none.

21They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst.

22May the table set before them become a snare; may it become retribution and a trap.

23May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever.

24Pour out your wrath on them; let your fierce anger overtake them.

25May their place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in their tents.

26For they persecute those you wound and talk about the pain of those you hurt.

27Charge them with crime upon crime; do not let them share in your salvation.

28May they be blotted out of the book of life and not be listed with the righteous.

29I am in pain and distress; may your salvation, O God, protect me.

30I will praise God's name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.

31This will please the Lord more than an ox, more than a bull with its horns and hoofs.

32The poor will see and be glad- you who seek God, may your hearts live!

33The Lord hears the needy and does not despise his captive people.

34Let heaven and earth praise him, the seas and all that move in them,

35for God will save Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah. Then people will settle there and possess it;

36the children of his servants will inherit it, and those who love his name will dwell there.

PSALM 70

1Hasten, O God, to save me; O Lord , come quickly to help me.

2May those who seek my life be put to shame and confusion; may all who desire my ruin be turned back in disgrace.

3May those who say to me, "Aha! Aha!" turn back because of their shame.

4But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation always say, "Let God be exalted!"

5Yet I am poor and needy; come quickly to me, O God. You are my help and my deliverer; O Lord , do not delay.

PSALM 71

1In you, O Lord , I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame.

2Rescue me and deliver me in your righteousness; turn your ear to me and save me.

3Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go; give the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.

4Deliver me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of evil and cruel men.

5For you have been my hope, O Sovereign Lord , my confidence since my youth.

6From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother's womb. I will ever praise you.

7I have become like a portent to many, but you are my strong refuge.

8My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long.

9Do not cast me away when I am old; do not forsake me when my strength is gone.

10For my enemies speak against me; those who wait to kill me conspire together.

11They say, "God has forsaken him; pursue him and seize him, for no one will rescue him."

12Be not far from me, O God; come quickly, O my God, to help me.

13May my accusers perish in shame; may those who want to harm me be covered with scorn and disgrace.

14But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more.

15My mouth will tell of your righteousness, of your salvation all day long, though I know not its measure.

16I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, O Sovereign Lord ; I will proclaim your righteousness, yours alone.

17Since my youth, O God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.

18Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come.

19Your righteousness reaches to the skies, O God, you who have done great things. Who, O God, is like you?

20Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up.

21You will increase my honor and comfort me once again.

22I will praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praise to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel.

23My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you- I, whom you have redeemed.

24My tongue will tell of your righteous acts all day long, for those who wanted to harm me have been put to shame and confusion.

PSALM 72

1Endow the king with your justice, O God, the royal son with your righteousness.

2He will judge your people in righteousness, your afflicted ones with justice.

3The mountains will bring prosperity to the people, the hills the fruit of righteousness.

4He will defend the afflicted among the people and save the children of the needy; he will crush the oppressor.

5He will endure as long as the sun, as long as the moon, through all generations.

6He will be like rain falling on a mown field, like showers watering the earth.

7In his days the righteous will flourish; prosperity will abound till the moon is no more.

8He will rule from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.

9The desert tribes will bow before him and his enemies will lick the dust.

10The kings of Tarshish and of distant shores will bring tribute to him; the kings of Sheba and Seba will present him gifts.

11All kings will bow down to him and all nations will serve him.

12For he will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help.

13He will take pity on the weak and the needy and save the needy from death.

14He will rescue them from oppression and violence, for precious is their blood in his sight.

15Long may he live! May gold from Sheba be given him. May people ever pray for him and bless him all day long.

16Let grain abound throughout the land; on the tops of the hills may it sway. Let its fruit flourish like Lebanon; let it thrive like the grass of the field.

17May his name endure forever; may it continue as long as the sun. All nations will be blessed through him, and they will call him blessed.

18Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds.

19Praise be to his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and Amen.

20This concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse.

PSALM 73

1 Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.

2But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold.

3For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

4They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong.

5They are free from the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by human ills.

6Therefore pride is their necklace; they clothe themselves with violence.

7From their callous hearts comes iniquity ; the evil conceits of their minds know no limits.

8They scoff, and speak with malice; in their arrogance they threaten oppression.

9Their mouths lay claim to heaven, and their tongues take possession of the earth.

10Therefore their people turn to them and drink up waters in abundance.

11They say, "How can God know? Does the Most High have knowledge?"

12This is what the wicked are like- always carefree, they increase in wealth.

13Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain have I washed my hands in innocence.

14All day long I have been plagued; I have been punished every morning.

15If I had said, "I will speak thus," I would have betrayed your children.

16When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me

17till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny.

18Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin.

19How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors!

20As a dream when one awakes, so when you arise, O Lord, you will despise them as fantasies.

21When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered,

22I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you.

23Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand.

24You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory.

25Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.

26My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

27Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.

28But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.

PSALM 74

1Why have you rejected us forever, O God? Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture?

2Remember the people you purchased of old, the tribe of your inheritance, whom you redeemed- Mount Zion, where you dwelt.

3Turn your steps toward these everlasting ruins, all this destruction the enemy has brought on the sanctuary.

4Your foes roared in the place where you met with us; they set up their standards as signs.

5They behaved like men wielding axes to cut through a thicket of trees.

6They smashed all the carved paneling with their axes and hatchets.

7They burned your sanctuary to the ground; they defiled the dwelling place of your Name.

8They said in their hearts, "We will crush them completely!" They burned every place where God was worshiped in the land.

9We are given no miraculous signs; no prophets are left, and none of us knows how long this will be.

10How long will the enemy mock you, O God? Will the foe revile your name forever?

11Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand? Take it from the folds of your garment and destroy them!

12But you, O God, are my king from of old; you bring salvation upon the earth.

13It was you who split open the sea by your power; you broke the heads of the monster in the waters.

14It was you who crushed the heads of Leviathan and gave him as food to the creatures of the desert.

15It was you who opened up springs and streams; you dried up the ever flowing rivers.

16The day is yours, and yours also the night; you established the sun and moon.

17It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth; you made both summer and winter.

18Remember how the enemy has mocked you, O Lord , how foolish people have reviled your name.

19Do not hand over the life of your dove to wild beasts; do not forget the lives of your afflicted people forever.

20Have regard for your covenant, because haunts of violence fill the dark places of the land.

21Do not let the oppressed retreat in disgrace; may the poor and needy praise your name.

22Rise up, O God, and defend your cause; remember how fools mock you all day long.

23Do not ignore the clamor of your adversaries, the uproar of your enemies, which rises continually.

PSALM 75

1We give thanks to you, O God, we give thanks, for your Name is near; men tell of your wonderful deeds.

2You say, "I choose the appointed time; it is I who judge uprightly.

3When the earth and all its people quake, it is I who hold its pillars firm. Selah

4To the arrogant I say, 'Boast no more,' and to the wicked, 'Do not lift up your horns.

5Do not lift your horns against heaven; do not speak with outstretched neck.' "

6No one from the east or the west or from the desert can exalt a man.

7But it is God who judges: He brings one down, he exalts another.

8In the hand of the Lord is a cup full of foaming wine mixed with spices; he pours it out, and all the wicked of the earth drink it down to its very dregs.

9As for me, I will declare this forever; I will sing praise to the God of Jacob.

10I will cut off the horns of all the wicked, but the horns of the righteous will be lifted up.

PSALM 76

1In Judah God is known; his name is great in Israel.

2His tent is in Salem, his dwelling place in Zion.

3There he broke the flashing arrows, the shields and the swords, the weapons of war. Selah

4You are resplendent with light, more majestic than mountains rich with game.

5Valiant men lie plundered, they sleep their last sleep; not one of the warriors can lift his hands.

6At your rebuke, O God of Jacob, both horse and chariot lie still.

7You alone are to be feared. Who can stand before you when you are angry?

8From heaven you pronounced judgment, and the land feared and was quiet-

9when you, O God, rose up to judge, to save all the afflicted of the land. Selah

10Surely your wrath against men brings you praise, and the survivors of your wrath are restrained.

11Make vows to the Lord your God and fulfill them; let all the neighboring lands bring gifts to the One to be feared.

12He breaks the spirit of rulers; he is feared by the kings of the earth.

PSALM 77

1I cried out to God for help; I cried out to God to hear me.

2When I was in distress, I sought the Lord; at night I stretched out untiring hands and my soul refused to be comforted.

3I remembered you, O God, and I groaned; I mused, and my spirit grew faint. Selah

4You kept my eyes from closing; I was too troubled to speak.

5I thought about the former days, the years of long ago;

6I remembered my songs in the night. My heart mused and my spirit inquired:

7"Will the Lord reject forever? Will he never show his favor again?

8Has his unfailing love vanished forever? Has his promise failed for all time?

9Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has he in anger withheld his compassion?" Selah

10Then I thought, "To this I will appeal: the years of the right hand of the Most High."

11I will remember the deeds of the Lord ; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.

12I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds.

13Your ways, O God, are holy. What god is so great as our God?

14You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples.

15With your mighty arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. Selah

16The waters saw you, O God, the waters saw you and writhed; the very depths were convulsed.

17The clouds poured down water, the skies resounded with thunder; your arrows flashed back and forth.

18Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind, your lightning lit up the world; the earth trembled and quaked.

19Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen.

20You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

PSALM 78

1O my people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth.

2I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter hidden things, things from of old-

3what we have heard and known, what our fathers have told us.

4We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord , his power, and the wonders he has done.

5He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our forefathers to teach their children,

6so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children.

7Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands.

8They would not be like their forefathers- a stubborn and rebellious generation, whose hearts were not loyal to God, whose spirits were not faithful to him.

9The men of Ephraim, though armed with bows, turned back on the day of battle;

10they did not keep God's covenant and refused to live by his law.

11They forgot what he had done, the wonders he had shown them.

12He did miracles in the sight of their fathers in the land of Egypt, in the region of Zoan.

13He divided the sea and led them through; he made the water stand firm like a wall.

14He guided them with the cloud by day and with light from the fire all night.

15He split the rocks in the desert and gave them water as abundant as the seas;

16he brought streams out of a rocky crag and made water flow down like rivers.

17But they continued to sin against him, rebelling in the desert against the Most High.

18They willfully put God to the test by demanding the food they craved.

19They spoke against God, saying, "Can God spread a table in the desert?

20When he struck the rock, water gushed out, and streams flowed abundantly. But can he also give us food? Can he supply meat for his people?"

21When the Lord heard them, he was very angry; his fire broke out against Jacob, and his wrath rose against Israel,

22for they did not believe in God or trust in his deliverance.

23Yet he gave a command to the skies above and opened the doors of the heavens;

24he rained down manna for the people to eat, he gave them the grain of heaven.

25Men ate the bread of angels; he sent them all the food they could eat.

26He let loose the east wind from the heavens and led forth the south wind by his power.

27He rained meat down on them like dust, flying birds like sand on the seashore.

28He made them come down inside their camp, all around their tents.

29They ate till they had more than enough, for he had given them what they craved.

30But before they turned from the food they craved, even while it was still in their mouths,

31God's anger rose against them; he put to death the sturdiest among them, cutting down the young men of Israel.

32In spite of all this, they kept on sinning; in spite of his wonders, they did not believe.

33So he ended their days in futility and their years in terror.

34Whenever God slew them, they would seek him; they eagerly turned to him again.

35They remembered that God was their Rock, that God Most High was their Redeemer.

36But then they would flatter him with their mouths, lying to him with their tongues;

37their hearts were not loyal to him, they were not faithful to his covenant.

38Yet he was merciful; he forgave their iniquities and did not destroy them. Time after time he restrained his anger and did not stir up his full wrath.

39He remembered that they were but flesh, a passing breeze that does not return.

40How often they rebelled against him in the desert and grieved him in the wasteland!

41Again and again they put God to the test; they vexed the Holy One of Israel.

42They did not remember his power- the day he redeemed them from the oppressor,

43the day he displayed his miraculous signs in Egypt, his wonders in the region of Zoan.

44He turned their rivers to blood; they could not drink from their streams.

45He sent swarms of flies that devoured them, and frogs that devastated them.

46He gave their crops to the grasshopper, their produce to the locust.

47He destroyed their vines with hail and their sycamore-figs with sleet.

48He gave over their cattle to the hail, their livestock to bolts of lightning.

49He unleashed against them his hot anger, his wrath, indignation and hostility- a band of destroying angels.

50He prepared a path for his anger; he did not spare them from death but gave them over to the plague.

51He struck down all the firstborn of Egypt, the firstfruits of manhood in the tents of Ham.

52But he brought his people out like a flock; he led them like sheep through the desert.

53He guided them safely, so they were unafraid; but the sea engulfed their enemies.

54Thus he brought them to the border of his holy land, to the hill country his right hand had taken.

55He drove out nations before them and allotted their lands to them as an inheritance; he settled the tribes of Israel in their homes.

56But they put God to the test and rebelled against the Most High; they did not keep his statutes.

57Like their fathers they were disloyal and faithless, as unreliable as a faulty bow.

58They angered him with their high places; they aroused his jealousy with their idols.

59When God heard them, he was very angry; he rejected Israel completely.

60He abandoned the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent he had set up among men.

61He sent the ark of his might into captivity, his splendor into the hands of the enemy.

62He gave his people over to the sword; he was very angry with his inheritance.

63Fire consumed their young men, and their maidens had no wedding songs;

64their priests were put to the sword, and their widows could not weep.

65Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, as a man wakes from the stupor of wine.

66He beat back his enemies; he put them to everlasting shame.

67Then he rejected the tents of Joseph, he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim;

68but he chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which he loved.

69He built his sanctuary like the heights, like the earth that he established forever.

70He chose David his servant and took him from the sheep pens;

71from tending the sheep he brought him to be the shepherd of his people Jacob, of Israel his inheritance.

72And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them.

PSALM 79

1O God, the nations have invaded your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple, they have reduced Jerusalem to rubble.

2They have given the dead bodies of your servants as food to the birds of the air, the flesh of your saints to the beasts of the earth.

3They have poured out blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there is no one to bury the dead.

4We are objects of reproach to our neighbors, of scorn and derision to those around us.

5How long, O Lord ? Will you be angry forever? How long will your jealousy burn like fire?

6Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge you, on the kingdoms that do not call on your name;

7for they have devoured Jacob and destroyed his homeland.

8Do not hold against us the sins of the fathers; may your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need.

9Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name's sake.

10Why should the nations say, "Where is their God?" Before our eyes, make known among the nations that you avenge the outpoured blood of your servants.

11May the groans of the prisoners come before you; by the strength of your arm preserve those condemned to die.

12Pay back into the laps of our neighbors seven times the reproach they have hurled at you, O Lord.

13Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will praise you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise.

PSALM 80

1Hear us, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock; you who sit enthroned between the cherubim, shine forth

2before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh. Awaken your might; come and save us.

3Restore us, O God; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.

4O Lord God Almighty, how long will your anger smolder against the prayers of your people?

5You have fed them with the bread of tears; you have made them drink tears by the bowlful.

6You have made us a source of contention to our neighbors, and our enemies mock us.

7Restore us, O God Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.

8You brought a vine out of Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it.

9You cleared the ground for it, and it took root and filled the land.

10The mountains were covered with its shade, the mighty cedars with its branches.

11It sent out its boughs to the Sea, its shoots as far as the River.

12Why have you broken down its walls so that all who pass by pick its grapes?

13Boars from the forest ravage it and the creatures of the field feed on it.

14Return to us, O God Almighty! Look down from heaven and see! Watch over this vine,

15the root your right hand has planted, the son you have raised up for yourself.

16Your vine is cut down, it is burned with fire; at your rebuke your people perish.

17Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand, the son of man you have raised up for yourself.

18Then we will not turn away from you; revive us, and we will call on your name.

19Restore us, O Lord God Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.

PSALM 81

1Sing for joy to God our strength; shout aloud to the God of Jacob!

2Begin the music, strike the tambourine, play the melodious harp and lyre.

3Sound the ram's horn at the New Moon, and when the moon is full, on the day of our Feast;

4this is a decree for Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob.

5He established it as a statute for Joseph when he went out against Egypt, where we heard a language we did not understand.

6He says, "I removed the burden from their shoulders; their hands were set free from the basket.

7In your distress you called and I rescued you, I answered you out of a thundercloud; I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah

8"Hear, O my people, and I will warn you- if you would but listen to me, O Israel!

9You shall have no foreign god among you; you shall not bow down to an alien god.

10I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.

11"But my people would not listen to me; Israel would not submit to me.

12So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices.

13"If my people would but listen to me, if Israel would follow my ways,

14how quickly would I subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes!

15Those who hate the Lord would cringe before him, and their punishment would last forever.

16But you would be fed with the finest of wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you."

PSALM 82

1God presides in the great assembly; he gives judgment among the "gods":

2"How long will you defend the unjust and show partiality to the wicked? Selah

3Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.

4Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

5"They know nothing, they understand nothing. They walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken.

6"I said, 'You are "gods"; you are all sons of the Most High.'

7But you will die like mere men; you will fall like every other ruler."

8Rise up, O God, judge the earth, for all the nations are your inheritance.

PSALM 83

1O God, do not keep silent; be not quiet, O God, be not still.

2See how your enemies are astir, how your foes rear their heads.

3With cunning they conspire against your people; they plot against those you cherish.

4"Come," they say, "let us destroy them as a nation, that the name of Israel be remembered no more."

5With one mind they plot together; they form an alliance against you-

6the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, of Moab and the Hagrites,

7Gebal, Ammon and Amalek, Philistia, with the people of Tyre.

8Even Assyria has joined them to lend strength to the descendants of Lot. Selah

9Do to them as you did to Midian, as you did to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon,

10who perished at Endor and became like refuse on the ground.

11Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,

12who said, "Let us take possession of the pasturelands of God."

13Make them like tumbleweed, O my God, like chaff before the wind.

14As fire consumes the forest or a flame sets the mountains ablaze,

15so pursue them with your tempest and terrify them with your storm.

16Cover their faces with shame so that men will seek your name, O Lord .

17May they ever be ashamed and dismayed; may they perish in disgrace.

18Let them know that you, whose name is the Lord - that you alone are the Most High over all the earth.

PSALM 84

1How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty!

2My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord ; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.

3Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young- a place near your altar, O Lord Almighty, my King and my God.

4Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you. Selah

5Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.

6As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools.

7They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion.

8Hear my prayer, O Lord God Almighty; listen to me, O God of Jacob. Selah

9Look upon our shield, O God; look with favor on your anointed one.

10Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.

11For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.

12O Lord Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you.

PSALM 85

1You showed favor to your land, O Lord ; you restored the fortunes of Jacob.

2You forgave the iniquity of your people and covered all their sins. Selah

3You set aside all your wrath and turned from your fierce anger.

