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The Book of Psalms is the largest and perhaps most widely used book in the Bible. It explores the full range of human experience in a very personal and practical way. Its 150 “songs” run from the Creation through the patriarchal, theocratic, monarchical, exilic, and postexilic periods. The tremendous breadth of subject matter in the Psalms includes diverse topics, such as jubila tion, war, peace, worship, judgment, messianic prophecy, praise, and lament. The Psalms were set to the accompaniment of stringed instruments and served as the temple hymnbook and devotional guide for the Jewish people.
The Book of Psalms was gradually collected and originally unnamed, perhaps due to the great variety of material. It came to be known as Sepher Tehillim—“Book of Praises”—because almost every psalm contains some note of praise to God. The Septuagint uses the Greek word Psalmoi as its title for this book, meaning “Poems Sung to the Accompaniment of Musical Instru ments.” It also calls it the Psalterium “(A Collection of Songs”), and this word is the basis for the term Psalter. The Latin title is Liber Psalmorum, “Book of Psalms.”
The Way of the Righteous and the End of the Ungodly
Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
2But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
3He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.
4The ungodly are not so,
But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
5Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6For the LORD knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the ungodly shall perish.
The Messiah’s Triumph and Kingdom
Why do the nations rage,
And the people plot a vain thing?
2The kings of the earth set themselves,
And the rulers take counsel together,
Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying,
3“Let us break Their bonds in pieces
And cast away Their cords from us.”
4He who sits in the heavens shall laugh;
The Lord shall hold them in derision.
5Then He shall speak to them in His wrath,
And distress them in His deep displeasure:
6“Yet I have set My King
On My holy hill of Zion.”
7“I will declare the decree:
The LORD has said to Me,
‘You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.
8Ask of Me, and I will give You
The nations for Your inheritance,
And the ends of the earth for Your possession.
9You shall breaka them with a rod of iron;
You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ ”
10Now therefore, be wise, O kings;
Be instructed, you judges of the earth.
11Serve the LORD with fear,
And rejoice with trembling.
12a Kiss the Son, lest b He be angry,
And you perish in the way,
When His wrath is kindled but a little.
Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.
The LORD Helps His Troubled People
A Psalm of David when he fled from Absalom his son.
LORD, how they have increased who trouble me!
Many are they who rise up against me.
2Many are they who say of me,
“There is no help for him in God.”
Selah
3But You, O LORD, are a shield for me,
My glory and the One who lifts up my head.
4I cried to the LORD with my voice,
And He heard me from His holy hill.
Selah
5I lay down and slept;
I awoke, for the LORD sustained me.
6I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people
Who have set themselves against me all around.
7Arise, O LORD;
Save me, O my God!
For You have struck all my enemies on the cheekbone;
You have broken the teeth of the ungodly.
8Salvation belongs to the LORD.
Your blessing is upon Your people.
Selah
The Safety of the Faithful
To the Chief Musician. With stringed instruments. A Psalm of David.
Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness!
You have relieved me in my distress;
Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer.
2How long, O you sons of men,
Will you turn my glory to shame?
How long will you love worthlessness
And seek falsehood?
Selah
3But know that the LORD has set aparta for Himself him who is godly;
The LORD will hear when I call to Him.
4Be angry, and do not sin.
Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still.
Selah
5Offer the sacrifices of righteousness,
And put your trust in the LORD.
6There are many who say,
“Who will show us any good?”
LORD, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us.
7You have put gladness in my heart,
More than in the season that their grain and wine increased.
8I will both lie down in peace, and sleep;
For You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.
A Prayer for Guidance
To the Chief Musician. With flutes.a A Psalm of David.
Give ear to my words, O LORD,
Consider my meditation.
2Give heed to the voice of my cry,
My King and my God,
For to You I will pray.
3My voice You shall hear in the morning, O LORD;
In the morning I will direct it to You,
And I will look up.
4For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness,
Nor shall evil dwell with You.
5The boastful shall not stand in Your sight;
You hate all workers of iniquity.
6You shall destroy those who speak falsehood;
The LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.
7But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy;
In fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple.
8Lead me, O LORD, in Your righteousness because of my enemies;
Make Your way straight before my face.
9For there is no faithfulness in their mouth;
Their inward part is destruction;
Their throat is an open tomb;
They flatter with their tongue.
10Pronounce them guilty, O God!
Let them fall by their own counsels;
Cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions,
For they have rebelled against You.
11But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;
Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them;
Let those also who love Your name
Be joyful in You.
