Psalm 72

(For Solomon)

O God, endow upon the king your justice
And upon the king’s son your righteousness.
May he judge your people with equity
And be fair to the poor and the oppressed.
May the mountains bring peace to the people,
And the hills bear the fruits of righteousness.

He will bring justice to people who are poor,
He will save the children of the needy,
And break into pieces their oppressors.
May they revere you as long as the sun shines,
And the moon remains — through the generations.

May he fall like the rain on new-mown grass,
A gentle shower that waters the earth.
During his reign the righteous will flourish
And peace abound, till the moon is no more.
May he have dominion from sea to sea,
From the river to the ends of the earth.
May the desert nomads bow before him
And his foes prostrate themselves in the dust.
May the kings of Tarshish and the coastlands
Bring him tribute and the kings of the East,
From Sheba and Seba, offer him gifts.
Indeed, may all the kings bow down before him,
And all the nations of the world serve him.

He will save the needy when they cry out to him,
The afflicted, too, who have no one to help them.
He is compassionate to the weak and the poor,
And will save the lives of the poverty-stricken.
He will rescue them from oppression and violence,
Because their life’s blood is valued, precious in his sight.

Long may he live!  May the gold of Sheba
Be given him.  May the people pray for him
Continually and bless him all the day.
May there be throughout the land a plenitude
Of grain, growing even on the mountain tops,
Fruit trees flourishing, like those of Lebanon,
And city folk thriving like fields of grass.

May his name endure forever
And live on as long as the sun
May all the nations be blest through him
And let all nations call him blest.
Blessed is the god Jehovah,
The god of Israel who alone
Performs wonders and miracles.
Praise his glorious name forever.
And may the entire earth be filled
With his glory.  Amen and Amen.

(Thus concludes the prayer of David, son of Jesse).

Psalm 71

In you, O Jehovah, have I found refuge.
Let me never be put to confusion.
With your justice deliver me, rescue me,
Incline your ear to me and set me free.
May you be my refuge among the rocks,
Where I may always find sanctuary.
Give the command for my deliverance,
For you are to me a rock and a fortress.

Save me, my god, from the power of the wicked, From the cruel clutches of ruthless oppressors.
You’ve been my hope since childhood, O Master Jehovah.
Even before my birth I have relied on you;
It is you who delivered me from my mother’s womb,
And so my praise of you will be continuous.
I have become a source of wonder to many,
Because you are my indestructible refuge.
I voice your praise and proclaim your glory all the day.

Do not cast me aside when I grow old;
Do not abandon me when my health declines.
For my enemies conspire against me,
And together they lay in wait to kill me.
They claim, “God has forsaken him, so let’s go
And take him, for there is none to save him.”

O God, be not removed from me.
Come quickly to help me, my god.
Let those who seek to harm my body
Be brought to disgrace and destruction;
Let them be covered with scorn and shame,
Those who wish evil upon me.

As for me, I keep on hoping
And I will praise you more and more.
My voice will recount your righteousness
And your acts of salvation all day,
Though all of them I cannot know.

I will come and proclaim your mighty deeds,
O Master Jehovah, and make mention
Of the righteousness that is yours alone.
O God, from my youth you have instructed me,
And since then I have made known your wonders.
So, even when I be old and gray, O God,
Do not forsake me till I can demonstrate
Your power to the next generation,
Your might to everyone that is to come.
Your justice, O God, extends to the heights.
Because you have performed acts of such greatness
Who indeed can be compared to you, O God?

Hardships, many and severe, have you shown me,
But, once more, you will return to revive me 
And raise me up from the depths of the earth.
You will restore to me greater honors
And give me comfort from every side.

I will praise you with music of the harp,
Because of your faithfulness, O my god;
I will sing your accolades, accompanied
By the lyre, O Holy One of Israel.

My lips shout out with joy to praise you,
For you have achieved my salvation.
My tongue tells of your justice all day,
For confounded and put to shame
Are those who sought my destruction.

Psalm 70

Hasten to deliver me, O God,
Come quickly to save me, Jehovah.
Let those who seek to take my life
Be put to shame and bewildered;
Let those who delight in my ruin
Be put to retreat and disgraced.
Let those who declare, “Aha! Aha!”
Be turned back because of their disgrace.

May all who seek you be filled with joy
And be delighted because of you.
May all who love your salvation
Shout “God is great” again and again.

But I am poor and destitute.
So come to me quickly, O God.
You are my help and deliverer.
Do not delay, O Jehovah!

Psalm 69

Save me, O God, for the waters of the flood
Have risen to my neck, and I have sunk
Into the mud on which there is no footing.
In deep water, the deluge overwhelms me.
I am exhausted and my throat is sore
From shouts; my eyesight fails waiting for my god.

More than the number of the hairs on my head
Are those who hate me without any cause.
Mighty, they seek to destroy me with lies:
What I did not steal, they demand I restore.

O God, you know my foolishness;
My sins are not hidden from you.
Let not those who put their faith in you
Be ashamed on account of me, 
O Lord Jehovah, god of armies,
Let not those seek you be disgraced
Because of me, God of Israel.
For your sake I have borne reproach
And shame is written on my face.
I am a stranger to my brothers,
An alien to my mother’s sons.
For I am consumed with devotion
To your temple and the words of those
Who insult you fall upon me.
When I weep and chasten my body
With fasting, it brings scorn upon me.
And when I garb myself in sackcloth,
I am an object of ridicule.
Those who sit at the city gate
Find me a topic of gossip,
While drunkards sing songs about me.