4Restore us again, O God our Savior, and put away your displeasure toward us.

5Will you be angry with us forever? Will you prolong your anger through all generations?

6Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?

7Show us your unfailing love, O Lord , and grant us your salvation.

8I will listen to what God the Lord will say; he promises peace to his people, his saints- but let them not return to folly.

9Surely his salvation is near those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land.

10Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other.

11Faithfulness springs forth from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven.

12The Lord will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest.

13Righteousness goes before him and prepares the way for his steps.

PSALM 86

1Hear, O Lord , and answer me, for I am poor and needy.

2Guard my life, for I am devoted to you. You are my God; save your servant who trusts in you.

3Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I call to you all day long.

4Bring joy to your servant, for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

5You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you.

6Hear my prayer, O Lord ; listen to my cry for mercy.

7In the day of my trouble I will call to you, for you will answer me.

8Among the gods there is none like you, O Lord; no deeds can compare with yours.

9All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, O Lord; they will bring glory to your name.

10For you are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God.

11Teach me your way, O Lord , and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.

12I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever.

13For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths of the grave.

14The arrogant are attacking me, O God; a band of ruthless men seeks my life- men without regard for you.

15But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.

16Turn to me and have mercy on me; grant your strength to your servant and save the son of your maidservant.

17Give me a sign of your goodness, that my enemies may see it and be put to shame, for you, O Lord , have helped me and comforted me.

PSALM 87

1He has set his foundation on the holy mountain;

2the Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.

3Glorious things are said of you, O city of God: Selah

4"I will record Rahab and Babylon among those who acknowledge me- Philistia too, and Tyre, along with Cush - and will say, 'This one was born in Zion.' "

5Indeed, of Zion it will be said, "This one and that one were born in her, and the Most High himself will establish her."

6The Lord will write in the register of the peoples: "This one was born in Zion." Selah

7As they make music they will sing, "All my fountains are in you."

PSALM 88

1O Lord , the God who saves me, day and night I cry out before you.

2May my prayer come before you; turn your ear to my cry.

3For my soul is full of trouble and my life draws near the grave.

4I am counted among those who go down to the pit; I am like a man without strength.

5I am set apart with the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom you remember no more, who are cut off from your care.

6You have put me in the lowest pit, in the darkest depths.

7Your wrath lies heavily upon me; you have overwhelmed me with all your waves. Selah

8You have taken from me my closest friends and have made me repulsive to them. I am confined and cannot escape;

9my eyes are dim with grief. I call to you, O Lord , every day; I spread out my hands to you.

10Do you show your wonders to the dead? Do those who are dead rise up and praise you? Selah

11Is your love declared in the grave, your faithfulness in Destruction ?

12Are your wonders known in the place of darkness, or your righteous deeds in the land of oblivion?

13But I cry to you for help, O Lord ; in the morning my prayer comes before you.

14Why, O Lord , do you reject me and hide your face from me?

15From my youth I have been afflicted and close to death; I have suffered your terrors and am in despair.

16Your wrath has swept over me; your terrors have destroyed me.

17All day long they surround me like a flood; they have completely engulfed me.

18You have taken my companions and loved ones from me; the darkness is my closest friend.

PSALM 89

1I will sing of the Lord 's great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations.

2I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you established your faithfulness in heaven itself.

3You said, "I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David my servant,

4'I will establish your line forever and make your throne firm through all generations.' " Selah

5The heavens praise your wonders, O Lord , your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the holy ones.

6For who in the skies above can compare with the Lord ? Who is like the Lord among the heavenly beings?

7In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared; he is more awesome than all who surround him.

8O Lord God Almighty, who is like you? You are mighty, O Lord , and your faithfulness surrounds you.

9You rule over the surging sea; when its waves mount up, you still them.

10You crushed Rahab like one of the slain; with your strong arm you scattered your enemies.

11The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth; you founded the world and all that is in it.

12You created the north and the south; Tabor and Hermon sing for joy at your name.

13Your arm is endued with power; your hand is strong, your right hand exalted.

14Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you.

15Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O Lord .

16They rejoice in your name all day long; they exult in your righteousness.

17For you are their glory and strength, and by your favor you exalt our horn.

18Indeed, our shield belongs to the Lord , our king to the Holy One of Israel.

19Once you spoke in a vision, to your faithful people you said: "I have bestowed strength on a warrior; I have exalted a young man from among the people.

20I have found David my servant; with my sacred oil I have anointed him.

21My hand will sustain him; surely my arm will strengthen him.

22No enemy will subject him to tribute; no wicked man will oppress him.

23I will crush his foes before him and strike down his adversaries.

24My faithful love will be with him, and through my name his horn will be exalted.

25I will set his hand over the sea, his right hand over the rivers.

26He will call out to me, 'You are my Father, my God, the Rock my Savior.'

27I will also appoint him my firstborn, the most exalted of the kings of the earth.

28I will maintain my love to him forever, and my covenant with him will never fail.

29I will establish his line forever, his throne as long as the heavens endure.

30"If his sons forsake my law and do not follow my statutes,

31if they violate my decrees and fail to keep my commands,

32I will punish their sin with the rod, their iniquity with flogging;

33but I will not take my love from him, nor will I ever betray my faithfulness.

34I will not violate my covenant or alter what my lips have uttered.

35Once for all, I have sworn by my holiness- and I will not lie to David-

36that his line will continue forever and his throne endure before me like the sun;

37it will be established forever like the moon, the faithful witness in the sky." Selah

38But you have rejected, you have spurned, you have been very angry with your anointed one.

39You have renounced the covenant with your servant and have defiled his crown in the dust.

40You have broken through all his walls and reduced his strongholds to ruins.

41All who pass by have plundered 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 turned back the edge of his sword and have not supported him in battle.

44You have put an end to his splendor and cast his throne to the ground.

45You have cut short the days of his youth; you have covered him with a mantle of shame. Selah

46How long, O Lord ? Will you hide yourself forever? How long will your wrath burn like fire?

47Remember how fleeting is my life. For what futility you have created all men!

48What man can live and not see death, or save himself from the power of the grave ? Selah

49O Lord, where is your former great love, which in your faithfulness you swore to David?

50Remember, Lord, how your servant has been mocked, how I bear in my heart the taunts of all the nations,

51the taunts with which your enemies have mocked, O Lord , with which they have mocked every step of your anointed one.

52Praise be to the Lord forever! Amen and Amen. BOOK IV Psalms 90-106

PSALM 90

1Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations.

2Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

3You turn men back to dust, saying, "Return to dust, O sons of men."

4For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night.

5You sweep men away in the sleep of death; they are like the new grass of the morning-

6though in the morning it springs up new, by evening it is dry and withered.

7We are consumed by your anger and terrified by your indignation.

8You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence.

9All our days pass away under your wrath; we finish our years with a moan.

10The length of our days is seventy years- or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.

11Who knows the power of your anger? For your wrath is as great as the fear that is due you.

12Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

13Relent, O Lord ! How long will it be? Have compassion on your servants.

14Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.

15Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen trouble.

16May your deeds be shown to your servants, your splendor to their children.

17May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us- yes, establish the work of our hands.

PSALM 91

1He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

2I will say of the Lord , "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."

3Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence.

4He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

5You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,

6nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.

7A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.

8You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.

9If you make the Most High your dwelling- even the Lord , who is my refuge-

10then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent.

11For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;

12they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

13You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

14"Because he loves me," says the Lord , "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

15He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.

16With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation."

PSALM 92

1It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High,

2to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night,

3to the music of the ten-stringed lyre and the melody of the harp.

4For you make me glad by your deeds, O Lord ; I sing for joy at the works of your hands.

5How great are your works, O Lord , how profound your thoughts!

6The senseless man does not know, fools do not understand,

7that though the wicked spring up like grass and all evildoers flourish, they will be forever destroyed.

8But you, O Lord , are exalted forever.

9For surely your enemies, O Lord , surely your enemies will perish; all evildoers will be scattered.

10You have exalted my horn like that of a wild ox; fine oils have been poured upon me.

11My eyes have seen the defeat of my adversaries; my ears have heard the rout of my wicked foes.

12The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;

13planted in the house of the Lord , they will flourish in the courts of our God.

14They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green,

15proclaiming, "The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him."

PSALM 93

1The Lord reigns, he is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed in majesty and is armed with strength. The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved.

2Your throne was established long ago; you are from all eternity.

3The seas have lifted up, O Lord , the seas have lifted up their voice; the seas have lifted up their pounding waves.

4Mightier than the thunder of the great waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea- the Lord on high is mighty.

5Your statutes stand firm; holiness adorns your house for endless days, O Lord .

PSALM 94

1O Lord , the God who avenges, O God who avenges, shine forth.

2Rise up, O Judge of the earth; pay back to the proud what they deserve.

3How long will the wicked, O Lord , how long will the wicked be jubilant?

4They pour out arrogant words; all the evildoers are full of boasting.

5They crush your people, O Lord ; they oppress your inheritance.

6They slay the widow and the alien; they murder the fatherless.

7They say, "The Lord does not see; the God of Jacob pays no heed."

8Take heed, you senseless ones among the people; you fools, when will you become wise?

9Does he who implanted the ear not hear? Does he who formed the eye not see?

10Does he who disciplines nations not punish? Does he who teaches man lack knowledge?

11The Lord knows the thoughts of man; he knows that they are futile.

12Blessed is the man you discipline, O Lord , the man you teach from your law;

13you grant him relief from days of trouble, till a pit is dug for the wicked.