12For You, O LORD, will bless the righteous;
With favor You will surround him as with a shield.
A Prayer of Faith in Time of Distress
To the Chief Musician. With stringed instruments. On an eight-stringed harp.a A Psalm of David.
O LORD, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
2Have mercy on me, O LORD, for I am weak;
O LORD, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
3My soul also is greatly troubled;
But You, O LORD—how long?
4Return, O LORD, deliver me!
Oh, save me for Your mercies’ sake!
5For in death there is no remembrance of You;
In the grave who will give You thanks?
6I am weary with my groaning;
All night I make my bed swim;
I drench my couch with my tears.
7My eye wastes away because of grief;
It grows old because of all my enemies.
8Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity;
For the LORD has heard the voice of my weeping.
9The LORD has heard my supplication;
The LORD will receive my prayer.
10Let all my enemies be ashamed and greatly troubled;
Let them turn back and be ashamed suddenly.
Prayer and Praise for Deliverance from Enemies
A Meditationa of David, which he sang to the LORD concerning the words of Cush, a Benjamite.
O LORD my God, in You I put my trust;
Save me from all those who persecute me;
And deliver me,
2Lest they tear me like a lion,
Rending me in pieces, while there is none to deliver.
3O LORD my God, if I have done this:
If there is iniquity in my hands,
4If I have repaid evil to him who was at peace with me,
Or have plundered my enemy without cause,
5Let the enemy pursue me and overtake me;
Yes, let him trample my life to the earth,
And lay my honor in the dust.
Selah
6Arise, O LORD, in Your anger;
Lift Yourself up because of the rage of my enemies;
Rise up for mea to the judgment You have commanded!
7So the congregation of the peoples shall surround You;
For their sakes, therefore, return on high.
8The LORD shall judge the peoples;
Judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness,
And according to my integrity within me.
9Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end,
But establish the just;
For the righteous God tests the hearts and minds.
10My defense is of God,
Who saves the upright in heart.
11God is a just judge,
And God is angry with the wicked every day.
12If he does not turn back,
He will sharpen His sword;
He bends His bow and makes it ready.
13He also prepares for Himself instruments of death;
He makes His arrows into fiery shafts.
14Behold, the wicked brings forth iniquity;
Yes, he conceives trouble and brings forth falsehood.
15He made a pit and dug it out,
And has fallen into the ditch which he made.
16His trouble shall return upon his own head,
And his violent dealing shall come down on his own crown.
17I will praise the LORD according to His righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.
The Glory of the LORD in Creation
To the Chief Musician. On the instrument of Gath.a A Psalm of David.
O LORD, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth,
Who have set Your glory above the heavens!
2Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants
You have ordained strength,
Because of Your enemies,
That You may silence the enemy and the avenger.
3When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,
4What is man that You are mindful of him,
And the son of man that You visit him?
5For You have made him a little lower than the angels,a
And You have crowned him with glory and honor.
6You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things under his feet,
7All sheep and oxen—
Even the beasts of the field,
8The birds of the air,
And the fish of the sea
That pass through the paths of the seas.
9O LORD, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth!
Prayer and Thanksgiving for the LORD’s Righteous Judgments
To the Chief Musician. To the tune of “Death of the Son.”a A Psalm of David.
I will praise You, O LORD, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
2I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.
3When my enemies turn back,
They shall fall and perish at Your presence.
4For You have maintained my right and my cause;
You sat on the throne judging in righteousness.
5You have rebuked the nations,
You have destroyed the wicked;
You have blotted out their name forever and ever.
6O enemy, destructions are finished forever!
And you have destroyed cities;
Even their memory has perished.
7But the LORD shall endure forever;
He has prepared His throne for judgment.
8He shall judge the world in righteousness,
And He shall administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness.
9The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed,
A refuge in times of trouble.
10And those who know Your name will put their trust in You;
For You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.
11Sing praises to the LORD, who dwells in Zion!
Declare His deeds among the people.
12When He avenges blood, He remembers them;
He does not forget the cry of the humble.
13Have mercy on me, O LORD!
Consider my trouble from those who hate me,
You who lift me up from the gates of death,
14That I may tell of all Your praise
In the gates of the daughter of Zion.
I will rejoice in Your salvation.
15The nations have sunk down in the pit which they made;
In the net which they hid, their own foot is caught.
16The LORD is a known by the judgment He executes;
The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands.
Meditation.a
Selah
17The wicked shall be turned into hell,
And all the nations that forget God.