But as for me, at the propitious time,
I make my prayer to you, O Jehovah;
In your bounteous, faithful love, O God,
Answer me with your certain salvation.
Save me from the mud, do not let me sink,
Spare me from my enemies, those who hate me,
And deliver me from the deep waters.
Do not let the flood waters engulf me,
The depths swallow me, the pit devour me.
Answer me, O Jehovah, in the goodness
Of your loving kindness; look upon me
In accord with your many acts of mercy.

Hide not from your servant,
For I am in dire distress.
Please answer me quickly!
Come near and rescue me;
Save me from my enemies!

You know how I’m reproached, shamed, and dishonored;
All my adversaries are known to you.
Insults have broken my heart; I’m despondent.
I search for sympathy, but there is none;
I look for one to comfort me, but in vain.
Instead, they give me gall to eat as food,
And when I’m thirsty, vinegar to drink.

May the table set before them be a snare
May it be their retribution, a trap.
Let their eyes be darkened so they cannot see,
And may their bodies continually shake.
Pour out your indignation upon them.
Let the fierceness of your rage take hold of them.
Let their encampment become desolate
And let there be none to dwell in their tents.
They persecute those whom you have struck down
And recount the pain of those you have wounded.
For crime after crime, let them be punished.
Let them not receive your vindication.
May they be erased from the Book of Life;
Let them not be counted among the righteous.

But I am sore afflicted and suffering.
Let your salvation, O God, raise me on high.
I will extol the name of God in song
And I will exalt him with thanksgiving.
This will please Jehovah more than cattle,
Or a young bullock with its horns and hooves.
The humble will see this and be gladdened
And those who seek the help of God will take heart,
For Jehovah hears the pleas of the needy
And does not despise his people in bondage.

Praise him, heaven and earth, and the sea
And all the creatures that swim in it,
For God will deliver Zion
And rebuild the cities of Judah,
So that the people may dwell there
And possess it as a legacy.
The descendants of his servants
Will claim it as an inheritance
And those who love his name will live there.

Psalm 68

Let God rise up and scatter his enemies;
Let those who hate him flee from his presence.
Disperse them as wind blows away the smoke.
As the melting of wax before a fire,
The wicked perish in the presence of God.

But the righteous are gladdened and rejoice
Before God.  Let them celebrate with joy!
Sing out to God; sing praises to his name.
Extol the one who rides upon the clouds.
His name is Jehovah.  Exult before him.

A fatherless to the fatherless,
And a protector of widows,
Is God in his holy dwelling.

God makes a home for those who are lonely;
He frees prisoners and makes them prosper,
But the defiant live in a sun-baked land.

When you were at the head of your people
And marched with them through the desert, O God,
The earth quaked and the heavens poured down rain,
Before God, (the god that made Sinai tremble),
Before the presence of Israel’s god.
You sent down rain in abundance, O God,
To refresh your worn-out inheritance.
You settled our people on it, O God,
And your bounty provided for the poor.
It is Jehovah who proclaims the message 
And the ones who spread it is a multitude.
The marshals of armies take flight and flee,
While the women at home divide the spoils.
Even those who live amid the sheep pens
Are as doves whose wings are sheathed in silver
And whose pinions are of glittering gold.

When the Almighty did scatter the kings,
It was like the snow blowing off Mount Zalmon.
The mount of God is the mount of Bashan;
The mount of peaks is the mount of Bashan.
Why do you, O mount of peaks, gaze with envy,
At the mount where God has chosen to dwell,
Where Jehovah will reside forever?

The chariots of God are numberless,
Thousands upon thousands, and among them
Is Jehovah, from his sanctum in Sinai.
When you ascended the holy mountain
You led slaves whom you’d freed from captivity.
You accepted offerings from your people,
Even from those who had been rebellious,
So Jehovah their god might dwell among them.

Praise be to Jehovah, who, day by day,
Bears our burdens and is our savior god,
For our god is the god of salvation:
Master Jehovah deliveries us from death.

Surely God will surely crush the skulls of his enemies,
Even the hairy scalps of those who persist in sin.
Jehovah declared, “I will bring them back from Bashan,
I will bring them back from the depths of the ocean.
And you will dip your feet in your enemy’s blood.
(The tongues of your dogs will lick their share of the blood).

They have witnessed your procession, O God,
That of my god, my king, into the sanctuary.
In the fore are the singers, and then the musicians,
And, with them, young women playing their tambourines.

In the congregation bless God, Jehovah,
Who is the fountainhead of Israel.
Leading them is Benjamin, the youngest,
And among the throng, the princes of Judah.
The princes of Zebulun and Naphtali.
Muster your might, O God, show us the strength,
O God, that you have long used on our behalf.
Because of your temple in Jerusalem,
The kings of the earth will bring you tribute.

Rebuke the wild beasts that dwell in the reeds,
The herd of bulls that lead the people like calves,
Humbled, may they bring silver as tribute.
Disperse the nations that take pleasure in war.
Mighty princes will come out of Egypt;
Cush will reach out in submission to God.

Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth,
Sing praises to Master Jehovah,
He who rides across the heavens,
As he has done from ancient times,
Thundering with a mighty voice.
Recognize the power of God,
His mastery over Israel,
His strength showing itself in the clouds.

God inspires awe from his sanctuary.
To his people the god of Israel
Entrusts power and strength.  Thanks be to God!

Psalm 67

May God be gracious and bless us
And may his face shine upon us,
So those on earth may know his ways
And all the nations find salvation.

Let the people praise you, O God.
Indeed, let all the peoples praise you!

Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
Because you rule the people with justice
And give guidance to the nations of the earth.

Let the people praise you, O God.
Indeed, let all the peoples praise you!

The land yields its harvest,
And God, our god, blesses us!
God shall indeed bless us
And all the world will fear him.