14For the Lord will not reject his people; he will never forsake his inheritance.

15Judgment will again be founded on righteousness, and all the upright in heart will follow it.

16Who will rise up for me against the wicked? Who will take a stand for me against evildoers?

17Unless the Lord had given me help, I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death.

18When I said, "My foot is slipping," your love, O Lord , supported me.

19When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.

20Can a corrupt throne be allied with you- one that brings on misery by its decrees?

21They band together against the righteous and condemn the innocent to death.

22But the Lord has become my fortress, and my God the rock in whom I take refuge.

23He will repay them for their sins and destroy them for their wickedness; the Lord our God will destroy them.

PSALM 95

1Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord ; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.

2Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.

3For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods.

4In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him.

5The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.

6Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;

7for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if you hear his voice,

8do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the desert,

9where your fathers tested and tried me, though they had seen what I did.

10For forty years I was angry with that generation; I said, "They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known my ways."

11So I declared on oath in my anger, "They shall never enter my rest."

PSALM 96

1Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord , all the earth.

2Sing to the Lord , praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day.

3Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

4For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods.

5For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens.

6Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and glory are in his sanctuary.

7Ascribe to the Lord , O families of nations, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

8Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come into his courts.

9Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth.

10Say among the nations, "The Lord reigns." The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity.

11Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it;

12let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy;

13they will sing before the Lord , for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his truth.

PSALM 97

1The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice.

2Clouds and thick darkness surround him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.

3Fire goes before him and consumes his foes on every side.

4His lightning lights up the world; the earth sees and trembles.

5The mountains melt like wax before the Lord , before the Lord of all the earth.

6The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all the peoples see his glory.

7All who worship images are put to shame, those who boast in idols- worship him, all you gods!

8Zion hears and rejoices and the villages of Judah are glad because of your judgments, O Lord .

9For you, O Lord , are the Most High over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods.

10Let those who love the Lord hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.

11Light is shed upon the righteous and joy on the upright in heart.

12Rejoice in the Lord , you who are righteous, and praise his holy name.

PSALM 98

1Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.

2The Lord has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations.

3He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

4Shout for joy to the Lord , all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music;

5make music to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing,

6with trumpets and the blast of the ram's horn- shout for joy before the Lord , the King.

7Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.

8Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy;

9let them sing before the Lord , for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity.

PSALM 99

1The Lord reigns, let the nations tremble; he sits enthroned between the cherubim, let the earth shake.

2Great is the Lord in Zion; he is exalted over all the nations.

3Let them praise your great and awesome name- he is holy.

4The King is mighty, he loves justice- you have established equity; in Jacob you have done what is just and right.

5Exalt the Lord our God and worship at his footstool; he is holy.

6Moses and Aaron were among his priests, Samuel was among those who called on his name; they called on the Lord and he answered them.

7He spoke to them from the pillar of cloud; they kept his statutes and the decrees he gave them.

8O Lord our God, you answered them; you were to Israel a forgiving God, though you punished their misdeeds.

9Exalt the Lord our God and worship at his holy mountain, for the Lord our God is holy.

PSALM 100

1Shout for joy to the Lord , all the earth.

2Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.

3Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his ; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

4Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.

5For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

PSALM 101

1I will sing of your love and justice; to you, O Lord , I will sing praise.

2I will be careful to lead a blameless life- when will you come to me? I will walk in my house with blameless heart.

3I will set before my eyes no vile thing. The deeds of faithless men I hate; they will not cling to me.

4Men of perverse heart shall be far from me; I will have nothing to do with evil.

5Whoever slanders his neighbor in secret, him will I put to silence; whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart, him will I not endure.

6My eyes will be on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; he whose walk is blameless will minister to me.

7No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house; no one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence.

8Every morning I will put to silence all the wicked in the land; I will cut off every evildoer from the city of the Lord .

PSALM 102

1Hear my prayer, O Lord ; let my cry for help come to you.

2Do not hide your face from me when I am in distress. Turn your ear to me; when I call, answer me quickly.

3For my days vanish like smoke; my bones burn like glowing embers.

4My heart is blighted and withered like grass; I forget to eat my food.

5Because of my loud groaning I am reduced to skin and bones.

6I am like a desert owl, like an owl among the ruins.

7I lie awake; I have become like a bird alone on a roof.

8All day long my enemies taunt me; those who rail against me use my name as a curse.

9For I eat ashes as my food and mingle my drink with tears

10because of your great wrath, for you have taken me up and thrown me aside.

11My days are like the evening shadow; I wither away like grass.

12But you, O Lord , sit enthroned forever; your renown endures through all generations.

13You will arise and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show favor to her; the appointed time has come.

14For her stones are dear to your servants; her very dust moves them to pity.

15The nations will fear the name of the Lord , all the kings of the earth will revere your glory.

16For the Lord will rebuild Zion and appear in his glory.

17He will respond to the prayer of the destitute; he will not despise their plea.

18Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise the Lord :

19"The Lord looked down from his sanctuary on high, from heaven he viewed the earth,

20to hear the groans of the prisoners and release those condemned to death."

21So the name of the Lord will be declared in Zion and his praise in Jerusalem

22when the peoples and the kingdoms assemble to worship the Lord .

23In the course of my life he broke my strength; he cut short my days.

24So I said: "Do not take me away, O my God, in the midst of my days; your years go on through all generations.

25In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.

26They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded.

27But you remain the same, and your years will never end.

28The children of your servants will live in your presence; their descendants will be established before you."

PSALM 103

1Praise the Lord , O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

2Praise the Lord , O my soul, and forget not all his benefits-

3who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,

4who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,

5who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

6The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.

7He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel:

8The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.

9He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever;

10he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.

11For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;

12as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

13As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;

14for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.

15As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field;

16the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.

17But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord 's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children-

18with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.

19The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all.

20Praise the Lord , you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word.

21Praise the Lord , all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will.

22Praise the Lord , all his works everywhere in his dominion. Praise the Lord , O my soul.

PSALM 104

1Praise the Lord , O my soul. O Lord my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty.

2He wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent

3and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters. He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind.

4He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants.

5He set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved.

6You covered it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains.

7But at your rebuke the waters fled, at the sound of your thunder they took to flight;

8they flowed over the mountains, they went down into the valleys, to the place you assigned for them.

9You set a boundary they cannot cross; never again will they cover the earth.

10He makes springs pour water into the ravines; it flows between the mountains.

11They give water to all the beasts of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst.

12The birds of the air nest by the waters; they sing among the branches.

13He waters the mountains from his upper chambers; the earth is satisfied by the fruit of his work.

14He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate- bringing forth food from the earth:

15wine that gladdens the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread that sustains his heart.

16The trees of the Lord are well watered, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.

17There the birds make their nests; the stork has its home in the pine trees.

18The high mountains belong to the wild goats; the crags are a refuge for the coneys.

19The moon marks off the seasons, and the sun knows when to go down.

20You bring darkness, it becomes night, and all the beasts of the forest prowl.

21The lions roar for their prey and seek their food from God.

22The sun rises, and they steal away; they return and lie down in their dens.

23Then man goes out to his work, to his labor until evening.

24How many are your works, O Lord ! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.

25There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number- living things both large and small.

26There the ships go to and fro, and the leviathan, which you formed to frolic there.

27These all look to you to give them their food at the proper time.

28When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are satisfied with good things.

29When you hide your face, they are terrified; when you take away their breath, they die and return to the dust.

30When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth.

31May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in his works-

32he who looks at the earth, and it trembles, who touches the mountains, and they smoke.

33I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

34May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the Lord .

35But may sinners vanish from the earth and the wicked be no more. Praise the Lord , O my soul. Praise the Lord .

PSALM 105

1Give thanks to the Lord , call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done.

2Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.

3Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.

4Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.

5Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,

6O descendants of Abraham his servant, O sons of Jacob, his chosen ones.

7He is the Lord our God; his judgments are in all the earth.

8He remembers his covenant forever, the word he commanded, for a thousand generations,

9the covenant he made with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac.

10He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant:

11"To you I will give the land of Canaan as the portion you will inherit."

12When they were but few in number, few indeed, and strangers in it,

13they wandered from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another.

14He allowed no one to oppress them; for their sake he rebuked kings:

15"Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm."

16He called down famine on the land and destroyed all their supplies of food;

17and he sent a man before them- Joseph, sold as a slave.

18They bruised his feet with shackles, his neck was put in irons,

19till what he foretold came to pass, till the word of the Lord proved him true.

20The king sent and released him, the ruler of peoples set him free.

21He made him master of his household, ruler over all he possessed,

22to instruct his princes as he pleased and teach his elders wisdom.

23Then Israel entered Egypt; Jacob lived as an alien in the land of Ham.

24The Lord made his people very fruitful; he made them too numerous for their foes,

25whose hearts he turned to hate his people, to conspire against his servants.

26He sent Moses his servant, and Aaron, whom he had chosen.

27They performed his miraculous signs among them, his wonders in the land of Ham.

28He sent darkness and made the land dark- for had they not rebelled against his words?

29He turned their waters into blood, causing their fish to die.

30Their land teemed with frogs, which went up into the bedrooms of their rulers.

31He spoke, and there came swarms of flies, and gnats throughout their country.

32He turned their rain into hail, with lightning throughout their land;

33he struck down their vines and fig trees and shattered the trees of their country.

34He spoke, and the locusts came, grasshoppers without number;

35they ate up every green thing in their land, ate up the produce of their soil.