18For the needy shall not always be forgotten;
The expectation of the poor shall not perish forever.
19Arise, O LORD,
Do not let man prevail;
Let the nations be judged in Your sight.
20Put them in fear, O LORD,
That the nations may know themselves to be but men.
Selah
A Song of Confidence in God’s Triumph over Evil
Why do You stand afar off, O LORD?
Why do You hide in times of trouble?
2The wicked in his pride persecutes the poor;
Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised.
3For the wicked boasts of his heart’s desire;
He blesses the greedy and renounces the LORD.
4The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God;
God is in none of his thoughts.
5His ways are always prospering;
Your judgments are far above, out of his sight;
As for all his enemies, he sneers at them.
6He has said in his heart, “I shall not be moved;
I shall never be in adversity.”
7His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and oppression;
Under his tongue is trouble and iniquity.
8He sits in the lurking places of the villages;
In the secret places he murders the innocent;
His eyes are secretly fixed on the helpless.
9He lies in wait secretly, as a lion in his den;
He lies in wait to catch the poor;
He catches the poor when he draws him into his net.
10So he crouches, he lies low,
That the helpless may fall by his strength.
11He has said in his heart,
“God has forgotten;
He hides His face;
He will never see.”
12Arise, O LORD!
O God, lift up Your hand!
Do not forget the humble.
13Why do the wicked renounce God?
He has said in his heart,
“You will not require an account.”
14But You have seen, for You observe trouble and grief,
To repay it by Your hand.
The helpless commits himself to You;
You are the helper of the fatherless.
15Break the arm of the wicked and the evil man;
Seek out his wickedness until You find none.
16The LORD is King forever and ever;
The nations have perished out of His land.
17LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble;
You will prepare their heart;
You will cause Your ear to hear,
18To do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed,
That the man of the earth may oppress no more.
Faith in the LORD’s Righteousness
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
In the LORD I put my trust;
How can you say to my soul,
“Flee as a bird to your mountain”?
2For look! The wicked bend their bow,
They make ready their arrow on the string,
That they may shoot secretly at the upright in heart.
3If the foundations are destroyed,
What can the righteous do?
4The LORD is in His holy temple,
The LORD’s throne is in heaven;
His eyes behold,
His eyelids test the sons of men.
5The LORD tests the righteous,
But the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates.
6Upon the wicked He will rain coals;
Fire and brimstone and a burning wind
Shall be the portion of their cup.
7For the LORD is righteous,
He loves righteousness;
His countenance beholds the upright.a
Man’s Treachery and God’s Constancy
To the Chief Musician. On an eight-stringed harp.a A Psalm of David.
Help, LORD, for the godly man ceases!
For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men.
2They speak idly everyone with his neighbor;
With flattering lips and a double heart they speak.
3May the LORD cut off all flattering lips,
And the tongue that speaks proud things,
4Who have said,
“With our tongue we will prevail;
Our lips are our own;
Who is lord over us?”
5“For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy,
Now I will arise,” says the LORD;
“I will set him in the safety for which he yearns.”
6The words of the LORD are pure words,
Like silver tried in a furnace of earth,
Purified seven times.
7You shall keep them, O LORD,
You shall preserve them from this generation forever.
8The wicked prowl on every side,
When vileness is exalted among the sons of men.
Trust in the Salvation of the LORD
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever?
How long will You hide Your face from me?
2How long shall I take counsel in my soul,
Having sorrow in my heart daily?
How long will my enemy be exalted over me?
3Consider and hear me, O LORD my God;
Enlighten my eyes,
Lest I sleep the sleep of death;
4Lest my enemy say,
“I have prevailed against him”;
Lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved.
5But I have trusted in Your mercy;
My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.
6I will sing to the LORD,
Because He has dealt bountifully with me.
Folly of the Godless, and God’s Final Triumph
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
The fool has said in his heart,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt,
They have done abominable works,
There is none who does good.
2The LORD looks down from heaven upon the children of men,
To see if there are any who understand, who seek God.
3They have all turned aside,
They have together become corrupt;
There is none who does good,
No, not one.
4Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge,
Who eat up my people as they eat bread,
And do not call on the LORD?
5There they are in great fear,
For God is with the generation of the righteous.
6You shame the counsel of the poor,
But the LORD is his refuge.
7Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion!
When the LORD brings back the captivity of His people,
Let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad.
The Character of Those Who May Dwell with the LORD
A Psalm of David.
LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle?
Who may dwell in Your holy hill?
