Psalm 32

Blessed are they whose acts of transgression
Are forgiven and whose sins are kept concealed.
Happy, those in whom Jehovah finds no guilt
And in whose heart there is no dishonesty.

When I kept my sins to myself,
My body was wasting away,
I groaned in agony all the day.
You tormented me by day and night,
Sapping my strength like a summer drought.
But when I acknowledged my sins
And no longer concealed my guilt,
Declaring, “I will confess my sins
To Jehovah,” you forgave me.

Therefore, those that are faithful should pray to you
While there is time, so that tribulations,
Surging like floodwaters, will not engulf them.

For you are my refuge, my sanctuary.
You protect me from trouble and distress
And surround me with joyful songs of salvation.

“I will teach you, impart to you wisdom,
I will instruct you in the paths you must take;
I will guide you, keeping my eye on you.
So do not be without understanding
Like a horse or a mule that must be led
By the bridle so it will come to you.”

Many are the pains of the wicked,
But mercy and kindness surround
Those who put their faith in Jehovah.
Exult in Jehovah and be glad,
Those who are righteous.  Sing out with joy,
All of you who are pure of heart.

Psalm 31

In you, Jehovah, have I sought refuge;
Let me at no time fall into disgrace,
But let your sense of right deliver me.
Turn your ear to me, rescue me with dispatch.
Be an enclave, a fortress to guard me.
(For you are my enclave and my fortress.)
Therefore, in your name, lead and protect me;
Free me from the trap my foes have set for me,
For in you alone I find my protection,
And into your hands do I entrust my life.
Thus save me, Jehovah, my faithful god!

Those who worship false idols, I detest:
I put my confidence in Jehovah.

I am glad for your loyal love,
And rejoice in your devotion,
For you have witnessed my misery
And know the troubles of my soul.
You would not allow me to fall
Into the hands of my enemy,
But set me in a place of safety.

Pity me, O Jehovah,
For I am in dire distress.
My eyes grow weak with weeping,
My body and soul languish
And waste away with grief.
Sorrow consumes my soul,
My years are wasted in sobs,
My troubles exhaust me
And my life is draining away.

Because of all my enemies,
My neighbors hold me in contempt.
Even my friends will avoid me,
For when they see me on the street
They run the other way in fear.
Forgotten am I, like one dead,
Like a broken piece of pottery.
I have heard the threats made by many --
I am surrounded by terror --
For they hold counsel against me
And are plotting to take my life.

But I trust in you, Jehovah
And have declared, “You are my god!”
Indeed my future is in your hands.
Deliver me from my enemies
And from those who persecute me.
Let your face smile upon your servant.
Let your mercy be my redemption.
Let me not be shamed, O Jehovah,
For I pray to you for succor.
Let the wicked people be shamed;
Let them be silenced by the grave.
Still their lying, deceitful tongues
That speak with arrogance and contempt
In castigating the righteous.

How abundant is your bounty,
Stored up for those who revere you,
Bestowed upon those who trust you,
For the people of the world to see.
You shelter them with your presence,
Hiding them in a secret refuge,
Protecting them from the plots of men,
Far from slanderous accusations.

Praise Jehovah, for he has shown me
The miracle of his constant love.
When the city was under siege
I cried out to him in alarm,
“I’m defeated before your eyes!”
You heard the voice of my pleading
When I cried out in supplication.

Love Jehovah and his followers,
For Jehovah sustains the faithful --
But he punishes severely
The evil deeds of the arrogant.

Be strong in spirit and brave of heart,
All who put their hope in Jehovah.

Psalm 30

A Song Composed for the Dedication of King David's Palace
 
I extol you, Jehovah, for you have raised me up,
And have not let my enemies gloat over me.
Jehovah, my god, I called to you and you healed me.
You, Jehovah,  have brought me up from the gates of Hell
And have spared me from falling into the abyss.

Sing the praises of Jehovah,
All you, his faithful votaries!
And give your thanks to Jehovah
In remembrance of his holiness!
His wrath is but of the moment;
His grace will endure a lifetime.
There may be weeping throughout the night,
But in the morning, there is joy.

When I was rich and riding high,
I boasted, “Nothing can take me down!”
On a mountain fortress I stood,
When you, Jehovah, favored me,
But when you hid your face from me,
I became troubled and afraid.
I cried out to you, O Jehovah.
I pleaded to you for mercy.

Is there profit in the spilling of my blood?

What gain to you if I go to the grave?

Can the dust of my rotting corpse praise you,

Or give testimony of your faithfulness?

Hear me, O Jehovah, give me your pity

And be a help to me, O Jehovah.

"

You have turned my mourning into a happy dance;

Stripping away my sackcloth and robing me with joy,

That my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.