36Then he struck down all the firstborn in their land, the firstfruits of all their manhood.

37He brought out Israel, laden with silver and gold, and from among their tribes no one faltered.

38Egypt was glad when they left, because dread of Israel had fallen on them.

39He spread out a cloud as a covering, and a fire to give light at night.

40They asked, and he brought them quail and satisfied them with the bread of heaven.

41He opened the rock, and water gushed out; like a river it flowed in the desert.

42For he remembered his holy promise given to his servant Abraham.

43He brought out his people with rejoicing, his chosen ones with shouts of joy;

44he gave them the lands of the nations, and they fell heir to what others had toiled for-

45that they might keep his precepts and observe his laws. Praise the Lord .

PSALM 106

1Praise the Lord . Give thanks to the Lord , for he is good; his love endures forever.

2Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the Lord or fully declare his praise?

3Blessed are they who maintain justice, who constantly do what is right.

4Remember me, O Lord , when you show favor to your people, come to my aid when you save them,

5that I may enjoy the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may share in the joy of your nation and join your inheritance in giving praise.

6We have sinned, even as our fathers did; we have done wrong and acted wickedly.

7When our fathers were in Egypt, they gave no thought to your miracles; they did not remember your many kindnesses, and they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea.

8Yet he saved them for his name's sake, to make his mighty power known.

9He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up; he led them through the depths as through a desert.

10He saved them from the hand of the foe; from the hand of the enemy he redeemed them.

11The waters covered their adversaries; not one of them survived.

12Then they believed his promises and sang his praise.

13But they soon forgot what he had done and did not wait for his counsel.

14In the desert they gave in to their craving; in the wasteland they put God to the test.

15So he gave them what they asked for, but sent a wasting disease upon them.

16In the camp they grew envious of Moses and of Aaron, who was consecrated to the Lord .

17The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan; it buried the company of Abiram.

18Fire blazed among their followers; a flame consumed the wicked.

19At Horeb they made a calf and worshiped an idol cast from metal.

20They exchanged their Glory for an image of a bull, which eats grass.

21They forgot the God who saved them, who had done great things in Egypt,

22miracles in the land of Ham and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.

23So he said he would destroy them- had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him to keep his wrath from destroying them.

24Then they despised the pleasant land; they did not believe his promise.

25They grumbled in their tents and did not obey the Lord .

26So he swore to them with uplifted hand that he would make them fall in the desert,

27make their descendants fall among the nations and scatter them throughout the lands.

28They yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods;

29they provoked the Lord to anger by their wicked deeds, and a plague broke out among them.

30But Phinehas stood up and intervened, and the plague was checked.

31This was credited to him as righteousness for endless generations to come.

32By the waters of Meribah they angered the Lord , and trouble came to Moses because of them;

33for they rebelled against the Spirit of God, and rash words came from Moses' lips.

34They did not destroy the peoples as the Lord had commanded them,

35but they mingled with the nations and adopted their customs.

36They worshiped their idols, which became a snare to them.

37They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons.

38They shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was desecrated by their blood.

39They defiled themselves by what they did; by their deeds they prostituted themselves.

40Therefore the Lord was angry with his people and abhorred his inheritance.

41He handed them over to the nations, and their foes ruled over them.

42Their enemies oppressed them and subjected them to their power.

43Many times he delivered them, but they were bent on rebellion and they wasted away in their sin.

44But he took note of their distress when he heard their cry;

45for their sake he remembered his covenant and out of his great love he relented.

46He caused them to be pitied by all who held them captive.

47Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise.

48Praise be to the Lord , the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Let all the people say, "Amen!" Praise the Lord .

PSALM 107

1Give thanks to the Lord , for he is good; his love endures forever.

2Let the redeemed of the Lord say this- those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,

3those he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south.

4Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no way to a city where they could settle.

5They were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away.

6Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.

7He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle.

8Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men,

9for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.

10Some sat in darkness and the deepest gloom, prisoners suffering in iron chains,

11for they had rebelled against the words of God and despised the counsel of the Most High.

12So he subjected them to bitter labor; they stumbled, and there was no one to help.

13Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress.

14He brought them out of darkness and the deepest gloom and broke away their chains.

15Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men,

16for he breaks down gates of bronze and cuts through bars of iron.

17Some became fools through their rebellious ways and suffered affliction because of their iniquities.

18They loathed all food and drew near the gates of death.

19Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress.

20He sent forth his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave.

21Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men.

22Let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell of his works with songs of joy.

23Others went out on the sea in ships; they were merchants on the mighty waters.

24They saw the works of the Lord , his wonderful deeds in the deep.

25For he spoke and stirred up a tempest that lifted high the waves.

26They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths; in their peril their courage melted away.

27They reeled and staggered like drunken men; they were at their wits' end.

28Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress.

29He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed.

30They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven.

31Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men.

32Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people and praise him in the council of the elders.

33He turned rivers into a desert, flowing springs into thirsty ground,

34and fruitful land into a salt waste, because of the wickedness of those who lived there.

35He turned the desert into pools of water and the parched ground into flowing springs;

36there he brought the hungry to live, and they founded a city where they could settle.

37They sowed fields and planted vineyards that yielded a fruitful harvest;

38he blessed them, and their numbers greatly increased, and he did not let their herds diminish.

39Then their numbers decreased, and they were humbled by oppression, calamity and sorrow;

40he who pours contempt on nobles made them wander in a trackless waste.

41But he lifted the needy out of their affliction and increased their families like flocks.

42The upright see and rejoice, but all the wicked shut their mouths.

43Whoever is wise, let him heed these things and consider the great love of the Lord .

PSALM 108

1My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing and make music with all my soul.

2Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn.

3I will praise you, O Lord , among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples.

4For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

5Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and let your glory be over all the earth.

6Save us and help us with your right hand, that those you love may be delivered.

7God has spoken from his sanctuary: "In triumph I will parcel out Shechem and measure off the Valley of Succoth.

8Gilead is mine, Manasseh is mine; Ephraim is my helmet, Judah my scepter.

9Moab is my washbasin, upon Edom I toss my sandal; over Philistia I shout in triumph."

10Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom?

11Is it not you, O God, you who have rejected us and no longer go out with our armies?

12Give us aid against the enemy, for the help of man is worthless.

13With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies.

PSALM 109

1O God, whom I praise, do not remain silent,

2for wicked and deceitful men have opened their mouths against me; they have spoken against me with lying tongues.

3With words of hatred they surround me; they attack me without cause.

4In return for my friendship they accuse me, but I am a man of prayer.

5They repay me evil for good, and hatred for my friendship.

6Appoint an evil man to oppose him; let an accuser stand at his right hand.

7When he is tried, let him be found guilty, and may his prayers condemn him.

8May his days be few; may another take his place of leadership.

9May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow.

10May his children be wandering beggars; may they be driven from their ruined homes.

11May a creditor seize all he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his labor.

12May no one extend kindness to him or take pity on his fatherless children.

13May his descendants be cut off, their names blotted out from the next generation.

14May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord ; may the sin of his mother never be blotted out.

15May their sins always remain before the Lord , that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth.

16For he never thought of doing a kindness, but hounded to death the poor and the needy and the brokenhearted.

17He loved to pronounce a curse- may it come on him; he found no pleasure in blessing- may it be far from him.

18He wore cursing as his garment; it entered into his body like water, into his bones like oil.

19May it be like a cloak wrapped about him, like a belt tied forever around him.

20May this be the Lord 's payment to my accusers, to those who speak evil of me.

21But you, O Sovereign Lord , deal well with me for your name's sake; out of the goodness of your love, deliver me.

22For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.

23I fade away like an evening shadow; I am shaken off like a locust.

24My knees give way from fasting; my body is thin and gaunt.

25I am an object of scorn to my accusers; when they see me, they shake their heads.

26Help me, O Lord my God; save me in accordance with your love.

27Let them know that it is your hand, that you, O Lord , have done it.

28They may curse, but you will bless; when they attack they will be put to shame, but your servant will rejoice.

29My accusers will be clothed with disgrace and wrapped in shame as in a cloak.

30With my mouth I will greatly extol the Lord ; in the great throng I will praise him.

31For he stands at the right hand of the needy one, to save his life from those who condemn him.

PSALM 110

1The Lord says to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet."

2The Lord will extend your mighty scepter from Zion; you will rule in the midst of your enemies.

3Your troops will be willing on your day of battle. Arrayed in holy majesty, from the womb of the dawn you will receive the dew of your youth.

4The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: "You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek."

5The Lord is at your right hand; he will crush kings on the day of his wrath.

6He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead and crushing the rulers of the whole earth.

7He will drink from a brook beside the way ; therefore he will lift up his head.

PSALM 111

1Praise the Lord . I will extol the Lord with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly.

2Great are the works of the Lord ; they are pondered by all who delight in them.

3Glorious and majestic are his deeds, and his righteousness endures forever.

4He has caused his wonders to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and compassionate.

5He provides food for those who fear him; he remembers his covenant forever.

6He has shown his people the power of his works, giving them the lands of other nations.

7The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy.

8They are steadfast for ever and ever, done in faithfulness and uprightness.

9He provided redemption for his people; he ordained his covenant forever- holy and awesome is his name.

10The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.

PSALM 112

1Praise the Lord . Blessed is the man who fears the Lord , who finds great delight in his commands.

2His children 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.

4Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man.

5Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice.

6Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever.

7He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord .

8His heart is secure, he will have no fear; in the end he will look in triumph on his foes.