2He who walks uprightly,
And works righteousness,
And speaks the truth in his heart;
3He who does not backbite with his tongue,
Nor does evil to his neighbor,
Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend;
4In whose eyes a vile person is despised,
But he honors those who fear the LORD;
He who swears to his own hurt and does not change;
5He who does not put out his money at usury,
Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things shall never be moved.
The Hope of the Faithful, and the Messiah’s Victory
A Michtam of David.
Preserve me, O God, for in You I put my trust.
2O my soul, you have said to the LORD,
“You are my Lord,
My goodness is nothing apart from You.”
3As for the saints who are on the earth,
“They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.”
4Their sorrows shall be multiplied who hasten after another god;
Their drink offerings of blood I will not offer,
Nor take up their names on my lips.
5O LORD, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You maintain my lot.
6The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Yes, I have a good inheritance.
7I will bless the LORD who has given me counsel;
My heart also instructs me in the night seasons.
8I have set the LORD always before me;
Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.
9Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will rest in hope.
10For You will not leave my soul in Sheol,
Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.
11You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Prayer with Confidence in Final Salvation
A Prayer of David.
Hear a just cause, O LORD,
Attend to my cry;
Give ear to my prayer which is not from deceitful lips.
2Let my vindication come from Your presence;
Let Your eyes look on the things that are upright.
3You have tested my heart;
You have visited me in the night;
You have tried me and have found nothing;
I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.
4Concerning the works of men,
By the word of Your lips,
I have kept away from the paths of the destroyer.
5Uphold my steps in Your paths,
That my footsteps may not slip.
6I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God;
Incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech.
7Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand,
O You who save those who trust in You
From those who rise up against them.
8Keep me as the apple of Your eye;
Hide me under the shadow of Your wings,
9From the wicked who oppress me,
From my deadly enemies who surround me.
10They have closed up their fat hearts;
With their mouths they speak proudly.
11They have now surrounded us in our steps;
They have set their eyes, crouching down to the earth,
12As a lion is eager to tear his prey,
And like a young lion lurking in secret places.
13Arise, O LORD,
Confront him, cast him down;
Deliver my life from the wicked with Your sword,
14With Your hand from men, O LORD,
From men of the world who have their portion in this life,
And whose belly You fill with Your hidden treasure.
They are satisfied with children,
And leave the rest of their possession for their babes.
15As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness;
I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.
God the Sovereign Savior
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David the servant of the LORD, who spoke to the LORD the words of this song on the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. And he said:
I will love You, O LORD, my strength.
2The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
My God, my strength, in whom I will trust;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised;
So shall I be saved from my enemies.
4The pangs of death surrounded me,
And the floods of ungodliness made me afraid.
5The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me;
The snares of death confronted me.
6In my distress I called upon the LORD,
And cried out to my God;
He heard my voice from His temple,
And my cry came before Him, even to His ears.
7Then the earth shook and trembled;
The foundations of the hills also quaked and were shaken,
Because He was angry.
8Smoke went up from His nostrils,
And devouring fire from His mouth;
Coals were kindled by it.
9He bowed the heavens also, and came down
With darkness under His feet.
10And He rode upon a cherub, and flew;
He flew upon the wings of the wind.
11He made darkness His secret place;
His canopy around Him was dark waters
And thick clouds of the skies.
12From the brightness before Him,
His thick clouds passed with hailstones and coals of fire.
13The LORD thundered from heaven,
And the Most High uttered His voice,
Hailstones and coals of fire.a
14He sent out His arrows and scattered the foe,
Lightnings in abundance, and He vanquished them.
15Then the channels of the sea were seen,
The foundations of the world were uncovered
At Your rebuke, O LORD,
At the blast of the breath of Your nostrils.
16He sent from above, He took me;
He drew me out of many waters.
17He delivered me from my strong enemy,
From those who hated me,
For they were too strong for me.
18They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
But the LORD was my support.
19He also brought me out into a broad place;
He delivered me because He delighted in me.
20The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness;
According to the cleanness of my hands
He has recompensed me.
21For I have kept the ways of the LORD,
And have not wickedly departed from my God.
22For all His judgments were before me,
And I did not put away His statutes from me.
23I was also blameless before Him,
And I kept myself from my iniquity.
24Therefore the LORD has recompensed me according to my righteousness,
According to the cleanness of my hands in His sight.
25With the merciful You will show Yourself merciful;
With a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless;
26With the pure You will show Yourself pure;
And with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd.
27For You will save the humble people,
But will bring down haughty looks.
28For You will light my lamp;
The LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.