Psalm 66

May all the world shout out in joy to God.
Sing his glorious name with glorious praise.
Exclaim to God, “How awesome are your deeds.
Your enemies, because of your great power,
Cower in your presence and submit to you.
All the earth worships you and sings your praises;
They shall shout out glorious songs in your name."

Come and behold the wondrous works of God,
His awe-inspiring deeds done for mankind.
He turned the sea to dry land so they might pass
Through the flood on foot — We rejoiced in him then.
By his great power he rules forever
And keeps an eye on the nations of the world.
Let not the rebellious rise up against him!

Let all the people bless our God;
Let the sound of his praise be heard.
He has kept us among the living
And has seen our feet do not slip,
For you, God, has put us to the test
And has refined us like silver.
You had lured us into bondage
And laid heavy burdens on our backs.
You allowed men to rule over us.
You brought us through the fire and flood —
But led us to a land of plenty.

I come to your temple with burnt offerings
So that I might fulfill the vows I made to you,
Vows my lips spoke when I was in distress.
And so I offer fattened animals
As burnt offerings, the aroma of rams,
Bullocks and billy goats as sacrifices.

Come and hear, all who revere God.
I will tell what he has done for me.
From my mouth I cried to him for help.
And his praises were on my tongue.
If I cherished iniquity
And harbored evil in my heart,
Jehovah would not have listened,
But certainly God has heard me
And heeded the voice of my prayer.

Praise to God!  He did not reject my prayer
Nor withdraw his merciful love from me.

Psalm 65

What praise awaits you in Zion, O God!
The vows we made to you will be fulfilled.
Hear our prayers and all men will come to you.
We were burdened by our iniquities,
But you atoned for all our transgressions.

Blessed are those that you have chosen,
Those you have invited to live
In the courtyards of your palace.
They will be filled with the bounty
Of your house, your holy temple.
When it is just, you answer our prayers
With wondrous acts, O God, our Savior.
You bring hope to the ends of the earth
And to those beyond the farthest seas.

By your great strength you have raised the mountains.
Possessed with might, you calm the roaring seas,
The crash of waves, the tumult of nations.
From one end of the world to another
People view with awe your miracles.
From where morning dawns to where the sun sets
You elicit cries of jubilation.

You visit and nurture the earth,
You water it and make it fertile.
(The river of God overflows).
In this way you prepare the earth
To provide its people with grain.
You drench with water the plowed furrows
Until it reaches its ridges.
You soften them with showers of rain,
And you bless the sprouts that spring up.
You cap the year with your bounty —
Carts overflowing with the harvest,
The desert grasslands a lush pasture,
And the hillside blossoming with joy.
Meadows covered with flocks of sheep,
And the valleys covered with grain.
They shout in gladness, and, yes, they sing!

Psalm 64

Hear my voice, O God, listen to my supplication:
Protect my life from the threats of the enemy.
Conceal me from the secret plots of the wicked,
From the gangs of iniquitous evildoers.

They sharpen their tongues as if they were swords
And aim like arrows their cruel, bitter words.
From ambush they shoot at the innocent,
Without warning or fear of retribution.
Egging each other on in their evil plots,
They share talk of setting their hidden snares
And boast, “Who will be able to detect them?”
They search for the means to commit their crimes
And declare, “We have devised the perfect plan!”
Cunning indeed is the human heart and mind.

But God will shoot them down with his arrows
And in a moment they will be wounded.
He will use their own words to ruin them:
All who see them will shake their heads in scorn.
Alarmed, all will recognize the work of God
And consider how wisely he has acted.
The righteous will rejoice in Jehovah.
And in Jehovah will they take refuge
And all those upright of heart shall glory.

Psalm 63

(A psalm written by David when he was in the desert of Judah)

You, O God, are my god.  Earnestly do I seek you.
My soul longs for you; my body thirsts for you as if
In a parched and arid land where there is no water.

I’ve seen you in the Sanctuary
And beheld your power and glory.
Better than life is your faithful love,
And so with my lips I praise you.
I will praise you as long as I live,
In your name, lifting my hands in prayer.
You leave my spirit satisfied
Like a rich and fattening feast.
My mouth will praise you with joyous lips.
Lying awake upon my bed,
I remember you and meditate
Through all the hours of the night.
Since you are my help, I rejoice
Beneath the shadow of your wings.

My soul clings to you; your right hand holds me up.
Those who seek to kill me will be destroyed
And consigned to the very depths of the earth.
They will fall by the power of the sword;
Their corpses will be food for the jackals.

But the king will rejoice in God
And those that trust in him will exult,
For the mouth of liars will be shut.

Psalm 62

My soul in silence waits for God alone,
For it is from him that comes my salvation.
For only he is my rock and my savior,
My fortress from which I cannot be moved.

How long will you plot a man’s destruction,
Will you then topple him as if he were
A leaning wall or a tottering fence?
They do plan to topple me from my high place.
They find delight in telling lies about me.
With their mouths they bless, but inwardly they curse.

For God alone my soul waits in silence,
And it is in him that I place my hopes,
For only he is my rock and my savior,
My fortress from which I cannot be moved.
Upon God rests my salvation and glory;
The rock of my strength, my refuge is God.
Trust in him at all times, O my people.
Confide in him, for God is our haven.

Those of low degree are but a puff of wind,
While those of high estate are full of lies.
Weighed on a scale, together they are nothing,
Together they are lighter than a breath.

Do not rely upon extortion
Or count on stealing to make you rich;
If your wealth does accumulate,
Don’t let it occupy your mind.

God has spoken once and twice have I heard it,
“Power belongs to God and to Jehovah
Is a faithful love that recompenses
Each man according to the work he has done.”