O Jehovah my god, to you

Will I give my thanks  -- forever.

Psalm 29

Praise Jehovah, you celestial beings.
Praise Jehovah's glory and his power,
And grant Jehovah the honor due his name.
Bow down before Jehovah when he appears
In the splendor of his holy panoply.

Jehovah's voice echoes over the waters,
As the god of glory roars with thunder.
Jehovah is heard over the raging sea,
For the voice of Jehovah has power
And the voice of Jehovah has majesty.
Jehovah's voice splits the mighty cedars,
Splintering the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes Lebanon cavort like a calf
And Mount Sirion leap like a wild young steer.
Jehovah speaks in flashes of lightning,
And his voice makes the barren deserts quake,
Shaking even the wastelands of Kadesh.
The voice of Jehovah twists the mighty oak
And strips the leaves from the trees of the forest
So that all in his Temple will shout, "Glory!"

Jehovah sits enthroned above the sea.
There he will sit enthroned as king forever.
Jehovah will lend strength to his people
And bring to them the blessing of peace.

Psalm 28

When I cry out to you, O Jehovah,
My defender, be not deaf to my cries,
Be not silent to me lest I become
Like those who are on their way to the grave.
Listen to my prayers of supplication
When I raise my voice in pleas for succor
And raise my arms before the Inner Sanctum.
Do not drag me away with the wicked
And with the workers of evil and mischief,
Who speak of peace and love to their neighbors,
But harbor hate and malice in their hearts.

Pay them back for the acts that they have done,
In proportion to their iniquity;
For their evil deeds, give them their just deserts,
Reward them rightly for their handiwork,
They who do not comprehend the acts and deeds
Of Jehovah or honor his handiwork. ---
He will knock them down, and never raise them up!

Blessed be Jehovah, who has heard
My prayer, my plea of supplication.
Jehovah is my strength and my shield.
My hearts places its trust in him;
He helps me and my heart rejoices,
And I give thanks to him in song.

Jehovah empowers his people
And defends his anointed king.

O Jehovah, bring victory
And blessings to your Chosen People!
Guide and care for them forever!

Psalm 27

Jehovah is my light and my salvation;
So of whom should I be afraid?
Jehovah is the protector of my life
So why should I tremble in fear?

The evil-doers may attack,
To destroy and devour me,
But it is they, those who oppose me
And hate me, who will stumble and fall.
Though an army may besiege me,
In my heart there will be no fear.
Though war may break out against me,
I will still have faith in my god.

Of Jehovah I ask but one thing,
The thing I strive for the most:
That through all the days of my life,
I may remain in Jehovah's grace,
To adore his perfect beauty
And seek the truth in his temple.

For when I am beset by times of trouble,
He will protect me and give me shelter,
Hide me neath the roof of his Tabernacle
Or set me safely on a mountain redoubt.
Confident now, I will be exalted
Above the enemies that surround me.
In his tent will I make sacrifices,
Offerings of joy and exultation,
And I will sing in praise of Jehovah.

Hear me, O Jehovah, when I call!
Have mercy and answer my prayer!
You have proclaimed, "Come and worship me!"
My heart responds, "I am coming."
Hide not your face from your servant,
Or turn him angrily away.
Do not leave me, for you are my help.
Forsake me not, my god, my savior.
If my parents abandon me,
You, Jehovah, will take me in.

Teach me your ways, O Jehovah,
Keep me on the straight and narrow,
For enemies spy upon me.
Let me not fall into their hands,
For they speak falsely against me
And utter threats of violence.

I will indeed witness Jehovah's goodness
While I am yet in the land of the living,
But we must wait patiently for Jehovah.
We must be firm and strong and brave of heart
And so wait patiently for Jehovah.

Psalm 26

Judge me innocent, O Jehovah,
For I have led a blameless life;
In Jehovah I have put my trust,
Unfaltering, unwavering.
Test and try me, O Jehovah,
Examine my heart and my mind.
Ever conscious of your love for me,
I rely upon your loyalty.

I will not consort with liars and cheats;
I shun the company of hypocrites;
I detest the gangs of evil-doers;
I avoid those who are up to no good.
I wash my hands to show my innocence
And worship Jehovah at your altar,
Raising my voice in prayers of thanksgiving
And songs recounting all your wondrous deeds.
I cherish the Temple where you reside
And where your glory manifests itself.

Do not discard my body with the sinners,
Or take my life with the shedders of blood,
The schemers of evil, the takers of bribes,
For I have lived a life of innocence.
So please lend me mercy and redeem me!
I stand upright, my feet on solid ground,
And where the people meet I praise Jehovah.