29For by You I can run against a troop,
By my God I can leap over a wall.
30As for God, His way is perfect;
The word of the LORD is proven;
He is a shield to all who trust in Him.
31For who is God, except the LORD?
And who is a 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 deer,
And sets me on my high places.
34He teaches my hands to make war,
So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35You have also given me the shield of Your salvation;
Your right hand has held me up,
Your gentleness has made me great.
36You enlarged my path under me,
So my feet did not slip.
37I have pursued my enemies and overtaken them;
Neither did I turn back again till they were destroyed.
38I have wounded them,
So that they could not rise;
They have fallen under my feet.
39For You have armed me with strength for the battle;
You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.
40You have also given me the necks of my enemies,
So that I destroyed those who hated me.
41They cried out, but there was none to save;
Even to the LORD, but He did not answer them.
42Then I beat them as fine as the dust before the wind;
I cast them out like dirt in the streets.
43You have delivered me from the strivings of the people;
You have made me the head of the nations;
A people I have not known shall serve me.
44As soon as they hear of me they obey me;
The foreigners submit to me.
45The foreigners fade away,
And come frightened from their hideouts.
46The LORD lives!
Blessed be my Rock!
Let the God of my salvation be exalted.
47It is God who avenges me,
And subdues the peoples under me;
48He delivers me from my enemies.
You also lift me up above those who rise against me;
You have delivered me from the violent man.
49Therefore I will give thanks to You, O LORD, among the Gentiles,
And sing praises to Your name.
50Great deliverance He gives to His king,
And shows mercy to His anointed,
To David and his descendants forevermore.
The Perfect Revelation of the LORD
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows His handiwork.
2Day unto day utters speech,
And night unto night reveals knowledge.
3There is no speech nor language
Where their voice is not heard.
4Their linea has gone out through all the earth,
And their words to the end of the world.
In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun,
5Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
And rejoices like a strong man to run its race.
6Its rising is from one end of heaven,
And its circuit to the other end;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.
7The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;
8The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;
9The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
10More to be desired are they than gold,
Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
11Moreover by them Your servant is warned,
And in keeping them there is great reward.
12Who can understand his errors?
Cleanse me from secret faults.
13Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins;
Let them not have dominion over me.
Then I shall be blameless,
And I shall be innocent of great transgression.
14Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.
The Assurance of God’s Saving Work
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble;
May the name of the God of Jacob defend you;
2May He send you help from the sanctuary,
And strengthen you out of Zion;
3May He remember all your offerings,
And accept your burnt sacrifice.
Selah
4May He grant you according to your heart’s desire,
And fulfill all your purpose.
5We will rejoice in your salvation,
And in the name of our God we will set up our banners!
May the LORD fulfill all your petitions.
6Now I know that the LORD saves His anointed;
He will answer him from His holy heaven
With the saving strength of His right hand.
7Some trust in chariots, and some in horses;
But we will remember the name of the LORD our God.
8They have bowed down and fallen;
But we have risen and stand upright.
9Save, LORD!
May the King answer us when we call.
Joy in the Salvation of the LORD
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
The king shall have joy in Your strength, O LORD;
And in Your salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!
2You have given him his heart’s desire,
And have not withheld the request of his lips.
Selah
3For You meet him with the blessings of goodness;
You set a crown of pure gold upon his head.
4He asked life from You, and You gave it to him—
Length of days forever and ever.
5His glory is great in Your salvation;
Honor and majesty You have placed upon him.
6For You have made him most blessed forever;
You have made him exceedingly glad with Your presence.
7For the king trusts in the LORD,
And through the mercy of the Most High he shall not be moved.
8Your hand will find all Your enemies;
Your right hand will find those who hate You.
9You shall make them as a fiery oven in the time of Your anger;
The LORD shall swallow them up in His wrath,
And the fire shall devour them.
10Their offspring You shall destroy from the earth,
And their descendants from among the sons of men.
11For they intended evil against You;
They devised a plot which they are not able to perform.
12Therefore You will make them turn their back;
You will make ready Your arrows on Your string toward their faces.
13Be exalted, O LORD, in Your own strength!
We will sing and praise Your power.
The Suffering, Praise, and Posterity of the Messiah
To the Chief Musician. Set to “The Deer of the Dawn.”a A Psalm of David.
My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?
Why are You so far from helping Me,
And from the words of My groaning?
2O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear;
And in the night season, and am not silent.
3But You are holy,
Enthroned in the praises of Israel.
4Our fathers trusted in You;
They trusted, and You delivered them.