Psalm 61

Hear my plea, O God!  Heed my prayer.
I call you from the ends of the earth
As my heart gives way to despair.
Lead me to the rock higher than me,
For you have been my refuge,
A tower of strength against the foe.
I will dwell in your tent forever,
Safe beneath the shelter of your wings.

For you have heard my promises, O God,
And to me have you given the heritage
That belongs to those who revere your name.
May days be added to the life of the king;
May his years be many generations.
May he be enthroned before God forever
And may your love and faithfulness preserve him.
Then I will ever sing praises to your name,
And I will always fulfill my daily vows.

Psalm 60

(Composed by David when he was engaged in battle with Aramites of Mesopotamia and Syria, and when Joab [David’s nephew and commander of his army] counterattacked and killed 12,000 Edomites in the the Valley of Salt)

O God, you have rejected us,
You have broken down our defenses,
And you have been angry with us;
Now restore us to your favor.

You have shaken the land and split it open.
Seal its cracks, for it is falling apart.
You have made your people suffer hard times;
You have made us drink wine that makes us stagger.
But for those that hold you in reverence
You have flown the flag in the fore of the fray.
That those whom you love may be delivered,
Answer us and save us with your power.
God has spoken from his sanctuary,
“In my triumph I will divide Shechem
And portion out the Valley of Succoth.
Gilead is mine and Manasseh as well.
Ephraim is the helmet for my head,
And Judah, with his scepter, my lawgiver.
Moab is my washbasin and Edom,
I will stand upon to undo my sandals.
Over Philistia I will triumph.”

Who will lead me to the fortified city?
Who is it that will guide me into Edom?
Is it that you have rejected us, O God?
Do you no longer march with our armies?
Give us succor against our enemies,
For the aid of mortals is of no avail.
With the power of God we will conquer:
He will trample down out adversaries!

Psalm 59

(Composed by David when Saul sent men to watch David’s house with the intention of killing him)

Rescue me from my enemies, O my God,
Set me safely above those who attack me.
Deliver me from these evildoers
And save me from those who would shed my blood.
See how they have set an ambush for me!
Ruthless men have attacked me, O Jehovah,
But not for any offense or sin of mine.

Indeed I have done nothing wrong,
But they are poised to assault me.
Awaken and come to my aid!
See what is happening to me.
You, Jehovah, warrior god,
God of Israel, arouse yourself
And punish the heathen nations;
Do not spare these wicked traitors.
They come out at night, howling like dogs,
Prowling the streets of the city.
Listen to what spews from their mouths,
Like swords are the words from their lips,
And they ask, “Who is it that hears us?”
But you, Jehovah, laugh at them
And mock all these heathen nations.

You are my strength; I will wait for you,
For you, O God, are my fortress.
The god who loves me faithfully
Will stand with me, enabling me
To look down upon my enemies.
However, do not kill them or else
My people may forget about them.
With your power scatter them instead
And lay them low, Jehovah, our shield.

For the sinful words of their mouth
And for the evil on their lips,
Let them be trapped by their arrogance --
For they utter curses and lies.
Exterminate them in your wrath
Consume them till they are no more.
Let it be known throughout the world
That it is God who rules Jacob.

They come out at night, howling like dogs,
Prowling the streets of the city.
Up and down they scavenge for food
But growl when they are unsatisfied.

But as for me, I sing of your might.
Every morning I sing with joy
Of your steadfast love and kindness,
For you are my towered fortress,
My refuge in times of trouble.
I sing praises to you, my strength,
For my stronghold is you, O God,
Who gives me his kindness and mercy.

Psalm 58

How can you, when dumb, speak justly?
Do you judge people with fairness?

No, in your heart you practice injustice,
And your hands spread violence across the land.

In the womb the wicked will go astray,
And at birth pursue error and falsehood.
Their poison is like the viper’s venom;
They are a cobra that has stopped its ears
And will not heed the tune of the charmer,
However cunning the enchanter be.

O God, knock their teeth out of their mouths!
Pull out the fangs of the young lions,
O Jehovah, let them disappear
Like water poured on the thirsty ground.
Let their arrows, when shot, be blunted.
Let them be like slugs that melt away,
Like a mother’s miscarried child
That will never see the light of day.
Before your pots will feel the heat
Of the thorns, he will sweep them away,
Whether they be green or burning.

The righteous will rejoice when they see
Vengeance meted out and, they will bathe
Their feet in the blood of the wicked.
Then the people will declare, “Indeed,
There is a reward for the righteous.
And, verily, there is a God
Who dispense justice here on earth."

Psalm 57

(A psalm composed by David when he fled from Saul and hid in a cave)

Have mercy upon me, O God, have mercy,
For in you my soul takes refuge; indeed,
I find shelter in the shadow of your wings
Until the present danger passes by.

I call out to God, the most exalted,
The god who achieves his purpose for me.
He sends help from Heaven and rescues me,
Putting to shame those who tread upon me.

God sends forth his steadfast love and faithfulness.

I am surrounded by lions;
I lie down among those who are on fire.
Although they are the sons of men,
Their teeth are like spears and and arrows,
And their tongues are like sharp swords.

Be exalted, O God, higher than the heavens
And let your glory spread over the entire earth.

They have a rigged a snare for my feet.
(In distress I am discouraged).
They have dug a pit to trap me,
But they have fallen into it.

My mind is resolved, O God, my mind is resolved,
And so I will sing and make music to praise you.
Awaken, my soul!  Awaken, O harp and lyre!
I will awake the dawn!

I will exalt you, O Master, to all the peoples
And sing your praises to every foreign nation,
For your devoted love, it reaches to the skies,
And your faithfulness extends to the very clouds.

Be exalted, O God, higher than the heavens,
And let your glory spread over the entire earth.