9He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor, his righteousness endures forever; his horn will be lifted high in honor.

10The wicked man will see and be vexed, he will gnash his teeth and waste away; the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.

PSALM 113

1Praise the Lord . Praise, O servants of the Lord , praise the name of the Lord .

2Let the name of the Lord be praised, both now and forevermore.

3From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.

4The Lord is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens.

5Who is like the Lord our God, the One who sits enthroned on high,

6who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth?

7He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap;

8he seats them with princes, with the princes of their people.

9He settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children. Praise the Lord .

PSALM 114

1When Israel came out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of foreign tongue,

2Judah became God's sanctuary, Israel his dominion.

3The sea looked and fled, the Jordan turned back;

4the mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs.

5Why was it, O sea, that you fled, O Jordan, that you turned back,

6you mountains, that you skipped like rams, you hills, like lambs?

7Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob,

8who turned the rock into a pool, the hard rock into springs of water.

PSALM 115

1Not to us, O Lord , not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.

2Why do the nations say, "Where is their God?"

3Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him.

4But their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men.

5They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but they cannot see;

6they have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but they cannot smell;

7they have hands, but cannot feel, feet, but they cannot walk; nor can they utter a sound with their throats.

8Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.

9O house of Israel, trust in the Lord - he is their help and shield.

10O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord - he is their help and shield.

11You who fear him, trust in the Lord - he is their help and shield.

12The Lord remembers us and 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 - small and great alike.

14May the Lord make you increase, both you and your children.

15May you be blessed by the Lord , the Maker of heaven and earth.

16The highest heavens belong to the Lord , but the earth he has given to man.

17It is not the dead who praise the Lord , those who go down to silence;

18it is we who extol the Lord , both now and forevermore. Praise the Lord .

PSALM 116

1I love the Lord , for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy.

2Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live.

3The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came upon me; I was overcome by trouble and sorrow.

4Then I called on the name of the Lord : "O Lord , save me!"

5The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.

6The Lord protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need, he saved me.

7Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.

8For you, O Lord , have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling,

9that I may walk before the Lord in the land of the living.

10I believed; therefore I said, "I am greatly afflicted."

11And in my dismay I said, "All men are liars."

12How can I repay the Lord for all his goodness to me?

13I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord .

14I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people.

15Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.

16O Lord , truly I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your maidservant ; you have freed me from my chains.

17I will sacrifice a thank offering to you and call on the name of the Lord .

18I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people,

19in the courts of the house of the Lord - in your midst, O Jerusalem. Praise the Lord .

PSALM 117

1Praise the Lord , all you nations; extol him, all you peoples.

2For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord .

PSALM 118

1Give thanks to the Lord , for he is good; his love endures forever.

2Let Israel say: "His love endures forever."

3Let the house of Aaron say: "His love endures forever."

4Let those who fear the Lord say: "His love endures forever."

5In my anguish I cried to the Lord , and he answered by setting me free.

6The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?

7The Lord is with me; he is my helper. I will look in triumph on my enemies.

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.

10All the nations surrounded me, but in the name of the Lord I cut them off.

11They surrounded me on every side, but in the name of the Lord I cut them off.

12They swarmed around me like bees, but they died out as quickly as burning thorns; in the name of the Lord I cut them off.

13I was pushed back and about to fall, but the Lord helped me.

14The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.

15Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: "The Lord 's right hand has done mighty things!

16The Lord 's right hand is lifted high; the Lord 's right hand has done mighty things!"

17I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done.

18The Lord has chastened me severely, but he has not given me over to death.

19Open for me the gates of righteousness; I will enter and give thanks to the Lord .

20This is the gate of the Lord through which the righteous may enter.

21I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation.

22The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone;

23the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.

24This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

25O Lord , save us; O Lord , grant us success.

26Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord . From the house of the Lord we bless you.

27The Lord is God, and he has made his light shine upon us. With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar.

28You are my God, and I will give you thanks; you are my God, and I will exalt you.

29Give thanks to the Lord , for he is good; his love endures forever.

PSALM 119

1Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord .

2Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart.

3They do nothing wrong; they walk in his ways.

4You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed.

5Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees!

6Then I would not be put to shame when I consider all your commands.

7I will praise you with an upright heart as I learn your righteous laws.

8I will obey your decrees; do not utterly forsake me.

9How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word.

10I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.

11I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

12Praise be to you, O Lord ; teach me your decrees.

13With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth.

14I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches.

15I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.

16I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.

17Do good to your servant, and I will live; I will obey your word.

18Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.

19I am a stranger on earth; do not hide your commands from me.

20My soul is consumed with longing for your laws at all times.

21You rebuke the arrogant, who are cursed and who stray from your commands.

22Remove from me scorn and contempt, for I keep your statutes.

23Though rulers sit together and slander me, your servant will meditate on your decrees.

24Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors.

25I am laid low in the dust; preserve my life according to your word.

26I recounted my ways and you answered me; teach me your decrees.

27Let me understand the teaching of your precepts; then I will meditate on your wonders.

28My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word.

29Keep me from deceitful ways; be gracious to me through your law.

30I have chosen the way of truth; I have set my heart on your laws.

31I hold fast to your statutes, O Lord ; do not let me be put to shame.

32I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free.

33Teach me, O Lord , to follow your decrees; then I will keep them to the end.

34Give me understanding, and I will keep your law and obey it with all my heart.

35Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight.

36Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain.

37Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word.

38Fulfill your promise to your servant, so that you may be feared.

39Take away the disgrace I dread, for your laws are good.

40How I long for your precepts! Preserve my life in your righteousness.

41May your unfailing love come to me, O Lord , your salvation according to your promise;

42then I will answer the one who taunts me, for I trust in your word.

43Do not snatch the word of truth from my mouth, for I have put my hope in your laws.

44I will always obey your law, for ever and ever.

45I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts.

46I will speak of your statutes before kings and will not be put to shame,

47for I delight in your commands because I love them.

48I lift up my hands to your commands, which I love, and I meditate on your decrees.

49Remember your word to your servant, for you have given me hope.

50My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life.

51The arrogant mock me without restraint, but I do not turn from your law.

52I remember your ancient laws, O Lord , and I find comfort in them.

53Indignation grips me because of the wicked, who have forsaken your law.

54Your decrees are the theme of my song wherever I lodge.

55In the night I remember your name, O Lord , and I will keep your law.

56This has been my practice: I obey your precepts.

57You are my portion, O Lord ; I have promised to obey your words.

58I have sought your face with all my heart; be gracious to me according to your promise.

59I have considered my ways and have turned my steps to your statutes.

60I will hasten and not delay to obey your commands.

61Though the wicked bind me with ropes, I will not forget your law.

62At midnight I rise to give you thanks for your righteous laws.

63I am a friend to all who fear you, to all who follow your precepts.

64The earth is filled with your love, O Lord ; teach me your decrees.

65Do good to your servant according to your word, O Lord .

66Teach me knowledge and good judgment, for I believe in your commands.

67Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word.

68You are good, and what you do is good; teach me your decrees.

69Though the arrogant have smeared me with lies, I keep your precepts with all my heart.

70Their hearts are callous and unfeeling, but I delight in your law.

71It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.

72The law from your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.

73Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn your commands.

74May those who fear you rejoice when they see me, for I have put my hope in your word.

75I know, O Lord , that your laws are righteous, and in faithfulness you have afflicted me.

76May your unfailing love be my comfort, according to your promise to your servant.

77Let your compassion come to me that I may live, for your law is my delight.

78May the arrogant be put to shame for wronging me without cause; but I will meditate on your precepts.

79May those who fear you turn to me, those who understand your statutes.

80May my heart be blameless toward your decrees, that I may not be put to shame.

81My soul faints with longing for your salvation, but I have put my hope in your word.

82My eyes fail, looking for your promise; I say, "When will you comfort me?"

83Though I am like a wineskin in the smoke, I do not forget your decrees.

84How long must your servant wait? When will you punish my persecutors?

85The arrogant dig pitfalls for me, contrary to your law.

86All your commands are trustworthy; help me, for men persecute me without cause.

87They almost wiped me from the earth, but I have not forsaken your precepts.

88Preserve my life according to your love, and I will obey the statutes of your mouth.

89Your word, O Lord , is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.

90Your faithfulness continues through all generations; you established the earth, and it endures.

91Your laws endure to this day, for all things serve you.

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 preserved my life.

94Save me, for I am yours; I have sought out your precepts.

95The wicked are waiting to destroy me, but I will ponder your statutes.

96To all perfection I see a limit; but your commands are boundless.

97Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long.

98Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me.

99I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes.

100I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey your precepts.

101I have kept my feet from every evil path so that I might obey your word.

102I have not departed from your laws, for you yourself have taught me.

103How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

104I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path.

105Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

106I have taken an oath and confirmed it, that I will follow your righteous laws.

107I have suffered much; preserve my life, O Lord , according to your word.

108Accept, O Lord , the willing praise of my mouth, and teach me your laws.

109Though I constantly take my life in my hands, I will not forget your law.

110The wicked have set a snare for me, but I have not strayed from your precepts.

111Your statutes are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart.

112My heart is set on keeping your decrees to the very end.

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

114You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word.

115Away from me, you evildoers, that I may keep the commands of my God!

116Sustain me according to your promise, and I will live; do not let my hopes be dashed.

117Uphold me, and I will be delivered; I will always have regard for your decrees.

118You reject all who stray from your decrees, for their deceitfulness is in vain.