5They cried to You, and were delivered;
They trusted in You, and were not ashamed.
6But I am a worm, and no man;
A reproach of men, and despised by the people.
7All those who see Me ridicule Me;
They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,
8“He trusteda in the LORD, let Him rescue Him;
Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!”
9But You are He who took Me out of the womb;
You made Me trust while on My mother’s breasts.
10I was cast upon You from birth.
From My mother’s womb
You have been My God.
11Be not far from Me,
For trouble is near;
For there is none to help.
12Many bulls have surrounded Me;
Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled Me.
13They gape at Me with their mouths,
Like a raging and roaring lion.
14I am poured out like water,
And all My bones are out of joint;
My heart is like wax;
It has melted within Me.
15My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
And My tongue clings to My jaws;
You have brought Me to the dust of death.
16For dogs have surrounded Me;
The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me.
They pierceda My hands and My feet;
17I can count all My bones.
They look and stare at Me.
18They divide My garments among them,
And for My clothing they cast lots.
19But You, O LORD, do not be far from Me;
O My Strength, hasten to help Me!
20Deliver Me from the sword,
My precious life from the power of the dog.
21Save Me from the lion’s mouth
And from the horns of the wild oxen!
You have answered Me.
22I will declare Your name to My brethren;
In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.
23You who fear the LORD, praise Him!
All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him,
And fear Him, all you offspring of Israel!
24For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted;
Nor has He hidden His face from Him;
But when He cried to Him, He heard.
25My praise shall be of You in the great assembly;
I will pay My vows before those who fear Him.
26The poor shall eat and be satisfied;
Those who seek Him will praise the LORD.
Let your heart live forever!
27All the ends of the world
Shall remember and turn to the LORD,
And all the families of the nations
Shall worship before You.a
28For the kingdom is the LORD’s,
And He rules over the nations.
29All the prosperous of the earth
Shall eat and worship;
All those who go down to the dust
Shall bow before Him,
Even he who cannot keep himself alive.
30A posterity shall serve Him.
It will be recounted of the Lord to the next generation,
31They will come and declare His righteousness to a people who will be born,
That He has done this.
The LORD the Shepherd of His People
A Psalm of David.
The LORD is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
2He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
3He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.
4Yea, 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 runs over.
6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwella in the house of the LORD
Forever.
The King of Glory and His Kingdom
A Psalm of David.
The earth is the LORD’s, and all its fullness,
The world and those who dwell therein.
2For He has founded it upon the seas,
And established it upon the waters.
3Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD?
Or who may stand in His holy place?
4He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol,
Nor sworn deceitfully.
5He shall receive blessing from the LORD,
And righteousness from the God of his salvation.
6This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him,
Who seek Your face.
Selah
7Lift up your heads, O you gates!
And be lifted up, you everlasting doors!
And the King of glory shall 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 up, you everlasting doors!
And the King of glory shall come in.
10Who is this King of glory?
The LORD of hosts,
He is the King of glory.
Selah
A Plea for Deliverance and Forgiveness
A Psalm of David.
To You, O LORD, I lift up my soul.
2O my God, I trust in You;
Let me not be ashamed;
Let not my enemies triumph over me.
3Indeed, let no one who waits on You be ashamed;
Let those be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause.
4Show me Your ways, O LORD;
Teach me Your paths.
5Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day.
6Remember, O LORD, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they are from of old.
7Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness’ sake, O LORD.
8Good and upright is the LORD;
Therefore He teaches sinners in the way.
9The humble He guides in justice,
And the humble He teaches His way.
10All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth,
To such as keep His covenant and His testimonies.
11For Your name’s sake, O LORD,
Pardon my iniquity, for it is great.
12Who is the man that fears the LORD?
Him shall Hea teach in the way Heb chooses.
13He himself shall dwell in prosperity,
And his descendants shall inherit the earth.
14The secret of the LORD is with those who fear Him,
And He will show them His covenant.
15My eyes are ever toward the LORD,
For He shall pluck my feet out of the net.
16Turn Yourself to me, and have mercy on me,
For I am desolate and afflicted.
17The troubles of my heart have enlarged;
Bring me out of my distresses!
18Look on my affliction and my pain,
And forgive all my sins.
19Consider my enemies, for they are many;
And they hate me with cruel hatred.
20Keep my soul, and deliver me;
Let me not be ashamed, for I put my trust in You.
21Let integrity and uprightness preserve me,
For I wait for You.
22Redeem Israel, O God,
Out of all their troubles!
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