Psalm 56

(Composed by David at the time that he was captured by the Philistines in Gath)

Be merciful to me, O God,
For man has trod me under foot
And harassed me each day with assaults.
Indeed, each day my enemies
Would consume me, for there are many
Who have the gall to fight against me.

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.

In God whose word I praise,
In God I put my trust.
Why then should I be afraid?
What can mortals do to me?

Whatever I say, they distort my words.
All their evil thoughts plot my ruination.
In secrecy they conspire against me.
They watch my every step, waiting in ambush.
Shall they get away with their iniquity?
In your wrath, O God, you must bring them down!

You have taken note of my tribulations
And have caught all my tears in your bottle.
Are they not inscribed in your book of records?
The day when I call out to you for help
And my enemies hasten to retreat,
Then I will know that God is on my side.

In God whose word I praise.
(Yes, in you, Jehovah)
In God I put my trust.
Why then should I be afraid?
What can mortals do to me?

I will fulfill my vows to you, O God.
I will make my thank offerings to you,
For you have rescued my body from death
And have prevented my feet from stumbling,
So I can may always walk in your presence,
O God, bathed in the light of the living.

Psalm 55

Listen to my prayer, O God.
Ignore not my plea for help.
Heed and give me an answer,
For my grievance troubles me
And I groan in my distress.

This, because of my enemy’s threats,
The oppression of the wicked;
They rain disaster upon me
And harass me with their hatred.
Within me my heart is in anguish,
The terrors of death overcome me,
A trembling fear is upon me
And horror has overwhelmed me.

I say, “Oh that I had the wings of a dove
For then I could fly away and be at peace.”
Indeed I would then wander far away
And remain in the desert wilderness.
I would hurry to find a place of shelter
That I might escape the gale and the tempest.

Confound the wicked, O Jehovah,
Make their words hard to understand,
For in the city I have seen
Much violence and civil strife.
Day and night a guards patrol its walls,
But the evil and crime is within:
The forces of destruction are there.
Lies and deceit walk down her streets.

It is not an enemy that taunts me.
If it were that, indeed I could bear it;
And if the one who rises up against me
Was someone that hates me, I could hide from him.
But it is you, my equal, my companion,
My bosom friend whose genial fellowship
I enjoyed, when, in the temple of God,
We mingled among the congregation.

My enemies, let death steal upon them,
Let them go to Hell while they are still alive,
For in their homes and hearts they are evil.

As for me, I call to God,
And Jehovah saves me.
Evening, morning, and noon,
Will I cry out and moan
And he shall hear my voice.

He safely delivers my body
From the battle waged against me,
No matter how many oppose me.

God, enthroned from old, will hear them and humble them,
Because they do no change their ways or have fear of God.
He who raises his hand against those at peace with him
Is in violation of his sacred covenant.
Give your cares to Jehovah, and he will sustain you.
He will never permit the righteous to feel terror.

But you, O God, will drag them down
Into the pit of destruction.
The violent and deceitful
Will live out only half their days. ---
But me, I put my trust in you.   

Psalm 54

(A psalm of David composed when the Ziphites came to Saul and informed him that David was hiding amongst them)

Save me, O God, by your name
And defend me with your might.
Listen to my prayer, O God;
Lend an ear to my words.

Strangers have risen against me
And violent men seek my life.
No reverence do they have for God.
But God is my deliverer,
Jehovah who sustains my life.
Let evil recoil on my foes;
Destroy them as you have promised.
I will make sacrifice to you
And with it a free-will offering.
I will thank your name, Jehovah,
For the name of Jehovah is good.
You have saved me from all my troubles;
My eyes look down upon my foes
With triumphant satisfaction.

Psalm 53

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.
People are corrupt and commit vile acts.
There is no one among them that does good.”

God looks down from heaven upon the race of men
To find someone of wisdom who seeks after God.
All have turned away and all have become corrupt,
And there is none that does good, not a single one.

Do the workers of evil have no understanding?
They consume my people as they devour bread,
But in their ignorance they never call upon God.
They are in great terror when there is nothing to fear.
God will scatter the bones of those who attack you.
They will be put to shame, because God has spurned them.

Oh that from Zion would come Israel’s salvation!
When God will free his people from their captivity,
Jacob will rejoice and Israel will be glad.

Psalm 52

(A Psalm by David composed when Doeg the Edomite reported to Saul that David had gone to the house of Ahimelek)

Why do you boast of evil, O man of might?
(The goodness of God endures forever).
You tongue is ever plotting destruction,
Like a sharp razor, a worker of deceit.
You love evil over good, lies over truth.
You love destructive words, O lying tongue.

God will surely bring you down for all time.
He will pluck you, pulling you out of your tent,
Rooting you from the land of the living.

The righteous will see this and be awed.
They will laugh at him and observe,
“Look what has happened to a man
Who did not make God his refuge;
He put his trust in his great wealth
And found his strength in evil deeds.”

But I am like an olive tree
That blossoms in the house of God.
I trust in the loving kindness
Of God forever and ever.
And I will praise you forever
Because of all that you have done.
In the presence of the godly,
I put my hope in your good name.

Psalm 51

(A psalm by King David composed at the time when Nathan confronted him after his adultery with Bathsheba)

Be forgiving of me, O God.
In keeping with your compassion
And your many tender mercies.
Please wipe away my transgressions.
Wash away my iniquity
And purify me of my sin,
For I know that my transgressions,
And my sin is ever present.

Against you, and you alone, have I sinned
And in your eyes have done a wicked thing.
You are justified in your pronouncements,
And your judging of me is without blame.

I was sinful when I was born,
Sinful since my mother conceived me.
But you desire an honest heart
Even in the womb and it was there
That you taught me your hidden wisdom.