119All the wicked of the earth you discard like dross; therefore I love your statutes.

120My flesh trembles in fear of you; I stand in awe of your laws.

121I have done what is righteous and just; do not leave me to my oppressors.

122Ensure your servant's well-being; let not the arrogant oppress me.

123My eyes fail, looking for your salvation, looking for your righteous promise.

124Deal with your servant according to your love and teach me your decrees.

125I am your servant; give me discernment that I may understand your statutes.

126It is time for you to act, O Lord ; your law is being broken.

127Because I love your commands more than gold, more than pure gold,

128and because I consider all your precepts right, I hate every wrong path.

129Your statutes are wonderful; therefore I obey them.

130The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.

131I open my mouth and pant, longing for your commands.

132Turn to me and have mercy on me, as you always do to those who love your name.

133Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me.

134Redeem me from the oppression of men, that I may obey your precepts.

135Make your face shine upon your servant and teach me your decrees.

136Streams of tears flow from my eyes, for your law is not obeyed.

137Righteous are you, O Lord , and your laws are right.

138The statutes you have laid down are righteous; they are fully trustworthy.

139My zeal wears me out, for my enemies ignore your words.

140Your promises have been thoroughly tested, and your servant loves them.

141Though I am lowly and despised, I do not forget your precepts.

142Your righteousness is everlasting and your law is true.

143Trouble and distress have come upon me, but your commands are my delight.

144Your statutes are forever right; give me understanding that I may live.

145I call with all my heart; answer me, O Lord , and I will obey your decrees.

146I call out to you; save me and I will keep your statutes.

147I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in your word.

148My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promises.

149Hear my voice in accordance with your love; preserve my life, O Lord , according to your laws.

150Those who devise wicked schemes are near, but they are far from your law.

151Yet you are near, O Lord , and all your commands are true.

152Long ago I learned from your statutes that you established them to last forever.

153Look upon my suffering and deliver me, for I have not forgotten your law.

154Defend my cause and redeem me; preserve my life according to your promise.

155Salvation is far from the wicked, for they do not seek out your decrees.

156Your compassion is great, O Lord ; preserve my life according to your laws.

157Many are the foes who persecute me, but I have not turned from your statutes.

158I look on the faithless with loathing, for they do not obey your word.

159See how I love your precepts; preserve my life, O Lord , according to your love.

160All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal.

161Rulers persecute me without cause, but my heart trembles at your word.

162I rejoice in your promise like one who finds great spoil.

163I hate and abhor falsehood but I love your law.

164Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous laws.

165Great peace have they who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble.

166I wait for your salvation, O Lord , and I follow your commands.

167I obey your statutes, for I love them greatly.

168I obey your precepts and your statutes, for all my ways are known to you.

169May my cry come before you, O Lord ; give me understanding according to your word.

170May my supplication come before you; deliver me according to your promise.

171May my lips overflow with praise, for you teach me your decrees.

172May my tongue sing of your word, for all your commands are righteous.

173May 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 me live that I may praise you, and may your laws sustain me.

176I have strayed like a lost sheep. Seek your servant, for I have not forgotten your commands.

PSALM 120

1I call on the Lord in my distress, and he answers me.

2Save me, O Lord , from lying lips and from deceitful tongues.

3What will he do to you, and what more besides, O deceitful tongue?

4He will punish you with a warrior's sharp arrows, with burning coals of the broom tree.

5Woe to me that I dwell in Meshech, that I live among the tents of Kedar!

6Too long have I lived among those who hate peace.

7I am a man of peace; but when I speak, they are for war.

PSALM 121

1I lift up my eyes to the hills- where does my help come from?

2My help comes from the Lord , the Maker of heaven and earth.

3He will not let your foot slip- he who watches over you will not slumber;

4indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

5The Lord watches over you- the Lord is your shade at your right hand;

6the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.

7The Lord will keep you from all harm- he will watch over your life;

8the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

PSALM 122

1I rejoiced with those who said to me, "Let us go to the house of the Lord ."

2Our feet are standing in your gates, O Jerusalem.

3Jerusalem is built like a city that is closely compacted together.

4That is where the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord , to praise the name of the Lord according to the statute given to Israel.

5There the thrones for judgment stand, the thrones of the house of David.

6Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May those who love you be secure.

7May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels."

8For the sake of my brothers and friends, I will say, "Peace be within you."

9For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your prosperity.

PSALM 123

1I lift up my eyes to you, to you whose throne is in heaven.

2As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, till he shows us his mercy.

3Have mercy on us, O Lord , have mercy on us, for we have endured much contempt.

4We have endured much ridicule from the proud, much contempt from the arrogant.

PSALM 124

1If the Lord had not been on our side- let Israel say-

2if the Lord had not been on our side when men attacked us,

3when their anger flared against us, they would have swallowed us alive;

4the flood would have engulfed us, the torrent would have swept over us,

5the raging waters would have swept us away.

6Praise be to the Lord , who has not let us be torn by their teeth.

7We have escaped like a bird out of the fowler's snare; the snare has been broken, and we have escaped.

8Our help is in the name of the Lord , the Maker of heaven and earth.

PSALM 125

1Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever.

2As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people both now and forevermore.

3The scepter of the wicked will not remain over the land allotted to the righteous, for then the righteous might use their hands to do evil.

4Do good, O Lord , to those who are good, to those who are upright in heart.

5But those who turn to crooked ways the Lord will banish with the evildoers. Peace be upon Israel.

PSALM 126

1When the Lord brought back the captives to Zion, we were like men who dreamed.

2Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, "The Lord has done great things for them."

3The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.

4Restore our fortunes, O Lord , like streams in the Negev.

5Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy.

6He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.

PSALM 127

1Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.

2In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat- for he grants sleep to those he loves.

3Sons are a heritage from the Lord , children a reward from him.

4Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth.

5Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate.

PSALM 128

1Blessed are all who fear the Lord , who walk in his ways.

2You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours.

3Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your sons will be like olive shoots around your table.

4Thus is the man blessed who fears the Lord .

5May the Lord bless you from Zion all the days of your life; may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem,

6and may you live to see your children's children. Peace be upon Israel.

PSALM 129

1They have greatly oppressed me from my youth- let Israel say-

2they have greatly oppressed me from my youth, but they have not gained the victory over me.

3Plowmen have plowed my back and made their furrows long.

4But the Lord is righteous; he has cut me free from the cords of the wicked.

5May all who hate Zion be turned back in shame.

6May they be like grass on the roof, which withers before it can grow;

7with it the reaper cannot fill his hands, nor the one who gathers fill his arms.

8May those who pass by not say, "The blessing of the Lord be upon you; we bless you in the name of the Lord ."

PSALM 130

1Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord ;

2O Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.

3If you, O Lord , kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?

4But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared.

5I wait for the Lord , my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.

6My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.

7O Israel, put your hope in the Lord , for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption.

8He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins.

PSALM 131

1My heart is not proud, O Lord , my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me.

2But I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me.

3O Israel, put your hope in the Lord both now and forevermore.

PSALM 132

1O Lord , remember David and all the hardships he endured.

2He swore an oath to the Lord and made a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob:

3"I will not enter my house or go to my bed-

4I will allow no sleep to my eyes, no slumber to my eyelids,

5till I find a place for the Lord , a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob."

6We heard it in Ephrathah, we came upon it in the fields of Jaar :

7"Let us go to his dwelling place; let us worship at his footstool-

8arise, O Lord , and come to your resting place, you and the ark of your might.

9May your priests be clothed with righteousness; may your saints sing for joy."

10For the sake of David your servant, do not reject your anointed one.

11The Lord swore an oath to David, a sure oath that he will not revoke: "One of your own descendants I will place on your throne-

12if your sons keep my covenant and the statutes I teach them, then their sons will sit on your throne for ever and ever."

13For the Lord has chosen Zion, he has desired it for his dwelling:

14"This is my resting place for ever and ever; here I will sit enthroned, for I have desired it-

15I will bless her with abundant provisions; her poor will I satisfy with food.

16I will clothe her priests with salvation, and her saints will ever sing for joy.

17"Here I will make a horn grow for David and set up a lamp for my anointed one.

18I will clothe his enemies with shame, but the crown on his head will be resplendent."

PSALM 133

1How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!

2It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron's beard, down upon the collar of his robes.

3It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.

PSALM 134

1Praise the Lord , all you servants of the Lord who minister by night in the house of the Lord .

2Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the Lord .

3May the Lord , the Maker of heaven and earth, bless you from Zion.

PSALM 135

1Praise the Lord . Praise the name of the Lord ; praise him, you servants of the Lord ,

2you who minister in the house of the Lord , in the courts of the house of our God.

3Praise the Lord , for the Lord is good; sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant.

4For the Lord has chosen Jacob to be his own, Israel to be his treasured possession.

5I know that the Lord is great, that our Lord is greater than all gods.

6The Lord does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths.

7He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth; he sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses.

8He struck down the firstborn of Egypt, the firstborn of men and animals.

9He sent his signs and wonders into your midst, O Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants.

10He struck down many nations and killed mighty kings-

11Sihon king of the Amorites, Og king of Bashan and all the kings of Canaan-

12and he gave their land as an inheritance, an inheritance to his people Israel.

13Your name, O Lord , endures forever, your renown, O Lord , through all generations.

14For the Lord will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants.

15The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by the hands of men.

16They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but they cannot see;

17they have ears, but cannot hear, nor is there breath in their mouths.

18Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.