Purge me with hyssop and I will be clean.
Wash me and will be whiter than the snow.

Let me hear again sounds of joy and gladness
That the bones you have broken may rejoice.

Turn your face away from my sins
And erase all my iniquities.

Create in me, O God, a heart of virtue.
Renew the devoted spirit within me.
Do not send me away from your presence
Or withdraw your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
And a spirit willing to sustain me.
Then will I teach your ways to transgressors,
So that sinners will be brought back to you.

Save me from the guilt of shedding blood,
O God, the god of my salvation,
And I will extol your righteousness.
Part my lips, O Master Jehovah,
That my mouth may sing your praises.
You do not crave a sacrifice,
Or else I would have brought you one --
Burnt offerings give you no delight.
The sacrifice pleasing to God
Is a bowed and broken spirit,
And you will not reject, O God,
A heart that is humbled and contrite.

At your pleasure, may you favor Zion
And so build up the walls of Jerusalem.
Then you will take delight in sacrifices
Properly made, in the burnt offerings
And the whole burnt offerings when young bulls
Will be sacrificed upon your altar.

Psalm 50

(A psalm by Asaph)

Jehovah, who is the Almighty God, has spoken
He summons from east to west the people of the earth.
God shines from Zion, the paragon of beauty.
Our god comes to us and it is not quietly:
A consuming conflagration rages before him,
And a turbulent tempest swirls all about him.
He calls to the heavens above and the earth below
That all may witness the judgment of his people.

“Gather together all my faithful followers,
Who have pledged themselves to me with a sacrifice.”

The heavens proclaim his justice, for God himself is judge.

“Listen, O my people, and I will speak.
I lay charges against you, O Israel.
I am God, your god.

“I do not reprove you for your sacrifices,
The burnt offerings continually made to me.
I need no bull from your pen, or goat from your fold,
For all the animals of the forest are mine,
Even the cattle that graze on a thousand hills.
I know every bird that flies above the mountain slopes,
And all the creatures that creep in the field are mine.
Should I be hungry, I have no need to tell you,
For the earth and all it contains belongs to me.
Need I eat the meat of bulls or drink the blood of goats?

“Make to God sacrifices of thanksgiving
And fulfill the vows you made to the Most High.
Call upon me when you are in distress.
I will save you and you will honor me.”

But to the wicked, God will say,
“What right have you to quote my laws
Or recite aloud my covenant?
You have refused my instruction
And have turned your back on my words.
If you see a thief, you join with him
And take the part of adulterers.
Your mouth gives vent to words of evil
And your tongue practices deceit.
You sit and speak against your brother
And slander your own mother’s son.

“When you did these things I held my peace,
And you assumed I was just like you.
But I will admonish you now
And lay my charges before you.
You who forget God, ponder these things,
Or else I may tear you apart --
And there will been none to save you.

“Whoever makes a sacrifice to me,
An offering of thanksgiving, honors me.
Whoever orders his conduct aright,
To him I will reveal God’s salvation.”

Psalm 49

(By the descendants of Korah)

Listen to this, all you people!
Lend an ear, all who live in the world,
High and low, rich and poor alike.
From my mouth are words of wisdom,
The meditations of my mind
Are imbued with understanding.
To a proverb I incline my ear,
With a harp I solve a riddle.

Why should I fear the troublous times ahead,
When the evil of my foes surround me?

Those who rely upon their wealth
And boast of their lavish riches,
They cannot redeem their brother man,
Or pay ransom to God for him,
For the price of a man’s redemption
Is dear: one can never pay enough
To prolong a life forever
That it may know not death and decay.
One can surely see that wise men die,
As do the foolish and slow-witted,
Passing on their wealth to others.
The tomb, he thinks, will be his home,
A monument lasting forever.
His estate will always bear his name,
But wealth will not make a man endure,
For, like a beast, he perishes.

Such is the fate of arrogant fools
And those who find wisdom in their words.
They are like sheep led to the tomb,
And their shepherd is death itself.
In the morning of resurrection
Godly men will be placed above them.
Their bodies will rot in the grave
And they will have no habitation.

But as for me, God will redeem my body
From the power of death and receive me.

Do not be impressed when someone becomes rich
And the prestige of his family grows.
For when he dies, he will take nothing with him,
His wealth will not go with him to the grave.
While alive, he regards himself as blessed,
And is praised for having done well for himself,
Yet, he will go down to join his ancestors
And, like them, never see the light again.

Those who have wealth, but not understanding,
Are like the beasts and will, like them, perish.

Psalm 48

(By the descendants of Korah)

How great is Jehovah and worthy of our praise,
In the city of our god, on his holy mountain.
Grand in elevation, a joy to all the earth,
On Mount Zion’s northern slope, lies the great king’s city.
The palaces of God are known as fortresses.
For, behold, when the kings of the earth assembled
And together approached the city, they saw it
And were dazzled and, in fright, beat a hasty retreat.
Panic seized them and pain, like a woman in labor. ---
You smashed them like the ships of Tarshish in an east wind.

As once we heard about it, so now have we seen
The city of Jehovah, the master of armies,
The city of our god, established forever.

Within your temple we contemplate
Upon your loving kindness, O God.
As your name merits, O God, your praise
Extends to the ends of the earth.
With your right hand you wield justice.
(Mount Zion and the towns of Judah
Rejoice because of your judgments).

Examine Zion and walk around it,
Counting the towers of Jerusalem.
Note its ramparts and survey its citadels,
That you may tell future generations.

For this is our god, forever and ever,
And he will guide us even beyond death.

Psalm 47

(By the descendants of Korah)

Come and clap your hands, all you people,
Shout out to God with songs of joy!
Fearsome is Jehovah the Most High,
The great king over all the world,
Conquering the peoples before us,
Crushing nations under our feet.
He chose for us an inheritance,
The pride of Jacob, whom he loved.
God has ascended with a roar,
Jehovah, with a shofar’s blast.
Sing praises to God, sing praises!
Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
For God is King of all the world.
Sing praises to him in a psalm.

God reigns over the heathen realms,
Seated upon his holy throne.
The princes among them assemble
With the people of Abraham’s god,
Charge of their domains lie with God,
So greatly has he been exalted!

Psalm 46

(By the descendants of Korah)

God is our refuge and our strength,
A help to us in times of trouble.
Therefore, we will not be afraid
When the earth will quake and mountains
Tumble into the ocean depths,
When the waters will roar and foam
And mountains tremble and erupt.

There is a river whose streams make glad
The city of God, the holy place,
Tabernacles of the Most High.
God dwells within the midst of it.
It cannot be shaken or toppled:
From the break of day God will guard it.

Nations are in chaos, kingdoms fall.
God raises his voice and the earth melts.

Jehovah’s armies are with us;
The god of Jacob is our fortress.
Come, behold the work of Jehovah,
How he has made desolate the earth.

Throughout the world he brings an end to war;
He snaps the bow and cuts the spear asunder;
He sets aflame the chariots of war.
“Cease fighting, acknowledge that I am God.
I will be honored among the heathens,
Indeed I will be honored throughout the world.”

Jehovah’s armies are with us;
The god of Jacob is our fortress.

Psalm 45

(By the descendants of Korah)

My heart does overflow with glad tidings,
When I recite my verses to the king.
(My tongue is the pen of a skillful scribe).

You are the handsomest of men;
Words of grace proceed from your lips.
God has therefore blessed you forever.

Strap your sword to your side, O Mighty One!
Along with your splendor and your glory.
In your majesty ride forth to victory,
For truth, humility, and righteousness.
Let your right hand perform deeds of wonder.
Sharpen your arrows that impale the hearts
Of those who are enemies of the king,
So that their people will fall beneath your feet.

Your throne, O God, will last forever and ever;
The scepter of your kingdom is one of justice.
You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness.
Therefore, it is you above all others that God,
Your god, has anointed with the oil of gladness.
You robes are fragrant with myrrh, aloes, and cassia.
In palaces of ivory you are entertained.
The daughters of kings serve as your noble ladies;
At your right side stands the queen garbed in gold from Ophir.

Listen, O daughter, pay attention to what I say.
Forget your own people and the house of your father,
For the king will be enamored with your beauty.
Because he is your master, you must submit to him.
The princess of Tyre will come and bring a gift for you.
The rich among the people will seek your favor.
In the palace the princess is magnificent,
Bedecked in garments interwoven with threads of gold.
In this rich raiment she is presented to the king,
And the bridesmaids in her train, will all be brought to you.
They will be brought with jubilation and rejoicing.
As the procession enters the royal palace,
Your sons will assume the places of their fathers,
And you will make them princes, to rule throughout the land.

I will make your name remembered
By generations that are to come.
And all the peoples will give you thanks
For ever and ever.

Psalm 44

O God, with our own ears we have heard
The things our fathers have told us,
All the deeds you did in their day
And what you wrought in olden times.

With your power you drove out the nations,
Harassing and scattering them abroad.
You settled our ancestors on their land.
But it was not by the sword they did conquer,
Nor with their own might achieve victory;
It was done through your power and your might.
With the light of your presence you favored them.

You are my sovereign, O my God!
Decree victories for Jacob!

By your power we repel our enemies;
In your name we tread our foes under foot.

In my bow I place not my trust;
My sword will not deliver me.
It is you who saves us from our foes,
And disgraces those who hate us.
To God we give praise all day long,
And extol your name forever.

But now you have forsaken us,
And have caused us to feel ashamed.
No longer do you lead our armies.
You make us retreat before our foes
And allow them to plunder our land.
You’ve made us sheep for the slaughter
And dispersed us among the nations.
Cheaply you have sold your people
And gained no profit from the sale.
You’ve disgraced us before our neighbors
And made us an object of derision
And scorn to those who live around us.
You have turned us into a byword
Among the nations; their people
Shake their heads at us with disdain.
I live in constant confusion,
And my face is covered with shame
When I hear the taunting reviler
And see the avenging enemy.

All this befell us, though we did not forget you,
Nor indeed did we violate your covenant.

Our hearts turned not away from you,
Nor have our steps strayed from your path.
But you have crushed us and left us
Where we are the prey of jackals,
Covered by the dark shadow of death.

If we had forgotten the name of our god
Or had worshiped some foreign deity,
Would not God have discovered such a thing,
Knowing as he does the secrets of our hearts?

Yet it is surely for your sake
We are being killed all day long,  
And treated like sheep to be slaughtered.
Wake up, O Master Jehovah!
Why is it that you are sleeping?
Rise up, reject us not forever!
Why do you turn away your face?
Why have you forgotten about
Our affliction and oppression?
Our bodies grovel in the dirt,
Our bellies are pressed to the ground.
Rise up, rescue us, redeem us
For the sake of your merciful love!

Psalm 43

Be my judge, O Jehovah, and plead my case
Against a godless nation; deliver me
From men who are deceitful and wicked.

You are the god of my refuge.
Why then have you rejected me?
Why must I go about mourning,
Persecuted by enemies.
Send forth to me the light of your truth.
Let it lead me and conduct me 
To your holy mount, your dwelling place.

Then will I go to the altar of God,
To God who is the source of my delight.
Upon the lyre will I sing your praise,
O God, my God!