19O house of Israel, praise the Lord ; O house of Aaron, praise the Lord ;

20O house of Levi, praise the Lord ; you who fear him, praise the Lord .

21Praise be to the Lord from Zion, to him who dwells in Jerusalem. Praise the Lord .

PSALM 136

1Give thanks to the Lord , for he is good. His love endures forever.

2Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever.

3Give thanks to the Lord of lords: His love endures forever.

4to him who alone does great wonders, His love endures forever.

5who by his understanding made the heavens, His love endures forever.

6who spread out the earth upon the waters, His love endures forever.

7who made the great lights- His love endures forever.

8the sun to govern the day, His love endures forever.

9the moon and stars to govern the night; His love endures forever.

10to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt His love endures forever.

11and brought Israel out from among them His love endures forever.

12with a mighty hand and outstretched arm; His love endures forever.

13to him who divided the Red Sea asunder His love endures forever.

14and brought Israel through the midst of it, His love endures forever.

15but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea; His love endures forever.

16to him who led his people through the desert, His love endures forever.

17who struck down great kings, His love endures forever.

18and killed mighty kings- His love endures forever.

19Sihon king of the Amorites His love endures forever.

20and Og king of Bashan- His love endures forever.

21and gave their land as an inheritance, His love endures forever.

22an inheritance to his servant Israel; His love endures forever.

23to the One who remembered us in our low estate His love endures forever.

24and freed us from our enemies, His love endures forever.

25and who gives food to every creature. His love endures forever.

26Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever.

PSALM 137

1By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion.

2There on the poplars we hung our harps,

3for there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!"

4How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land?

5If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill .

6May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not consider Jerusalem my highest joy.

7Remember, O Lord , what the Edomites did on the day Jerusalem fell. "Tear it down," they cried, "tear it down to its foundations!"

8O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, happy is he who repays you for what you have done to us-

9he who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks.

PSALM 138

1I will praise you, O Lord , with all my heart; before the "gods" I will sing your praise.

2I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.

3When I called, you answered me; you made me bold and stouthearted.

4May all the kings of the earth praise you, O Lord , when they hear the words of your mouth.

5May they sing of the ways of the Lord , for the glory of the Lord is great.

6Though the Lord is on high, he looks upon the lowly, but the proud he knows from afar.

7Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes, with your right hand you save me.

8The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O Lord , endures forever- do not abandon the works of your hands.

PSALM 139

1O Lord , you have searched me and you know me.

2You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.

3You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.

4Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord .

5You hem me in-behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.

6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

7Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?

8If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

9If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,

10even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.

11If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,"

12even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.

13For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.

14I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

15My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

16your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

17How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!

18Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you.

19If only you would slay the wicked, O God! Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!

20They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name.

21Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord , and abhor those who rise up against you?

22I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies.

23Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.

24See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

PSALM 140

1Rescue me, O Lord , from evil men; protect me from men of violence,

2who devise evil plans in their hearts and stir up war every day.

3They make their tongues as sharp as a serpent's; the poison of vipers is on their lips. Selah

4Keep me, O Lord , from the hands of the wicked; protect me from men of violence who plan to trip my feet.

5Proud men have hidden a snare for me; they have spread out the cords of their net and have set traps for me along my path. Selah

6O Lord , I say to you, "You are my God." Hear, O Lord , my cry for mercy.

7O Sovereign Lord , my strong deliverer, who shields my head in the day of battle-

8do not grant the wicked their desires, O Lord ; do not let their plans succeed, or they will become proud. Selah

9Let the heads of those who surround me be covered with the trouble their lips have caused.

10Let burning coals fall upon them; may they be thrown into the fire, into miry pits, never to rise.

11Let slanderers not be established in the land; may disaster hunt down men of violence.

12I know that the Lord secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy.

13Surely the righteous will praise your name and the upright will live before you.

PSALM 141

1O Lord , I call to you; come quickly to me. Hear my voice when I call to you.

2May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.

3Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord ; keep watch over the door of my lips.

4Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil, to take part in wicked deeds with men who are evildoers; let me not eat of their delicacies.

5Let a righteous man strike me-it is a kindness; let him rebuke me-it is oil on my head. My head will not refuse it. Yet my prayer is ever against the deeds of evildoers;

6their rulers will be thrown down from the cliffs, and the wicked will learn that my words were well spoken.

7They will say, "As one plows and breaks up the earth, so our bones have been scattered at the mouth of the grave. "

8But my eyes are fixed on you, O Sovereign Lord ; in you I take refuge-do not give me over to death.

9Keep me from the snares they have laid for me, from the traps set by evildoers.

10Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I pass by in safety.

PSALM 142

1I cry aloud to the Lord ; I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy.

2I pour out my complaint before him; before him I tell my trouble.

3When my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who know my way. In the path where I walk men have hidden a snare for me.

4Look to my right and see; no one is concerned for me. I have no refuge; no one cares for my life.

5I cry to you, O Lord ; I say, "You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living."

6Listen to my cry, for I am in desperate need; rescue me from those who pursue me, for they are too strong for me.

7Set me free from my prison, that I may praise your name. Then the righteous will gather about me because of your goodness to me.

PSALM 143

1O Lord , hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief.

2Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you.

3The enemy pursues me, he crushes me to the ground; he makes me dwell in darkness like those long dead.

4So my spirit grows faint within me; my heart within me is dismayed.

5I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done.

6I spread out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah

7Answer me quickly, O Lord ; my spirit fails. Do not hide your face from me or I will be like those who go down to the pit.

8Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.

9Rescue me from my enemies, O Lord , for I hide myself in you.

10Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.

11For your name's sake, O Lord , preserve my life; in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble.

12In your unfailing love, silence my enemies; destroy all my foes, for I am your servant.

PSALM 144

1Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle.

2He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me.

3O Lord , what is man that you care for him, the son of man that you think of him?

4Man is like a breath; his days are like a fleeting shadow.

5Part your heavens, O Lord , and come down; touch the mountains, so that they smoke.

6Send forth lightning and scatter [the enemies]; shoot your arrows and rout them.

7Reach down your hand from on high; deliver me and rescue me from the mighty waters, from the hands of foreigners

8whose mouths are full of lies, whose right hands are deceitful.

9I will sing a new song to you, O God; on the ten-stringed lyre I will make music to you,

10to the One who gives victory to kings, who delivers his servant David from the deadly sword.

11Deliver me and rescue me from the hands of foreigners whose mouths are full of lies, whose right hands are deceitful.

12Then our sons in their youth will be like well-nurtured plants, and our daughters will be like pillars carved to adorn a palace.

13Our barns will be filled with every kind of provision. Our sheep will increase by thousands, by tens of thousands in our fields;

14our oxen will draw heavy loads. There will be no breaching of walls, no going into captivity, no cry of distress in our streets.

15Blessed are the people of whom this is true; blessed are the people whose God is the Lord .

PSALM 145

1I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever.

2Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever.

3Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.

4One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts.

5They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works.

6They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds.

7They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.

8The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.

9The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.

10All you have made will praise you, O Lord ; your saints will extol you.

11They will tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might,

12so that all men may know of your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.

13Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made.

14The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.

15The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time.

16You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

17The Lord is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made.

18The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.

19He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.

20The Lord watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.

21My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord . Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever.

PSALM 146

1Praise the Lord . Praise the Lord , O my soul.

2I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

3Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save.

4When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing.

5Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God,

6the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them- the Lord , who remains faithful forever.

7He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets prisoners free,

8the Lord gives sight to the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous.

9The Lord watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

10The Lord reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the Lord .

PSALM 147

1Praise the Lord . How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him!

2The Lord builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the exiles of Israel.

3He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

4He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.

5Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.

6The Lord sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground.

7Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; make music to our God on the harp.

8He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills.

9He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call.

10His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of a man;

11the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.

12Extol the Lord , O Jerusalem; praise your God, O Zion,

13for he strengthens the bars of your gates and blesses your people within you.

14He grants peace to your borders and satisfies you with the finest of wheat.

15He sends his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly.

16He spreads the snow like wool and scatters the frost like ashes.

17He hurls down his hail like pebbles. Who can withstand his icy blast?

18He sends his word and melts them; he stirs up his breezes, and the waters flow.

19He has revealed his word to Jacob, his laws and decrees to Israel.

20He has done this for no other nation; they do not know his laws. Praise the Lord .

PSALM 148

1Praise the Lord . Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise him in the heights above.

2Praise him, all his angels, praise him, all his heavenly hosts.

3Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars.

4Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies.

5Let them praise the name of the Lord , for he commanded and they were created.

6He set them in place for ever and ever; he gave a decree that will never pass away.

7Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths,

8lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding,

9you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars,

10wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds,

11kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth,

12young men and maidens, old men and children.

13Let them praise the name of the Lord , for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.

14He has raised up for his people a horn, the praise of all his saints, of Israel, the people close to his heart. Praise the Lord .

PSALM 149

1Praise the Lord . Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the saints.

2Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; let the people of Zion be glad in their King.

3Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and harp.

4For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation.

5Let the saints rejoice in this honor and sing for joy on their beds.

6May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands,

7to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples,

8to bind their kings with fetters, their nobles with shackles of iron,

9to carry out the sentence written against them. This is the glory of all his saints. Praise the Lord .


PSALM 150

1Praise the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty

heavens.

2Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness.

3Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre

4praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute,

5praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals.

6Let everything that has breath praise the Lord . Praise the Lord .

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Luke 6:38

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Hebrews 13:16

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Acts 20:35

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