Why are you, my soul, so depressed?
Why is there such unrest within me?
But I will put my hope in God
And praise again my Savior, my God.

Psalm 42

As the deer craves the running stream,
So my soul craves for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, the living God.
When shall I stand before his presence?
Day and night tears are my only food,
All day long people harass me,
And challenge me, “Where is your god?”

As I search my soul, these things I remember:
How I walked among the throng of worshipers
And led the procession to the house of God;
How I raised my voice in song of joy and praise,
Among the multitude at the festival.

Tell me, my soul, why am I so downcast,
Why is there such anxiety within me?
I must put my hopes in God and praise him,
That his presence may be my salvation.
I am deeply depressed, but remember
You, O my god, from the land of Jordan,
The peaks of Hermon, and the hills of Mizar.

The seas call out to each other
In the roar of your waterfalls.
Your breakers and waves roll over me.

By day Jehovah sends his love to me;
And through the night his song shall be with me;
It is my prayer to the life-bringing God.

I ask God, my fortress of stone,
“Why have you forgotten about me?
Why do I go about in grief,
While my enemies oppress me?”

The taunts of my enemies cut me to the quick.
“Where is your god?” they ask me all day long.
Tell me, my soul, why am I so downcast,
Why is there such anxiety within me?
I must put my hopes in God and praise him,
That his presence may be my salvation.

Psalm 41

Blessed is he who cares about the destitute;
In times of trouble Jehovah will rescue him;
Jehovah will preserve him and keep him alive
That he may be blessed in the land; he will not
Surrender him to the will of his enemies.

On his sickbed Jehovah will nurse him;
He will raise him up and restore him to health.
I have cried, “Jehovah, have mercy on me.
Heal my body for I have sinned against you.”
My enemies speak evil words about me,
“When will he die and his name pass away?”
They visit me as if they were my friends,
But when they are here they gather gossip,
And when they leave they spread the slanders abroad.

Those who hate me whisper among themselves,
Imagining the worst for me and saying,
“He’s afflicted with some fatal disease
And will never rise up from where he lies.”
Even my closest friend, who had my trust,
Who did share my bread, has turned against me.
May you have mercy on me, Jehovah.
Let me recover that I may show them up.

I know that you are pleased with me,
For you have not let my enemies
Proclaim their triumph over me.
Because of my integrity,
You have supported me and will let me
Enjoy your presence forever.

Blessed be Jehovah, the god of Israel,
From everlasting age to everlasting age;
Amen and Amen!

Psalm 40

For Jehovah I waited patiently.
He turned to me and heard my plea for help.
He pulled me out of a desolate pit
Of muck and mire and set me on a rock;
He steadied me and sent me on my way,
Teaching me a new song of praise to our god.

Many will see and be in awe
And place their trust in Jehovah.
Blessed is he who makes Jehovah
The object of his faith and turns not
To the falsehoods of the arrogant.

Your miracles have multiplied,
As have your plans for our people.
They are too many to mention;
Indeed, none can compare with you.
I would proclaim your wondrous acts,
But they are more than one can count.

You craved not sacrifices and offerings;
You made me understand they were not required,
The burnt offerings and the sin offerings.

Then I announced, “Behold I have arrived!” --
As it is written of me in the scriptures.
I delight in doing your will, O my god,
For your law is written deep in my heart.
I have proclaimed to the congregation
The tidings of your justice, and, as you know,
I did not hold my tongue, O Jehovah.
I did not hide in my breast your righteousness:
I announced your faithfulness and salvation.
From the congregation I did not conceal
Your truth, your love and kindness and mercy.

O Jehovah, do not hold back from me,
Your mercy, for it is your faithful love
That will protect and preserve me forever.
For countless evils have encompassed me
And my sins have taken such hold of me
That I can no longer see my way clear.
They number more that the hairs on my head.
My heart and courage have forsaken me.

Please, then, Jehovah, deliver me,
Make haste, Jehovah, and help me!
May those who seek to take my life
Know shame and humiliation.
May those who wish to do me harm
Be put to disgraceful retreat.
Those who taunt me with “Aha, aha,”
May they be shocked by their own shame.

Let those who seek you out, rejoice
And be gladdened because of you.
Let those who love your salvation
Always say, “Great is Jehovah!”

As for me, I am poor and needy.
May Jehovah give thought to me.
You are my help and my savior,
May there be no delay, my god.

Psalm 39

I have promised to guard my ways
So I may not sin with my tongue;
I would put a muzzle on my mouth
When the wicked are in my presence.

And so I was totally silent, dumb,
Not even saying anything positive;
Yet, my distress was exacerbated;
More and more a heartache seethed within me
Until, after contemplation, it flared up.

Then, I spoke out, “Show me, O Jehovah,
How I will die and how long I will live,
That I may know how fleeting is my life.
You have made my days like the breadth of a hand;
My lifespan is nothing compared to yours.
At his best, man is but a breath of wind.
He moves about like a shadow, a phantom,
And his rushing around is all in vain.
He hoards riches, but knows not who will spend them.
And so, what now is my expectation?
I will place my hope in you, Jehovah.

“From all my transgressions deliver me.
Do not let me be the mockery of fools.
I have been silent and kept my mouth shut,
For that is what you’ve demanded of me.
But remove this scourge you’ve laid upon me,
For I am perishing under its blows.
When you correct and discipline a man,
Rebuking him for his iniquities,
Like a moth you consume what is dear to him. ---
For each of us is but a breath of wind.

"Hear my prayer, O Jehovah.
Listen to my cries for help.
Do not ignore my tears.
For I am a guest with you,
A foreign resident,
As my forefathers were.
Turn away your angry gaze
So I may be cheered again
Before I go away
And so exist no more."